July 14 Radio History

➦In 1917...Douglas Edwards born (Died at age 73 – October 13, 1990). He was a network news television anchor. He anchored CBS's first network nightly television news broadcast from 1947–1962, which was later to be titled CBS Evening News.

Douglas Edwards

Edwards joined CBS Radio in 1942, eventually becoming anchor for the regular evening newscast The World Today as well as World News Today on Sunday afternoons. Edwards came to CBS, after stints as a newscaster and announcer at WSB in Atlanta, Georgia and WXYZ in Detroit, Michigan.

In the mid-1940s, Edwards was host of the radio program Behind the Scenes at CBS.

In 1947, as CBS's top correspondents and commentators shunned the fledgling medium of television, Edwards was chosen to present regular CBS television news programs and to host CBS's television coverage of the 1948 Democratic and Republican conventions. The term "anchor" would not be used until 1952, when CBS News chief Sig Mikelson would use it to describe Walter Cronkite's role in the network's political convention coverage.

At first, Edwards would be eclipsed by John Cameron Swayze of NBC News's Camel News Caravan, but he would eventually regain his ratings lead. By the mid-1950s, the nightly 15-minute newscast Douglas Edwards with the News was watched by nearly 30 million viewers.

Edwards' last newscast on the evening news was on April 13, 1962. Edwards was replaced by Walter Cronkite, and the program became Walter Cronkite with the News. On September 2, 1963, the program was retitled CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite and became the first half-hour weeknight news broadcast of network television and was moved to 6:30 p.m. .

Edwards subsequently moved back to CBS Radio, where he delivered the network's flagship evening newscasts The World Tonight for many years.

➦In 1927...NBC newsman John Chancellor was born in Chicago. He spent most of his career with NBC News. He served as anchor of the NBC Nightly News from 1970 to 1982 and continued to do editorials and commentaries for NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw until 1993.

During the 1976 election he introduced the concept of Red and Blue states, which survives to this day.

He died of stomach cancer July 12 1996, two days shy of his 69th birthday.

➦In 1957…Master satirist Stan Freberg debuted a new weekly comedy program on CBS Radio Network in the time slot previously occupied by Jack Benny.



In addition to Freberg, the cast included June Foray, Peter Leeds, and Daws Butler. Billy May arranged and conducted the music. The program failed to attract sponsors and the network cancelled the series after 15 episodes. It was the last U.S. network radio show to devote itself purely to comedy.

➦In 1969...WBZ 1030 AM, Boston increased its talk programming to a full 10 1/2 hours-a-day.

Increased competition in the top 40 format — first from WMEX 1510 AM which had programmed a top 40 format since 1957, then from WRKO, which adopted the format in 1967 — led WBZ to shift its music programming to adult contemporary in 1969, playing several songs an hour between 6 and 9 a.m. (though it was not unheard of for Carl DeSuze to play only one, if any, song an hour during his show), 10 to 12 songs an hour between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and 4 to 6 songs an hour between 4 and 7 p.m..

At night, WBZ programmed talk shows, with such hosts as Guy Mainella, a pioneer in sports talk; Jerry Williams in the evenings; and Larry Glick's overnight show. Music was also programmed during the day on weekends.

Beginning in the late 1960s, WBZ made a major push into live play-by-play sports. From 1966 through 1979, and again from 1991 through 1994, WBZ was home to radio broadcasts of New England Patriots football.  In the fall of 1969, WBZ regained the radio rights to the Boston Bruins (which it had lost in 1951), and also began carrying Boston Celtics basketball. The Bruins stayed through the 1977-78 season.

➦In 1984...FLASHBACK..from R&R Week of July 13, 1984:

➦In 1990...Howard Stern debuted in the New York market on WWOR-TV in 1990 as host of a talk show featuring his trademark of outrageous humor. The program entered national syndication in January 1991 and ultimately ended on August 8, 1992 because of the growing production costs.

➦In 2015…Marlene Sanders died at age 84 from cancer (Born - January 10, 1931). She was a TV news correspondent, anchor, producer and executive who worked for ABC News in the 1960s and 1970s and moved to CBS News in 1978. She is known for being the first woman to achieve several milestones in the then male-dominated field of television news.

Shortly after joining ABC News as a correspondent in 1964, Sanders became the first woman to anchor an evening news broadcast for a major network when she substituted for the regular anchor, who had become ill. She was also the first woman to report on the Vietnam War from the field. In 1976, ABC promoted her to vice president and director of documentaries, making her one of the first women to reach upper management in the field. She also won three Emmy Awards for documentaries she produced for CBS.

VP Pence Rips CNN Over Migrant Detention Coverage

Vice President Mike Pence blasted CNN late Friday night for what he described as the network's "dishonest" coverage of his trip to a migrant detention center near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Fox News reports Pence, along with reporters and a group of GOP lawmakers, flew to McAllen, Texas, where he participated in a roundtable discussion with Border Patrol agents and toured a detention center. The vice president spoke with several migrant children and asked about their treatment at the facility with the help of a translator.

CNN's primetime coverage, however, featured only visuals of a large group of adult male migrants behind a fence attempting to engage with reporters. During CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" program, the network played Pence's interview with CNN senior White House correspondent Pamela Brown on a split screen, showing only footage of the adult migrants and none of the footage of Pence visiting with children.

Later, CNN's Chris Cuomo criticized Pence's interview remarks and accused him of providing "spin" on the facility conditions. "Cuomo Prime Time" also made no reference to Pence's visit with the children.

CNN is so dishonest. Today we took reporters to a detention facility on the border for families and children and all told us they were being treated well.

— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) July 13, 2019

The crisis at our southern border is not a “manufactured crisis”, it is real and is overwhelming our system. To show this, we also visited an overcrowded facility for adult men, many of whom have been arrested multiple times.

— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) July 13, 2019

Rather than broadcast the full story, showing the compassionate care the American people are providing to vulnerable families, tonight CNN only played video of men in the temporary facility and didn’t play any footage of the family facility at all...

— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) July 13, 2019

CNN did not immediately respond to Pence's comments.

Several CNN anchors -- including Cooper, Cuomo, Don Lemon and Wolf Blitzer -- previously rejected President Trump's warning earlier this year that there was a crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

FTC Approves Roughly $5B Facebook Settlement

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission approved a roughly $5 billion settlement with Facebook Inc this week over its investigation into the social media company’s handling of user data, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday.

According to Reuters, the FTC has been investigating allegations Facebook inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million users with the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The probe has focused on whether the data sharing violated a 2011 consent agreement between Facebook and the regulator.

Investors cheered news of the deal and pushed Facebook shares up 1.8%, while several powerful Democratic lawmakers in Washington condemned the proposed penalty as inadequate.

The FTC is expected to include in the settlement other restrictions on how Facebook treats user privacy, according to the Wall Street Journal, which also said that the agency vote was along party lines, with three Republicans voting to approve it and two Democrats opposed.

The settlement would be the largest civil penalty ever paid to the agency.

Representative David Cicilline, a Democrat and chair of a congressional antitrust panel, called the $5 billion penalty “a Christmas present five months early.”

“This fine is a fraction of Facebook’s annual revenue. It won’t make them think twice about their responsibility to protect user data,” he said.

Facebook’s revenue for the first quarter of this year was $15.1 billion while its net income was $2.43 billion. It would have been higher, but Facebook set aside $3 billion for the FTC penalty.

SwFL Radio: Matt Mangas Takes On More Programming Duties

Matt Mangas

Beasley Media Group has announced that Matt Mangas has officially returned to programming duty at AC WJPT 106.3 FM, while maintaining his role as Program Director (PD) and Midday Host on Rock  WRXK 96.1 FM in Southwest Florida.

He has been with the Ft. Myers radio cluster since he joined the company as an On-Personality in October of 2017.

“Matt has been serving as Program Director for both stations in the interim and has been doing a tremendous job. It was an easy decision for us,” said Operations Manager Adam Star.

“Brad Beasley and Adam Star have shown a tremendous amount of confidence in me,” said Mangas. “I’m surrounded by great talent on both stations and look forward to continuing as PD for Sunny 106.3 as well as jumping back into the rock world at 96K-Rock!”

Fort Myers Radio: Ralph Marino Named WJPT APD, Morning Host

Ralph Marino

Ralph Marino has been named Assistant Program Director and Morning On-Air Personality at Beasley Media Group’s WJPT 106.3 FM in Fort Myers, FL.

He most recently served on the air Mornings at WQRC 99.9 FM and Middays at Cape Country 104 on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He was also heard weekends and did weekday fill-in work at Beasley’s Country WKLB 102.5 FM in Boston. Previously, the Long Island native did stints at Star 93.7 in Boston, 107.1 WERZ-FM in Portsmouth in New Hampshire, 103.5 WKTU in New York, JAMN 94.5 in Boston and Hot 97 in New York City.

“In the radio business, it’s rare to be able to put family first,” said Marino. “Thank you to Beasley/SWFL for giving me the privilege of being able to do just that. My family is thrilled! I cannot wait to get started and be a positive contributor to my new community!”

“Ralph’s great attitude and major market delivery is exactly what we were looking for Morning Drive on WJPT,” said station Operations Manager, Adam Star. “We are very excited to have him come down from our Boston cluster and join the Fort Myers team!”

Tulsa Radio: Deena Fletcher To Program Country KVOO-FM

Deena Fletcher

Griffin Communications has announced that Dena Fletcher has been named as program director Country KVOO 98.5 FM, effective July 29.

Fletcher join KVOO from Cox Media Group's Rock KSJR-FM where she was APD and afternoon personality.

The move reunites Fletcher and Griffin/Tulsa Dir./Radio Operation & Programming Steve Hunter, who previously served as Cox/Tulsa OM and gave Fletcher her first PD job at KSJR in 2007.

Fletcher's prior experience also includes time with Cox AC sister KRAV.

"Dena brings to Griffin 20-plus years of experience in radio programming and on-air experience," says Hunter. "She will be a great addition to our team and a great fit for our culture."

WI Radio: WXRO Drops country For HotAC

Good Karma Brands introduces 95X, rebranded and with a new music format featuring today’s best music on WXRO 95.3 FM in Beaver Dam WI.

The adult contemporary format will showcase a multitude of genres, including the best of pop, rock, singer/songwriters, country and alternative. A few core artists listeners can expect to hear include: Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, Imagine Dragons, Pink, Shawn Mendes, Dan + Shay, Luke Combs and Katy Perry.

“We’re excited to evolve and bring a fresh format to the community,” said WBEV/WXRO General Manager Ryan Gabel. “We believe this will attract a wide audience while playing everyone’s favorite artists and today’s best music.”

The WXRO morning show, hosted by Rick Armon, Sheri Sackett and Thomas Rehfeldt will be the 95X Morning Show and will play more music. The Barn Show will move to 1430 WBEV and will be available on the WBEV stream via DailyDodge.com. The Farm Show will now air on exclusively on WBEV 1430 AM.

Feds Lodge More Charges Against R Kelly

R Kelly

Singer R. Kelly, already charged with sexual assault in Illinois, was indicted in federal courts in New York and Chicago on Friday with transporting women and girls across state lines for sex, forcibly keeping them under his control and buying their silence, reports Reuters.

In indictments unsealed in Brooklyn and Chicago, federal prosecutors said Kelly, 52, ran a racketeering and human trafficking scheme that required the women and girls to be obedient, call him “Daddy” and ask permission to eat or use the bathroom.

“The purposes of the enterprise were to promote R. Kelly’s music and the R. Kelly brand and to recruit women and girls to engage in illegal sexual activity with Kelly,” prosecutors said in the Brooklyn indictment.

Kelly, who was free on bond in the Illinois state case, was taken into custody again by New York City police detectives and federal agents on Thursday evening as he walked his dog in Chicago his lawyer, Steve Greenberg, said.

The R&B singer made a brief court appearance in U.S. District Court in Chicago on Friday and was ordered back on Monday for further proceedings. Kelly, who was handcuffed and wearing orange jail garb, spoke only to reply “yes, your honor” to the magistrate judge.

Brooklyn prosecutors urged in a court filing that Kelly be held without bond on the federal charges while they seek to have him sent to New York for a hearing that has yet to be scheduled.

The five-count Brooklyn racketeering indictment includes multiple allegations going back to 1999, including sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping and forced labor.

Under the alleged scheme, Kelly and his entourage would invite women and girls backstage after concerts, isolate them from friends and family, and make them dependent on him for their financial well-being.

Chicago prosecutors charged in their 13-count indictment that Kelly had sexual contact with five minors, recorded videos of some of them and paid them off to buy their silence.

Prosecutors said Kelly paid an unidentified individual $170,000 to cancel a news conference in which that person planned to announce he had tapes of Kelly engaging in sexual activity with minors.

He has denied abuse accusations for decades.

Caroline Beasley To Be Honored at ‘Free Speech America’ Gala

Caroline Beasley

The Media Institute will honor Caroline Beasley, chief executive officer of Beasley Media Group and Frederick J. Ryan, Jr., publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, at its annual “Free Speech America” Gala Oct. 7 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Caroline Beasley has served as chief executive officer of Beasley Media Group, Inc., since January 2017. She has held a number of other positions at Beasley including executive vice president, CFO, treasurer, and secretary of the company. The company, which started with a single AM radio station, now owns and operates 64 stations (46 FM, 18 AM) in 15 large and mid-size markets. She most recently served as the Joint Board Chair of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Board of Directors.

Fred Ryan will receive the Freedom of Speech Award, while Caroline Beasley will receive the American Horizon Award. The master of ceremonies will be communications attorney and former FCC chairman Richard E. Wiley.

Fred Ryan

Fred Ryan was named publisher and CEO of The Washington Post by Jeff Bezos in 2014. In 2007, he co-founded Politico and served as president and CEO. Previously, he was president and COO of Allbritton Communications. Mr. Ryan served as chief of staff to former president Ronald Reagan from 1989 to 1995, after serving in senior White House staff positions since 1982.

FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks will deliver keynote remarks. Commissioner Starks was sworn into office on Jan. 30, 2019. He had served as assistant bureau chief in the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau and, prior to that, as senior counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Freedom of Speech Award recognizes an individual who has worked to advance free speech and the First Amendment. The American Horizon Award recognizes an individual for visionary leadership in the communications industry.

The Media Institute is a nonprofit foundation specializing in communications policy and the First Amendment.  For more information, visit the Institute online at www.mediainstitute.org.

Pro-KKK Editor Out At Alabama Newspaper

The longtime owner and editor of a small Alabama newspaper that called for a revival of the Ku Klux Klan has sold the publication and retired, months after igniting a firestorm with the editorial, the new owner told The Associated Press.

Goodloe Sutton, 80, no longer has any role with The Democrat-Reporter newspaper in Linden, said Tommy Wells, the new owner and operator.

“He doesn’t even have a key anymore,” Wells said.

Sutton received widespread attention after publishing an editorial in February that advocated a return of KKK night riders to deal with Democrats and “Democrats in the Republican Party” in Washington. Two universities subsequently rescinded awards to Sutton, and the Alabama Press Association censured him.

Wells, working with his wife, published his first edition of the newspaper last month. He announced Sutton’s July 1 retirement in a story published in Thursday’s edition.

“It’s mine now. I have a bill of sale and everything,” Wells said.

With about three decades in the newspaper business, Wells said in the article he talked to Sutton several years ago about acquiring the Democrat-Reporter. Wells, who has been working as a sports publicist at a small college in Texas, said he called Sutton after hearing Sutton planned to close it.

“When Goodloe said he was going to close the business, I know it sounds cheesy, but it was a blow to me. I told him, “Alright, don’t close it. I’ll do it. It’ll be crazy for a while, but I’ll do it,” Wells said in the story.

Speaking with AP in April, Sutton said health problems had left him with diminished mental capacities.

R.I.P.: Sam Bass, Iconic San Diego Radio Personality

One of the most recognizable voices in San Diego radio has been silenced.

Alan Robert Graff, whose upbeat baritone chatter as radio personality Sam Bass made him a household name for more than 40 years on the airwaves of KyXy 96.5 FM in San Diego, died at his Poway home on July 11.

The cause of death was throat cancer, the same cancer he had previously beaten in 1997 that returned this past May. Graff was 71, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Graff, who said he borrowed his radio name in the late 1970s from 19th-century American Old West train robber and outlaw Sam Bass, was a champion storyteller, both on the air and after his 2018 retirement from KyXy.

He regaled KyXy listeners with anecdotes, first when he was on in the morning, then when he moved to hosting afternoon shows and finally with a weekend gig in his last year at the station.

KyXy captured him on video during several “Story Time with Sam” bits in which he would talk about everything from being the class clown as a child in New York to his fear of heights that made a drive across the Coronado Bridge a harrowing experience.


His eldest daughter, Clarice Estrada Barrelet, said that sharing daily adventures and old memories, and having public conversations with friends and acquaintances through Facebook became his favorite pastime after he left the radio business.

It was on social media that he engaged thousands of his radio following with his honesty and candor, sometimes using self-deprecating humor to reveal his past struggles with addiction, insecurities and relationships. A skilled writer and orator, he also knew about the art of listening, Barrelet said.

Through social media, he invited people from across the world to share their stories and would often send compassionate, personal replies to people when so moved.

On a Facebook post from last December, Graff said that early in his career he wanted to be a TV star. He said he realized his “radio job wasn’t so stupid after all” when a radio listener phoned the station in 1981 and thanked Graff for saving his life:

“6 months ago I was sitting on the side of my bed with a (gun) barrel in my mouth,” Graff wrote, relaying the caller’s words. “I was all set to pull the trigger when the guy on the radio said something stupid that made me laugh. First time I laughed in 12 years. I figured, ‘maybe I’ll laugh again.’ I put the gun away. Thanks.”

Graff was given two weeks to live after being hospitalized with a mass in his throat in May, but he was able to return home and connect with family and friends for more than five weeks.

During the day, while not attached to a breathing tube, Graff wrote on Facebook: “I’m touched beyond words by the love I’ve been receiving lately. I appreciate it. I lived to see 71 wild years. I helped raise 2 sons and 2 daughters. I’m glad I’ve lived to see them grow to beautiful adulthood. I’ve been blessed with 5 grand-kids.

“Please don’t grieve for me. I’ve lived a full life. I weep for the young kids who came home in flag draped caskets. The young men and women buried beneath these cold dead marble slabs never had the opportunities I’ve enjoyed. God Bless them. ‘Fair winds and following sea.’ ”

Graff was born May 12, 1948, in Gloversville, N.Y., to Robert Leon Graff and Hendrika (Harriet) Elizabeth Konyn, and grew up in Schenectady, N.Y. After World War II, his father worked as an engineer at WRBG-TV and WGY 810 radio, so he often said that broadcasting was a big part of his life from the very start.

Graff was a Merchant Marine during the Vietnam War, of which he said, “Merchant Marines were the ones who picked up the the bar tabs for the U.S. Marines,” then earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Boston University in 1972. After that, he decided to get into the radio business.

Graff’s first on-air job was in 1973 at a station in Miami, went to KKAR in Pomona from 1973-76, then picked up and headed for San Diego in 1977. After an eight-month stint at KyXy, he moved to Rhode Island. But then in March 1978, he returned to San Diego to give it a go once again, and for good, at KyXy, just as the station’s format switched from “beautiful music” to “soft rock.”


Barrelet said there would be no funeral as Graff asked that his body be donated to UCSD School of Medicine. The family was going to have a private celebration of life. She said donations in Graff’s name should be made to organizations for people battling addiction or cancer.

July 13 Radio History

➦In 1898…Guglielmo Marconi applied for a patent for his radio technology.

Marconi

Marconi, just twenty years old, began his first experiments working on his own with the help of his butler. In the summer of 1894, he built a storm alarm made up of a battery, a coherer, and an electric bell, which went off if there was lightning. Soon after he was able to make a bell ring on the other side of the room by pushing a telegraphic button on a bench.

One night in December, Guglielmo woke his mother up and invited her into his secret workshop and showed her the experiment he had created. The next day he also showed his work to his father, who, when he was certain there were no wires, gave his son all of the money he had in his wallet so Guglielmo could buy more materials.

In the summer of 1895 Marconi moved his experimentation outdoors.  After increasing the length of the transmitter and receiver antennas, arranging them vertically, and positioning the antenna so that it touched the ground, the range increased significantly.  Soon he was able to transmit signals over a hill, a distance of approximately 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi).  By this point he concluded that with additional funding and research, a device could become capable of spanning greater distances and would prove valuable both commercially and militarily.

Marconi wrote to the Ministry of Post and Telegraphs, then under the direction of the honorable Pietro Lacava, explaining his wireless telegraph machine and asking for funding. He never received a response to his letter which was eventually dismissed by the Minister who wrote "to the Longara" on the document, referring to the insane asylum on Via della Lungara in Rome.

In 1896, Marconi spoke with his family friend Carlo Gardini,Honorary Consul at the United States Consulate in Bologna, about leaving Italy to go to England. Gardini wrote a letter of introduction to the Ambassador of Italy in London, Annibale Ferrero, explaining who Marconi was and about these extraordinary discoveries. In his response, Ambassador Ferrero advised them not to reveal the results until after they had obtained the copyrights. He also encouraged him to come to England where he believed it would be easier to find the necessary funds to convert the findings from Marconi's experiment into a practical use. Finding little interest or appreciation for his work in Italy, Marconi travelled to London in early 1896 at the age of 21, accompanied by his mother, to seek support for his work; Marconi spoke fluent English in addition to Italian. Marconi arrived at Dover and at Customs the Customs officer opened his case to find various contraptions and apparatus. The customs officer immediately contacted the Admiralty in London. While there, Marconi gained the interest and support of William Preece, the Chief Electrical Engineer of the British Post Office.

The apparatus that Marconi possessed at that time was similar to that of one in 1882 by A. E. Dolbear, of Tufts College, which used a spark coil generator and a carbon granular rectifier for reception.  A plaque on the outside of BT Centre commemorates Marconi's first public transmission of wireless signals from that site. A series of demonstrations for the British government followed—by March 1897, Marconi had transmitted Morse code signals over a distance of about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) across Salisbury Plain. On 13 May 1897, Marconi sent the world's first ever wireless communication over open sea. The experiment, based in Wales, witnessed a message transversed over the Bristol Channel from Flat Holm Island to Lavernock Point in Penarth, a distance of 6 kilometres (3.7 mi). The message read "Are you ready".  The transmitting equipment was almost immediately relocated to Brean Down Fort on the Somerset coast, stretching the range to 16 kilometres (9.9 mi).

From his Fraserburgh base, he transmitted the first long-distance, cross-country wireless signal to Poldhu in Cornwall.

Impressed by these and other demonstrations, Preece introduced Marconi's ongoing work to the general public at two important London lectures: "Telegraphy without Wires", at the Toynbee Hall on 11 December 1896; and "Signaling through Space without Wires", given to the Royal Institution on 4 June 1897.

Marconi watching associates launch a kite used to lift an antenna in 1901 at St. Johns, Newfoundland

 Numerous additional demonstrations followed, and Marconi began to receive international attention. In July 1897, he carried out a series of tests at La Spezia, in his home country, for the Italian government. A test for Lloyds between Ballycastle and Rathlin Island, Ireland, was conducted on 6 July 1898. The English channel was crossed on 27 March 1899, from Wimereux, France to South Foreland Lighthouse, England, and in the autumn of 1899, the first demonstrations in the United States took place, with the reporting of the America's Cup international yacht races at New York.

Marconi sailed to the United States at the invitation of the New York Herald newspaper to cover the America's Cup races off Sandy Hook, NJ. The transmission was done aboard the SS Ponce, a passenger ship of the Porto Rico Line.  Marconi left for England on 8 November 1899 on the American Line's SS St. Paul, and he and his assistants installed wireless equipment aboard during the voyage. On 15 November the St. Paul became the first ocean liner to report her imminent return to Great Britain by wireless when Marconi's Royal Needles Hotel radio station contacted her sixty-six nautical miles off the English coast.

➦In 1913...Radio-TV personality Dave Garroway was born in Schenectady NY.  He was one of the first adopters of a conversational approach on the air, as opposed to ‘announcing’ to the audience.  He had a popular late night jazz radio show in Chicago before being featured in Garroway at Large in the earliest days of the TV era, and then being named first host of the NBC Today Show. He was fired ten years later after lying down in the studio to press for his contract demands. He committed suicide July 21 1982, just days after his 69th birthday.

➦In 1928…Radio host and actor Bob Crane was born in Waterbury Conn.  While he had excellent radio credentials from his KNX Hollywood breakfast show, he is best remembered as the star of TV’s zany sitcom, Hogan’s Heroes. He was found murdered in his hotel room in Scottsdale, AZ June 29, 1978 at age 49.

➦In 1960…KDBQ-AM, San Francisco, California changed its call letters to KYA-AM.

KYA was for many years the leading Top 40 music radio station in the Bay Area, until the stronger-signalled KFRC switched to the format in 1966. From time to time, up through 1970, KYA would again beat KFRC in the Arbitron ratings, but KYA's dominance was truly over after the mid-60's.  Former KYA morning man and legendary radio programmer Bill Drake went on to consult KFRC to its ratings success; it was at KYA that Drake first made his mark as program director. KYA was also instrumental in the careers of future sportscaster Johnny Holliday, audio and electronics store pitchman Tom Campbell, Hall of Fame disc jockey and underground radio pioneer Tom Donahue (a/k/a "Big Daddy"), and Tommy Saunders, who retired from KYA's successor, KOIT, in 2006.

KYA Tribute Station: Click Here.

Other notable disc jockeys who plied their trade on KYA's airwaves in the 1960s included Les Crane, (air name Johnny Raven), Jim Stagg, Bobby Mitchell, Norman Davis, "Emperor" Gene Nelson, Peter Tripp, Tony Bigg, Russ "The Moose" Syracuse, Chris Edwards (aircheck below), Ed Hider, Johnny Holliday, Casey Kasem, Bill Holley (a cousin of Buddy Holly), Bwana Johnny, Jeff Serr, and Ron O'Quinn. In the mid-1960s, a group of KYA DJs, led by Holliday, formed a basketball team known as the KYA Oneders. The team played many Bay Area high school faculties, helping the schools raise funds for a variety of programs. Perhaps the most famous of the Oneders was Rick Barry, who played for the team during the 1967-68 campaign before jumping from the NBA's San Francisco Warriors to the ABA's Oakland Oaks. During the 1960s, the radio station issued weekly tabloid newsletters and hit sheets, The KYA Swingin' Sixty and later the KYA Beat (also known as The Official Top 30). These popular flyers were available at Bay Area record stores and other sponsor locations. The station's under-promoted news team included Mark Adams(Don Allen), Terry Sullivan, Larry Buller, (air name of Larry Brownell), Tony Tremayne (air name of Mel Fritze) and Brad Messer, who would later be inducted in the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.

KYA's dominance was basically over by the late 1960s when FM stations began playing Rock 'n' Roll and gained large chunks of the audiences. King Broadcasting took over on November 1, 1977, and changed the format to Adult Contemporary.

➦In 1968…Westbrook Van Voorhis died  at age 64(Born - September 21, 1903). He was a narrator for television programs and movies. He is perhaps best known for his work on The March of Time radio and newsreel series, where he became known as the "Voice of Doom", as well as for the catchphrase, "Time...marches on!".

He was originally scheduled to be the announcer for The Twilight Zone television show. Van Voorhis had also been a news broadcaster for the Mutual Broadcasting System, the Columbia Broadcasting System and New York radio station WOR.

➦In 1969...Call it offensive, more than 100 U-S radio stations banned The Beatles‘ new single ‘The Balled Of John and Yoko’ due to the line ‘Christ, you know it ain’t easy’.

➦In 1984.... Radio-TV sportscaster Howard Cosell said that he was “tired of being tied to the football mentality” and asked to be released from duties on ABC's Monday Night Football. Roone Arledge obliged. In fact, Cosell was removed from television altogether a year later

➦In 2008…Les Crane died at age 74 (Born Lesley Stein; December 3, 1933). He was a radio announcer and television talk show host, a pioneer in interactive broadcasting who also scored a spoken word hit with his 1971 recording of the poem Desiderata, winning a "Best Spoken Word" Grammy. He was the first network television personality to compete with Johnny Carson after Carson became a fixture of late-night television.

Les Crane 1964

He began his radio career in 1958 at KONO in San Antonio and later worked at WPEN (now WKDN) in Philadelphia. In 1961, he became a popular and controversial host for the radio powerhouse KGO 810 AM in San Francisco. With KGO's strong nighttime 50,000 watt signal reaching as far north as Seattle, and as far south as Los Angeles, he attracted a regional audience in the West.  Variety described him as "the popular, confrontational and sometimes controversial host of San Francisco's KGO. Helping to pioneer talk radio, he was outspoken and outraged some callers by hanging up on them."

Crane, along with KRLA general manager John Barrett, were the original people "responsible for creating the Top 40 (list of the most requested pop songs)," said Casey Kasem in a 1990 interview

One of his five wives was "Gilligan's Island" actress Tina Louise, whom he married in 1966 and divorced in 1971.

Boston Radio: WAAF's Greg Hill Replaces Gerry Callahan At WEEI

Longtime morning drive host Gerry Callahan announced Friday his 20-plus-year run at WEEI 93.7 FM has ended.

Well, that was fun. After 20 years in morning drive, I did my last show on WEEI this morning. Thanks to all who listened. Unfortunately, this ain’t a movie. Sometimes the bad guys win. Much more to come.

— Gerry Callahan (@GerryCallahan) July 12, 2019

Callahan had been a staple of the WEEI weekday morning programming, experiencing incredible success at points throughout his career. The former Boston Herald and Sports Illustrated writer originally was paired with John Dennis in 1997 to form the rating giant “Dennis and Callahan Show.”

Gerry Callahan

According to NESN, Ratings eventually started to lag, and Dennis left the show in 2016, which is when Callahan was paired full time with Kirk Minihane. That pairing ultimately had its own share of success before Minihane’s controversial exit that eventually landed him at Barstool Sports.

That led to a third change in as many years with Mike Mutnansky moving into the full-time role on “Mut and Callahan” on the WEEI morning airwaves.

Callahan’s announcement comes a day after another decisive ratings win for Boston’s other sports radio station, WBZ 98.5 FM The Sports Hub.

According to the Boston Globe, 98.5’s morning show “Toucher and Rich” bludgeoned “Mut and Callahan” in the recent ratings book. “Toucher and Rich” finished first in the market with a 9.1 rating, and “Mut and Callahan” lagged behind in fifth with a 6.5 rating.

Entercom today announced the upcoming debut of “The Greg Hill Morning Show” on WEEI 93.7 FM. The new show will feature longtime Boston radio veteran Greg Hill, who will be transitioning to WEEI from sister station WAAF-FM. Hill will be joined by co-host Danielle Murr and a rotating group of additional contributors. The show will air Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET, beginning July 29.

“Greg is a Boston market veteran with an incredible pedigree and track record of success,” said Mark Hannon, Regional President and Market Manager, Entercom Boston. “We are excited to welcome him to mornings at WEEI and to usher the station into the future.”

“I am thrilled to embark on the next chapter in my career in Boston. WEEI is a legendary Boston station and one of the country’s first sports stations,” said Hill. “I am excited to anchor mornings moving forward. I also want to thank WAAF and all of the listeners and co-workers who have made the last 28 years so amazing. The good news is I will still be talking to them every weekday, just down the dial at 93.7 FM.”

As part of “The Greg Hill Morning Show” on WEEI, Hill will carry over much of his present content, along with the creation of new content for the sports talk format of WEEI. As part of “Patriots Monday,” Tom Brady’s in-season weekly interview on WEEI will also now be conducted by Hill. The show will also feature a monthly interview with Governor Charlie Baker (“Breakfast with Baker”), as well as many other staple benchmarks.

Hill is a Boston fixture since beginning his career at WAAF in 1986 in the promotions department and on air since 1991. For nearly three decades, Hill has entertained Boston listeners with a mixture of humor, pop culture, lifestyle and sports content. He is active in the sports community and has done regular interviews with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Boston Bruins President Cam Neely and Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, among many others. In addition to his work on the radio, Hill and his listeners have been a force in charitable giving. In 2010, Greg launched “The Greg Hill Foundation” and has raised $2,600,000 in donations and has benefitted nearly 200 local families and organizations to date.

 Additionally, on-air personality Mike “Mut” Mutnansky will transition back to hosting evenings at WEEI, a position he previously occupied. At sister station WAAF, longtime personality and morning show sports anchor Lyndon Byers will remain with the station in a new capacity. Morning show producer Mike Hsu will move to afternoon drive. Additionally, morning drive will shift to a music focus during the national search for Hill’s replacement.

Rochester NY Radio: Co-Host EXITS WPXY Over Pay Disparity

Whitney Young

Whitney Young, morning radio show host at Entercom's WPXY 97.9 FM, has announced her departure from the station. 

At issue, pay disparity.

Young, who teamed with Corey James from 5:30 to 10 a.m. weekdays to host #TeamPXY, said, "I choose to leave my position as morning show host, because my male co-host's salary was nearly double my own, and I was unable to negotiate a raise that would reduce the pay disparity."

She continued, "This inequality is in conflict with my most deeply held beliefs."

Young co-hosted the show with James on 97.9 WPXY for the past year. She cited other examples of pay inequality in her statement, including Hoda Kotb who was brought in to replace Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show.

I no longer work for 98PXY. This is my official statement. #EqualPayNow pic.twitter.com/6mEId7nDb1

— WHITNEY YOUNG (@whitneyyoung) July 11, 2019

Young reiterated that she has "no bad blood with my co-host. He's a good friend, a talented showman, a dependable colleague, and fully deserving of his salary. I do not believe he was overpaid, but rather that I was underpaid. We had fun doing the show, and I will miss that."

Young said she has no job lined up at this point and added that walking away from a "stable paycheck is risky at best and stupid at worst. But for me, it was necessary."

References to her and her biography have been scrubbed from the PXY website.

Report: Amazon Music Hits 32M Subscribers

Amazon Music is the fastest-growing music streaming service globally, according to a Billboard citing a new report published in the Financial Times.

Sources with knowledge of the metrics told FT the company's premium streaming service, Amazon Music Unlimited, grew 70% over the past year, a faster rate than that of rivals like Spotify and Apple Music. By comparison, Spotify’s premium worldwide paid subscriber base grew to 100 million through the end of March 2019 (representing growth of 32% year-over-year), while Apple Music’s grew from 40 million to 60 million between April 2018 and June 2019 (representing 50% growth).

The Financial Times report states that as of April 2019, Amazon boasted more than 32 million subscribers worldwide across all of its music services, which include Prime Music (included with every Amazon Prime subscription) and the more-expansive Prime Music Unlimited (which costs $7.99/month for Prime members and $9.99/month for non-Prime members). The Music Unlimited tier also includes the low-cost Echo Plan, which costs $4.99/month to stream on a single Echo device or Fire TV, as well as a discount Unlimited plan for college students, also priced at $4.99 monthly.

The caveat here is whether Prime Music members -- who are automatically subscribed upon signing up for a regular Prime membership -- can really be counted as subscribers given that they don’t opt in to Prime Music specifically. A MusicWatch report released last September, for example, did not include Prime Music members in its overall tally of paid music streaming subscribers in the U.S.

Philly Radio: WPEN Gains Ground On WIP-FM

The latest sports radio ratings book is out, and at this point you can nearly predict the results: WIP 94.1 FM tops WPEN 97.5 The Fanatic, Angelo Cataldi remains dominant in the mornings, and the duo of Jon Marks and Ike Reese topped Mike Missanelli for the second straight quarter in what amounts to a virtual tie in the afternoon, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.

But over the past year, ratings are up by more than a share among male listeners between the ages of 25 to 54 (the most important demographic for both stations) for The Fanatic’s two newest shows: Farzetta & Tra in the Morning and Gargano & Myrtetus Middays.

That’s a positive sign for Marc Farzetta, who left WIP last August to launch his own show at The Fanatic alongside former Eagles offensive lineman Tra Thomas and ex-Daily News reporter Bob Cooney. But despite Farzetta’s move up into third place in the market, Cataldi remains a sports radio juggernaut, and still leads his former colleague by more than three ratings share.

Missanelli once again lost by a slim margin to Marks and Reese, who finished first overall in the market for the second straight quarter. But once again, The Fanatic argues Missanelli would top WIP if Nielsen’s streaming ratings were included.

Regardless, Missanelli and co-hosts Tyrone Johnson and Natalie Egenolf are undoubtedly enjoying a wider audience than last year, thanks to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s simulcast, which has had no apparent impact on the show’s radio ratings.

As far as middays are concerned, WIP’s duo of Joe DeCamara and former Eagles fullback Jon Ritchie once again easily outpaced their Fanatic rivals, but Anthony Gargano and Jason Myrtetus have managed to narrow WIP’s lead slightly. The two shows finished in third and fourth place for their time slots, respectively.

Day 2: Nielsen Issues June 2019 PPMs For 12 Markets

Nielsen on Thursday, July 12, 2019 released the second batch of June 2019 PPM data for the following markets:

    7  Washington DC

  10  Boston

  11  Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood FL

  12  Seattle-Tacoma

  13  Detroit

  14  Phoenix 

  15  Minneapolis

  16  San Diego

  18  Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater

  19  Denver-Boulder

  21  Baltimore

  24  St. Louis

Click Here to view topline numbers for subscribing Nielsen stations.

D/FW Radio: KESN ESPN 103.3 Adds NFL Games

Cumulus Media announces that KESN 103.3 ESPN Radio Dallas will be the new official radio broadcast home of the NFL in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, adding the Prime Time NFL Package from Westwood One.

Listeners in Dallas-Fort Worth will be able to hear Sunday Night Football, Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football every week on ESPN Radio. ESPN Radio will also air every NFL Playoff Game and the Super Bowl next February 2020. 

With the addition of the NFL, KESN-FM is now the radio home in Dallas-Fort Worth of the NFL and Super Bowl, the NBA and NBA Finals, Major League Baseball and the World Series, College Football’s Playoffs and National Championship and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, in addition to being the flagship station for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.

Jeff Catlin, Operations Manager, Cumulus Dallas, and Program Director, ESPN Radio KESN-FM, said: “ESPN Radio in Dallas-Fort Worth is truly the destination station for the biggest games in sports. With this addition of the NFL and Super Bowl, our listeners will now hear every major championship in American sports exclusively on 103.3 FM ESPN.”

Tampa Radio: Mason Dixon Inks New Long-Term Deal

(L-R) Ted Cannarozzi (Station PD), Steve Triplett (VP/Market Manager), Mason Dixon (seated)
and Travis Daily (Operations Manager)

Legendary Radio Personality Mason Dixon has signed a multi-year renewal deal to continue doing mornings at WRBQ Q105 FM in Tampa.

The radio veteran has been consistently ranked among the top rated morning shows in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg markets.

“The majority of my life has been Q105,” said Dixon. “They say when you love what you are doing, you never work a day in your life. Thanks to all at Beasley media group, including Ted Cannarozzi, Travis Daily, Steve Triplett and certainly all of the Beasley Media Group family for giving me the chance to keep never working…..oh…wait…that doesn’t sound right…uh…letting me keep loving what we do for the Tampa Bay area and Q105! Let the fun continue!”

“Mason Dixon is part of the fabric of the Tampa Bay community,” said station Program Director, Ted Cannarozzi. “We’re thrilled to have him remain the face of Q 105 for years to come.”

“Tampa Bay wouldn’t be Tampa Bay without Mason Dixon in the morning,” said Beasley Media Group Tampa Vice President and Market Manager Steve Triplett. “I’m honored to work with him and excited about hearing his show on the air for many years to come!”

The name Mason Dixon and Tampa Bay radio have become synonymous for over 40 years.  Mason utilizes humor, compassion, and community awareness to help ease the tensions of the morning drive to work. Mason has been named “Air Personality of the Year” and “Operations Manager of the Year” by various radio publications throughout his career.  Tampa Bay Mayor, Bob Buckhorn honored his four-decade long career by proclaiming it “Mason Dixon Day” in February 2018.

An active philanthropist, Mason has been involved in the community for as long as he has been in the Tampa Bay area, supporting many non-profit organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Cancer Society, Metropolitan Ministries, and his very own Christmas Wish initiative.

Phoenix Radio: iHM's KNIX Birthday Bash Features Tim McGraw

It's been 50 years since KNIX 102.5 FM left progressive rock behind, switching formats to country, and never looked back, reports azcentral.com.

On Monday, July 15, the station plans to celebrate that anniversary at its annual birthday bash festivities, with Tim McGraw topping a bill at Comerica Theatre that also features Jon Pardi and Midland.

As Barrel Boy, the station's mascot, says of securing McGraw for the concert, "He’s the most played artist in the history of KNIX. The guy isn't just a musician. He's also a Hollywood star. He is as A-list as it gets. So having Tim McGraw play? It's a mic drop. It's like 'Hello, BOOM!' Are you kidding me? Shut the front door."

Tim Hattrick, who hosted the KNIX morning show with Willy D. Loon for an Emmy-winning 10-year run from 1997-2007, was at the Valley's other major country station, KMLE-FM, when he first experienced the power of McGraw.

It was late October 1994 and McGraw had just turned in an opening set for Little Texas at the Arizona State Fair.

"Our phones rang all morning long with ‘Oh my God, who was that cowboy in the big black hat who sang the song about the little girl?'" Hattrick recalls with a laugh. "It was ‘Don't Take the Girl.’ I'll never forget that. People went crazy. That's the first time I heard of Tim McGraw. And all these years later, he's still doing it."

Chicago Radio: WLS-AM Live Event Features Mancow, Roger Stone

On Sunday, July 21st, WLS-AM 890 will present “STONE FREE: Mancow & Roger Stone – Uncensored”, an evening of drinks, dinner and conversation with two of America’s most captivating personalities, Roger Stone and Mancow.

Stone has been a pundit and political advisor since the early 1970s, and is a former advisor to President Donald J. Trump. He has left an indelible mark on the American political landscape and is best known for his strategic collaborations with Presidents Nixon and Reagan. Stone will be joined by WLS-AM morning show host Mancow Muller, who has been informing and entertaining audiences since 1994. 

This unforgettable, one-night-only event will take place at Maggiano’s Little Italy, which is located at 1901 E. Woodfield Road in Schaumburg, IL. Beginning at 4pm, guests with an upgraded “Cocktail Hour” ticket will have a pre-dinner drink with Roger Stone as he demonstrates how to make the perfect martini. A seated dinner will begin at 5pm, followed by a conversation with Mancow and Stone and audience Q&A. In addition to the delicious dinner and priceless conversation, a portion of each ticket sold will be donated to Roger Stone’s defense fund. 

Tickets are available for purchase online at WLSAM.com and at Eventbrite.com, and are offered at three price points:

• $100 – includes admission to the event and dinner
• $250 – includes admission, dinner, an autographed book and access to the pre-dinner cocktail hour with Roger Stone who will demonstrate how to make the perfect martini
• $500 – includes all of the above and a seat at Roger Stone’s table for dinner

For more information, visit www.wlsam.com and visit our Twitter and Facebook pages to get updates about upcoming events and contests.

West Palm Beach Radio: Hubbard Launches 'Party 96.3'

 There’s a new Party in West Palm Beach as Hubbard Radio announced the launch of W242CI 'Party 96.3' (via WMBX 102.3 FM-HD2) with Brooke and Jubal in the morning.

The new station features today’s hits from all of the biggest artist including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Drake, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Post Malone, Khalid, Billie Eilish, and more!

“Today’s Hits and Brooke and Jubal in the morning on the new Party 96.3 is a perfect combination. We’re pleased to have Brooke and Jubal back in our cluster and to offer West Palm an entertaining show and a whole lot of today’s music,” said Hubbard Radio West Palm Beach SVP/Market Manager Elizabeth Hamma.

“We are very excited to bring a station that plays everyone’s favorite songs in one place and is just one big PARTY. We know today’s listener wants less and less interruptions, so we promise to play less commercials than anyone else,” said Program Director, Leo Baldwin.


The new Party 96.3 launched at 3pm on July 11th with Brooke and Jubal premiering on Monday, July 15th.

Miley Cyrus Does World A Favor With 'No Kids' Pledge

Ms. Cyrus

Pop star turned Planned Parenthood activist Miley Cyrus will not consider having a child due to global warming-related anxiety, vowing not to reproduce until she is confident her offspring can “live on an earth with fish in the water.”

The singer spoke at length to Elle and hit two of her go-to political topics: Feminism and climate change.

Breitbart reports Cyrus tied the two topics together, assigning the female gender to the planet and warning against mankind’s destruction of it.

The pop activist also revealed that she will not have kids until she feels like her child “would live on an earth with fish in the water.”

“We’ve been doing the same thing to the earth that we do to women,” she said, making another comparison to feminism.

“We just take and take and expect it to keep producing. And it’s (the earth) exhausted. It can’t produce. We’re getting handed a piece-of-shit planet, and I refuse to hand that down to my child,” the Grammy-winner continued. “Until I feel like my kid would live on an earth with fish in the water, I’m not bringing in another person to deal with that.

Millennials as a whole, Cyrus claimed, feel the same way.

“We don’t want to reproduce because we know that the earth can’t handle it,” she said.

Survey: Young Adults Are Highly Digital News Consumers

Dispelling the notion that young adults don’t pay attention to news, a new survey shows 88 percent of people ages 18-34 access news at least weekly, including 53 percent who do so every day. Hispanic and black young adults are more likely to share news with friends on social media.

Young adults of all races are highly digital news consumers, finding their news on social media, smartphone alerts or news websites. The most popular reasons young adults share news are because they find it interesting, helpful, or entertaining. However, highly partisan young adults are more likely than their peers to share news that confirms with others’ opinions.

Young adults often do not believe that their race or ethnicity is covered regularly in the media, even in their favorite news sources. In addition, a sizeable portion of young adults, especially many Hispanics and African Americans, say they see inaccuracies and irregularities in the coverage of their racial or ethnic communities.

The findings come from a recent Knight Foundation survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. The nationally representative survey of 1,660 adults age 18–34 includes oversamples of African Americans and Hispanics in order to explore news behavior and beliefs of young adults within and across races and ethnicities. In addition, the study measures the impact of personal identities and psychological predispositions on young adults’ perceptions of news and news behaviors.

Many young adults have concerns about the ideological and political leanings of news sources, according to the survey. A majority believes certain news sources have ideological positions, divide society, and hurt democracy.

When asked about their most liked and least liked news sources, young adults believe news sources—even their favorite ones—have a liberal or conservative slant. Democrats are more likely to perceive an ideological slant to their news sources. Fifty-seven percent of Democrats see their favorite news source as liberal, while 36 percent of Republicans perceive their favorite source as conservative. More Democrats say their least liked source is very conservative than Republicans say their least liked source is very liberal (75 percent vs. 68 percent).

Madison Radio: iHM's WIBA Renews Badgers Sports

University of Wisconsin Athletics and multimedia rightsholder Badger Sports Properties have signed an extension of its broadcast agreement with iHeartMedia's Madison and Milwaukee markets.

N/T WIBA 130 AM /  W265CV 100.9 FM in Madison, WI, will continue to serve as the Badgers' flagship radio stations through the 2023-2024 athletic season. The extended five-year agreement officially kicks off with the 2019 football season, marking the 25th season for the iHM duo to serve as UW Athletics' flagship radio partner in Madison.

Game coverage on both stations in Madison will include all football and men's basketball broadcasts. In addition, NewsTalk 1310 will continue to carry all men's hockey games. All women's basketball, volleyball and hockey game broadcasts will be heard on WSTO The Big 1070 in Madison.

"iHeartMedia Madison continues to elevate the listening experience for our fans and we couldn't be more pleased to recognize them as our radio partner for now more than 25 years," said UW Athletics Associate Athletic Director Justin Doherty. "We appreciate their ongoing dedication to the Badgers and look forward to the start of our new term this fall."

"We have enjoyed a tremendous partnership with the Badgers and are thrilled to continue it for the next five years," added iHeartMedia Division President Jeff Tyler. "Badger sports are part of the fiber of our radio brands in Madison as the flagship as well as Milwaukee and Eau Claire. We are honored to be the home and voice for the outstanding student athletes, coaches and fans."

Wisconsin Badger sports programming is carried on more than 70 radio stations across the state. The affiliates and all broadcast aspects are overseen and managed by University of Wisconsin Athletics' multimedia rightsholder and local Learfield IMG College team, Badger Sports Properties.

Trump Rails Against 'Terrible Bias'

President Trump

President Trump used a “Social Media Summit” at the White House Thursday to bond with some of his most provocative supporters over shared grievances against large technology companies whose representatives weren’t invited.

The Wall Street Journal reports Trump attacked social-media companies he says are trying to silence individuals and groups with right-leaning views, without presenting specific evidence. He said he was directing his administration to “explore all legislative and regulatory solutions to protect free speech and the free speech of all Americans.”

“Big Tech must not censor the voices of the American people,” Mr. Trump told a crowd of more than 100 allies who cheered him on. “This new technology is so important and it has to be used fairly.”

Social-media companies Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc., owner of Google and YouTube, weren’t invited to Thursday’s event and have declined to discuss it. The platforms have previously denied political bias plays a role in how they oversee content. Mr. Trump promised to host social-media companies at the White House during the next month.

The guest list for Thursday’s summit included Sebastian Gorka, a terrorism commentator and former White House adviser who left the administration after clashing with other national-security officials; James O’Keefe, the founder of the Project Veritas media group known for surreptitiously videotaping journalists; and Ali Alexander, an activist who recently said that Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) isn’t “an American black.”

#SocialMediaSummit @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/Z7tlvC3QUN

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2019

Trump thanked the crowd for “bypassing the corrupt establishment” and traditional media. Referring to social media bans or censored content, Mr. Trump said: “Some of you, I could almost understand” the need to restrict their posts, Mr. Trump said. “Some of you guys are out there…I mean, it’s genius, but it’s bad.”

The Internet Association, a trade group representing social-media and other internet companies, said in a statement ahead of Thursday’s event that its members have no incentive to be biased.

“Internet companies are not biased against any political ideology, and conservative voices in particular have used social media to great effect,” the group said in a statement. “Internet companies depend upon their users’ trust from across the political spectrum to grow and succeed.”

Several analysts doubted any concrete action would come of the summit, seeing it more as a way for Mr. Trump to fire up his base.