Saturday, April 24, 2021

April 25 Radio History



➦In 1874...Guglielmo Marconi born (Died – 20 July 1937).  He was an Italian inventor and electrical engineer, known for his pioneering work on long-distance radio transmission, development of Marconi's law, and a radio telegraph system. He is credited as the inventor of radio, and he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Karl Ferdinand Braun "in recognition of their contributions to the development of wireless telegraphy".

Marconi was also founder of The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company in the United Kingdom in 1897 (which became the Marconi Company). He succeeded in making an engineering and commercial success of radio by innovating and building on the work of previous experimenters and physicists

His father was a wealthy landowner and his mother was a member of Ireland’s Jameson family of distillers. Marconi was educated by tutors and at the Livorno Technical Institute and the University of Bologna.

Marconi 1901
In 1894 Marconi became fascinated with the discovery by German physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz of “invisible waves” generated by electromagnetic interactions. Marconi built his own wave-generating equipment at his family’s estate and was soon sending signals to locations a mile away. After failing to interest the Italian government in his work, Marconi decided to try his luck in London.

The 22-year-old Marconi and his mother arrived in England in 1896 and quickly found interested backers, including the British Post Office. Within a year Marconi was broadcasting up to 12 miles and had applied for his first patents. A year later, he set up a wireless station on the Isle of Wight that allowed Queen Victoria to send messages to her son Prince Edward aboard the royal yacht.

By 1899 Marconi’s signals had crossed the English Channel. The same year, Marconi traveled to the United States, where he gained publicity offering wireless coverage of the America’s Cup yacht race from off the coast of New Jersey.



Marconi joined the Italian Fascist party in 1923. In 1930, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini appointed him President of the Royal Academy of Italy, which made Marconi a member of the Fascist Grand Council.

Marconi died in Rome on 20 July 1937 at age 63, following a series of heart attacks, and Italy held a state funeral for him. As a tribute, all radio stations throughout the world observed two minutes of silence on the next day.  His remains are housed in the Villa Griffone at Sasso Marconi, Emilia-Romagna, which assumed that name in his honor in 1938.

In 1943, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a decision on Marconi's radio patents restoring some of the prior patents of Oliver Lodge, John Stone Stone, and Nikola Tesla.  The decision was not about Marconi's original radio patents and the court declared that their decision had no bearing on Marconi's claim as the first to achieve radio transmission, just that since Marconi's claim to certain patents were questionable, he could not claim infringement on those same patents.




➦In 1908...Edward Roscoe Murrow born  at Polecat Creek, near Greensboro, NC (Died from lung cancer at age 57 – April 27, 1965), He was a broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He first gained prominence during World War II with a series of live radio broadcasts from Europe for the news division of CBS. His live, shortwave broadcasts relayed on CBS electrified radio audiences as news programming never had: previous war coverage had mostly been provided by newspaper reports, along with newsreels seen in movie theaters; earlier radio news programs had simply featured an announcer in a studio reading wire service reports.

During the war he recruited and worked closely with a team of war correspondents who came to be known as the Murrow Boys.

A pioneer of radio and television news broadcasting, Murrow produced a series of reports on his television program See It Now which helped lead to the censure of Senator Joseph McCarthy.


➦In 1949…An article in LOOK magazine predicted that radio was doomed because if the growing popularity of television.  However, radio reinvented itself as a local service and became bigger than ever, while LOOK disappeared in 1971.

By 1948 it sold 2.9 million copies per issue. Circulation reached 3.7 million in 1954, and peaked at 7.75 million in 1969. Its advertising revenue peaked in 1966 at $80 million. Of the leading general interest large-format magazines, Look had a circulation second only to Life and ahead of The Saturday Evening Post, which closed in 1969, and Collier's, which folded in 1956.

Look ceased publication with its issue of October 19, 1971, the victim of a $5 million loss in revenues in 1970 (with television cutting deeply into its advertising revenues), a slack economy and rising postal rates. Circulation was at 6.5 million when it closed.


Don Wilson
➦In 1982...Announcer/personality Don Wilson died of a stroke at age 81. (Born September 1, 1900). He was an announcer and actor in radio and television best remembered best as the rotund announcer and comic foil to the star of The Jack Benny Program.

Wilson began his radio career as a singer over Denver radio station KFEL in 1923.  By 1929, he was working at KFI, and shortly afterwards for Don Lee at KHJ, in Los Angeles. In a 1978 appearance on Tomorrow with Tom Snyder, Wilson claimed he was fired from KHJ because he had bought a Packard from Earle C. Anthony, the business arch-rival of Cadillac dealer Don Lee and owner of KFI and KECA.

Though best known for his comedy work with Benny, Wilson had a background as a sportscaster, covering the opening of the 1932 Summer Olympics.


➦In 1995…Arthur Fleming Fazzin died from pancreatic cancer at age 70 (Born - May 1, 1924). He was an actor and television host. He is most notable for being the original host of the television game show Jeopardy!, which aired on NBC from 1964 until 1975.

After leaving the Navy, Fleming became an announcer at a radio station in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Here, he first shortened his name to "Art Fleming". His radio career later took him to Akron, Ohio, and back home to New York. He was the first announcer to deliver the slogan "Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should" for Winston cigarettes.

Art Fleming On 'Jeopardy' set
His first television role was as a stunt double for Ralph Bellamy in the detective series Man Against Crime.  Fleming also appeared in many television commercials. He was first spotted by Merv Griffin on a commercial for Trans World Airlines. Griffin thought Fleming was "authoritative, yet warm and interesting", and Fleming was invited to audition for the role of host for a quiz show Griffin was developing. Fleming (an actor with no prior TV quiz show experience) was initially skeptical, but his agent encouraged him to "act like a game show host" at his audition, and Fleming ultimately won the job. The show was Jeopardy!, which Fleming hosted from March 30, 1964, to January 3, 1975, and again from October 2, 1978, to March 2, 1979. Although often described as the "host" of the program, announcer Don Pardo's introduction of him announced, "and here's the star of Jeopardy!, Art Fleming." As "the world's greatest quiz show's" first host, Fleming earned two Emmy Award nominations. While he was host of Jeopardy!, Fleming never missed a taping.

Throughout his career, Fleming starred in about 5,000 episodes of television programs and 48 motion pictures. He also hosted a radio version of College Bowl for CBS Radio from 1979 to 1982. He hosted the NBC radio weekend magazine Monitor during 1972.

It was reported that Fleming was asked to reprise his role as Jeopardy! host when Merv Griffin began developing a revival of the show in 1983. He declined, later stating in 1989 that he did not like the direction the show had gone in moving the show to Hollywood (being partial to his native New York, he felt that the Hollywood setting made the show dumber and less realistic).  As a result, Alex Trebek took the position instead and has hosted the program ever since.

From 1980 to 1992, Fleming hosted a daily radio talk show on KMOX in St. Louis, which continued until his retirement.


Len Goodman is 77
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
  • Actor Al Pacino is 81. 
  • “Dancing With the Stars” judge Len Goodman is 77. 
  • Bassist Stu Cook of Creedence Clearwater Revisited is 76. 
  • Singer Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA is 76. 
  • Actor Talia Shire is 76. 
  • Actor Jeffrey DeMunn (“The Green Mile”) is 74. 
  • Country singer-songwriter Rob Crosby is 67. 
  • Actor Hank Azaria (“The Simpsons”) is 57. 
  • Singer Andy Bell of Erasure is 57. 
  • Renee Zellweger is 52
    Bassist Eric Avery (Jane’s Addiction) is 56. 
  • Guitarist Rory Feek of Joey and Rory is 56. 
  • Former “Early Show” host Jane Clayson is 54. 
  • Actor Gina Torres (“I Think I Love My Wife”) is 52. 
  • Actor Renee Zellweger is 52. 
  • Actor Jason Lee (“My Name Is Earl,” ″Almost Famous”) is 51. 
  • Actor Jason Wiles (“Third Watch”) is 51. 
  • Actor Emily Bergl (“Southland”) is 46. 
  • Actor Marguerite Moreau (“The O.C.,” ″Life As We Know It”) is 44. 
  • Singer Jacob Underwood (O-Town) is 41. 
  • Actor Allisyn Snyder (“A.P. Bio,” “Sonny With A Chance”) is 25. 
  • Actor Jayden Rey (“The Conners”) is 12.

Chicago Radio: Steve Edwards, WBEZ’s Content Officer, Steps Down


Steve Edwards, a programming mainstay who helped transform non-com WBEZ- 91.5 FM into a highly rated local news station as chief content officer, is leaving Chicago public radio after nearly 20 years to join an executive search firm.

The Chicago Tribune reports Tracy Brown, managing editor at WBEZ, is replacing Edwards as chief content officer at the Chicago news radio station.

Managing editor Tracy Brown, who joined WBEZ in 2019 from the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, has been promoted to succeed Edwards, the station announced Friday.

“I came to WBEZ when I was 28 years old, and I was overjoyed to get the chance to work at a station that I loved, respected and revered more than any other,” said Edwards, 50. “It’s exciting to be able to pass that baton to an extraordinary talent like Tracy Brown.”

Steve Edwards, Tracy Brown

Edwards, a Kansas City native who grew up listening to public radio, started at WBEZ in 1999 as host of the daily magazine program “Eight Forty-Eight,” rising to program director in 2008. He left the station in 2012 for leadership roles at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics before returning to WBEZ as chief content officer in 2017.

During his tenure as chief content officer, WBEZ increased its commitment to local reporting, doubling the size of the newsroom and boosting its ratings into the top tier of Chicago radio stations. WBEZ was tied for fourth among all Chicago stations with a 4.7 share in March, according to Nielsen.

Edwards said beefing up the newsroom has been his most significant accomplishment at WBEZ.

Report: Sinclair Broadcast Group Wants to Rework Debt


Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. is evaluating investor proposals on how to rework the debt load of its regional sports network unit as it also prepares to ink new deals with sports betting companies, according to Bloomberg citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The unit, Diamond Sports Group LLC, has received offers from debt investors seeking to provide new financing in exchange for enhancing creditor protections, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential talks. The company is having active discussions with representatives for those groups, the people added.

Diamond has also received interest from outside firms that aren’t currently involved in the company’s debt but have expressed interest in providing financing, one of the people said. The discussions with creditors and potential new investors are ongoing and likely to evolve in the coming days, the people added.

Meanwhile, Sinclair is in discussions with two sports betting companies for marketing partnerships that resemble a deal the broadcaster made with Bally’s Corp. last year, said one of the people, who declined to identify the betting firms. The Bally’s transaction gave Sinclair a naming-rights fee, shares in Bally’s and an agreement for the casino brand to spend a percentage of its interactive advertising budget on Sinclair outlets.

Cash that comes from increased advertising dollars and naming rights associated with the Bally’s deal and the potential new partners is meant to support the Diamond unit, the people said.

Diamond Sports has faltered since Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. bought the collection of regional sports networks from Walt Disney Co. in 2019 for $9.6 billion. The deal was financed with costly high-yield debt that fell to distressed levels as the company struggled to sign and maintain deals with carriers and dealt with the pandemic’s disruptions to live sports. Sinclair later wrote down its investment by $4.23 billion.

A debt proposal unsecured creditors sent last week included providing at least $500 million of new money into the company and exchanging their bonds for new debt with tighter covenants and equal in priority for repayment to existing secured debt, one of the people said.

Report: Apple, Spotify Expected To Be Dominant Podcasts


Podcasting has exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic, with an estimated 116 million Americans now counting themselves as monthly podcast listeners—an 11% increase over 2020—according to Edison Research and Triton Digital. Apple and Spotify are shaping up to be the dominant players in an all-out war for your ears. From The Wall Street Journal..Here’s how:

Key Takeaways

1. Apple announced forthcoming paid podcast subscriptions.

Next month, Apple will roll out a feature that will let podcasters pay the company $19.99 a year to enable subscriptions to their shows, and set their own prices for listeners. Some of the company’s strategy will depend on exclusivity: Its TV studio has already released original podcasts like “The Line” and “For All Mankind,” and Apple is in talks with podcasters about creating original and exclusive shows for the new service, according to people familiar with the matter. “Even though they have the keys to the kingdom in terms of overall customer base and the App Store and broader content,” said Daniel Ives, an analyst for Wedbush Securities, “what’s going to differentiate them is not just aggregation, it’s exclusive content.”

2. Spotify made early moves that Apple is trying to catch up to.

Spotify, which moved into podcasting years ago, has taken lots of steps to edge out Apple, which previously had a stranglehold on podcasts via iTunes but was slow to monetize them. (The “pod” in podcasting is taken from the iPod.) Spotify has made exclusive deals, too, snatching up well-known podcast producers like Gimlet Media and Bill Simmons’ the Ringer, as well as recent deals with Michelle and Barack Obama. It also acquired services that make podcast production easier, such as Anchor. Next, it will add one more feature to compete directly with Apple: Its own subscription service will be completely free to podcasters.

3. Their rivalry has played out in other ways, too.

Spotify’s podcast listenership in the U.S. is on track to overtake Apple’s this year, according to research from eMarketer. But the companies’ broader rivalry has intensified. Spotify is beating out Apple for music subscribers—155 million globally, compared to Apple’s 60 million, as it reported in June 2019—and Spotify has openly criticized the company, claiming that it uses its ownership of the App Store to compete unfairly, which Apple denies.

4. Subscription podcasting has come with varying success.

Apple and Spotify are likely to make paying for podcast content more mainstream than it’s ever been. Other notable podcast platforms have launched subscriptions to mixed reception, including Stitcher (acquired by SiriusXM), Wondery (acquired by Amazon ), Patreon and Pocket Casts. Luminary, thought to be the most established player in subscriptions, will make its original podcasts available to Apple podcast listeners through the new program.

Read the original article by Anne Steele here.

Seattle Radio: Ari Hoffman Joins KVI For PM Drive


On Monday, April 26th The Ari Hoffman Show will be officially added to the Talk Radio KVI 570 AM line-up, from 3 – 6 p.m. weekdays. Hoffman has been filling in on KVI since long-time host, Kirby Wilbur retired at the end of January.

.Ari is known for his humor and pop culture savvy. He never backs down from a challenge and enthusiastically engages with anyone, no matter their political ideology.

Hoffman is not new to media as he has been featured on Fox News, Newsmax, The Dr. Drew Show, 60 Minutes, and the KOMO News Documentary “Seattle is Dying.”

“I am thrilled to be joining the amazing team at KVI. If I had known how much fun this gig would be I would have started 20 years ago. I look forward to bringing common sense ideas and a fresh take on news, politics and the culture wars to our listeners."

“Our new afternoon host was right under our nose. What’s important to you is important to Ari. He has an engaging and entertaining perspective on local and world issues that’s enlightening and fun to hear!” said Rick Van Cise, KVI Program Director.

Pandemic Pays-Off Nicely For Netflix Co-CEOs

Co-CEOs Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos 

Netflix had a record-setting year in 2020 — and its top executives were rewarded handsomely for it, with co-CEOs Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos bringing home a combined $82.5 million last year, according to The Wrap citing a company filing with the SEC on Friday.

Hastings’ compensation jumped 12% last year to $43.2 million, according to the filing. The bulk of that — about $42.43 million — came from stock options; the rest of his compensation included a $650,000 salary and about $147,000 in “other” compensation, which was spent on “personal use of company aircraft.”

Sarandos, meanwhile, was paid $39.3 million last year — up 13% from the $34.7 million he earned the year before. His compensation package included a $20 million salary and $18.3 million in stock options; another $1 million was included in the form of “other” compensation, with most of that going towards “residential security costs,” per Netflix’s filing. Sarandos was named co-chief executive last July, adding to his role as chief content officer at the streaming giant.


Infographic: Netflix Subscriber Growth Slows After Pandemic Boost | Statista You will find more infographics at Statista

Netflix pulled in a company-record 37 million new customers last year, thanks in large part to the pandemic forcing people to stay at home. Earlier this week, Netflix reported it added 4 million new subscribers between January and March bringing the company to 207.6 million customers overall.

Netflix’s filing also showed CFO Spencer Neumann brought home $12.9 million last year, which was about $1 million more than he earned in 2019. And Greg Peters, Netflix’s chief operating officer and chief product officer, earned $20.8 million in 2020, which represented a 12% boost from the year before.

Report: Comcast CEO Brian Roberts Saw Compensation Decline in 2020


The compensation package of Comcast Corp. CEO Brian Roberts declined 10% to $32.7 million in 2020, reports The Philadelphia Business-Journal.

Roberts and other top executives at the Philadelphia media giant received 75% their target annual cash bonus for 2020. The bonus is tied to the company's performance, which is now a larger part of Comcast's executive payment structure.

Roberts received a base salary of $3.4 million, with other compensation including stock awards and options totaling over $29 million, according to the company's proxy statement filed Friday.

Cavanagh's total compensation dropped by nearly 6% last year to $25.25 million, down from $26.8 million in 2019. Watson's compensation decreased slightly to $19.7 million. Shell, in his first year as head of NBCUniversal, earned a compensation package of $16.5 million.

"Mr. Roberts and our senior leadership team successfully navigated our organization through the severe challenges of 2020, executing on our strategy where it remained viable, adapting our strategy where it needed to adapt and finding safe and creative solutions to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic to benefit our employees, customers, communities, suppliers and shareholders now and for the long term," 

Comcast wrote in the proxy. "Our solid operational and financial results, and the resiliency of our business, were driven by our strategic focus on broadband, aggregation and streaming, which we believe delivers better experiences for our customers and value for our shareholders, positions our company to outperform and puts us on a trajectory to emerge from this challenging environment in an even stronger position."

Comcast's total revenue fell 4.9% from $108.9 billion to $103.6 billion last year. Net income declined 16.4% to $12 billion.

April 24 Radio History




➦In 1947...One of Jack Webb's short-lived pre-Dragnet detective-adventure radio show Johnny Madero: Pier 23 debuted on the Mutual Broadcasting System.


➦In 1949…Dick Powell began a four-year run as "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" on NBC Radio. The radio series centered on a wisecracking, former police officer turned private detective. Episodes typically opened with a client visiting or calling cash-strapped Diamond's office and agreeing to his fee of $100 a day plus expenses, or Diamond taking on a case at the behest of his friend and former partner, Lt. Walter Levinson

In the late 1950s, Powell's company, Four Star Television, produced a TV version of the series starring David Janssen. His secretary, Sam, was shown only from the waist down to display her beautiful legs. Initially, those were the legs of budding actress Mary Tyler Moore, but later, the legs of other actresses were shown.



➦In 1953...Eric Bogosian was born in Woburn, Massachusetts. Bogosian is best known for his starring role in the movie, Talk Radio, a 1988 American drama film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Bogosian, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Greene, and Leslie Hope.

Portions of the film and play were based on the assassination of radio host Alan Berg in 1984 and the book Talked to Death: The Life and Murder of Alan Berg.  Berg was murdered while working for Denver's KOA 850 AM.

In the movie Barry Champlain, a Jewish radio personality in Dallas, Texas, is a host with a caustic sense of humor and a knack for condescending to his audience with his controversial political views.bio.


➦In 1954...Billboard magazine, the music industry trade publication, headlined a tsunami to come in the music biz. The headline read, “Teenagers Demand Music with a Beat — Spur Rhythm and Blues” … a sign of the entertainment revolution that was underway.



➦In 1959…After 24 years of Saturday nights on radio and nine years on television, the final installment of the musical countdown show "Your Hit Parade" was televised on NBC-TV.

The final Top Five: Elvis Presley, "I Need Your Love Tonight" (#5), Brook Benton, "It's Just A Matter Of Time" (#4), Ricky Nelson, "Never Be Anyone Else But You" (#3), Dodie Stevens, "Pink Shoe Laces" (#2), and the Fleetwoods at #1 with "Come Softly To Me."


➦In 1972…John Lennon's controversial single, "Woman Is the N#gger of the World" was released in the U.S. The song televised on 11 May, on The Dick Cavett Show. Many radio stations refused to broadcast the song.  The song reached #57 on the Billboard Hot 100, even though only two major radio stations – KDAY in Los Angeles and WCFL in Chicago – aired it.

Yoko Ono originally uttered the phrase during a magazine interview in 1967 and John explained that he was making a point that women deserved higher status in society.

Abbott & Costello
➦In 1974...William Alexander "Bud" Abbott died at age 78 from prostate cancer (Born - October 2, 1897). He was best known for his comedy double act, as straight man to Lou Costello.

Born into a show business family, Abbott worked in the box office of several theatres, before becoming a comedian/producer of burlesque shows on Broadway, where he allowed Costello to appear with him when his own partner was off ill. They formally teamed up in 1935. Their signature routine, "Who's on First?", was carried through to radio and then to their film debut One Night in the Tropics (1940) and Buck Privates (1941). The duo would go on to make 36 films. During World War II, they were among the most popular entertainers in the world, and sold $85 million in war bonds.

Abbott and Costello launched their own long-running radio show in 1942, and then a live TV show. But by 1955, they were felt to be over-exposed, their film contract was terminated, and the partnership split soon afterwards. Costello died in 1959.

Groucho Marx declared Abbott to be the best straight man in the comedy business.


🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
  • Actor Shirley MacLaine is 87. 
  • Actor-singer-director Barbra Streisand is 79. 
  • Country singer Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys is 78. 
  • Drummer Doug Clifford (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is 76. 
  • Singer Ann Peebles is 74. 
  • Actor Eric Bogosian is 68. 
  • Singer-bassist Jack Blades of Night Ranger is 67. 
  • Actor Michael O’Keefe (“Roseanne”) is 66. 
  • Bassist David J (Love and Rockets, Bauhaus) is 64. 
  • Actor Glenn Morshower (“24”) is 62. 
  • Bassist Billy Gould (Faith No More) is 58. 
  • Actor-comedian Cedric the Entertainer is 57. 
  • Actor Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond,” ″Amistad”) is 57. 
  • Drummer Patty Schemel (Hole) is 54. 
  • Drummer Aaron Comess of the Spin Doctors is 53. 
  • Actor Aidan Gillen (“Game of Thrones”) is 53. 
  • Actor Melinda Clarke (“The O.C.”) is 52. 
  • Actor Rory McCann (“Game of Thrones”) is 52. 
  • Bassist Brian Marshall of Creed and of Alter Bridge is 48. 
  • Actor Derek Luke (“Madea Goes To Jail,” ″Friday Night Lights”) is 47. 
  • Actor Thad Luckinbill (“12 Strong,” ″The Young and the Restless”) is 46. 
  • Actor Eric Balfour (“24”) is 44. 
  • Actor Rebecca Mader (“No Ordinary Family,” ″Lost”) is 44. 
  • Actor Reagan Gomez (“Queen Sugar,” ″The Parent ’Hood”) is 41. 
  • Actor Austin Nichols (“One Tree Hill”) is 41. 
  • Actor Sasha Barrese (“The Hangover”) is 40. 
  • Singer-TV personality Kelly Clarkson (“American Idol”) is 39. 
  • Singer-bassist Tyson Ritter of All-American Rejects is 37. 
  • Country singer Carly Pearce is 31. 
  • Actor Joe Keery (“Stranger Things”) is 29. 
  • Actor Jack Quaid (“The Hunger Games”) is 29. 
  • Actor Jordan Fisher (“Liv and Maddie,” ″Rent: Live”) is 27.

Friday, April 23, 2021

In Radio: Personality Matters


Fred Jacobs of Jacobs Media Strategies unveiled some early results from this year's Techsurvey 2021 during a Thursday session of the All Access Audio Summit.  

Jacobs says among the many findings "There were key lessons for radio in the 'Year of COVID' that speak directly to the value of community and connection." The slide (shown) is an important one that shows the trend 7line for why radio fans still tune in broadcast radio. The value of a station's music product has diminished over time, while the importance of personalities has become much more evident"

Jacobs Media will present its Techsurvey 2021 results in a free webinar on Thursday, May 6 at 2pm Eastern, 11am Pacific, sponsored by Veritone. This year’s annual study, “Radio in the Year of COVID,” is comprised of more than 42,000 core radio listeners from 470 participating stations and charts the impact of COVID-19 and its disruptive effect on radio listening and other media consumption.

Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs said, “This year’s Techsurvey reveals seismic shifts in radio listening, and all types of media consumption, owing to the impact of the pandemic. Digital platforms have already seen impressive growth in the past few years, and it is clear there is even greater momentum now due to the transcendent changes of the last thirteen months. We will continue to closely monitor the media landscape as we more and more continue towards a return to normal. We hope you can join our webinar Thursday, May 6 as we reveal these important insights and more.” In order to join the webinar, click here to register.

St. Louis Radio: KMOX Announces New Midday Show

Carol Daniel, Ryan Wrecker, Bo Matthews

Audacy has announced a new weekday programming lineup for News Radio KMOX 1120AM / 98.7FM in St. Louis, effective May 3. The station will introduce a new local midday show, “St. Louis Talks,” featuring KMOX personalities Carol Daniel and evening talk show host Ryan Wrecker alongside long-time St. Louis Radio personality Bo Matthews. The trio will be heard weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CT.

The station’s evening timeslot from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. CT will continue to consist of the station’s in-season flagship broadcast coverage of Cardinals baseball and St. Louis University Billikens basketball, as well as “Sports Open Line.” The remaining lineup, including “Our American Stories” from 2:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. CT, “America in the Morning” from 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. CT, “Total Information AM” from 5:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. CT, “The Charlie Brennan Show with Amy Marxkors” from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. CT, and “The Dave Glover Show” from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. CT, will remain the same.

“Now is the time to expand our local content offering for the people of St. Louis, and we are thrilled to have three established, well known and trusted St. Louis voices to help usher in this new era for our station,” said Becky Domyan, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy St. Louis. “We look forward to Carol, Ryan and Bo working in tandem with the KMOX newsroom to report and react on local, regional and national topics that affect our community as we continue building on our position as the voice of St. Louis.”

“This is a dream come true for me to host a show on a historic radio station with talented, funny and curious people like Bo and Ryan,” said Daniel. “My goal is to bring listeners stories about the people, places and things in the region we all love but want so much more out of.”

An award-winning reporter and anchor, Daniel most recently celebrated her 26th anniversary with the station.

“This is our chance to do something new and exciting through one of the most significant radio stations in America,” said Wrecker. “I can't wait to work alongside Carol and Bo.”

Ryan Wrecker has served as host of the station’s evening show “Overnight America” since 2017. Prior to joining the station, Wrecker was Program Director for WOWO-AM in Fort Wayne, IN.

“Getting the opportunity to share the stories of St. Louis and hear about the people that make it the special place that it is will be an honor,” Matthews said. “To get to do that with Carol and Ryan makes it even better. This is proof that you can dream big, but God dreams even bigger and makes them come true.”

Bo Matthews started his career behind the microphone when he was 18 years old and has called St. Louis home since 1988. He has served as a part time host on the station since 2019.

Listeners can tune in to News Radio 1120AM 98.7FM KMOX in St. Louis on air, as well as nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

2 Announcements This Week Shape Podcast Wars


A pair of announcements this week— Apple Inc.’s introduction of paid podcast subscriptions and Facebook Inc.’s new partnership with Spotify Technology SA to spur discovery and listening on the social network’s platforms—are the latest for a rapidly growing medium that is attracting top talent and top dollar, The Wall Street Journal reports.

“With Apple making its move into subscription, there is this platform war emerging,” said Josh Lindgren, head of Creative Artists Agency’s podcast department.

Podcasting, already on a tear before the coronavirus pandemic, exploded in popularity during the lockdown, and is on track to bring in more than $1 billion in revenue this year from advertising in the U.S. for the first time. An estimated 116 million Americans, or 41% of the U.S. population over the age of 12, are now monthly podcast listeners, an 11% increase over 2020, according to Edison Research and Triton Digital.

Wall Street Journal Graphic
For years, competition in podcasts has been a lopsided one: Apple—responsible for the namesake of the industry, a portmanteau of “iPod” and “broadcast”—enjoyed its status as the default destination for listening while doing relatively little to enhance offerings or profits. Spotify, meanwhile, has lavished hundreds of millions on popular creators and companies—sparking an arms race among iHeartMedia Inc., Audacy Inc. (formerly Entercom), Sirius XM Holdings Inc., and Amazon.com Inc., which all now see podcasts as vital for keeping customers engaged with their services.

Dawn Ostroff, Spotify’s chief content and advertising business officer, said the rush of other bets on podcasting validates the company’s early moves.

“We saw the opportunity before anybody else did, and we’ve been at it significantly longer than anyone else,” she said.

To some observers, Apple’s podcast news this week is akin to the awakening of a sleeping giant. More than 15 years after adding podcasts to its iTunes software, the tech company introduced a way for podcasters on its platform to sell subscriptions. Until now, the company has neither offered paid access for podcasts nor earned a commission from ads that appear in the more than two million shows on its platform. Apple declined to comment.

Podcasters will pay Apple $19.99 a month to enable subscriptions, and set their own prices for listeners. Apple will take a 30% cut of subscription revenue the first year, and a 15% take thereafter.

“For any industry to be sustainable, we have to be able to generate revenue from more sources,” said Donald Albright, co-founder of Tenderfoot TV, the maker of hit shows including “Up and Vanished,” “To Live and Die in L.A.” and “Atlanta Monster.” Tenderfoot will keep its shows free for now, but will explore releasing exclusive bonus content and early access to subscribers via Apple’s new program, he said. “It creates a more healthy industry.”

Podcasting Will Surpass $2B By 2023

Podcasting in the US will cross the $1 billion mark this year, and its ascent will continue, according to eMarketer.

Per eMarketer's latest forecast, podcast ad spending will exceed $2 billion by 2023. They upgraded the growth estimates due to the 36.8% spike in ad spending during 2020, which will be followed by growth of 38.7% this year and 31.1% in 2022. They previously expected 10.4% growth in 2020.

Driving the update: Podcast advertising in H2 2020 recovered faster than anticipated, audience numbers continued to climb, and digital audio is now a staple in many people’s media diets. Podcasting has also benefited from companies like Spotify, Amazon, iHeartMedia, and others buying and publicizing content studios and ad tech companies alike.

A silent dichotomy: The slew of acquisitions and major moves from top companies has not helped with fragmentation when it comes to advertising in the podcast space. For instance, eMarketer estimates that iHeartMedia—which last year brought in more podcast ad revenues than any other company—still accounted for only 10.0% of total US podcast ad spending in 2020, with the rest distributed across various creators, publishers, and platforms.

IAB: Ad 'Confidence' Has Surged


U.S. advertising executives with a "purview" for 2021 ad spending -- both advertisers and media agency planners and buyers -- are significantly more confident about their ad budgets for the duration of this year than they were when surveyed late last year, according to Mediapost citing the latest edition of a tracking study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).

Sixty-one percent of the 275 executives interviewed by the IAB in March and April said they are either "very confident" or "confident" in the "stability" of their ad budgets for the remainder of this year.

While the IAB delineated responses differently to a similar question asked in November 2020, the trade association's analysts implied it's a marked improvement in ad executive confidence.

"Ad buyer optimism for 2021 has increased in just the past five months," the new IAB report asserts, adding, "Confidence in 2021 ad budgets has reduced the need for frequent re-examination and reallocation of spend, which was common in 2020 (see data below).

In November 2020, 29% of ad execs said they were reviewing their media budgets monthly vs. only 15% currently.

Day 4: Nielsen Releases Final PPMs For March 2021

Nielsen on Thursday, April 22, 2021 released the final batch of March 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 to View Topline Numbers for Subscribing Nielsen stations.

Wake-Up Call: Global Leaders Pledge To Fight Climate Change

Leaders of countries around the world pledged cooperation in fighting climate change yesterday, the first day of a two-day livestreamed virtual summit hosted by the U.S. Speaking during the virtual summit of 40 world leaders, President Biden said the "science is undeniable" and the world is facing, quote, "a moment of peril" but also "a moment of opportunity." Biden made an ambitious new commitment for the summit, saying the U.S. would cut its fossil fuel emissions by as much as 52 percent by 2030. Other nations also made new climate commitments.


➤FUNERAL HELD FOR DAUNTE WRIGHT, KILLED BY POLICE IN MINNESOTA: An emotional funeral was held yesterday for Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by a police officer during an April 11th traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Kim Potter, a 26-year police veteran who is white, was arrested on manslaughter charges after appearing to have mistakenly fired her gun at Wright instead of her Taser as he tried to struggle out of the grasp of police and get away when they tried to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. Hundreds of people attended the service at Shiloh Temple International Ministries that included a eulogy by civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton, who said, "The absence of justice is the absence of peace. You can’t tell us to shut up and suffer." The families of several other Black people whose killings made national headlines attended, as did Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Klobucher delivered remarks, saying, "True justice is not done as long as a chokehold, the knee on the neck or a no-knock warrant is considered legitimate policing."

➤CNN..ARGUMENT THAT LED COLUMBUS TEENAGER TO BE KILLED BY POLICE WAS OVER HOUSEKEEPING: The fight that led to 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant being killed by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday as she swung a knife at a young woman began over housekeeping, the woman who cared for Bryant in foster care said yesterday. Angela Moore told CNN that two of her former foster children had come to her home Tuesday to celebrate her birthday when the young women and Ma'Khia began arguing over housekeeping. Moore described what she was told happened by one of the the other girls or young women in the house at the time, saying, "It was over keeping the house clean. The older one told them to clean up the house because 'Mom doesn't like the house dirty.' So that's how it all started." When spoken to about the housekeeping, Bryant answered, "You're not the guardian of me." The fight escalated among them, leading to police being called and, ultimately, Bryant being fatally shot by the officer.


➤SUPREME COURT RULING MAKES IT EASIER FOR MINORS TO BE SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE: A 6-3 Supreme Court ruling yesterday (April 22nd) makes it easier for minors who've been convicted of murder to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the now more conservative court reversing a trend for more than a decade of the high court moving towards more leniency for minors convicted of murder. The case, which involved a Mississippi inmate jailed for a murder committed when he was 15, was about whether a minor has to be found to be "permanently incorrigible, making incapable of being rehabilitated, before being sentenced to life without parole. The court's ruling says the minor doesn't have to be. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who dissented with the court's other two liberal justices, wrote in a dissent that the decision, quote, "guts" prior cases granting more leniency to minors.

➤SENATE PASSES BILL TO FIGHT HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIAN-AMERICANS: The Senate passed legislation yesterday to help fight the increase in hate crimes against Asian-Americans. There was a near-unanimous 94-1 vote in favor of the measure, which would expedite the review of hate crimes at the Justice Department and provide support for local law enforcement in response to thousands of reported violent incidents in the past year. The House is expected to consider similar legislation in the coming weeks.

➤SENATOR TIM SCOTT TO GIVE GOP RESPONSE TO BIDEN'S ADDRESS: Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina will deliver the Republicans' response to President Biden’s joint address to Congress next Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced yesterday. Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, is considered a potential 2024 GOP presidential candidate. Biden's address will be much like a State of the Union address, which presidents don't give until their second year in office. He's delivering it about two months later than new presidents usually do.

Prince Louis
➤PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE RELEASE PHOTO OF SON LOUIS AHEAD OF BIRTHDAY:
Prince William and Kate Middleton released a photo of Prince Louis, the youngest of their three children, yesterday ahead of his third birthday today. In it, the smiling boy is sitting on a red bike. The caption reads, "Three tomorrow! Taken earlier this week by The Duchess before he left for his first day of nursery, The Duke and Duchess are pleased to share a new image of Prince Louis."
 
➤FLORIDA SCHOOLS MAY SOON REQUIRE MOMENT OF SILENCE: Public schools in Florida may soon have a required moment of silence at the start of each day if Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signs legislation that was passed yesterday by the state Senate after having been approved by state House in a vote last month. Teachers would be directed to encourage parents to talk with their children about the moment of silence and, quote, "make suggestions as to the best use of the time." But teachers would not be allowed to make suggestions to students, quote, "as to the nature of any reflection that a student may engage in during the moment of silence." Opponents charge that mandating a moment of silence blurs the line between church and state.
 

➤ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION INCREASED DURING THE PANDEMIC: A new study from Boston College confirms that the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on Americans’ mental health. According to researchers, reports of anxiety increased to 50 percent and depression to 44 percent by November 2020. These rates are six times higher than they were in 2019. The impact was most severe with adults aged 18-29 with rates of anxiety and depression up 65 percent and 61 percent, respectively.


➤TACO BELL ANNOUNCES NEW PLANT-BASED PROTEIN:  Taco Bell  has announced its new Craveatarian Taco, which features a vegan, plant-based protein made from a blend of peas and chickpeas. The new offering is similar to the Crunch Taco Supreme and includes shredded cheddar cheese, crisp lettuce, diced tomatoes and reduced fat sour cream in a crunchy corn shell. However, this option is ten calories lighter than the one including beef. The Craveatarian Taco is currently only being tested at a single location in Tustin, California and will be gone after April 29.



🏀NBA DRAFT PROSPECT TERRENCE CLARKE, FORMER KENTUCKY GUARD, KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT: NBA draft prospect Terrence Clarke, who was a freshman guard for Kentucky this past season, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident yesterday at age 19. 

ESPN cited an LAPD sergeant who works in the Valley Traffic Division as saying Clarke was alone in a vehicle that ran a red light "at a very high rate of speed" yesterday afternoon, and that surveillance video showed he collided with another vehicle readying to turn left, and then hit a street light pole and a wall. The other driver wasn't injured. Clarke entered the draft last month, and had signed with Klutch Sports Group agency last week. Kentucky head coach John Calipari said that he was, quote, "absolutely gutted and sick tonight" at the news.

🏀LAKERS GET DAVIS BACK, DALLAS LOSES PORZINGIS: L.A. Lakers star Anthony Davis was back last night (April 22nd) after having missed 30 games with right calf and heel problems. But he was rusty, scoring just four points while limited to 17 minutes in the first half only as the Lakers lost to the Dallas Mavericks 115-110. Meanwhile, Dallas' Kristaps Porzingis left in the third quarter and didn’t return after spraining his left ankle. The team hasn't said yet how long he'll be out.

🏀HAWKS' TRAE YOUNG HAS ANKLE SPRAIN: Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, who was injured Wednesday in the Hawks' 137-127 overtime loss to the Net York Knicks, has a Grade 2 lateral ankle sprain, ESPN cited a source as saying. Young suffered the injury when he turned an ankle while landing after making a shot near the end of the third quarter and left the game. Expected to return once swelling and discomfort are gone.


🏈BRADY SLAMS NFL'S NEW UNIFORM NUMBERS RULE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is slamming a new NFL rule adopted this week that allows more flexibility in the numbers worn on players' uniforms. Brady vented on Instagram yesterday, saying it will make it more difficult to identify players' positions. He wrote, "Good luck trying to block the right people now! Going to make for a lot of bad football!" He then posted a screenshot of a story about the rule and directing to the NFL and the players' union wrote, "DUMB" and "Why not let the Lineman wear whatever they want too? Why have numbers? Just have colored jerseys...why not wear the same number?"

🥊REPORT: MAYWEATHER TO FIGHT LOGAN PAUL IN EXHIBITION: Hall of Fame boxer Floyd Mayweather will have an exhibition fight with YouTube personality Logan Paul that's tentatively scheduled for June 5th, The Athletic reported. They were first supposed to fight on February 20th in a bout streamed on the online streaming platform Fanmio, but the fight was postponed. The new fight is set to stream on Showtime pay per view, according to the report. No location for the fight has been released.

Birmingham Radio: Lance Tidwell Lands At SummitMedia


SummitMedia has named Lance Tidwell as the new program director for WZZK 104.7 and WPYA Mix 97.3. Tidwell imports from Cumulus Media Detroit, where he coached talent, grew a social media network, and drove unprecedented ratings for 96.3 WDVD and 93.1 WDRQ.

Lance Tidwell
"Lance is one of the best programmers in the nation and I am thrilled to have him join our fantastic team," said John Walker, President SummitMedia Birmingham. "He brings tremendous insight, skill, knowledge and forward-thinking, which makes him perfectly suited to lead these amazing brands and digital assets into the future."

"I grew up in 90 minutes from Birmingham in Alexander City, Alabama," said Tidwell. "I'm excited how SummitMedia is growing in the market and to join a top-notch team focused on the Future."

Tidwell was recently named 2021 Radio Ink's Top 35 Country Radio Program Directors of the Year.

"Lance's multi-format experience, strategic foundation and ability to drive ratings is exactly what WZZK and WPYA need to go to the next level," added Randy Chase, SummitMedia EVP of Programming.

Peoria Radio: News-Talk WMBD Makes Line-Up Changes


WMBD 1407 AM / 100.3 FM Peoria has announced the return of Craig Collins to host the 3pm-to-6pm slot.

The change is a part of three different moves on WMBD. The nationally syndicated Markley, van Camp and Robbins Show, which also originates at WMBD, will now air live in the spot previously occupied by The Rush Limbaugh Show.

“That move opened up the afternoon drive slot, and Craig was the natural choice for us there” said VP-Market Manager Mike Wild, who runs the dominant Midwest Communications cluster in Peoria. “Craig is passionate, he’s already a part of the community, and because he was part of our group in the past, we know how he can contribute to the culture and success of our entire operation.”

Craig Collins
Collins’ first big break in the industry was at WGN Radio as executive producer of The Garry Meier Show. Next, he became the producer of The Markley, van Camp, and Robbins Show, which was recently added to Talker’s Heavy 100.

Craig will be a familiar voice to many WMBD listeners as a morning fill-in for WMBD’s Greg and Dan Show as well as a fill-in host for Markley, van Camp and Robbins. In the meantime, he has also become the fill-in for the nationally syndicated “Chad Benson Show.”

Quoting Collins, “I couldn’t pick a better home for The Craig Collins Show than WMBD and can’t wait to get started!”

WMBD will also add The Dana Show from 9pm-12m. All changes will start May 3.

WMBD is part of a six-station, seven-format cluster owned by Duke Wright’s Midwest Communications.

N-MI Radio: Country WLXV, Adults Hits WZTC Tweak Programming


MacDonald Garber Broadcasting of Northern Michigan announces a host of new programming offerings with brand new on air line ups this spring!

New Country WLXV 96-7 The Bull re-images with new station voice Dan Kelly and a chance to win a virtual performance from Triple Tigers recording artist Russell Dickerson

The lineup: market vet and PD Deano remains in mornings, Mike Zeroe adds middays, Stephen Tyler remains in PM with Shawn Parr Across America added for nights

New weekend programming includes Country 2020 and The Big Time Saturday Night With Whitney Allen

WZTC 104-5 BOB FM adds local talent and exciting weekend programming to all day parts for the first time with Mikey in the Morning in place; market vets Lisa Knight middays and John Kelly PM plus a custom night show from the legendary Kid Kelly. Weekend programming includes the addition of the 1980s Rick Dees Weekly Top 40, Throwback Nation Saturday nights and the Retro Pop Reunion Sunday nights.

Both stations will also add live and local weekend talent including market vet Mike Misico.

WKHQ Director of Promotions and morning show co-host Rochelle Gagnon add WZTC and WLXV duties

MGB VP of Programming Robby Bridges adds “we are very excited to add talent and programming that will truly make these great brands pop on the air!”

Salem Podcast Network Extends Charlie Kirk Show


Salem Media Group, Inc. announced Thursday that Salem Radio Network has signed and extended The Charlie Kirk Podcast to a multi-year deal.

The Charlie Kirk Show has become one of the top 10 news podcasts in the country on the Apple Podcast rankings amongst nearly 1.7 million podcasts on the platform. Salem first began selling The Charlie Kirk Show podcast in November, and now will sell and manage the program through the Salem Podcast Network for years to come.

Charlie Kirk
“I am thrilled and excited to extend our relationship with Salem,” said Charlie Kirk. “Salem has become a giant in conservative media and is the perfect partner for our team.”

Charlie Kirk is one of today’s rising young stars in conservative politics, writing The New York Times Best-Seller, THE MAGA DOCTRINE, and has built Turning Point USA into a 250,000 member organization that teaches young people about conservative values.

“Charlie’s radio show is already doing a great job filling the void in the Noon to 3pm ET daypart,” said Salem Senior VP of Spoken Word Phil Boyce. “This podcast already delivered over 100,000,000 downloads in the last 12 months, and is valiantly fighting the culture war that we face in conservatism.”

“Charlie approaches everything he does like an entrepreneur, where failure is not an option,” said Salem President of Broadcast Dave Santrella. “This podcast, like everything else he does, has rocketed to the top of the charts, and Salem is thrilled to be partnering with him for many years.”

The Salem Podcast Network launched in January of this year, and now features Charlie Kirk alongside other hit shows like Dinesh D’Souza, Todd Starnes, Eric Metaxas, Sebastian Gorka, Mike Gallagher, Hugh Hewitt, Larry Elder, and Dennis Prager.

Data Talk Highlights Next CRS 360 Webinar


Country Radio Broadcasters will present the next installment of CRS360, Talk Data To Me Too, on Wednesday, April 28 at 1 p.m. CST.

This series aims to examine how data can be leveraged to understand country consumers and their engagement with new music, and is a continuation of the popular session held during CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience. Talk Data To Me Too will feature panelists Kenny Jay (previously with Big Loud), Haley Jones (MRC Data), and Annie Ortmeier (Universal Music Group). Stonedoor Media Lab’s Jeff Green will also return to moderate the April episode of CRS360.

“The response to the Talk Data To Me session at CRS 2021 was overwhelmingly positive,” says CRB Executive Director RJ Curtis. “This shows us programmers can never get enough useful data to help identify actual hit songs and how listeners are engaging with new music. That’s why we’re thrilled to welcome back Jeff Green and his expert panel for the April CRS360 episode, Talk Data To Me Too, offering even more analysis and insight all programmers will find actionable.”

Only a limited number of slots are available for the April edition of the CRS360 webinar series, and registration is open now.

CRS will return in person in 2022 and is set for Feb. 23 – Feb. 25, 2022, at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Registration for next year’s event will open later this year.

Tribune Newsers Pray To Stop Alden Takeover


Now that talks have broken off between Tribune Publishing and hotel magnate Stewart Bainum, the newspaper company’s journalists are hoping for a miracle to derail a $634 million bid by cost-cutting hedge fund Alden that will give it control of the New York Daily News, the Hartford Courant, the Chicago Tribune and other Tribune papers, The NY Post reports.

“Everybody is nervous,” said Liz Bowie, a 30 year veteran of the Baltimore Sun and a rep for the Newspaper Guild union at her paper.

For the past six months, Bowie has been talking with Guild representatives at other Tribune papers papers also represented by the union. They have formed a group they call Project Mayhem in an effort to help come up with the money Bainum needs to beat Alden, including by networking with deep-pocketed people who might be interested in teaming up on a bid.

They’ve been doing this in part by holding events to raise awareness, which they hope will lead to new investors. Three weeks ago, for example, Bowie spearheaded a “Save Our Sun” rally.

Bainum buying Tribune versus Alden, Bowie lamented, is “the difference between winning the lottery and ending my career in journalism.”

Alden Global Capitol’s $634 million offer is the only offer left on the table ahead of a May 21 shareholders to vote on the $17.25-a-share offer. A competing $681 million bid by Bainum evaporated when his investment partner, Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, bowed out after initially offering $18.50 a share for the company.

Bainum, according to sources, is scrambling to find new deep-pocketed buyers to join him in a long-shot effort to restart his bid.

Multiplatform Audio of March Madness Scores for Westwood One


CUMULUS MEDIA’s Westwood One, the largest audio network in the U.S. and the official network radio partner of the NCAA, reported that an IPSOS national audience study conducted April 9th through 11th revealed Westwood One’s exclusive live coverage of the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship generated 19.2 million listeners to the play-by-play action from all 66 men’s basketball games, including eight first-round and second-round games, plus regional semifinals and finals.

“We are thrilled that audio audiences for our NCAA March Madness® audio coverage returned so strongly” said Suzanne Grimes President of Westwood One and Executive-Vice President Corporate Marketing of CUMULUS MEDIA. “College basketball fans were excited to experience NCAA® Men’s basketball and listened across our streaming, smart speaker and broadcast platforms.“

NCAA March Madness® audio audiences are upscale, educated, employed and live in large households with children

The IPSOS study also found:
  • Listening audiences were equally distributed across demographics with 31% of listeners aged 18-34, 41% 35-64 and 27% over the age of 65.
  • Westwood One’s audio coverage attracted a highly educated audience that was 6% more likely than average to be college graduates and 46% more likely to have an advanced degree.
  • 56% of the audience was employed and nearly half (47%) had household incomes of $75,000 or more.
  • The NCAA audio audiences lived in households that were 11% more likely to have three or more people living there and were 37% more likely to have children.
Cross Platform Listening:  Westwood One’s complete NCAA men’s tournament coverage was heard on more than 400 radio stations nationwide and via SiriusXM. All 66 Division I men’s games were streamed online for free at NCAA.com/MarchMadness and on westwoodonesports.com. Additionally, the broadcasts were available for free via TuneIn.com. Fans also accessed live audio via Alexa-enabled devices by asking to “Open Westwood One Sports.”