March 28 Radio History

➦In 1924...WGN-AM, Chicago, Illinois, signed-on.

The predecessor to the current WGN was WDAP, which signed on the air on May 19, 1922, and was founded by Thorne Donnelley and Elliott Jenkins. Originally based in the Wrigley Building, the station moved its operations to the Drake Hotel in July.

WGN's main studio in Tribune Tower, circa '30s-'40s

On May 12, 1923, the Zenith Radio Company signed on radio station WJAZ from the Edgewater Beach Hotel. However, after this brief period, the Tribune switched its operations to WDAP, and the Zenith station became WEBH,  the license eventually being deleted on November 30, 1928.

Scopes Trial 1925

Early programming was noted for its creativity and innovation. It included live music, political debates, comedy routines, and some of radio's first sporting event broadcasts, including the Indianapolis 500 automobile race, and a live broadcast of the 1925 Scopes Trial from Dayton, Tennessee. In 1926, WGN broadcast Sam & Henry, a daily serial with comic elements created and performed by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll. After a dispute with the station in 1927, Gosden and Correll took the program's concept and announcer Bill Hay across town to WMAQ 670 AM and created the first syndicated radio show, Amos 'n' Andy.  WGN 720 AM served as a founding member of the Mutual Broadcasting System.

Over many decades, WGN was a "full service" radio station.

The station played small amounts of music during the mornings and afternoon hours, moderate amounts of music on weekends during the day, aired midday and evening talk shows, and sports among other features. The station's music was easy listening/MOR-based until the 1970s, when its switched to more of an adult contemporary-type sound.

Music programming was phased out during the 1980s, and by 1990, the station's lineup mainly consisted of talk shows. In 1961, the WGN radio and television stations moved to a studio facility on West Bradley Place in the North Center neighborhood, a move undertaken for civil defense concerns in order to provide the station a safe base to broadcast in case of a hostile attack targeting downtown Chicago.

WGN radio moved back to North Michigan Avenue in 1986, relocating its operations to a studio in the Pioneer Court extension (WGN-TV remained at the Bradley Place facility, where that station operates to this day).



Some former well-known personalities on WGN include longtime morning hosts Wally Phillips, Bob Collins, Spike O'Dell, Paul Harvey and Roy Leonard. Orion Samuelson has been the station's farm reporter since 1960. Late-night hosts over the years have included Franklyn MacCormack, Chicago Ed Schwartz, Don Vogel and the husband-and-wife team of Steve King and Johnnie Putman.

Louella Parsons

➦In 1941...Newspaper columnist Louella Parsons hosted the CBS Radio Network show 'Hollywood Premiere' for the first time. Parsons introduced famous guests who appeared in dramatized stories.

In 1914, Parsons began writing the first gossip column in the United States for the Chicago Record Herald. William Randolph Hearst bought that newspaper in 1918 and Parsons was out of a job, as Hearst had not yet discovered that movies and movie personalities were news. Parsons then moved to New York City and started working for the New York Morning Telegraph writing a similar movie column, which attracted the attention of Hearst.

In 1923, after shrewd bargaining on both sides, she signed a contract and joined the Hearst newspaper the New York American.

There was persistent speculation that Parsons was elevated to the Hearst chain's lead gossip columnist because of a scandal she didn't write about. Director Thomas Ince died aboard Hearst's yacht in 1924 under murky circumstances.

Initially, Hearst newspapers falsely claimed that Ince had not been aboard the boat at all and had fallen ill at Hearst's home. Charlie Chaplin's secretary reported seeing a bullet hole in Ince's head when his body was carried off the yacht. It has been widely written that Chaplin was conducting an affair with Hearst's mistress, and that an attempt to shoot Chaplin may have caused Ince's death. Also aboard the yacht that night was Parsons, who ignored the story in her columns.

As she and the publishing mogul developed an ironclad relationship, her Los Angeles Examiner column came to appear in over six hundred newspapers the world over, with a readership of more than twenty-million, and Parsons gradually became one of the most powerful voices in the movie business with her daily allotment of gossip.

Parsons column - 1944

 Beginning in 1928, she hosted a weekly radio program featuring movie star interviews that was sponsored by SunKist. A similar program in 1931 was sponsored by Charis Foundation Garment. In 1934, she signed a contract with the Campbell's Soup Company and began hosting a program titled Hollywood Hotel, which showcased stars in scenes from their upcoming movies.

Parsons saw herself as the social and moral arbiter of Hollywood. Her judgments were considered the final word in many cases, and many feared her disfavor even more than that of movie critics.

➦In 1944...The radio station owned by The New York Times, WQXR radio in New York City banned singing commercials from its airwaves as of this day.

The following statement was published in the WQXR Program Guide:

"Only a few advertisers are affected by the new ruling and their spots will be permitted to continue until the expiration of their contracts. All of these are short-term contracts which will expire within the next few weeks. 

"Because WQXR specializes in the presentation of good music, the station has found that "singing commercials" are too much of a transition from good music and that they are apt to create ill will among WQXR listeners for the advertiser as well as the station. On the other hand, WQXR listeners have always supported enthusiastically those advertisers who presented their sales messages in keeping with the programs  of the station. 

"This is not a ban of all transcribed announcements. Spots containing other types of music conforming to the station's musical policy will continue to be accepted. For example, an excerpt from a musical production--such as an opera, operetta or motion picture--may be included in an announcement advertising such a production, if the musical selection fits in with the musical standards of the station. 

"As to non-musical transcriptions, WQXR will continue to accept those which are in keeping with station programming."

➦In 1986...6,000+ radio stations in the U-S played "We Are The World" at exactly 10:15 a.m. Eastern.



"We Are the World" was a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup United Support of Artists (USA) for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones for the album We Are the World. With sales in excess of 20 million copies, it is one of fewer than 30 retail singles to have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide.

The song was released on March 7, 1985, as the first single from the album. A worldwide commercial success, it topped music charts throughout the world and became the fastest-selling American pop single in history. The first ever single to be certified multi-platinum, "We Are the World" received a Quadruple Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.

➦In 1994...one of the prominent announcers of radio’s “Golden Era,” Wendell Niles succumbed to cancer at age 89.  He was heard on such popular fare as The Bob Hope Show, The Burns & Allen Show, The Milton Berle Show and The Chase and Sanborn Hour.

➦In 2016...Wally Crouter, a radio personality who served as morning host of Toronto’s CFRB 1010 AM for an incredible 50 years, died peacefully in his sleep at age 92.

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

• 

  Lady Gaga is 35

  Harmonica player Charlie McCoy (“Hee Haw”) is 80. 
• Actor Dianne Wiest is 75. 
• Country singer Reba McEntire is 66. 
• Actor Alexandra Billings (“Transparent”) is 59. 
• Rapper Salt of Salt-N-Pepa is 55. 
• Actor Tracey Needham (“The Division,” “JAG”) is 54. 
• Country singer Rodney Atkins is 52. 
• Director Brett Ratner (“Rush Hour”) is 52. 
• Actor Vince Vaughn is 51. 
• Rapper Mr. Cheeks of Lost Boyz is 50. 
• Actor Ken L. (“The Parkers”) is 48. 
• Singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson is 48. 
• Guitarist Dave Keuning of The Killers is 45. 
• Actor Annie Wersching (“24″) is 44. 
• Actor Julia Stiles is 40. 
• Singer Lady Gaga is 35. 
• Musician Clayton Knight of Odesza is 33.

ViacomCBS Stock Tanks

Shares of ViacomCBS, the media goliath led by Shari Redstone, took a nosedive this week, with the company losing more than half of its market value in just four days, reports The NY Times.

The stock was as high as $100 on Monday. By the close of trading on Friday it had fallen to just over $48, a drop of more than 51 percent in less than a week.

What happened? Several things all at once. First, it is worth noting that ViacomCBS had actually been on a bit of a tear up until this week’s meltdown, rising nearly tenfold in the past 12 months. About a year ago, it was trading at around $12 per share.

That rally came as the company, like the rest of the media industry, had made a move toward streaming. It recently launched Paramount+ to compete against the likes of Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and others. The service tapped ViacomCBS’s vast archive of content from the CBS broadcast network, Paramount Film Studios and several cable channels, including Nickelodeon and MTV.

That shift matters because ViacomCBS has been hit hard by an overall decline in cable viewership. The company’s pretax profits have fallen nearly 17 percent from two years ago, and its debt has topped more than $21 billion.

But the stock rose so much that Robert M. Bakish, ViacomCBS’s chief executive, decided to take advantage of the boon by offering new shares to raise as much as $3 billion. The underwriters who managed the sale priced the offering at around $85 per share earlier this week, a discount to where it had been trading on Monday.

You could say it backfired, according to The Times. When a company issues new stock, it normally dilutes the value of current shareholders, so some drop in price is expected. But a few days after the offering, one of Wall Street’s most influential research firms, MoffettNathanson, published a report that questioned the company’s value and downgraded the stock to a “sell.” The stock should really only be worth $55, MoffettNathanson said. That started the nosedive.

Streaming is still a money-losing enterprise, and that means the old line media companies must still endure more losses over more years before they can return to profitability.

In the case of ViacomCBS, it seemed to hasten the cord-cutting when it signed a new licensing agreement with the NFL that will cost the company more than $2 billion a year through 2033. As part of the agreement, ViacomCBS also plans to stream the games on Paramount+, which is much cheaper than a cable bundle.

Sharon Osbourne EXITS 'The Talk' On CBS

Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Osbourne has exited “The Talk” after an internal review over on-air comments about racism and allegations of racially insensitive behavior behind-the-scenes, The Wrap reports.

“The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home,” CBS said Friday in a statement. “As part of our review, we concluded that Sharon’s behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace. We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts.”

“At the same time, we acknowledge the Network and Studio teams, as well as the showrunners, are accountable for what happened during that broadcast as it was clear the co-hosts were not properly prepared by the staff for a complex and sensitive discussion involving race,” the statement continued.

The network said it would coordinate “workshops, listening sessions and training about equity, inclusion and cultural awareness” for the hosts and crew during the show’s ongoing hiatus. “The Talk” will resume live episodes on Monday, April 12.

The controversy surrounding Osbourne kicked off after the March 10 episode, in which the host came to the defense of longtime friend Piers Morgan after he was criticized for making disparaging comments about Meghan Markle. Some critics, including Osbourne’s co-host Sheryl Underwood, said Morgan’s words where racially motivated (Markle, whose mom is Black, is biracial), leading to an on-air meltdown in which Osbourne said she felt like she was “about to be put in the electric chair” for having a racist friend.

Osbourne has apologized for the episode, writing in a lengthy statement on Twitter that she “panicked, felt blindsided, got defensive & allowed my fear & horror of being accused of being racist take over.”

However, she has taken a more combative stance in subsequent interviews, most recently blaming the show’s producers for intentionally blindsiding her with the segment about Morgan, calling it “the biggest set up ever” in an interview with ET.

Several of Osbourne’s former co-hosts have since spoken out about her on-set behavior, including the alleged use of racial and homophobic slurs and working behind the scenes to sow discord among the hosts.

NYC Radio: WEPN Greenlights Earlier Start For Michael Kay Show

"The Michael Kay Show" on ESPN 101.9 FM  660 AN New York will be heard from 2 to 6:30 p.m. instead of 3 to 7 p.m., effective Monday, Kay announced on Friday.

Kay said the move was prompted by the start of the baseball season in general and the Yankees’ 6:30 p.m. early season starts in particular, which force Kay – YES Network’s play-by-play man – to leave his show early.

Chris Carlin’s show will expand to 6:30 to 10 p.m., and Max Kellerman’s national show, currently heard on 98.7 FM from 2 to 3 p.m., instead will be heard in its entirety from 2 to 4 p.m. on ESPN’s AM outlet at 1050 on the dial.

The move to 2 p.m. will expand the time during which Kay’s show, with co-hosts Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg, is head-to-head against WFAN’s Evan Roberts and Craig Carton, who are heard from 2 to 7 p.m.

The lead-in to the Kay Show, Max Kellerman’s national program, was destroyed for the month by “Carton & Roberts” (7.7 to 1.7). Kellerman is 21st in the market. 

ESPN New York completely change its lineup in the fall, which had finally featured local programming into Kay.

In the first two months of the winter ratings book, “Carton & Roberts” had a lead in the 25-54 male demographic when both shows’ streams are included. The two sides dispute how to look at Nielsen Audio’s ratings. The way ESPN NY looks at it, it is winning, reports The NY Post.

While the ratings were a factor, the impetus of the move was the Yankees’ schedule, which features a lot of 6:30 p.m. starts at the beginning of the season. Kay, the TV voice of the Yankees on YES, would be forced to leave the program at 5:45 p.m. In this new setup, Kay will be on the show that bears his name basically throughout on those days.

Sacramento Radio: PD Joey Tack To Exit KNCI

Joey Tack

Following two successful years with Bonneville Country KNCI 105.1 FM Sacramento, Program Director and midday personality Joey Tack has elected not to renew his contract at its conclusion on June 30 and will step down from his post effective July 1. 

He intends to relocate further East in order to be closer to family. 

“While it is bittersweet to be leaving a station where we have experienced so much success, I am grateful to have the support and understanding of the Bonneville team as I fulfill my family’s need to move further East to be closer to family,” said Tack. “I am seeking my next opportunity to create great content and advance our industry and want to specifically thank Chad Rufer and Steve Cottingham for the opportunity to learn, grow and succeed at KNCI these past two years.”

In the two years since joining KNCI, Tack has helped boost ratings and revenue for the station, earning recognition for his unique promotional initiatives. He served as CRS Agenda Committee Vice Chair, led the station to a CMA Large Market Station of the Year win in 2020, earned an ACM Large Market Station of the Year nomination in 2021, hosted and moderated CRS360 webinars, and was named the CRS/Country Aircheck Awards 2020 New Face of Country Music.

Tack joined the Bonneville group in July 2019 from SummitMedia Rhythmic Top 40 WKHT/Knoxville where he served as PD and on-air host. Prior to nearly 15 years with WKHT, he spent more than five years with iHeartMedia/Quad Cities, IA-IL. Tack is excited to continue pursuing his career following his time with KNCI and is seeking the next opportunity where he can apply his passion for radio and music while working to propel the future of the medium and the evolution of the product. 

He is open to conversations about the future and can be reached here.

FCC OKs iHM Acquisitions With Conditions

iHeartMedia, Inc. Friday issued the following statement regarding approval of iHeartMedia’s pending applications to acquire certain radio stations, and the temporary shareholder restrictions required by the FCC to be imposed upon Global Media & Entertainment Investments Ltd (“GMEI”) in connection with those approvals:

“iHeartMedia values its shareholder relationships and we welcome all new shareholders to iHeartMedia. However, because GMEI is a foreign shareholder, its recent investment was inconsistent with the FCC’s foreign ownership rules and created an operating issue for us under the FCC’s regulatory framework.

As background, GMEI’s purchase of an 8.7% position in our Class A Common stock, as reported in its Schedule 13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 5, 2021, caused a violation of the FCC’s foreign ownership regulations and the FCC’s November 5, 2020 declaratory ruling related to the company’s foreign ownership, both of which limit a foreign investor in GMEI’s position to 5% without prior FCC approval. To address this issue, over which iHeartMedia had no prior knowledge or control, we filed a remedial petition for declaratory ruling requesting FCC approval for GMEI to have the ability to increase its ownership to up to 9.99%.

Notwithstanding the GMEI investment, the FCC has approved iHeartMedia’s acquisitions of certain stations, including stations for BIN: Black Information Network. However, the FCC has required that the company impose temporary shareholder restrictions on GMEI as a condition of approving those radio station acquisitions.

To comply with the FCC order, iHeartMedia’s Board of Directors resolved to take action consistent with the FCC’s conditional requirements. These actions include imposing temporary voting and other shareholder restrictions on GMEI which will apply during the pendency of the Petition and which are described in detail in the FCC’s decision.

iHeartMedia respects the FCC process and will, as a matter of consistent policy, ensure the company’s compliance with the FCC’s foreign ownership and other regulations.”

CenFL Radio: iHM Promotes Barbara Latham To Area President

Barbara Latham

iHeartMedia announced Friday that Barbara Latham has been elevated to Area President for Central Florida, overseeing the Orlando and Melbourne markets. 

As Area President, Latham will be responsible for overseeing programming, advertising, and operations across iHeartMedia Orlando and Melbourne stations. She will report to Linda Byrd, Division President for iHeartMedia. Byrd will remain in her role as Division President with expanded responsibilities.

“I am thrilled to be able to promote Barb to this position,” said Byrd. “We’ve worked together for 36 years and in many different capacities. She is one of the brightest and most competitive employees I know. Barb has always been a winner, and to her, there is no other option. No one deserves this opportunity more, and it makes me happy to put this team, that I’ve managed for the last 21 years in her capable hands.”

\Latham is a skilled media veteran with more than 20 years of experiences sales and radio industry experience. Throughout her career, she has held several leadership positions in major cities across the iHeartMedia Florida region such as Jacksonville, Melbourne and Orlando and most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Sales for iHeartMedia Orlando. She began her career as an Account Executive and Sales Manager for Hoker/Paxson Broadcasting and graduated from Jacksonville University.

“I am so excited to continue my career in this new role in Central Florida with the Orlando team and reconnecting with the Space Coast team,” said Latham. “My goal is to continue the tradition of success that I have been a part of under Linda’s leadership in various roles over many years. She created the model of excellence in Central Florida and all of iHeartMedia, for many of the company’s most heritage brands, on-air personalities/influencers, and sales success. I am driven and excited to continue that success in this new role as the Central Florida Area President.”

K-C Newspaper Publishes Blank Front Page Plea

Editors of Kansas City’s Northeast News opted for an unusual choice for the front page of Wednesday’s issue: They left it blank.

It was not a printing error, they assured confused readers who called and emailed their newsroom. Like many other local newsrooms, the News has lost advertising revenue at an unprecedented rate during the coronavirus pandemic. So the six-member staff kept its front page empty, a warning sign to the community about what might come if it ceased publication, reports The Washington Post.

“That’s the message we wanted to send: What happens if we’re gone?” publisher and co-owner Michael Bushnell said. “If we print a blank front page with no news, people are going to see what it’s like if we’re gone.”

Michael Bushnell

The 89-year-old weekly newspaper with a circulation of 8,500 was already struggling financially before the pandemic as advertising dollars waned. The newspaper is free, and the website does not have a paywall. When the economy spiraled in 2020, two laundromats, a charter school and a grocery store pulled their ads, a monthly loss of about $2,700, Bushnell said.

While the Kansas City Star and other larger local outlets cover the city’s most significant news, the News is alone in exclusively covering Northeast Kansas City, focusing on the neighborhood’s stories, such as an ironworking union rebuilding a cemetery’s historic gate or a cleanup effort under a bridge where homeless people camp.

In 15 years, one-fourth of newspapers nationwide were forced to close, according to a 2020 study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At least 1,800 communities that had a local news outlet in 2004 were without one at the beginning of 2020, the UNC team found.

“This repeated almost weekly across the country, another community newspaper closes up and a community loses its voice,” Bushnell said.

To survive, the newspaper would need to find a regular stream of revenue within two months, he said.

USAToday Fires Editor Over Shooting Tweet

USA Today’s fired its sports media group’s race and inclusion editor Hemal Jhaveri, for tweets she made shortly after Monday’s Colorado shooting, Jhaveri announced on her Medium page Friday.

The Hill reports the firing came after a tweet — now deleted — that Jhaveri made Monday night about the shooting in which she stated, “It’s always an angry white man. Always.” 

In her Medium essay, Jhaveri described how the events unfolded after her tweet. 

“By Tuesday morning, after the shooter was identified as Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, several high profile alt-right Twitter accounts picked up the tweet as an example of anti-white bias and racism against whites. You can guess what happens next,” she wrote.

“There was social media outrage, threats and harassment towards me, and by the end of the day, USA TODAY had relieved me of my position as a Race and Inclusion editor,” Jhaveri added.

Initially in the essay, Jhaveri described the tweet as a “careless error of judgment" and added that she regretted sending it and apologized for the tweet made largely before anyone knew the race or ethnicity of the mass shooter. 

However, later on in the piece, Jhaveri characterized the tweet as “a challenge to white supremacy” that was weaponized by “bad faith actors.”

“This is not about bias, or keeping personal opinions off of Twitter. It’s about challenging whiteness and being punished for it,” she added.

A spokesperson for USA Today would not discuss the details of Jhaveri’s firing or comment on her essay.

“USA TODAY was founded on the basis of diversity, equity and inclusion,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We hold our employees accountable to these principles both personally and professionally.”

Detroit Radio: MAB Names WJR Station Of The Year

The Michigan Association of Broadcasters has named News/Talk 760 WJR “Commercial Radio Station of the Year” for the 17th time since 2000, according to the station's website.

Additionally, 760 WJR received 17 other awards, including eight “Merit Awards,” as well as nine “Best Awards.” Received awards and the associated shows / features are as follows:

2021 Best Awards:

• Regularly Scheduled Broadcast Personality/Team – “The Guy Gordon Show“
• Sports – “Lions Pregame: Around the League“
• Special Show Broadcast Personality/Team – “War of the Worlds“ live stream event
• Breaking News Story – Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson “Antrim County Audit“
• Continuing News Coverage – COVID-19 Replay
• Feature Programming – WJR’s Virtual High School Graduation Ceremonies
• Commercial Production — Noble Appliances Hartland
• Use of New Media (All Encompassing) – WJR New Media Virtual Events Series
• Use of New Media (Single Project) – “War of the Worlds” live stream event

2021 Merit Awards:

• Breaking News Story – Breaking News 2020
• Investigative News Story – Investigative News
• Mini-documentary or Series – “Rethinking the Crown“
• Feature/Use of Medium – “Classic Garage Band“
• Commercial Production — Michigan PGA Turtle Creek
• Sports Play by Play – Detroit Lions Broadcast
• Use of New Media (Single Project) – WJR’s “Dinner & A Download“
• Community Involvement – Community Involvement

March 27 Radio History

➦In 1899...Radio pioneer Marconi transmitted a test from Wimereux, France to South Foreland Lighthouse, England. Marconi set up an experimental base at the Haven Hotel, Sandbanks, Poole Harbour, Dorset, where he erected a 100-foot high mast.  The demonstration was the first international radio transmission.

Fred Foy

➦In 1921...Fred Foy was born (Died at age 88  – December 22, 2010).  He was a radio and television announcer and actor. He is best known for his narration of The Lone Ranger. Radio historian Jim Harmon described Foy as "the announcer, perhaps the greatest announcer-narrator in the history of radio drama."

Shortly after graduating from high school in 1938, Foy began in broadcasting with a part-time position at WMBC, a 250-watt independent station in Detroit. He moved to WXYZ in 1942, but World War II interrupted his radio career. After the war, Foy returned to WXYZ in Detroit.

He took over the position of announcer and narrator for radio's The Lone Ranger beginning July 2, 1948 and continuing until the series ended on September 3, 1954. He understudied the title role and stepped into the part on March 29, 1954 when Brace Beemer had laryngitis.

His long run as announcer and narrator of The Lone Ranger made the Foy's distinctive voice a radio trademark. He was also heard on radio's The Green Hornet and Challenge of the Yukon.

His stentorian delivery of the program's lead-in thrilled his audience for years and helped the program achieve even greater popularity and status. Most radio historians agree that Foy’s Lone Ranger introduction is the most recognized opening in American radio:

Hi-Yo, Silver! A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty "Hi-Yo Silver"... The Lone Ranger! With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early Western United States. Nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoof-beats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again!
.
➦In 1928...KGB-AM, San Diego, California signed-on.

KGB is the oldest continuing radio station in the San Diego Market. The station was granted a license in July 1922 to W.K. Azbill under the call letters of KFBC operating at 10 watts on 1210 kilocycles. This license was assigned to Dr. Arthur Wells Yale in 1927. Pickwick Broadcasting Corporation bought the station in 1928 and installed George Bowles as Vice President and Manager of the station. The call letters were changed to reflect his name as KGB. Under the Pickwick ownership, the station began operating at 1330 kilocycles. Stations used a variety of slogans to promote their identity. Among those KGB uses during this time were "The Sunshine State of California" and "Music for the Sick".

Don Lee, Incorporated bought KGB in 1931. Don Lee died in 1934 and the license was assigned to station manager Marion Harris. Art Linkletter got his professional start at KGB during this time serving as an announcer and program director. The station began operating at 1360 kilocycles in 1942. By 1949, KGB was operating at 1000 watts when Don Lee, Inc was merged with Mutual Broadcasting Company. The station was sold to Marion Harris in 1954 who increased the output to 5000 watts-days, 1000 watts-night.

On the Johnny Mann Singers web site Ron Jacobs said, "Willet Brown of Brown Broadcasting Company purchased the station in 1961 and operated it with his son Mike. Willet co-founded Mutual Broadcasting System, was pals with Howard Hughes, owned a cadillac dealership, a yacht, and his own Greyhound bus.

He expected winners from his assets. By 1963, the station's middle-of-the road (MOR) program format was going nowhere and they began the search for a strong proven programmer. They initially sought out the programmer of KMEN in San Bernardino, but didn't find who they were looking for. (Ron Jacobs had already moved on to make history at KMAK Fresno). His rival, Gene Chenault of KYNO Fresno, was trying to branch out in his new radio consulting business. Chenault became the station programmer after meeting with the Browns. Chenault brought in his partner Bill Drake and several DJs from Fresno that eventually led to KGB leading the San Diego market. They experimented and developed a new format called Boss Radio".

By the end of 1963, a more stylized bi-fold Silver Dollar Survey was being published introducing photos of the DJs as the Station of the Stars. The play list featured artists having more appeal to a younger audience.

In 1974, KGB-FM gave the world a piece of pop culture Americana. The "KGB Chicken," an advertising mascot played by Ted Giannoulas, was hatched that year when employees of KGB-FM hired Giannoulas (then a student at San Diego State University) from off the street to wear a chicken outfit for a promotion to distribute AM and FM Easter eggs to children at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The Chicken, whose antics entertained steadily larger crowds, moved on to features at concerts and sporting events (appearing at more than 520 San Diego Padres games in a row). Conflict emerged between KGB Radio and Giannoulas, and the latter was fired in 1977.

Today, 1360 AM is KLSD and airs a sport talk format and is owned by iHeartMedia.

➦In 1958...CBS Laboratories announced a new stereophonic sound recording that was compatibly playable on ordinary LP phonographs, meaning, monaural. In stereo, on the proper equipment, a new rich and fuller sound was heard. It soon became the standard for record and equipment buyers.It wasn't until September 1958, that Columbia started simultaneous mono/stereo releases. Mono records sold to the general public were subsequently discontinued in 1968.

➦In 1964...Radio Caroline, England's first pirate radio station signed-on.

Radio Caroline was founded by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly. Unlicensed by any government for most of its early life, it was a pirate radio station which only became formally illegal in 1967.

On a fund-raising trip to the U-S, O'Rahilly reportedly saw a Life Magazine photograph of Kennedy and his children in the Oval Office that served as the inspiration for the name "Caroline Radio". In the photo, Caroline Kennedy and her brother, John F. Kennedy Jr., are apparently dancing in the oval office as their father looks on, an activity which O'Rahilly reportedly interpreted as a playful disruption of government.

The Radio Caroline name was used to broadcast from five different ships owned by three different owners from 1964 -1989.

➦In 1977...ABC Radio Network newsman Don Gardiner died. He was one of the talented 27 staff announcers at ABC in the 1960s.

In 1963, Gardiner voiced the first bulletin on the shooting of U.S. President John F. Kennedy aired by a nationwide broadcast network.



This report was broadcast out of the New York headquarters of the ABC Radio Network on Friday, November 22, 1963 at 1:36:50 PM EST, approximately 6 1/2 minutes following the Kennedy shooting in Dallas, Texas.

Milton Berle

➦In 2002...Milton Berle died at age 93 (Born Mendel Berlinger July 12, 1908)  He was a comedian and actor. Berle's career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and television. As the host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater (1948–55), he was the first major American television star and was known to millions of viewers as "Uncle Miltie" and "Mr. Television" during TV's golden age.

From 1934–36, Berle appeared regularly on The Rudy Vallee Hour, and he attracted publicity as a regular on The Gillette Original Community Sing, a Sunday night comedy-variety program broadcast on CBS from September 6, 1936 to August 29, 1937. In 1939, he was the host of Stop Me If You've Heard This One with panelists spontaneously finishing jokes sent in by listeners.

In the late 1940s, he canceled well-paying nightclub appearances to expand his radio career.  Three Ring Time, a comedy-variety show sponsored by Ballantine Ale, was followed by a 1943 program sponsored by Campbell's Soups. The audience participation show Let Yourself Go (1944–1945) could best be described as "slapstick radio" with studio audience members acting out long suppressed urges—often directed at host Berle. Kiss and Make Up, on CBS in 1946, featured the problems of contestants decided by a jury from the studio audience with Berle as the judge. Berle also made guest appearances on many comedy-variety radio programs during the 1930s and 1940s.

The Milton Berle Show brought Berle together with Arnold Stang, later a familiar face as Berle's TV sidekick. Others in the cast were Pert Kelton, Mary Schipp, Jack Albertson, Arthur Q. Bryan, Ed Begley, Brazilian singer Dick Farney, and announcer Frank Gallop. Sponsored by Philip Morris, it aired on NBC from March 11, 1947 until April 13, 1948.

Berle later described this series as "the best radio show I ever did ... a hell of a funny variety show". It served as a springboard for Berle's emergence as television's first major star.

➦In 2009…Irving R Levine died from prostate cancer at age 86 (Born - August 26, 1922),  He was a journalist and longtime correspondent for NBC News. During his 45-year career, Levine reported from more than two dozen countries. He was the first American television correspondent to be accredited in the Soviet Union. He wrote three non-fiction books on life in the USSR, each of which became a bestseller.

➦In 2016…Dr. Toni Grant, one of the first nationally renowned radio psychologists, whose advice on relations between the sexes was celebrated as refreshingly traditional in some quarters and castigated as appallingly pre-feminist in others, died from complications of dementia  at age 73.

A clinical psychologist, Dr. Grant was known for her soothing, honeyed voice; her pragmatic approach to listeners’ questions about a cornucopia of delicate subjects — marriage, divorce, sex, dating, cross-dressing, child rearing — and advice that, while it pulled no punches, was far less bellicose than that of some psychologists who followed her onto the airwaves.

She was first given her own show on KABC-AM in Los Angeles in 1975. The show, which later moved to KFI-AM there, was syndicated nationally in the early 1980s. Eventually heard on more than 180 stations, it became one of the first psychological call-in shows to reach a wide listenership.

Dr. Grant, who described her show as “a soap opera that educates,” remained on the air until 1990. After a hiatus, she returned to the radio from 1997 to 2001.

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

• 

  Brenda Song is 33

  Actor Julian Glover is 86. 
• Actor Jerry Lacy is 85. 
• Actor-director Austin Pendleton is 81. 
• Actor Michael York is 79. 
• Keyboardist Tony Banks of Genesis is 71. 
• Keyboardist Andrew Farriss (INXS) is 62. 
• Jazz musician Dave Koz is 58. 
• Movie director Quentin Tarantino is 58. 
• Bassist Johnny April of Staind is 56. 
• Actor Talisa Soto is 54. 
• Actor Ben Koldyke (“Masters of Sex,” ″How I Met Your Mother”) is 53. 
• Actor Pauley Perrette (“NCIS”) is 52. 
• Singer Mariah Carey is 51. 
• Drummer Brendan Hill of Blues Traveler is 51. 
• Actor Elizabeth Mitchell (“V,” ″Lost”) is 51. 
• Actor Nathan Fillion (“Castle”) is 50. 
• Singer Fergie of Black Eyed Peas is 46. 
• Jazz saxophonist Tia Fuller is 45. 
• Actor Emily Ann Lloyd is 37. 
• Actor Brenda Song (“The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”) is 33. 
• Singer Kimbra is 31. 
• Actor Taylor Atelian (“According to Jim”) is 26. 
• Singer Halle Bailey of Chloe X Halle is 21.

Nashville Radio: EMF Relocating From Sacramento

The parent of several Christian radio networks and podcasts is moving its headquarters from California to Nashville — and hunting for land to build an office campus that could hold a few hundred employees, reports the Nashville Business Journal.

Educational Media Foundation, currently located outside Sacramento, announced its forthcoming arrival March 24. The 39-year-old nonprofit, which generates more than $200 million of annual revenue, is the parent of contemporary Christian radio stations K-LOVE and Air1, as well as AccessMore podcasting and a film and publishing arm named WTA Media.

The foundation is the region's newest California transplant, adding to an exodus that the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated as people and businesses sought to flee high-tax, dense coastal markets. The Greater Nashville region, particularly Williamson County, already is home to much of the Christian music and entertainment industry, including record labels and publishers.

Several pieces of the Educational Media Foundation already have offices in the area, and the organization recently expanded its local studio, broadcasting the K-LOVE morning show from that spot as of May 2020.

"We've been coming here for some time. Now we've reached the tipping point to bring it all here," CEO Bill Reeves told The Tennessean, which noted that he's lived in the area for much of the last quarter-century.

Educational Media Foundation employs almost 500 people around the U.S., broadcasting on signals in all 50 states. Reeves told The Tennessean that 300 of those jobs are located at the California office and will be impacted by the move.

In a press release, the foundation said it would make the move over three years. Some California employees, though, will begin moving into the foundation's existing area offices this summer, or temporary space the company is looking to lease.

The foundation is in the final stages of picking land for its office campus and selecting architects and builders, the company said in its press release. No further details were provided.

The foundation is negotiating incentives with the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Dominion Voting Sues FOX for $1.6B

Dominion Voting Systems on Friday filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, arguing the cable news giant falsely claimed in an effort to boost faltering ratings that the voting company had rigged the 2020 election, USAToday reports.

It's the first defamation suit filed against a media outlet by the voting company, which was a target of misleading, false and bizarre claims spread by President Donald Trump and his allies in the aftermath of Trump's election loss to Joe Biden. Those claims helped spur on rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in a violent siege that left five people dead, including a police officer. The siege led to Trump's historic second impeachment.

Dominion argues that Fox News, which amplified inaccurate assertions that Dominion altered votes, "sold a false story of election fraud in order to serve its own commercial purposes, severely injuring Dominion in the process," according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by The Associated Press. 

Some Fox News on-air reporting segments have debunked some of the claims targeting Dominion. An email sent to Fox News on Friday morning, seeking comment on the lawsuit, was not immediately returned. 

There was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election, a fact that a range of election officials across the country — and even Trump's attorney general, William Barr — have confirmed. Republican governors in Arizona and Georgia, key battleground states crucial to Biden's victory, also vouched for the integrity of the elections in their states. Nearly all the legal challenges from Trump and his allies were dismissed by judges, including two tossed by the Supreme Court, which has three Trump-nominated justices.

Still, some Fox News employees elevated false charges that Dominion had changed votes through algorithms in its voting machines that had been created in Venezuela to rig elections for the late dictator Hugo Chavez. On-air personalities brought on Trump allies Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, who spread the claims, and then amplified those claims on Fox News' massive social media platforms. 

Dominion said in the lawsuit that it tried repeatedly to set the record straight but was ignored by Fox News. 

The company argues that Fox News, a network that features several pro-Trump personalities, pushed the false claims to explain away the former president's loss. The cable giant lost viewers after the election and was seen by some Trump supporters as not being supportive enough of the Republican.

Feb PPMs: Day 4..Austin, Nashville, Memphis, 9 Final Markets

 👉Nielsen on Thursday, March 25, 2021 released the final batch of February 2021 PPM data for the following markets:

32  Austin

38  Raleigh-Durham  NC

39   Indianapolis

40   Nashville

42   Milwaukee-Racine

44  Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket

45   Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News

46   Jacksonville FL

47   West Palm Beach-Boca Raton

48   Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point NC

51   Memphis

52   Hartford-New Britain-Middletown CT

Click Here for Topline Numbers for Subscribing Nielsen Stations.

Wake-Up Call: Mental Health Evaluation Set For Shooting Suspect

An attorney for the 21-year-old suspect in Monday's mass shooting at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket that left 10 people dead asked during Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa's first court appearance yesterday that he be given a mental health evaluation. 

His family has reportedly told investigators they believe he was suffering from some kind of mental illness, including delusions. Alissa, who's being held without bail, only spoke to say "yes" when asked a question by the judge, who advised him of the 10 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder against him. 

Meanwhile, some 2,000 people gathered last night at Fairview High School, a half-mile from the supermarket where the shooting took place, for a vigil honoring the 10 victims. It included reading the names of those killed out loud, as well as the names of the eight people killed in the mass shooting in Atlanta days earlier.

 

Biden's claim US sending back vast majority of migrant families not true: CNN https://t.co/p4SzpJvOpl pic.twitter.com/eRhTlV7X3G

— The Hill (@thehill) March 26, 2021

➤BIDEN SETS NEW COVID VACCINATION GOAL, SUGGESTS MAY BE OPEN TO FILIBUSTER CHANGE IN FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE: President Biden announced a new goal yesterday for getting Americans vaccinated against the coronavirus, suggested he may be open to changing the Senate filibuster, and answered questions about the situation at the border, among other topics, in his first press conference as president. In his opening remarks, Biden doubled his original goal for his first 100 days in office of 100 million vaccinations -- a mark already passed -- pledging to administer 200 million vaccinations by the end of his first 100 days. 

Addressing the filibuster issue, something a growing number of Senate Democrats have been open to changing to get legislation passed without having to get 60 votes because of Republican filibusters, Biden suggested he's open to it, saying, "If there’s complete lockdown and chaos, as a consequence of the filibuster, then we’re going to have to go beyond what I’m talking about." Asked about the situation at the border with Mexico, where a surge of unaccompanied minors is overwhelming the government's facilities to hold them, Biden promised to improve the immigration system and to held deal with conditions in the migrant's home countries that drive them to try to come to the U.S.

"You're welcome to step away": Senator Ted Cruz refuses to put on mask after reporter asks during press conference https://t.co/MhknGaArkP

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 26, 2021

➤AT LEAST FIVE KILLED BY ALABAMA TORNADOES: At least five people were killed yesterday by a string of tornadoes that hit Alabama, which also injured an unknown number of others and knocked out power to more than 35,000. Meteorologist John De Block of the National Weather Service in Birmingham said as many as eight tornadoes may have hit the state. The five people confirmed killed were in Calhoun County, and large areas of Shelby County were badly damaged.

Several homes were severely damaged in Alabama on Thursday when a tornado swept through the region. At least five people have been killed by the severe storms rampaging across the South. https://t.co/FpFSaGPW1E pic.twitter.com/uGTj2Nlo5C

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 26, 2021

 
➤GEORGIA GOVERNOR SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL ELECTION OVERHAUL LEGISLATION: Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed controversial legislation yesterday (March 25th) that overhauls the state's elections, putting new restrictions on voting by mail and giving state lawmakers greater control over how Georgia elections are run. It requires a photo ID to vote absentee by mail, reduces the time people have to request an absentee ballot, and limits the use of ballot drop boxes. Kemp said, "After the November election last year, I knew, like so many of you, that significant reforms to our state elections were needed." 

“I am a legislator”: Georgia State Representative Park Cannon identified herself as a lawmaker as she was arrested Thursday night after protesting a voting bill that voting rights groups believe will make it harder for communities of color to cast their ballots. pic.twitter.com/lTVRnGV3vt

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 26, 2021

Georgia's new law is part of a wave of Republican efforts in states across the country to change election processes since the November election, with Democrats and voting rights groups saying they will disproportionately make it harder for people of color to vote. President Biden criticized the efforts during his press conference yesterday, calling them "un-American" and "sick." A lawsuit was filed yesterday by voter mobilization groups challenging Georgia's new law.

➤CONTAINER SHIP STILL STUCK IN THE SUEZ CANAL: The ongoing efforts to free a massive container ship that's stuck sideways in the Suez Canal were unsuccessful Thursday (March 25th), with canal authorities saying up to 706,000 cubic feet of sand may need to be removed from the waterway to free the ship, CNN reported. The Ever Given container ship has been stuck since Tuesday, blocking the busy canal and preventing more than 160 container ships carrying cargo and fuel from going through. Some ships are deciding to go around the Cape of Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa, to avoid the canal between continental Africa and the Sinai Peninsula, adding 12 extra days of sailing time, according to the International Chamber of Shipping. Experts are worried about the damage to the global supply chain, including the oil market, if the ship isn't freed soon.

➤STAPLES WILL LAMINATE YOUR VACCINE CARD FOR FREE:  Office supply retailer Staples says it will laminate your COVID-19 vaccine card for free through May 1st at stores nationwide. Laminations are limited to one per customer and aren’t eligible on Instacart orders. Cards should only be laminated after the cardholder has been fully vaccinated. A laminated card could be useful in the future for things such as travel or employment. The CDC recommends keeping your card as proof of vaccination in case you should need it in the future. If you lose your card, it can likely be replaced, but it’s wise to be extra careful since the nation’s health care systems are overextended. The experts suggest keeping your vaccination card in a safe place, and not carrying it with you. You should also take a photo of it on your phone to keep, just be sure not to post it on social media, as it has sensitive personal information on it.

➤‘GAME OF THRONES’ STUDY SHOWS WHY PEOPLE IDENTIFY WITH FICTIONAL CHARACTERS:  Researchers think they’ve figured out why fiction can so strongly affect a person’s reality. Ohio State University researchers looked at the brains of self-described fans of “Game of Thrones.” They found some people were very good at identifying with fictional characters, especially those they most admired or whom they felt closest to. Researcher Timothy Broom explains, “They’re really internalizing the experiences of those characters, because they are experiencing the story from that perspective.” Nancy Mramor, a media psychologist, adds, “I caution viewers to view mindfully so that they are aware of their biological and emotional responses to anything or any hero they view, whether it is in the news or a crime show. Know when to engage and when to step back and watch from a distance, especially if your favorite character is on an emotional roller coaster and is taking you with them.”

➤JESSICA WALTER DIES AT 80: Jessica Walter, whose career spanned 50+ years, has died at age 80. She died in her sleep in New York City at home. Walter is beloved for many roles, including Play Misty for Me, The Flamingo Kid and her performance as Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development. Walter is survived by daughter Brooke Bowman, who is SVP Drama Programming at Fox Entertainment, and grandson Micah Heymann. Bowman said in a statement: “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica. A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off. While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class and overall joie de vivre.”

➤ABC WANTS $2M FOR OSCAR AD-SPOTS: Audiences for awards show may be perpetually in decline, but execs at ABC are still betting big on ad spots. The network is asking for $2 million per 30-second spot for the April 25 broadcast of the 93rd annual Academy Awards, according to Variety.

Insiders say they’re not getting much resistance. Last year, the show generated nearly $129.2 million in advertising, according to Kantar, a tracker of ad spending. In 2019, it was $114.2 million. Most ads ran for $1.8M-$2M.

“They are trying their best to provide the most robust opportunity for their sponsors, given what they are dealing with,” says Jenna Fidellow, senior vice president of branded partnerships for Havas Media, in an interview. “This is launching in a time when March Madness will be over. It feels like a new window during these unprecedented times to give the show an opportunity, to maybe show up a little differently.”

CBS’ recent Grammys grabbed 8.8 million viewers, down 53% from the 18.7 million who tuned in in 2020. NBC’s Golden Globes snagged 6.9 million, down 63% year-over-year.

🏒SABRES GM SERVES AS COACH AFTER INTERIM COACH, ASSISTANT PUT IN COVID PROTOCOL: Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams stepped in to serve as the NHL team's head coach in their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night after interim coach Don Granato and assistant Matt Ellis were placed in the league's Covid-19 protocol and were self-isolating. The Sabres lost 4-0. Former Sabres coach Ralph Kreuger was fired last week.

⚾WHITE SOX'S JIMENEZ OUT FOR FIVE TO SIX MONTHS WITH RUPTURED TENDON: Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez is expected to be out for five to six months after rupturing the pectoral tendon in his left arm while trying to make a play during a spring training game. The 24-year-old will have to undergo surgery, with general manager Rick Hahn saying they'll know more about if he'll be able to return this season after he begins rehab. Jimenez had 31 home runs in his first year in the majors in 2019, and had 14 homers and 41 RBIs in 55 games during last year's pandemic-shortened season.

🏀GRAND CANYON PLAYER DIES IN CAR ACCIDENT THREE DAYS AFTER 'MARCH MADNESS' GAME: Arizona's Grand Canyon University announced last night that basketball forward Oscar Frayer died in a car accident on Tuesday, three days after he'd played in the NCAA Tournament. The 23-year-old, his sister and his girlfriend were in an SUV when it veered off the road in northern California, hit a California Highway Patrol car, struck a tree and caught on fire. All three were killed, and two CHP officers were seriously injured. Frayer was reportedly visiting family in the state. Three days before the crash, Frayer played in Number 15 Grand Canyon's first-round game against second-seeded Iowa, getting eight points, five assists and three rebounds in their 86-74 loss.

🏀HEAT GET OLADIPO IN TRADE WITH ROCKETS: The Miami Heat got 28-year-old star guard Victor Oladipo in a trade with the Houston Rockets Thursday (March 25th), according to ESPN. They're sending guard Avery Bradley, forward Kelly Olynyk and 2022 first-round swap rights to Houston in return.

➤NASCAR TO HOLD FIRST CUP SERIES RACE ON DIRT SINCE 1970: NASCAR has brought in more than 23,000 cubic yards of dirt to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee for its first Cup Series race on dirt since 1970 that will take place on Sunday (March 28th). Steve Swift, the senior vice president of operations and development at Speedway Motorsports, went to 18 different dirt sites to find the perfect red Tennessee clay to use. It remains to be seen if the race will actually take place Sunday, though, since the forecast calls for 100 percent rain.

Report: CBS Sports Signs Jim Nantz To Longtime Contract

Jim Nantz, CBS Sports

The longtime face of CBS, Nantz does have a nice new, lucrative contract, according to The NY Post citing sources, but he did not come close to matching Romo’s 10-year, $180 million deal as he initially sought.

Even with no other sincere interest, CBS did give Nantz a sizeable raise from the $6.5 million per year he was previously making.

Sources said CBS had gone as high as the $10.5 million-per-year range, which would put Nantz on par with what Fox’s Joe Buck and NBC’s Mike Tirico make. The exact figure of Nantz’s new deal is not known.

The Sports Business Journal first reported the two sides had a new contract, but did not report terms.

During negotiations, the two sides not only had disagreements over the money but the length of Nantz’s new contract. A CBS spokeswoman said Nantz would be at the network for a “long time” without citing specifics.

At 61, Nantz has already stated that he wants to do the Masters until he is 75. Stating his goal was to continue to do the Masters until 2035 was an odd negotiation tactic, as it further hurt his leverage, and top CBS executives always felt that Nantz would never leave.

Nantz also had no other options. ABC/ESPN was the only one that made any possible sense, as they have the NFL and major golf. It has college basketball, but Nantz doesn’t do the regular season anymore. ESPN has been in cutting mode, so it never was realistic.

Still, CBS decided to give Nantz a substantial raise, even if it wasn’t what Nantz was looking to receive. Nantz’s agent Sandy Montag and CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus have had a long, tight relationship, which was another reason a deal was always expected to get done.

During his 35-year run at CBS, Nantz has developed into the network’s top voice on the NFL, golf including The Masters and college basketball.

Sportscaster Dick Stockton Announces Retirement

Dick Stockton

Dick Stockton, a fixture in the broadcasting of all major sports for multiple generations, is retiring.

The longtime NFL play-by-play specialist, who also has had prominent roles with the NBA and Major League Baseball, spent 55 years in the business.

“I just think it is time,” Stockton, 78, told Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

“I always said that, ‘Dick Stockton could do games here as long as he possibly wanted to do games here,’” FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks told Marchand. “I will take Dick Stockton, on his worst day rolling out of bed, over almost any other play-by-play guy’s best day. When he called me [to tell me he was retiring], I was upset. I was emotional. I really didn’t think he would call it right now. I’m sad.”

As Marchand notes, Stockton’s most famous call came in 1975, when the Boston Red Sox beat the Cincinnati Reds in Game Six of the World Series on a 12th-inning home run by Carlton Fisk.

Stockton called NFL games for CBS before making the jump to FOX in 1994, when the upstart network shook up the sports world by pilfering the NFC package.