Nov 1 Radio History

➦In 1880...Sportswriter Grantland Rice was born in Murfreesboro Tennessee.  He was with the NY Herald Tribune when he was pressed into service as a broadcaster; he was at the mike for the first World Series game which aired on  KDKA in 1921 and the first complete World Series WJZ in 1922. He died July 13 1954 at age 73.

➦In 1894…Billboard Advertising, a 10-cent trade publication dealing with billboard advertising, began publication. After a few years, it started to focus on the entertainment shows advertised by billboards, and by the 1930s Billboard, as it came to be known, was covering radio and sales of a new medium, juke box records.

➦In 1937..."Hilltop House" first aired on CBS Radio. It's stories centered around Bess Johnson and the struggles that she faced as the person in charge of Hilltop House Orphanage. Children were integral to the plots, and the stories usually dealt with the youngsters' interactions with adults.

Financial problems and conflicts between the staff and members of the orphanage's board of directors also arose frequently. Sponsored by Palmolive soap, this version was broadcast on both CBS and Mutual beginning on November 1, 1937. It left Mutual in 1938 but remained on CBS until March 28, 1941. It was replaced by a spinoff, then was re-launched twice, with its final episode coming on July 30, 1957.

➦In 1937…"Terry and the Pirates," a radio serial based on the popular comic strip, debuted on NBC's Red network.

When the late afternoon series began, it was heard at 5:15pm, three times a week, sponsored by Dari-Rich, airing on NBC Red Network from November 1, 1937 to June 1, 1938. It switched to NBC Blue Network on September 26, 1938, continuing until March 22, 1939. Absent from the airwaves for over two years, it returned shortly before the Attack on Pearl Harbor, heard in the Midwestern United States on the Chicago Tribune's WGN. That series, sponsored by Libby's, aired five days a week from October 16, 1941 to May 29, 1942.

With increasing popularity during the World War II years, the show next took off at a fast pace on Blue Network, airing daily for 15 minutes on weekday afternoons beginning February 1, 1943. The Quaker Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice "shot from guns" commercials often had a patriotic pitch.

After 1945, with no wartime villains for Terry and his pals to fight, ratings began to drop in the post-World War II period until the final episode on June 30, 1948.

➦In 1946...The following ad appeared November 1 in the NY Times heralding a change in call letters from WEAF to WNBC. Also, WABC became WCBS-AM

➦In 1959...WOV 1280 AM in NYC changed call letters to WADO.

This station was launched as WGL on January 30, 1927, and was owned by the International Broadcasting Corporation. WGL president Colonel Lewis Landes stated on the inaugural broadcast, "The International Broadcasting Corporation's aim is to adhere to truth, to be free of partisanship, religious or political."

WGL was the first station to protest the frequency allocations of the Federal Radio Commission in May 1927. WGL was authorized to move to 1170 AM, but wanted to go to 720, then occupied by WOR. When WOR was awarded the 710 frequency, both stations went to court, with WOR eventually winning the case. Finally in June 1927, WGL moved to 1020 AM and shared time with Paterson station, WODA.

On September 16, 1928, WGL changed calls to WOV and was sold to Sicilian-born importer John Iraci. The WGL call sign was then picked up by a Fort Wayne station, which uses them to this very day.

WOV's initial programming was aimed at a general audience, but by the mid-1930s, it strengthened its ethnic ties and expanded its Italian-language programming to fill the daytime hours. WOV soon became the dominant Italian voice in the Northeast through its affiliation with share-time station WBIL and Iraci's WPEN in Philadelphia.  Eventually, the station moved to its current 1280 AM spot.

DeeJay Peggy Lloyd (undated)

The station was owned by WOV Broadcasting until 1959, when it was sold to Bartel Broadcasters, at which time the station was renamed WADO.  The station was sold to Command Broadcasting in 1979. In 1986, Heftel bought the station, and over the next three years, moved to a Spanish language adult contemporary and talk format. By the early 1990s, WADO was a Spanish news and talk station.

In March 1996, Command bought WPAT and put a Spanish MOR format there. In 1997, Heftel restructured into Hispanic Broadcasters. They sold WPAT to Multicultural, and acquired WNWK from Multicultural. The brokered shows from WNWK went to WPAT and WCAA went to a Spanish Tropical format. WADO remained News and Talk.

In the 1990s the FCC began to entertain the idea of power increases on the formerly 'regional' channels like 1280. Application was made to raise day power from 5,000 watts on two towers to 50,000 watts on a four tower system. This remained on file, and was periodically amended as the ownership changed. In 1998 the FCC granted a CP for days at 50,000 watts. While planning the rebuilt site, DoE David Stewart hit on the idea of a night power increase using the proposed extra day towers. CP was granted for 7,200 watts.

In 2002, Hispanic Broadcasting was sold to Univision, making WADO and WCAA Univision-owned and operated stations.

➦In 1993...Atlantic Radio - a collection of 20 radio stations - became American Radio Systems.

CBS Corp. completed the $2.6-billion acquisition of American Radio Systems Corp.'s 98 stations in 1998.  At the time, Mel Karmazin, chairman and chief executive officer of the CBS Station Group, commented: "The acquisition of American Radio is financially and strategically attractive for CBS. This investment will significantly strengthen CBS's position in the fast growing radio industry.  It will enable CBS Radio to expand into new top 50 markets and increase its position in its existing major markets.  American Radio's stations are located in very attractive radio revenue growth markets where the Company expects to further consolidate its position."

➦In 2005...pianist & bandleader Skitch Henderson died at age 87. On radio he was a sometime musical director for Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby; he was the original orchestra leader on the NBC TV Tonight Show with Steve Allen, went with Steve to his prime time shows, and returned to Tonight for Johnny Carson‘s early years.

Charlie O'Donnell

➦In 2010...Radio, TV announcer Charlie O’Donnell, who worked the Wheel Of Fortune, The Newlywed Game, The Dating Game, American Bandstand and the Gong Show, died in his sleep of heart failure at age 78. He also announced the American Music Awards, the Emmy Awards and the Academy Awards.

O'Donnell, a native Philadelphian, began his career as a teenager at WCHA in Chambersburg, PA. In 1956, he worked as program director at WHAT, a 250-watt R&B station in Philadelphia, where he discovered and launched the career of future Philadelphia radio legend Hy Lit.

When WIBG 990 AM became Top40 in 1957, O'Donnell was named news director.

In 1958, he became the sidekick of Dick Clark on WFIL-TV6's afternoon dance program, American Bandstand. This led to several stints as a disc jockey on Los Angeles radio (most notably on legendary Pasadena station KRLA, 1964–67), and later as news anchorman and staff announcer on Los Angeles television station KCOP-TV. KCOP was the home of The Joker's Wild and Tic-Tac-Dough during its initial syndicated reigns.

He is also featured on the Simon and Garfunkel song "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" as the news announcer.

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

• Country singer Bill Anderson is 83. 
• Actor Barbara Bosson (“Murder One,” ″Hill Street Blues”) is 81. 
• Actor Robert Foxworth (“Falcon Crest”) is 79. 
• “Hustler” publisher Larry Flynt is 78. 
• Country singer Kinky Friedman is 76. 
• Actor Jeannie Berlin (“The Heartbreak Kid”) is 71. 
• Music producer David Foster is 71. 
• Actor Belita Moreno (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid”) is 71. 
• Country singer-songwriter Keith Stegall is 66. 

• 

  Jenny McCarthy is 48

  Singer Lyle Lovett is 63. 
• Actor Rachel Ticotin is 62. 
• Bassist Eddie MacDonald (The Alarm) is 61. 
• Actor Helene Udy (“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”) is 59. 
• Singer Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers is 58. 
• Singer-keyboardist Mags Furuholmen of A-ha is 58. 
• Drummer Rick Allen of Def Leppard is 57. 
• Country singer Big Kenny of Big and Rich is 57. 
• Singer Sophie B. Hawkins is 56. 
• Rapper Willie D of the Geto Boys is 54. 
• Keyboardist Dale Wallace of Emerson Drive is 51. 
• Actor Toni Collette (“The United States of Tara,” ″Little Miss Sunshine”) is 48. 
• Actor and TV personality Jenny McCarthy is 48. 
• Actor Dave Berman (“CSI”) is 47. 
• “American Idol” runner-up Bo Bice is 45. 
• Actor Matt Jones (“Breaking Bad”) is 39. 
• Actor Natalia Tena (“Game of Thrones,” “Harry Potter” films) is 36. 
• Actor Penn Badgely (“Gossip Girl”) is 34. 
• Actor Max Burkholder (TVs “Parenthood”) is 23. 
• Actor-drummer Alex Wolff (“The Naked Brothers Band”) is 23.

R.I.P.: Actor Sean Connery, The Original James Bond

Sean Connery has died at the age of 90, his family has said.

The Scottish actor was best known for his portrayal of James Bond, being the first to bring the role to the big screen and appearing in seven of the spy thrillers.

According to the BBC, Sir Sean died peacefully in his sleep, while in the Bahamas, having been "unwell for some time", his son said.

His acting career spanned five decades and he won an Oscar in 1988 for his role in The Untouchables.

Sir Sean's other films included The Hunt for Red October, Highlander, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Rock.

Jason Connery said his father "had many of his family who could be in the Bahamas around him" when he died overnight in Nassau.

He said: "We are all working at understanding this huge event as it only happened so recently, even though my dad has been unwell for some time.

"A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor."

Connery first played James Bond in Dr No in 1962 and went on to appear in five other official films - and the unofficial Never Say Never Again in 1983.

He was largely regarded as being the best actor to have played 007 in the long-running franchise, often being named as such in polls.

He was knighted by the Queen at Holyrood Palace in 2000. In August, he celebrated his 90th birthday.

Twitter Unlocks NY Post Account

Twitter backed down Friday in its battle with The NY Post and unlocked its main account after a two-week stalemate over the Hunter Biden exposé.

The move came after The Post refused Twitter’s demand that it delete six tweets that linked to stories that the company claimed — without any evidence — were based on hacked information.

In a series of tweets, the social-media giant said it was revising its “Hacked Materials Policy” and “updating our practice of not retroactively overturning prior enforcement.”

“Our policies are living documents,” said one of the tweets from @TwitterSafety.

“We’re willing to update and adjust them when we encounter new scenarios or receive important feedback from the public.”

The Post immediately celebrated the victory with a tweet declaring “We’re baaaaaaack” and an image of the tabloid’s Saturday front page, with the headline “FREE BIRD!”

Twitter arbitrarily cracked down on The Post and locked its account on Oct. 14.

The company claimed The Post violated a policy on sharing “hacked materials” by tweeting links to bombshell exclusives on Biden’s emails — without ever saying how it came to that conclusion and despite the fact that neither Hunter Biden or anyone else has claimed his emails were hacked.

The move sparked widespread outrage that led Twitter to revise its policy so other users could tweet the stories.

But it continued to hold The Post’s account hostage — demanding the six tweets about its own reporting be deleted. They never were.

On Friday, the company said that under its latest policy revision, “Decisions made under policies that are subsequently changed & published can now be appealed if the account at issue is a driver of that change.”

“We believe this is fair and appropriate,” Twitter said.

News Corp called the move, “an important moment for journalism and for the freedom of the press.”

Traffic Plunges For The Drudge Report Website

Screenshot 10/31/20

The Drudge Report posted a 45 percent decline in web traffic in September as the site alienated its core readers by turning against President Trump ahead of the 2020 presidential election, reports The NY Post.

The data — derived from comScore, which tracks the industry — were released in a report by TheRighting, a website that analyzes traffic to right-leaning websites. TheRighting told The Post that the Drudge Report had 1,291,000 unique visitors in September, according to data supplied by comScore, down from 2,340,000 in the same month a year ago.

September’s eye-popping decline marks the ninth month in a row that the political news aggregation website run by reclusive founder Matt Drudge has seen traffic fall, TheRighting said.

The plunge comes at a time when demand for political news has been soaring on both sides of the aisle leading up to a highly charged presidential election. And experts say it’s directly tied to the Drudge Report’s sudden and unexpected switch earlier this year from a conservative-leaning news outlet to one that’s decidedly anti-Trump.

“It’s catastrophic what has happened to his web traffic,” said Matt Lysiak, author of “The Drudge Revolution.” “He’s on a fast track to irrelevance.”

Matt Drudge

Lysiak says some of the Drudge Report’s suffering can be traced to competition from social media services like Twitter. “But what accelerated his decline is when he shifted to the left and turned on Trump and lost many of his core readers. By any criteria, this shift was a complete disaster for him,” Lysiak said.

“Liberals are never going to love Drudge, even if he’s not linking to stories about Hunter Biden and Joe Biden,” Lysiak said of the website that made its name in the 1990s by being the first outlet to report on the brewing Monica Lewinsky scandal. “They’ll always remember what happened with Bill Clinton.”

Drudge had been an ardent promoter of Donald Trump in the run-up to the 2016 election and was reportedly invited to the White House in 2017. But the site and its founder have drawn criticism from readers, including the president, for linking to largely negative stories about the president in recent months.

Growing appetites for political news, meanwhile, have helped traffic to Fox News’ website grow 9 percent in September compared to a year ago, with 104.1 million unique visitors, The Righting said. That lags behind CNN, which pulled 144.5 million unique visitors, up 11 percent, but beats the New York Times brands’ 95.1 million unique visitors in September, up 3 percent compared to the same month a year ago, and the Washington Post with 91.6 million unique visitors, also up 3 percent from a year ago, TheRighting said.

The fastest-growing sites in September were Bongino.com, up 780 percent to 2.6 million unique visitors, according to TheRighting; The Gateway Pundit, up 456 percent to 5.7 million, and CNS News, up 417 percent to 3.9 million unique visitors.

The Time Has Come To...

Most of the United States has basked in an extra hour of daylight since the spring. But that's coming to an end. On Sunday Nov. 1, most Americans will set their clocks back an hour, as daylight saving time comes to an end for the year. These spring and fall clock changes continue a long tradition started by Benjamin Franklin to conserve energy.

According to LiveScience, Benjamin Franklin takes the honor (or the blame, depending on your view of the time changes) for coming up with the idea to reset clocks in the summer months as a way to conserve energy, according to David Prerau, author of "Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time" (Thunder's Mouth Press, 2005). By moving clocks forward, people could take advantage of the extra evening daylight rather than wasting energy on lighting. At the time, Franklin was ambassador to Paris and so wrote a witty letter to the Journal of Paris in 1784, rejoicing over his "discovery" that the sun provides light as soon as it rises.

Even so, DST didn't officially begin until more than a century later. Germany established DST in May 1916 as a way to conserve fuel during World War I. The rest of Europe came onboard shortly thereafter. And in 1918, the United States adopted daylight saving time.

Though President Woodrow Wilson wanted to keep daylight saving time after WWI ended, the country was mostly rural at the time and farmers objected, partly because it would mean they lost an hour of morning light. (It's a myth that DST was instituted to help farmers.) And so daylight saving time was abolished until the next war brought it back into vogue. At the start of WWII, on Feb. 9, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt re-established daylight saving time year-round, calling it "War Time."

After the war, a free-for-all system in which U.S. states and towns were given the choice of whether or not to observe DST led to chaos. And in 1966, to tame such "Wild West" mayhem, Congress enacted the Uniform Time Act. That federal law meant that any state observing DST — and they didn't have to jump on the DST bandwagon — had to follow a uniform protocol throughout the state in which daylight saving time would begin on the first Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October.

Fewer than 40 percent of the world's countries observe daylight saving time, according to timeanddate.com. However, those that do are taking advantage of the natural daylight in the evenings.

Former CBS Radio CEO Joins SeventySix Capital

Dan Mason

SeventySix Capital, the sports tech venture capital company that focuses on sports tech, esports and sports betting companies, announces that Dan Mason has joined the team as a Venture Partner and Strategic Advisor. Mason will focus his efforts across SeventySIx Capital’s venture capital funds, Sports Advisory practice and media opportunities.

Mason served as President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS RADIO until his retirement in 2015. In that role, he oversaw CBS RADIO’s 117 stations across 26 markets, including all of the Top 10 markets such as WFAN in New York and WIP-FM in Philadelphia, as well as the day-to-day operations of the division.

Currently, Mason is the Chairman of SeventySix Capital’s portfolio company, VSiN - The Sports Betting Network.

“I’ve been working closely with Dan and the top executives at VSiN for the last several years,” said SeventySix Capital Managing Partner Wayne Kimmel. “Dan’s media expertise, business strategy and relationships have proven to be incredibly helpful. We cannot wait for him to provide similar guidance to us and our companies.”

“I am excited to join the team at SeventySix Capital,” said Mason. “There is tremendous opportunity to reimagine the entire sports industry and I look forward to investing, advising and making strategic introductions for our sports portfolio companies.”

Mason initiated an aggressive growth strategy at CBS RADIO including the launch of CBS Sports Radio, a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week lineup of national programming from premier entities CBS RADIO and CBS Sports. Under Mason’s leadership, CBS RADIO also took a number of steps to expand its digital presence; including building the online audio streaming platforms Radio.com and creating mobile applications that allow listeners to interact with CBS RADIO stations on the go, and expanding its use of online video to complement the division’s over–the-air programming.

Mason currently serves on the board of The Broadcasters Foundation of America, an organization that serves those in acute financial need within the radio and television industries. He also served several years on the board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters which presented him in 2012 with their National Radio Award for outstanding leadership within the radio industry. In 2015, Dan Mason was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame at the Museum of Broadcast and Communications in Chicago.

R.I.P.: Ed Hurst, Iconic Philly Radio, TV Personality

Ed Hurst

Legendary Philadelphia radio, TV personality Ed Hurst has died at age 94. 

According to the WPG Atlantic City website, Hurst enjoyed a broadcasting career that spanned more than 75 years.

He was so relevant in the radio and television industry that Dick Clark said “without Ed Hurst, there never would have been a Dick Clark.”

Hurst’s radio and television, multi Hall of Fame career began at age 16 in 1943, on then WFPG AM in Atlantic City, the predecessor to now WPG Talk Radio 95.5.

Ed was a pioneer and innovator. He was the creator of the dance club format; inviting people to dance live, where he conducted live interviews on radio and television.

Ed was the first Broadcaster to interview the iconic Tony Bennett. They forged a loyal friendship that lasted more than 70 years.

Tony always remembered to remember and would always say, “Ed is my true friend. He’s the first person to ever put me on-the-air,” said Bennett.

Hurst started his career from 1943 to 1946 at WFPG, in Atlantic City. Hurst then did a radio show on WPEN- 950 AM, out of Philadelphia, called The 950 Club with Joe Grady from 1946 (until 1955) before he teamed up with Joe Grady to do The Grady and Hurst Show on Philadelphia TV, which was broadcast in the tri-state area.

The Grady and Hurst Show, which started in 1952, was the first to show teens dancing (from 11 a.m. to noon every Saturday) in a studio. The groundbreaking format influenced programs like American Bandstand and others. The 950 Club on radio, which preceded The Grady and Hurst Show, was the first teenage show to have a studio audience (by invitation only) dance to the music on the air.

Hurst was on Philadelphia television from 1952 to 1978. During that time from 1952 to 1955, Hurst produced and performed on three television shows, all airing on WPTZ-TV. They were The Grady and Hurst Show, The Arthur Murray Party, a formal adult dance program, and The Plymouth Showroom, a variety program featuring popular recording artists. All three programs were rated number one in their respective time slots. In 1955, The Grady and Hurst Show moved to WPFH-TV in Wilmington, Delaware, where it enjoyed continued success. In 1958, the station moved to Philadelphia and became WVUE.

In 1958, Hurst joined WRCV radio and TV, now known as KYW. He produced and performed on The Grady and Hurst Show morning radio program, as well as working on a TV show called Summertime on the Pier. In 1965, Ed launched yet another show, Ed Hurst at the Aquarama, a local variety series.

Hurst returned to WPEN in 1981 and stayed until 2005. His show was called the Steel Pier Radio Show for most of his time at WPEN. Although Hurst then retired, he eventually returned to radio on WIBG 1020 AM, which was followed by WPG, WOND and back to WPG, where he worked until 2016.

October 31 Radio History

➦In 1912...actress & singing cowgirl Dale Evans was born as Lucille Wood Smith in Uvalde, TX (Died of congestive heart failure at age 88 – February 7, 2001) She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers.

She had a tumultuous early life. Her name was changed to Frances Octavia Smith while she was still an infant. She spent a lot of time living with her uncle, Dr. L.D. Massey, a general practice physician, in Osceola, Arkansas. At age 14, she eloped with and married Thomas F. Fox, with whom she had one son, Thomas F. Fox Jr., when she was 15. A year later, abandoned by her husband, she found herself in Memphis, Tennessee, a single parent, pursuing a career in music. She landed a job with local radio stations (WMC and WREC), singing and playing piano. Divorced in 1929, she took the name Dale Evans in the early 1930s to promote her singing career.

➦In 1942..."White Christmas" by Bing Crosby hit No. 1 on the pop singles chart for the first time.

➦In 1942...CBS radio debuted 'Thanks To The Yanks', a wartime themed game show starring Bob Hawk, the quizmaster who had introduced Take it Or Leave It to radio, the original $64 Question show.

➦In 1963...The Beatles returned to London from Sweden to be greeted by hundreds of screaming fans and a mob of photographers. Ed Sullivan happened to be at Heathrow, and was struck by the sight of Beatlemania in full swing. This was the day he determined to have the Fab Four appear on his Sunday night CBS TV variety show, thus introducing The Beatles to North America.

➦In 1968..'The War of the Worlds' was a radio drama, was aired by Buffalo, New York radio station Top40 WKBW 1520 AM.

It was a modernized version of the original radio drama aired by CBS in 1938.

WKBW program director Jefferson Kaye (d. 2012), a big fan of the original Orson Welles version from three decades earlier, wondered what The War of the Worlds would sound like if it was made using up-to-date (for 1968) radio news equipment, covering the "story" of a Martian invasion. Up until this point, most radio renditions of the 1938 broadcast were simply script re-readings with different actors or had minor variations to account for significantly different geographical locations. Kaye decided to disregard the original script entirely, move the action to Grand Island, New York, and use actual WKBW disc jockeys and news reporters as actors.

Other changes reflected the changing state of the industry: instead of the old-time radio programming fare of the 1930s, WKBW's War of the Worlds broadcast was interwoven into the station's Top40 programming.



Initially, a script was written for the news reporters to act out; however, upon hearing the rehearsals, it was evident that the news reporters were not adept at scripted radio acting. So instead, Kaye wrote an outline based on the events that were to occur, and the news reporters were then asked to describe the events as they would covering an actual news story. The results were much more realistic for its time, and this was the process used for the actual broadcast.

Jeff Kaye

Despite an exhaustive advertising campaign by WKBW for this show, several people were still convinced upon listening to it that the events unfolding in the show were genuine. Among those fooled included a local newspaper, several small-town police officers and even the Canadian military, which dispatched troops to the Peace Bridge. Although the public concern over the legitimacy of the broadcast was not as great as in 1938, creator Kaye and director Dan Kriegler feared that they were going to lose their jobs as a result of the broadcast; Kaye claimed that he actually submitted his resignation, certain that he was going to be fired the next day. However, no one involved in the broadcast was fired and the resignation was not accepted.

It was a generally conceived notion before the broadcast that a mass hoax, even one as unintentional as the 1938 program, could never be duplicated again by a lone radio broadcast. The rise of television as a preferred news medium was a factor in this notion that radio could no longer produce such a drastic response from its audience. The fact that the WKBW broadcast could unintentionally re-create that response on a smaller scale surprised many people and garnered a lot of post-broadcast attention on the radio station. In this way, it was a successful marketing gimmick.


➦In 1981...NBC Radio produced its first live radio drama in 25 years (“Halloween Story.”)




➦In 1988..Radio Announcer Ken Niles died (Born - December 9, 1906 or 1908, in Livingston, Montana)   Niles debuted in radio on KJR in Seattle, WA in the late 1920s.

Niles also served as commercial announcer and foil for Bing Crosby in the Bing Crosby Entertains series (1933-1935) and also on several series sponsored by Camel Cigarettes, notably The Abbott and Costello Show.  Niles was frequently paired in comedy skits opposite Elvia Allman as his fictitious wife Mrs Niles. Niles was also the announcer for The Amazing Mrs. Danberry.

For his work in radio, he received a "Star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as did his brother Wendell, making them the first brothers to be so honored. Ken Niles' star is at 6711 Hollywood Avenue, in the Radio section. It was dedicated February 8, 1960.

➦In 2008...Louis "Studs" Terkel died (Born - May 16, 1912). He was an author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for The Good War and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.

A political liberal, Terkel joined the Works Progress Administration's Federal Writers' Project, working in radio, doing work that varied from voicing soap opera productions and announcing news and sports, to presenting shows of recorded music and writing radio scripts and advertisements. His well-known radio program, titled The Studs Terkel Program, aired on 98.7 WFMT Chicago between 1952 and 1997. The one-hour program was broadcast each weekday during those forty-five years.

👻HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

• Actor Lee Grant is 95. 
• Anchorman Dan Rather is 89. 
• Folk singer Tom Paxton is 83. 
• Actor Ron Rifkin (“Alias”) is 82. 
• Actor Sally Kirkland is 79. 
• Actor Stephen Rea (“The Crying Game,” ″V For Vendetta”) is 74. 
• Actor Deidre Hall (“Days Of Our Lives”) is 73. 
• Journalist Jane Pauley is 70. 
• Broadway performer Brian Stokes Mitchell is 63. 

• 

  Piper Perabo is 44

  Director Peter Jackson (“Lord of the Rings”) is 59. 
• Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. of U2 is 59. 
• Guitarist Johnny Marr of Modest Mouse (and The Smiths) is 57. 
• Actor Dermot Mulroney is 57. 
• Drummer Mikkey Dee of Motorhead and of Scorpions is 57. 
• Actor Rob Schneider is 57. 
• Country singer Darryl Worley is 56. 
• Actor Mike O’Malley (“Glee”) is 55. 
• Guitarist Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys is 54. 
• Musician Rob Van Winkle (Vanilla Ice) is 53. 
• Guitarist Rogers Stevens of Blind Melon is 51. 
• Singer Linn Berggren of Ace of Base is 50. 
• Reality show host Troy Hartman (“Extreme Survival,” ″No Boundaries”) is 49. 
• Gospel singer Smokie Norful is 47. 
• Actor Piper Perabo is 44. 
• Actor Samaire Armstrong (TV’s “Resurrection”) is 40. 
• Keyboardist Tay Strathairn of Dawes is 40. 
• Actor Eddie Kaye Thomas (“American Pie”) is 40. 
• Guitarist Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance) is 39. 
• Actor Justin Chatwin (“American Gothic”) is 38. 
• Actor Holly Taylor (“The Americans”) is 23. 
• Actor Danielle Rose Russell (“Legacies,” “The Originals”) is 21. 
• Singer-actor Willow Smith is 20.

DC Radio: PM Drive Host Chad Dukes Fired From WJFK-FM

Longtime D.C. radio host Chad Dukes has been fired from WJFK-FM 106.7 The Fan, the station’s parent company announced late Thursday in a emailed statement, after it learned of “racist and other inappropriate comments” he made in episodes of his personal podcast.

“We have zero tolerance for this type of speech from any of our employees, on our platforms or otherwise,” Ivy Savoy-Smith, the senior vice president and market manager of Entercom Washington, D.C., said in the statement. “Our air talent are ambassadors of our brand, and we do not want to be affiliated with these comments.”

The Washington Post reports it’s unclear what specific comments led to Dukes’s dismissal, when he made the comments or how his bosses learned of their existence. Entercom said it would have no further comment on the matter.

A brief on-air announcement of Dukes’s dismissal was made Friday morning at the start of “The Sports Junkies,” the morning drive-time show on 106.7 The Fan.

“Chad Dukes is no longer with 106.7 The Fan," J.P. Flaim said. "Our company recently learned of inappropriate comments that he made in past episodes of his personal podcast and our company has zero tolerance for any forms of hateful speech, so our focus, the Junkies, remains on sports and doing the best show we can. With that said, I don’t think we’re saying anything further on it.”

In addition to hosting “Chad Dukes Vs. the World” on 106.7 The Fan’s weekday afternoon drive-time slot since 2014, Dukes co-hosted the “Rodkast” podcast for several years, with the most recent episode publishing in September 2019. He also co-hosts the “Big O and Dukes” podcast, which began as a radio show.

Final October 2020 PPMs Released For 12 Markets

Nielsen On Thursday, October 29, 2020 released the final batch of October 2020 PPM data from the following markets:

32  Austin

38  Raleigh-Durham NC

39  Indianapolis

40  Nashville

42  Milwaukee-Racine

44  Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket RI

45  Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News

46  Jacksonville FL

47  West Palm Beach-Boca Raton FL

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 AM Rundown: Presidential Candidates Stump In 3 States Each

➤TRUMP RALLYING IN MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA, BIDEN STUMPING IN IOWA, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA: As the presidential election moves into its final weekend with just four days left until Election Day, President Trump will be holding rallies in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota today, and former Vice President Joe Biden will also be on the stump in Wisconsin and Minnesota, as well as in Iowa, a Republican-leaning state he's trying to flip. Both were in Florida yesterday, appearing in the Tampa area within hours of each other. Trump's closing weekend will include three stops in Pennsylvania Saturday and nearly a dozen events in the last 48 hours of the campaign. Among Biden's events, he will be in Michigan Saturday for a joint rally with former President Barack Obama. 

Poll: Biden holds 4-point lead nationwide ahead of Election Day via @HillTVLive https://t.co/TRIU3FEAXI pic.twitter.com/XVI44Cg4Pg

— The Hill (@thehill) October 30, 2020

➤AMERICANS WORRIED ABOUT ELECTION-RELATED V IOLENCE: When it comes to the presidential election that's now just four days away, Americans aren't only stressed about the outcome, a new poll finds they're also concerned about potential election-related violence. An astonishing three in four said in a new USA Today/Suffolk University Poll that they're concerned about the possibility of violence on Election Day and afterward, with more than one-third saying they're "very concerned" about it. Similarly, just 23 percent said they're "very confident" there will be a peaceful transfer of power if Joe Biden beats President Trump, and nearly 40 percent have little confidence in it. These concerns of significant majorities of Americans reflect the divisions in the country, with 69 percent saying they believe the divisions are deeper than they've been in the past, and only three percent saying they're less than they've been.

Daily #COVID19 data trends for October 28, 2020:
📈 U.S. new cases: 73,240
🧪 U.S. positivity ratio: 6.19%
🇺🇸 New cases rising: Texas, Wisconsin, California

Learn more at https://t.co/n8n4ubOYaR pic.twitter.com/q5QaMHXOpK

— Johns Hopkins University (@JohnsHopkins) October 28, 2020

➤U.S. SETS NEW RECORD FOR MOST DAILY CORONAVIRUS CASES: The U.S. reported 87,164 new coronavirus cases yesterday, according to Johns Hopkins University's data, the most new cases in a single day in the country since the pandemic began. The previous high came just six days ago, when there were 83,731 new cases, the new records taking place amid a fall surge of the coronavirus. The Johns Hopkins data showed that 41 states had at least 10 percent more new Covid-19 cases this past week compared to the previous week. Deaths are also rising again, with the death toll now more than 228,000 people. At least 13 states reported highs in hospitalizations, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

Check out this time lapse as the eye of Hurricane #Zeta passed over Uptown, New Orleans https://t.co/OQDD0QYek3

— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) October 29, 2020

➤HURRICANE ZETA LEAVES SIX DEAD: Hurricane Zeta left six dead after coming ashore in Cocodrie, Louisiana, as a Category 2 storm on Wednesday and then quickly moving through parts of the Southeast. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards on Thursday called the damage on the barrier island community of Grand Isle "catastrophic," and ordered the Louisiana National Guard to assist with search and rescue. Four were killed in Alabama and Georgia when trees fell on their homes, one man was electrocuted in New Orleans, and a man drowned in Mississippi in rising seawater.

➤THOSE SEEKING UNEMPLOYMENT FALLS TO LOWEST SINCE MARCH, STILL HISTORICALLY HIGH: Labor Department figures out yesterday showed that the number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims fell last week to 751,000, the lowest since March. But it's still a historically high number, with AP saying it indicates employers are being forced to cut jobs amid the pandemic. The government also said yesterday that the economy expanded at a record 33 percent annual rate in the quarter from July to September quarter, a sharp rebound after the pandemic-driven collapse in the spring's second quarter, when the economy shrank at a 31.4 percent annual rate. However, the increase has only recovered about two-thirds of what was lost to the pandemic.

FINAL: The @AtlantaFalcons take home the TNF win! #ATLvsCAR #RiseUpATL

(by @Lexus) pic.twitter.com/dLjvoWmmaX

— NFL (@NFL) October 30, 2020

🏈FALCONS DEFEAT PANTHERS 25-17: The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Carolina Panthers 25-17 last night in North Carolina, holding off a late rally when Blidi Wreh-Wilson intercepted Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater near the Falcons' 10-yard line with just over one minute remaining. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 281 yards and ran for a touchdown, and Younghoe Koo kicked four field goals.

Trevor Lawrence, the star Clemson QB and Heisman Trophy front runner, has tested positive for COVID-19.

Lawrence won't play Saturday against Boston College.
https://t.co/QABE4uOMfX

— ESPN (@espn) October 30, 2020

🏈CLEMSON QUARTERBACK LAWRENCE TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS: Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence has tested positive for the coronavirus, with coach Dabo Swinney saying in a statement last night that Lawrence is in isolation with mild symptoms. The quarterback tweeted that he's had, quote, "relatively mild" symptoms, and said, "The only thing that hurts is missing an opportunity to be with my teammates this weekend and play the game I love." Lawrence will miss Clemson's game this weekend against Boston College. The junior is a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy and potentially the top overall pick in next year’s NFL draft.

⚾WHITE SOX HIRE HALL OF FAMER LA RUSSA AS MANAGER: Hall of Famer Tony La Russa is returning to baseball, hired by the Chicago White Sox to be their manager. The 76-year-old began his managing career with the White Sox more than four decades ago, and is now returning with them to manage for the first time since he led the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series title in 2011. He also won championships with the Oakland A's in 1989 and the Cardinals in 2006. Over his 33 seasons, La Russa won Manager of the Year four times.

🏀TIMBERWOLVES BEASLEY CHARGED WITH THREATENING FAMILY WITH RIFLE: Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley was charged yesterday with using a rifle to threaten a family that was house hunting in his suburban Minneapolis neighborhood last month. A couple and their 13-year-old child were on a Parade of Homes tour last month when they drove up to the home being rented by Beasley and his wife, but saw it was roped off. Beasley tapped on the window of the family's SUV, pointed a rifle at them and told them to get off his property. He also continued to hold the rifle aimed on the SUV as it drove off. The Timberwolves said in a statement, "[W]e take these allegations seriously and will let the legal process run its course."

Radio Hall of Fame Goes Virtual

Radio was celebrated across audio channels as the Radio Hall of Fame presented the 2020 Class of Inductees on radio, iHeartRadio, and SiriusXM. From talk to hip hop, celebrity presenters joined the industry to honor some of radio’s most listened to personalities. Due to COVID-19 health and safety concerns, this year’s ceremony was not the usual in-person gala and instead was broadcast and streamed from multiple locations.

Elvis Duran, popular morning show personality heard on Z100 in New York and nationally syndicated by Premiere Networks, hosted the virtual gala and started the festivities by pointing out the unique power of radio in the listener’s mind and imagination, and transformed everyone to a virtual ballroom. Nationally syndicated Westwood One radio host and 2003 Radio Hall of Fame inductee Jim Bohannon reprised his annual role as the Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony’s announcer. The Radio Hall of Fame is part of the Museum of Broadcast Communications, located in Chicago, IL since 1991.

During his acceptance speech, Donnie Simpson observed, “The Hall has recognized the right side of the dial, now, a lot of people of color are going in this class, and I want to tell the Hall that I respect that.”

Charlamagne Tha God noted, “Back in 2009, I gave the introduction Hall of Fame speech for Wendy Williams, and almost 11 years later, I am being inducted as part of The Breakfast Club. I read all the legendary names on that Wall at the Broadcast Museum, I felt inspired and said to myself, ‘I’m going to be on that Wall one day.’”

The 2020 Class of Radio Hall of Fame Inductees are:

• Mark & Brian - KLOS-FM..Longstanding Local/Regional (20 years or more)
• Cokie Roberts - Political Reporter, NPR .. Longstanding Network/Syndication (20 years or more)
• Angie Martinez - WWPR-FM New York City .. Active Local/Regional (10 years or more)
• The Breakfast Club - Charlamagne Tha God, Angela Yee, DJ Envy, Premiere Networks ...WWPR -FM, Active Network/Syndication (10 years or more)
• Sway Calloway - SiriusXM Shade 45 Channel.. Public Vote Music Format On-Air Personality
• Glenn Beck - The Glenn Beck Show, Premiere Networks.. Public Vote Spoken Word On-Air Personality
• Donnie Simpson - WMMJ-FM Washington D.C. .. Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee inductee

The evening featured an impressive lineup of presenters, including:

• Grammy Award-winning Smokey Robinson - Donnie Simpson
• TV star and singer Donny Osmond – Mark & Brian
• DJ, VJ, and B-Boy King Tech - Sway Calloway
• Radio programmer Dom Theodore - Glenn Beck
• National recording artist Ray J - The Breakfast Club
• Music Producer Salaam Remi - Angie Martinez

The ceremony concluded with an audio journey that highlighted 100 years of radio’s role in listeners’ lives -- from comedy to tragedy, the montage demonstrated how audio informs, entertains, and engages Americans every day.

Sponsors of the 2020 Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony included The Mix Group, Premiere Networks, and The Weiss Agency. The Radio Hall of Fame is housed at and a project of the Museum of Broadcast Communication, a 501(c)(3) organization.

NYC Radio: Tony Orlando To Host Music On 77 WABC

Tony Orlando, Superstar singer/songwriter and pop icon of the 1960s and 1970s, will be joining 77 WABC MUSICRADIO, hosting his own weekend music radio program. The station announced that Orlando will spin the greatest hits from the 60s and 70s every Saturday from 10 p.m. to midnight, joining fellow-icon “Cousin Brucie” Morrow who launched his own Saturday evening program earlier this year. 

Orlando’s critical acclaim has placed him atop the list of the most transformational artists of his generation. In 1973, Orlando achieved the top spot on the Billboard “Top 100” for “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Ole Oak Tree,” a worldwide hit and number one seller in both the United States and United Kingdom. The anthem was ranked number 37 on the “Biggest Songs of All Time” list announced by Billboard on the 50th Anniversary of the “Hot 100,” and has been considered an anthem of hope and homecoming.

Tony Orlando’s Show on MUSICRADIO will also stream live worldwide on wabcradio.com and on the network’s Long Island’s sister station, WLIR-FM 107.1.

“I am thrilled to be back on the radio on 77 WABC to play the greatest hits of an iconic generation: the sixties and seventies,” said Orlando. “I can’t wait to be on the airwaves with my fans who are looking forward to the greatest hits – we are going to have a lot of fun,” Orlando continued.

“Tony is one of the country’s most endearing and beloved entertainers with his energy, warmth, humor, and we are excited to bring this back on Saturday nights in New York!” said John Catsimatidis, Owner of Red Apple Media. “Orlando is an iconic musician who holds a place in the hearts of everyone who lived through the sixties and seventies – we could not be more pleased to bring him aboard for what we all love on Saturday nights: fun and music. My motto is make music, not war.” he continued.

His other #1 Hits are “Knock Three Times,” “Candida,” “My Sweet Gypsy Rose,” and “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You).” Tony and Dawn also had an enormously popular TV variety program, The Tony Orlando and Dawn Show on CBS from 1973 to 1977.

A big supporter of veterans, Orlando has performed for America’s armed services around the globe and raised millions of dollars for veterans’ organizations. His tireless work on behalf of veterans led to his being named Honorary Chairman at the 40th Anniversary of the NAM-POW’s Homecoming Celebration in 2014. Among his many awards and accolades, Orlando is the recipient of three American Music Awards and two People’s Choice Awards for Best Male Entertainer. 

NYC Radio: Craig Carton Back On Air At WFAN

In his first time on WFAN 101.9 FM / 660 AM since being arrested three years ago, Craig Carton was a combination of apologetic and his old, obnoxious, entertaining self, reports The NY Post.

After the official announcement on Thursday morning, Carton took the mic at 5 p.m. and spent a little more than an hour displaying the energy that fueled “Boomer & Carton” for a decade.

Later, his old partner, Boomer Esiason, called in and the two joked about who would be in charge of the FAN’s softball team.

For the final portion of his return, Carton’s new partner, Evan Roberts, joined him.

After the radio shenanigans, Carton honored his wife, Kim, “the most amazing person I know on the planet,” for sticking with him through prison.

After apologizing to the listeners for his mistakes and his subsequent exile, Carton sounded a lot like the old Carton.

He also said he called crosstown rival Michael Kay on Thursday to say, “My job is to beat you, good luck.” Kay airs daily on WEPN ESPN 98.7 FM

Coronavirus-Driven Downturn Hits Newspapers Hard as TV News Thrives

The coronavirus outbreak has had a major impact on the U.S. economy, and while loans through the federal Paycheck Protection Program may have provided some relief, the news media industry has responded to these financial pressures with closings and layoffs. According to a new Pew Research Center analysis of change in revenue between the second quarters of 2019 and 2020, not all sectors of the news media have been affected by the coronavirus downturn equally.

Newspaper companies have been hit especially hard. Among the six publicly traded newspaper companies studied – major chains that together own over 300 daily papers – advertising revenue fell by a median of 42% between the second quarters of 2019 and 2020.  By contrast, total ad revenue across the three major cable news networks (CNN, Fox News and MSNBC) was steady overall, though there were sharp differences among the networks. While ad revenue for MSNBC and CNN declined by double digits, Fox News Channel’s revenue rose by 41%.

For the five local TV news companies studied (which together own or operate at least 600 individual stations), ad revenue was down in the second quarter of this year, but increases in retransmission fees more than made up for this. Meanwhile, ad revenue for nightly network TV news at the three major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) increased over the same period, as audiences have been turning to TV in record numbers for news about the outbreak.

Among the report’s other key findings:

• Digital ads, a newer source of revenue for the newspaper industry, offered little relief in the early days of the pandemic. Digital ad revenue fell by a median of 32% between the second quarters of 2019 and 2020 – even though digital ads reach not only digital subscribers, but visitors to the free offerings on a newspaper’s website as well.
• Newspaper circulation revenue, which had been steady in recent years, also declined in the second quarter of 2020, by a median of 8%. As a result, three of the six newspaper companies studied now have more revenue coming from circulation than from ads.
• In percentage terms, newspaper companies that reported revenue in both periods seemed to fare worse financially in the second quarter of 2020 than they did during the Great Recession of 2007–2009. Ad revenue for newspaper companies also dipped sharply during the Great Recession, with median declines of 11% and 30%, respectively, in the second quarters of 2008 and 2009 among these companies. Still, this does not match the dramatic year-over-year median fall of 42% in 2020. And circulation revenue was roughly steady in 2008 and 2009, compared with the 8% median year-over-year decline in the second quarter of 2020.
• As revenue fell, newspaper companies cut labor expenses. Of the four newspaper companies that reported compensation expenses in the second quarter of 2020, all showed a double-digit percentage decline year over year, with a median decline across the four of 20 percentage points. For most of these companies, labor expenses have been falling steadily over the past decade or more, reflecting the 51% decline in newspaper newsroom jobs between 2008 and 2019.
• Turning to cable news, total ad revenue across the three major networks was roughly steady, up 2% year over year at $422 million. But the story was different depending on the network. Fox News Channel, driven by surging ratings, experienced its sharpest year-over-year second-quarter ad revenue increase going back to 2007, rising 41%. CNN and MSNBC both saw their ad revenue decline, with CNN’s falling 14% and MSNBC’s falling 27% – despite the fact that both networks grew their audiences as well, with CNN more than doubling its total prime-time audience over 2019.
• Political ad revenue – which is predictably cyclical, with even-numbered election years seeing a surge in political ad dollars – was up dramatically from 2019 for all five local TV companies in the second quarter of 2020. But when comparing this year with the midterm election year of 2018, political ad revenue was down for most of these companies – including by margins of more than 30% between the second quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2020 for Nexstar, Sinclair and Tegna. Looking further back, however, the data shows that political ad revenue for local TV companies is up across the board when compared with the 2016 presidential election year.
• Retransmission fees, revenue paid by cable providers for the right to carry local TV stations in their home markets, were up sharply in the second quarter of 2020. In fact, retransmission fee revenue at publicly traded local TV companies saw a median year-over-year increase of 37%, possibly driven by spikes in viewership. In real dollars, this equates to a jump of $87.3 million in median revenue, more than making up for the fall in median advertising revenue among these companies ($67.9 million).
• For nightly news programs at the three major networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, total ad revenue rose 11% year over year this spring, outpacing its performance in the comparable presidential election years of 2016 (up 5% year over year) and 2012 (up 5%). This was largely driven by ABC’s 21% rise, though CBS (3%) and NBC (7%) also rose.
• In contrast, total ad revenue fell 4% year over year for these three networks’ morning news shows, which is somewhat unusual compared with the presidential election years of 2016 (up 2% year over year) and 2012 (up 4%). ABC’s morning news ad revenue was roughly unchanged, while CBS and NBC experienced modest declines in the second quarter of 2020.

This report is based on an analysis of financial data from Securities and Exchange Commission filings of publicly traded media companies as well as data obtained from Kantar under contract.

Big Tech Companies Reap Gains

Five technology giants reported strong earnings but mixed outlooks Thursday, a sign of varying fortunes as they work to rebound from a pandemic-related economic slowdown earlier this year, according to The Associated Press.

While all five — Amazon, Google parent Alphabet, Facebook, Apple and Twitter — exceeded analyst expectations, gloomy forecasts and other uncertainties led to share-price declines for all but Alphabet in after-market trading.

➤APPLE

Apple didn’t get its usual late-September surge in sales from its latest iPhone models, but still managed to eke out a slight increase in revenue during the July-September quarter, although profits fell.

Production problems lingering from factory shutdowns during the onset of the pandemic led to the iPhone delay, although analysts expect it will bounce back with a huge quarter during the October-December quarter that includes the holiday shopping season.

Apple’s revenue rose to $64.7 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had braced for a dip to $63.6 billion. Profit, meanwhile, dropped 7% from the year-ago quarter to $12.7 billion. But earnings per share amounted to 73 cents, above the average estimate of 70 cents among analysts polled by FactSet.

➤ALPHABET

Google’s corporate parent Alphabet returned to robust financial growth during the summer. In the previous quarter, it suffered its first-ever quarterly decline in revenue amid the economic slowdown stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company’s revenue for the July-September period rose 14% from the same time last year to $46.2 billion. Its profit soared 59% to $11.2 billion, or $16.40 per share. Both figures easily surpassed analyst estimates, lifting Alphabet’s stock price by more than 7% in Thursday’s extended trading after the numbers came out.

The rebound, as usual, was propelled by the ad spending that has established Google as one of the world’s most proficient moneymaking machines. But the U.S. Justice Department could throw a monkey wrench into Google’s financial gears with a recent lawsuit that accuses the company of abusing its search dominance to boost its profits and stifle competition.

➤FACEBOOK

Facebook’s already-massive profit and revenue continued to grow along with its worldwide user base, but looking ahead to 2021 the company predicted a “significant amount of uncertainty.”

Facebook earned $7.85 billion, or $2.71 per share, in the July-September period, well above the $2.18 that analysts expected and up 29% from a year earlier. Revenue grew 22% to $21.22 billion, higher than the $19.8 billion analysts were predicting.

The social media giant’s average monthly user base was 2.74 billion as of Sept. 30, up 12% from a year earlier.

➤AMAZON

Amazon continued to benefit from shopping trends during the pandemic, reporting record profit and revenue during the third quarter. The company reported net income of $6.3 billion in the three months ending Sept. 30, nearly tripling from the previous-year period.

Earnings per share came to $12.37, about $5 more than Wall Street analysts expected. Revenue soared 37% to $96.1 billion, also beating expectations. Shares nevertheless fell 1.3% in aftermarket trading.

The online shopping giant is also expecting a big end to the year as the holiday shopping season picks up. Amazon said Thursday that it expects fourth-quarter sales to rise between 28% and 38% from a year ago to between $112 billion and $121 billion.

The last three months of the year are always Amazon’s biggest, due to the holidays. But this year, Amazon also held its Prime Day sales event during the quarter for the first time after postponing it from July to October due to the pandemic. Prime Day has become one of the company’s busiest shopping events of the year.

➤TWITTER

Twitter posted much stronger than expected third-quarter results thanks to surging advertiser demand. But while its user base continued to grow, Wall Street grumbled and shares plunged after hours.

The San Francisco company earned $28.66 million, or 4 cents per share, in the July-September period. That’s down 22% from a year earlier, due to higher expenses in part related to COVID-19. Excluding one-time items, earnings were 19 cents per share. Revenue grew 14% to $936.2 million from $823.7 million.

Twitter had 187 million daily users, on average, in the third quarter. That’s up 29% from a year earlier, thanks to people signing up to follow U.S. politics and current events worldwide, but below analysts’ expectations of 195.6 million. The company no longer discloses monthly user figures.

Netflix Raises Price Of Popular Plans

Netflix Inc. raised the monthly price of its most popular plan for the first time since early 2019, a move that comes as the streaming service competes with a growing number of cheaper alternatives, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Netflix said Thursday its standard streaming plan will now cost $13.99 a month, up from $12.99. Its $8.99-a-month basic plan will remain unchanged, while the cost of its premium plan will rise to $17.99 from $15.99. The changes go into effect for new subscribers immediately, and current subscribers will see their fees go up within the next two months.

The price increase comes in the wake of Netflix missing its third-quarter subscriber projections amid growing competition and the continuing effects of the coronavirus on the economy. While Netflix enjoyed strong growth in the first and second quarters of this year as people stayed at home, new subscriptions slowed in the third quarter.

In a statement, Netflix attributed the price increases to the costs of creating original programming. “We’re updating our prices so that we can continue to offer more variety of TV shows and films—in addition to our great fall line up,” the company said.

Netflix is spending heavily on original fare as it faces greater competition from newer rivals, including Walt Disney Co. ’s Disney+, AT&T Inc. ’s HBO Max and Comcast Corp. ’s Peacock as well as older services that are spending more on content such as Amazon.com Inc. ’s Prime Video.

This is Netflix’s first price increase since January 2019. That increase was steeper, with the monthly price of the most popular standard plan jumping by $2 to $13.99. The basic plan increased its monthly fee by $1.

Last week, Netflix said it added 2.2 million subscribers in the third quarter on a net basis, which missed its forecast of 2.5 million subscribers.

Nashville Radio: Bobby Bones Inks Development Deal With BBC Studios

WSIX 97.9 The Big 98, syndicated radio host, TV personality and best-selling author Bobby Bones has signed an exclusive overall television development deal with BBC Studios’ Los Angeles production arm, according to iHeartRadio.  

Based on this new development deal, he will work exclusively with BBC Studios across all television media as an executive producer to develop and potentially host original unscripted series, along with scripted projects, reflecting his wide range of diverse interests.  

Bobby Bones is currently working with BBC Studios filming the unscripted series Breaking Bobby Bones slated to debut on National Geographic. In the action packed series, Bobby Bones travels across America to meet hard working hometown heroes with unique jobs, skills and abilities who put him to the test to see if he has what it takes to keep up with them.  

Bobby Bones first worked with BBC Studios' Los Angeles production arm when he became the mirrorball champion on Dancing with the Stars, the successful global format it brought to the U.S. and produces as a hit series for ABC, now going strong in its 29th season. 

"I’m thrilled to be able to collaborate with the team at BBC Studios on this new venture," said Bobby Bones. "From working with them on Dancing with the Stars, and now Breaking Bobby Bones, I know first-hand the incredible creativity and integrity they bring to every project."

“Bobby Bones’ life story is a testament to his strong work ethic and perseverance. The way in which he overcame adversity to achieve his own version of the American dream is an inspiration. His ability to connect with audiences is powerful, as he proved on Dancing with the Stars. Bobby Bones is a creative force in his own right, and I am thrilled to officially welcome him to our team to jointly develop bespoke projects that reflect his unique brand and personality,” said Valerie Bruce, General Manager of BBC Studios, Los Angeles Productions.

GA Radio: WJCL PD Gerry McCracken Honored With Citizen Award

GA State Rep Carl Gilliard and Gerry McCracken

CUMULUS MEDIA announces that Gerry McCracken, Program Director and On-Air Personality for Kix96/WJCL-FM, Savannah and Hilton Head’s Country Favorites, has been honored by the State of Georgia with the Outstanding Georgia Citizen Award for distinguished community service. 

As Georgia’s highest service award, the Outstanding Georgia Citizen Award was personally presented to McCracken by Representative Carl Gilliard (D-Savannah).

McCracken has served as Program Director and Afternoon Host on WJCL/Kix96 for the last five years, and has brought his 45 years of expertise in radio broadcasting to serving his listeners and the community they share. He has been active in numerous community service initiatives at Kix96, including area food drives and distributions, the St. Jude Children’s Research Center Radiothon and Dream Home, and the “Turn It Pink” breast cancer awareness campaign, as well as Kix96’s 12 Days of Christmas benefit, which buys toys for children of needy families during the holidays. A dedicated community servant, McCracken also volunteers at local schools reading books to elementary school children in the “Road to Read” program. 

McCracken said: "Our primary purpose as a radio station is to serve the public interest. We work for a company that understands the importance of that responsibility and encourages it, plus a staff that makes it a priority to dive in and serve where needed. Plus, our Country listeners are most generous listeners of any format I’ve been associated with. This is a big honor, and I thank Georgia State Representative Carl Gilliard and the state of Georgia for the recognition.”

The award from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reads: “May this Outstanding Citizen be afforded every courtesy as a Goodwill Ambassador from Georgia in his travels to other states, to nations beyond the borders of the United States of America, or wherever he may hereafter travel or reside. Thank you for your service to our State.”