June 7 Radio History

Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis

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

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

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




➦In 1932..WLW 700 AM Cincinnati was authorized to experiment with a power of 500,000 watts at 700 khz.  In January 1934, WLW began broadcasting with 500,000 watts after midnight under the experimental call sign W8XO. In April 1934 the station was authorized to operate at 500,000 watts during regular hours using the WLW call letters. On May 2, 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ceremonially pressed the same golden telegraph key that Wilson had used to open the Panama Canal, officially launching WLW's 500-kilowatt signal.

As the first station in the world to broadcast at this strength, WLW received numerous complaints from around the United States and Canada that it was interfering with other stations, most notably from CFRB, then on 690 kHz, in Toronto, Ontario. In December 1934, WLW was instructed to cut back to 50 kilowatts at night until it had eliminated the interference. The station began construction of two shorter towers 1850 feet southwest from the main tower in order to create a directional antenna, which successfully reduced the signal broadcast towards Canada. With these antenna towers in place, full-time broadcasting at 500 kilowatts resumed in early 1935. However, WLW was continuing to operate under special temporary authority that had to be renewed every six months; each renewal brought complaints about interference, and undue domination of the market, by such a high-power station.

After complaints of signal interference and years of controversy the extra power was rescinded in 1939.

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

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

➦In 1959…KLX-AM, Oakland, California changed its call letters to KEWB-AM (now KNEW 960 AM).



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

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

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

➦In 1986...In Los Angeles, KFI-in-the-sky traffic reporter Bruce Wayne was killed after his small plane, which  was taking off in Orange County. crashed. Wayne was about to file his first traffic report of the day when the crash occurred.

Several of the reports of the crash came from Wayne’s wife of 21 years, Lois, who was a reporter for KFI. She spent more than two hours calmly doing news reports about the accident and interviews on KFI.  “I am at the crash site of a (Cessna) Cardinal,” Lois Wayne said, as her first interview was broadcast live. “There is no paint or a number on the aircraft. The aircraft did have an explosion on impact.”

Although officials were not immediately certain that the wreckage was of her husband’s plane, Lois Wayne said she knew right away that it was.

In two weeks, Wayne would have celebrated his 25th anniversary on the job.

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

➦In 2002…Longtime Seattle KIRO radio, TV sportscaster Wayne Cody died after a heart attack at age 65.



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

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

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

Anna Torv is 41

• Actress Virginia McKenna (“Born Free”) is 89. 
• Singer Tom Jones is 80. 
• Actor Ronald Pickup (TV’s “The Crown,” film’s “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”) is 80. 
• Talk show host Jenny Jones is 74. 
• Actor Liam Neeson is 68. 
• Actress Colleen Camp (“Die Hard: With A Vengeance”) is 67. 
• Actor William Forsythe is 65. 
• Record producer L.A. Reid is 64. 
• Singer-guitarist Gordon Gano of Violent Femmes is 57.
• Drummer Eric Kretz of Stone Temple Pilots is 54. 
• Guitarist Dave Navarro is 53. 
• Actress Helen Baxendale (Emily on “Friends”) is 50. 
• Actor Karl Urban (2009′s “Star Trek”) is 48. 
• TV personality Bear Grylls (“Man Vs. Wild”) is 46. 
• Actress Adrienne Frantz (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” “The Young and the Restless”) is 42. 
• Comedian Bill Hader (“The Mindy Project,” ″Saturday Night Live”) is 42. 
• Actress Anna Torv (“Fringe”) is 41. 
• Actress Larisa Oleynik (“3rd Rock From The Sun,” ″Boy Meets World) is 39. 
• Actor Michael Cera (“Juno,” ″Arrested Development”) is 32. 
• Actress Shelley Buckner (“Summerland”) is 31. 

Sony Music Group Setting Up $110M Social Justice Fund

Sony Music Group is setting up a $100 million fund for social justice and antiracist initiatives, becoming the latest major music label to provide financial support in response to the death of George Floyd.

The L-A Times reports Sony Music said Friday that it would “immediately begin to donate to organizations that foster equal rights.” However, the New York-based company, whose artists include Beyoncé, Adele, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Khalid, Alicia Keys and Miranda Lambert, did not mention any specific groups that it planned to support. The effort includes contributions from Sony Pictures Entertainment and other divisions of Sony Corp.

The effort came after several prominent artists criticized the music industry’s “Blackout Tuesday” initiative as insufficient. While many prominent music and entertainment figures — the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez — went dark on social media as part of the effort, posting only black squares on their feeds, other artists questioned its impact. The Weeknd called on labels that benefit from the work of black artists to step up with donations. Rapper Lil Nas X suggested on Twitter that advocates post “donation and petitions links on instagram all at the same time instead of pitch black images.”

Sony Music also announced that workers companywide will undergo unconscious-bias training, and that the company will match employee donations to groups working for social justice.

Sony Music’s labels include Arista Records, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Legacy Recordings and RCA Records.

The world’s largest recording company, Universal Music Group, announced an initial response that includes a $25-million fund and establishes a task force to accelerate the company’s efforts in inclusion and social justice.

The Santa Monica-based company’s labels include Capitol Music Group, Def Jam Records, Interscope Geffen A&M, Motown and Republic Records, with rosters of such top artists as Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Kanye West, The Weeknd, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish.

The two companies join Warner Music Group, which earlier in the week established a $100 million fund in partnership with the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Warner Music Chief Executive Steve Cooper said the Los Angeles company was “determined to contribute, on a sustained long-term basis, to the effort to bring about real change.”

NFL’s Goodell Endorses Peaceful Protests by Players

One of the most divisive issues in sports reignited late Friday, as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league encourages players to “speak out and peacefully protest” shortly after President Trump revived his criticism of players who have knelt in the past during the national anthem.

The Wall Street Journal reports the high-stakes exchange came against the backdrop of national protests against police brutality that have engulfed the U.S. since George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis last month. The nationwide protests have hit close to home for the NFL, which for years has been deeply divided after players, led by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, protested racial injustices by kneeling during the national anthem.

Trump campaigned against the NFL in 2017 during what turned out to be the league’s most tumultuous season in memory. Kaepernick hasn’t played since the end of the 2016 season, and he has long accused the league of colluding against him because of his political views.

We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People. We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter. #InspireChange pic.twitter.com/ENWQP8A0sv

— NFL (@NFL) June 5, 2020

The issue has blown up again in the aftermath of Floyd’s killing, which has brought the issue to the fore again in the NFL. On Friday afternoon, Trump weighed in after one of the league’s most prominent players, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, apologized for earlier comments that took issue with players protesting during the anthem.

Brees had told Yahoo Finance, “I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country.” But he quickly reversed course after coming under attack by teammates and others including basketball star LeBron James. In his apology, Brees said his comments were insensitive.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Goodell was encouraging players to kneel during the national anthem, therefore endorsing the action that three years ago deeply divided the league.

Personalities Eyeing Possible Run For NYC Mayor

Several media executives and on-air personalities have announced or are reportedly considering runs for New York City mayor in 2021, including CNN President Jeff Zucker, billionaire businessman and radio talk show host John Catsimatidis and Guardian Angels Founder and WABC radio host Curtis Sliwa, The Hill reports.

Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) is term-limited next year, meaning a new mayor will be elected next year.

Sliwa, 66, formally announced his candidacy in March and is running as a Republican.

“I’m the only candidate who’s been locked up 77 times, so I know how the system can screw the accused," said Sliwa, who formed the Guardian Angels, a vigilante watchdog group, back in 1979. “No cash bail makes a lot of sense, but we were promised it would be for non-violent crimes.”

Catsimatidis is laying the groundwork for his second mayoral run as a Republican.

He ran in 2013 and narrowly lost to former Mass Transit Association head and deputy mayor Joe Lhota.

Catsimatidis is chairman of Red Apple Group, which owns the Gristedes supermarket chain, several energy companies and Talkradio 77WABC. He announced on Wednesday the formation of a 2021 mayoral exploratory committee.

Jeff Zucker, 55, hinted at a possible run for mayor in a recent interview with New York Times media columnist Ben Smith, with the CNN head stating the Big Apple is going to need "a very strong mayor in the aftermath" of the coronavirus crisis.

"I always like a challenge," Zucker added.

Zucker began his media career as a researcher for NBC Sports in 1986 before jumping to the news side and quickly becoming executive producer of the highly successful "Today" show.

Controversial Lisa Page Joins MSNBC As Analyst

Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page is joining NBC and MSNBC as a national security and legal analyst.

Page ended up in the national spotlight over a great deal of scrutiny into now-infamous texts between herself and former FBI agent Peter Strzok. Page spoke out last December and announced she would be suing the DOJ and FBI for leaking her messages to the press.

Page made her debut as an MSNBC analyst opposite Andrew Weissman, one of the top members of Robert Mueller’s investigation, who recently joined the network too.

Both Page and Weissman spoke with Nicolle Wallace about the back-and-forth between the president and the DC mayor over the latter’s request that the president “withdraw all extraordinary law enforcement and military presence from Washington, DC.”

Lincoln Radio: KLNC To Import Woody & Wilcox For Mornings

NRG Media’s KLNC 105.3 FM in Lincoln, Neb. is bringing in a new crew for wake-up duties on 105.3 The Bone, starting Monday, June 8th with Woody and Wilcox.

The show originates from WEND 106.5 The End in Charlotte and is syndicated in 13 markets across the country covering a variety of Rock formats. This will add a 14th market to their roster.

Steve King (Program Director/Operations Manager) said, “Since 105.3 The Bone was launched in March, the idea was to find the RIGHT morning show, not just another morning show that we HOPE would be successful. Looking at some very important and heavily Rock-driven markets, Woody and Wilcox stood out as a winning combination for our forward-thinking Classic Rock presentation. We are very excited to bring in Woody and Wilcox to round out our primetime line-up. Woody and Wilcox fit 105.3 The Bone perfectly. Since their show is a combination of humor and music, we expect this addition to be huge hit with The Bone listeners”.

Edison Research Unveils 1Q Top 10 U-S Podcast Ranker

Edison Research has released its U.S. Top Ten Podcast ranker for Q1 2020, from our subscription product, the Podcast Consumer Tracker (PCT).  The Podcast Consumer Tracker is the only comprehensive and all-inclusive study of the reach of podcast networks and shows in America.

The ranker lists the top ten podcasts in America by reach -- not downloads -- among weekly podcast consumers. Reach is the percentage of weekly podcast listeners who say they have listened to one of these shows in the last week.

Number one is the Joe Rogan Experience, which will be exclusive to Spotify later in 2020. Office Ladies and Planet Money enter the Top Ten for the first time, replacing Serial and Radiolab from our Q4 2019 ranker.

"Spotify's recent deal with Joe Rogan stands a very good chance of increasing Spotify’s reach, since once again the JRE is comfortably in the top spot of our national ranker," said Edison Research SVP Tom Webster. "It's also worth noting the strong debut of 'Office Ladies,' which has only been out since October 2019. We are pleased to be able to cover the entire podcasting space, without gaps, in the industry's only all-inclusive ranker."

The top ten podcasts in the U.S. in Q1 2020, as ranked by the percentage of weekly podcast consumers 18+ who have listened to them, are as follows:

1.     The Joe Rogan Experience
2.     The Daily
3.     This American Life
4.     Crime Junkie
5.     My Favorite Murder

6.     Stuff You Should Know
7.     (tie) Office Ladies
        (tie) Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!
9.    Planet Money
10.  Pod Save America

Begun in Summer 2019, the Podcast Consumer Tracker is the only study that measures the entire podcast space continuously, compared to other download rankers which only measure participants/customers of those rankers, or users of a specific platform. The PCT is sampled continuously throughout each quarter to negate the effects of limited releases and new shows and is weighted to the industry standard measure of podcast listening, The Infinite Dial® research series from Edison Research and Triton Digital®.

Tribune Publishing Reports $44M 1Q Loss

Chicago-based Tribune Publishing, which owns the Chicago Tribune and other major newspapers, reported a $44 million first-quarter loss, due primarily to an accounting adjustment related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company took a $51 million impairment charge to reflect a reduction in the value of its assets and actions taken to reduce the company’s real estate footprint.

First-quarter revenue totaled $216.5 million, down 11.5% from the same period last year, the company reported Friday. Year-over-year, advertising revenue for the quarter fell 20.6%.

Tribune Publishing now has 370,000 digital-only subscribers, up from 283,000 at the end of the first quarter in 2019. Digital subscription revenue was up 42%, compared to the first quarter of 2019.

The company didn’t offer full-year guidance, but projected second-quarter revenues would fall to about $175 million. That would represent a 30% revenue decline from a year ago.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the recent civil unrest are unprecedented in my lifetime,” Tribune CEO Terry Jimenez said during an earnings call Friday morning. “But despite these challenges, we remain optimistic about the long-term prospects for our company.”

Like much of the media industry, Tribune Publishing has struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing furloughs, targeted staff cuts and salary reductions across its newspapers to offset advertising declines. Last month, the company suspended its 25-cent cash dividend.

“We’re going to continue to make sure that we’re focused on reducing the cost structure in line with where revenue trends will be in the future,” Jimenez said. “We’re going to take other actions to help reduce the expense out of the business.”

In addition to the Chicago Tribune, Tribune Publishing owns the Baltimore Sun, Hartford Courant; Orlando Sentinel; South Florida Sun Sentinel; New York Daily News; the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland; The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania; the Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia; and The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia.

Reporter Pulled From Floyd Coverage Over Tweet

According to the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, a Black reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has been recently barred from covering protests in honor of George Floyd, a Black man killed last week by a Minneapolis Police officer

Pittsburgh City Paper obtained a letter that was sent to members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, which is the union that represents 140 journalists at the P-G. The letter indicates that reporter Alexis Johnson was removed from any coverage related to the George Floyd protests that have been ongoing in Pittsburgh for the last several days.

According to the letter, Johnson was pulled off of any protest coverage because of a tweet she sent on May 31 which poked fun at the mess typically made outside of Kenny Chesney concerts, and compared that to people who were upset about property damage that occurred following a protests in honor of George Floyd, a Black man killed last week by a Minneapolis Police officer.

Alexis Johnson

Johnson confirmed to The Associated Press on Friday that she was told the tweet and the apparent bias it showed were the reasons she would no longer be covering the protests. She declined further comment, deferring to her guild.

Guild President Michael A. Fuoco, who is also a Post-Gazette reporter, told the AP that guild leaders were “appalled” by the move, and the paper’s editors have not yielded at all in discussions about Johnson’s status.

“We feel taking a black woman off the most monumental national story about civil rights in the last 50 years is punishment,” Fuoco said. “We have very few black journalists. Someone who has the contacts and the insights for this story, that is what you want.”

He said of the tweet that he “thought it was clever, I thought it was funny, and I thought it was food for thought. And that’s what we are as journalists. We put things out in the public square.”

Karen Kane, managing editor of the Post-Gazette, said in an email that the paper’s editors cannot comment on personnel matters.

Journalists from other outlets around the country and other unions were also speaking out in favor of Johnson, as did Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, who said on Twitter that her reporting has always been fair and professional.

Nearly $1B In Concert Revenue Lost

Lady Gaga (Doug Mills photo)

More than 500 concerts scheduled for arenas and stadiums in 2020, representing 13.4 million potential fans and nearly $1 billion in total projected revenue, have been canceled or postponed since mid-March by the coronavirus pandemic.

That's according to a Sports Business Journal analysis of hundreds of sport venues and musical acts’ schedules and recent box office data from Pollstar.

Concerts have long been used to fill what would otherwise be dark dates, and promoters and venue operators were banking on this year’s strong slate of acts to top 2019’s blockbuster box office.

The summer’s biggest draw was expected to be the Rolling Stones’ 15-stadium “No Filter Tour.” The band played 16 shows at 14 stadiums last summer (all sellouts), averaging $11.1 million in ticket sales per show at an average of $227 a pop, according to Pollstar. Using those numbers as a reference, the band would have easily topped $160 million this summer.

On the arena side, the Eagles were scheduled to play two nights each in five cities as part of their “Hotel California Tour.” Illustrating the challenge the industry is having, those dates were first bumped to this fall and then were pushed last month to the end of 2021. A perennial sellout, the average cost of a ticket during the band’s 2019 tour was $366, the priciest of any act.

Based on per-show averages from each act’s most recent tour, the 519 postponed or canceled concerts would have generated approximately $674 million in ticket sales. The majority of that money stays with the performers and their promoters.

Based on concert per cap data provided to SBJ by industry sources, those shows also would have generated approximately $300 million in food, beverage and merchandise revenue for the owners and operators of the buildings. Performances actually canceled, and not just postponed or rescheduled, will wipe out an estimated $144 million in revenue and reduce attendance by more than 6.2 million fans.

The dark venues don’t just mean a loss of revenue for the bands and venue owners. Behind the scenes are hundreds of local companies that handle staging, trucking, catering, rigging and other production-related work for touring acts. Meglen said that they have 200 people on the road with the Rolling Stones, which requires 200 hotel rooms. The production crew uses 24 18-wheelers and each stage needs 12 to14 more.

Judge Rules TWH Must Restore Press Credentials

Handing the Trump administration a defeat, a federal appellate court has upheld an order requiring the White House press secretary to restore journalist Brian Karem's press credentials, MediaPost reports.

Brian Karem

In an opinion issued Friday, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said Karem lacked fair notice that his press pass would be suspended due to allegedly “unprofessional” conduct.

The decision stemmed from Trump's July 2019 “social media summit,” which involved convening right-wing activists to discuss alleged bias by tech companies.

At the end of the summit, Trump gave a prepared speech at the Rose Garden. Karem, a correspondent for Playboy and analyst on CNN, was among the journalists present in a cordoned press area for that speech. Afterwards, he and former Trump advisor Sebastian Gorka publicly argued.

Three weeks later, former Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham told Karem his “hard” press pass -- which allowed him relatively quick entree to the White House -- would be suspended for 30 days due to his “unprofessional” conduct.

Karem then sought a court order restoring his credentials. Among other arguments, he said the revocation violated his right to due process of law, because he didn't have fair notice that his press pass could be revoked for one month due to allegedly unprofessional conduct.

A trial judge sided with Karem and issued an injunction requiring the restoration of his credentials.

On Friday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling.

June 6 Radio History

➦In 1938...NBC radio introduced two melodramatic soaps to the daytime airwaves, Stella Dallas and Young Widder Brown, both produced by Frank & Anne Hummert.  Stella Dallas, “the true to life story of mother love and sacrifice,” continued in 15 minute radio bursts until 1955.  ‘Brown’ outlasted it by a year.

Radio soap opera titan Frank Hummert became a partner in a Chicago advertising agency, where in 1930 Anne Ashenshurst was hired as a copywriter and assistant to Hummert.  Together, both before and after their 1935 wedding, Anne & Frank developed and supervised the production of early daytime radio dramas Just Plain Bill, Ma Perkins, Skippy, Backstage Wife and Young Widder Brown.  They later produced Amanda of Honeymoon Hill, Front Page Farrell, John’s Other Wife, Little Orphan Annie, Judy and Jane, Mr. Chameleon, and Our Gal Sunday.   The Hummerts also had longrunning prime time success with Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons, Waltz Time and The American Album of Familiar Music.

➦In 1940...Superjock Larry Lee Blankenburg a.k.a Larry Lujack was born in 1940 in Quasqueton, Iowa, and reared in Caldwell, Idaho. At 18 he joined KCID-AM in Caldwell, adopting the surname of his idol, the Chicago Bears quarterback Johnny Lujack.

After working at stations in Idaho and Washington State, Mr. Lujack joined WCFL in 1967 and moved to WLS four months later. Except for a four-year stint back at WCFL, he remained with WLS for the next two decades.

In 1984 WLS gave Lujack a 12-year, $6 million contract, making him one of the country’s highest-paid radio personalities. (“I am not the least bit excited,” he was reported to have said.) But in 1987, amid declining ratings, the station’s corporate parent, Capital Cities-ABC, bought out his contract.

His honors include membership in the Illinois Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame (“It’s not Mount Rushmore,” he said on learning of his induction) and the National Radio Hall of Fame.

He passed away December 18, 2013.

➦In  1944….Radio covered first news of the Allies’ D-Day Invasion…

War correspondent Wright Bryan gives detail of his flight with paratroopers over occupied France. News and reactions from around the world of the allied invasion. plus more. Some of it is harder to hear for static, but I like the originality of the broadcast, especially Eisenhowers message to occupied Europe. Its like its 1944 and your sitting by the radio listening to it when it happened.

Bryan 1944

William Wright Bryan, a former editor of the Atlanta Journal was the first World War II correspondent to broadcast an eyewitness account of D-Day.  He was the newspaper's managing editor, war correspondent and an NBC radio stringer when he became the first newsman to give a report on the D-Day invasion of France on June 6, 1944.

He covered the invasion from a transport plane dropping airborne troops. When the plane flew back to London, Bryan went on the air and made his broadcast immediately after a one-sentence announcement by the Allied command and tape-recorded statements by King George VI and President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

While covering the Allies' further advance across Europe, Bryan was wounded and captured by the Germans and spent six months in hospitals and in a prisoner of war camp in Szubin, Poland. He was freed by Soviet troops in January, 1945.

Bryan died February 15, 1991 of pneumonia at the age of 85

The Allies had gone to extreme measures to protect the location of the invasion including planting fake documents, fake troop placements, and fake announcements. Germany did all it could to try to find out just where the Allies would land. One tactic was to falsely claim the invasion had begun hoping to fool the Allies into revealing the real location.

So it was no surprise that the news organizations were shy to jump on any announcement of a pending invasion. News reports included flash announcements which were deemed immediate and important information received; the other were bulletins which were also important but not deemed as immediate.

On June 3rd there had been a flash announcement that the invasion was under way but within minutes the announcement was withdrawn as the source, the Associated Press, killed the story as false.

When the first announcements started coming in the early morning of June 6, there were cautions attached to the bulletins. NBC reportedly came on the air with announcements around 12:41 AM EST after waiting at least 3 minutes from the time the AP bulletin was received.

➤The music of Harry James and his Orchestra was broadcasting over WOR (Mutual) from the Hotel Astor in New York. Kitty Kallen had just begun singing ironically "In Times Like These" when her song was interrupted right after 12:45 AM for bulletin.  Listen Here. Ned Calmer with CBS broadcast the bulletin around 12:48 AM. CBS waited until a second source, the Independent News Service, also released a bulletin.

➤Later repeats of the bulletins appeared over both networks. Irwin Darlington with CBS broadcast the breaking news. Listen Here.   Over at NBC this bulletin was aired.  Listen Here.

➤Click Here For Much More.

CBS reporter Darlington was very cautionary in his bulletin announcement reminding listeners of Winston Churchill's warnings of Allied feints and the expected invasion story from the Germans. He also carefully identifies where the information is coming from as well as the actual quotes. They also provide reports from the German DNB and German radio broadcasts.

NBC's bulletin was very formal and straight-forward with little warning that the information could be false. Later cautions came from the summary of news reports they broadcast later. (H/T: Radio Days)

➦In 1955…Bill Haley & Comets', "Rock Around the Clock" hit #1 on radio.

➦In 1962...The Beatles meet their producer George Martin for the first time and record "Besame Mucho" with Pete Best on drums

➦In 1986...1050 CHUM Toronto, the station with North America’s longest-running hit record chart, abandoned its Top-40 format for a mixture of soft rock and oldies. CHUM adopted the Top40 format in 1957 and published its chart for 1,512 consecutive weeks.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

Lisa Brokop is 47

• Singer-songwriter Gary “U.S.” Bonds is 81. 
• Country singer Joe Stampley is 77. 
• Jazz pianist Monty Alexander is 76. 
• Actor Robert Englund (Freddie Krueger) is 73. 
• Singer Dwight Twilley is 69. 
• Playwright-actor Harvey Fierstein is 68. 
• Actress-comedian Sandra Bernhard is 65. 
• Actress Amanda Pays is 61. 
• Record producer-musician Jimmy Jam (The Time) is 61. 
• Comedian Colin Quinn is 61. 
• Guitarist Steve Vai is 60. 
• Singer-bassist Tom Araya of Slayer is 59. 
• Actor Jason Isaacs (“Harry Potter” films) is 57. 
• Bassist Sean Ysealt (White Zombie) is 54. 
• Actor Max Casella (“Analyze This,” ″Doogie Howser, M.D.”) is 53. 
• Actor Paul Giamatti is 53. 
• Singer Damion Hall of Guy is 52. 
• Guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer of Korn is 50. 
• Country singer Lisa Brokop is 47. 
• Singer Uncle Kracker is 46. 
• Actress Sonya Walger (“Lost”) is 46. 
• Actress Staci Keanan (“Step By Step,” ″My Two Dads”) is 45. 
• Jazz singer Somi is 39. 
• Actress Aubrey Anderson-Emmons (“Modern Family”) is 13.

Indy Radio: Big Joe Staysniak Suspended At Emmis' WFNI

WFNI Sports host Joe Staysniak has been suspended one week without pay after on-air comments he made this week that included saying black people need to stop being victims, kneeling in front of the American flag is treason, the Confederate flag is not racist and he finds it hard to believe black people are being targeted by police.

"Joe, quite frankly, had statements that were very insensitive to a lot of the folks that are out there fighting for their rights and feel like their voices have not been heard," said Jeff Rickard, Staysniak's co-host on "The Fan Morning Show with Jeff and Big Joe." "And it’s time for them to be heard in the wake of the George Floyd murder."

According to the Indy Star, Staysniak, a former Indianapolis Colts lineman, and Rickard were discussing the protests in Indianapolis and across America that were prompted by the death of Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died last month after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee to Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd lay handcuffed facedown.

Joe Staysniak

Black people need to say, "I'm going to stop being a victim," Staysniak told his listeners on WFNI-1 Wednesday. To do so, "Well, you know, get an education, you know, get a second job," he said.

Rickard read an apology from Staysniak Friday in which he said, "I am really sorry for the pain and hurt that I caused by my comments this week."

Staysniak said he has heard from listeners and coworkers who told him his comments deepened wounds in the community. He said he did more talking than listening and "that was wrong."

In a statement read Friday by Rickard, Jeff Smulyan, CEO of station owner Emmis Communications, said Emmis does not condone or endorse viewpoints that diminish the injustices facing the black community in America. He added that the company stands firmly as an ally with the black community in its fight against racism.

"Emmis takes very seriously its commitment to the communities in which we proudly serve and reaffirms its dedication in rooting out injustices and oppression in any form," Smulyan wrote.

As Staysniak discussed Floyd's death Wednesday, he said the incident and others involving police officers and African Americans aren't a black-white issue. It is an issue with leadership, he said, and who is elected to office.

CNN Ignores Trump Comments On Jobs Report

CNN Screenshot lower right

CNN declined to air President Donald Trump’s speech on the surprising May jobs report Friday, while MSNBC dipped out early. Fox News, ABC News, NBC News, and CBS News carried Trump’s address in full.

CNN and MSNBC have gained a reputation for skipping and cutting off President Trump’s speeches, which had led to Fox News becoming the go-to network to see the speeches in full.

As Trump spoke about airline stocks during his speech on Friday, MSNBC host Ayman Mohyeldin said, “Alright, we are going to break away from President Trump’s statements there.”

“It’s 10:42 a.m., he’s been talking now for about eleven or so minutes. We’re going to monitor that announcement, that statement that he’s making there,” Mohyeldin announced, adding, “He’s obviously celebrating the jobs report number, he’s also going off on a bit of a tangent, talking about all kinds of other issues and politicizing some of it.”

CNN aired segments about the jobs report and the coronavirus instead of Trump’s speech, according to Mediaite.

The Rundown: Memorial Held For Floyd

The first of a series of memorials for George Floyd was held Thursday in Minneapolis, the city where he died at the hands of police, held at a sanctuary at North Central University.

Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a fiery eulogy, saying, "George Floyd’s story has been the story of black folks. Because ever since 401 years ago, the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed to be is you kept your knee on our neck. It’s time for us to stand up in George’s name and say, ‘Get your knee off our necks!" Sharpton also vowed that the protests that have been taking place across the country will become a movement to, quote, "change the whole system of justice." Floyd's family members also spoke at the service, which included everyone standing silently for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time a police officer kneeled on Floyd's neck.

Floyd's body will now be brought to Raeford, North Carolina, where he was born, for a two-hour public viewing and private service for the family on Saturday. Finally, a public viewing will be held Monday in Houston, where Floyd was raised and lived most of his life. A service will be held on Tuesday at The Fountain of Praise church, followed by a private burial. 

“George Floyd’s story has been the story of black folks,” Rev. Al Sharpton said while eulogizing Floyd at a memorial service in Minneapolis, Minn. “The reason we could never be who we wanted -- and dreamed of being -- is you kept your knee on our neck.”https://t.co/B15GJs2g52 pic.twitter.com/0y9hP15Zkt

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) June 4, 2020

Officers' Bail Set: Bail was set at $750,000 yesterday for three fired Minneapolis police officers who were charged with aiding and abetting second degree murder in Floyd's death. Defense lawyers for two of the officers, Thomas Lane and J. Keung, said they were rookies who'd just recently finished probation. Attorney Earl Gray said Lane had no choice but to follow instructions from Officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes and has been charged with second-degree murder, saying, "What was my client supposed to do but follow what his training officer said?" Gray also said that Lane asked Chauvin twice if they should roll Floyd over and expressed concern that Floyd might be in delirium.

Protests: Protests continued to be largely peaceful yesterday and last night, even as some demonstrators once more stayed out past the 8 p.m. curfew in New York City, including at a rally in Brooklyn attended by an emotional Terrence Floyd, one of George Floyd's brothers. There was a much reduced law enforcement presence in Washington, D.C, last night compared to the night before, according to AP, and after thousands marched from near the White House to the Lincoln Memorial, the protests ended before dark because of heavy rain. In Buffalo, New York, local TV station WBFO recorded video of an officer shoving an older man who walked up to police, causing him to fall backward and hit his head on the pavement and begin bleeding. The city's police commissioner suspended two officers over the incident, and the injured man was reportedly hospitalized and stable.

ACLU Sues Over Clearing of Lafayette Park: The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit yesterday claiming President Trump, Attorney General Bill Barr and other administration officials violated the civil rights of protesters when they were forcefully removed from Lafayette Park near the White House Monday evening by police using smoke bombs and pepper spray before Trump walked to a church to take a photo of him holding a Bible. The suit was filed on behalf of the group Black Lives Matter D.C. and individual protesters. But Barr defended the decision yesterday, saying it was necessary to extend a security perimeter around the White House to protect officers and federal property.

SHOOTER USED 'N-WORD' AFTER ARBERY FATALLY SHOT: A Georgia state investigator testified Thursday that the man accused of fatally shooting 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery referred to him using the "n-word" moments later. Richard Dial, the lead Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent in the case, made the disclosure during a hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to go forward with a murder trial of white father and son Greg and Travis McMichael in the killing of Arbery, who was black.

Dial said that the McMichaels and another man who's also charged, William "Roddie" Bryan, used their pickup trucks to chase down and box in Arbery after seeing him running in their neighborhood. Dial said Arbery repeatedly reversed directions and ran into a ditch while trying to escape, and Travis then got out of his truck and confronted him. Travis told police he shot in self-defense after Arbery refused his order to get on the ground. Bryan reported Travis' use of the racial slur, with Dial saying, "Mr. Bryan said that after the shooting took place before police arrival, while Mr. Arbery was on the ground, that he heard Travis McMichael make the statement, "f***ing n***er." Cellphone video recorded by Bryan showed the fatal shooting of Arbery. The McMichaels grabbed guns and chased Arbery in a truck when they saw him running, telling police they believed he looked like a burglar who'd been seen on surveillance video.

CDC HEAD WORRIED PEOPLE NOT FOLLOWING CORONAVIRUS GUIDANCE: CDC Director Robert Redfield said Thursday (June 4th) that he’s, quote, "very concerned" that the agency's message about the coronavirus isn't "resonating" with Americans and that their guidance isn't being followed, as the number of cases in the U.S. continues to rise. In testimony before the House Appropriations Committee, Redfield spoke about seeing a lot of people not wearing masks in Washington, D.C., crowds gathering over the Memorial Day holiday and at other recent events, such as the SpaceX launch, and the protests over George Floyd's death. He warned the protests could be a, quote, "seeding event" for more outbreaks, and encouraged people who have protested to get tested for the virus in the next few days. His testimony came as the number of deaths in the U.S. reached more than 108,200 as of early this morning, according to the Johns Hopkins University count, and the total number of confirmed cases was more than 1,872,000.

BREES APOLOGIZES, SAYS 'MISSED THE MARK' WITH KAEPERNICK COMMENTS: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees apologized yesterday for reaffirming his opposition a day earlier to Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protests during the national anthem, saying, "I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States." 

BILLS ROOKIE QB APOLOGIZES FOR 'ELITE WHITE PEOPLE' TEXT: Buffalo Bills rookie quarterback Jake Fromm, who the Bills chose in the fifth round of the 2020 draft, apologized yesterday after screenshots surfaced of a 2019 text conversation about guns in which he referred to, quote, "elite white people." In the conversation between Fromm and a friend, he texted, "But no guns are good. They need to let me get suppressors. Just make them very expensive so only elite white people can get them haha." Later in the conversation, Fromm said he wasn't an "elite white person." The 21-year-old said in his apology: "I am extremely sorry that I chose to use the words 'elite white person' . . . Although I never meant to imply that I am an 'elite white person,' as later stated in the conversation, there's no excuse for that word choice and sentiment. I stand against racism 100%. I promise to commit myself to being part of the solution in this country." 

NBA'S 22-TEAM RETURN PLAN APPROVED: The NBA's Board of Governors approved a 22-team format for returning to play next month at the Walt Disney World resort in a 29-1 vote yesterday. The Players Association is set to vote today on the plan, under which teams will play an eight-game slate of games starting July 31st at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex that will help determine playoff seeding. There could then be a play-in tournament for the final spot in the Eastern and Western Conferences for the postseason. The teams will stay, practice and play at Disney and the NBA Finals will likely go into October.

UNION: MLB PLAYERS WON'T TAKE ANOTHER PAY CUT, REJECT LEAGUE'S PLAN: Executive Director Tony Clark of the Major League Baseball players union said Thursday that players won't take another pay cut and, quote, "resoundingly rejected" the league's plan to start the coronavirus-delayed season that includes further concessions from players. MLB had proposed an 82-game season with a sliding scale of pay cuts, and the players countered with a 114-game season with no cuts beyond the pro-rated salaries they agreed to in March. The league in turn rejected that, and said there may instead only be some 50 games.

Syracuse Radio: Market Vet Rich Lauber OUT At iHM

Rich Lauber exited WBBS B104.7 FM on Wednesday, after 35 years on Central New York radio. He spent the majority of his career as the afternoon host on B104.7, and had also served as operations manager for iHeartMedia’s Syracuse market, which also includes Y94FM (WYYY-FM), Hot 107.9 (WWHT-FM), NewsRadio 570 WSYR (106.9 FM, 570 AM) and Power 620 (WHEN-AM).

Bob Morgan, president of the Upstate New York market for iHeartMedia, confirmed Lauber’s departure Thursday but did not provide any other detailsm according to Syracuse.com.

Lauber, 60, started working at Y94FM in early 1985 as a music director and on-air personality. He also became assistant program director of WSYR in 1988, according to The Post-Standard archives, and was named the top DJ that fellow radio broadcasters "aren’t ashamed to listen to” in a 1992 newspaper survey.

Rich Lauber

"(WSYR’s then morning show host Bill Baker) told me he likes to do a show that he’s not ashamed to have his kids listen to,” Lauber said in 1992. “And so I try to do a show that Bill’s kids aren’t ashamed to listen to.”

Lauber was the first afternoon DJ on B104.7 when it first changed format to country music in 1993, back when its call letters were WKFM under NewCity Communications. He held the 3-7 p.m. shift for more than two decades while also serving as program director, during which B104.7 frequently dominated the radio ratings and was nominated multiple times for station of the year at the Country Music Association Awards.

The B104.7 website now lists a DJ named “Shanna” as the afternoon host. Shanna, also known as Quinn, is a Buffalo native who previously co-hosted mornings on WRVE 99.5 The River in Albany; she appears to be recording her B104.7 show from another iHeartRadio station in Milwaukee.

Lauber’s departure comes less than six months after hundreds were laid off at iHeartMedia stations nationwide, including in the Syracuse market. Local DJs axed in January include radio legend Dr. Rick Wright, “The Gospel Powerhouse” host Cora Thomas and program director Kenny Dees at Power 620; morning show host Pat McMahon at Y94FM; DJ/program director Cory “Kobe” Fargo at Hot 107.9; “Big Jim Donovan” (aka Jim Dunagan) at NewsRadio 570 WSYR and Y94FM; and Daryl Thomas Ledyard at B104.7 and Y94FM. Former iHeartMedia Syracuse market manager Rick Yacobush and B104.7 morning hosts Tom Owens and Becky Palmer retired in December.

Research:37% of Adults in Canada Are Monthly Podcast Listeners

Podcast consumption levels in Canada are now equal to those in the United States, according to The Infinite Dial® 2020 Canada, the third annual comprehensive study of digital media behavior in Canada, from Edison Research and Triton Digital®.

Thirty-seven percent of Canadians age 18 and older are monthly podcast listeners (compared with same estimate in the U.S., 37% age 18+) and 24% of those in Canada age 18+ are weekly podcast listeners (compared with 23% of those in the U.S. age 18+).

These and other findings were presented by Tom Webster, Senior Vice President from Edison Research, the leading provider of high-quality survey research about audio in the U.S. and worldwide, and Stephanie Donovan, SVP, Publisher Development North America at Triton Digital, the global technology and services provider to the digital audio and podcast industry, in an online presentation earlier today.

A significant number of Canadian adults are consumers of online audio, as the study found that 70% have listened to some type of online audio in the past month (compared with 67% in the U.S.) and 60% have listened to online audio in the past week (compared with 58% in the U.S.).

Despite these high online audio reach numbers, online audio has not yet made its way into the car for most Canadians. Of those in Canada age 18+ who have driven or ridden in a car in the last month, 18% have listened to online audio in-car, compared with 33% of those in the U.S. Fifty-seven percent of adults in Canada use AM/FM radio most often as their in-car audio source while 25% use owned music (including owned digital files) most often in-car, followed by SiriusXM at 7%, online audio at 4% and podcasts at 4%.

Sixty-nine percent of adults in Canada have listened to AM/FM radio in the past week, and 14% of adults in Canada have listened to AM/FM radio online in the past week.

Regarding smart speaker ownership, the study found that 26% of those in Canada age 18+ own at least one smart speaker, and of those owners, 42% own two or more devices.

According to Tom Webster, Senior Vice President at Edison Research, “We observed some strong gains in many of our key audio metrics, from podcasting to smart speaker ownership. Canada is amongst the leaders in the world in terms of digital audio consumption.”

"We are proud to once again unveil the latest insights and trends around media usage and consumption in Canada,” said Stephanie Donovan, SVP, Publisher Development North America at Triton Digital. “Broadcast radio listeners remain loyal to the brand, but with one in five Canadians having listened to broadcast radio online in the last month, it’s clear the technology through which they choose to consume is changing.”

Other key The Infinite Dial® 2020 Canada findings include:

• At-home is where most Canadians have consumed a podcast. Eighty-one percent of podcast listeners in Canada age 18+ have listened to a podcast at home and 40% have listened in a car/truck
• 80% of adult Canadian podcast consumers listen to all or most of a typical podcast episode
• Half of adult podcast listeners in Canada have listened to a podcast from a public radio producer
• 14% of those in Canada age 18+ own a Google Home smart speaker, 11% own an Amazon Alexa, and 3% own an Apple HomePod
• The dominant brand of online audio is Spotify, with 28% of Canadian adults listening to Spotify in the past month, compared with Apple Music at 13% and Google Play Music at 11%. Of those who use various online audio brands, 37% say they use Spotify most often.

The Infinite Dial® survey, conducted in the first quarter of 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic, is a high-quality telephone survey and uses a nationally representative survey of 1,076 people in Canada age 18 and older. The sample is a random probability telephone sample, comprised of both mobile phones and landlines. The data is weighted to 18+ population figures.

Cable TV News Ratings: CNN On A 6-Day Demo Win

As protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd continued through the week, CNN hit a major ratings milestone: On Wednesday, the network notched its sixth day in a row in the top spot among the cable news channels for total day and primetime viewers in the advertiser-coveted age demographic of 25 to 54.

This is the first time CNN has topped those viewership groups in 19 years, since the post-9/11 news cycle.

According to The Wrap citing Nielsen ratings, from Friday, May 29 to Wednesday, June 3, CNN beat Fox News and MSNBC in the demo in total day ratings, measuring from 6 a.m. ET to 6 a.m. ET. Due to data availability, Wednesday’s numbers were measured from 6 a.m. ET to 3 a.m. ET.

• Friday, brought in 668,000 average total-day demo viewers compared to Fox News’ 460,000 and MSNBC 253,000. 
• Saturday, CNN had 763,000 average demo viewers while Fox News saw 559,000 and MSNBC saw 243,000. 
• Sunday brought CNN 680,000 average viewers from 25 to 54, while Fox News got 503,000, and MSNBC got 267,000. 
• Monday, CNN had 712,000 total-day demo viewers on average while Fox News grabbed 612,000 and MSNBC had 316,000. 
• Tuesday, the total for CNN’s key demo viewers was 596,000 while for Fox News it was 507,000 and MSNBC it was 301,000. 
• Finally, on Wednesday, CNN’s average total-day viewership count in that all-important demo stood at 614,000, up from Tuesday’s total. Fox News and MSNBC also saw increases over Tuesday with 508,000 and 304,000 average viewers, respectively.

Road Trips Ruled Out for MLB Broadcast Crews

Whenever Major League Baseball returns this season, at least half of all game broadcasts will be done remotely, according to cbssports.com.

Bruce Levine of WSCR 670 The Score reports MLB has informed announcers (both TV and radio) that they will not travel this season, and will instead broadcast road games remotely.

Several networks have experimented with remote broadcasts in recent years, particularly with international play. ESPN has been broadcasting Korea Baseball Organization games remotely the last few weeks.

It can be a bit awkward at times, and it's harder for announcers to talk to players to get background information for a story, but by and large remote broadcasts work just fine.

All MLB announcers( TV and radio) have been told they will be doing all 2020  road games from a  local broadcast studio or home ballpark with monitors as their guide.

NJ.com's Bob Klapisch reports the Yankees are considering broadcasting all their games remotely this season. YES Network television broadcasts would be conducted at the network's studios in Connecticut, and WFAN radio broadcasts would be done at their studios in Manhattan. The only exception might be a television field reporter at the ballpark.

"[Major League Baseball] would like to have as few people inside the Stadium as possible," YES Network executive John Filippelli told Klapisch.

Broadcasters typically travel with the team and reducing the size of the traveling party makes it safer for everyone. Also, because announcers tend to be older (retired players, etc.), many are at heightened risk of serious complications from COVID-19. It only makes sense to limit their travel and reduce risk. 

NY Times Backtracks On 'Troops' Op-Ed Piece

With its editorial staff in open revolt, The New York Times backtracked on its support of a controversial op-ed from Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) that called for troops to be introduced to squash Americans protesting police brutality and the murder of George Floyd.

After first defending its decision to publish the editorial, The Times is now saying that it undertook a “review” following scathing blowback from its own ranks. It has now determined that the op-ed didn’t meet its standards. In fact, the paper concedes the inflammatory article was published without the editorial page editor James Bennet having read it, The NY Post reports.

James Bennet

The Op-Ed pieces has been scrubbed from the Times' website.

“We’ve examined the piece and the process leading up to its publication,” Eileen Murphy, a Times spokeswoman, said in a statement. “This review made clear that a rushed editorial process led to the publication of an Op-Ed that did not meet our standards. As a result, we’re planning to examine both short-term and long-term changes, to include expanding our fact-checking operation and reducing the number of Op-Eds we publish.”

The Times’ Publisher A.G. Sulzberger has also vowed to change the process as a result, according to a report in The Times.

Earlier in the day, Bennet himself defended the op-ed’s publication while conceding it might have been a mistake.

“It would undermine the integrity and independence of The New York Times if we only published views that editors like me agreed with, and it would betray what I think of as our fundamental purpose — not to tell you what to think, but to help you think for yourself.”

The NewsGuild, the union that represents over 1,200 rank-and-file journalists at The Times, countered that publishing the piece promoted hate and endangered the papers’ own reporters in the field. More than 800 staff members signed a letter protesting its publication, The Times has reported.

Bennet, in turn, admitted he believed the union had a point, concluding, “I know that my own view may be wrong.”

Journalists Stage Walkout At Philly Inquirer

Journalists at the Philadelphia Inquirer staged a partial walkout Thursday in outrage at a headline over the George Floyd protests that twisted the name of the group Black Lives Matter to read, “Buildings Matter, Too.”

“On June 4, we’re calling in sick and tired,” stated a letter signed by at least 44 “Journalists of Color of The Philadelphia Inquirer.”

“Sick and tired of pretending things are OK,” added the letter, tweeted by many of those stating they were staying home in protest. “The carelessness of our leadership makes it harder to do our jobs, and at worst puts our lives at risk.”

Philly Inquirer newsroom

The headline — comparing the vandalism to buildings to the international outrage sparked by deaths in police custody — appeared on Page 12 of Wednesday’s print edition.

“We should not have printed it,” the paper’s editors wrote in an “apology to our readers and Inquirer employees” late Wednesday, conceding the headline was “deeply offensive.”

“We’re sorry, and regret that we did,” continued the apology, signed by Editor Gabriel Escobar, Managing Editor Patrick Kerkstra and Executive Editor Stan Wischnowski.