Saturday, June 8, 2019

June 9 Radio History



➦In 1900...Fred Waring born (Died  – July 29, 1984). He was a musician, bandleader, and radio and television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing". He was also a promoter, financial backer and eponym of the Waring Blendor, the first modern electric blender on the market.

From 1923 until late 1932, "Waring's Pennsylvanians" were among Victor Records' best-selling bands. In late 1932, Waring abruptly quit recording, although his band continued to perform on radio. In 1933, "You Gotta Be a Football Hero" was performed on radio to great acclaim. His 1930 recording of "Love for Sale" by Cole Porter is one of the only period versions of this popular song.

The Fred Waring Show was heard on radio in various forms from 1933 to 1957.

Les Paul with wife Mary Ford
➦In 1915...Lester William Polsfuss Born (Died at age 94 – August 12, 2009), He was  known as Les Paul and was a jazz, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar, and his techniques served as inspiration for the Gibson Les Paul. Paul taught himself how to play guitar, and while he is mainly known for jazz and popular music, he had an early career in country music. He is credited with many recording innovations. Although he was not the first to use the technique, his early experiments with overdubbing (also known as sound on sound), delay effects such as tape delay, phasing effects and multitrack recording were among the first to attract widespread attention.

His innovative talents extended into his playing style, including licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing, which set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired many guitarists of the present day. He recorded with his wife, the singer and guitarist Mary Ford, in the 1950s, and they sold millions of records.

Among his many honors, Paul is one of a handful of artists with a permanent, stand-alone exhibit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is prominently named by the music museum on its website as an "architect" and a "key inductee" with Sam Phillips and Alan Freed. Les Paul is the only person to be included in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Early ins hie career he played or conducted bands that performed  on KMOX in St. Louis and WBBM and WLS in Chicago.

➦In 1934…Edwin Howard Armstrong conducted the first successful field test of FM radio at Alpine, NJ.
Edwin Howard Armstrong

In 1934, Armstrong began working for RCA at the request of the president of RCA, David Sarnoff. Sarnoff and Armstrong first met at a boxing match involving Jack Dempsey in 1920. At the time Sarnoff was a young executive with an interest in new technologies, including radio broadcasting.  In the early 1920s Armstrong drove off with Sarnoff's secretary, Marion MacInnes, in a French sports car. Armstrong and MacInnes were married in 1923.  While Sarnoff was understandably impressed with Armstrong's FM system, he also understood that it was not compatible with his own AM empire. Sarnoff came to regard FM as a threat and refused to support it any further.



From May 1934 until October 1935, Armstrong conducted the first large scale field tests of his FM radio technology from a laboratory constructed by RCA on the 85th floor of the Empire State Building. An antenna attached to the spire of the building fired radio waves at receivers about 80 miles away.  However, RCA had its eye on television broadcasting, and chose not to buy the patents for the FM technology.  A June 17, 1936, presentation at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) headquarters made headlines nationwide. He played a jazz record over conventional AM radio, then switched to an FM broadcast. "[I]f the audience of 50 engineers had shut their eyes they would have believed the jazz band was in the same room. There were no extraneous sounds," noted one reporter. He added that several engineers described the invention "as one of the most important radio developments since the first earphone crystal sets were introduced."

In 1937, Armstrong financed construction of the first FM radio station, W2XMN, a 40 kilowatt broadcaster in Alpine, New Jersey. The signal (at 42.8 MHz) could be heard clearly 100 miles (160 km) away, despite the use of less power than an AM radio station.

➦In 1996...Jack Lacy, a New York radio personality and disk jockey who was heard on WINS 1010 AM from the late 1940's through 1965, died. He was 79 and had lived in Spain since 1989.

Lacy was a contemporary of such veterans of the airwaves as Murray (the K) Kaufman and Bruce (Cousin Brucie) Morrow. His "Listen to Lacy" program on WINS treated his audience to "easy listening" music and live interviews. He left WINS when it changed to all news in 1965, after which he worked for stations in Baltimore and Los Angeles.



Anyone who lived in the New York tri-state area in the 1950s and early 60s will remember the great Jack Lacy. His breezy, casual disc jockey style kept listeners locked down to 1010 WINS Radio for hours on end. He would sell laundry soap with the same smooth flair as he announced the latest hit record. Lacy's eighteen year gig with WINS began in 1947 playing out the end of the swing era and transitioning to 50s pop. As the evolving sound of radio turned to rock & roll, his fish out of water personality really gave permission for a maturing audience to enjoy the new beat.

➦In 2004...The FCC agreed to a record $1.75 million settlement with Clear Channel to resolve indecency complaints against Howard Stern and other radio personalities.

The controversy surrounding the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, aired live on February 1, 2004, led to the government's crackdown on indecency in radio and television following a surge in audience complaints. The situation prompted tighter control over content by station managers which made Stern feel "dead" creatively. After Clear Channel Communications and Viacom were fined for content the FCC deemed indecent; the situation culminated on October 6, 2004, when Stern announced the signing of a five-year deal with Sirius Satellite Radio, a subscription-based satellite radio service exempt from the FCC's broadcast regulations, starting in 2006. It is a move that has been regarded as the start of "a new era of radio." Stern's final live show on terrestrial airwaves aired on December 16, 2005.

Report: Communities Hit By Loss Of Local Radio

America's rural radio stations are vanishing, according to a piece in The Guardian.  The article is attracting a lot of attention.

According to writer Debbie Weingarten, small-town radio is fizzling nationwide, as stations struggle to attract advertisement dollars. And as station owners are forced to sell, media conglomerates snap up rural frequencies for rock-bottom prices, for the sole purpose of relocating them to urban areas. In a more affluent market, they can be flipped for a higher price. With limited frequencies available, larger broadcasters purchase as many as possible.

At a time when local newspapers are vanishing at an alarming rate, the loss of a radio station leaves a community with another cultural and informational deficit. Communities are diminished when they lose their local radio stations, says Dennis Deninger, a communications professor at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. His first media job was working at an AM station in Hornell, New York, where obituaries were read on air along with board of education updates.

“We connected with people,” he remembers. “We told them stories about a fender bender that happened down on Main Street, or a local parade coming up, or the success of a youngster at the local science fair.”

Clinton signs
The 1996 Telecommunications Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, changed the radio landscape dramatically, allowing for deregulation, which led to the rapid consolidation of the industry. In the months after the act’s passage, Reed Hundt, then the FCC Chair, spoke before Congress about “fostering innovation and competition in radio” and “[promoting] diversity in programming and diversity in the viewpoints expressed on this powerful medium that so shapes our culture”.

And yet the act did not deliver on these ideals. Instead, for the first time, large media companies were allowed to buy up multiple stations without restriction. By 2002, the radio industry was essentially an oligopoly – just 10 parent companies controlled two-thirds of the listeners and revenue.

“Consolidation has, in a lot of ways, killed the radio business,” says Barry Cohen, a former rural radio host and managing member of AdLab Media Communications, LLC. “With consolidation comes scale, and then you end up with an 800lb gorilla that has hold of resources, licenses and the market. You can have one entity owning six of the top stations in a single area.”

Those large operators “buy up the best stations and signals, sucking all the money out of the marketplace”, says Cohen.

Today, the industry centers on remote service agreements – a shift driven by economics that has profound consequences for radio listeners. It’s common now for a single automated center to feed content to a slew of stations across the country.

Deninger sees this as particularly problematic for small communities. “If local radio stations are getting their content fed in from some distant studio in another state, you have less information about your home,” he says. “Having less information about where you live and the people you live with …” He trails off. “I can’t think that’s a good thing.”

Click Here To Read The Full Article.

San Bernardino Radio: Scott Ward Says Goodbye

After 24-years personality Scott Ward exits Entercom's KFRG 95.1 FM.

“The rumors are true: I am no longer part of the K-Frog radio family,” Ward posted on his Facebook page on Friday. “I harbor no ill will towards anyone at The Frog. They are family to me. They have all been very good to me over the 24 years that I was part of the team.”

Ward thanked his co-workers and managers over the years, saying, “They gave me every opportunity to let my creative side run wild and to survive some major screw-ups. I did some stuff that would have gotten me fired at other stations … but through the good graces of my managers and staff, I was able to learn from my mistakes and improve.”



Listeners, friends and fans expressed their dismay at the news after Ward posted his farewell note.

Chicago Radio: Kris Kridel, Veteran WBBM Anchor Retires

Kris Kridel (WBBM photo)
After 34-years, the WBBM newsroom Friday said goodbye to one of its most loved and longtime reporter and anchor, Kris Kridel.

During her career, she has covered just about every event imaginable, anchored both mid-day and afternoon drive and filled in mornings. Kridel is a founding member of the WBBM Noon Business Hour, where she co-anchored since its beginning in 2001. She was also a staple on election nights.

"She’s been the consummate journalist, our go-to person for any discussion of ethics and how best to cover stories," said WBBM Program Director Ron Gleason. "We will miss her dearly, but are excited she’ll be able to travel and enjoy much more time with her family and friends."


Sherman Kaplan joined in on the show to say goodbye to Kridel and offer her some advice on retirement. He shared what he will remember about the show and its beginning.

"Kris and I happened to be in the right place at the right time — we all had a common vision," Kaplan said. "Kris and I can feel secure that what we helped to create is going to last far beyond us in the broadcast world."

"It's hard to say goodbye," Kridel said at the end of the Noon Business Hour show Friday.

'Code Red' Woes For WICS-TV Meterologist

Joe Crain, a longtime meteorologist on WICS-TV20 in Springfield, Illinois gave on-air criticism Wednesday of the station’s “Code Red” weather warning system, saying it is a “corporate initiative” that “doesn’t recognize that not all storms are equal” and has generated widespread complaints.

“So we want you to know it’s not us,” Crain said during a morning broadcast on a day that actually would see severe weather later. “This is a corporate initiative, the Code Red alert. And behind the scenes, many of us have tried to dissuade it for the last few months, to try something else that’s less controversial to the viewers.”

Rick Lipps, general manager of the Sinclair Broadcast Group station, didn’t immediately return messages asking about Crain’s status. And reached through Facebook, Crain on Thursday said, “I’m employed by WICS and have no comment to offer.”

A spokesperson for Sinclair, via email, said the company doesn’t comment on personnel matters, but added in a statement: “The outbreak of severe weather events across the country in recent weeks makes clear that Code Red alerts serve a critical function in keeping viewers informed of potential danger and threats to their safety. The decision to issue these alerts is made by our local metorologists and we will continue to trust our local experts to know when to make the call to announce these warnings.”

Crain, who has been at Channel 20 since 2004 and is the longest-tenured on-air personality at the Springfield station, did not appear on air during Thursday morning’s news shows on WICS and his picture had been removed from the staff biography page on the Channel 20 website by Thursday afternoon.

A letter to the editor published in the State Journal-Register from Springfield resident Victor Edwards said he was “frankly sick to death” of the Code Red alarms on WICS.

“It would appear that any cloud in the sky would warrant a ‘Code Red,’” Edwards wrote. “This is something like the boy who cried wolf, or Chicken Little, and what it does is make the viewers skeptical of anything the weather people say. ... Give us a break from this, weather people!”

Sun Broadcast Group Adds Nielsen Media Impact


Nielsen has announced that Sun Broadcast Group has expanded its relationship to license Nielsen Media Impact (NMI) powered by Nielsen's Total Media Fusion.

Nielsen Media Impact is a cross-platform media planning and optimization solution that helps clients understand total campaign reach, frequency and duplication using advanced audience segments. Nielsen Media Impact will enable Sun Broadcast Group to demonstrate the value that its unique audiences bring to an advertiser’s media plan and illustrate radio’s incremental reach.

“With Nielsen Media Impact, we can show advertisers the effect on overall campaign reach and frequency when money is moved between media,” said Jay Bailey, President and Founder, Sun Broadcast Group. “As we continue to expand our footprint to better serve our affiliates, advertisers and partners across the country, the usage of Nielsen Media Impact will have a vital part in evaluating the efficiency of our plans and demonstrating the true value of radio in driving sales.”

“We are pleased to welcome Sun Broadcast Group as a subscriber to Nielsen Media Impact,” said Brad Kelly, Managing Director, Nielsen Audio. “The media landscape is evolving quickly. Cross-platform planning and buying are becoming ‘table stakes’ with big advertisers. Equipped with this powerful new Nielsen solution, Sun Broadcast Group will be using real data to effectively demonstrate how its radio assets can supplement and amplify the effectiveness of TV ad campaigns.”

Activist EXITS Google Over Retaliation

AP Photo
Claire Stapleton, a longtime Google employee and one of the main organizers of last year's walkout, announced on Friday that she will be leaving the company amid what she described as "flogging, shunning, and stress" and a campaign of continued retaliation by higher-ups. reports The Hill.

Stapleton wrote in an impassioned Medium post that she is leaving Google after 12 years because "the heads of my department branded me with a kind of scarlet letter that makes it difficult to do my job."

"These past few months have been unbearably stressful and confusing," she wrote. "But they’ve been eye-opening, too: the more I spoke up about what I was experiencing, the more I heard, and the more I understood how universal these issues are."

Claire Stapleton
Stapleton, who has held multiple positions at Google throughout her tenure, was most recently a YouTube marketing manager. Her decision to leave comes amid a swirling controversy over YouTube's policies, which came to a head this week over the platform's handling of a conservative commentator whom a Vox journalist accused of defaming and harassing him.

"Google’s always had controversies and internal debates, but the 'hard things' had intensified, and the way leadership was addressing them suddenly felt different, cagier, less satisfying," Stapleton wrote, describing her experiences over the past year at the company. She did not explicitly mention this week's wave of YouTube criticism.

Both Stapleton and fellow Google employee Meredith Whittaker were instrumental in organizing the Google walkouts that took place at Google offices around the world last year, with workers railing against the company's handling of sexual harassment issues as well as general working conditions.

And both women in April circulated internal messages alleging they'd faced months of retaliation from the company over their activist efforts.

R.I.P.: Gregg Hunter, Longtime L-A Radio Celeb Interviewer

Gregg Hunter
Gregg Hunter, who spent four easygoing decades on the radio in Los Angeles talking about restaurants, music, television and classic movies, died May 15 in Los Angeles, his rep, Michael Sinclair, said.

He was 87, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Known as "the friendliest voice on the airwaves," Hunter worked at KIEV-AM from 1968-98 and hosted such programs as Weekend World of Entertainment; Meet Me at the Derby. He generally avoided hot-button issues on the air. "There's plenty of shouting and political controversy around the dial," he said, "but it seems to me that late evening should provide a time to wind down and relax."

When Salem Communications purchased KIEV in 1998, Hunter segued to CRN Digital Talk Radio Networks and worked there until 2015.

A song-and-dance man who composed more than 100 tunes, he signed with Fox and came to Los Angeles, but it was "a bad career move," he said. "The studio brought me west and promptly forgot I was on the lot." Still, he decided to remain in California, working at radio stations including KPOP, KFVD, KLWN and KMLA-FM before joining KIEV, then a 500-watt outlet. (It would gradually grow to a powerful 20,000 watts by 1998.)

June 8 Radio History




➦In 1947...Lassie was a 15-minute radio juvenile adventure program. It was broadcast on ABC from June 8, 1947 until May 30, 1948, and on NBC from June 5, 1948, until May 27, 1950


➦In 1967...The Beatles thematic album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' quickly climbed to number one after being released just a week earlier. It was their 8th studio album and spent 15 weeks at number one in the U-S.

It was lauded by critics for its innovations in production, songwriting and graphic design, for bridging a cultural divide between popular music and high art, and for providing a musical representation of its generation and the contemporary counterculture. It won four Grammy Awards in 1968, including Album of the Year, the first rock LP to receive this honor.

➤In 1988...Billboard Blast From The Past....





➦In 2003...Dan Ingram aired his final show at Oldies WCBS 101.1 FM NYC. Here's an aircheck from 1992:



➦In 2011…Former Detroit Tigers broadcaster/outfielder Jim Northrup died of complications from Alzheimer's disease at age 71.

Friday, June 7, 2019

Norfolk Radio: Jen & Jhas Get Wake-Up Duty At WVBW


Monday, June 10th marks the debut of “The Jen & Jhas Show” on WVBW 92.9 The Wave.

Jen Lewis moves from middays to mornings to team up with Jhas Williams-Wood, who ironically comes from 97.1 The Wave in Ocean City, Maryland and Eagle 97.7 where she co-hosted mornings for several years, for 92.9 The WAVE’s first all-female morning show.

Jen Lewis
Jen spent 19 years at WGH  97.3 The Eagle FM where she co-hosted the popular “Jimmy Ray and Jen Morning Show.” In 2015, Jen transitioned to television as she joined the #1 morning team on WAVY TV10/Fox 43. She made her return to radio in March of this year as the midday host for the WAVE. Jen is a Hampton Roads native and lives in Virginia Beach with her husband-Keith, daughter AnnaLise, horse-Perry, dog-Billy and cat-Tink.

“Just when I thought my morning show days were over, I met Jhas. She’s a bright, talented and beautiful woman. I can’t wait for the 92.9 The Wave listener family to get to know her. I’m also looking forward to breaking ground on a female-driven show. Count on it being fun, thoughtful and informative,” commented Lewis.

Jhas Williams-Wood
Jhas Williams-Wood was born and raised in New Jersey, just 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia. She spent 2 years studying acting on a scholarship to the Academy of Dramatic Arts in the heart of Los Angeles, California. Upon returning to the East Coast, she realized that radio and serving the people were her true love. She’s discovered her voice not only on the radio, but also in the form of freelance writing for various online publications such as ESSENCE and Rantt Media.

“I’m so looking forward to becoming a part of Max Media’s family and beyond grateful for the opportunity to be welcomed into the homes and cars of our listener friends,” remarked Williams-Wood.

92.9 The WAVE’s new weekday lineup:
  • 5:30am-10am The Jen & Jhas Show
  • 10am-3pm Rusty James
  • 3pm-7pm Dino
  • 7pm-12am Delilah

Report: YES Looking To Extend Brand To Radio

The Yankees and the YES Network are exploring developing YES Radio while leveraging its current content and creating new shows in the beginning of a series of moves that could have huge implications not only locally, but on the future of sports media, The NY Post is reporting..

The YES plans will go into overdrive upon the completion of its $3.5 billion deal that will restore the Yankees as the network’s largest shareholder. The Yankees are backed by Amazon and Sinclair, positioning the network well as the sports media landscape shifts.

Sinclair’s reach provides YES with protection on its cable carriage fees, while Amazon will help it navigate and perhaps be leaders in the future of sports media distribution.

While radio may be the beginning driver, the new ownership setup could eventually have a major impact on how fans watch the games as the finances of cable/digital sports viewing further change in the next decade and beyond.

This could be a precursor of Amazon’s move as a major sports video player on par with ESPN, Turner and the broadcast networks.

While nothing is changing in the short term, Amazon Prime could eventually become a place where some Yankees games are housed, at least digitally, according to sources.

As for the expansion of Yankees/YES audio, YES and SiriusXM have had discussions about housing the radio network on the satellite service, according to sources.

These talks could pick up at the completion of the $3.5 billion deal, as YES — with the Yankees its biggest shareholder again — will return to its more nimble and entrepreneurial roots after being controlled by Fox as one of 22 Regional Sports Networks. YES is without limitations, so, though radio might be one starting point, podcasts and other means of distribution will be explored.

2019 Radio Mercury Awards Winners Announced


Winners for the 2019 Radio Mercury Awards were announced Thursday evening at the 28th annual awards presentation held at Sony Hall in New York. This year’s $50,000 Best of Show award was presented to Wieden + Kennedy for their Old Spice Pomade Radio campaign. 


Chris Beresford-Hill, TBWA\Chiat\Day NY; Adam Crouch, Copywriter and Alex McClelland, Art Director, Wieden + Kennedy; Erica Farber, RAB


"We have tremendous diversity in tonight’s winning audio, and what impressed the final round judges most was the power of storytelling and the various ways advertisers were able to convey a brand’s message through innovative and unique creative," noted Chris Beresford-Hill, chief judge and chief creative officer, TBWA\Chiat\Day NY.

"It was another great night for radio and the strength of the audio medium in conveying a brand's message," said Erica Farber, president and CEO, Radio Advertising Bureau, and chair of the Radio Creative Fund. "The Radio Mercury Awards continue to advance the medium forward by showcasing innovative and effective radio commercial work."

 Jeff Charney, CMO, Progressive Insurance with Drew Horowitz, COO, Hubbard Radio and Caroline Beasley, CEO, Beasley Media Group


On behalf of the Radio industry, this year's Radio Marketer of the Year Award was given to Progressive Insurance. Caroline Beasley, chief executive officer of Beasley Media Group, and Drew Horowitz, president and chief operating officer of Hubbard Radio, presented the award to Jeff Charney, chief marketing officer at Progressive Insurance. Erica Farber noted that "We are delighted to honor our partners at Progressive who have made radio a key component in its advertising campaigns, with a laser focus on consumer-first audio creative."

The festive and lively ceremony was hosted by Orlando Davis, Program Director and Host of Orlando and the Freakshow on WiLD 94.1 in Tampa, and Scott Rizzuto, headliner of The Rizzuto Show on 105.7 The Point from St. Louis. Among the award presenters during the show were Christine Malovetz from WNYL Alt 92, Sharon "La Loca" Montero from Radio 103.9, and Megan Ryte from HOT97. iHeartMedia was the official Music Provider for the evening and DJ Whutever from Power 105.1 served as the guest DJ for the night.

This year's event was produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau, and presented by Beasley Media Group and Hubbard Radio in partnership with iHeartMedia Inc. Sponsoring the awards show were Bonneville International, CBS News Radio, Cherry Creek Radio, Cox Media Group, The Cromwell Group, Emmis Communications, Entercom Communications, Forcht Broadcasting, Katz Radio Group, Miller, Kaplan, Arase LLP, Neuhoff Media, Nielsen Audio, Skyview Networks, Townsquare Media, Triton Digital, United Stations Radio Networks, Westwood One, WideOrbit, and Xperi.

To listen to all of the work awarded at Thursday's ceremony. Click Here.

Detroit Radio: Krissy T Joins WKQI For Evenings

Krissy T
iHeartMedia Detroit announced Thursday that Krissy T will host nights for WKQI Channel 95.5, Detroit’s #1 Hit Music Station. Krissy T will broadcast weekday nights from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m.

“We love Krissy’s sound and energy and know that she will bring those key ingredients to the night show,” said Tony Travatto, Regional Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Detroit. “We have been searching for somebody that will reinvent the way night time radio is done in Detroit and Krissy is that person.”

“I’m ready to crush it in Detroit,” said Krissy T. “The station is iconic and the city is awesome and I can’t wait to connect with the Detroit community and bring magic to their weekday nights on Channel 95.5.”

Krissy T joins the iHeartMedia Detroit market from Hot 104.7 in Portland, Maine, where she most recently served as the morning co-host. She also served as part-time, swing and night show co-host for WODC in Boston. She began her career at WJMN/WXKS in Boston and is a graduate of Merrimack College in Boston.

FCC Declares War On Robocalls


The FCC voted on Thursday to allow phone carriers to block suspicious calls by default in an effort to bolster industry efforts to filter out robocalls and scammers.

According to The Hill, the proposal would also let phone companies offer their customers the option of blocking any numbers that are not pre-approved, a service that could help protect elderly consumers from scams and telemarketers.

"We expect phone companies will move quickly to use this tool and help consumers block unwanted robocalls," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wrote in USA Today. "Among other things, default call-blocking will reduce the costs of handling the robocalls that flood their networks and save them grief by limiting customer complaints."

Critics of the FCC's proposal say the agency should have gone further to ensure that wireless companies won't charge consumers extra to protect them from robocalls, as some carriers currently do.

"I think robocall solutions should be free to consumers. Full stop," Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who voted against parts of the proposal, said at an FCC hearing on Thursday. "I do not think that this agency should pat itself on the back for its efforts to reduce robocalls and then tell consumers to pay up."

All five FCC commissioners voted to approve the order, though Rosenworcel and Republican Michael O'Rielly dissented against parts of the proposal.

The commission also voted to move forward with a proposal to provide a legal safe harbor for carriers that block spoofed numbers. That proposal will be open to public comment before advancing.

Apple's Tim Cook: "We Are Not A Monopoly"

Apple CEO Tim Cook opened up about his own personal screen time, his relationship with President Donald Trump, the potential impact of the U.S. trade war with China on the company and more, in an interview with incoming CBS EVENING NEWS anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell broadcast tonight on the CBS Television Network. Cook spoke to O’Donnell in an exclusive interview after his keynote address at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

Cook told O’Donnell he strongly disagreed with Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) calls to break up Apple.

“I think some people would argue, if you are selling a good, then you can’t have a product that competes with that good. That’s an argument more that takes you down the path that Walmart shouldn’t be stocking alternative or house brand. And so this is decades of U.S. law here. And we’ll be – we’ll tell our story to anybody that we need to or that wants to hear it,” Cook said.

Asked if Apple was too big, Cook said, “We are not a monopoly.”

Cook told O’Donnell he engages with the president regularly.

“I do. And I’m proud to,” Cook said. “I mean, because I don’t believe in the ‘I disagree with you, and so I don’t want to have anything to do with you.’ The way you stop the polarization is to talk. This is sort of like step one. And I don’t want to be part of the problem. I want to be part of the solution.”

Cook also said the threat of a 25% tariff from the U.S. and China trade war could hurt sales.

“Sure it would. I’m hoping that doesn’t happen. The truth is, the iPhone is made everywhere. It’s made everywhere. And so – a tariff on the iPhone would hurt all of those countries, but the one that would be hurt the most is this one,” Cook said.

On his own screen time, Cook said he monitors it regularly and has cut back reaching for his iPhone.



“I’m saying we made the phone not so that you’ll use it all the time,” Cook said. “We made the phone to make your life better. But for me, my simple rule is if I’m looking at the device more than I’m looking into someone’s eyes, I’m doing the wrong thing.”

O’Donnell will assume her new role at the CBS EVENING NEWS later this summer. An Emmy Award-winning journalist and leading interviewer, O’Donnell remains committed to delivering original reporting and newsmaking conversations for all CBS News broadcasts and platforms ahead of the launch.

AWMF To Honor CBS' Erin Moriarty With Lifetime Achievement

Erin Moriarty
The leadership of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) announces that Erin Moriarty, "48 Hours" correspondent, will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 44th Annual Gracie Awards Luncheon to be presented to her by Susan Zirinsky.

Zirinsky is president and senior executive producer, CBS News.

Hosting the luncheon will be another television news veteran, Sheinelle Jones, co-anchor of "Weekend TODAY" and co-host of the "3rd Hour of TODAY." The annual Gracies Luncheon set for June 26 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City honors individual achievement and outstanding programming at the local level for television and radio, public radio and students in television, radio and interactive media.

The Gracie Awards recognize exemplary content created by, for and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. Given this year to Moriarty, who has covered some of the biggest crime and justice stories for three decades for CBS News, the Gracies Lifetime Achievement Award honors a woman in media who exemplifies and embodies the essence of the iconic trailblazer, the late Gracie Allen, the namesake of The Gracie Awards.

"The Gracie Awards celebrate the bravery of storytellers to share relevant, compelling content while pushing boundaries to create an environment of equality," said AWM/F Chair Christine Travaglini, President, Katz Radio Group. AWM/F Executive Director Becky Brooks added, "Throughout her 40-year journalism career, Erin Moriarty's well-researched, diligent approach to covering stories about crime and justice, about consumer issues and much more has been consistent and illustrates why she is so worthy of this Lifetime Achievement Award. Through the Gracies, we are incredibly proud to honor and celebrate outstanding talent and content by, for and about women."

R.I.P.: 'Radio' Bob Smith, Broadcaster, Station Owner

Bob Smith
A newspaper columnist once wrote that tuning in to one of Bob Smith’s radio stations in western Wisconsin was like “listening to neighbors talking over the back fence.”

According to The Pioneer-Press, Smith, who owned and operated seven radio stations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida for almost 60 years, believed radio had the power to unite communities.

“It was community radio. That’s what Bob believed in, and that’s what he promoted,” said Nelson Lent, who worked for Smith as his general manager at WWIS-AM in Black River Falls, Wis., from 1968 to 2006. “We served the community, and I think we did a pretty good job with that.”

Smith, nicknamed “Radio Bob,” died Monday of natural causes at the Red Cedar Canyon Assisted Living Center in Hudson, Wis. He was 90.

Among the stations Smith owned: WWIS-FM in Black River Falls; WIXK-AM and -FM in New Richmond, Wis.; WIMN-AM (now KLBB-AM) in Stillwater; and WTRR-AM in Sanford, Fla.

Smith, who grew up in River Falls, Wis., had a voice made for radio, said his son Dan Smith, of Mahtomedi. “He had a deep, rich voice, and he enunciated perfectly. He was a real broadcaster.”

R.I.P.: Todd Tongen, WPLG News Anchor Was Suicide Victim

Todd Tongen
UPDATE JUNE 7, 2019:  WPLG News anchor Todd Tongen committed suicide this week because he was afraid he suffered from the same form of dementia that took his mother’s life in 2017, his family claims.

Original Posting...

WPLG-Channel 10 announced Monday the death of news anchor Todd Tongen, an on-air presence since 1989. Tongen was 56, according to The Miami Herald.

Tongen missed Sunday morning’s broadcast. In a story on its website, the station said his wife, Karen Tongen, who was out of town, couldn’t reach him. A request of a friend to check on him led to police finding him.

The station said it didn’t know a cause of death.

WPLG Executive Sports Producer Dukie Lang tweeted, “Horrible day. Our Michael Putney said something so profound: “The cause of death is not yet known, the cause of grief is.” Absolutely gutted. Every newsroom needs personalities like Todd Tongen. He was so creative and so funny. I could see a story & know it was a Tongen.”

After beginning his career in his native Minnesota, Tongen worked in Grand Junction, Colorado, and Little Rock, Arkansas, before coming to South Florida in 1989. Originally, Tongen reported the weather, and his station biography claims he’s proudest professionally for his Hurricane Andrew coverage. He also became known for his “10 Taxi” features in which he drove celebrities around in a 1967 Checker cab.

R.I.P.: Dr. John, Flamboyant Singer, Songwriter

Mac Rebenack
Mac Rebennack, the pianist, singer, songwriter, and producer better known as Dr. John, who embodied the New Orleans sound for generations of music fans, died on Thursday.

He was 77, according to The NYTimes.

A family statement released by his publicist said the cause was a heart attack. The statement did not say where he died. He had been living in recent years on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, La.

Rebennack belonged to the pantheon of New Orleans keyboard wizards that includes Professor Longhair, James Booker, Huey (Piano) Smith and Fats Domino. What distinguished him from his peers was the showmanship of his public persona.

Onstage as Dr. John, he adorned himself with snakeskin, beads and brightly colored feathers, and his shows blended Mardi Gras bonhomie with voodoo mystery.

Rebennack recorded more than 30 albums, including jazz projects (“Bluesiana Triangle,” 1990, with the drummer Art Blakey and the saxophonist David Newman), solo piano records (“Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack,” 1981) and his version of Afropop (“Locked Down,” 2012). His 1989 album of standards, “In a Sentimental Mood,” earned him the first of six Grammy Awards, for his duet with Rickie Lee Jones on “Makin’ Whoopee!”

His only Top 40 single, “Right Place Wrong Time,” reached No. 9 on the Billboard chart in 1973. In 2011, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.


Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. was born in New Orleans on Nov. 21, 1940.

June 7 Radio History



Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis
➦In 1917...singer/comedian/actor Dean Martin was born in Steubenville Ohio.

He was one of the most famous music artists in the 1950s and 1960s. Playboy magazine later called Martin “the coolest man who ever lived.” He & Jerry Lewis began as a team in movies & on NBC radio in the late ’40’s, and did TV together in the early 50’s, but split in 1956.  He became a big TV star with NBC’s Dean Martin Show (1965-74) and his Celebrity Roasts (’73-’84.)

He succumbed to lung cancer Christmas Day 1995 at age 78.


➦In 1932..WLW 700 AM Cincinnati was authorized to experiment with a power of 500,000 watts at 700 khz.  Two years later WLW became the only North Amerian radio station to regularly transmit with that much power.   After complaints of signal interference and years of controversy the permission for the extra power was rescinded in 1939.

➦In 1945...an NBC radio summer replacement show The Adventures of Topper aired for the first time. Roland Young reprised his title role from the 1937 movie of the same name. Eight years later the program would move to TV with a different cast and become a big hit.

➦In 1955...NBC radio presented The Lux Radio Theatre for the final time. The program had aired for 21 years, most of them on CBS.

➦In 1959…KLX-AM, Oakland, California changed its call letters to KEWB-AM. Now it is known as KNEW 960 AM.



➦In 1965... KNX 1070 AM personality Bob Crane told his L-A audience he was leaving the show to star in a new TV series “Hogan’s Heroes.” Crane said he’s been
considering offers for years.

Most recently, he co-starred on “The Donna Reed Show” while still doing mornings on KNX. He begins shooting for the new series in two weeks. He was replaced by Pittsburgh’s Rege Cordic.

Bob Crane came to KNX in 1956 from WICC in Bridgeport, CT. He got his job in Los Angeles, when someone at another station sent KNX a tape of Crane, to get him out of town (Crane had huge ratings at WICC).

➦In 1978...House Speaker Tip O’Neal announced the House would allow complete radio coverage of its proceedings. Radio and TV coverage until now has been limited to ceremonial occasions.

➦In 1986...Bruce Wayne KFI-in-the-sky traffic reporter was killed after his small plane, which  was taking off in Orange County. crashed. Wayne was about to file his first traffic report of the day when the crash occurred. In two weeks, he would have celebrated his 25th anniversary on the job.

➦In 1986...Wally Clark announced he would resign his post as president/general manager of Gannett powerhouse KIIS-AM/FM on September to form his own consultancy. All outlets in the growing Gannett chain were his first clients. Clark joined KIIS in 1982 when the station had a 2.2 share and charged $37.50 per spot. When Clark departed KIIS commanded $2.500 per spot and was a top billing radio station.

➦In 2002…Longtime Seattle radio and television sportscaster (KIRO-AM, KIRO-TV) Wayne Cody died after a heart attack at age 65.



He was Nicknamed the "Mound of Sound" by Brent Musburger of CBS Sports, because of both his rich voice and his large size. The bearded and rotund Cody, who estimated his own weight at 325 pounds, vitalized the sports scene in Western Washington for more than 20 years.

He was well known for his on-camera antics and his entertaining style of broadcasting. In the 1980s, KIRO TV ran a promotion called "Watch Wayne Disappear." The sportscaster was to lose 100 pounds over nine months and collect a $25,000 bonus. He was 25 pounds too heavy by deadline day.

Cody is best known for being the sports anchor on KIRO-Channel 7 TV and hosting KIRO 710 AM "Sportsline", a weeknight sports radio talk show that was the only one of its kind at the time in Seattle. He was also the original sideline reporter for the Seattle Seahawks radio network. Cody's other play-by-play experience in the Pacific Northwest included the Seattle SuperSonics (NBA) during the late 1970s thru the mid-1980s, Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League and University of Washington Huskies college football games. Earlier in his career, he also was the sideline reporter for the Seattle SuperSonics (NBA).

Thursday, June 6, 2019

John Stolnis Named News Manager At Westwood One News


Westwood One News has promoted Executive Editor John Stolnis to News Manager. In this newly-created role, Stolnis will be responsible for day-to-day assignments, coverage, and newsroom operations. He reports to Kevin DeLany, Vice President, Westwood One News.

Stolnis is a 20-year veteran of radio news and talk programming, with the last 15 years at Westwood One. He has served as Executive Editor and reporter for Westwood One News since its debut in 2015. Prior to that he produced for NBC News Radio as well as multiple national talk radio programs under the Westwood One umbrella, including The Jim Bohannon Show, The Fred Thompson Show, and The Douglas Urbanski Show. Stolnis is originally from Philadelphia, PA and in his spare time hosts podcasts about his beloved Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles.

John Stolnis
“In his 15 years at Westwood One, John has excelled as a producer, reporter, and editor,” said Bart Tessler, EVP, News & Talk, Westwood One. “Since the launch of Westwood One News four years ago, he has been instrumental in its rapid success as executive editor in the newsroom. With John’s leadership, Westwood One News will continue to lead as the most awarded news network in 2019.”

Stolnis said, "I'm extremely honored to be able to work with such an incredible staff of anchors, correspondents, editors and newsroom managers, all of whom are the heartbeat of Westwood One News. Westwood One News has quickly become a leader in network radio news, and I look forward to continuing to serve our affiliates and listeners with the best coverage and programming in the industry."

Westwood One News, airing on more than 900 stations, launched in January 2015. It was created to offer radio stations greater flexibility and local branding opportunities and enable them to integrate comprehensive network news coverage into their local operation. Find out what Westwood One News can do for your station by contacting Jim Jones at jimjones@westwoodone.com or (202) 840-7933.

Author Gary Vaynerchuck To Explore Modern Media Landscape


Five-time New York Times bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk will share his expertise on how to make the best use of multiple media platforms to capture and maintain new audiences, in a Radio Show keynote on Thursday, September 26. The 2019 Radio Show, produced by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), will be held September 24-27 in Dallas, Texas.

Gary Vaynerchuk
In his session, titled “Attention Is the New Currency,” Vaynerchuk will discuss today’s modern media landscape and how attracting attention, regardless of platform, has become the new currency.

Vaynerchuk, also known as "Gary Vee," is chairman of VaynerX, a modern-day communication parent company, as well as the CEO and co-founder of VaynerMedia. He is a board member of Ad Council and hosts “The GaryVee Audio Experience,” a top 10 global business podcast. Now named on Crain’s and Fortune’s 40 under 40 lists, Vaynerchuk rose to prominence after establishing one of the first e-commerce wine sites, WineLibrary, to grow his father’s brick-and-mortar wine shop into a $45 million business.

“Media and advertising are transforming at record speed, and being ahead and aware of what our industry and business can do to harness today’s and tomorrow’s consumer is critical for success,” noted Erica Farber, president and CEO, Radio Advertising Bureau. “Gary Vee’s candid perspective and approach to harnessing new audiences makes for a must-attend, not-to-be-missed keynote at this year’s Radio Show.”

Americans Consider 'Fake News' A Big Problem

A large majority of adults in the U.S. say fake news is a major problem, and many of them see it as a bigger problem than racism, terrorism or climate change, reports The Hill citing a new survey.

In a survey of more than 6,000 Americans, 68 percent said made-up news and information majorly affects their confidence in government institutions, according to a Pew Research Center study released Wednesday.

Fifty-four percent said they think that fake news has a big impact on Americans’ confidence in each other, while 51 percent cited an effect on political leaders’ ability to get things done.

More than half of those surveyed — 57 percent — blame political leaders and staff for spreading false information, while 53 percent said activists were responsible for the problem. Journalists were blamed by 36 percent of respondents.

Despite more people blaming non-media officials for spreading fake news, a majority of those surveyed, 53 percent, said the news media carries the most responsibility in reducing fake news. Only 12 percent said the onus falls on the government to stop the spread of misinformation.

Compared to Democrats, Republicans were more likely to say made-up news is a very big problem in the U.S. and that they’re exposed to made-up news.

They’re also three times as likely as Democrats — 58 percent compared to 20 percent — to say journalists create a lot of fake news, according to the survey.



Other key findings
  • Americans feel that political divides in the country are the greatest obstacle to addressing the problem of made-up news and information. Almost two-thirds (64%) see those divides as a very big challenge. Between 41% and 44% cite the ability to make money from made-up news, digital technology, the public’s lack of effort and low awareness about current events as very big hurdles to a solution.
  • Americans see a lot of made-up news and information being generated around two major topics: politics and elections (73%) and entertainment and celebrities (61%). Both politics and entertainment far exceed all of the other four topics asked about.
  • In a related finding, Americans say that far more made-up news gets created around national issues and events than around local ones. About six-in-ten (58%) say a lot of made-up news is created around national issues, compared with 18% who say the same about local issues.
  • When it comes to identifying very big problems connected to keeping the public informed about current issues and events, about half of Americans (49%) put the amount of made-up news and information in that category. A similar percentage (51%) cites the public’s ability to distinguish between facts and opinions as a very big problem, compared with 37% who see journalists inserting their own views into coverage as a very big problem in how the public stays informed.

The survey was conducted Feb. 19-March 4 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.6 percentage points.

CMT Awards: Carrie Underwood Wins Big


Carrie Underwood extended her run as the most decorated act in the history of the CMT Music Awards with her 20th win Wednesday night, according to CBS News.

Underwood won two prizes at the fan-voted show, including video of the year for "Cry Pretty" and female video of the year for "Love Wins."

"Fans, thank you so much. I saw you guys doing the Twitter parties and getting together and doing your thing and voting," she said. "None of us would be able to do any of what we do if not for you guys. You guys put us here. You guys keep us going. You guys let us live out our dreams."


The Grammy-winning country star also performed at the show honoring the year's best country music videos, which took place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Thomas Rhett, Little Big Town and Trombone Shorty kicked off the event with a performance of "Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time." More collaborative performances followed: Brett Young sang "Here Tonight" with Boyz II Men, even blending in some of the R&B group's "Water Runs Dry" for the performance. Sheryl Crow and Maren Morris teamed up onstage, while Tanya Tucker - whose new album will be produced by Brandi Carlile - sang "Delta Dawn" with the Grammy-winning Americana singer, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Lauren Alaina and more acts.

Little Big Town, who also performed and returned for a second year as hosts of the show, talked about the lack of female singers on country radio ahead of the strong female performance. On this week's Billboard country airplay chart - which tracks radio airplay - only 10 of the 60 slots belong to women or songs co-starring a woman.

Little Big Town told jokes at the top of the show and even sang some of "Old Town Road," the No. 1 country-rap hit from newcomer Lil Nas X that was booted from the Billboard country songs chart when the tune was deemed not country enough.

Zac Brown Band won group video of the year for "Someone I Used to Know" and its frontman was passionate as he read his speech from a paper.

"For you young artists, have courage to stand up against the machine, be yourself, work hard and one day you can stand up here and tell all the haters to '(expletive) off,'" Zac Brown said.

Here’s a complete list of winners:
  • Video of the Year: Carrie Underwood, “Cry Pretty”
  • Male Video of the Year: Kane Brown, “Lose It”
  • Collaborative Video of the Year: Keith Urban feat. Julia Michaels, “Coming Home”
  • Female Video of the Year: Carrie Underwood, “Love Wins”
  • Group Video of the Year: Zac Brown Band, “Someone I Used To Know”
  • Duo Video of the Year: Dan + Shay, “Speechless”
  • Breakthrough Video of the Year: Ashley McBryde, “Girl Goin’ Nowhere (At Marathon Music Works)”
  • CMT Performance of the Year: Luke Combs and Leon Bridges, “Beautiful Crazy (From CMT Crossroads)”