August 30 Radio History

➦In 1903...Arthur Godfrey was born. Godfrey is probably best known for his "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scout" and was one of if not the most popular radio personalities of his day.

Arthur Godfrey

On leaving the Coast Guard, Godfrey became a radio announcer for the Baltimore station WFBR (now WJZ (AM)) and moved the short distance to Washington, D.C. to become a staff announcer for NBC-owned station WRC the same year and remained there until 1934.

Recovering from a near-fatal automobile accident en route to a flying lesson in 1931 (by which time he was already an avid flyer), he decided to listen closely to the radio and realized that the stiff, formal style then used by announcers could not connect with the average radio listener; the announcers spoke in stentorian tones, as if giving a formal speech to a crowd and not communicating on a personal level. Godfrey vowed that when he returned to the airwaves, he would affect a relaxed, informal style as if he were talking to just one person. He also used that style to do his own commercials and became a regional star.

➦In 1931...gossip columnist Walter Winchell began his long distinctive radio career with a quarter hour Tuesday nights coast-to-coast on CBS, after a 3-month trial run on the local New York affiliate WABC.

➦In 1934...KEX 1180 AM moved studios from the "Terminal Sales Building" to "The Oregonian" bldg. with KGW

➦In 1963...“American Bandstand” aired for the final time as a daily show on ABC-TV, it became a weekly show on Saturdays for another 26 years

NY Times Story

➦In 1966...WOR 98.7 FM changed to rock.

It was nation’s first  free-form progressive rock format. Some legendary NYC disc jockeys, including Scott Muni and Murray “The K” Kaufman, were among the original WOR-FM staffers.

WOR-FM became popular on college campuses and the station racked up impressive ratings for an FM station in those days.

But owner RKO wanted to play just the hits.  It tweaked the format in 1967 to target a traditional Top 40 audience.  Consultant Bill Drake brought a version of his “Boss Radio” format, which had been popular on other RKO stations around the nation, to WOR-FM.  New York City’s version of the format was more oldies- and adult-oriented.

Today, the station is owned by Emmis Communications and leased by ESPN airing sports  as WEPN.

➦In 1984...Elected in the Sportscasters Hall of Fame were President Ronald Reagan, radio pioneers Red Barber, Bill Stern, Graham McNamee, Don Dunphy and Ted Husing.

➦In 2011…Richard "Cactus" Pryor died (Born - January 7, 1923). He was a broadcaster and humorist. He received his nickname after the old Cactus Theater on Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, which was run by his father, "Skinny" Pryor.

Pryor was first heard on Lady Bird Johnson's radio station KLBJ 590 AM, though his face became as well known as his voice once he moved to television broadcasting on Austin television station KTBC.

In addition to his work in radio and television, Pryor also appeared in two movies, Hellfighters and The Green Berets with John Wayne. He was the author of a 1995 collection of some 40 essays entitled Playback. At KTBC, Pryor had served as programming manager and had hosted a variety of shows. He had conducted interviews with celebrities such as Arthur Godfrey and Dan Blocker and narrated behind-the-scenes programs about KTBC.

➦In 2012...Programmer Al Brady Law died at age 67.

Al Brady Law

He had three stints in New York radio from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. His work was varied, from air personality to programmer. His start in New York took place as WOR-FM evening jock in 1969. A year later, even though he bolted for Miami, Law was heard filling in on WWDJ, primarily on nights.

After some work in Denver, Law was back at WWDJ on a full-time basis as the station’s program director. Following the short gig at ‘WDJ, Law appeared at WXLO where he was hired solely as the “99X” program director.

However, Law’s dual hats would return in a big way at WNBC 660 AM. In 1974, he was named a joint assistant program director and air personality. Later that year, Law took over as program director but only briefly before resuming his APD/weekend air work. He remained at the NBC flagship until 1976.



After stints in Boston and Washington, Law had another coveted New York job. Musicradio 77WABC was a shadow of its former self in 1979. Disco caused WABC to plummet as 92/WKTU became NYC's most popular station. It was Law’s decision to stop the bleeding by doing the unthinkable, firing Harry Harrison, George Michael, and Chuck Leonard.

Law followed the “controversial” time at WABC with, arguably, his best success: a return to the NBC family at their FM.

“I hired Al to his first GM job at WYNY. The station had a great group of talent notably Dan Daniel, Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Bill St. James,” Walter Sabo tells FishbowlNY. “Al and the PD Pete Salant took the station to a 5.0 share. His background was pure programming, not sales, and that’s why he was capable of managing such rapid audience growth.”

Eventually, he was promoted to VP of programming at NBC Radio.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

Carmen Diaz is 48

• Actor Elizabeth Ashley is 81. 
• Actor-turned-politician Ben Jones (“The Dukes of Hazzard”) is 79.
• Comedian Lewis Black (“The Daily Show”) is 72. 
• Actor Timothy Bottoms (film’s “The Last Picture Show,” TV’s “The Paper Chase”) is 67. 
• Jazz saxophonist Gerald Albright is 63. 
• Actor Michael Chiklis (“The Fantastic Four,” ″The Shield”) is 57. 
• Actor Michael Michele (“ER,”″Homicide: Life On The Street”) 54. 
• Actor Cameron Diaz is 48. 
• TV personality Lisa Ling (“The View”) is 47. 
• Singer-guitarist Aaron Barrett of Reel Big Fish is 46. 
• Actor Raul Castillo (“Looking”) is 43. 
• Actor Michael Gladis (“Reckless,” ″Mad Men”) is 43. 
• Drummer Matt Taul (Tantric, Days of the New) is 42. 
• Singer Rachael Price of Lake Street Dive is 35. 
• Guitarist Ryan Ross (Panic At The Disco) is 34. 
• Actor Johanna Braddy (“Quantico”) is 33.

AT&T Reportedly Seeking DirecTV Deal

AT&T Inc.is taking a fresh look at its DirecTV business, according to The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter, exploring a deal for a service wounded by cord-cutting.

The telecom and media giant and its advisers at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. have been in talks with private-equity suitors about the satellite TV unit, some of the people said. Potential bidders include Apollo Global Management Inc., which had expressed interest last year, and Platinum Equity, these people said.

The process is at an early stage, and it’s not clear what form any deal would take—or if there will be one at all. It is possible some of the suitors will team up or submit joint proposals. Other investors that were approached have decided not to pursue bids, some of the people said.

AT&T executives have previously explored parting with DirecTV assets, including a potential spinoff or combining assets with rival Dish Network Corp., but obstacles, including antitrust concerns, have gotten in the way.

A private-equity buyer could avoid those regulatory concerns. AT&T is looking to sell just over 50% of the asset, which would allow the telecom giant to take a fast-shrinking business off its books while still enjoying the benefits of a still-large distribution network, some of the people said.

Any deal for the satellite TV service would be sizable but likely a far cry from the $49 billion AT&T paid for it in 2015. The pay-TV unit has lost millions of subscribers in recent years as viewers switch to on-demand entertainment services like Netflix Inc. A deal could value the business below $20 billion, some of the people said.

If a deal is reached, it would start to streamline a company that used a series of acquisitions in the last decade to shift from a phone-service provider into a media conglomerate. It also left the enlarged AT&T with a large debt load.

Record Store Day: the Surprising Comeback Of Vinyl

by Felix Richter, Statista

Continuing one of the more surprising comebacks of the digital age, vinyl album sales in the United States have grown for the 14th consecutive year. In 2019, 18.8 million LPs were sold in the United States, up 14 percent compared to 2018 and more than 20-fold compared to 2006 when the vinyl comeback began.

So how big is vinyl's comeback really? Should we all dust off our old record players to prepare for the future of music? According to Nielsen’s 2019 Year-End Music report, LPs accounted for 17 percent of album sales in the United States, which is quite substantial. Factoring in streaming and downloads of single tracks, however, that number drops to 2.4 percent of album equivalent music consumption, which puts things in perspective.

You will find more infographics at Statista

However small the impact of rising LP sales on the music industry’s bottom line may be, it’s still interesting to witness a hundred year-old technology come back from near extinction. Here's to hoping we don't need to dig up our old VHS tapes for the future of video consumption.

NYC Radio: Buck Sexton Gets More Time On WOR

iHeartMedia's 710 WOR, The Voice of New York, announced Friday that weekday personality Buck Sexton will expand his live and local show from two to three hours. Effective Monday, August 31, "The Buck Sexton Show" will be heard weeknights from 6 - 9 p.m. ET

"I'm thrilled to be extending my presence on the far-reaching airwaves of WOR," said Sexton. "I look forward to expanding my nightly conversation with fellow New Yorkers and tri-staters about the issues that matter most to us."

"Since COVID-19 hit us, Buck has been broadcasting from his apartment in mid-town Manhattan and has never missed a day," said Tom Cuddy, WOR Program Director. "He has done an outstanding job giving New Yorkers everything they need to know to survive this pandemic, along with his thoughts on the political stories of the day."

Sexton joined WOR in February 2020 and the former CIA officer and NYPD counterterrorism expert shares his intelligent and fresh take on the latest news stories and headlines, while welcoming a variety of guests and experts. The New York native brings his real-life experience and expertise as he discusses everything from business and politics to entertainment and social issues.

Sexton continues to host his Premiere Networks-syndicated weekday program, "The Buck Sexton Show," a three-hour weekday radio show available on more than 180 affiliates nationwide, in addition to iHeartRadio and a simulcast on Pluto TV's The First channel. He also appears frequently on Fox News Channel and other outlets as a political commentator and national security analyst.

Augusta Radio: Beasley Launches 'Feel Good' Sunny 102.7 FM

Beasley Media Group has officially unveiled the new Sunny 102.7 on WGUS FM in Augusta. The new format launched with “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown at midnight on Thursday, August 27, 2020.

The station will feature “Music That Makes you Feel Good”, including some of favorites such as: Billy Joel, Hall & Oates, Whitney Houston, Journey, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, and many more!!

“Sunny 102.7 is the perfect station to feel good all day long,” said Beasley Media Group Vice President and General Manager, Kent Dunn. “Music that makes you feel good is universal and what we all need right now. We are thrilled to add Sunny 102.7 to the line-up of Augusta stations.”

Listen now or stream on www.Sunny1027.com.

Springfield IL Radio: N/T WMAY Adds WUSW Simulcast Signal

70 years after it first signed on the air, WMAY Radio is making the biggest move in its long history.

The news-talk station will now be available with the additional of a simulcast on WUSW 92.7 FM, starting September 1. WMAY will also remain at its current homes at 94.7 FM and 970 AM. Both stations are owned by Mid-West Family.

“Now more than ever, people across Central Illinois are relying on WMAY for breaking news and insightful coverage and commentary of important local, state, and national issues,” said Mid-West Family Springfield general manager Mike Paterson. “Moving WMAY to 92.7 FM expands its reach into downtown office buildings and to inform consumers in surrounding counties.

“The pandemic, the rebuilding of the local economy, the election, Statehouse scandals, and more – these are all reasons why people need a reliable way to stay informed and stay connected. Expanding our on-air reach, in addition to our streaming audio and our extensive online and social media presence, brings that vital information to every place that our audience needs it.”

WUSW 92.7 FM (11.5 Kw) Map via RecNet.com

The station’s lineup also includes some of the top national talk radio talent, including Sean Hannity, Dave Ramsey, Dr. Asa, and Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis. WMAY is also Springfield’s top local news station, with 40 local updates daily.

Mid-West Family Springfield also operates WNNS 98.7 FM and WQLZ 97.7 FM. ​

TV Ratings Trump Attracts Smaller Audience Than Biden

Some 23.8 million Americans watched President Donald Trump's keynote speech on the final night of the Republican National Convention, slightly less than the TV audience for his Democratic rival Joe Biden last week, Nielsen ratings data showed on Friday.

Reuters reports the audience reflects viewers across 13 networks between 11 p.m. ET and 11:45 p.m. ET Thursday, when Trump accepted his party's nomination in a speech delivered on the South Lawn of the White House. The figures do not include online viewers.

Former Vice President Biden's nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention last week was watched on television by 24.6 million Americans, according to Nielsen data.

The viewership numbers for Trump's speech were down some 25% on the bumper 32.2 million people who watched his address in 2016 when he accepted the Republican nomination for president. The decline partly reflects an overall drop in TV viewership in recent years, and the fact that both political conventions this year were held largely in a virtual format because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Democratic event, however, was more widely watched than that of the Republicans on every night except the second convention night on Tuesday, when first lady Melania Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were the headline speakers.

Palin Gets Green Light To Pursue Defamation Suit

A federal judge on Friday rejected the New York Times' bid to dismiss Sarah Palin's defamation lawsuit over a 2017 editorial she said falsely linked her to a mass shooting.

Reuters reports U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said that while much of Palin's case was circumstantial, it was strong enough for a jury to find the Times and former editorial page editor James Bennet acted with "actual malice by clear and convincing evidence." in publishing the editorial.

Rakoff scheduled a Feb. 1, 2021 trial.

"We're disappointed in the ruling but are confident we will prevail at trial when a jury hears the facts," Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades-Ha said in an email.

Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and former Alaska governor, sued over a June 14, 2017 editorial published after an Alexandria, Virginia, shooting that wounded four people, including then-House Majority Whip Steve Scalise.

The editorial referred to a January 2011 shooting where six people died and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was seriously wounded, and said Palin's political action committee had before that shooting circulated a map that put 20 Democrats including Giffords under "stylized cross hairs."

It also contrasted the shootings, saying the Scalise attack had "no sign of incitement as direct as in the Giffords attack."

The Times later corrected the editorial, saying there was no link between "political rhetoric" and the Giffords shooting, and Bennet has said he had not intended to blame Palin.

But Rakoff said Bennet's having substantially rewritten an earlier draft, and admission he was aware "incitement" could mean a call to violence, could suggest actual malice.

The judge also said evidence Bennet may have ignored materials inconsistent with his "angle" for the editorial could suggest his reckless disregard for the truth.

Laura Winds Toppled KPLC TV Tower

One of the worst-case scenarios for a television station played out early Thursday morning (Aug. 27) as the strong winds of Hurricane Laura moved into southwest Louisiana.

WAFB Baton Rouge reports the transmission tower of KPLC TV7 in Lake Charles LA was snapped in half during the fierce storm, sending the top portion of the tower tumbling down into the station’s broadcast studio below.

KPLC TV7 Photos

Photographs show a large amount of debris inside the station’s studio, where staff members would have been working had they not evacuated prior to the storm making landfall.

The damaged tower transmits the station’s signal to its larger main tower located about 25 miles away. Crews have been unable to reach the larger tower to inspect it because roads leading to it are covered with large trees.

The catastrophe, which knocked the historic television station off the air early Thursday morning, happened less than 12 hours after the station’s staff evacuated the building amid growing safety concerns.

Despite the evacuation and tower collapse, the station never stopped delivering news to its viewers.

Early Thursday evening, KPLC’s news team entered its 30th hour of continuous wall-to-wall coverage of the powerful Category 4 hurricane and its aftermath.

KPLC GM John Ware believes it could be up to a year before the station’s operations are fully restored. ”We will be phasing things as we get estimates on how to address the tower and make our building safe,” Ware said.

Gray-owned KALB-TV in Alexandria, La., and Baton Rouge CBS affiliate WAFB-9 have played host to KPLC staff since the threat of Hurricane Laura turned into an emergency on Wednesday morning.

The storm didn’t create the feared storm surge many meteorologists warned off, and this spared the Townsquare Media offices and studios located along Interstate 10 to the north of downtown Lake Charles. However, the home of KPLC meteorologist Ben Terry is considered to be a “total loss” after the roof was ripped off.

Boston Radio: The Game Ends On WBUR-FM

For 27 years, “Only A Game,” the sole sports program on National Public Radio and WBUR 90.9, told the kind of compelling, satisfying stories that a listener never quite wanted to end.

Somewhere along the way, it became one of those stories itself, reports The Boston Globe.

So it is with a sense of distinct accomplishment, but one of some melancholy too, that the people behind the program prepare to sign off for the final time, the show a casualty of budget cuts at WBUR in the economic maelstrom of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The final original hourlong program will air Saturday at 7 a.m. on WBUR and on more than 250 NPR stations nationwide.

Bill Littlefield, who served as host from the show’s inception in 1993 until his retirement in 2018, will return for a conversation, titled “Goodbye,” with frequent contributor Charles P. Pierce. The program will continue with “best of” episodes through September.

“It’s really weird,” said Karen Given, who has been part of the show for 23 years as a producer and, since Littlefield retired, the most frequent host. “For most of us, this has been our whole careers, or at least a significant chunk of our careers.

The decision to end the show came in June, when WBUR announced a restructuring that included laying off 10 percent of the station’s staff, decisions that were in large part driven by lost revenue during the pandemic.

“When we entered into the second year of not having a named host after Bill retired, I thought, ‘Hmm, maybe the station isn’t 100 percent behind us right now,’ ” said Given. “So when the pandemic hit, we were having serious conversations along the lines of, ‘All right, how do we position ourselves so that if this happens, we won’t be completely devastated.’ When I got the call, I was not shocked.”

August 29 Radio History

➦In 1892...Broadcast Pioneer Harry Read was born in Seattle, WA.. He was a co-founder  of KXL Portland OR. Read was Secretary-Treasurer of KXL Broadcasters and, General Manager & Chief Technician KXL Radio.  Today KXL is known as KXTG 750 AM and airs a sports talk format.  It's sister-FM station uses the KXL calls and airs news/talk. Both are now owned by Alpha Media Group.

Willard Waterman

➦In1914...Radio actor Willard Waterman was born in Madison Wisconsin (Died at age 80 - February 2, 1995).  He was versatile supporting actor. He  replaced Harold Peary, on "The Great Gildersleeve," radio program after Peary was unable to convince sponsor and show owner Kraft Cheese to allow him an ownership stake in the show.

He began his radio career at WIBA in Madison, singing in a quartet that performed "musical interludes between programs." and moved to NBC in Chicago in early 1936.

➦In 1936...ABC news anchor Peter Jennings was born in Toronto (Died was age 68 - August 7, 2005). The son of a CBC newsman/exec he had his own half-hour Saturday radio program at age 9.  Before his 30th birthday he anchored briefly for CTV and ABC TV, but was considered too young with insufficient gravitas.  After much reporting from world hot spots he became sole anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight in 1983, an assignment he continued until just before his death from lung cancer.

➦In 1943...summertime replacement show 'Paul Whiteman Presents' was heard on NBC radio for the last time. The hostess was Dinah Shore, and Whiteman led a 35-piece orchestra. His well-known theme song was Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

Bwanna Johnny

➦In 1946...Bwana Johnny was born in Oregon (Died at age 59 in 2005).  Bwana, whose real name was Richard Johnson, had been a popular disc jockey at the old 1260/KYA back in the late 1960s. Most recently, he had worked in production with Jones Radio Networks in Seattle before his illness forced him into a care facility.

Before coming to the Bay Area in 1969, "Beautiful Bwana" worked at KLOG/Kelso, Wash., WUBE/Cincinnati and KJR/Seattle.

He moved on to WWDJ/New York as music director and afternoon-drive jock (1971-1973) and spun records for a year at WFUN/Miami before returning to his hometown, Portland, Ore., as "Crazy Dick Simms" on the Rose City's legendary KISN in 1975.


➦In 1957...The ABC radio network purchased KQV 1410 AM in August 29, 1957 for $700,000. ABC hired two executives from Storz Broadcasting to launch the top 40 format in Pittsburgh  They hired Dale Maudy who had been an executive engineer for the Stroz group and Ralph Beaudin, who had been a KOWH sales executive, as the KQV general manager.

The station was one of the oldest in the U-S and went silent on December 31, 2017 For more on KQV: Click Here.

➦In 1966...The Beatles played what would prove to be their last concert before a paying audience at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, to a sold-out crowd of 25,000. John and Paul, knowing what the fans do not (that this will be the last concert ever) brought cameras on stage and took pictures between songs. (Their lone remaining public performance was the 1969 rooftop appearance in London).

➦In 1972..Even back then...Guess who was #1 in Knoxville, TN?

➦In 1979...Sheridan Broadcasting Corp purchased the Mutual Black Network

The Mutual Black Network or MBN was founded by the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1972, as the first national full-service radio network aimed at African Americans. It broadcast an hourly 5 minute newscast at 50 minutes past the hour. It also aired sports and feature programs, and for one year beginning in the spring of 1974, a 15-minute daily soap opera called Sounds Of The City. Some of its special programing focused on African American history, much of which was researched, written and narrated by MBN news anchor Ben Frazier.

Programming is what separated the Mutual Black Network from the rest of the pack. But its highest mark was made in the coverage of hard news and it’s savvy advocacy style of journalism. This was the genre of journalism, practiced by news anchors Ben Frazier, Glen Ford, John Askew and others. They would interview black news-makers who had previously been ignored by the traditional mass media outlets.

The Mutual Black Network was later sold to Sheridan Broadcasting which was a minority stockholder in MBN, becoming the Sheridan Broadcasting Network. By 1991, it would merge with the National Black Network, forming the present-day American Urban Radio Networks.

Lowell Thomas

➦In 1981...Lowell Jackson Thomas died at age 89 (Born - April 6, 1892). He was a writer, actor, broadcaster, and traveler, best remembered for publicizing T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). He was also involved in promoting the Cinerama widescreen system.

In 1930, he became a broadcaster with the CBS Radio network, delivering a nightly news and commentary program. After two years, he switched to the NBC Radio network but returned to CBS in 1947.

In contrast to today's practices, Thomas was not an employee of either NBC News or CBS News. Prior to 1947, he was employed by the broadcast's sponsor Sunoco. He returned to CBS to take advantage of lower capital-gains tax rates, establishing an independent company to produce the broadcast which he sold to CBS.

He hosted the first-ever television news broadcast in 1939 and the first regularly scheduled television news broadcast (even though it was just a camera simulcast of his radio broadcast) beginning on February 21, 1940 over local station W2XBS (now WNBC) New York.  The television news simulcast was a short-lived venture for him, and he favored radio.

Indeed, it was over radio that he presented and commented upon the news for four decades until his retirement in 1976, the longest radio career of anyone in his day (a record later surpassed by Paul Harvey).

Thomas is also known for two television programs: 'High Adventure', a series of travelogue specials filmed in the late 1950s for CBS; and 'Lowell Thomas Remembers', a 1970s PBS series that reviewed major news events from 1919 through 1975 on a year-by-year basis using newsreel footage, including some that Thomas originally narrated for Movietone.



Later in his career, Thomas formed a group of broadcast stations that would become known as Capital Cities. The company expanded through the years, and bought ABC in 1985. ABC is now owned by Disney.

Thomas was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1989.

Deborah Van Valkenburgh is 68

HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

• Actor Betty Lynn (“The Andy Griffith Show”) is 94. 
• Movie director William Friedkin is 85. 
• Actor Elliott Gould is 82. 
• Actor Deborah Van Valkenburgh (“Too Close for Comfort”) is 68. 
• Keyboardist Dan Truman of Diamond Rio is 64. 
• Actor Rebecca DeMornay is 61. 
• Bassist-singer Me’Shell NdegeOcello is 52. 
• Singer Carl Martin of Shai is 50. 
• Actor Carla Gugino is 49. 
• Guitarist Kyle Cook of Matchbox Twenty is 45. 
• Actor John Hensley (“Nip/Tuck”) is 43. 
• Actor Kate Simses (“Dr. Ken”) is 41. 
• Bassist David Desrosiers of Simple Plan is 40. 
• Actor Jennifer Landon (“As The World Turns”) is 37. 
• Actor Lea Michele (“Glee”) is 33. 
• Actor Charlotte Ritchie (“Call the Midwife”) is 31. 
• Singer Liam Payne of One Direction is 27.

The Rundown: Trump States His Case

Orlando Sentinel 8/28/20

TRUMP ACCEPTS NOMINATION ON FINAL NIGHT OF REPUBLICAN CONVENTION:

President Trump accepted the Republican nomination for a second presidential term last night on the final night of the party's convention, delivering a speech from the South Lawn of the White House that repeatedly blasted his Democratic opponent Joe Biden. Trump broke from long tradition and regulation of keeping partisan political events away from the White House, and addressed an audience of about 1,500 amid the pandemic who were seated close together and mostly not wearing masks.

Trump portrayed Biden as a weak, career politician who'll be a tool of the radical left and hasn't gotten anything done in nearly 50 years in politics. He gave dire warnings of what electing Biden and the Democrats would bring, declaring that, among other things, they'd destroy the suburbs, take away Americans' guns, bring lawlessness to people's communities and impose socialism. He also decried "cancel culture," something that's been repeated throughout the convention.

Trump spent a significant amount of time taking about what he'd accomplished in his four years in office, saying, "From the moment I left my former life behind . . . I have done nothing but fight for you," and adding, "I kept my promise." He also praised his administration's handling of the coronavirus, despite the criticism he's received, and said that that we would have a vaccine by the end of the year or even sooner.

At the end of the speech, Trump, his family and the audience watched fireworks that were set off around the Washington Monument on the National Mall.

Other speakers:

Other speakers on the final night of the convention included Trump's daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump, who introduced him before his speech as the "people's president." Former New York City Mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani decried what he described as lawlessness in cities run by Democrats, blasting the Black Lives Matter movement and antifa and contending that Democrats want violence because they think it will help defeat Trump.

Trump's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, addressed the situation in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where days of sometimes violent protests have taken place since the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black Man. He said, "I'd like to say that our hearts go out to the Blake family and the other families who have been impacted by the tragic events in Kenosha."

Alice Johnson, who was released from prison after clemency was granted by Trump, spoke about the second chance she'd been given, and praised his signing of the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill.

RNC vs. DNC's fireworks. This says it all. #TrumpPride @teamtrump pic.twitter.com/QarogKHWIu

— Billy McLaughlin (@BillyNRA) August 28, 2020

A violent BLM mob tries to assault @RandPaul & his wife @KelleyAshbyPaul as they leave the RNC White House event. pic.twitter.com/dgLcQaoc69

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 28, 2020

➤HURRICANE LAURA KILLS AT LEAST SIX, DAMAGE NOT AS BAD AS FEARED: After making landfall early Thursday morning as a strong Category 4 storm in southwestern Louisiana near the border with Texas, Hurricane Laura roared across Louisiana, bringing destruction far inland, not losing hurricane status until 11 hours later as it moved into Arkansas and then eventually weakening into a tropical depression by evening. Laura left at least six people dead, but while determining the extent of the damage will take days, it didn't appear to have been as bad had been feared when forecasters were predicting a possible 20-foot storm surge they called "unsurvivable." In the end, the storm surge was around nine to 12 feet, which is still high, but not as catastrophic. One of the worst-hit places was the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana. President Trump plans to visit the Gulf Coast this weekend to tour the damage.

Kyle Rittenhouse

➤SUSPECT IN KILLING OF TWO IN KENOSHA FACES MORE HOMICIDE CHARGES: The 17-year-old suspect in the fatal shooting of two people during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, earlier this week and the wounding of a third is facing more homicide charges. Kyle Rittenhouse, who lives in Antioch, Illinois, had been charged with first-degree intentional homicide since his arrest on Wednesday, a day after the shooting. Court records show that prosecutors filed more charges against him Thursday, adding one count of reckless homicide, a count for attempted intentional homicide and two counts of recklessly endangering safety. He's also being charged with possession of a dangerous weapon while under age 18.

The shooting by Rittenhouse took place during protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, on Sunday. In video that captured much of the shooting, Rittenhouse is seen carrying a semiautomatic rifle and could be heard saying, "I just killed somebody," but was not apprehended by police as he walked past them and was able to go home, where he was arrested the next day. Sheriff David Beth told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Wednesday that armed vigilante militia members had been patrolling in Kenosha in recent nights after there'd been some 30 buildings set on fire, but he didn't know if Rittenhouse was among them. However, video taken before the shooting shows police tossing bottled water to armed civilians, and Rittenhouse appears to be one of them.

➤JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER ABE RESIGNING BECAUSE OF HEALTH CONCERNS: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be resigning because of declining health, according to media reports Friday in Japan. The 65-year-old Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, has been in office since 2012. He is expected to stay in his position until a new party leader is elected and formally approved by the parliament.

➤JUDGE ORDERS ADMIN, POSTAL SERVICE TO TURN OVER INFO ON SERVICE CHANGES: A federal judge yesterday ordered the Trump administration and the U.S. Postal Service to turn over records and information about service changes that have drawn complaints about slowed mail and concerns about mail-in voting in November. More than 20 states filed lawsuits last week over the changes, including 14 states that sued in U.S. District Court in Washington state, where the federal judge is located. U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian granted the states’ request to speed up discovery, giving 10 days for the information to be provided.

➤WALMART JOINS MICROSOFT IN BID TO BUY TIKTOK: Walmart has joined with Microsoft in a bid to buy TikTok's U.S. business, the Associated Press reported Thursday (August 27th). The bid comes as the White House seeks to bar TikTok from the U.S. unless the popular video app's Chinese owner, ByteDance, sells its U.S. business, citing national security concerns. Other tech companies are also reportedly interest in possibly buying TikTok's U.S. operations. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that ByteDance is seeking about $30 billion it, but no-one's been willing to meet that price so far.

➤LORD & TAYLOR CLOSING ALL STORES AFTER NEARLY TWO CENTURIES: Lord & Taylor, the nation's first department store, is closing all its remaining stores after nearly two centuries in business. The company, which filed bankruptcy on August 2nd, announced yesterday (August 27th) that it's 38 stores would close for good, and that they and its website have begun liquidation sales. That's a change from just last week, when it said it would keep 14 locations open. The first Lord & Taylor was opened on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1826 by English immigrants Samuel Lord and George Washington Taylor.

➤NO NBA PLAYOFFS FOR A SECOND DAY IN RACIAL INJUSTICE PROTEST: NBA playoff games were postponed for a second day Thursday as players continued their walkout in protest of racial injustice, with the three games called off added to the three canceled the day before. The work action began with the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday. NBA players considered not playing for the rest of the postseason and going home to their communities, but decided they would finish the postseason. An NBA spokesman said they hoped to resume play today or Saturday. President Trump criticized the NBA yesterday, telling reporters, "They’ve become like a political organization, and that’s not a good thing."

➤NHL CANCELS TWO DAYS OF PLAYOFFS: The NHL postponed two days of playoff games yesterday and today in protest of racial injustice, joining the NBA, WNBA and some MLB teams who are sitting out games. The decision was made after members of the Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks were prepared to sit out their playoff game, and in the face of criticism from Black players for not taking action. The league and the players association jointly announced the action, saying, "The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centered on diversity, inclusion and social justice." The four second-round games missed will be played on Saturday.

The Mets and Marlins took the field, had a 42-second moment of silence, and then walked off.

The only thing left on the field: a Black Lives Matter shirt.pic.twitter.com/JyckWkGQai

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) August 27, 2020

➤SEVEN MLB GAMES POSTPONED, TWO TEAMS WALKED OFF THE FIELD: Unlike the NBA, NHL and WNBA, MLB hasn't so far taken league-wide action to postpone games in protest of racial injustice. Instead, eight games were played yesterday, but seven were postponed, including one in which the players walked off the field after the national anthem. The New York Mets and Miami Marlins walked off the field together after a moment of silence, leaving a Black Lives Matter T-shirt over home plate as they decided not to play.

➤NINE NFL TEAMS CANCEL PRACTICE TO PROTEST RACIAL INJUSTICE: Nine NFL teams canceled practice yesterday in protest of racial injustice. New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell tweeted, "We’ve been protecting the shield,” referring to the NFL, "It's time for the shield to protect us." The Denver Broncos, one of the teams that canceled practice, took a team photo that was tweeted with a statement that said: "In the strongest terms, we condemn police brutality, excessive force and these senseless acts of violence that have caused so much pain. It is time for accountability and real policy reform." Nineteen teams did practice.

➤NEBRASKA PLAYERS FILE SUIT HOPING TO FORCE SEASON: A group of Nebraska football players filed a lawsuit yesterday in hopes of forcing the Big Ten Conference to reinstate a fall football season. The Big Ten plans to move the season to the spring because of the coronavirus pandemic. Among its claims, the lawsuit says players are losing a chance for development, exposure for a possible pro career, and won’t be able to market themselves to eventually capitalize on name, image and likeness revenue opportunities. The Big Ten said the suit has "no merit."

➤HALL OF FAME ARIZONA BASKETBALL COACH LUTE OLSEN DEAD AT 85: Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who built Arizona basketball into a national power, died Thursday at age 85. Olson led Arizona to four Final Four appearances in 24 seasons, and its only NCAA championship in 1997. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Beasley Promotes Tee Gentry to Regional OM

Tee Gentry

Beasley Media Group announces Tee Gentry has been promoted to the position of Regional Operations Manager of the company’s Augusta and Fayetteville radio clusters. He officially began his new position on Tuesday, August 25, 2020.

Gentry most recently served as Operations Manager for the company’s cluster of seven radio stations in the Augusta, Georgia market, including: WKXC-FM 99.5; WHHD-FM 98.3; WDRR-FM 93.9; WGUS-FM 102.7; WCHZ-FM 93.1/95.5; WGAC-FM 95.1; and WGAC-AM 580. In his new role, he will also now be responsible for managing the operations of the company’s Fayetteville cluster, including: WUKS-FM, WFLB-FM, WZFX-FM, WZFX HD2, WAZZ-FM and WKML-FM.

Gentry has spent majority of his 25-year radio career with Beasley Media Group, serving over 20 years as Operations Manager and PD at Country WKXC-FM in Augusta, GA and three years in Tampa, FL as Operations Manager and PD at Country WQYK-FM.

“Tee has done a tremendous job over the past 20 years at Beasley Media Group,” said Beasley Media Group Vice President and General Manager, Kent Dunn. “He has done a great job leading our Augusta team and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Fayetteville team.”

“It is a privilege to join the thriving radio cluster we have in Fayetteville,” said Gentry. “I am excited to have the opportunity to work with our outstanding team as we continue to grow and prosper in the market.”

Americans Are Spending $1B a Month More on Streaming

The fact that Americans are streaming more during the current pandemic has been covered enough that it’s old news.

But, reports Cord Cutter News,  a study from a London-based tech company shows that not only are people simply streaming more, they’re spending more on what they stream.

The “At Home Video Trends—U.S. 2020” study from Grabyo showed that American spending on streaming is up 22% from January of this year – a $1 billion increase per month. The study also showed that 89% of US consumers pay for a video service, with 33% of that set adding at least one new streaming service since March. 

While that’s good news for streaming companies, the better news is that 85% of people who stream said they planned on keeping the same number of subscriptions they currently have, even as pandemic-related restrictions are lifted.

And there’s a surprising demographic that’s behind the rise in streaming. Grabyo also found that the biggest increase in the percentage of people who stream came in the over 50 age bracket, with 65% of 50-64 currently streaming and 50% of those 65 and older.

Of course, traditional television saw a slight uptick in total viewership during the past few months too, with 28% of people subscribing to traditional pay TV in January and 33% in August. But 67% of people in this study said they either already have cut cable or plan to do so within the next few years.

Podcast Explores Audio Streaming And Voice Assistants

eMarketer senior corporate account director Michael Civins, forecasting analyst Peter Vahle and vice president of content studio at Insider Intelligence Paul Verna discuss which music platforms Americans use and the growing significance of podcast listening.

They then talk about whether TV networks are being too optimistic about H2, how many more voice assistants there are and movies going from theaters to digital platforms much faster.

eMarketer · Where Americans Stream Audio, TV's Optimistic H2 and What More Voice Assistants Means | Aug 27, 2020

The Denver Gazette To Debut As Interactive Newspaper

Clarity Media Group is debuting a daily, subscription-based news site called The Denver Gazette.

Billing itself as an “interactive newspaper,” the site will begin publishing on September 14, reports Mediapost.

The Denver Gazette has 50+ staffers and contributors and will publish news, investigative journalism and local opinion pieces.

The publication will be led by publisher Chris Reen, editor Vince Bzdek, news editor Jim Bates and digital editor Chuck Hickey.

"We've long considered publishing a Denver newspaper," stated Ryan McKibben, president and CEO of Clarity Media Group, a Denver-based media company that also owns Colorado Springs Gazette, Colorado Politics, Out There Colorado and The Washington Examiner.

"The timing and market dynamics aligned, making this the ideal time to launch a next-generation newspaper that will satisfy a growing demand for trustworthy, locally-owned journalism,” he continued.

Readers can register on The Denver Gazette site to get free access for three months. After the free trial, the publisher is offering an introductory subscription rate of $9.99 per month or $99 per year.

Readers will be able to adjust text size and listen to audio versions of articles. The Denver Gazette will also have a dedicated app.

In May, McClatchy launched a local news site in Longmont, Colorado. Called The Longmont Leader, the site is funded by Google News Initiative’s Local Experiments Project, which supports McClatchy’s Compass Experiment, aimed at exploring sustainable business models for local publishers.

Los Alamos Loses Local Radio Station, Newspaper

The Los Alamos Monitor has announced that it will publish its last edition on Sunday, Aug. 30, the same day KRSN 1490 AM radio will go silent.

The announcement on the Monitor website reads as follows:

After more than 57 years in print, the Los Alamos Monitor will publish its last edition on Sunday, Aug. 30. The decision was shared with staff on Friday by officials at the headquarters of Landmark Community Newspapers, which has owned the newspaper since 1979.

Monitor staff will continue to print a sister newspaper, The Las Vegas Optic, until a buyer is found for the Monitor building on DP Road. Landmark Community Newspapers President Mike Abernathy said the company would consider selling the newspaper as well. Interested parties can contact him at (502) 513-1143.

“We are proud of the hard work our staff has put into producing a quality newspaper over the years,” Abernathy said, “even in the most difficult of times. Unfortunately, their efforts were not enough to overcome the economic challenges we faced.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has further strained an already struggling business and industry that has faced significant revenue challenges for a number of years. Like many newspapers, the Monitor has suffered from disruptive innovation, general economic conditions and now a pandemic with no end in sight. During that time, community support for the newspaper has greatly diminished, thanks in part to an unusual decision by local government to send its legal advertising to a free newspaper competitor at an apparent higher cost to taxpayers.

The decision to close the Monitor comes on the heels of the news that community radio station KRSN 1490 AM will sign off for good on the same day.

Report: Walmart Interested In Tik Tok

The race to capture TikTok’s U.S. operations took a sharp turn Thursday, as Walmart Inc. said it is joining Microsoft Corp.’s bid for the popular video-sharing app after other deep-pocketed suitors dropped out of the running.

The Wall Street Journal reports the retail giant’s entry into the global sweepstakes was a surprise and comes as the parties grapple with a valuation for TikTok, which is facing a potential ban in the U.S. from the Trump administration over national-security concerns.

TikTok’s Beijing-based owner ByteDance Ltd. is asking about $30 billion for the U.S. operations, but bidders thus far haven’t been willing to meet that price, according to people familiar with the negotiations. By comparison, Twitter Inc. in recent weeks informally floated a bid closer to $10 billion as part of a range of pricing and scenarios, said some of the people.

Microsoft’s joint bid with Walmart is considered the front-runner, according to people familiar with the matter, while a second consortium including Oracle Corp. remains in the running.

Walmart was initially working on a bid with Google parent Alphabet Inc. and Tokyo-based tech investor SoftBank Group Corp., a person familiar with the discussions said.

The Trump administration has said it wants TikTok’s U.S. operations to be owned by an American company with tech expertise.

TikTok has been aiming to pick a bidder to enter exclusive negotiations and seal a deal as early as next week, according to people familiar with the deliberations.

The company is facing a mid-September deadline to sell its American operations, under an executive order issued by President Trump earlier this month. TikTok on Monday filed a lawsuit challenging the order.

TikTok, an app that shot to popularity with its videos of dancing and lip-syncing teenagers, has been downloaded more than two billion times since its launch, according to mobile-data research firm Sensor Tower.

Entercom Launches 'DTS Sound Space Sundays'

Entercom will kick off “DTS Sound Space Sundays” with a special broadcast of Foster the People’s classic performance at “KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas 2017.” The broadcast, which will air at 9:00 ET / 6:00 p.m. PT on August 30, can be heard nationwide via RADIO.COM, the exclusive digital home for all Entercom content across its portfolio of stations, and KROQ’s (KROQ-FM) station website. An exclusive new interview with band front man Mark Foster will follow the performance.

“We’re looking forward to opening our archives and sharing this classic Foster the People performance with a national audience via RADIO.COM,” said Jeff Federman, Regional President, Entercom. “HD Radio has served as a great partner over the years and we’re excited to spotlight their sister brand, DTS, through our Sound Space and Sound Space Sundays content.”

The DTS Sound Space is a state-of-the-art entertainment hub which hosts live broadcasts, music and custom events from the heart of Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile on Wilshire Boulevard. The hub, previously known as the HD Radio Sound Space, is now named after sister brand DTS, an audio pioneer for over 25 years dedicated to the “sensational” in the world of entertainment.

“We are excited to evolve the HD Radio Sound Space to the DTS Sound Space at KROQ as a continuation of our strategic partnership with Entercom,” said Kevin Doohan, Chief Marketing Officer, Xperi. “HD Radio Sound Space is a certified hit, presenting unique performances from world-class artists. I look forward to future growth and success as we move forward under the DTS brand."

August 28 Radio History

➦In 1922...In February, the American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) announced it planned to begin establishing stations that would be dedicated to selling their airtime to interested parties, which AT&T called "toll broadcasting".

Its primary station, WEAF in New York (now WFAN), aired its first paid $100 for a 10-minute radio commercial on August 28, 1922 for the Queensboro Corporation, advertising a new apartment complex in Jackson Heights, Queens, near the just-completed #7 subway line.

Based on a series of industry cross-licensing agreements, AT&T initially claimed that its patent rights gave it a monopoly on commercial radio transmissions. Although the courts upheld this contention, the practice was widely disliked, and AT&T soon came up with a licensing scheme to allow individual stations to begin selling airtime

➦In 1954...Elvis Presley got Memphis airplay on his first official release “That’s All Right (Mama)” b/w “Blue Moon of Kentucky”.  Local DJ Dewey Phillips had debuted the single on his “Red Hot and Blue” radio show on WHBQ.

➦In 1961...'Cousin' Brucie Morrow started at 77WABC.

Morrow's first stint in radio was in Bermuda at ZBM-AM, where he was known as "The Hammer."

Morrow began his stateside career at New York Top 40 station WINS in 1959. In 1960, he moved to Miami for a brief stint before returning to the New York airwaves the following year on AM 770 powerhouse WABC, another Top 40 outlet. Morrow's return to New York City came at the precise moment that rock and roll music was exploding across the Baby Boom demographic and Morrow found himself on the most powerful radio station on the East Coast. His main competition came from his previous station WINS, which featured "Murray the K."

"Cousin Brucie" quickly became a success on WABC's teen-oriented evening shift in the 6:15 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. slot. Morrow became a commercial radio powerhouse and household name through his ability to maintain a rapport with his listeners while smoothly mixing the diverse musical genres of the time (Motown soul, pop, hard rock, surf music, novelty records), and then seamlessly segueing into commercials for youth-oriented sponsors and events such as concerts and drag-strip races.

He served at WABC for 13 years and 4,014 broadcasts until August 1974, when he jumped to rival station WNBC.

➦In 1966...the Beatles played Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. It was their next-to-last live performance.  The Beatles performed before 45,000 people in Los Angeles. Tickets were priced at $3, $4.50, $5.50 and $6. The cheapest were reserved for members of the US Army.

The support acts for the concert were The Remains, Bobby Hebb, The Cyrkle and The Ronettes. The Beatles performed a set consisted of 11 songs: Rock And Roll Music, She's A Woman, If I Needed Someone, Day Tripper, Baby's In Black, I Feel Fine, Yesterday, I Wanna Be Your Man, Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer and Long Tall Sally.

➦In 1967...WCBS 880 AM flipped to all news.

By the early sixties, WCBS had evolved into a Middle of the road (MOR) music and personality format, which included limited talk programming. Personalities included legendary morning host Jack Sterling, Bill Randle and Lee Jordan. Like many MOR stations at the time, WCBS did mix in softer songs by rock-and-roll artists, as its ratings at the time were ordinary compared to the higher ratings at WOR and WNEW, both of which also had MOR formats and more distinct identities. Through it all, the variety show "Arthur Godfrey Time" remained a weekday mid-morning staple. Eventually, WCBS gained a foothold in local news coverage (WOR and WNEW's strengths) bolstered by its standing as CBS's flagship radio station.

During the 1960s, CBS chairman William S. Paley was concerned about the station's low ratings, and that concern started a process that would lead to the creation of a news radio format that would become known as "Newsradio 88". This format debuted on August 28, 1967. Lou Adler and Harvey Hauptman -- both veterans of the previous WCBS MOR/weekday daytime talk mix -- were there from Day 1 of Newsradio.  The original roster of anchors also included Charles Osgood, Ed Bradley, Robert Vaughn (not related to the actor of the same name) and Pat Summerall. Also, first phase of Newsradio was a block from 5:30am - 8pm.

Initially, the station ran news in the drive time periods but maintained an MOR format during the midday and overnight hours, and within a couple of years, it ran all-news programming for much of the broadcast day except for overnights. "Newsradio 88" began its transformation into an all-news format in 1970, when the overnight American Airlines-sponsored Music Till Dawn ended in January of that year, and completed the process in 1972, when Godfrey's weekday morning variety show came to an end. The station built a reputation as an all-news powerhouse during the 1970s, and has continued with an all-news format to this day.

Although 1010 WINS has usually received the higher Arbitron ratings of the two all-news stations, WCBS has had the stronger ratings in the outlying suburbs because of its broadcast-signal pattern. Its traffic reports and news coverage includes more of Long Island and the northern and western suburbs of New York City than WINS, and it occasionally allows room for longer interviews and analysis pieces than does WINS. The station is less tightly formatted than WINS, and formats at a half-hour cycle instead of a 20-minute cycle.

Courtesy of DonSwain.com:



 WCBS-AM Newsradio88 debuts inauspiciously on its little-heard FM Station on August 28, 1967, because a small plane demolished the transmitter tower on High Island in a fatal crash, knocking the AM station off the air. Interestingly, the debut begins with a staff announcer reading the WCBS-FM sign-on, followed by the "Star Spangled Banner." Then, anchorman Steve Porter reads an account of the air crash. Pat Summerall delivers the sports, Gordon Barnes the weather. The rather ponderous presentation includes few if any commercials, and virtually no news audio. Charles Osgood takes over from Steve Porter at 6:00 A.M. The producer of the broadcast was Mike Ludlum, the editor was Al Wasser. Audio courtesy of Bill Tynan, Manager of On-Air Promotion, WCBS.

Part One 8/28/67

Part Two 8/28/67

Courtesy of DonSwain.com:

30th ANNIVERSARY BROADCAST WCBS's LET'S FIND OUT -- 8/3/97. Hosted by Rich Lamb, this special broadcast looks back at 30 years of Newsradio88. With Charles Osgood, Lou Adler, Art Athens. First of two broadcasts. Audio courtesy of Bill Tynan (30:00) Part One: Click Here.

30th ANNIVERSARY BROADCAST WCBS's LET'S FIND OUT -- 8/10/97. Hosted by Rich Lamb, this special broadcast looks back at 30 years of Newsradio88. With Jim Donnelly, Harvey Hauptman, Rita Sands, Gary Maurer, Ben Farnsworth, Bill Fahan, Neil Busch. Second of two broadcasts. Audio courtesy of Bill Tynan (30:00) Part Two: Click Here

➦In 1987...Superjock Larry Lujack knew when it was time to leave The Big 89WLS. ABC had already bought out Lujack's contract amid sliding ratings and on Friday August 28, 1987, after a slew of televison cameras, newspaper and magazine reporters joined him for his farewell, a tearful Larry Lujack signed off from radio and from WLS. His tenure at the station spanned three decades.

Larry Lujack 8/28/87

Despite Lujack's cynical on-air persona, he was actually quite easy to work with, his former boss John Gehron said.

"He was a professional, worked hard at what he did," Gehron said.

"He was one of those personalities that surprisingly didn't cause any problems. His feeling was, you pay me and I'll do the job for you, and he worked very hard at it."

Lujack signed off thanking listeners "not just for listening, but also for caring."

➦In 2012…Boston radio personality David MacNeill, "the voice of the Boston Pops," died at age 80.   He worked classical WCRB 102.5 FM for 57 years. In the late 1950's he spent two years at KCBH 98.7 FM, Los Angeles but returned back to Boston where he forged a long radio career. He was best known for being the voice of the Boston Pops on WCRB Radio for countless years including broadcasts from Tanglewood. He is believed to be one of the longest running radio personalities in Boston history.

➦In 2016...83-year old Charles Osgood announced his retirement. He  is best known for being the host of CBS News Sunday Morning, a role he held for over 22 years from April 10, 1994, until September 25, 2016. Osgood also hosted The Osgood File, a series of daily radio commentaries, from 1971 until December 29, 2017.

Charles Osgood

Immediately after graduating from Fordham, Osgood was hired as an announcer by WGMS (AM) and WGMS-FM, the classical music stations in Washington, D.C. (today WWRC and WTOP-FM respectively). Shortly afterward, however, he enlisted in the military to be the announcer for the United States Army Band.

Stationed adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery at Fort Myer during his service with the U.S. Army Band, using pseudonyms Osgood worked as an announcer for radio stations in the Washington area to supplement his income and experience. He hosted the morning show on WEAM (WZHF today) as "Charlie Woods."  At WGMS, he called himself “Carl Walden.” At WPGC (AM) (WJFK (AM) today), a rock station, he referred to himself as “Chuck Forest.”

When his tour with the U.S. Army Band was completed, in October 1957 Osgood returned to WGMS full-time as announcer Charles Wood and as a special assistant to the general manager. Before the end of 1958, WGMS promoted him to program director.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

Shania Twain is 55

• Actor Sonny Shroyer (“The Dukes of Hazzard”) is 85. 
• Actor Marla Adams (“The Young and the Restless”) is 82. 
• Actor Ken Jenkins (“Scrubs”) is 80. 
• Actor David Soul (“Starsky and Hutch”) is 77.
• Actor Debra Mooney (“The Practice,” ″Everwood”) is 73. 
• Singer Wayne Osmond of The Osmonds is 69. 
• Actor Daniel Stern is 63. 
• Actor Emma Samms is 60. 
• Actor Jennifer Coolidge is 59. 
• Actor Amanda Tapping (“Stargate: Atlantis,” “Stargate SG-1”) is 55. 
• Country singer Shania Twain is 55. 
• Actor Billy Boyd (“Lord of the Rings”) is 52. 
• Actor-singer Jack Black of Tenacious D is 51. 
• Actor Jason Priestley (“Beverly Hills, 90210″) is 51. 
• Actor Daniel Goddard (“The Young and the Restless”) is 49. 
• Actor J. August Richards (“Kevin (Probably) Saves The World,” ″Angel”) is 47. 
• Singer-bassist Max Collins of Eve 6 is 42. 
• Actor Carly Pope (“Outlaw,” ″24,”) is 40. 
• Country singer Jake Owen is 39. 
• Country singer Leann Rimes is 38. 
• Country singer Sherrie Austin is 50.
• Actor Kelly Theibaud (“General Hospital”) is 38. 
• Actor Armie Hammer (“The Lone Ranger,” ″The Social Network”) is 34. 
• Singer Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine is 34. 
• Actor Shalita Grant (“NCIS: New Orleans”) is 32. 
• Singer Cassadee Pope (“The Voice”) is 31. 
• Actor Katie Findlay (“How To Get Away With Murder”) is 30. 
• Actor Samuel Larsen (“Glee”) is 29. 
• Actor Kyle Massey (“Cory in the House,” ″That’s So Raven”) is 29. 
• Actor Quvenzhane Wallis (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) is 17. 
• Reality TV personality Honey Boo Boo (Alana Thompson) (“Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”) is 15.