Saturday, September 4, 2021

September 5 Radio History


➦In 1910...
Kenneth Howard Delmar born in Boston (Died at age 73 - July 14, 1984, Stamford, Connecticut). He was an actor active in radio, films, and animation. An announcer on the pioneering radio news series The March of Time, he became a national radio sensation in 1945 as Senator Beauregard Claghorn on the running "Allen's Alley" sketch on The Fred Allen Show.

The character Delmar created was a primary inspiration for the Warner Bros. cartoon character Foghorn Leghorn.

By the late 1930s, Delmar was an announcer on such major radio series as The March of Time and Your Hit Parade. He played multiple roles in The Mercury Theatre on the Air's October 1938 radio drama The War of the Worlds.

Delmar is notable for creating the character Senator Beauregard Claghorn on Fred Allen's radio program Allen's Alley, which he did while also serving as the show's regular announcer. Senator Claghorn made his radio debut October 7, 1945, and six months later was called "unquestionably the most quoted man in the nation" by Life magazine. The role inspired the Warner Bros. animated character Foghorn Leghorn, first seen in the Oscar-nominated cartoon Walky Talky Hawky (1946).

"During the late 1940s, Mr. Delmar captivated 20 million radio listeners every Sunday night with his burlesque of a bombastic, super-chauvinistic legislator who drank only from Dixie cups and refused to drive through the Lincoln Tunnel," wrote The New York Times. "His stock expression, 'That's a joke, son,' was for many years one of the nation's pet phrases, mimicked by children and businessmen alike.


Delmar was also announcer and voice performer on The Alan Young Show in 1944. In 1953 he returned to radio replacing Hans Conried's character on My Friend Irma, as the Professor's cousin, Maestro Wanderkin and as Conried's Schultz on Life with Luigi.

➦In 1938…'
Life Can Be Beautiful' began airing.  It was a daytime drama broadcast on NBC and CBS during its 16-year run. The program was billed as "an inspiring message of faith drawn from life" and remained one of the leading soap operas through the 1940s. Sponsored by Procter & Gamble and Spic and Span, it premiered September 5, 1938 on NBC and moved two months later to CBS, where it was heard from November 7, 1938 to June 21, 1946. Concurrently, it was also airing on NBC from 1939 to 1941. The final run was on NBC from 1946 to 1954.


➦In 1957...WPOW 1330 AM became one of the first NYC stations to air Rock & Roll regularly. Today the station airs a Spanish Christian music and teaching format and is owned by Radio Vision Cristiana Management.



➦In 1966...The Monkees released their first single--"Last Train to Clarksville".



➦In 1987...“American Bandstand,” hosted by Dick Clark on ABC, was cancelled after 30 years on network television, largely due to MTV's influence. The show limped along on the USA cable channel and in syndication for another three years, with a different host.

➦In 1989...Mike and the Mad Dog debuted on Emmis' WFAN 660 AM in NYC. The station was looking for hosts to repleace Pete Franklin during PM drive time and program director  Mark Mason, floated the idea of teaming Mike Francesa with Chris Russo. At first, the station management thought the idea was crazy because they were no-names at that time.  However, because of Francesa and Russo's popularity on the weekends and on Imus in the Morning individually, the station management decided to pair the two together.

The show aired WFAN from September 1989 to August 2008 and featured Francesa and Russo talking about sports and taking phone calls from listeners. From 2002 the show was simulcast on television on the YES Network. On the radio, the show was simulcast beginning 2007 on WQYK in Tampa, Florida and from 2004 until 2007 on WROW in Albany, New York.

➦In 2002...John Daly "Jackie" Kelk died at age 79 from a lung infection (Born - August 6, 1923). He was a stage, radio, film, and television actor and stand-up comedian. Kelk was best known for portraying the role of Homer Brown on the radio series The Aldrich Family and as the original voice of Jimmy Olsen on The Adventures of Superman.



➦In 2012...Joe South, singer, songwriter and guitarist who did "Games People Play" and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes", died of heart failure in Buford, Georgia at age 72.  South also wrote songs for Elivs Presley, Deep Purple, the Osmonds, Gene Vincent, Lynn Anderson ("Rose Garden") and Billy Joe Royal and worked with Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Tommy Roe and others.

➦In 2015…MLB Baseball broadcaster Gene Elston died at age 93. He called Colt .45s/Houston Astros games for 25 years starting in 1962 and the CBS Radio Game of the Week from 1987 until 1995, and also called postseason NLDS games on CBS Radio in 1995, 1996, and 1997.

In 2006, Elston was awarded the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame. The award is given annually to a baseball announcer who has given major contributions to the game. Elston was healthy enough, at the age of 84, to accept the award in person at Cooperstown.

Bob Newhart is 92
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
  • Comedian-actor Bob Newhart is 92. 
  • Broadway actor Carol Lawrence is 89. 
  • Actor Lucille Soong (“Fresh Off the Boat”) is 86. 
  • Actor William Devane (“Jessie Stone,” ″24″) is 82. 
  • Actor George Lazenby is 82. 
  • Actor Raquel Welch is 81. 
  • Racquel Welch is 81
    Singer Al Stewart is 76. 
  • Actor-director Dennis Dugan (“Big Daddy,” “Happy Gilmore”) is 75. 
  • Singer Loudon Wainwright III is 75. 
  • Saxophonist Mel Collins of King Crimson and of Kokomo is 74. 
  • Cartoonist Cathy Guisewite (“Cathy”) is 71. 
  • Actor Michael Keaton is 70. 
  • Drummer Jamie Oldaker of The Tractors is 70. 
  • Actor Debbie Turner-Larson (“The Sound of Music”) is 65. 
  • Actor Kristian Alfonso (“Days of Our Lives”) is 58. 
  • Singer Terry Ellis of En Vogue is 58. 
  • Drummer Brad Wilk of Rage Against The Machine (and of Audioslave) is 53. 
  • TV personality-musician Dweezil Zappa is 52. 
  • Actor Rose McGowan is 48. 
  • Actor Carice Van Houten (“Game of Thrones”) is 45. 
  • Keyboardist Kyle O’Quin of Portugal. The Man is 36. 
  • Actor Andrew Ducote (“Dave’s World”) is 35. 
  • Actor Skandar Keynes (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) is 30.

    R.I.P.: Willard Scott, Radio-TV Personality

    Willard Scott (March 7, 1934 – September 4, 2021)

    Willard Scott, who forecast the weather for NBC's "Today" show for more than three decades and spent 65 years at NBC, has died, Al Roker said in an Instagram post on Saturday.  He was 87.

    WRC's The Joy Boys
    Scott, born March 7, 1934, in Alexandria, Virginia, joined "Today" in 1980 and became known for wishing fans turning 100 a happy birthday. He began his career at NBC in the company's Page Program, a learning and development program that provides exposure to the media industry. He worked at the affiliate station in Washington D.C. in 1950, according to Today.

    From 1955 to 1972, Scott teamed with Walker as co-host of the nightly Joy Boys radio program on NBC-owned WRC radio. (This was interrupted from 1956 to 1958 when Scott served on active duty with the U.S. Navy.) Scott routinely sketched a list of characters and a few lead lines setting up a situation, which Walker would commit to memory or make notes on with his Braille typewriter (Walker was blind since birth). 

    In a 1999 article recalling the Joy Boys at the height of their popularity in the mid-1960s, The Washington Post said they "dominated Washington, providing entertainment, companionship, and community to a city on the verge of powerful change". The Joy Boys show played on WRC until 1972 when they moved to cross-town station WWDC for another two years. Scott wrote in his book, The Joy of Living, of their close professional and personal bond which continued until Walker's death in October 2015, saying that they are "closer than most brothers".



    Scott 1995
    Scott spent the 1960s balancing his radio career with jobs as the host of children's television programs. He appeared on WRC radio's sister station, WRC-TV, playing characters such as Commander Retro and Bozo the Clown.  In 1970, Scott began appearing on WRC-TV as a weekday weatherman.

    Another TV role he performed regularly from 1963–66 and occasionally as late as 1971 was Ronald McDonald for the McDonald's franchise in Washington, D.C. Scott wrote in his book The Joy of Living that he originally created the Ronald McDonald character at the fast-food restaurant chain's request.

    Scott was tapped by NBC in 1980 to become its weatherman for The Today Show, replacing Bob Ryan, who replaced him at WRC-TV until 2010. After being inspired by a viewer request, Scott began his practice of wishing centenarians a happy birthday on-air in 1983.

    During the 1980s, Scott routinely did weather reports on the road, interviewing locals at community festivals and landmarks. He also periodically performed on the program from Washington, D.C.

    Voice Assistant Popularity Varies By Demographics

     As voice assistants battle to be the No. 1 digital secretary, their rates of adoption differ significantly across age groups, according to eMarketer.

    Siri dominates among adult Gen Zers, with 60% of US voice assistant users ages 18 to 24 using the software from Apple. Meanwhile, Alexa is most popular among the senior set, with 41% of those ages 65 and older using the Amazon service. Google Assistant does not lead in any age group, but it has sizable shares of users across the board.

    Albany NY Radio: WQBK Expands Reach With 50 Kw Simulcast


    Townsquare Media Inc.’s WQBK/105.7, Albany, NY announced Friday that the programming heard on Q105.7, the Capital Region’s Classic Rock Station, will also be heard on WQSH/103.5. 

    This simulcast includes the Free Beer & Hot Wings morning show, weekdays 5a-10a and a ‘Best Of’ show Saturday’s 6a-10a, as well as the greatest Classic Rock songs of all time throughout the day.

    With this simulcast, Q105.7 & 103.5 will extend its reach further west to Montgomery, Schoharie and Fulton Counties, and beyond. This also marks the return of Free Beer & Hot Wings to the 103.5 signal, where the show previously aired from 2005 – 2019.

    WQSH 103.5 FM (50 Kw)

    WQBK 105.7 FM (7.1 Kw)

    "At Q105.7 we are fortunate to have the best Classic Rock listeners in the Capital Region and a great morning show with Free Beer & Hot Wings. This is a tremendous opportunity to invite more people to the party,” said Q105.7 & 103.5 Brand Manager, Mike Karolyi.

    “We have an amazing radio station in Q105.7 & 103.5,” said Townsquare Media Albany Director of Content Matty Jeff. “Adding the 103.5 simulcast will not only bring the Free Beer and Hot Wings Morning show back to a big fanbase that has been missing the show, but will bring the greatest Classic Rock songs ever recorded to fans in western parts of the Capital Region.”

    Townsquare owns and operates six radio stations in Albany including WGNA, WTMM, WQBK, WQBK-HD2, WQSH and WPBZ.

    Joe Rogan Says Now He's Tested Negative For COVID-19


    Podcaster Joe Rogan has tested negative for COVID-19 just two days after admitting that he had contracted the virus, reports The NYPost.

    “The Joe Rogan Experience” host took to Instagram on Friday to reassure his followers that he was doing okay. The 54-year-old shared a photo of his test and wrote, “Tested negative today! Thanks for all the kind wishes!”

    On Wednesday, he revealed he got COVID-19 in another post. “I GOT COVID. My apologies, but we have to move the Nashville show to Sunday, October 24. Much love to you all,” he wrote in the caption accompanying a clip of himself explaining his condition.

    In his video, Rogan claimed he felt “very weary,” adding, “I had a headache, and I just felt just run down.”

    Following his diagnosis, he opted to quarantine himself from his family and took medication. The medicine the announcer said he took was “monoclonal antibodies, ivermectin, Z-Pak, prednisone, everything. I also got an NAD drip and a vitamin drip and I did that three days in a row. Here we are on Wednesday, and I feel great.”

    Rogan has made many controversial remarks about the pandemic and vaccinations. In his August 20 podcast, Rogan became infuriated about New York City’s new mandate telling people to show proof of vaccinations at indoor venues. He added that he won’t “force” his fans to get vaccinated to see his upcoming show at Madison Square Garden.

    Chicago Radio: WGN, Northwestern Sports Extend Broadcast Deal

    Radio WGN 720 AM and Northwestern Athletics have agreed to a five-year broadcast rightsholder extension that will keep Wildcats football and men's basketball on the station through the 2025-26 seasons. The stations has been the home of the Wildcats since 1996. Northwestern Athletics head coaches Pat Fitzgerald and Chris Collins will continue to make frequent appearances on the station's shows.

    "For the past 25 years, WGN Radio has broadcast Northwestern football and men's basketball and I am thrilled to be extending our partnership for five more years, bringing Chicago's Big Ten Team play-by-play to our Chicago's Very Own audience," said WGN Radio Vice President and General Manager Mary Sandberg Boyle.

    Dave Eanet, WGN Radio's sports director and a member of the Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame, has handled play-by-play duties for Wildcats football since 1990, and basketball since 1996. "I'm excited to see our relationship with Northwestern Athletics continue," said Dave Eanet. "We've had so many great moments: Bowl games, two Big Ten Championship games, the NCAA Tournament, and I know many more thrilling moments are ahead. We look forward to bringing them to WGN Radio listeners for the years to come."

    "WGN Radio and Dave Eanet have been synonymous with the Northwestern Wildcats for decades, and we're excited to continue that partnership," said Northwestern's Combe Family Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Dr. Derrick Gragg. "His voice is the soundtrack to so many incredible memories for our fans, and we look forward to many more over the next five years."

    Northwestern football returns to WGN Radio on Friday, September 3, when the defending Big Ten West Division and Citrus Bowl champions host the Michigan State Spartans at Ryan Field in the 2021 season opener. Pregame coverage with Eanet and longtime broadcast partner Ted Albrecht kicks off at 7:30 p.m. CT.

    Philly Radio: Villanova Sports To Air On FOX Sports Radio WDAS

    iHeartMedia Philadelphia announced today that FOX Sports Radio Philadelphia on WDAS 1490 AM / 102.5 FM is now the official broadcast partner of Villanova Football and Men's Basketball. FOX Sports Radio Philadelphia will air all Villanova football and Men's Basketball games, along with the popular "Talking Villanova Football with Head Coach Mark Ferrante Presented by Miller Lite" show. In addition, play-by-play announcer Ryan Fannon and analyst Kevin Reilly will call all the Wildcat football action.

    The first broadcast will kick off September 4 with the Wildcats versus Lehigh, which will be followed by Villanova's home opener against Bucknell on September 11. Games will take place on Saturdays, with pregame coverage starting 30 minutes before kickoff. Listeners can also tune in to "Talking Villanova Football with Head Coach Mark Ferrante Presented by Miller Lite" every Tuesday at 7 p.m. on FOX Sports Philadelphia Radio and the Villanova Sports Radio Network on iHeartRadio.com and the app. For more information on the Villanova Football schedule, fans can visit the Villanova website.

    "When it comes to college sports, the Villanova Wildcats are always at the top. In our case, we get a championship men's basketball program, headed by a Hall of Fame coach in Jay Wright," said Sean Brace, Program Director for FOX Sports Radio Philadelphia. "We also get a bonafide top 20 FCS football program run by Mark Ferrante. We are thrilled to be the flagship station for the alumni and amazing NOVA fans!!"

    "We are excited to partner with FOX Sports Radio Philadelphia and iHeartMedia Philadelphia to broadcast all our football and men's basketball games both locally and nationally," said Villanova Vice President & Director of Athletics Mark Jackson. "This innovative new partnership creates the opportunity to enhance the Villanova brand, expand our reach and provide more Villanova coverage and content via our dedicated Villanova Athletics iHeartRadio streaming channel."

    The partnership agreement with Villanova Football and Men's Basketball makes the teams more accessible than ever to fans in the Philadelphia market and across all of Nova Nation, no matter where they live. For more information, listeners can visit the station's website FOX Sports Radio Philadelphia.

    September 4 Radio History





    ➦In 1918...Paul Harvey Aurandt born (Died at age 90– February 28, 2009). Best  known as Paul Harvey he was a radio broadcaster for ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. From 1952 through 2008, his programs reached as many as 24 million people a week. Paul Harvey News was carried on 1,200 radio stations, 400 American Forces Network stations, and 300 newspapers.

    Paul Harvey
    Harvey was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of a policeman who was killed by robbers in 1921. He made radio receivers as a young boy, and he attended Tulsa Central High School where teacher Isabelle Ronan was "impressed by his voice". On her recommendation, he started working at KVOO in Tulsa in 1933 helping to clean up when he was 14. He eventually was allowed to fill in on the air, reading commercials and the news.

    He continued working at KVOO while attending the University of Tulsa, first as an announcer and later as a program director. He spent three years as a station manager for KFBI AM, now known as KFDI, a radio station that once had studios in Salina, Kansas. From there, he moved to a newscasting job at KOMA in Oklahoma City, and then to KXOK in St. Louis in 1938.

    Harvey then moved to Hawaii to cover the United States Navy as it concentrated its fleet in the Pacific. He was returning to the mainland from assignment when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He eventually enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces but served only from December 1943 to March 1944.

    Harvey then moved to Chicago, where in June 1944, he began broadcasting from the ABC affiliate WENR (now WLS-AM). In 1945, he began hosting the postwar employment program Jobs for G.I. Joe on WENR. Harvey added The Rest of the Story as a tagline to in-depth feature stories in 1946.


    On April 1, 1951,  the ABC Radio Network debuted Paul Harvey News and Comment each weekday at 12 Noon". Harvey was also heard originally on Sundays; the first Sunday program was Harvey's introduction. Later, the Sunday program moved to Saturdays. The program continued until his death.

    In the latter half of his career, Harvey was also known for the radio series The Rest of the Story, described as a blend of mystery and history, which premiered on May 10, 1976. The series quickly grew to six broadcasts a week, and continued until Harvey's death in 2009.

    In November 2000, Harvey signed a 10-year, $100 million contract with ABC Radio Networks. A few months later, after damaging his vocal cords, he went off the air, but returned in August 2001.

    His success with sponsors stemmed from the seamlessness with which he segued from his monologue into reading commercial messages. He explained his relationship with them, saying "I am fiercely loyal to those willing to put their money where my mouth is."


    ➦In 1959...WCBS 880 AM stopped airing “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin.  The reasons? Recent street violence in NYC.



    ➦In 1961...The short-lived "Carol Burnett-Richard Hayes Show" premiered on CBS Radio. The series was a 20 minute musical variety show. Burnett was also a regular on "The Garry Moore Show" on CBS and singer Hayes had been on Arthur Godfrey's daily radio show.


    ➦In 1962...The Beatles entered EMI's Abbey Road studios for their first formal recording session, rehearsing "Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me."



    ➦In 1970...George Harrison released the single "My Sweet Lord" single to U-S radio.


    ➦In 2009…Robert Garnett "Buddy" Blattner died from lung cancer at age 89 ( Born February 8, 1920). Known also as "Bud" Blattner, was a baseball player and radio and television sportscaster

    .Blattner turned to broadcasting after his retirement as a player, teaming with Dizzy Dean on St. Louis Browns radio as well as nationally on the Liberty and Mutual networks, and on the televised baseball Game of the Week on ABC (1953–54) and CBS (1955–59).

    Blattner was replaced on CBS by Pee Wee Reese following a dispute with Dean. He continued to broadcast baseball for the Cardinals (1960–61), Los Angeles/California Angels (1962–68), and Kansas City Royals (1969–75) as well as on NBC in 1969. He also called games for the St. Louis Hawks of the National Basketball Association in the '50s.

    ➦In 2014…Longtime Chicago broadcaster LeRoy Stewart Leonard died at age 83. (Born - January 19, 1931). Best known as Roy Leonard, he hosted WGN's midday radio show from Chicago for 31 years and for his appearances on WGN-TV's news and Christmas specials. He also hosted Family Classics after Frazier Thomas died.

    ➦In 2014…Bruce Alexander Morton died (Born - October 28, 1930). He was TV news correspondent for both CBS News and CNN in a career which spanned over 40 years.

    Bruce Morton
    Morton was born in Norwalk, Connecticut but grew up in Chicago. Morton graduated from Harvard University in 1952 and spent the next three years in the U.S. Army. While still at Harvard, he was a newscaster for a Boston radio station. After leaving the service, Morton went into television news, first as a behind-the-scenes assistant at New York City's WRCA-TV, then on air for a local station in Pittsburgh.

    He joined ABC News in 1962 as a London-based reporter. In 1964, he joined CBS News, where he would stay for the next 29 years. He was based in Washington, D.C., where he was a Congressional correspondent. During his tenure with CBS, he also co-anchored the CBS Morning News (with Hughes Rudd) from 1974 to 1977. Longtime CBS correspondent Roger Mudd, in his 2008 memoir The Place To Be, acknowledged Morton as the best writer in the CBS Washington Bureau during the years they worked together.

    After leaving CBS in 1993, Morton went to work for CNN, where he stayed until his retirement in 2006. Continuing to be based in Washington, his title at CNN was national correspondent.

    Mitzi Gaynor is 90
    🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
    • Actor Mitzi Gaynor is 90. 
    • Singer Sonny Charles of the Checkmates, Ltd. Is 81. 
    • Actor Kenneth Kimmins (“Coach”) is 80. 
    • Singer Merald “Bubba” Knight of Gladys Knight and the Pips is 79. 
    • TV personality Dr. Jan (“The Incredible Dr. Pol”) is 79. 
    • Actor Jennifer Salt (“Soap”) is 77. 
    • Bassist Ronald LaPread (The Commodores) is 71. 
    • Actor Judith Ivey is 70. 
    • Drummer Martin Chambers of The Pretenders is 70. 
    • Actor Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (“Welcome Back, Kotter”) is 68. 
    • Actor Khandi Alexander (“ER,” ″NewsRadio”) is 64. 
    • Actor-comedian Damon Wayans is 61. 
    • Guitarist Kim Thayil of Soundgarden is 61. 
    • Actor Richard Speight Jr. (“The Agency”) is 52. 
    • Actor Noah Taylor (2005′s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” ″Game of Thrones”) is 52. 
    • Actor Ione Skye is 51. 
    • DJ-music producer Mark Ronson is 46. 
    • Singer Richard Wingo of Jagged Edge is 46. 
      Beyonce is 40
    • Bassist Ian Grushka of New Found Glory is 44. 
    • Actor Wes Bentley (“American Beauty”) is 43. 
    • Actor Max Greenfield (“New Girl”) is 42. 
    • Country singer Granger Smith is 42. 
    • Singer Dan Miller of O-Town is 41. 
    • Singer Beyonce’ Knowles (Destiny’s Child) is 40. 
    • Singer-guitarist Tom Gossin of Gloriana is 40. 
    • Actor Whitney Cummings (“Whitney”) is 39. 
    • Comedian Kyle Mooney (“Saturday Night Live”) is 37. 
    • Multi-instrumentalist Neyla Pekarek (The Lumineers) is 35. 
    • Singer James Bay is 31. 
    • Actor Trevor Gagnon (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”) is 26.

      Friday, September 3, 2021

      NAB Urges FCC To Modernize Broadcast Ownership Regulations


      The regulatory framework governing ownership of broadcast radio and television stations harms broadcasters’ ability to compete in the marketplace, impedes localism and fails to promote diversity in ownership, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) said in comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

      Local radio and television stations operate under media ownership restrictions that date back decades to the analog era and fail to account for changes in the marketplace, NAB said in its comments as part of the FCC’s 2018 quadrennial review of broadcast ownership rules. These outdated media ownership rules, which no longer enable broadcasters to viably operate in a competitive market or effectively serve the public interest, are in more urgent need of reform than ever, NAB said.

      In its comments, NAB argued that, with the decline in the newspaper industry, broadcast radio and television stations are among the few entities still capable of producing local news, weather, sports and emergency journalism. These newsgathering ventures require high capital and operating costs, which could be alleviated by leveraging economies of scale.

      However, the FCC’s media ownership rules prevent broadcasters from achieving the scale necessary to sustainably provide local journalism to their communities of service, NAB said. The Commission’s rules have failed to account for increased competition from giant technology platforms for advertising revenue. In addition, with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to affect advertising and changing Americans’ content consumption habits, it is imperative for the FCC to update media ownership rules to allow broadcasters to create an economically feasible future for local journalism.

      "In assessing competition, the FCC can no longer maintain the fiction that broadcast stations compete only against other broadcast stations,” said NAB in its comments. “Given the record evidence…the FCC must conclude that its local ownership rules are no longer necessary in the public interest as the result of competition.”

      The FCC has for decades also attempted to increase broadcast stations owned by women and people of color. Yet, the Commission has continuously failed to recognize its rules have discouraged investment in station ownership. While lack of access to capital is the primary barrier preventing these underrepresented populations from acquiring radio and television stations, the imposition of heavy regulatory burdens on broadcasting – including restricting the size and scale of a station group – discourages potential entrants, NAB said.

      “[E]ven if capital were more accessible, the FCC’s continued insistence on heavily regulating broadcasters – including through outdated ownership rules – is a clear disincentive to investment and new entry,” said NAB in its comments. “In a world where investors and new entrants have countless other media and communications options, the Commission itself is a major impediment to increased diversity in the broadcast industry.”

      In its comments, NAB urged the FCC to adopt proposed media ownership reforms offered by NAB in 2019. For its rules governing the broadcast radio industry, NAB recommended the Commission:
      eliminate caps on AM ownership in all markets;
      permit a single entity to own up to eight commercial FM stations in Nielsen Audio 1-75 markets, with the opportunity to own two more FM stations through successful participation in the FCC’s incubator program; and
      remove restrictions on FM station ownership in Nielsen markets 76 and lower and in unrated areas.

      NAB recommended that the FCC also no longer retain per se restrictions that ban combinations among top-four rated TV stations, regardless of their audience or advertising shares, and that prevent ownership of more than two stations in all markets, regardless of their competitive positions.

      “The FCC should act now to fulfill both [its] deregulatory mandate, and Congress’s even longer-standing goal of a competitively viable broadcast service capable of serving local communities, by modernizing its local radio and TV ownership limits,” said NAB. “The American public cannot afford for the FCC to remain asleep at the regulatory wheel.”

      TWH's Psaki Snaps At Reporter Over Abortion Question

      Daily Mail Screenshot 9/3/21

      White House press secretary Jen Psaki snapped at a male Catholic TV reporter questioning how President Biden squares his abortion views with his faith, telling him: 'I know you've never been pregnant.' 'Why does the President support abortion when his own catholic faith teaches it is morally wrong?' 

      Owen Jensen, reporter for Catholic television network EWTN, asked the press secretary on Thursday afternoon.

       'He believes it's a woman's right, it's a woman's body and it's her choice. It's up to a woman to make those decisions and a woman's decision to make with her doctor.' 'I know you have never faced those choices, nor have you ever been pregnant but for women out there who have faced those choices, this is an incredibly difficult thing the president believes that right should be respected.' 


      Psaki snapped after the Supreme Court refused to block one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, where terminating a pregnancy is illegal after 6 weeks' gestation. 

      Psaki was asked if the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling came as a shock to the White House. 'You can never predict rulings. We certainly know the make-up of the court,' she said. She was also asked if Biden's position on court-packing has changed given the most recent ruling. 'He's waiting for the conclusion of this report,' she said.

      ESPN Signs Tim Tebow To 'First Take'


      ESPN has announced Tim Tebow as one of the initial debate partners on Stephen A. Smith’s First Take, reports Deadline.

      Tebow, who was cut from the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars in his latest pro sports comeback attempt, will appear with Smith on Fridays. The show has also slotted ex-Dallas receiver and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin on Mondays.

      The other days will feature a rotating cast of ESPN personalities, including Mina Kimes and Kendrick Perkins. Molly Qerim Rose will remain on the show as a moderator. The multiple hosts replace Max Kellerman, who will be moving to his own afternoon show and morning radio stint for ESPN.

      Tim Tebow
      Tebow likely will have his hands full taking on the bombastic Smith. The highly religious 2007 Heisman Trophy winner isn’t known for a mean streak and outrageous comments, something Smith has in abundance.

      Kellerman made his final appearance on the show Wednesday. Although Smith called in to wish him well, reports indicate that he felt Kellerman was not a good fit with him and had a hand in moving him out. As ESPN’s highest-paid employee and arguably most prominent commentator, Smith has the power to dictate terms.

      Kellerman appeared on the show alongside Smith and Qerim Rose since July 2016. Soon after Kellerman boarded as co-host, the show was upgraded from ESPN2 to ESPN, where it has been a steady ratings draw and a defining tentpole of the network’s daytime hot-take factory. Kellerman replaced Skip Bayless, who decamped for FS1.

      Tebow pervious worked for ESPN as a college football analyst. In addition to his Heisman Trophy and two national championships in college and his NFL career, he also played professional baseball in the New York Mets minor league system.

      NYC Radio: Yank's Spanish Voice Rescues John Sterling

      Rickie Ricardo, John Sterling

      The Spanish-Language radio voice for the Yankees helped fellow announcer John Sterling out of a flooded car Wednesday night as the remnants of Hurricane Ida wallopped the area, reports The NY Post.

      Rickie Ricardo appeared on the “Moose and Maggie Show” on WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM and detailed the tale, which ended with him helping the 83-year-old Sterling out of his car and into Ricardo’s SUV to drive him the final half-mile to his home.

      Ricardo said he received a phone call on his way home from Yankee Stadium — where the Yankees announcers have been broadcasting road games because of COVID-19 — from Sterling’s on-air partner Suzyn Waldman.

      Waldman said Sterling was stuck on the side of River Road in Edgewater, N.J. after leaving The Bronx following calling the Yankees’ 4-1 win in Anaheim against the Angels.

      “Suzyn asked me where are you?’ I said, ‘I’m working my way across upper Manhattan to get to the [George Washington] Bridge to get to New Jersey,’” Ricardo said during the radio interview. “She says ‘John is stuck on River Road in Edgewater.’

      “Now, I know for years, I’ve seen how bad it gets flooded on River Road in Edgewater, and with the kind of rain we had, I can only imagine. So I said, ‘Suzyn, I’m on my way. I more or less know where he lives. I’ll figure out where he’s at and see what I can do.’”

      Once Ricardo got over the bridge he attempted to reach Sterling’s cell phone, but with service “kind of spotty” it took “about 10 tries” for John to answer.

      “Very calm, I say ‘John, it’s Rickie, where are you?’” Ricardo continued. “John is in the dark, because all the lights are out, and trying to describe to me where he’s at. ‘Oh, I’m in front of this Chinese restaurant, on the corner is a bagel shop.’ He’s in his car and the water’s rising, so in my mind’s eye, I’m trying to figure out where he is.

      “I said ‘John, just stay with me here on the phone, I’m over the bridge, I’m coming down River Road now, I’m coming down slowly because I don’t want to hit something. Hang in there, buddy I’m coming to get you.’”

      “I pull up and John says ‘Is that you?’ I said, ‘Yeah it’s me. I’m flashing my lights I’m now behind you, I’m as close as I could get,” Ricardo said. “Because his car, his wheels, now are completely covered by water. [There’s] water in the cabin. I get as close as I can and said ‘Let me help you out.’

      “John gets out, we wade our way through the water,” Ricardo said. “I get him into my Jeep. We finally get John settled. He’s a little shell-shocked and I don’t blame him. And then the adventure is to get the extra half-mile from where he was stranded to his apartment. No more than a half a mile. It took us about an hour.”

      Wake-Up Call: Dozens Dead In N-E After Ida Drench

      Daily Mail Screenshot 9/3/21

      The day after after the remnants of Hurricane Ida pummeled the Northeast and parts of the mid-Atlantic with torrential, record-breaking rains that led to flash floods, the human toll came into focus Thursday, with dozens of people found to have been killed. At least 23 people died in New Jersey and 13 people in New York City, most of them in flooded basement apartments, and three people were killed in Westchester County, north of New York City. At least five people died in Pennsylvania, one person in Maryland, and a Connecticut state police sergeant was killed when his police car was swept away by floods. Meteorologists said the remnants of Ida were enhanced when they merged with a storm front, causing the historic downpours, dropping over nine inches of rain in some parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and nearly as much in areas of New York City. 

      There were also at least 10 tornadoes across a stretch of states from Maryland to Massachusetts, including an EF-3 tornado in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, with winds of 150 miles per hour.

       
      Louisiana: Meanwhile, some recovery from Ida continued in Louisiana, where flights resumed in New Orleans yesterday and power returned to parts of the city's business district. There was a big decline in people in the state without running water, down from 600,000 to 185,000. But most places in the southern part of the state remained without power, and gas shortages were still a problem. At least 13 people were killed in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, by Ida, including three Louisiana nursing home residents who'd been evacuated to a warehouse. Many neighborhoods remained flooded outside of New Orleans, which was protected by its levee system that held up after being fortified about Hurricane Katrina.

       
      ➤BIDEN SLAMS SUPREME COURT'S REFUSAL TO BLOCK TEXAS' SIX-WEEK ABORTION BAN: President Biden yesterday sharply criticized the Supreme Court's decision the night before not to block Texas' new six-week abortion ban from going into effect. The high court divided 5-4 to deny an emergency appeal to bar the law that would ban most abortions in the state from coming into force. Biden directed federal agencies to do what they can to, quote, "insulate women and providers" from the impact of the law, saying they were launching what he called a "whole-of-government effort to respond to this decision." Attorney General Merrick Garland released a statement saying the Justice Department was “deeply concerned” about the law, which is also enforced by allowing private citizens to sue abortion providers and anyone involved in facilitating abortions, such as someone who drives a woman to a clinic to get an abortion, for at least $10,000. Garland's statement said the department was, quote, "evaluating all options to protect the constitutional rights of women, including access to an abortion."

      ➤FAUCI SUPPORTS COVID VACCINE BOOSTER, SAYS THREE SHOTS LIKELY TO BE NORM: Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke yesterday in support of the administration's decision to recommend Covid-19 vaccine booster shots, calling the protection from a third shot "dramatic" and "durable." Speaking during a briefing of the White House coronavirus response team, Fauci also said that getting three doses of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines instead of two would likely become the new standard of being fully vaccinated.
       

      ➤ISIS-INSPIRED EXTREMIST STABS SIX IN NEW ZEALAND TERRORIST ATTACK: An Islamic extremist who New Zealand authorities say was inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS) stabbed six people Friday at a supermarket in Auckland. Three of the victims were seriously injured. Authorities knew about the suspect and were concerned enough about him that they were following him around the clock, so they were able to shoot and kill him within 60 seconds of him beginning his stabbing spree. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the man was a Sri Lankan national inspired by ISIS who'd moved to New Zealand in 2011. She said the man was well known to the nation’s security agencies, but there had been no legal basis to detain him previously.

      ➤CHENEY NAMED VICE CHAIR OF JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE: House Democrats elevated Republican Rep. Liz Cheney to vice chairwoman of the select committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Cheney is one of just two Republicans on the panel, along with Rep. Adam Kinzinger, after others refused to service following Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejecting two of the five GOP members chosen for the panel by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Some Republicans have been trying to oust Cheney and Kinzinger from the GOP conference because they accepted appointments to the panel.

      ➤WHAT ARE THE ODDS YOU’VE BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID AND JUST DIDN’T GET SICK?The pandemic is still happening, and you may have wondered what the chances are that you have been exposed to the virus but not gotten symptoms. Infectious diseases specialist Monica Gandhi says, “It really is so transmissible that I think there’s a high chance, depending on the community transmission rate in your area-- if you have a substantial or high transmission rate in your area based on the CDC definitions-- that you may have been exposed.” 

      Epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo says it’s also important to realize that being exposed doesn’t necessarily equate to infection. But the Delta variant is so transmissible that if you’ve been out and about in an area with a lot of spread and you didn’t wear a mask or social distance, there’s a solid chance you’ve been exposed. Nuzzo says whether exposure causes an infection depends on a few factors: how close you were to the infected person who was shedding virus, how much virus that person was putting out, and what the ventilation was like in the area where you were. Gandhi says that many vaccinated people who were exposed probably wouldn’t notice as they may have produced an immune response that successfully fought off the virus before it could cause symptoms. 

      Also, the growing consensus among infectious disease specialists is that we’re all going to be exposed to COVID-19 at some point, and as such it’s best to do so with some immunity-- which you can get via a vaccine.


      ➤MAN ARRESTED AFTER ACCOSTING MSNBC REPORTER DURING POST-HURRICANE REPORT: A 54-year-old man was arrested by federal marshals yesterday after he was accused of accosting an MSNBC reporter who was doing a live report in Mississippi after Hurricane Ida. A man was seen during the broadcast pulling over in a pickup truck and then running toward and yelling at Shaquille Brewster as he was reporting on the storm's aftermath from Gulport, shouting, "You're going to report this accurately, right?" Brewster and the cameraman turned away from the man, who kept yelling, and then he walked up to Brewster again. Benjamin Dagley was wanted by police in Gulfport on suspicion of assault and by the sheriff’s department in Ohio’s Cuyahoga County for a probation violation. He pled guilty in 2018 to having broken into an electroplating company and drilled holes in tanks of dangerous chemicals. He was sentenced to five years’ probation and 30 days in jail.

      ➤FAA BANS VIRGIN GALACTIC SPACE LAUNCHES WHILE PROBE CARRIED OUT: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) yesterday (September 2nd) barred Virgin Galactic from launching anyone into space again while an investigation is carried out into a problem that happened during July’s flight with founder Richard Branson on board. According to the FAA, the rocketship carrying Branson and five others veered off course during is descent to its New Mexico desert runway, putting it outside the air traffic control clearance area. Virgin Galactic said the deviation was caused by high-altitude wind, and that the pilots, quote, "responded appropriately," adding, "at no time did the ship travel above any population centers or cause a hazard to the public." The ban came as Virgin Galactic announced plans to launch three Italian researchers to the edge of space in a few weeks.

      ➤WVA DOING ANOTHER ROUND OF PAYING REMOTE WORKS TO MOVE TO THE STATE: After running a program in which West Virginia offered $20,000 in cash and other incentives for remote workers to move there, the state is now doing another round. Thousands of inquiries were made about the program, and 53 new West Virginia residents moved to Morgantown under it. The state said yesterday (September 2nd) that it's now taking applications for people who want to move to another West Virginia city, Lewisburg. Under the program, participants who move to the state get $12,000 along with annual passes for whitewater rafting, golf, rock climbing, horseback riding, skiing and ziplining, with the total worth of the relocation package valued at more than $20,000. For applicants who aren't accepted, a consolation prize is being offered this time around of $2,500 in mortgage assistance if they decide to move to West Virginia anyway. The state is doing this as the 2020 census found that West Virginia lost a greater percentage of its residents than any other state in the past decade, and is the only state with fewer residents than it had in 1950.

      ➤THESE 8 STATES WILL LET YOU FLASH AN IPHONE DRIVER’S LICENSE:  People in a few states will soon be able to show their driver’s license on their iPhones and Apple Watches. This means users will soon be able to use digital IDs to get through security at participating airports in lieu of a physical identification card. The first states to offer the feature will be Arizona and Georgia; while Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah will do so at a later date. Apple did not announce a specific timeline for the roll out, and for now, the feature will be limited to airport-security use only.

      ➤FACT-CHECKING STUDY FINDS EVERYDAY NEWS READERS HAVE A PRETTY GOOD BULLSH** DETECTOR: Here’s something to help you sleep tonight. Researchers at MIT have found that many people have a pretty good handle on detecting online misinformation. Specifically, they found that crowdsourced fact-checking for accuracy from regular, everyday news readers stacks up to the work performed by professional fact-checkers. Senior study co-author David Rand says, “There’s no one thing that solves the problem of false news online. But we’re working to add promising approaches to the anti-misinformation tool kit.”

      ➤TWITTER FINALLY LAUNCHES SUPER FOLLOWS: Twitter announced Wednesday that it has officially started the rollout of Super Follows. The feature, first revealed back in February, allows users to charge a monthly fee in exchange for access to additional content. Twitter will take a cut of the earnings. A Twitter spokesperson says, “With Super Follows, people can monetize bonus, ‘behind-the-scenes’ content for their most engaged followers on Twitter.” This new feature is, as of now, limited to a select number of U.S. Twitter accounts, and allows users to pay either $2.99, $4.99, or $9.99 for a monthly subscription. So far, it’s unclear if sexual content will be allowed in the context of Super Follows.

      🎾TOP SEEDS DJOKOVIC, BARTY ADVANCE AT U.S. OPEN: The top-seeded men and women, Novak Djokovic and Ash Barty, easily won their second-round matches at the U.S. Open yesterday to advance. For Djokovic, it was another step closer to completing the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s tennis since 1969 and claiming a record 21st major championship. The day's other winners included the men and women's gold medalists from the recently-ended Tokyo Olympics, Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic.

      ⚾BOTH LEADOFF HITTERS IN MARLINS-METS GAME HOMER ON FIRST PITCH: Both of the leadoff hitters in the game between the Miami Marlins and the New York Mets hit home runs on the first pitch they faced last night, the first time that's happened in an MLB game since at least 1985, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Marlins' Miguel Rojas and the Mets' Jonathan Villar hit the homers at New York's CitiField in what would be a 4-3 Mets win.


      ➤BIG 12 CONSIDERING EXPANSION, FOUR LEADING CANDIDATES: The Big 12 is considering expansion, with Texas and Oklahoma planning to leave the conference in 2025. The Athletic first reported yesterday (September 2nd) that there are four leading candidates to join: BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston. The Big 12 will have only eight members when Texas and Oklahoma leave.

      🏒NHL'S COVID PROTOCOLS TO MAKE THINGS TOUGHER FOR UNVACCINATED PLAYERS: Things are going to be tougher next season for NHL players who aren't vaccinated against the coronavirus, with the league yesterday informing teams of the health and safety protocols, which ESPN reports have significant restrictions for the unvaccinated. They will be subject to daily testing, as opposed to at least every third day for vaccinated players. When teams are on the road, unvaccinated players will only be allowed to go to the team hotel, practice facility and arena, and can't use the bar, restaurant, gym or pool at the hotel, or have teammates or visitors in their rooms. They are barred from carpooling or using saunas, and are encouraged not to eat or drink on flights, go to bars or clubs or eat indoors without people outside of their households or personal bubbles.

      Traverse City Radio: Robby & Rochelle To EXIT WKHQ


      Robby and Rochelle, the morning team based at heritage Top 40 WKHQ Traverse City have announced plans to wrap the show. After 352 episodes, their final broadcast in Michigan will be Wednesday September 22nd. 

      The show is also heard weekends in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. 

      Additionally Robby Bridges will be vacating his role as WKHQ PD and as a VP of Programming for Macdonald Garber Broadcasting and Rochelle Gagnon her role as the company’s Director of Promotions and Marketing.

      Robby & Rochelle morning show, previously aired on WDVD/Detroit and WSHK/Portsmouth, NH. 

      Bridges previously spent 11 years with Cumulus Media and Westwood One, the last two as Director of FM Programming for Hot AC WDVD, Country WDRQ (NASH FM 93.1) and Classic Country NASH Icon 93.1-HD2/Detroit. Bridges earlier programmed sister WEBE 108/Bridgeport, CT and WFAS-FM/Westchester, NY. 

      He will continue his voiceover work and guest hosting on Scott Shannon‘s syndicated True Oldies Channel.

      Gagnon has worked in marketing and promotions both in and outside of radio and has held on-air roles at Lakes Media and Cumulus. She also spent two years as Associate Producer of the syndicated Mojo in the Morning, based at iHeartMedia’s WKQI (Channel 955)/Detroit.

      Robby added “we’d like to thank Trish Garber and Gary Berkowitz for putting together this opportunity for us. We are really proud of two years in TC and proud of our terrific team but are really excited for what’s around the bend. There’s definitely lots more fresh seafood and homemade marinara sauce in our future, stay tuned!”

      ABBA: The Voyage Resumes

      • Ten-song album "Voyage" due out on Nov. 5
      • Virtual concerts will feature digital avatars
      • London chosen as "the Brits see us as their own"
      Swedish supergroup ABBA announced their first new album in four decades on Thursday and said they would stage a series of virtual concerts using digital avatars of themselves in London next year, reports Reuters.

      The album "Voyage" will come out on Nov. 5, the band said during the streamed launch. They released two of its 10 songs - "I Still Have Faith In You" and "Don't Shut Me Down" - on Thursday.


      "First it was just two songs," songwriter Benny Andersson said in a pre-recorded video message.

      "Then we said 'maybe we should do, I don't know, a few others. What do you say girls?' And they said 'yeah' and then I asked 'why don't we do a full album?'"


      The recording went smoothly, co-songwriter Bjorn Ulvaeus said. "It all came rushing back in a matter of seconds."

      "I knew when Benny played the melody it just had to be about us," he added about "I Still Have Faith In You". The new album will also include a Christmas song "Little Things".

      The concerts will be held at a purpose-built ABBA Arena in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in May, and feature digital versions of its four stars Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

      The concerts will feature 22 songs, including the two new numbers and a "sort of a greatest hits" compilation, including "Dancing Queen", he added.

      ABBA was founded in the early 70s by then couples Agnetha and Bjorn, together with Benny and Anni-Frid. Their initials gave the band its name.

      They sold more than 385 million albums and topped charts from Australia to America with a string of hits including "Waterloo", "The Winner Takes It All" and "Take A Chance On Me".

      Their last album with fresh material, 1981's "The Visitors", included songs tinged with the sadness of their divorces. The band split a year later.

      Voice Of America Staffers Stranded In Afghanistan


      Lawmakers and media organizations are calling on the Biden administration to help get more than 100 government-funded media employees out of Afghanistan, where they risk retribution from the Taliban for their affiliation with the U.S. government, reports The Wall Street Journal.

      Combined with their family members, the number of workers for Voice of America and the Afghan branch of Radio Free Liberty/Radio Europe left behind totals more than 500, according to lawmakers who have asked President Biden to ensure that they get out of the country safely. The media staffers, who aren’t U.S. citizens, are contractors, unlike their colleagues in the U.S., who work directly for the U.S. government.

      Voice of America and Radio Free Liberty/Radio Europe operate under the U.S. Agency for Global Media, an independent agency of the U.S. government. The two media outlets and others run by the agency are charged with providing “unbiased news and information in countries where the press is restricted.” Though funded by U.S. taxpayers, the outlets are designed to operate free from editorial interference from the government, rather than as a tool of U.S. public diplomacy.

      Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said only 50 personnel hired by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA and RFE/RL, were evacuated from Afghanistan, and those were due to the efforts of U.S. allies rather than Washington. About 140 reporters, editorial assistants and other workers remain, plus their families, a congressional aide said.

      Hundreds of journalists hired by U.S.-based news organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post, managed to get out of Afghanistan, thanks to help from their media organizations and U.S. officials. But many local journalists working for Afghan publications, including reporters who have faced threats, have been unable to leave, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which has documented recent cases of the Taliban attacking reporters.

      Fargo Radio: Bonnie Amistadi Joins WDAY Newsroom

      Bonnie Amistadi
      Fargo-based Flag Family Media announced Thursday that it has added local radio personality Bonnie Amistadi to its news and on-air team. The hiring will add significant strength to the WDAY Radio Newsroom and On-Air presence.

      “Our company is honored to team up with one of the most prominent and respected broadcasters in the Red River Valley,” says Flag Family Media President and Managing Partner, Steve Hallstrom. “The addition of Bonnie will allow us to improve our programming, news coverage, and entertainment value. While her specific role is still being finalized, her fans can expect plenty of opportunities to enjoy her unique blend of entertainment and information.”

      A Chisholm, Minnesota native, Amistadi has spent more than 30 years in the local broadcast industry, serving as a news reporter, host, and on-air personality.

      “I am excited to embark on a new adventure in my broadcast career,” says Amistadi. “I have been blessed to work with some amazing people throughout my career and I want to thank them for helping me become the person and professional I am today. And now I’m thrilled to join the WDAY Radio team, as I’ve been so impressed with the passion, dedication, and commitment of this company. We are going to do great things in the days ahead!”

      Amistadi will begin on-air duties with WDAY Radio in early September.

      She stopped by The Jay Thomas Show for her first official appereance on-air for WDAY Radio Thursday. You can hear that by clicking here.

      BFA To Honor NAB’s Gordon Smith With Excellence Award


      The Broadcasters Foundation of America has announced Gordon Smith, former U.S. Senator and President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), as the recipient of this year’s Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award. 

      The Award is bestowed annually on an individual in broadcasting whose work exemplifies innovation, community service, advocacy, and entrepreneurship. Smith will be presented with the Award at the Broadcasters Foundation Annual Breakfast, 7:00 AM, Tuesday, October 12 in the Brahms Room of the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas, during NAB Show.

      Smith joined the National Association of Broadcasters as President and Chief Executive Officer in November 2009. Prior to joining NAB, he served as a two-term U.S. senator from Oregon and later as senior advisor in the Washington offices of Covington & Burling, LLP.

      During his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Smith's committee assignments included the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the panel that oversees all broadcast-related legislation. He also served on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Smith’s role on the Commerce Committee and as chairman of a Senate High Tech Task Force helped foster his interest in new media and new technology issues.

      Gordon Smith
      The Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award salutes its namesake and is underwritten by The Mays Family Foundation. Past recipients include Ajit Pai, Bill Clark, Eddie Fritts, Cathy Hughes, Mel Karmazin, Jeff Smulyan, Dick Wiley, and others. As previously announced, the Broadcasters Foundation will present the Leadership in Broadcasting Awards during the Breakfast.

      Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, the Breakfast is complimentary to all in broadcasting, although pre-registration is required. This year’s sponsors are: AccuRadio, National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), National Association of Media Brokers (NAMB), Nielsen, Premiere Networks, Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB), USTrust, and vCreative.

      To register for the Broadcasters Foundation Breakfast, broadcasters can visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org/leadershipbreakfast. To register via phone or email, and to obtain information on reserving a page in the Program Guide, please contact the Broadcasters Foundation at 212-373-8250 or info@thebfoa.org.

      The Broadcasters Foundation has distributed millions of dollars in aid to broadcasters who have lost their livelihood through a catastrophic event, debilitating disease or unforeseen tragedy. Personal donations can be made to the Foundation’s Guardian Fund, corporate contributions are accepted through the Angel Initiative, and bequests can be made through the Foundation’s Legacy Society. For more information, please visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org, call 212-373-8250, or email info@thebfoa.org.