September 8 Radio HIstory

➦In 1907...➦In 1907...actor John 'Jack" Mather Born. (Died from heart attack at age 58 – August 16, 1966). He a radio and television actor, best known for playing The Cisco Kid on Mutual radio from 1947 to 1956. and for being the original voice of Wally Walrus.

➦In 1930...WBEN signed on in Buffalo, NY.  However, its history dates to the 1920s. WBEN initially used the facility built by the Norton Laboratories organization from Boston, as part of an experiment to send voice transmissions between Niagara Falls, New York, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, as WMAK.

When WMAK was launched in 1922 it operated initially from Lockport, New York at 833 kHz. The station later moved its transmitter to North Tonawanda, New York (broadcasting at 1130 kHz there) and then landing on 900 kHz, with 1000 watts of power, as a result of General Order 40, which realigned American AM radio allocations in 1927–28. In the late 1920s WMAK was acquired by the Buffalo Broadcasting Company, based at Buffalo's Rand Building, which also controlled WGR and WKBW in Buffalo. WMAK was a charter member of the CBS Radio Network, being one of the 16 stations that aired the first CBS network program on September 18, 1927.

WMAK was closed in the spring of 1930 as federal regulators began probing concentration of media ownership in the nation's largest radio markets. Buffalo Broadcasting Company chose to retain WGR and WKBW while shutting down WMAK and another daytime-only station, WKEN in suburban Kenmore, New York.

At the same time, the Buffalo Evening News was granted a broadcast license of its own, purchased the decommissioned transmitting facility of WMAK on Shawnee Road in Martinsville (North Tonawanda, New York) and re-licensed it as WBEN.

A new studio complex was built at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in downtown Buffalo (chosen primarily for access to the live orchestra there), and served WBEN, its sister FM station and sister television station (which opened in the spring of 1948) for more than 25 years.

In 1941, the station moved to its current position on the dial, at 930 kHz, as a result of the North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA).

The station also relocated its transmitter to Grand Island at during this time, increasing full-time power to its current 5,000 watts. The Grand Island transmitter and two towers are still in use today.

Click Here for more WBEN History.

The Hoboken Four with Major Bowes

➦In 1935...A singing group called the Hoboken Four, one of whose members is named Frank Sinatra, made their first national appearance, performing on WOR's radio show Major Bowes Amateur Hour.

The Hoboken Four won the contest that night. Bowes said: “They walked right into the hearts of their audience.” The prize was a 6-month contract to perform on stage and on radio and they were earning a lot more than before.

The Bickersons

➦In 1946...The Bickersons was a radio comedy sketch series debuted on NBC, moving the following year to CBS where it continued until August 28, 1951. The show's married protagonists, portrayed by Don Ameche and Frances Langford, spent nearly all their time together in relentless verbal war.

➦In 1954...Alan Freed departed Cleveland, Ohio for New York City and 1010 WINS radio.



The station eventually became an around-the-clock Top 40 rock and roll radio station, and would remain so until April 19, 1965—long after Freed left and three months after he had died— when it became an all-news outlet.

➦In 1969...the radio voice of Superman (and TV game show host)  Clayton “Bud” Collyer (Beat the Clock, To Tell the Truth), died of a circulatory ailment at age 61.

Collyer's best-remembered radio starring role began in early 1940 in The Adventures of Superman on the Mutual Broadcasting System, a role he also performed in the subsequent Superman cartoons.

Collyer supplied the voices of both Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent, opposite radio actress Joan Alexander as Lois Lane. Every Superman episode featured a scene in which Clark Kent changed into his Superman costume, an effect which Collyer conveyed by shifting voices while speaking the phrase "This is (or "looks like") a job for Superman!" his voice always dropping when becoming Superman.

Also pictured is Superman announcer Jackson Beck is on the left.

Las Vegas Radio: Beasley Promotes Paco Lopez to PD

Paco Lopez

Beasley Media Group has announced Paco Lopez has been promoted to the position of Program Director at KOAS Jammin’ 105.7 in Las Vegas.

In his new role, Lopez, who originally joined the station in June 2019, will also continue to serve as the afternoon drive personality on the station.

The radio veteran has held programming, music director and on-air duties for nearly four decades.

Prior to joining Beasley Media Group in Las Vegas, he served as the midday personality for nearly six years at WOCL 105.9 FM in Orlando, as well as worked as APD and on the air at HOT 97 in New York City, WPGC in Washington, DC, KNRJ-FM in Houston, KKFR-FM in Phoenix, Y-100 in Miami, and 102 Jams in Orlando. In addition, Lopez programmed WJBT-FM in Jacksonville and World Space Satellite’s “Oyeme” Channel.

“We are lucky to have such a seasoned and successful professional from the format on our team,” said Beasley Media Group Vice President and Market Manager Peter Burton. “Having been on the air and programmed in format successfully in markets like Washington DC, NY, Houston and Miami, we consider ourselves lucky to have Paco on staff here in Las Vegas. He’s also an incredibly positive influence in the building. We are looking forward to him having great success with us here in Las Vegas.”

“Paco is a highly experienced and successful major-market programmer with an amazing strategic vision for KOAS,” said Beasley Media Group Executive Vice President of Programming, Justin Chase. “We’re all going to sleep well at night knowing that Paco is our PD.”

“I’ve wanted to join the Beasley family for years,” Lopez. “I’m so thankful and blessed to work with some of the best people I’ve known in all my years in the business. Thanks to Peter Burton, Justin Chase, Darrel Goodin, Dom Theodore, John Candelaria, Dave Beasing and the entire crew at Beasley for giving me this exciting opportunity!”

Phoenix Radio: Tino Radio Moves To KZZP-FM

KZZP 104.7 KISS FM has announced the debut of the “Tino Cochino Radio,” effective September 9. “Tino Cochino Radio” will broadcast from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.

“Tino Cochino Radio,” starring top on-air personality Tino Cochino alongside Raquel Marquez and DJ Nicasio is one of the fastest-growing radio programs in the country. The show is syndicated nationally by YEA Networks across more than 50 markets and covers the latest hip hop and entertainment headlines.

Listeners can tune in each weekday night to hear an array of entertaining segments including Raquel’s Instadrama, Are You Smarter Than Nicasio, Tea Time and Real Talk.

“My dream to have one of the best Top 40 on-air personalities and influencers in the country join our program lineup has come true,” said Mat Mitchell, Program Director for 104.7 KISS FM. “Tino, Raquel and Nicasio are among the most driven people I’ve met in the industry and I cannot wait for their new night show to start in Phoenix while they continue to expand their syndication profile. #TinoMoved”

“It feels like we’ve won the lottery,” said Cochino. “The hospitality, drive and energy in this building are unmatched. I’ve always been the type to surround myself with those who want to better their best and that’s the case at iHeartMedia Phoenix. A special thanks to everyone at iHeart for their belief in our Tino Cochino Radio brand and vision for radio. We have a special love for the Phoenix community.”

Dolan, Nolan Join Great Lakes Media

Great Lakes Media Corp. has announced additions to its leadership team. 

Mitch Dolan is Chief Operating Officer and Ed Nolan joins as Chief Financial Officer.

Dolan, most recently served as COO of Radio & Outdoor for Times-Shamrock Communications. He is well-known for his simultaneous leadership roles as President of the ABC Radio Station Group and President and General Manager of WPLJ-FM in New York City during his 28-year career at ABC.

Tom Langmyer

Nolan, most recently served as SVP-CFO & Treasurer of Greater Media, Inc. for more than 13 years and a total of 27 years with the company - while overseeing numerous asset purchases, stock acquisitions and like-kind exchanges.  He also successfully managed multiple asset sales, including separate exit transactions for the company’s radio broadcasting, cable television and tower properties. 

“I’m pleased to welcome two experienced and exceptional leaders to Great Lakes Media” says Tom Langmyer, CEO of Great Lakes Media Corp.

“Mitch is highly-respected in the media industry and, whether in New York City, where he operated stations directly, or in the ABC major markets he lead across the U.S. - his outstanding track-record of achievement was defined by his ability to consistently out-perform the companies and stations with whom he competed.  Ed’s distinguished career is highlighted by his oversight and successful execution of a number of complex M&A transactions while serving on the senior leadership team of one of America’s finest and most admired media companies.  He’s well-known and respected in our industry as a leader.  Ed’s depth of experience in the media space is beyond impressive.”

Mitch Dolan

“Throughout my career I’ve had the special privilege of being part of extraordinary companies where the only thing as highly-valued as performance were the people who achieved it. I got to know Tom when he was the GM of WGN and ABC’s toughest competitor in Chicago.” states Dolan. 

Ed Nolan

“Although I tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to hire him to run WLS, we developed a true friendship based on the shared belief that amazing people get amazing results.  Obviously, working with Tom has been a goal of mine for many years and I’m thrilled that he finally agreed.”

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Great Lakes Media team. I look forward partnering with Tom, Mitch and the team to acquire and grow local radio stations and digital platforms.” says Nolan.  “We’re committed to creating an organization that super-serves its local communities, delivers outstanding results for our advertising partners and fosters a workplace culture that makes Great Lakes Media a career destination.

Great Lakes Media Corp. intends to primarily invest in the acquisition of local radio stations and digital platforms in the U.S., focusing on properties in medium and large markets in the Northeast and Upper Midwest.

Des Moines Radio: KBGG-AM Adds Pat McAfee For Mornings

Cumulus Media announces that Des Moines radio station KBGG 1700 The Champ will debut a new weekday morning sports talk show on Monday, September 9th, featuring former NFL punter, standup comedian and social media star Pat McAfee.

Pat McAfee

The Pat McAfee Show, syndicated by Westwood One,  will air Monday through Friday mornings from 9am-11am on 1700 The Champ and also features a video simulcast on DAZN, the leading global sports streaming platform.

McAfee, the former Indianapolis Colts punter who played in two Pro Bowls during his eight-year NFL career, brings a fresh take on sports and entertainment to listeners and fans. He is known for speaking his mind and is both relatable and refreshing. His player’s insight, electric storytelling, and robust sense of humor have helped him build a huge and loyal fan base with more than two million social media followers.

Chad Taylor, Operations Manager, Program Director, 1700 The Champ, said: “We’re extremely excited to debut The Pat McAfee Show here in Des Moines! Pat brings a breath of fresh air to sports talk and entertainment. We’re already fielding inquiries from fans here in central Iowa since we announced the show would join our already stellar lineup. It’s a one-two punch weekdays with Pat McAfee at 9am and Jim Rome at 11am on 1700 The Champ.” 

McAfee was recently signed by ESPN to be its Thursday night prime time college football analyst. After retiring from the NFL in 2016, he joined Barstool Sports and developed their “Heartland” division and the Heartland podcast, which will be moving to the Westwood One Podcast Network, along with Pat’s popular podcast, The Pat McAfee Show 2.0, starting September 9, 2019.

The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 podcast generates more than 225,000 downloads per episode. Pat also works for the WWE as a co-host on several of their NXT TakeOver Events. McAfee earned a scholarship to kick at West Virginia University after winning a national kicking competition.

He was drafted by the Colts in 2009.

NPR Newsers 'Hurt' By News Chief's Comments

Nancy Barnes

National Public Radio’s news chief is facing an internal blowback over public remarks she made criticizing the network’s coverage of race relations, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Nancy Barnes, NPR’s senior vice president for news, said last week at an industry conference that the network’s coverage of race is “more lacking than we realized,” according to a report in the nonprofit news service Current. She also lamented a lack of “disciplined, direct coverage of race relations and the culture wars.” Ms. Barnes said the network was looking into establishing a beat for that topic.

In response, about 85 of NPR’s 569 newsroom and programming staffers cosigned an email sent Thursday to Ms. Barnes, who was named NPR’s top news executive last year, saying she failed to recognize the strides they have made in covering racism, anti-Semitism and hate-driven violence.

“These words travel and not only are they hurtful, they further marginalize people of color in an organization with historic problems of under-representing and/or dismissing the voices, creativity and work of non-white journalists,” they wrote in the email obtained by the Journal. “Robust coverage of the issues you want to expand has been alive and well.”

On Friday afternoon after the email went public, Barnes apologized in a statement, according to The Hill.

“In my remarks at a recent public radio conference, I shared some thoughts on how we will tackle critical issues, including race and racism,” Barnes said, according to the Journal. “What I intended to convey was that I was looking for more resources to augment this important work on a daily basis.”

“Thank you for sharing your concerns with me; I want you to know that I take them seriously,” Barnes added.

NPR employees are asking Barnes to talk about the issue further in an all-hands town hall meeting, while also calling for more diversity on the NPR leadership level, the newspaper reported.

Philly News Anchor Sues Facebook, Others Over Use Of Her Image

Karen Hepp

WTXF FOX29 news anchor Karen Hepp has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Facebook, Reddit and several other companies that allegedly published her photo in unsavory online advertisements and message boards without her authorization.

According to The Philly Voice, the "Good Day Philadelphia" co-host filed the federal suit Wednesday in Philadelphia. It alleges the photo in question was taken by a security camera at a New York City convenience store.

Hepp previously worked for WNYW-TV5 in New York and had been unaware the photo even existed until two years ago, according to court documents filed at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Co-workers notified her that the photo was being used in advertisements for erectile dysfunction and dating websites.

Other named defendants — 10 were not named in the lawsuit — include Giphy and Czech Republic-based WCGZ, S.R.O., which owns the porn website XNXX.com.

The lawsuit claims the defendants' "sexualization" of Hepp's image was used for "prurient and illicit purposes" that have caused "serious, permanent and irreparable harm" to her reputation.

In light of Hepp's high-profile profession, the suit further argues that the photo has "intrinsic commercial value" and that the defendants knew the photo was of Hepp and no one else.

R.I.P.: Don Martin, Pioneering Denver Radio Broadcaster

Don Martin, a pioneer in Denver radio news, both in the sky and in the news room, died Wednesday at Sky Ridge Medical Center.

He was 87, according to The Denver Post.

Martin, who in 1960 became Denver’s first airborne traffic reporter, flying for KIMN Radio, also served as news director for the powerhouse station, building a state of the art newsroom which lead to a multitude of scoops and award-winning recognition.

Flying a fixed wing aircraft, a plane, not a helicopter, Martin took to the skies over Denver when Interstate 25 was known as the Valley Highway. In 1997, when Martin retired from radio after 37 years, he humbly, and humorously, recalled his early days as a flying traffic reporter.

Martin had an early interest in radio, according to his daughter, Amy Martin. At the age of 14, officials with the FCC knocked on the front door of Martin’s parents house in south Denver.

They were there to shut down his pirate radio station, which he ran from his parents basement, Amy Martin said with a chuckle. Martin sold advertising spots around his radio program, to local businesses, in exchange for goods and services, his daughter said.

He also ran an advertising company, Don Martin Productions, recording commercials out of his home’s basement. An audio geek, Martin had surround sound and flashing, techno lights, installed in his home before they became popular. Former Broncos coach Dan Reeves and quarterback John Elway were among the folk Martin brought home as part business, and pleasure.

At the KIMN studios, by the late 1960s and into the early 1970s, Martin built an impressive newsroom with audio monitors for police, fire and other emergency broadcasts. Telephones in the newsroom had direct access to emergency responders as well. Pickup a phone and be connected directly to police headquarters.

Over the course of his career, Martin also flew and reported for KHOW, KTLN, KTLK, KPPL and KGMC among other stations.

September 7 Radio History

➦In 1929...the forerunner to Let’s Pretend, a Saturday morning radio show for kids was heard for the first time on CBS Radio Network. The Adventures of Helen & Mary became Let’s Pretend 5 years later. Let's Pretend, created and directed by Nila Mack, was a CBS radio series for children. In its most famous form, Let's Pretend, the Peabody Award-winning series ran from 1934 to 1954.

➦In 1934...Daniel Trombley "Dan" Ingram was born.  Ingram is an American radio icon with a fifty-year career on radio stations such as WABC 770 AM and WCBS 101.1 FM in New York. "Big Dan" started broadcasting at WHCH Hofstra College, Hempstead, New York, WNRC, New Rochelle, New York, and WALK-FM, Patchogue, New York.

Ingram mastered the talk-up, talking over the intro to a song, ending right before the vocals. Ingram could get the song title, the current temperature and a one-liner in his talk-ups. He wholeheartedly embraced one of radio's golden rules: When you're talking to the audience, do it like you're talking to one person.

Ingram was noted for his quick wit and ability to convey a humorous or satiric idea with quick pacing and an economy of words—a skill which has made him uniquely suited to, and successful within, modern personality-driven music radio.

He is among the most frequently emulated radio personalities, cited as an influence or inspiration by numerous current broadcasters.



Dan was well known for playing doctored versions of popular songs. The Paul McCartney & Wings song My Love Does it Good became My Glove Does it Good. The stuttering title refrain of Bennie and the Jets went from three or four repetitions to countless. In the same vein, the distinctive refrain added to Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede, Ooga-ooga-ooga-chucka would start repeating and listeners would never know when it would end. (Other examples include Paul Simon's 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, and "rearranging" the spelling of "S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y" on the Bay City Rollers' Saturday Night.)

Dan's longtime closing theme song was "Tri-Fi Drums" by Billy May. An edited version of the song was used for broadcast.



Dan commented occasionally about the pronunciation of his name: jingles often are heard pronouncing his last name as "Ing-ram," but Dan has said it is correctly pronounced "In-gram."

Ingram died June 24, 2018.

➦In 1936...Early rock & roll icon Buddy Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock Texas. His name was misspelled on his first record contract and he decided to leave it that way.   At age 22, he died in a plane crash Feb 3, 1959 along with Ritchie Valens and J.P.Richardson (The Big Bopper.)

➦In 1949...Windsor (Ont.) radio station CKLW, later to become Canada’s all-time most listened-to station (due to its huge US audience), increased power from 5000 to 50,000 watts. The station had moved from 1030 to 800 KHz, a Canada/Mexico clear channel, in the great frequency shuffle of 1941.

As television's popularity boomed, CKLW, like many other stations, coped with the changes by replacing the dying network radio fare with locally based disc-jockey shows. Throughout most of the 1950s and into the mid-1960s, CKLW was basically a "variety" radio station which filled in the cracks between full-service features with pop music played by announcers like Bud Davies, Ron Knowles (who had a rock-and-roll show on AM 800 as early as 1957), and Joe Van. For a few years in the early 1960s, CKLW also featured a country music program in the evenings called Sounds Like Nashville. This ended in 1963.

➦In 1979...ESPN, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, made its debut on US cable TV as the world’s first full-time channel devoted to sports.

➦In 1999…Viacom made its biggest acquisition ($35.6 million) by announcing plans to merge with its former parent CBS Corporation (the original, not the current one). The merger was completed in 2000, bringing cable channels TNN (now Paramount Network) and Country Music Television (CMT) under Viacom's wing, as well as CBS' production units and TV distributors Eyemark Entertainment (formerly Group W Productions) and King World. CBS' production unit and King World (which has since folded Eyemark) operated under their own names; however, TNN and CMT were merged into MTV Networks almost immediately.

TV Nets Need NFL Ratings Rebound

UPDATE 12 Noon 9/6/19: The kickoff of the NFL season on NBC Thursday night scored the best ratings for the opening game since 2016.

Despite an ugly, penalty-filled game, the Green Bay Packers' 10-3 win over the Chicago Bears scored a 15.3 household rating in overnight metered markets. That's up 14 percent from a 13.4 in the overnights for the 2018 season opener, and also bests the 14.6 for the first game of the 2017 season.

Original Posting....

The NFL has returned to the national spotlight, but it remains to be seen if TV’s biggest draw can continue the ratings renaissance it experienced last seasonm reports cNBC.

Television networks rely heavily on the NFL. Games and NFL-related programming accounted for 63% of Fox’s gross ratings points last season, according to MoffettNathanson. ESPN, CBS and NBC all got about a quarter of their aggregate gross ratings points from NFL content.

Like the rest of television programming, the NFL has seen its ratings decline in recent years due in part to viewers increasingly ditching cable for streaming services. All four major rights holders saw ratings decline in 2016 and 2017.

The league also has been the subject of political controversies in recent years, as activist players such as Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid have drawn the ire of President Donald Trump.

The league’s ratings, however, grew by an average of 5% last year, according to MoffettNathanson. Viewership among people ages 18 to 24 shrank by less than 5%, and viewership increased among older viewers.

The upswing comes at a crucial time for the league, which is set to renegotiate its rights deals in the coming years. The league’s contract for Monday Night Football with Disney’s ESPN is set to expire after the 2021 season. Its contracts with the other networks are up a year late.

Continue Reading.

Day 3: August 2019 PPMs For Orlando + 11 More Markets

Nielsen on Thursday, Sept 5, 2019 released the third batch of August 2019 PPM data for the following markets:

   22  Portland OR

   23  Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill NC

   25  San Antonio

   27  Sacramento

   28  Pittsburgh

   29  Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo UT

   30  Las Vegas

   31  Orlando

   32  Cincinnati

   34  Cleveland

   35  Kansas City

   36  Columbus OH

Click Here for topline numbers for subscribing Nielsen stations.

Streaming Accounts For 80-Percent Of All Music Revenue

Music recorded retail revenues in the United States grew 18%, to $5.4 billion, in the first half of 2019, according to MusicRow citing the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) Mid-Year Report for 2019. In 2018, the U.S. music industry’s retail revenues had reached $4.6 billion.

That double-digit growth rate is driven by the number of paid streaming subscriptions totaling more than 60 million for the first time (up 30% from 2018)—this represents an average of more than 1 million new subscriptions per month over the past 12 months.

Streaming revenues alone grew 26% to $4.3 billion in the first half of this year (up from $3.4 billion in 2018), and includes revenues from subscription services, digital and customized radio services including those revenues distributed by SoundExchange, and ad-supported, on-demand streaming services. Paid subscriptions made up 62% of overall industry revenues and account for 77% of U.S. streaming music revenues for the first half of 2019.

Streaming now generates 80% of music business revenues.

“This continued growth lets record companies do more than ever to discover, promote, and protect great artists,” RIAA’s Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said in a statement.

“Worldwide, labels now spend nearly $6 billion a year to find talent, enable artists to record, cut through the noise, and be heard. Finding and developing new talent is the lifeblood of the business, with 20% of a major label’s roster of artists signed fresh each year. 7 in 10 unsigned artists want a label deal to help them make it in an increasingly complicated and high-tech business.

FCC Sniffing Around On Payola

Last month, Rolling Stone published a pay-for-play story that alleged payola continues to be a common feature of the radio business, with money or goods passing from the record labels to the radio stations to influence airplay.

“Enough time has passed [since the last payola lawsuits in the mid-2000s], nobody’s gotten in trouble for a while, and nobody is scrutinizing this as tightly as they used to be,” “Matthew,” a longtime alternative radio promoter, told Rolling Stone recently. “Things are getting a little more lax.”

On Wednesday, FCC commissioner Mike O’Rielly sent an official letter to the Recording Industry Association of America asking the trade organization to investigate “possible violations of federal laws and regulations that expressly prohibit payola.”

“Your association is uniquely situated to survey the practices of your industry and respond to press reports regarding alleged practices,” O’Rielly writes.

“My primary goal is to get to the bottom of existing industry practices to determine whether the law is being followed or whether any problematic conduct must be addressed.”

The Federal Communication Commission moved to prohibit undisclosed pay-for-play in 1960 following a congressional investigation of corruption at radio.

“Payola has never been illegal,” explains Tony Gray, a veteran of urban radio and the founder of Gray Communications. “What is illegal is if you do the transaction and don’t make it known to the audience that there was some financial support for you playing that song.”

NPR Radio: John Lansing Named New CEO

John Lansing at the VOA

John Lansing, a veteran government broadcast and cable television executive, has been selected by NPR's corporate board to succeed its current chief, Jarl Mohn.

Lansing, who is 62, is currently the chief executive of the government agency that oversees Voice of America, Radio and Television Martí and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, among others.

Lansing will start in his new position in mid-October. He will be the 11th permanent president or chief executive in the radio network's nearly 50-year history.

In an interview, Lansing said he wants to build on NPR's successes in broadcast news and entertainment to become even more dominant in podcasting and more prevalent in streaming.

"When I think of NPR and I think of the member stations collectively, I think really of journalism as a public service, not tied to a profit motive," Lansing told NPR News. He defined NPR's mission as "serving the public with information and an excellence and quality about it that makes it 'must see' on a variety of platforms."

Lansing previously held positions overseeing the Scripps Co.'s local television stations and then its national cable channels, which include the Food Network and HGTV, among others. For two years, he served as the president and CEO of a cable trade group called the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing.

"In terms of mission, understanding of media, the depth of experience, his strategic leadership, his commitment to people and culture, I would say those were really the key things that we were looking for," said Goli Sheikholeslami, vice chairwoman of the NPR board of directors and CEO of Chicago Public Media.

"The challenges he will face at NPR are not dissimilar to challenges across the media landscape as a whole," said Sheikholeslami, who will soon take up the CEO job at New York Public Radio.

NPR stands stronger than it did at the outset of Mohn's five-year term in 2014. The network had run deficits in six of the seven previous years; under Mohn, it has achieved a slight surplus for each year during his tenure, even as the annual budget grew by more than 40%.

NPR draws more than 28 million listeners each week and 40 million unique monthly visitors to its website — both represent a rise of several million over those five years. NPR has also been the nation's leading producer of podcasts since Podtrac started measuring audiences.

Erie PA Radio: Morning Host Craig Warvel OUT At WXBB

Craig Warvel

Adult Hits WXBB-FM Bob 94.7 replaced Erie market veteran personality Craig Warvel with the Glenn & Amy morning show, imported from WRVV Harrisburg.

A longtime Erie disc jockey is no longer the host of WXBB-FM/Bob 94.7′s morning show.

“Craig Warvel is no longer with WXBB but we truly appreciate all of his contributions during his time with us and wish him well,” said Michael Malpiedi, market president for iHeartMedia.

The 63-year-old Warvel has been broadcasting on Erie radio stations since 1981. He had been the host of “Warvel in the Morning” on WXBB since 2015.

Warvel co-hosted morning shows on WRTS-FM/Star 104 from 1998 to 2015. He previously worked for 17 years at WJET-AM/1400 and WJET-FM/102, where he co-hosted a morning show for years with legendary Erie disc jockey Frank Martin, reports goerie.com.

Wichita Fall Radio: Troy Clingerman To Manage Townsquare Cluster

Troy Clingerman

Townsquare Media has announced that Troy Clingerman is the new Market President and Chief Revenue Officer for its Wichita Falls, Texas cluster.

The cluster includes Country KWFS 102.3 The Bull, Rock KBZS 106.3 The Buzz, CHR KNIN 92.9 FM and News-Talk KWFS 1290 AM.

He will report to Townsquare Senior Vice President Kevin Godwin.

Prior to joining Townsquare, Clingerman was LSM for Tegna (KYTX-TV) in Tyler, TX. Prior to that he worked in digital sales management for E.W. Scripps Company (KJRH-TV) in Tulsa, OK.

"I'm excited to join the Townsquare team in Wichita Falls," said Clingerman. "The key to our success will be talented people and all the solutions any small business would ever need, both of which we have in Wichita Falls."

"I look forward to working with Troy as he leads our Wichita Falls team into the future," said Godwin. "His skills and positive style go hand-in-hand with the very talented team and leading brands we already have in place in Wichita Falls. Troy has experience with multi-media product platforms, a genuine passion to connect our brands with the Wichita Falls community, and a keen ability to drive digital revenue. We have no doubt that Troy will further develop and redefine our operation in Wichita Falls."

"Troy is a rising star in our industry, with a great combination of digital and broadcast experience, and I am excited to have him lead our Wichita Falls team," said Townsquare COO - Local Media, Erik Hellum. "Part of our "Local First" strategy at Townsquare is putting the best leadership in place in each market, focusing solely on that one market, team and community, which Troy will be doing."

TV Ratings: CNN Climate Town Hall Finishes Last

CNN's 7-hour town hall on climate change with 2020 White House contenders finished last among the three cable news networks in terms of average total viewers, according to The Hill citing early numbers from Nielsen Media Research.

CNN averaged 1.1 million viewers from 5 p.m. to midnight, the hours devoted to back-to-back town halls by 10 Democratic contenders.

MSNBC finished second with 1.7 million total viewers during the time period, with Fox News winning the time period with an average of 2.5 million. Both channels provided regular programming on Wednesday night.

Anchors Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper, Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon moderated the event, along with chief climate correspondent Bill Weir.

During the 8 p.m.-11 p.m. hours of prime time, Fox News averaged 3.2 million total viewers, placing first. MSNBC was second with a 2.2 million average and CNN third with 1.4 million.

Entercom, Action Network Partner On Content

Entercom has announced a content distribution partnership with The Action Network, a media company featuring news, information and an industry-leading app focused on sports betting and fantasy content. The broad scale agreement leverages the reach of RADIO.COM Sports, Entercom’s national sports platform that sits atop the company’s vast array of industry-leading broadcast and digital sports assets, and The Action Network’s premier analysis throughout the 2019 football season.

The partnership will feature unique broadcast content on Entercom’s robust portfolio of 35 all-sports stations nationwide, as well as digital content on the RADIO.COM Sports Digital Network, the platform’s new all-digital, daily, live, subscription-free sports network. Entercom recently announced the launch of You Better You Bet, a daily, live sports betting show hosted by Nick Kostos with 24 hours of live podcast content every week as part of this new native digital content offering.

Mike Dee

“We are committed to make RADIO.COM Sports and our local broadcast stations the #1 destination for fans to access the very best sports betting information available,” said Mike Dee, President of Sports, Entercom. 

“Nobody is better at informing the sports bettor in this fast-growing space than The Action Network. This partnership serves to align their personalities and best-in-class platform with the massive scale of our broadcast portfolio as well as our new highly targeted sports betting digital programming. The Action Network’s contributions to further enhance our You Better You Bet daily podcast will now take that show to the next level as the premier digital audio destination for sports betting enthusiasts.”

“We are thrilled to bring our extensive offering of dynamic sports betting and fantasy content to this partnership,” said Patrick Keane, CEO, The Action Network. “We believe in audio as a vehicle for fueling the growth of our brands and products. Entercom offered the unique blend of massive reach broadcast distribution combined with the expertise and track record in digital we believe will enable us to amplify what we do and reach more sports betting consumers who will ultimately become future Action Network subscribers.”

Entercom owns and operates 35 all-sports stations across the U.S., including WEEI (WEEI-AM/FM) in Boston, WFAN (WFAN-AM/FM) in New York and SportsRadio 94WIP (WIP-FM) in Philadelphia. Additionally, it is the flagship home of 44 professional teams and over 50 Division 1 collegiate programs, including the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, and University of Oregon, Clemson University and digital rights to University of Notre Dame, among others. This broadcast portfolio reaches over 31 million sports fans monthly and boasts the nation’s leading collection of radio play-by-play coverage.

Philly Radio: NFL Eagles Radiothon Raises Record $363+K

The Philadelphia Eagles and Entercom announce that the 2019 Eagles Radiothon raised $363,746 for Eagles Autism Challenge Inc., the most ever raised through Radiothon.

From Monday, Aug. 26 to Wednesday, Sept. 4, Eagles fans and SportsRadio 94WIP listeners had the opportunity to bid on exclusive experiences involving their favorite Eagles players and SportsRadio 94WIP radio personalities. All proceeds will benefit Eagles Autism Challenge Inc., the team’s public organization, whose goal is to assist those currently affected by autism as well as future generations by providing the necessary resources to doctors and scientists at leading institutions.

“We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support our community has shown for the Eagles Radiothon,” said Ryan Hammond, Executive Director of the Eagles Autism Challenge. “We want to thank everyone involved for making this year’s event a success. Each and every person who donated is helping change the lives of those affected by autism because every dollar raised will support groundbreaking research and cutting-edge programs in the field of autism. It takes a community-wide effort to seek the impact that we are hoping to make. This truly would not be possible without Santander, SportsRadio 94WIP and the unwavering generosity and commitment of Eagles fans everywhere.”

“As a longtime supporter of the annual Radiothon, we are proud to serve the Philadelphia community alongside the Eagles Autism Challenge, Inc. and 94WIP to provide further aid to autism research,” said Dave Swoyer, Regional Executive, Commercial Banking at Santander Bank. “By continuing to harness the power of community and connect with the children and families within the Greater Philadelphia area, we can lend our support to help further develop programs and research for those in need.”

“The Eagles Radiothon on SportsRadio 94WIP has quickly become a beloved tradition for our team and our listeners,” said David Yadgaroff, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Philadelphia. “Our community once again generously helped us raise money for autism research and programs and we’re proud to have participated in this worthy cause.”

It’s official! Thanks to your donations and in partnership with @SportsRadioWIP and @SantanderBankUS, #EaglesRadiothon raised a whopping $363,746, smashing our previous record! pic.twitter.com/Ke9JASRWET

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 5, 2019

Some of the top auction items included:

• Super Bowl 54 trip - $20,000
• WIP Morning Show broadcast - $15,000
• Have Lunch and Watch Practice with Howie Roseman, Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager, $12,500
• Be in the Philadelphia Eagles Official Team Photo, $12,000
• Play A Round of Golf with K Jake Elliott at Merion Golf Club, $11,001

SiriusXM Radio: Howard Stern To Open New Hollywood Studios

SiriusXM and Pandora has announced that Howard Stern will commemorate the official October 7th opening of SiriusXM Hollywood, the company's new Hollywood complex featuring artist-first studios, with Stern's first broadcast from the West Coast in almost 20 years.

His launch of the new SiriusXM Hollywood complex will be his first radio broadcast from outside New York in 15 years, and his first from Los Angeles in almost 20 years.

Located in the heart of the burgeoning Hollywood Media District at 953 N. Sycamore Ave., SiriusXM/Pandora Hollywood has been built from the ground up to reflect the company's commitment to the West Coast artist community and audience, and to be the base for originating great talk, compelling entertainment, world class music, and exclusive performances for the more than 100 million listeners of the United States' leading audio entertainment company.

SiriusXM Hollywood's official October 7th launch with Howard Stern will be preceded by four weeks of special broadcasts and performances across many SiriusXM channels from the new Hollywood studio complex and from legendary venues around Los Angeles.

In week one, SiriusXM Hosts Jess Cagle, Andy Cohen and Jenny McCarthy are expected to welcome top Hollywood guests for on-air interviews and specials, including Chelsea Handler, Neil Patrick Harris, Julia Roberts, Carrie Underwood, Renée Zellweger, and more.

Dave Matthews is also scheduled to perform an exclusive set from SiriusXM Hollywood's state-of-the-art ground-floor performance studio, The Garage, for his SiriusXM channel, Dave Matthews Radio.

Los Angeles native and emerging record-setting artist Billie Eilish will perform an exclusive concert for SiriusXM and Pandora listeners at the legendary Troubadour on September 18.

"The launch of our new SiriusXM/Pandora Hollywood complex is a major step forward in creating the best coast to coast content for our listeners," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM. "This world class studio and performance space in the heart of the entertainment capital of the world was a priority for us. As the slate of programming we are delivering over the next month demonstrates, this space will be a must destination for talent and we can't wait to bring this great content to our listeners nationwide."

SiriusXM Podcast Series To Celebrate NFL's 100th Season

SiriusXM will celebrate the NFL's 100th season with a new podcast series that will showcase the NFL's greatest memories and will air on both SiriusXM and Pandora.

The NFL 100 Greatest podcast is a specially-produced 20-episode series counting down the greatest NFL memories in five categories -- Plays, Games, Characters, Game Changers and Teams. Produced in conjunction with NFL Films and voiced by longtime NFL broadcaster James Brown, the podcast is an original audio version of the NFL 100 Greatest series airing on NFL Network. The series will feature hundreds of interviews with celebrities and current and former NFL stars.

Two new podcast episodes will debut each Friday night starting on September 13 at 10:00 pm ET and 11:00 pm ET with episodes focused on the Greatest Plays. New episodes will debut at 11:00 pm ET and midnight ET each Friday thereafter. The podcasts will debut on SiriusXM NFL Radio and be available immediately after on SiriusXM On Demand and on Pandora. 

Scott Greenstein

"We couldn't be more excited to team up with NFL Films to produce this one-of-a-kind podcast series that looks back at the league's rich history and will be available to both our SiriusXM and Pandora listeners," said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM's Chief Content Officer. "Voiced by the iconic James Brown and featuring memories and commentary from celebrities and NFL greats, this will be a must-listen for anyone who is a fan of the game. SiriusXM NFL Radio has long established itself as a must listen for NFL fans and working with NFL Films we have created this podcast series that meets the top quality of audio content our listeners have come to expect."

"We are excited to be working with our partner SiriusXM to continue the celebration of our 100th season," said Ross Ketover, Senior Executive NFL Films. "The NFL 100 Greatest series will give fans an incredible look back at our game's best moments, and this partnership will allow us to bring these stories to SiriusXM and Pandora listeners."

"Long before I was involved with the NFL as a broadcaster I was an avid fan of the game, and I'm very proud to celebrate its 100th season by being a part of this series and sharing so many great memories with SiriusXM and Pandora listeners," said Brown, who has covered the NFL for more than 30 years. "NFL 100 Greatest is a wonderful trip back in time, and NFL fans are going to really enjoy it."

The NFL 100 Greatest TV series will air every Friday night on NFL Network, with two back-to-back episodes at 8:00 pm ET & 9:00 pm ET across weeks 2-11.

Brandi Simms EXITS Country Music Association

Brandi Simms

After more than 17 years as a member of the Country Music Association staff, Sr. Director of Awards & Industry Relations Brandi Simms is leaving to pursue other opportunities.

“Brandi has contributed significantly to the growth and success of CMA during her time with the organization and we wish her the very best in her future endeavors,” said a statement from the CMA.

CMA does not plan to immediately fill the position, according to MusicRow.

In her role at CMA, Simms was charged with overseeing all balloting for the CMA Awards, CMA Broadcast Awards and the Country Music Hall of Fame elections. She also updated the CMA Awards balloting process and worked on the re-launch of the CMA Touring Awards.

She is a 2013 MusicRow Rising Women on the Row honoree, and member of Leadership Music’s Class of 2019.

R.I.P.: Jimmy Johnson, Famed Muscle Shoals Guitarist

Jimmy Johnson, the guitarist for the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section whose foundational R&B-based playing could be heard on hundreds of records, including iconic hits by Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, Wilson Pickett and Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died.

He was 76-years-of-age according to Rolling Stone.  at the age of 76. “He is gone,” his son wrote on Facebook. “Playing music with the angels now.”

Growing up in the South in the 1950s, Johnson was drawn to the blooming sounds of rock, R&B and the electric blues. “I guess you’d say my inspiration was Chuck Berry,” he said in an interview earlier this year. “My parents always tried to get me to play country music and I just didn’t like it that much.”



In 1969, Johnson, alongside FAME backup musicians Roger Hawkins, Barry Beckett, and David Hood, founded the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.

Over the next decade, everyone from Paul Simon and Bob Dylan to Cher and Jimmy Cliff would record at the studio, using the Swampers as their backup band.

At Muscle Shoals Sound, Johnson also became an influential recording engineer, serving as the engineer for the Rolling Stones’ famous Sticky Fingers” sessions in 1969, which produced “Wild Horses,” “Brown Sugar” and “You Gotta Move.”