June 14 Radio History

➦In 1908...John Scott Trotter born (Died at age 67 from cancer – October 29, 1975). He was an arranger, composer and orchestra leader, best known for conducting the John Scott Trotter Orchestra which backed singer and entertainer Bing Crosby on record and on his NBC Kraft Music Hall show on NBC Radio from 1937 to 1946.  He also worked with Vince Guaraldi scoring some of the early Peanuts cartoons for TV.

Burl Ives

➦In 1909...Burl Ives born (Died from oral cancer at age 85 – April 14, 1995) was an singer and actor of stage, screen, radio and television.

Ives began as an itinerant singer and banjoist, and launched his own radio show, The Wayfaring Stranger, which popularized traditional folk songs. He also performed  on WBOW radio in Terre Haute, Indiana.  In 1942 he appeared in Irving Berlin's This Is the Army, and then became a major star of CBS radio.

In the 1960s he successfully crossed over into country music, recording hits such as "A Little Bitty Tear" and "Funny Way of Laughin'". A popular film actor through the late 1940s and '50s, Ives's best-known film roles included parts in So Dear to My Heart (1949) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), as well as Rufus Hannassey in The Big Country (1958), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Ives is often remembered for his voice-over work as Sam the Snowman, narrator of the classic 1964 Christmas television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which continues to air annually around Christmas.

Warren Harding -1922 (AP Photo)

➦In 1922...President Warren G. Harding, while addressing a crowd at the dedication of a memorial site for the composer of the “Star Spangled Banner,” Francis Scott Key, became the first president to have his voice transmitted by radio, via WEAR Baltimore. The broadcast heralded a revolutionary shift in how presidents addressed the American public. It was not until three years later, however, that a president would deliver a radio-specific address. That honor went to President Calvin Coolidge.

➦In 1924...WOKO signed on in 1924 IN New York City.  The station moved to Mount Beacon, N.Y., in 1928.  In 1930, moved to Albany, N.Y.  WOKO was the first radio station licensed to that city.

The station picked up he CBS affiliation in the city.  In the early 1940s, CBS moved to rival WTRY.  WOKO adopted a locally-based independent format, focused largely on music. It carried a middle-of-the-road music format in the 1960s before flipping to country.  In 1978, WOKO flipped to a disco format.  As the disco fad passed, WOKO returned to country in 1980.

WOKO tried an all-news format in 1982, changing its call letters to WWCN.  The station flipped back to the WOKO call letters in 1987 with an oldies format.

Barnstable Broadcasting bought the station in 1988 and used it to simulcast WGNA.  ABC Radio purchased the station in 2002 and flipped it to the Radio Disney format as WDDY.  The station went silent in 2013.



➦In 1950...After 13 years on radio, Harold Peary played the title character in "The Great Gildersleeve" for the final time. It was a radio situation comedy broadcast from August 31, 1941 to 1958.

The series was built around Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, a regular character from the radio situation comedy Fibber McGee and Molly. The character was introduced in the October 3, 1939 episode (number 216) of that series. The Great Gildersleeve enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 1940s. Peary played the character during its transition from the parent show into the spin-off and later in four feature films released at the height of the show's popularity.

After Peary. Willard Waterman took over the role for the next eight years on radio and for several years on TV.

➦In 1965...Pioneering newscaster/commentator H.V. Kaltenborn died (Born July 9, 1878). He was a pioneering radio commentator, heard regularly on the radio for over 30 years, beginning with CBS in 1928. He was known for his highly precise diction, his ability to ad-lib, and his depth of knowledge of world affairs.

A good example of that is in the last part of the YouTube in Marlin Taylor's Musings for D-Day ... where NBC was to go to London for a couple of reports but couldn't connect. After those, H. V. was to do a 5-minute summary. Instead, he stepped in and talked for something like 13 minutes without missing a beat, according to Taylor.

Kaltenborn began his career as a newspaper reporter, but moved to radio when it began to establish itself as a bona fide source of news. When he was 19, he ran away from home and joined the armed forces to fight in the Spanish–American War. After that he spent some time in Europe, returning to take a job with the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. At 24, he went to college, enrolling as a special student at Harvard University. When he finished, he returned to the Eagle, traveling during summers to distant locales.

Kaltenborn was one of the first news readers to provide analysis and insight into current news stories. His vast knowledge of foreign affairs and international politics amply equipped him for covering crises in Europe and the Far East in the 1930s. His vivid reporting of the Spanish Civil War and the Czech crisis of 1938 helped establish the credibility of radio news in the public mind and helped to overcome the nation's isolationist sensibilities. Kaltenborn reported on the Spanish Civil War "while hiding in a haystack between the two armies. Listeners in America could hear bullets hitting the hay above him while he spoke."

Radio historian James F. Widner described Kaltenborn's skill as a news analyst: Kaltenborn was known as a commentator who never read from a script. His "talks" were extemporaneous[ly] created from notes he had previously written.

Kaltenborn joined NBC in 1940. On election night in 1948, he and Bob Trout, a former CBS colleague, were at the NBC news desk to broadcast the returns of the White House race between President Harry S. Truman and challenger Thomas E. Dewey. Throughout the evening, the returns were too close to call. As the evening progressed, Kaltenborn could see a swing in Dewey's favor. It was enough for him to project Dewey the winner, although the returns were still close. What Kaltenborn did not foresee was another swing in the votes going to Truman. As evening turned to early morning, Kaltenborn retracted his original projection and announced Truman as the winner.

Though Kaltenborn left full-time broadcasting in 1953, he provided analyses during NBC's television coverage of the Republican and Democratic conventions in 1956. Those live newscasts were anchored by Chet Huntley and David Brinkley in their first on-air pairing. Kaltenborn was in his mid-seventies when the television age arrived.




➦In 1983...The FCC's Docket 80-90 created new FM Stations.  In 1980, as the non-com band started to fill up in most major metropolitan areas there was a little pressure on the FCC and Congress to make room.

The rule grandfathered the existing short spaced stations and reduced minimum mileage separation between new changes. It also limited new licenses to a maximum ERP of 3 KW, HAAT being 328' or 100 meters. Weaker stations = more stations crammed in. But it did not increase the spacing requirements between Class A and second- and third-adjacent channel Class B stations. It also allowed full-power stations to move-in on Class D stations. forcing some off air.

➦In 1986...after 29 years of what was considered North America’s longest-running continuously-published radio station survey, CHUM Radio in Toronto published its last weekly music chart.  It’s last #1 song was “Live to Tell” by Madonna.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

Lucy Hale is 31

• Actress Marla Gibbs is 89. 
• Singer Rod Argent of The Zombies and Argent is 75. 
• Guitarist Barry Melton of Country Joe and the Fish73. 
• Drummer Alan White of Yes is 71. 
• Actor Eddie Mekka (Carmine on “Laverne and Shirley”) is 68. 
• Actor Will Patton is 66. 
• Jazz bassist Marcus Miller is 61. 
• Singer Boy George of Culture Club is 59. 
• Actress Traylor Howard (“Monk,” ″Two Guys And A Girl”) is 54. 
• Actress Yasmine Bleeth is 52. 
• Actor Faizon Love (“The Parent ’Hood”) is 52. 
• Actor Stephen Wallem (“Nurse Jackie”) is 52. 
• Actor Sullivan Stapleton (“Blindspot”) is 43. 
• Screenwriter Diablo Cody (“Juno”) is 42. 
• Actor Lawrence Saint-Victor (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” ″Guiding Light”) is 38. 
• Actor Torrance Coombs (“Reign,” “The Tudors”) is 37. 
• Actor J.R. Martinez (“All My Children”) is 37. 
• Actor Kevin McHale (“Glee”) is 32. 
• Actress Lucy Hale (“Pretty Little Liars”) is 31. 
• Singer Nelson of Little Mix is 29. 
• Actor Daryl Sabara (“Spy Kids”) is 28.

Beasley Media Reports Net Revenue Was Flat During 1Q

Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. has announced operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020.

The results presented reflect actual results including the operations of WDMK-FM in Detroit since its acquisition in August 2019.

Operating income (loss), net income (loss) and net income (loss) per diluted share reflect $6.8 million of non-cash impairment losses in the three months ended March 31, 2020 and a $3.5 million gain on dispositions in the three months ended March 31, 2019.

Net revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2020 reflects strong political advertising revenue, an increase in digital advertising and esports revenue and contributions from the August 2019 acquisition of WDMK-FM, partially offset by a year-over-year decrease in commercial advertising revenue and other revenue related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beasley reported an operating loss of $7.1 million in the first quarter of 2020 compared to operating income of $6.8 million in the first quarter of 2019, largely reflecting the year-over-year decrease in Station Operating Income (SOI, a non-GAAP financial measure), in addition to higher operating expenses related to the acquisition of WDMK-FM and esports investments, higher depreciation and amortization expense, and a $6.8 million non-cash impairment charge resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on advertising revenue, partially offset by lower corporate expense. The comparable 2019 period benefitted from a $3.5 million gain on asset dispositions.

First quarter 2020 interest expense decreased 8.8% to $4.2 million compared to interest expense of $4.6 million in the prior year period, due to lower interest rates, partially offset by an increase in long-term debt outstanding.

Beasley reported a net loss of $8.8 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, in the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to net income of $1.4 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, in the three months ended March 31, 2019. The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to the aforementioned non-cash impairment charge recorded in the first quarter of 2020 and the gain on asset dispositions in the prior year period.

Caroline Beasley

Commenting on the financial results, Caroline Beasley, Chief Executive Officer, said, “During the first quarter, the broadcast industry experienced a rapid deterioration in market conditions brought on by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a significant decline in commercial advertising revenue in March. Despite these challenges, first quarter net revenue was $57.7 million, primarily reflecting strong performance across our station clusters in seven markets during the months of January and February driven by robust political ad spending and contributions from WDMK-FM, as well as significant growth in digital and esports revenue. However, our top-line growth was not able to fully offset the acute challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic during the three-month period, resulting in a year-over-year decline in first quarter SOI and Free Cash Flow.

“During the first quarter, we continued to advance our digital transformation and revenue diversification initiatives across the Company. In this regard, Beasley generated digital revenue growth of approximately 49% on a year-over-year basis, with digital accounting for approximately 9% of total first quarter revenue, compared to 6% of total revenue in the prior year period. In addition, Beasley launched the first major esports event featuring the Houston Outlaws, which the Company acquired in November 2019, securing several new sponsorships as the team began competing in Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch League matches in February. With our focus on quality content production and consumer engagement, we are growing audience share across our digital and esports platforms while delivering multi-platform turnkey marketing solutions to advertisers and brands. Overall, we are pleased with the momentum and trajectory of these digital and esports initiatives, which have been less impacted by COVID-19, and look forward to this growth trend continuing throughout the remainder of the year and beyond.

“Since the nationwide COVID-19 outbreak, we implemented immediate actions to adapt our business to protect our employees and preserve liquidity in order to best position the Company, our stations, our digital operations, and our esports interests for renewed long-term success. In this regard, we have quickly implemented several changes across the Company including reducing operating expenses and corporate overhead, decreasing selling, general and administrative costs and realigning our company-wide cost structure to preserve cash."

Auto Industry Advertising On The Rebound

Advertising from the auto industry is accelerating quickly amid the end of stay-home orders in many states and subsequent dealership reopenings, Mediapost reports.

The spend during the week of May 24 was nearly double where it was just three weeks earlier, according to MediaRadar.

This is not the result of one or two manufacturers. Most major brands, including Toyota, General Motors, Nissan and Subaru, have increased their advertising.

Although a much smaller subcategory of automotive, ad spending for RVs is up nearly three times year-to-date, with many consumers opting for road trips this summer due to the pandemic instead of plane trips. Related, one sector that has not come back so far is car rentals. Ad spending from this category almost completely evaporated beginning the week of March 22 and remains at almost nonexistent levels.

A rebound in automotive markets abroad may be encouraging foreign automotive brands to begin advertising more heavily in the United States in hopes of a similar recovery. In fact, looking at only import automotive brands such as Toyota, Hyundai, Subaru and BMW, there has already been a full recovery in ad spend.

Spending year-to-date among import brands is up 10%, with much of the gain coming in the most recent weeks, according to MediaRadar.

On The Road Numbers Continue Resurgence

The Geopath and Intermx teams have an update to the weekly COVID-19 Mobility tracking reports that we have been releasing over the past two months. 

According to the data, the latest stats mark the eighth consecutive week of growth in average total miles traveled per day – an increase of 60% since April 6th. The average miles traveled daily has increased by 1.1 mile over the last week, up 8% week over week since the April low.

Additionally, distance traveled daily is now 87% of the travel occurring the first week of March, prior to when the COVID-19 restrictions went into effect. In state after state, distance traveled daily is approaching (and in some cases exceeding) levels of travel occurring the first week of March – prior to COVID-19 restrictions. 

To view the full report on this data, please click here.

Lady A Says Not So Fast..Lady A

Lady Antebellum's name change to Lady A isn't sitting well with another artist who says she's been using that moniker for two decades.

USAToday reports Seattle-based blues singer Lady A, who is Black, blasted the country group in an Instagram post, saying: "How can you say Black Lives Matter and put your knee on the neck of another Black artist? I'm not mad..I am however not giving up my name, my brand I worked hard for. #GodWillFightMyBattle #TheRealLadyA #LadyABluesSoulFunkGospelArtist #TheTruthIsLoud"

She told Rolling Stone no one from the group — featuring members Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood — reached out to her prior to revealing the name change.

“This is my life," she told the magazine. "Lady A is my brand, I’ve used it for over 20 years, and I’m proud of what I’ve done. This is too much right now."

It's unclear if the blues singer has tried to trademark the "Lady A" name. A search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office records shows the term was registered for in 2011 by Lady A Entertainment, a limited liability company in Tennessee. Lady A Entertainment is also listed as the owner of a series of Lady Antebellum trademarks relating to music and multimedia materials.

View this post on Instagram

@ladyantebellumofficial How can you say Black Lives Matter and put your knee on the neck of another Black artist? I'm not mad..I am however not giving up my name, my brand I worked hard for. #GodWillFightMyBattle #TheRealLadyA #LadyABluesSoulFunkGospelArtist #TheTruthIsLoud

A post shared by LadyA (@ladya_bluesdiva) on Jun 12, 2020 at 9:34am PDT

The country group behind hits "Need You Now" and "Bartender" announced the name change on Thursday, saying it was renouncing antebellum, a term used particularly to describe existing before the American Civil War.

In a statement posted to social media, the band said that when Lady A formed 14 years ago, the group didn't consider the pre-Civil War "associations that weigh down this word," including ties to slavery.


The move comes in the wake of a renewed Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a white Minneapolis police officer.

"We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued," the band's statement said. "Causing pain was never our hearts' intention, but it doesn't change the fact that indeed, it did just that. So today, we speak up and make a change."

Atlanta Radio: Loui Vee Named PD At WRDG The Beat

Loui Vee

iHeartMedia has announced DJ Loui Vee has been named program director of WRDG 105.3 The Beat, The ATL’s Home of the Breakfast Club, Hip Hop N’ R&B.

As Program Director, DJ Loui Vee will be responsible for overseeing all on-air, social and digital programming for 105.3 The Beat. He will report to Meg Stevens, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Atlanta.

“Very excited to have DJ Loui Vee in Atlanta. He is an exceptional talent who will continue to build the brand of 105.3 The Beat Atlanta,” said Stevens. “His creativity and passion along with his incredible leadership skills make him the perfect talent to program 105.3 The Beat.”

DJ Loui Vee joins the Atlanta market from iHeartMedia Indianapolis and Louisville, where he most recently served as the program director and on-air personality for Real 98.3 and Real 93.1. He also served as the assistant program director, mix show coordinator and on-air personality for iHeartMedia Columbia and South Carolina’s 100.1 The Beat. After graduating from South Carolina State University in 2008, he began his career as a DJ and his momentum has consistently grown every year. DJ Loui Vee has proved himself and developed quite the reputation.

“I’m looking forward to reconnecting with the people of Atlanta, finding out what it is that they want and need, and providing that for them,” said DJ Loui Vee. “‘I’m looking forward to working with “The Breakfast Club’, Ashlee Young, DJ Scream, Zack Boog, Shay Diddy and the rest of the 105.3 The Beat team.”

Green Bay Radio: Sports WNFL To Simulcast WRNW Milwaukee

Sports WNFL, besides having the best call letters you can get for a sports talk radio station, has been a staple on the dial in Northeast Wisconsin since 1967.

Being in a sports city, especially in the shadow of Lambeau Field, sports talk radio is an important part of our culture, and we’re introducing a brand new line-up that will cover Wisconsin sports in a major way.

“We’ve signed a deal with Milwaukee’s ‘The Game’ and have picked up 12 hours of their amazing Wisconsin-focused programming each weekday. We’re excited about this line-up, and we’re excited about the future of this radio station”, said Jason Hillery, Midwest Communications Operations Manager.

The new weekday line-up (beginning on June 22, 2020):

• 6am-9am: The Steve Czaban Show
• 9am-Noon: Green Bay legend John Kuhn along with Brian Butch.
• Noon-3pm: Ted Davis (voice of the Milwaukee Bucks) and Dario Melendez
• 3pm-6pm: Drew & K.B.
• 6pm-6am (and weekends): FOX Sports Radio

“We are beyond thrilled to bring the daily GAME lineup to a station as historic as WNFL,” said Tim Scott Program Director for 97.3 The Game. “Steve Czaban, John Kuhn, Brian Butch, Ted Davis, Dario Melendez, Drew and KB all voices Wisconsin sports fans know and now will get to hear every day.” The WNFL studios will be home to John Kuhn’s “Nine 2 Noon” program.

WNFLis privately owned by Duke Wright’s Midwest Communications, which also owns and operates WIXX, Y100, WTAQ, Duke FM, and Jack FM.

'Ed Sullivan Show' Music Archives Now Streaming

A trove of historic TV performances by The Supremes, The Jackson 5, The Beach Boys and others on “The Ed Sullivan Show” is now available around the world under a deal to bring the program’s large archive to online streaming, Reuters reports.

Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), a unit of Vivendi’s Universal Music Group, purchased global digital rights to the long-running U.S. variety show and will offer full-length performances for viewing on “The Ed Sullivan Show” YouTube channel and EdSullivan.com.

Sullivan’s show aired on Sunday nights on CBS from 1948 to 1971. The host welcomed established and up-and-coming entertainers, comedians, athletes, dancers and others. Sullivan, who was a newspaper reporter and columnist before becoming a TV pioneer, died in 1974.

In the past, only short clips of some performances were available online through official channels, along with unauthorized low-resolution videos.

UMe said it would release thousands of high-resolution performances from the “Ed Sullivan” catalog over the next three years, with at least one new video posted daily.

The first batch includes The Supremes, The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Neil Diamond.

Appearing on Sullivan’s show boosted the careers of many performers, from rock ‘n’ roll bands to country stars and Motown groups. The Supremes were featured 16 times.

In the group’s early days, “we had all the records that we have released that were not hits,” Supremes singer Mary Wilson said in an interview. “Once we made it big and we were on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show,’ I knew that we had actually made it then.”

The Beatles gave their first live U.S. TV performance on Sullivan’s New York stage in February 1964, attracting a then-record U.S. television audience of 73 million people.

Other memorable musical acts included Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones and The Doors.

UMe licensed the global digital rights to the series from SOFA Entertainment Inc, the company formed by documentary filmmaker Andrew Solt when he bought the rights to the show’s library in 1990.

Florida Name, Image and Likeness Bill Now Law

Paul Combs Tribune Content graphic

Florida wasn’t the first state to introduce legislation that would allow college athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness. It wasn’t the first to pass a bill on the subject, either.

But, according to The Tampa Bay Times,  when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state’s bill into law Friday at a ceremony at the University of Miami, it represented one of the biggest steps in a years-long nationwide movement to overhaul the NCAA’s amateur model.

Because the law takes effect July 1, 2021, about 18 months earlier than similar laws previously approved in California and Colorado, it puts pressure on a notoriously slow-moving organization to act quickly on the issue.

The state is leading carefully. The law does not allow players to be paid directly for their performances. Instead, it allows athletes to be compensated by third parties in other ways, such as through endorsements and sponsored social media posts.

DeSantis called it “a matter of fairness.” Why should college musicians be able to make money from their own YouTube channel while a college athlete cannot do something similar, he said.

The NCAA has long resisted changes to its model, which prohibits players from making money off their names while they’re playing for member schools. Former Hurricanes star linebacker Jonathan Vilma said during Friday’s ceremony that the NCAA has been “sitting back” for decades on the issue.

“The NCAA likes status quo,” Vilma said. “Unfortunately for them, the time has come. Fortunately for us, we have a governor in Gov. DeSantis that said, ‘We’re going to push the agenda, and we’re going to push it immediately, forcing the NCAA to act.’ ”

The NCAA took a step toward action in April when it announced its board of governors supported a plan that would let players monetize their name, image and likeness without losing eligibility. But its ideas conflict with Florida’s legislation on several fronts, including the role of advisers in endorsements and whether shoe companies should be sources of income for players.

The NCAA is expected to adopt new rules in January to take effect at the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

Radio America Launching Tony Katz Weekend Show

Radio America will syndicate "Eat!, Drink! Smoke!" with Tony Katz starting June 26. It will also distribute and represent ad sales for the podcast. The two-hour weekly program combines "good times and good friends," stepping away from the madness of each week with reviews of fine cigars, excellent bourbon and interesting food. Hosted by radio host, writer and regular cable news presence Tony Katz with guests sharing their thoughts with humor and expertise.

Katz is currently the host of "Tony Katz and the Morning News" on WIBC 93.1 FM in Indianapolis.

"Being able to bring 'Eat! Drink! Smoke!' to cities across the country is just sensational," stated Katz. "We're not trying to be the final word on cigars and bourbon; we're sharing the word. Distillers are artists, and so are the cigar rollers and Master Blenders in the US and around the world."

"Tony is a phenomenal talent that knows how to connect with listeners and advertisers. Stations are going to love his knowledge of cigars and bourbon along with his conversational and humorous style," added Radio America Chief Operating Officer Mike Paradiso.

June 13 Radio History

Ralph Edwards

➦In 1913...Ralph Livingstone Edwards born (Died at age 92 – November 16, 2005). He was a rado, TV host best known for his game show Truth or Consequences and This Is Your Life.

Edwards worked for KROW Radio in Oakland, California while he was still in high school. Before graduating from high school in 1931, he worked his way through college at the University of California, Berkeley, earning a B.A. in English in 1935. While there, he worked at every job from janitor to producer at Oakland's KTAB, now KSFO. Failing to get a job as a high school teacher, he worked at KFRC and then hitchhiked across the country to New York, where, he said, "I ate ten-cent (equivalent to $2 in 2015), meals and slept on park benches".

After some part-time announcing jobs, he got his big break in 1938 with a full-time job for the Columbia Broadcasting System on WABC (now WCBS), where he worked with two other young announcers who would become broadcasting fixtures - Mel Allen and Andre Baruch.

He is best remembered as radio’s host for the audience particpation show Truth or Consequences, which he created in 1940, and the TV host of This Is Your Life. In his early years in radio he was announcer on as many as 45 shows a week.  In his later years he was one of TV’s most prolific producers.

Maj. Edward Bowes

➦In 1946...Edward Bowes died at age 71 (Born - June 14, 1874). He called himself Major Edward Bowes, and was a radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s.   His nickname sprang from his earlier military rank, though historians are divided on whether he was an active-duty officer in World War I or held the rank as a member of the Officer Reserve Corps. His Major Bowes Amateur Hour was the best-known amateur talent show in radio during its 18-year run (1935–1952) on NBC Radio and CBS Radio

Bowes brought his best-known creation to New York radio station WHN in 1934. He had actually hosted scattered amateur nights on smaller stations while manager of the Capitol. Within a year of its WHN premiere, The Original Amateur Hour began earning its creator and host as much as $1 million a year, according to Variety.

The rapid popularity of The Original Amateur Hour made him better known than most of the talent he featured. Some of his discoveries became stars, including opera stars Lily Pons, Robert Merrill, and Beverly Sills; comedian Jack Carter; pop singer Teresa Brewer; and, Frank Sinatra, fronting a quartet known as the Hoboken Four when they appeared on the show in 1935.

The show consistently ranked among radio's top ten programs throughout its run.

Bowes's familiar catchphrase, "...around and around she goes and where she stops nobody knows", spoken in the familiar avuncular tones for which he was so renowned, whenever it was time to spin its "wheel of fortune," the device by which some contestants were called to perform.

In the early days of the show, whenever a performer was simply too terrible to continue, Bowes would stop the act by striking a gong (a device that would be revived in the 1970s by Chuck Barris's infamous The Gong Show). Bowes heard from thousands of listeners who objected to his terminating these acts prematurely, so he abandoned the gong in 1936.

Bowes is credtied for featuring more black entertainers than many network shows of the time.

➦In 1948...WBAM becomes WOR FM in NYC. WOR-AM's original owner was Bamberger's Department Store in Newark, New Jersey. In the early 1920s, the store was selling radio receivers and wanted to put a radio station on the air to help promote receiver sales as well as for general publicity.

Fran Allison

➦In 1989... Fran Allison died (Born - November 20, 1907). She was a television and radio comedian, personality and singer. She is best known for her starring role on the weekday NBC-TV puppet show Kukla, Fran and Ollie, which ran from 1947–57, occasionally returning to the air until the mid-1980s. The trio also hosted The CBS Children's Film Festival, introducing international children's films, from 1967-77.

In 1937, where she was hired as a staff singer and personality on NBC Radio. A July 26, 1937, newspaper item reported, "Fran Allison, singer of WMT, Waterloo, Ia., makes her network debut in the WJZ-NBC club matinee at 3."

Beginning in 1937, she was a regular performer on The Breakfast Club, a popular Chicago radio show, and was a fixture for 25 years as "Aunt Fanny", a gossipy small-town spinster.

In 1947, the director of WBKB-TV in Chicago asked Burr Tillstrom if he could put together a puppet show for children, and he asked Allison, whom he had met during a World War II war bond tour, to join the show. She was the only human to appear on the live series, filling the role of big sister and cheery voice of reason as the puppets, known as the Kuklapolitan Players, engaged each other.

➦In 2008...newsman Tim Russert, the NBC Washington Bureau Chief and respected host of ‘Meet the Press,’ suffered a massive heart attack and died at age 58.

Chips Moman and Ringo Starr

➦In 2016…Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman died at age 79 from emphysema (Born - June 12, 1937). He was an American record producer, guitarist, and Grammy Award-winning songwriter.

Chips Moman

In the 1960s, Moman worked for Stax Records before founding the American Sound Studio in Memphis, TN. As a record producer, Moman was known for recording Elvis Presley, Tammy Wynette, Bobby Womack, Carla Thomas, and Merrilee Rush, as well as guiding the career of the Box Tops. As a songwriter, he was responsible for standards associated with Aretha Franklin, James Carr, Waylon Jennings, and B. J. Thomas, including the Grammy-winning "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song".

He was also a session guitarist for Franklin and other musicians.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, American Sound became one of the most successful recording studios in the country, producing more than 120 charting singles by pop, soul, and country artists and at one point contributing over a quarter of the hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

Moman produced Elvis Presley's 1969 album, From Elvis in Memphis – described as best album" – and the hit songs "In the Ghetto", "Suspicious Minds", and "Kentucky Rain".

Ally Sheedy is 58

HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

• Actor Bob McGrath (“Sesame Street”) is 88. 
• Magician Siegfried of Siegfried and Roy is 81. 
• Actor Malcolm McDowell is 77. 
• Singer Dennis Locorriere (Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show) is 71. 
• Actor Stellan Skarsgard (“Mamma Mia”) is 69. 
• Actor Richard Thomas is 69. 
• Comedian Tim Allen is 67. 
• Actress Ally Sheedy is 58. 
• TV anchor Hannah Storm is 58. 
• Bassist Paul deLisle of Smash Mouth is 57. 
• Singer David Gray is 52. 
• Singer Deniece Pearson of Five Star is 52. 
• Musician Soren Rasted (Aqua) is 51. 
• Actor-singer Jamie Walters is 51. 
• Singer-guitarist Rivers Cuomo of Weezer is 50. 
• Actor Steve-O (“Jackass”) is 46. 
• Actor Ethan Embry (“Can’t Hardly Wait,” ″That Thing You Do!”) is 42. 
• Actor Chris Evans (“The Fantastic Four”) is 39. 
• Actress Sarah Schaub (“Promised Land”) is 37. 
• Singer Raz B (B2K) is 35. 
• Actress Kat Dennings (“2 Broke Girls”) is 34. 
• Actresses Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen are 34. 
• Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Kick-Ass” films) is 30.

St. Louis Radio: AC KEZK Adds Delilah For Evenings

Delilah

Entercom has announced the addition of nationally-syndicated personality Delilah to KEZK 102.5 FM. Delilah can be heard on St. Louis’ only adult contemporary station Sunday through Friday from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. CT, effective June 15.

“Delilah was a staple on St. Louis radio for many years and we’re thrilled to welcome her back to her St. Louis radio home,” said Becky Domyan, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom St. Louis. “Listeners are excited to reconnect with Delilah’s signature positivity and shining light, at a time when they are most in need of comforting and familiar voices.”

“I’m excited to reconnect with so many friends in the St. Louis area every evening on 102.5 KEZK. Let the fabulous stories begin,” said Delilah. “I look forward to joining Greg [Hewitt] and Trish [Gazall] on a radio station that plays great music and holds remarkable memories in my heart. Thank you to Becky Domyan and Cat Thomas [Brand Manager, 102.5 KEZK] for making this possible.”

Delilah’s top-rated show features her distinctive blend of story-telling, sympathetic listening, and encouragement – all scored with adult contemporary music. She attracts millions of listeners on more than 150 radio stations nationwide, making her the most-listened-to woman on radio in the U.S. For her work on the program, she has been honored as a Marconi Award winner and is an inductee of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the Radio Hall of Fame.

Updated 102.5 KEZK weekday programming lineup is as follows.

• 12:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.:  “The Best Mix of the 80’s Through Today”
• 6:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.:   Greg Hewitt
• 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.:   Trish Gazall
• 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.:    “102.5 KEZK More Music Hour”
• 7:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.:   Delilah

Listeners can tune in to 102.5 KEZK (KEZK-FM) in St. Louis on air, as well as nationwide on the RADIO.COM app and website. Fans can also connect with the station on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

May 2020 PPMs Day 4: Now Out..Austin, Nashville, Indy, 9 More

Nielsen on Thursday, June 11, 2020 released the final batch of May 2020 PPM data for the following markets:

 33  Austin

 38  Raleigh-Durham NC

 39  Indianapolis

 41  Milwaukee-Racine


 43  Nashville

 44  Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket

 45  Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News

 46  Jacksonville FL

 47  West Palm Beach-Boca Raton

 48  Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point NC

 51  Memphis

 52  Hartford-New Britain-Middletown CT

Click Here to view Topline numbers for subscribing Nielsen stations.

The Rundown: Pandemic Woes Worry Wall Street

Stocks plunged yesterday amid worries about surges of coronavirus cases in parts of the U.S., denting recent optimism that the economy could recover quickly from the virus-caused lockdowns that had led to a Wall Street comeback. The Dow Jones Industrial average closed down 1,861.82 points, or 6.9 percent, with another factor being the Federal Reserve warning Wednesday that there'll be a long road to economic recovery and it would keep interest rates low for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the Labor Department reported that some 1.5 million people applied for unemployment benefits for the first time last week, the 10th straight weekly decline in new applications, but still in historically high territory.

Final Phase of Testing for Some Vaccines Starting Next Month: The final phase of testing for some proposed coronavirus vaccines will begin next month. U.S.-based Moderna said the vaccine it's developing with the National Institutes of Health will be tested in 30,000 people in the U.S. A potential vaccine from Sinovac Biotech in China will start being tested in Brazil, since there is currently so few cases of the coronavirus in China. The NIH also expects to help several other potential vaccines move into the final stage of testing this summer. Dr. John Mascole, who directs the NIH's vaccine research center, said Wednesday that if all goes well, quote, "there will potential to get answers" on which vaccines work by the end of the year.

U.S. Coronavirus Stats: There have been more than 113,800 deaths in the U.S. as of early this morning, according to Johns Hopkins University's count, and more than 2,023,300 confirmed cases.

➤TRUMP SAYS FINALIZING EXECUTIVE ORDER ON POLICE REFORM: Even as congressional lawmakers from both parties are working on police reform proposals in the wake of the protests over George Floyd's death, President Trump said Thursday that he's finalizing an executive order that will, quote, "encourage police departments nationwide to meet the most current professional standards for the use of force, including tactics for deescalation." Trump, who was speaking at a roundtable with law enforcement in Dallas, said the order will encourage police to use, quote, "force, but force with compassion." But Trump also defended police, saying, "you always have a bad apple no matter where you go," but "there are not too many in the police department."

Police Want to Return to Precinct in Seattle 'Autonomous Zone': Seattle police want to return and go back to work in a precinct they left empty and boarded up when protesters began occupying the area around it. The demonstrators continue to hold an area of about six blocks and have dubbed it the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone." President Trump tweeted yesterday to Mayor Jenny Durkan and Washington Governor Jay Inslee about the situation, saying, "Take back your city NOW. If you don't do it, I will." But Durkan said the city won't allow federal troops to move out the protesters, saying it would be "unwelcome" and "illegal," and Inslee said, "What we will not allow are threats of military violence against Washingtonians coming from the White House." Both said the protests have been largely peaceful. Meanwhile, Police Chief Carmen Best said in a video addressed to members of the department, "You should know, leaving the precinct was not my decision."

Louisville Bans 'No-Knock' Warrants After Breonna Taylor's Death: Louisville, Kentucky's Metro Council voted unanimously yesterday (June 11th) to ban the use of "no-knock" warrants, taking action after protests and calls for reform following the March 13th death of Breonna Taylor. The 26-year-old, who was studying to be a nurse, was shot and killed by officers executing a no-knock warrant in a drug investigation who burst into her home while she was in bed with her boyfriend. No drugs were found. The ordinance is being named after Taylor.

L-A Times (6/12/2020)

➤SUSPECT IN SHOOTING OF CALIFORNIA DEPUTY KILLED AFTER SHOOTOUTS WITH POLICE: A 26-year-old suspect in the ambush shooting of a San Luis Obispo County, California, sheriff's deputy early Wednesday was shot and killed in Paso Robles Thursday after shootouts with police. Three officers were wounded. Paso Robles police got a report of shots being fired Wednesday night and saw a man who appeared to be Mason James Lira, but he escaped into an apartment complex. Officers surrounded it, but he was able to escape through a riverbed. He shot at police at one point before retreating. Law enforcement surrounded the area overnight and planned a search, but Lira emerged from hiding around 2 p.m. and again fired at them. He came out once more two hours later, and was shot after climbing up an an embankment and trying to run to a vineyard. Paso Robles Police Chief Ty Lewis said Lira had clearly been planning attacks on law enforcement, possibly for days. Lira's father, Jose Lira, said his son had schizophrenia, Asperger’s syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and had been in and out of jail and treatment centers. Jose Lira said his son didn't take his medication, and often though he was a special agent or soldier.

Deputy Nicholas Dreyfus, who was shot in the head in Wednesday's ambush attack, remains hospitalized in guarded condition. It's also believed Lira killed a 58-year-old transient.

➤SEAWORLD ORLANDO, BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY REOPEN: Two more theme parks in Florida reopened from their coronavirus shutdowns yesterday, with the return of SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Both now require reservations in order to limit capacity and wearing face masks, and everyone will have their temperature screened at the entrance to the parks. In order to do extra cleaning, SeaWorld Orlando will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Bush Gardens on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Universal Orlando Resort reopened last week and Walt Disney World's theme parks will be back next month.

➤REPORT: FOX NEWS HOSTS SEAN HANNITY AND AINSLEY EARHARDT IN A RELATIONSHIP: Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt have been quietly seeing each other for some time, according to a Vanity Fair report.

Hannity hosts his own prime time show and Earhardt is one of the co-hosts of the morning show, Fox & Friends. Both got divorced in the past year, but it only recently became known that Hannity and his ex-wife were no longer together, with People saying they were in fact separated for years before divorcing, and that Hannity and Earhardt have been dating for years.

The report cites a source as saying Earhardt is taping her remote Fox appearances amid the pandemic from a studio in Hannity's basement. Page Six said she's been renting a home near his during this time. Neither is confirming anything, and Earhardt said, "I am not dating anyone."

➤PGA TOUR RETURNS WITH TEXAS TOURNAMENT: The PGA Tour returned from its coronavirus shutdown Thursday with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Golf Course in Fort Worth, Texas, played without any fans. The first round ended with a first-place tie at 7-under 63 between Britain's Justin Rose and American Harold Varner III, and included a hole-in-one on the 13th hole by Sung Kang of South Korea. A moment of silence was held at 8:46 a.m. in honor of George Floyd and to support efforts to end racial and social injustice. It reflected the eight minutes and 46 seconds that a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on Floyd's neck.

This is a time of self-reflection for all – the NFL is no exception. We stand with the black community because Black Lives Matter. pic.twitter.com/RtIdcEhj5w

— NFL (@NFL) June 4, 2020

➤NFL TO SPEND $250 MILLION ON SOCIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVES: The NFL announced Thursday that it will spend $250 million over 10 years on social justice initiatives, targeting what it called "systemic racism" and supporting, quote, "the battle against the ongoing and historic injustices faced by African Americans." The NFL has raised $44 million in donations through its Inspire Change program, and said it will provide the other $206 million. The league said it would work with NFL players to support programs on criminal justice reform, police reform, and economic and educational advancement.

➤NHL TRAINING CAMPS TO OPEN JULY 10TH IF ALL APPROVED: The NHL and the players' union have agreed to have training camps open on July 10th if everything else is approved. The league and union have already approved a 24-team playoff format to come back from their coronavirus shutdown, but they still need to come to agreement on testing for the virus and health and safety protocols, as well as potential host cities for games. Training camps are expected to last two weeks. Players have already been allowed to resume small-group, voluntary workouts, and teams can open their training facilities on Monday.

➤NCAA FINALIZES PLAN FOR EXTENDED COLLEGE FOOTBALL PRESEASON: The NCAA's football oversight committee finalized a plan Thursday for an extended preseason that would include an additional two weeks for teams to hold walk-throughs. A plan was needed for extra preparation time since spring practice and summer activities like weight training and film study have been canceled by most teams because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Portland ME Radio: Radio Vet Phil Zachary To Manage Saga Cluster

Phil Zachary

Saga Communications' Portland Radio Group has announced 46-year radio vet Phil Zachary as GM replacing Bob Adams.

Most recently, he was Senior VP/Market Manager for Entercom/Washington, DC. Zachary joined the DC cluster in 2018 after heading the company's co-owned local group in Hartford.

Zachary’s contract with Entercom ended in May 2020.

His tenure in the Nation’s Capital began in May 2018, and was previously Market Manager for Entercom’s Hartford properties. Before that, he was SVP/Market Manager for Entercom’s Southern New England Region, and prior to that served as VP/Market Manager for Entercom/Boston for four years.

Zachary has also been President and COO for Curtis Media Group in Raleigh-Durham; and took the role in D.C. for Entercom having previously served as VP/Market Captain for CBS Radio in Washington, D.C.

The Portland Radio Group includes Classic Country WZAN-AM, Classic Hits WYNZ 100.9, AC WBAE-AM/WVAE-AM, Adult Alternative WCLZ-FM, News/Talk WGAN-AM, Hot AC WMGX-FM Coast 93.1, Country WPOR-FM 101.9 and Pure Oldies Translator 105.5.

Providence Radio: Paul & Al Show Reach WHJY Milestone

iHeartMedia's WHJY-FM (94 HJY) Providence has announced a 30-year anniversary celebration of "The Paul and Al Morning Show," which will broadcast on July 15 from 5:30 to 10am. To celebrate "The Paul and Al Morning Show," the station will air a compilation of show highlights and snippets from throughout the decades.

Veteran air personalities Paul and Al joined 94 HJY in the summer of 1990 and have been familiar, trusted voices to listeners around the Providence area ever since. Thirty years after its debut, "The Paul and Al Morning Show" remains top-rated and ranks second in Rhode Island radio history for all-time in longevity for a morning show on the same station, playing a considerable role in the success of the station. Throughout their career, Paul and Al have been recognized for their on-air presence and were inducted into the Rhode Island Radio Hall of Fame in 2008.

"Thirty years goes by fast when you're in a great place every day," said Paul. "We're surrounded by management and staff that are smart, funny, supportive, compassionate, and even hard-working and are really blessed to be on a totally unique rock station that is a part of the culture of Southern New England. When will we retire? You'll have to pry the microphone from our cold, dead hands."

"There's only one thing better than rock 'n' roll, and that's our rock 'n' roll listeners," added Al. "HJY is one of a kind in so many ways, and our listeners' fierce loyalty is key to the station's success and our 30-year run. We're incredibly grateful to our listeners for letting us do what we love: playing AC/DC and Metallica for breakfast and cracking lame jokes. It's a hell of a living! Thanks to iHeartMedia for keeping us rocking."

"I remember the day Paul and Al signed on as the new morning show hosts at 94 HJY, replacing iconic morning talent Carolyn Fox," said 94 HJY Program Director Doug Palmieri. "They hit the ground running and never looked back, becoming a Southern New England institution. I've been lucky enough to work with them over much of their 30 years on 94 HJY and their humor, generosity and dedication to listeners are truly inspiring. Thirty years in one place performing at the highest level in this industry ain't no joke, and these guys are the best in the business."

Some Sponsors Hit Pause On FNC's Tucker Carlson

Fox News Channel has seen several companies say they will no longer run their commercials in the top-rated prime-time program “Tucker Carlson Tonight” due to the host’s recent comments on Black Lives Matter, the movement denouncing police brutality and racial bias that has gained substantial support among protesters nationwide in recent weeks following the death of George Floyd.

While much of the country and the media have taken a sympathetic view of the demonstrations spurred by the video of Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died on a Minneapolis street with his neck under the knee of a police officer, Carlson has been a harsh skeptic, The L-A Times reports.

Carlson has criticized Republican politicians who have expressed support or understanding of the protests since they began at the end of May. He also said it was “soulless” and “craven” to support Black Lives Matter and ran a scroll of celebrities who offered financial help to the cause in front of video of property set ablaze during the uprisings.

But, The Times reports Carlson crossed a line with advertisers when he said the movement “may be a lot of things, this moment we’re living through, but it is definitely not about Black lives. Remember that when they come for you, and at this rate, they will.”

At least ive sponsors publicly stated they will no longer run in Carlson’s program. One of them, telecom company T-Mobile, stated its intention in a tweet from its Chief Executive Mike Sievert, who wrote “Bye-Bye Tucker.”

The others who distanced themselves are restaurant chain Papa John’s, the Walt Disney Co., SmileDirect Club and furniture maker Vari.

A Fox News Channel spokesperson stated that all national TV media advertising money from those advertiser departures in the "Carlson" show was moved to other Fox news programs.

A statement from Fox News Channel to a publication said Carlson's reference to “they” will “come for you” was referring to Democratic leaders and inner city politicians.

The latest exodus of advertisers is not expected to change Carlson’s status on the channel, as the network has stood by him in the past and he is a personal favorite of Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch.

Carlson is also a major draw for Fox News Channel. In May, “Tucker Carlson Tonight” averaged 4.19 million viewers according to Nielsen, making it the second most-watched cable news program behind Fox’s “Hannity,” with 4.23 million.

Even with weak advertiser support, “Tucker Carlson Tonight” is valuable in driving viewers into the rest of the Fox News lineup. Fox News also gets more than half of its revenue from fees it gets from cable and satellite companies that carry the channel, lessening its dependence on advertising.