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Saturday, January 4, 2020

January 5 Radio History



➦In 1923...Sun Records founder Sam Phillips was born in rural Alabama.  His Memphis record studio will always be remembered as the first professional home of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins.  He died July 30, 2003 at age 80.


➦In 1935...Phil Spitalny‘s All-Girl Orchestra was featured on the debut of CBS radio’s “The Hour of Charm”.  It ran on various networks until 1946.




➦In 1940...Edwin H. Armstrong demonstrated FM broadcasting in a long-distance relay network, via five stations in five States.  FM radio was assigned the 42 to 50 MHz band of the spectrum in 1940. There was interest in the new FM band by station owners.

➦In 1965...55 years ago this week

Clark Weber was also on the air at WCFL, WMAQ, WIND, WJJD and WAIT. He later ran Clark Weber & Associates, an advertising agency specializing in radio advertising.


➦In 1973…, Bruce Springsteen released his debut album ‘Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ.’ It sold only about 25,000 copies in its first year of release.  Two tracks from the album, "Blinded By The Light" and "Spirit In The Night," were released as singles but neither made a dent in the charts.

➦In 1979...Third Class operator requirements for radio were eliminated by the FCC.

➦In 1998...Rep. Sonny Bono (R-Calif.), the one-time singer/songwriter who gained fame as half of the vocal duo Sonny and Cher, died from head injuries after hitting a tree while skiing at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. He was 62.

➦In 2004...the first HD Radio receiver - a Kenwood KTC-HR 100 model - went on sale commercially in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.



➦In 2014…baseball player-turned- broadcaster Jerry Coleman,  who spent 71 years in the game on the diamond and later in the broadcast booth, passed away after brain surgery. He was aged 89.  Coleman, a WW2 hero,  was the play-by-play voice of the San Diego Padres for nearly 40 years beginning in 1972.

TV Ratings: NFL, ‘Big Bang Theory,’ ‘NCIS’ Top Nielsen’s 2019 Rankings


NFL football once again joined network hits including “The Big Bang Theory” and “Game of Thrones” as the most-watched shows on television last year, reports The LA Times.

For the ninth consecutive year, “Sunday Night Football” on NBC was the top-ranked show on television in 2019, averaging nearly 20 million viewers an episode, according to an annual survey by Nielsen. As usual, the year’s most popular special TV event was the Super Bowl, with 98.8 million viewers tuning in last February to see the New England Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Rams.

The NFL separately announced that 2019 was its most-watched season since 2016. The league noted that 182 million people watched at least one regular-season game.

Nielsen has measured the size of TV audiences for 70 years — since the dawn of network TV. Its year-end rankings included prime-time shows on broadcast and cable TV. It formed the rankings from viewership spanning January through mid-November 2019.

The firm has struggled in recent years to accurately depict all forms of viewership because of the proliferation of digital media. More people watch shows on phones and tablets, and streaming firms, including Netflix, Amazon and now Disney+, tightly guard their audience numbers — making it difficult for Nielsen to provide a full picture of overall television viewership. Last week, Netflix announced that its most popular release in 2019 was “Murder Mystery,” the Adam Sandler-Jennifer Aniston comedy.

However, in its year-end report, New York-based Nielsen noted that traditional television has maintained its heft, reaching about 90% of TV viewers in the U.S.

Nielsen’s Top TV Programs (regularly scheduled) for 2019 (Total Viewers):

1. “NBC Sunday Night Football” (NBC) 19.98 million
2. “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS) 18.47 million
3. “NCIS” (CBS) 15.42 million
4. “Game of Thrones” (HBO) 15.19 million
5. “Thursday Night Football” (Fox) 13.83 million

6. “Sunday Night Football” pregame (NBC) 13.5 million
7. “Young Sheldon” (CBS) 12.54 million
8. “NFL Regular Season” (ESPN) 12.54 million
9. (tie) “This Is Us” (NBC) 12.42 million
9. (tie) “FBI” (CBS) 12.42 million

Notes: Nielsen National TV View Program Report. All Broadcast and Cable. 1/01/2019-11/17/2019.

ESPN Tops Cable Networks in Key Demos in 2019


In 2019, fourth quarter and in December, ESPN maintained its leadership position among cable networks in delivering the valuable young male audience, according to a press release.

For 2019 (December 31, 2018 - December 29, 2019):
  • ESPN aired cable's biggest 10 audiences and 13 of the top 14.
  • In Total Day, ESPN ranked as the #1 full-time cable network among Men and Adults 18-34, 18-49, and 25-54. This marks the sixth straight year that ESPN has claimed the top spot for all six of those demos, and the 14th straight year of being #1 among the three male demos. Among total viewers, ESPN ranked third, behind only FOXNC and MSNBC.
  • In prime time, for the sixth straight year, ESPN led cable among Men and Adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. This marks the 18th consecutive year ESPN has been #1 among those male demos.
  • In addition, in 2019 ESPN "won the night" among all networks - broadcast and cable - 47 times. In another 23 instances, ABC won the night with sports programmed and produced by ESPN.
Throughout the year, many events enjoyed audience increases. Starting with the NFL Wild Card Game, other events seeing an increase this year included men's and women's regular-season college basketball, the women's Final Four, all three of ESPN's Grand Slam tennis events (Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open), the NFL Draft, the NBA Draft Lottery, the NCAA Softball Tournament, MLB Sunday Night Baseball, Formula One, WNBA, MLS, college football and Monday Night Football.

For the fourth quarter of 2019 (September 30 - December 29):
In total day:
  • ESPN was the #1 cable network among Men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 for at least a 20th straight year.
In prime time:
  • ESPN led all cable networks among the key adult and male demos - 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, as well as Men 18+ and has done so in each year for at least 20 years.
  • ESPN led cable among total viewers and Adults 18+ for the 19th year out of 20.
The quarter also was the 26th consecutive in which ESPN has been the No. 1 full-time cable network in total day among Men18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 (starting in Q3 2013). Looking at the streak in terms of years, ESPN has been No. 1 for 14 straight (since 2006) and 18 consecutive in prime time (since 2002).

Philly Radio: WPEN's Mike Missanelli Back On top

Mike Missanelli
After finishing behind 94.1 WIP’s duo of Jon Marks and Ike Reese for three consecutive quarters, Missanelli and his WPEN 97.5 The Fanatic cohosts Tyrone Johnson and Natalie Egenolf retook the No. 1 spot in the afternoons on Philly sports talk radio, according to Nielsen numbers obtained by The Inquirer.

Missanelli finished nearly two full ratings share ahead of Marks and Reese among male listeners between the ages of 25 to 54 in the fall book, one of four quarterly rating summaries used to determine bonuses, advertising rates, and bragging rights.

Both shows managed to grow their ratings significantly compared to last year’s fall book, with Marks and Reese up 20 percent and Missanelli up nearly 32%. But Missanelli’s show also draws a second audience on NBC Sports Philadelphia, which doesn’t appear to be stealing away many radio listeners (the network has declined to provide ratings information).

The ratings win is welcome news for The Fanatic, which lost station manager Eric Johnson to layoffs by parent company Beasley Media Group back in November. Stepping up in place of Johnson has been assistant program director Eric Camille.

Outside of afternoons, WIP continues to dominate. The station’s morning show team of Angelo Cataldi, Rhea Hughes, and Al Morganti remains a ratings force, defeating The Fanatic’s Marc Farzetta and Tra Thomas by more that five ratings share. Cataldi told the Inquirer back in November he was motivated to sign a new multiyear deal with WIP in order to defeat Farzetta, a former colleague who left WIP in 2018 to host a competing morning show at The Fanatic.

During middays, WIP hosts Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie finished in first place for the first time during their three-year run. They easily defeated The Fanatic’s Anthony Gargano, who finished in fourth place and is now hosting solo since his former cohost, Jason Myrtetus, was laid-off back in October.

Cleveland Radio: WZAK Launching New Mid-day Show

WZAK 93.1 FM, Cleveland’s Best Mix of R&B has a new midday show, The Sam Sylk Show with Bijou Star.

Cleveland radio veterans Sam Sylk and Bijou Star join forces to bring a whole new energy to your workday. The new show will include many familiar and Cleveland radio favorite features like Reality Hour, Tell ‘Em How You Feel, The Bijou Star Files and Wellness Wednesday. Producer Kenya Brown and mixer Corey Grand round out the all-star cast. The Sam Sylk Show with Bijou Star is currently live Monday through Friday’s from 10:00am -3:00pm.

Radio One Cleveland’s Operations Manager, Yonni Rude remarked: “The Sam Sylk Show with Bijou Star is the perfect combination of community, celebrity and charisma needed to round out the all-star lineup on 93.1 WZAK.”

Bijou Star is a multimedia personality, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Bijou received her undergraduate degree in Broadcast Journalism from Howard University’s prestigious John H. Johnson School of Communications. It was there that she cultivated her gift for the media arts, working with and learning from numerous media trailblazers in several mediums.

Sam Sylk has a career that spans more than two decades, Sam Sylk is one of the most versatile talents working in media. Since starting his career in broadcasting in 1992, Sam has worked all over the country including New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. He’s worn several hats including TV show host, morning and afternoon drive radio personality and news reporter in several major markets. Sam Sylk isa published author and accomplished entrepreneur.

The Ricky smiley Morning Show is also to debut Monday, Jan 6 on WZAK.

D-C Radio: WOL Launching Madelyn Woods Morning Show


Radio One has announced veteran media personality Madelyne Woods to host the all new morning show on Newstalk WOL 1450 AM beginning Monday.

Madelyne Woods
She assumes the morning slot that was vacated by Tom Joyner when he retired after 25 years from his syndicated show. Woods' interviews and reports have appeared on radio and TV stations around the nation, such as ABC, NBC, BET, Fox Entertainment and "The Tom Joyner Morning Show."

"I'm very excited to get back to talk radio," said Woods. "To have the opportunity to do it on WOL, the station where Ms. Cathy Hughes blazed a trail for black women and urban radio as a whole, is a dream come true. I want the show to be quick, smart, and witty. I want the DMV to wake up, feel good, and talk. We don't talk to each other enough anymore, and it's important that we focus on what's real about ourselves and our community. We're going to laugh, love and learn together, and be unapologetically black and proud with it."

"Madelyne is an iconic personality with a career that spans over two decades and having her on a legendary station such as WOL is a perfect match," added Radio One VP/Programming Kashon Powell.

WOL-AM Program Director Ron Thompson added, "We're excited about the Morning Goods with Madelyne Woods. We're live; local and all about DC."

RADIO.COM Sports, The Action Network Team For NFL Postseason


Entercom has announced that RADIO.COM Sports show You Better You Bet will air weekly, live two-hour broadcasts to preview National Football League (NFL) playoff games, in partnership with The Action Network, a media company featuring news, information and an industry-leading app focused on sports betting and fantasy content.

Beginning January 4, 2020, You Better You Bet contributor Nick Kostos and his crew will welcome Chad Millman, Chief Content Officer, The Action Network, to preview the games ahead and touch on sports betting related items. The show will discuss the odds, last-minute line changes and the most outrageous bets being made, all in real time leading up to kickoff.

“As the NFL postseason gets underway, our listeners can turn to their favorite sports betting show for all of the insight and advice they need leading right up to kickoff,” said Mike Dee, President of Sports, Entercom. “Nick does an excellent job leading You Better You Bet and we’re happy to welcome Chad and his expertise to the show, which will add another layer of professionalism and unmatched content our listeners are accustomed to.”

“We've loved working with the RADIO.COM Sports crew all season long," said Millman. “The shows we've done together have been fast-paced, informative and unpredictable, just like betting on sports. We can't wait to keep it rolling during the postseason.”

Programming will air from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET prior to NFL postseason coverage on select RADIO.COM Sports stations across the country, including 670 The Score (WSCR-AM) in Chicago, 92.3 The Fan (WKRK-FM) in Cleveland, 97.1 The Ticket (WXYT-FM) in Detroit, 105.7 FM The Fan (WSSP-AM) in Milwaukee, WWL (WWL-AM/FM) in New Orleans, 97.3 The Fan (KWFN-FM) in San Diego and 95.7 The Game (KGMZ-AM/FM) in San Francisco, as well as via the RADIO.COM app.

Jan 4 Radio History



Al 'Jazzbo' Collins
➦In 1919...radio personality Al ‘Jazzbo’ Collins was born in Rochester, N.Y.

In 1941, while attending the University of Miami in Florida, he substituted as the announcer on his English teacher's campus radio program and decided he wanted to be in radio. Collins began his professional career as the disc jockey at a bluegrass station in Logan, West Virginia; by 1943, he was at WKPA in Pittsburgh, moving in 1945 to WIND in Chicago and in 1946 to Salt Lake City's KNAK. In 1950, he relocated to New York, where he joined the staff of WNEW and became one of the "communicators" on NBC's Monitor when it began in 1955.

He is best known for creating the Purple Grotto program on WNEW-AM New York, and on this coast for his talk shows at KGO San Francisco.  He died of pancreatic cancer September 30, 1997 at age 78.

➦In 1923...using a 100-foot antenna connected by a clothesline to the building's roof, WNAC Boston (then on 1260 AM, and eventually evolving to present day WRKO 680 AM)  arranged the first network broadcast in radio history with station WEAF in NYC (now WFAN 660 AM) conducted the first non-wired radio simulcast.  Today, 1260 is home for WBIX Boston.

➦In 1923...Ft Worth radio station WBAP debuted a new country music show called the “barn dance.”

It featured a variety of performers, including an old-time fiddler named Captain M.J. Bonner who played square dance music. WBAP’s barn dance was so popular that a number of other radio stations began copying it. Soon, the barn dance variety show format could be heard across the country.

Bob Hope
One of the most successful imitators of WBAP’s barn dance was the Nashville radio station WSM, which launched its Grand Ole Opry in 1925.  Grand Ole Opry went on to become the best-known country music radio show in history.

➦In 1928...The Dodge Victory Hour, one of radio's first variety shows, debuted on NBC. The premiere was produced at a cost of $67,600 (about $923,000 today).

The show starred Will Rogers, Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, Fred Stone and Al Jolson in a 47-station coast-to-coast program with Jolson in New Orleans, Stone in Chicago and Whiteman in New York. From his home in Beverly Hills, Will Rogers did a Coolidge imitation, the first time a President was imitated on radio.

Sponsored by Dodge's new Victory Six automobile, the program reached an audience estimated at 35 million, the largest since Charles Lindbergh's return in 1927. The following day, The New York Times headlined: "All America Used As a Radio Studio".

Two months later came a follow-up. The second Dodge Victory Hour was broadcast in March 1928, once again with Hollywood stars and Whiteman's band. To reach an even larger audience, United Artists installed extra speakers in theaters.

➦In 1932..."The Carnation Contented Hour," a showcase for top singers and musicians, debuted on the NBC Red network. Sponsored by the Carnation Milk Company, the series continued until December 30, 1951.

➦In 1935...Bob Hope made his first appearance on network radio as part of the cast of "The Intimate Revue." The variety show, sponsored by Bromo Seltzer, lasted only fourteen weeks, but Hope’s association with NBC continued for more than half-a-century.




➦In 1936...the first sales-based pop music chart was published in Billboard. Big band violinist Joe Venuti's "Stop! Look! Listen!" was the first #1 record.

➦In 1950... RCA Victor announced that it would manufacture long-playing (LP) records, a format pioneered by Columbia records while RCA was pushing the 45 RPM discs.

➦In 1954..Elvis Presley strolled into the Memphis Recording Service and put $4 on the counter. He recorded “Casual Love Affair” and “I’ll Never Stand in Your Way”, two songs that so impressed studio owner Sam Phillips that he had Elvis record his first professional sides for Sun Records the following August.

Mary Shane
➦In 1970...'Music 'Til Dawn' ended airing on WCBS 880 AM in NYC. "Music 'Til Dawn" was an all night classical music radio program sponsored by American Airlines from 1953 to 1970.

In 1977...innovative Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck hired a woman, Mary Shane,  to be the first woman to do baseball play-by-play on TV.   By mid-season, however, it was apparent Ms. Shane’s lack of experience and baseball knowledge had turned it into a bad idea and she was pulled from the broadcasts.

Shane later worked in Massachusetts, where she became a sportswriter for the Worcester Telegram in 1981. She died of a 1987 heart attack at age 42.

➦In 1982...Two additional networks, ABC Rock Network and ABC Direction Network were added to ABC's roster of demographically-targeted radio networks.

ABC Rock's anchor affiliate was WPLJ in New York City and had many Album-oriented rock formatted station move from American FM Network with a total of 40 affiliates. The Direction Network was under ABC Entertainment Network's executive's charge and was for adult (25-45) formats stations and started with 57 affiliates.

➦In 2010…California sportscaster Rory Markas died following a heart attack at age 54, just weeks after he’d been named TV voice of the Los Angeles Angels. He had been the team’s primary radio play-by-play guy since 2002.

➦In 2015... Stuart Scott, for more than two decades one of the top sportscasters at ESPN,  lost his battle with cancer at age 49. Scott was famous for including culture references, slang and exuberant phrases along with his reports. His signature expression was “Booyah!”

Friday, January 3, 2020

Chicago Radio: Mary Dixon Segues To Non-Com WBEZ


Two weeks after she was ousted as morning co-anchor at Entercom's WXRT 93.1 FM, Mary Dixon has landed in a similar role at public radio WBEZ 91.5 FM.

The Chicago Tribune reports Dixon was named Thursday as WBEZ’s new morning anchor and local host of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” which airs weekdays from 5 to 10 a.m. She starts training next week and is expected to hit the airwaves in February.

“It is a dream come true,” said Dixon, 54. “The timing worked out better than I could have possibly hoped.”

Mary Dixon
A longtime Chicago radio news anchor, Dixon co-hosted the morning show with Lin Brehmer for more than 20 years at rock station WXRT before her position was eliminated on Dec. 18.

At WBEZ-FM 91.5, Dixon will succeed Lisa Labuz, who is shifting to midday anchor at the news/talk station in a previously announced move.

WBEZ, which is owned by Chicago Public Media, has grown in recent years into a radio powerhouse, and is tied for 7th among Chicago stations with a 3.5 share in the Nielsen listenership survey for December. WXRT is ranked 6th with a 3.8 share.

Entercom, the Philadelphia-based chain that acquired WXRT and a half dozen other Chicago radio stations through the 2017 megamerger with CBS Radio, shook up the local airwaves last month when it eliminated Dixon’s position, breaking up a familiar morning team at the legacy alternative rock station. As part of the change, Brehmer is shifting to middays at WXRT.

Dixon began her radio career as a disc jockey at WIXN-AM/FM in Dixon in northwestern Illinois. She joined WXRT in November 1991 as a general assignment reporter, and was paired with Brehmer on the morning show in 1993, where they established a strong on-air rapport and loyal following. She left radio briefly in 1995 for TV gigs with WGN-Ch. 9 and CNN, but returned to WXRT in 1997, rejoining Brehmer the following year. Beyond an extended maternity leave in 2003, she was a morning mainstay at the station for 25 years.

NYC Radio: Bart Scott Start Delayed At WEPN

Bart Scott
Bart Scott’s debut on WEPN 98.7 FM ESPN New York will be delayed as the jockeying between the station and its rival, WFAN 660 am/ 101.9 FM, continues.

Scott was originally scheduled to begin full-time with his new partner, Alan Hahn, on Thursday from 1-3 p.m. Instead, Scott will now start with Hahn full-time on Jan. 20.

After trying to convince Scott to remain with FAN, Entercom, the station’s parent company, has threatened legal action to prevent Scott from starting on time.

An ESPN spokeswoman said that is not the reason for the delay and, instead, ESPN New York’s GM, Tim McCarthy, decided to give Scott the week off since the program already has an unusual schedule for January.

Scott and Hahn were slated to do two days this week and all next week before Stephen A. Smith’s national program, the one the duo is replacing in New York, airs for a final time the week of Jan. 13.

Part of the thought process by McCarthy was to give Scott the time off as FAN had Scott work up until Christmas.

L-A Radio: KROQ Morning Show Rebrands


Los Angeles rock radio station KROQ 106.7 FM has updated the title of its “The Kevin & Bean Show,” following the departure of co-host Gene “Bean” Baxter back in November.

According to The LA Daily News, the show is now called “Kevin in the Morning with Allie & Jensen.”

That’s the name, but fans who may have missed that announcement over the long holiday might have been surprised when they tuned in at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday morning. Instead of its new name, host Kevin Ryder prank-announced that the show would be now called “The Kevin & Sam Show,” making good on his threat to bring in Kevin & Bean guest Sam the Armenian Comedian to replace Baxter in the new year.

“It’s a brand-new morning show, it’s ‘Kevin & Sam the Armenian Comedian,’” Ryder introduced the first morning show of the year at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday. “How about that? It’s been a long time coming hasn’t it Sam?”


What ensued was a lot of awkward commentary, which has been a longtime gag with Sam the Armenian Comedian on KROQ. But it wasn’t real. It was only a pre-recorded bit with knock-knock jokes and Sam playing a PVC pipe and pretending it was a trombone.

After the first commercial break, the real show started with new co-host Allie Mac Kay letting out a big sigh and asking Ryder, “Are you proud of yourself, Kevin?” Twitter lit up with fans reviewing the first segment. Listener @AceCruz24 was quick to protest, posting “Bean didn’t die for this … What are Mark and Brian doing?”

Of course, Baxter didn’t die. He just moved to the U.K. after nearly 30 years on “The Kevin & Bean Show.”

S-C Radio: WMYI Adopts Adult Hits As 102.5 The Lake


iHeartMedia/Greenville SC has announced that HotAC WMYI-FM (My 102.5) has flipped to to Adult Hits branding as the new 102.5 The Lake.

The new station will play a variety of hit music spanning four decades and featuring songs from artists including Billy Joel, Madonna, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Aerosmith and Hall & Oates, among others.

"We are extremely excited to bring a different sound to the upstate area," said iHeartMedia Virginia-Carolina Area President Bill McMartin. "It's very exciting to begin the new year with a brand new radio station."

"102.5 The Lake is going to bring listeners a variety of music from a diverse group of artists," said iHeartMedia Virginia-Carolina Program Director and Region Senior Vice President of Programming A.J. "The philosophy of our programming is that we'll play anything, and you never know what you'll hear next."

Nashville Radio: Demetria Kalodimos Settles WSMV Lawsuit

Longtime former Channel 4 anchor Demetria Kalodimos has settled a year-old federal lawsuit Thursday that accused her old TV station of age and gender discrimination, reports The Tennessean.

Demetria Kalodimos
As part of the settlement, Kalodimos, 60, and WSMV owner Meredith Local Media Group issued a joint statement in which Channel 4 apologized for her controversial departure two years ago.

At that time, the station declined to offer its star 33-year anchor a new contract.  Kalodimos said then she only got a letter on her desk — "no conversation, no face to face meeting, no thanks."

In Thursday's statement, current station vice president/general manager Rene LaSpina — not at the helm when Kalodimos left — apologized for that.

“We at WSMV sincerely regret the way in which Demetria’s departure was handled. Communication is always a subject for sensitivity and we understand her concerns," LaSpina said.

The statement did not address Kalodimos' specific accusations of age and gender discrimination, nor did either side talk about any payment that might be part of the settlement.

In the statement, WSMV management lauded Kalodimos' contributions to Channel 4.

“Demetria is an important face in the life of WSMV and provided 33 years of talented and dedicated service to its viewers. That is the longest continuously serving anchor in WSMV’s history. She helped the station navigate through the untimely death of WSMV’s former co- anchor, Dan Miller, in 2009, was a tireless advocate for journalistic integrity, and was fearless in upholding the high news standards and traditions of WSMV....,” said Patrick McCreery, President, Meredith Local Media Group.

Kalodimos, in her part of the statement, said she has "sweet memories" of working at Channel 4.

"I am pleased we have mutually resolved our differences. I am looking forward to a new venture in my work life, and to return to journalism after this professional ‘commercial break,’" she said.

In her lawsuit, Kalodimos described WSMV as creating a "hostile environment" that favored men and younger on-air personalities.

CBS Sports Radio Revamps Line-Up For 2020


Entercom Thursday announced a revamped programming lineup for CBS Sports Radio, effective immediately.

“Our new CBS Sports Radio lineup will provide enhanced programming for fans and further cement our place as a leader in national sports coverage,” said Jeff Sottolano, Senior Vice President of Programming, Entercom. “Damon Amendolara (“DA”) has continued to demonstrate that he is a rising star in the format and will excel with his move to mornings. We are thrilled to add the Westwood One-produced Pat McAfee program to the network lineup and happy to introduce our audience to Zach Gelb at night.”

“Westwood One is excited to continue to be the exclusive sales and distribution partner of CBS Sports Radio Network,” said Charles Steinhauer, Chief Operating Officer, Westwood One. “With two former NFL stars, Radio Hall of Famer Jim Rome and the ever-opinionated Damon Amendolara moving to mornings, CBS Sports Radio is positioned for great growth in 2020 and beyond.”

New CBS Sports Radio weekday lineup is as follows.
  • 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET: “The DA Show”
  • 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET: “The Pat McAfee Show”
  • 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET:  “The Jim Rome Show”
  • 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. ET:  “Tiki and Tierney”
  • 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET:  Zach Gelb
  • 10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. ET:  “Ferrall on the Bench”
  • 2:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. ET:  Amy Lawrence
CBS Sports Radio delivers around-the-clock national sports coverage to more than 300 stations across the country, providing original programming that features commentary from national opinion leaders, expert sports analysis, interviews with major sports figures along with listener calls and fan interaction.

Listeners can tune in to CBS Sports Radio online as well as nationwide on the RADIO.COM app and website. Fans can also connect with the station on social media via Twitter and Facebook.

Harrisburg, Pa Area Radio: Ronnie Ramone New PD At WROZ

Ronnie Ramone
Hall Communications has promoted Ronnie Ramone to Program Director for WROZ Fun 101.3 FM in Lancaster-York-Harrisburg.

He's been with with the AC outlet for 14 years as an air personality and Brand Manager. Ramone will continue to host Fun 101.3 nights. Prior to joining WROZ, he handled Music Director duties and nights at Rhythmic CHR WWKL-FM/Harrisburg.

"Ronnie has been instrumental in building the Fun 101.3 brand in Central Pennsylvania," said Hall Communications/Lancaster-York VP/General Manager Billy Baldwin. "He has been our go-to guy on so many things for so long and we are excited to give him this opportunity."

"Our culture is to grow and promote from within," added VP/Programming Bob Walker. "Ronnie is one of the best strategist we have in the company. We are all very happy for Ronnie and can't wait to see what he can do."

NFL Sees 5% Increase In Viewers In 2019

Ratings for National Football League games rose 5% in 2019, making it the most-watched season since 2016, the league said.

During the 2019 regular season, an average of 16.5 million people tuned in to watch NFL games, Nielsen data cited by the league, reports The Wall Street Journal.

This is the second straight season of viewership growth for the NFL, after it lost a chunk of viewers in 2017.

At the time, a variety of possible reasons were cited for the decline, including protests during the national anthem, overexposure of NFL programming and challenges in the TV business as consumers shift from traditional pay-TV packages to digital services.

Cable cord-cutting has been a significant drag on TV viewership, causing substantial ratings drops for many networks. The NFL, whose programming airs across various broadcast and cable channels, has been resilient. All of the top 10 telecasts of 2019 through Dec. 29 were football games.

The NFL’s viewership rise comes as National Basketball Association TV ratings declined 15% so far this season. That drop has been attributed by the league and its TV partners to a slew of injuries to marquee players, among other factors.

The NFL is benefiting from a crop of new stars, including quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. Games featuring the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots were among the most watched of the 2019 season.

Report: Talk Dominates Radio


Sorry TV titans and fancy producers, but the American media landscape is not dominated by streaming video, Sunday night football and vampire dramas. Here’s the realty check. The Washington Times reports , it’s syndicated talk radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity — plus their fellow broadcast talkers — who are the winners.

None other than Nielsen Media Research reveals some stark facts about public preference.

“According to Nielsen audience measurement data, adults 18 and older in the U.S. spend just shy of six hours (5 hours, 51 minutes) with their TV-connected devices each week. While that’s nothing to thumb your nose at, it’s dwarfed by the amount of time Americans spend with traditional radio, the proverbial patriarch of the media industry. In fact, radio commands nearly 12 hours (11 hours, 51 minutes) of our weekly media diets — that’s almost four hours more than a typical work day,” Nielsen says.

“But it’s not enough to simply know how much time people spend with radio. Capitalizing on the opportunities with the original electronic mass media hinges on knowing who’s listening to what, where and when. At a broad level, the news/talk format remains the most popular genre on the radio — a designation it’s held for nearly a decade. And with the U.S. presidential election coming up next year, the appeal of news/talk will likely remain strong in 2020,” the industry group advises.


It also found that “adult contemporary” radio and country music place second and third, respectively — followed by a dozen other categories which share portions of the audience. Limbaugh, incidentally, is the leading radio talk show host, drawing 15.5 million listeners. Hannity ranks second with 15 million according to Talkers Magazine, which tracks the trends. Dave Ramsey is in third pace with 14 million, followed by Mark Levin (11 million) and Glenn Beck (10.5 million) to round out the top five.

‘Meet the Press Daily’ May Be Sidelined


Chuck Todd’s “Meet the Press Daily” could be sidelined at MSNBC as part of a dramatic anchor reshuffling at the cable network to promote rising star Nicolle Wallace, reports The NY Post.

While the “MTP” flagship, also under NBC political director Todd, remains the No. 1 rated Sunday political show, with over 3 million viewers, his weekday 5 p.m. spinoff show has seen a dip in the all-important 25-to-54 age demographic. It airs between more popular, opinionated shows: Wallace’s “Deadline: White House,” which peaked with 2 million viewers in 2019, and “The Beat With Ari Melber.”

TV insiders say NBC News boss Andy Lack and MSNBC’s Phil Griffin had tried to persuade Todd to move “Daily” to 9 a.m., directly after the network’s politically influential “Morning Joe.” The plan would allow Wallace — a breakout cable star — to broadcast for two hours on weekdays, 4 to 6 p.m.

Plus, the 9 a.m. slot could soon be open, Page Six revealed. That hour’s host, Stephanie Ruhle, has just signed to become NBC’s senior business correspondent, appearing across all shows including “Today” and “NBC Nightly News.”

But a TV insider said, “Chuck doesn’t want to move to 9 a.m. He’d rather leave MSNBC completely and focus on ‘Meet the Press’ on Sunday, and continue to provide news and political analysis across all NBC News platforms including digital. He sees his show as news, not opinion.” Another insider mused it was “madness for NBC to upset the face of its political coverage ahead of 2020. They need Chuck on air every day.”

McClatchy Newspapers Skip Payment to Pensioners


The McClatchy Co., the newspaper publisher that’s teetering near bankruptcy, skipped a payment to some of its pensioners, according to Bloomberg.

The company will not be releasing funds to a “small number” of participants in its Supplemental Executive Retirement Benefits plan as it addresses its long-term liquidity pressures, McClatchy said in a statement Thursday. The company faces a mandatory $124 million contribution to its pension plan in 2020.

“This decision is not taken lightly, but at a time when the company is actively negotiating the future of the qualified pension plan, it would be inconsistent with our culture to continue payments on the non-qualified plans,” Chief Financial Officer Elaine Lintecum said in the statement.

In its third-quarter earnings release, McClatchy said the pension contribution created “a significant liquidity challenge in 2020.” It also warned in regulatory documents that it may not be able to continue as a going concern.

The Sacramento, California-based company operates 29 newspapers including the Miami Herald, The Charlotte Observer and The Kansas City Star. Other large newspaper companies are also in turmoil, with tens of thousands of newsroom jobs cut over the past decade.

S&P Global Ratings forecast a grim 2020 for McClatchy, warning in November that the company doesn’t have enough money to pay its 2020 obligations.

R.I.P.: Musician Marty Grebb, Member Of The Buckinghams

Marty Grebb
Martin Grebb, a multi-instrumentalist who specialized in saxophone, keyboards and guitar, rose to national fame playing with Chicago pop band The Buckinghams from 1966 to 1968.

But his musical contributions went far beyond that: He played in the early '80s with former The Exceptions bandmate Peter Cetera in the rock band Chicago and performed for 25 years with Bonnie Raitt. In addition, he shared the stage over the years with a who's who of musical greats including Leon Russell, The Band, Elton John, Eric Clapton, BB King, Willie Nelson, John Lennon and many others.

Grebb was 74, reports The Daily Herald.

Ron Onesti, president and CEO of Onesti Entertainment, hosted one of many benefit concerts in recent years to help Grebb, who had been suffering with cancer.

"Marty Grebb was truly an unsung hero in the musical world, especially that which came out of Chicago," Onesti said. "So many people who came to the Arcada, whether a customer or an entertainer, knew Marty, respected him and loved him. And I don't think he knew how much."



The 2015 fundraiser, organized by Onesti and former Buckinghams bandmate Dennis Tufano, featured a performance by Grebb, as well as The Ides of March, New Colony Six and The Shadows of Knight.

"Grebb was a true mastermind of the keyboard and songwriter, and the reach of his contributions to the music world was not as prevalently known as it should have been," Onesti said. "He was a good guy who loved to play. It's all of our loss."

Jan 3 Radio History


➦In 1929...William Paley incorporated the Columbia Broadcast System.

The origins of CBS date back to January 27, 1927, with the creation of the "United Independent Broadcasters" network in Chicago by New York talent-agent Arthur Judson. The fledgling network soon needed additional investors though, and the Columbia Phonograph Company, manufacturers of Columbia Records, rescued it in April 1927; as a result, the network was renamed "Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting System." Columbia Phonographic went on the air on September 18, 1927, with a presentation by the Howard Barlow Orchestra from flagship station WOR in Newark, New Jersey, and fifteen affiliates.

Operational costs were steep, particularly the payments to AT&T for use of its land lines, and by the end of 1927, Columbia Phonograph wanted out.  In early 1928, Judson sold the network to brothers Isaac and Leon Levy, owners of the network's Philadelphia affiliate WCAU, and their partner Jerome Louchenheim. None of the three were interested in assuming day-to-day management of the network, so they installed wealthy 26-year-old William S. Paley, son of a Philadelphia cigar family and in-law of the Levys, as president. With the record company out of the picture, Paley quickly streamlined the corporate name to "Columbia Broadcasting System".  He believed in the power of radio advertising since his family's "La Palina" cigars had doubled their sales after young William convinced his elders to advertise on radio.  By September 1928, Paley bought out the Louchenheim share of CBS and became its majority owner with 51% of the business.

During Louchenheim's brief regime, Columbia paid $410,000 to A.H. Grebe's Atlantic Broadcasting Company for a small Brooklyn station, WABC (no relation to the current WABC), which would become the network's flagship station. WABC was quickly upgraded, and the signal relocated to a stronger frequency, 860 kHz.  The physical plant was relocated also – to Steinway Hall on West 57th Street in Manhattan. It was where much of CBS's programming originated. Other owned-and-operated stations were KNX in Los Angeles, KCBS in San Francisco (originally KQW), WBBM in Chicago, WCAU in Philadelphia, WJSV in Washington, D.C. (later WTOP, which moved to the FM dial in 2005; the AM facility today is WFED, also a secondary CBS affiliate), KMOX in St. Louis, and WCCO in Minneapolis. These remain the core affiliates of the CBS Radio Network today, with WCBS (the original WABC) still the flagship, and all except WTOP and WFED (both Hubbard Broadcasting properties) owned by CBS Radio. By the turn of 1929, the network could boast to sponsors of having 47 affiliates.

Paley moved right away to put his network on a firmer financial footing. In the fall of 1928, he entered into talks with Adolph Zukor of Paramount Pictures who planned to move into radio in response to RCA's forays into motion pictures with the advent of talkies.  The deal came to fruition in September 1929: Paramount got 49 percent of CBS in return for a block of its stock worth $3,800,000 at the time.   The agreement specified that Paramount would buy that same stock back by March 1, 1932 for a flat $5,000,000, provided CBS had earned $2,000,000 during 1931 and 1932. For a brief time there was talk that the network might be renamed "Paramount Radio", but it only lasted a month – the 1929 stock market crash sent all stock value tumbling. It galvanized Paley and his troops, who "had no alternative but to turn the network around and earn the $2,000,000 in two years.... This is the atmosphere in which the CBS of today was born."  The near-bankrupt movie studio sold its CBS shares back to CBS in 1932.   In the first year of Paley's watch, CBS's gross earnings more than tripled, going from $1,400,000 to $4,700,000.

The extraordinary potential of radio news showed itself in 1930, when CBS suddenly found itself with a live telephone connection to a prisoner called "The Deacon" who described, from the inside and in real time, a riot and conflagration at the Ohio Penitentiary; for CBS, it was "a shocking journalistic coup".   Yet as late as 1934, there was still no regularly scheduled newscast on network radio: "Most sponsors did not want network news programming; those that did were inclined to expect veto rights over it."  There had been a longstanding wariness between radio and the newspapers as well; the papers had rightly concluded that the upstart radio business would compete with them on two counts – advertising dollars and news coverage. By 1933, they fought back, many no longer publishing radio schedules for readers' convenience, or allowing "their" news to be read on the air for radio's profit.   Radio, in turn, pushed back when urban department stores, newspapers' largest advertisers and themselves owners of many radio stations, threatened to withhold their ads from print.   A short-lived attempted truce in 1933 even saw the papers proposing that radio be forbidden from running news before 9:30 a.m., and then only after 9:00 p.m. – and that no news story could air until it was twelve hours old.


In the fall of 1934, CBS launched its independent news division, shaped in its first years by Paley's vice-president, former New York Times man Ed Klauber, and news director Paul White. Since there was no blueprint or precedent for real-time news coverage, early efforts of the new division used the shortwave link-up CBS had been using for five years to bring live feeds of European events to its American air.

A key early hire was Edward R. Murrow in 1935; his first corporate title was Director of Talks. He was mentored in microphone technique by Robert Trout, the lone full-timer of the News Division, and quickly found himself in a growing rivalry with boss White.  Murrow was glad to "leave the hothouse atmosphere of the New York office behind" when he was dispatched to London as CBS's European Director in 1937, a time when the growing Hitler menace underscored the need for a robust European Bureau. Halberstam described Murrow in London as "the right man in the right place in the right era".


Edward R. Murrow pictured with CBS' London-based D-Day team. Front row (left to right): Bill Downs, Charles Collingwood, Gene Ryder, Charles Shaw. Back row (from left): Larry LeSueur, Edward R. Murrow, Richard C. Hottelet, Bill Shadel.

Murrow began assembling the staff of broadcast journalists – including William L. Shirer, Charles Collingwood and Eric Sevareid – who would become known as "Murrow's Boys". They were "in [Murrow's] own image, sartorially impeccable, literate, often liberal, and prima donnas all". They covered history in the making, and sometimes made it themselves: on March 12, 1938, Hitler boldly annexed nearby Austria and Murrow and Boys quickly assembled coverage with Shirer in London, Edgar Ansel Mowrer in Paris, Pierre Huss in Berlin, Frank Gervasi in Rome and Trout in New York. The News Round-Up format was born and is still ubiquitous today in broadcast news.

➦In 1938... the first broadcast of Irna Phillips‘ soap opera “Woman in White” was presented on the NBC Red network. The program ran 10 years and was one of the first radio shows to feature doctors and nurses as leading characters.


➦In 1940...WPG-AM in Atlantic City NJ consolidated with WBIL & WOV as "new" WOV.

WPG had been in operation since 1923 operating on one of the cleared national channels of the first zone on a frequency of 1100 kilocycles.

WPG in Atlantic City share time on 1100, with WBIL in NYC. The cumbersome arrangement ended in 1940 in a complicated series of events when Arde Bulova's Greater New York Broadcasting Corporation bought WPG and absorbed it into WOV, shut down both WOV and WPG on January 3, 1940 because they interferred with WBIL, asked the FCC to cancel WOV's license and move WBIL to 1130 (today is WBBR) , and immediately changed WBIL's calls to WOV, which today is WADO 1280 AM.

WPG was unique in radio. Approximately, fifteen million visitors come to the resort in a year. They are all interested in Atlantic City and it's happenings when in their homes wherever that may be.

Today, the WPG calls are used for branding by Townsquare Media's WPGG 1450 AM in Atlantic City, NJ.  Since October 22, 2012, the station broadcasts a talk radio format under the branding "WPG Talk Radio 1450".


Cast from the Gunsmoke radio show. Howard McNear as Doc, William Conrad as Matt Dillon, Georgia Ellis as Kitty and Parley Baer as Chester.

➥In 1969...actor Howard McNear, “Doc” on radio’s Gunsmoke, and “Floyd the Barber” on TV’s Andy Griffith Show, died after a long illness at age 63.




➦In 1970... “I Me Mine” was recorded by the Beatles without John, who was on vacation. It was the last song the band would record together. George Harrison later used that title for his autobiography.

➦In 1973... the Columbia Broadcasting System got out of the baseball business by selling the New York Yankees to a 17-person syndicate headed by George Steinbrenner. The price tag: just $10 million, about a 20th of the team’s current player payroll each year.



➦In 1975...legendary radio announcer Milton Cross, for 43 years the voice of the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday afternoon, died after a heart attack at age 87.

Born in New York City, Milton Cross started his career just as network radio itself was in its earliest stages. He joined the New Jersey station WJZ in 1921, not just as an announcer but also as a singer, often engaging in recitals with the station's staff pianist, Keith McLeod.  By 1927, WJZ had moved to Manhattan and had become the flagship station of the Blue Network of NBC's new national radio network. Cross' voice became familiar as he not only delivered announcements for the Blue Network but also hosted a number of popular programs. Cross was the announcer for the quiz program Information Please and the musical humor show The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street, among others. In the 1940s Cross hosted a Sunday morning show featuring child performers, called Coast To Coast on a Bus.

From 1931 to 1975 Cross served as host for the weekly live broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera, the job for which he is most remembered. His distinctive voice conveyed the excitement of live performances "from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City" for generations of radio listeners.

➦In 1977...Apple Computers incorporated.

➦In 1986...A major shakeup in the media world as Capital Cities closed on it acquisition ABC-TV for $3.5 billion. Five years later Disney purchased Capital Cities/ABC Inc. for almost six times that price.

➦In 1993...Sportscaster John M. Most died (Born - June 15, 1923). He was known primarily as the raspy radio voice of the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association from 1953 to 1990.

After distinguished Air Force service in World War II, he began his basketball broadcasting career in the late 1940s as a protégé of New York Knickerbockers announcer (and 1936 Olympics track star) Marty Glickman. He was hired in 1953 by Boston Celtics owner Walter Brown and coach Red Auerbach to replace Curt Gowdy as the team's radio play-by-play man on the Celtics radio network. He also served as sports director for WCOP radio in Boston at that time.

In addition to his work with the Celtics, he served as host of a rudimentary Boston Red Sox baseball post-game show on WHDH-TV, sister station to WHDH radio which carried Celtics games.

In the early 1970s, Most hosted an evening sports talk show on WORL radio which lasted from 5 to 7 PM. WBZ, owner of the Celtics' radio rights, allowed Most to appear only on the first hour of the program, which was broadcast live from a Boston nightspot, so as not to compete with WBZ's Calling All Sports broadcast.




➦In 1995... popular CKLW Detroit newscaster Byron MacGregor, son of Calgary radio legend Clarence Mack, died at age 46 of complications from pneumonia.

Byron MacGregor
Born Gary Lachlan Mack in Calgary, Alberta, by the age of nineteen he became the youngest news director at the AM radio station, CKLW in Windsor, Ontario, which also served Detroit, Michigan as well as Toledo and Cleveland in Ohio and covered twenty eight states and six provinces. This was during its "Big 8/20·20 News" period, and also around the time RKO General was forced to sell the station, due to a change in Canadian ownership rules that prohibited foreign firms from controlling Canadian licensed stations.

In 1973, he read a Toronto newspaper editorial written by Gordon Sinclair of CFRB in Toronto, a commentary about America. MacGregor then read the patriotic commentary on CKLW Radio as part of a public affairs program; and, due to the huge response he was asked to record "The Americans" with "America the Beautiful" performed by The Detroit Symphony Orchestra as the background music. Both MacGregor and Sinclair released recorded versions of the commentary. MacGregor's version of the record (released on Westbound Records) became a bigger hit than Sinclair's in the United States, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week of February 9, 1974.

MacGregor was known for his deep voice and high-energy announcing style at CKLW; and for writing copy in a manner that was compared to that of sensational tabloid newspapers.



He later made the transition to a more traditional anchoring and interviewing style when he moved to WWJ Newsradio 950, the CBS Radio all-news station in Detroit, where he served as both morning and afternoon drive anchor during his thirteen-year occupancy. MacGregor also became the first newsman in Detroit to simultaneously anchor prime-time newscasts on both radio (WWJ) and television (WKBD-TV 50).

By the mid 1980s MacGregor held dual citizenships in Canada and the United States. His wife of nineteen years, Jo-Jo Shutty-MacGregor. She was the first female helicopter news and traffic reporter in North America, and today works for WWJ and WOMC and the Metro News Networks.

➦In 2005...Adam Carolla returned to morning drive-time radio with the premiere of “The Adam Carolla Show” on several CBS Radio stations including 97.1 FREE FM in Los Angeles (KLSX-FM), KIFR-FM San Francisco, KSCF-FM San Diego, KZON-FM Phoenix, KUFO-FM Portland and KXTE-FM Las Vegas. With originating station KLSX-FM about to change format, Carolla’s program ended Feb. 20 2009 but continued as a podcast.

➦In 2016...longtime Chicago radio newsman Barry Keefe, who spent 30 years as an anchor at WTMX-FM and its predecessor, WCLR-FM, bringing an authoritative, deep-bass voice and a friendly, chatty manner to a raft of morning radio shows, died of complications from pancreatic cancer at age 62.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

L-A Radio: Talk KABC Debuts Two New Talk Shows

CUMULUS MEDIA’s KABC 790 AM in Los Angeles, CA, announces the debut today of two news/talk programs to the station’s bolstered weekday lineup for 2020. 

The Dan Bongino Show, featuring former Secret Service Agent and NYPD officer and New York Times best-selling author, Dan Bongino, will air on KABC from 6pm-7pm. 

Also joining the KABC slate is Andrew Klavan, who brings his distinctive brand of political satire, cultural commentary, interviews and more to nights on KABC from 9pm-10pm with The Andrew Klavan Show. Bongino and Klavan have wildly popular podcasts of the same name on Westwood One Podcast Network, the fastest organically growing podcast network in America.

The additions cap a strong new lineup for the New Year, with The Armstrong & Getty Show on weekday mornings from 6am-10am, Larry O’Connor in midday from 10am-Noon, followed by John Phillips from Noon-3pm. Ben Shapiro continues from 3pm-6pm, with Dr. Michael Savage and The Savage Nation from 7pm-9pm. 

Drew Hayes, General Manager of KABC Los Angeles, said: “We are thrilled to add Dan Bongino and Andrew Klavan to our built-for-election year lineup. Both Dan and Andrew have strong, thoughtful opinions and huge followings that will make nights on KABC a real destination for common sense listeners in 2020 and beyond.”

The station will continue to air news and traffic 24/7 as well as host USC Trojans football and basketball. 

For more information, visit www.kabc.com. Follow KABC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @KABCRadio.

Indy Radio: Brooks Wenzel Named MD, PM Drive Host At WFMS

Brooks Wenzel
CUMULUS MEDIA announces that it has appointed Isaac “Brooks” Wenzel as Music Director and Afternoon Drive Host for Country radio station WFMS 95.5 in Indianapolis, IN.

Wenzel joins Cumulus Indianapolis from iHeartMedia in Madison, WI, where he was most recently Midday On-Air Host at Country station WMAD-FM and Promotions Director for the company’s six-station group in Madison. 

Wenzel debuts as On-Air Host of Afternoon Drive on WFMS on Monday, January 6, 2020, and can be heard weekdays from 3pm-7pm.

Christopher “Boomer” Layfield, Program Director, WFMS-FM, said: “After an exhaustive nationwide search, Isaac really stood out as the ideal candidate for this position. His passion for country music, relatable personality on the air and breadth of skills behind-the-scenes make Isaac ideally suited for this job. I look forward to celebrating his continued success with us at Cumulus and WFMS.” 

Wenzel added: “I feel extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to join a station with such long-lasting success in an amazing city like WFMS in Indianapolis. Thanks to Cumulus for giving me this incredible opportunity, particularly Doug Hamand, Chuck Fredrick and Boomer Layfield. I’m excited to meet our great listeners and hope to catch a couple of Pacers games soon!”