December 19 Radio History

➦In 1932... the British Broadcasting Corp began transmitting overseas via shortwave radio; it soon became the highly regarded BBC World Service.

➦In 1944...ABC took over ownership of WJZ 770 AM.  The WJZ call sign was used in NYC from 1921 to 1953.

➦In 1956...Elvis Presley scored six different songs on Billboard's listing of the most popular songs of the day  They were: Don't Be Cruel, Hound Dog, Blue Moon, Love Me Tender, Anyway You Want Me and Love Me.   That was the most singles ever charted at same time.  That recorded lasted until The Beatles came along with seven singles 1964.

➦In 1958...the first radio broadcast from space occurred when President Dwight D. Eisenhower said "To all mankind, America's wish for Peace on Earth & Good Will to Men Everywhere".

The following words were President Eisenhower’s full remarks to the country:

"This is the President of the United States speaking. Through the marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you from a satellite circling in outer space. My message is a simple one. Though this unique means, I convey to you and all mankind, America’s wish for peace on earth and good will to men everywhere."

 ➦In 1980...Mutual Broadcasting cancels Sears Radio Theater

➦In 1985...ABC Sports announced that it was severing ties with   Howard Cosell and dismissed “The Mouth” from all TV assignments. But “Humble” Howard continued with his daily broadcasts on ABC Radio for another five years.

➦In 1997...the founder of Sony Corp., Masaru Ibuka died at the age of 89 from heart failure. Ibuka, one of the leading engineer-entrepreneurs of post-World War II Japan, helped transform modern culture with the world’s first pocket transistor radio.

Les Tremayne

➦In 2003...Les Tremayne died at age 90. Tremayne was a leading man during Radio's Golden Era.   It is estimated that Les worked on more than 30,000 broadcasts, with as many as 45 radio shows a week in the 30s and 40s.  Replacing Don Ameche, he starred in The First Nighter Program from 1936 to 1942.

He starred in The Adventures of the Thin Man and The Romance of Helen Trent during the 1940s. He also starred in the title role in The Falcon, and played detective Pat Abbott in The Abbott Mysteries in 1946–47.

➤AUDIO: Click Here

Tremayne was married four times. He did a morning talk show: The Tremaynes with his second wife, Alice Reinhardt. When Tremayne died, he was married to his fourth wife, Joan.  Tremayne was once named one of the three most distinctive voices on American radio. The other two were Bing Crosby and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

➦In 2004...A single-engine Cessna 182 crashed into the KFI 640 AM radio tower in Los Angeles knocking the station off-the-air for an hour and killing the two people in the plane.

On December 19, 2004 at 9:45 am Pacific Standard Time, Jim and Mary Ghosoph were killed when their rented Cessna 182P single engine airplane, travelling from the El Monte Airport to Fullerton Municipal Airport, struck KFI's transmission tower, located in the City of La Mirada.

The solid steel truss, originally built in 1948, collapsed upon itself, mostly landing in a parking lot to the north of the site (KFI was relatively late to convert from a horizontal to a vertical antenna—same-market Class A KNX converted to a vertical in 1938, and same-state Class As KGO and KPO (now KNBR) converted to verticals in 1941 and 1949, respectively). KFI's signal was knocked off the air for approximately one hour.

Pilots had complained for years to KFI management that it needed to put strobe lights on the tower and highly reflective balls on the guy wire. KFI and Clear Channel Communications management responded by saying the tower was in compliance with Federal Communications Commission and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and that it did not need to make any changes. Until a replacement was successfully erected, the station transmitted from a 200-foot auxiliary tower at a power of 25,000 watts.

On Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 2:30 pm PST the replacement tower collapsed while under construction.  The tower was about 300 feet tall (the final height was to be 684 feet) when a guy wire support failed, causing the tower to tip over the opposite direction. There were no major injuries, and only limited collateral damage.

A new tower began construction at the end of July 2008 and was completed on August 14, 2008. The station returned to full power (50,000 watts) on September 25, 2008.

The new tower has a 50-foot-wide top-loading "capacitance hat", which electrically extends the tower's height another seventy-five feet, effectively, without actually needing more tower sections (the local regulation authorities in apparent defiance of electrical engineering principles, and communications law, demanded "a 10 percent reduction in overall height", otherwise the necessary permits would be refused, not withstanding the federal government's primary authority over radio communications, and KFI's strategic role as an Emergency Alert System station for the western U.S. region).

The new tower is also equipped with high intensity strobe lights due to its proximity to the Fullerton Municipal Airport, and additional safety upgrades because of the previous plane crash. The new tower has torque arms which limit the twisting of the tower in high winds. The tower has been dedicated to the memory of John Paoli, KFI Chief Engineer from 2000 to 2008, who died suddenly from a previously unknown genetic heart condition soon after overseeing the construction of the new tower.

Tim Reid is 77

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Elaine Joyce is 78. 

• 

  Tara Summers is 42

  Actor Tim Reid is 77. 
• Musician John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 76. 
• Country singer Janie Fricke is 74. 
• Jazz drummer Lenny White of Return to Forever is 72. 
• Actor Mike Lookinland (“The Brady Bunch”) is 61. 
• Actor Scott Cohen (“Gilmore Girls”) is 60. 
• Actor Jennifer Beals is 58. 
• Actor Robert MacNaughton (“E.T.”) is 55. 
• Magician Criss Angel is 54. 
• Guitarist Klaus Eichstadt of Ugly Kid Joe is 54. 
• Actor Kristy Swanson is 52. 
• Model Tyson Beckford is 51. 
• Actor Rosa Blasi (“Strong Medicine”) is 49. 
• Actor Alyssa Milano is 49. 
• Actor Tara Summers (“Mercy Street,” “Boston Legal”) is 42. 
• Actor Jake Gyllenhaal is 41. 
• Actor Marla Sokoloff (“The Practice”) is 41. 
• Actor Nik Dodani (“Murphy Brown”) is 28.

FOX News Channel Again Tops Yearly Ratings Rankings

FOX News Channel (FNC) capped off its 25th anniversary year by dominating all of basic cable in total day and primetime for the sixth consecutive year, according to Nielsen Media Research.

In primetime, FNC averaged 2,365,000 viewers and 374,000 with A25-54 along with 233,000 in A18-49. Meanwhile, in total day, the network delivered 1,328,000 viewers and 223,000 in the younger 25-54 demo and 135,000 in A18-49. 

The network was the most-watched basic cable network, obliterating CNN and MSNBC across the board, and the only cable network to deliver over two million viewers in primetime and one million in total day. 

According to data from Nielsen/MRI Fusion, this year, more independents and democrats tuned into FNC than CNN while delivering the largest independent audience in cable news, making FNC’s audience the most politically diverse (graph attached) in cable news. Notably, FNC holds 44% of the cable news audience in total day viewership and 41% of the audience with A25-54. In primetime, the network holds a 47% audience share in total viewers and 43% in the younger A25-54 demo. As a result, FNC increased its share of the cable news audience with A25-54 from 2020 to 2021.

In commenting on the 2021 ratings, FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said, “As we embark on our 20th year as the leader in cable news, the last six of which as number one in all of cable, I am incredibly proud of the unrivaled success we’ve had at FOX News Channel. Not only were we the only network to grow our audience share, but we did so while changing our lineup and transforming the entire late-night television landscape in the process, ensuring our continued momentum for many years to come.”

📺Nielsen Cable News Ratings for 2021 (12/28/20-12/09/21) vs. 2020 (12/30/19-12/27/20)

Primetime:

• FNC: 2,365,000 P2+ (down 34%); 374,000 25-54 (down 41%)
• CNN: 1,103,000 P2+ (down 38%); 276,000 25-54 (down 46%)
• MSNBC: 1,554,000 P2+ (down 27%); 220,000 25-54 (down 38%)

Total Day:

• FNC: 1,328,000 P2+ (down 29%); 223,000 25-54 (down 35%)
• CNN: 787,000 P2+ (down 31%); 190,000 25-54 (down 39%)
• MSNBC: 919,000 P2+ (down 26%); 128,000 25-54 (down 36%)

WaPo Grasps for New Direction

The Washington Post, like most major publications, has experienced an audience surge during the Trump years, when readers flocked to stories about the controversial Republican administration. Now, the Post is facing a slump that has triggered some soul-searching at the paper, including over the need to invest more in coverage areas outside of politics, according to people familiar with the news outlet’s operations and internal documents viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

One document provided a stark snapshot: The site had about 66 million monthly unique visitors in October, down 28% from last year. Most major publishers have suffered audience declines from 2020, when national politics and the Covid-19 pandemic lifted readership. Several of the Post’s rivals, including the New York Times, the Journal, Vox Media and CNN, had smaller declines in that time frame, according to the document, which cited data from Comscore. Other politics-focused publications, including the Hill and Politico, had traffic declines greater than the Post’s during that period, according to the document.

The Post’s digital subscriber growth, meanwhile, has begun to stagnate. The outlet had 2.7 million digital subscribers as of October, according to the internal document, down from roughly three million in January. Some of the people familiar with Post’s operations said the publisher is expected to end up roughly flat in digital subscriptions for the year.

The Post has been working for more than two years to evolve its offerings and attract new readers, “knowing that news consumption is cyclical,” a Post spokeswoman said in a statement. "We’ve been deliberate in our strategy work and are seeing the results of our investments across the company, particularly with the growth of the newsroom, the broadening of our coverage and the sophistication of our storytelling tools.”

Other newsrooms have pressed to expand, even before this year. The Journal had about 50 million monthly unique visitors as of October, according to Comscore. Executives at the outlet had discussed a plan last year to double its audience by the end of fiscal 2024, people familiar with the matter say.

A spokesman for Journal parent Dow Jones declined to comment on the company’s plans for audience growth. Dow Jones executives said at a September 2020 investor event that the company planned to double its membership business over the long term.

At the New York Times, a substantial portion of subscription growth is coming from low-cost digital offerings such as games, its cooking product and its product-recommendation site Wirecutter. The Times in November warned that subscription growth could come under pressure in the fourth quarter as promotional pricing is phased out.

YouTubeTV Loses Disney Channels

YouTube said it lost Walt Disney Co. programming such as ESPN on the YouTube TV platform after the two sides failed to reach an agreement, reports Bloomberg.

The current agreement between Disney and Google’s video service expired at 11:59 p.m. Friday New York time. Youtube said it will “continue conversations with Disney” to restore content and is reducing its subscription price on the cable-like service by $15 to $45.99 a month while the affected channels are off its service.

The TV industry is in a state of flux, with consumers canceling pricey cable-TV packages in favor of on-demand viewing from streaming services such as Netflix Inc. TV channel owners, like Disney, still depend on fees from distributors for a large share of their revenue and profit.

“We’ve been in ongoing negotiations with Google’s YouTube TV and unfortunately, they have declined to reach a fair deal with us based on market terms and conditions,” Disney said in a separate statement. “We stand ready to reach an equitable agreement with Google as quickly as possible in order to minimize the inconvenience to YouTube TV viewers by restoring our networks. We hope Google will join us in that effort.”

YouTube TV and other online operators have positioned themselves as lower-cost alternatives to traditional cable TV, yet they still must pay high fees for a broad assortment of channels.

In addition to ESPN, the channels being negotiated with YouTube included networks such as ABC, FX and the Disney Channel.

 

Among the sticking points, YouTube was asking Disney for a clause in the new contract that would lower its rates if another distributor wins better terms in the future.

“Our ask to Disney, as with all our partners, is to treat YouTube TV like any other TV provider -- by offering us the same rates that services of a similar size pay, across Disney’s channels for as long as we carry them,” YouTube said in a blog post Monday.

Veep Rebukes Charlamagne tha God During Contentious Interview

Kamala Harris on Friday night spoke to WWPR Morning Host Charlamagne Tha God during his Comedy Central show. It was an interview that became increasingly tense as he questioned who was really in control of the White House.

 

Harris became so irate her spokeswoman, Symone Sanders, tried to end the interview, reports The Daily Mail.

But the discussion continued, with Harris rebuking Charlamagne and telling him: 'Don't start talking like a Republican about asking whether or not he's president. And it's Joe Biden. And I'm vice president and my name is Kamala Harris.' 

The vice president has surprised many with her inability to deal with interview questions, and her angry tone.

Atlanta Radio: WVEE Adds Two To The Big Tigger Morning Show

Audacy has announced Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams and Shamea Morton as co-hosts of “The Big Tigger Morning Show” on WVEE V-103 in Atlanta. The duo will be heard alongside show host Big Tigger, weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET beginning January 3.

“We’re excited about the addition of two local superstars to our weekday morning show alongside Big Tigger,” said Rick Caffey, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Atlanta. “Their personalities and style, coupled with their connection to our city will bring a fun and unique layer to the show.”

“I’m happy to be joining ‘The Big Tigger Morning Show’ with him and Shamea,” said Ms. Pat. “As an Atlanta native born at Grady in the basement and raised on Fairstreet Bottom, I never thought I would one day be co-hosting on V-103. When you put it out in the universe the universe will give it back to you.”

Patricia Williams (aka Ms. Pat) is a comedian, author, podcaster, and actress. In August 2021, Pat’s multi-cam sitcom “The Ms. Pat Show” premiered on BET+ with the series being picked up for a second season within weeks. In September 2021, Pat returned to her hometown of Atlanta to tape her first hour standup special, which will premiere on Netflix in 2022. In 2017, she published her memoir “Rabbit” with Harper Collins, which chronicled her life. “Rabbit” was nominated for an NAACP Award for Outstanding Literary Work and Rotten Tomatoes included it on their list of “Books Becoming TV Series We Cannot Wait to See.” In addition to her other projects, Ms. Pat has long been a favorite with standup critics and fans. In 2019, she was hailed by Variety as a “Top 10 Comic to Watch.” She has appeared on Netflix’s “The Degenerates” and Larry Charles’ “Dangerous World of Comedy,” Comedy Central’s “This Is Not Happening,” NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” and Nickelodeon’s “Mom’s Night Out.”

“I grew up in this city listening to this station and I am indebted to sharing my love for the people, the community and the culture on this iconic brand with these two legends,” said Morton.

A singer, dancer and actress, Shamea Morton is a former member of the quartet Co-Ed, whose hit “Roll Wit Me,” was named to Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart. She joined the Atlanta Hawks cheerleading squad from 2003-2014, cheered for the Atlanta Falcons for five seasons, including 2011 and 2012 as captain, and danced for the Georgia Force Arena Football League for four seasons.

Morton, who made Jezebel Magazine’s annual Most Beautiful Atlantan’s list in 2012, studied Improv at the renowned Nick Conti’s Professional Actor’s Studio and took acting classes at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta. She has appeared in the critically hailed film “Drumline.” Other appearances include “Lesson Before Love,” Alliance Theater’s play “Olympic Village,” “Illusions,” “Dark Child,” Tyler Perry’s play “The Haves and the Have Nots” and movie “Temptation,” as well as TLC biopic “Crazy, Sexy, Cool,” “Ride Along 2” and “Meet the Blacks 2.” She joined the cast of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” in Season 8 and is still cast as a friend of the show. She is the official in-game host of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and has been in this role for the past eight seasons. Morton hosted the 2021 NBA All Star Game. Morton, who studied Broadcast Journalism at Morris Brown College and holds a dual degree in Psychology and Sociology from Georgia State University, is also a contracted interpersonal life coach and consultant for law firms in the metro Atlanta area and major corporations.

NYTimes Fires Wirecutter Editor For Profane Voice Message

Erin Marquis, an editor for The New York Times Wirecutter recommendation service was fired by the newspaper after she was accused of leaving profane voice messages with a Michigan-based gun rights advocacy group, reports The Hill.

“The employee has been terminated from Wirecutter following our investigation related to inappropriate behavior,” a spokesperson for The Times said in a statement. 

“We expect our employees to behave in a way that is consistent with our values and commitment to the highest ethical standards. Repeatedly invoking The New York Times’s name in an unprofessional way that imperils the reputation of Wirecutter, The Times, and all of our journalists is a clear violation of our policies,” the spokesperson added. 

The voice messages were allegedly left with the Michigan affiliate of the National Association for Gun Rights, called the Great Lakes Gun Rights, according to The Washington Post. 

Marquis had previously been critical of the gun rights group on Twitter. 

She wrote a tweet earlier this month in response to a post from Great Lakes Gun Rights, which opposed calls by Democrats for more restrictive gun laws following a deadly shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan. In a statement released by the group, the executive director, Brenden Boudreau, said "anti-gun politicians" moved quickly to "politicize" the situation. 

“Just got a news release from the Great Lakes Gun Rights organization about protecting gun rights from democrats in Michigan and I am literally shaking with rage,” Marquis said in the Twitter post. “I hope there is a God and they meet that God someday.” 

Marquis later deleted her Twitter account, according to the Post

Audio of the voicemails to the Michigan gun rights group were subsequently released afterward by the National Association for Gun Rights.

"Erin Marquis left us a wonderful voicemail that we'd like to share with you," the group's YouTube caption reads posted with the voicemail audio.

Sandman Settles With NBC-Universal

The media had lambasted the Covington Catholic High School student from Kentucky, now 19, over a confrontation at the 2019 March for Life in Washington, D.C., reports The NY Post.

Following the 2019 incident in Washington, D.C., many media outlets and Democratic politicians criticized Sandmann for a confrontation with a Native American elder at the Lincoln Memorial following the march. 

Sandmann was recorded on video wearing one of former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign hats while smiling at the activist, Nathan Phillips, as Phillips beat a ceremonial drum and chanted at him in close proximity.

Several media reports at the time claimed the incident was racially charged on the part of the White teenager, which Sandmann and other witnesses disputed.

People have judged Sandmann “based off one expression, which I wasn’t smirking, but people have assumed that’s what I have,” he said a 2019 interview with NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie.

Nearby members of the Black Hebrew Israelites group were shouting slurs at him and his classmates, he added.

“I heard them call us incest kids, bigots, racists,” Sandmann said.

His filing against NBC-Universal and MSNBC reportedly asked for $275 million in damages.

CNN and the Washington Post both settled defamation lawsuits from Sandmann in 2020 for undisclosed amounts.

The suit against CNN sought damages for “emotional distress Nicholas and his family suffered” in the fallout of the network’s reporting.

Law school professor William Jacobson told Fox News at the time that CNN agreeing to settle is a “rare example of a ‘little guy’ being able to stand up to a media behemoth” and estimated the deal was worth at least seven figures. 

In 2020, Sandmann attorney Todd McMurtry told Fox News that lawsuits against “as many as 13 other defendants will be filed,” including ABC, CBS, The Guardian, HuffPost, NPR, Slate, The Hill, and Gannett, which owns the Cincinnati Enquirer as well as other small outlets.

CNN Politics Producer Resigns After Allegations of Misconduct

Steve Brusk

A CNN producer has abruptly resigned just weeks after he was implicated by another network staffer of sexual misconduct, in leaked videos from the controversial conservative watchdog group Project Veritas, reports FOX News.

In October, Steve Brusk, CNN Politics' supervising producer, was accused of "making advances" at female employees at social gatherings. He allegedly would "put his arms around them" and "try and touch their leg" as well as being "flirty and inappropriate" in email exchanges, according to Rick Saleeby, whom Project Veritas identified as a senior producer for "The Lead with Jake Tapper."

"I'll tell you this. In this climate that's going on right now, he definitely would have been fired," Saleeby told an undercover journalist for Project Veritas, who was secretly recording the conversation.

Saleeby recalled an incident in which he saw Brusk approach an intern who was intoxicated at a party. The producer said he could "see the hand," suggesting that it was about to go up her skirt, and said he "grabbed her" to keep the intern away. He also claimed that Brusk "had already been accused of things prior."

When asked why he thought Brusk was not fired, Saleeby suspected it was because of his tenure, saying he had been with the network "for, like, 20 years.  Saleeby later told the Project Veritas journalist that Brusk was "good" at his job, but also that he was "creepy."

However, The Wrap reported Thursday that Brusk had parted ways with the network two weeks earlier, citing "stress of the last several weeks" as part of his decision.

"As I mark my 20-year anniversary at CNN this week, I have made the hard decision that this is the right time to step down." Brusk wrote in an email. "Truth be told, I have barely had any time off or gotten much sleep the last five years — as we covered the campaign, the transition and the historic White House story. The stress of the last several weeks and being able to be home with my family for the holidays has confirmed for me this is the right decision."

SiriusXM Bundling Two Free Subscriptions

SiriusXM is giving away year-long Apple Music services for customers under the Platinum VIP program.

Apple and SiriusXM are partnering up for the promotion where Platinum VIP subscribers both existing and new get a whole year of Apple Music for free. Apple Music is the company’s streaming service that gives users access to 90-plus million songs with no ads.

SiriusXM’s Platinum VIP gives users two car access and separate SXM logins. The service offers artist-curated channels and music that’s free of ads. As far as the library is concerned, there are 250 live concert videos, 5,000 concert recordings and being able to create custom playlists. The VIP tier provides additional perks, including VIP meet and greets, virtual and live SXM events and priority customer support.

Platinum VIP now includes a one year free of Discovery Plus will become available for existing Platinum VIP subscribers.

“We are excited to offer access to Discovery Plus with our SiriusXM subscription plans,” said Richard Beatty, SiriusXM’s chief subscription revenue officer. “Discovery Plus is the streaming home to so many major entertainment personalities and brands — Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network, Food Network, TLC, Animal Planet and Shark Week — that resonate with so many people across the country. It is the perfect complementary streaming video service for our diverse audio entertainment platform.”

SiriusXM Platinum VIP costs $34.99 a month, and the package list can be viewed on the official SiriusXM website.

TX Radio: KGAF Hands Out $40K Thanks To Secret Santa Listeners

For the fourth year in a row, radio station KGAF 92.3 FM in Gainesville, near the Oklahoma border, has made it a brighter Christmases for 40 families thanks to donors who choose to continue their anonymous tradition.

"Are you ready? Take a deep breath," station manager Steve Eberhart said to fellow radio host Dee Blanton early Friday morning, as they opened a briefcase full of cash and opened the phone lines to listeners who had already sent letters and emails to the station. 

The heartfelt letters talked about cancer, COVID and other medical issues. One caller talked about their home burning to the ground this year.

"I'm on 12 different medications," one caller said.

"I'm struggling paycheck to paycheck, and I just can't keep up," said another.

This year, Eberhart and Blanton had a bigger response. 

"How would $1,000 do," Eberhart said to each caller.

"A thousand," one caller said incredulously. "Oh, my God, that's gonna [sic] help us," she exclaimed. 

Before the morning was over, KGAF handed out $1,000 to 40 different people: $40,000 cash all provided by those unnamed donors.

"You guys are just wonderful, you just don't realize what a wonderful thing you're doing," another caller said.

"I've cried the whole show," said Gainesville resident Glenda Hatten when she called the station. She is unable to work, and her husband is being treated for a brain tumor. 

The money comes from anonymous donors who ask each year for the radio station to find the Cooke County residents most in need.

December 18 Radio History

➦In 1890...Edwin Howard Armstrong was born in New York City. He was an early radio pioneer and also the inventor of FM, Frequency Modulation. A motorcycle visit to the Armstrong Tower in Alpine, NJ, the world's first FM radio tower.

Rather than varying ("modulating") the amplitude of a radio wave to encode an audio signal, the new method varied the frequency FM enabled the transmission and reception of a wider range of audio frequencies, as well as audio free of "static", a common problem in AM radio. (Armstrong received a patent on wide-band FM on December 26, 1933.

Edwin H Armstrong

In 1934 Armstrong began working for RCA at the request of the president of RCA, David Sarnoff. Sarnoff and Armstrong first met at a boxing match involving Jack Dempsey in 1920. At the time Sarnoff was a young executive with an interest in new technologies, including radio broadcasting. In the early 1920s Armstrong drove off with Sarnoff's secretary, Marion MacInnes, in a French sports car. Armstrong and MacInnes were married in 1923. While Sarnoff was understandably impressed with Armstrong's FM system, he also understood that it was not compatible with his own AM empire. Sarnoff came to regard FM as a threat and refused to support it any further.

From May 1934 until October 1935, Armstrong conducted the first large scale field tests of his FM radio technology from a laboratory constructed by RCA on the 85th floor of the Empire State Building. An antenna attached to the spire of the building fired radio waves at receivers about 80 miles away.  However RCA had its eye on television broadcasting, and chose not to buy the patents for the FM technology.  A June 17, 1936, presentation at FCC headquarters made headlines nationwide. He played a jazz record over conventional AM radio, then switched to an FM broadcast. "[I]f the audience of 50 engineers had shut their eyes they would have believed the jazz band was in the same room. There were no extraneous sounds," noted one reporter. He added that several engineers described the invention "as one of the most important radio developments since the first earphone crystal sets were introduced."

In 1937, Armstrong financed construction of the first FM radio station, W2XMN, a 40 kilowatt broadcaster in Alpine, New Jersey. The signal (at 42.8 MHz) could be heard clearly 100 miles away, despite the use of less power than an AM radio station.

➦In 1920...broadcaster Willis Conover was born in Buffalo. He was known as the man who “fought the Cold War with cool music.”  For 40 years he presented American jazz heard round the world on The Voice of America.  He died May 17 1996 at age 75.

➦In 1956...Former shortstop Phil Rizzuto signed-on to be a New York Yankee radio-TV play-by-play announcer, a job he held for 40 years.

➦In 1967...Radio Personality Scott Muni started at WNEW 102.7 FM NYC.

Born Donald Allen Muñoz in Wichita, Kansas, Muni grew up in New Orleans. He joined the United States Marine Corps and began broadcasting there in 1950, reading "Dear John" letters over Radio Guam. After leaving the Corps and having considered acting as a career, he began working as a disc jockey; in 1953 he began working at WSMB in New Orleans. In 1955 he began broadcasting at station WAKR in Akron, Ohio, and after that worked in Kankakee, Illinois.

Scott Muni

Muni then spent almost 50 years at stations in New York City. He became a Top 40 broadcaster at WMCA in the late 1950s, just before the start of their "Good Guys" era. In 1960, he moved to rival Top 40 station WABC. There, he did an early evening show called "Scotland's Yard" and was the first WABC DJ to capture the attention of the teenage audience the station would become famous for. He also participated in the competition to cover The Beatles on their first visits to the United States, and thus began a long association with them.

In 1965, Muni left WABC and ran the Rolling Stone Night Club while doing occasional fill-in work for WMCA. Muni had explored some opportunities beyond radio: he had recently co-hosted a local weekly television show on WABC-TV with Bruce "Cousin Brucie" Morrow.

In 1966, Muni joined WOR-FM, one of the earliest pioneers of freeform-based progressive rock radio. The notion did not last at that station, but in 1967 Muni moved to legendary rock station WNEW-FM, where the format really took hold. Muni stayed there for three decades as the afternoon DJ and sometimes program director. Muni was described by fellow WNEW-FM DJ Dennis Elsas as "the heart and soul of the place". Under assorted management changes during the 1990s WNEW-FM lost its way, and in 1998 Muni ended up as a one-hour noontime classic rock personality at WAXQ "Q104.3", where he worked until suffering a stroke in early 2004.

He died on September 28, 2004 at the age of 74 in New York City.  Muni was inducted into the Rock Radio Hall of Fame in the "Legends of Rock Radio-Programming" category for his work at WNEW in 2014. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2015.

➦In 1993...WNCN changed to active rock WAXQ in NYC

➦In 2010...Clay Cole died from a heart attacked at age 72 (BornAlbert Rucker Jr., January 1, 1938). He was a radio, TV personality host and disk jockey, best known for his eponymous television dance program, The Clay Cole Show, which aired in New York City on WNTA-TV and WPIX-TV from 1959 to 1968.

During the 1960s "British Invasion", musical acts arriving from the UK often appeared on Cole's television shows before doing network shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show. The Rolling Stones and The Who were among those who first appeared on Cole's television show.

➦In 2012…Global audience-measurement giant Nielsen, the dominant source of TV ratings, agreed to buy Arbitron for about $1.26 billion as they expanded into radio measurement.

➦In 2013...longtime Chicago ‘superjock’ Larry Lujack, who early in his career had a stint at KJR Seattle, succumbed to esophageal cancer at age 73.

Lujack initially came to Chicago to work for WCFL-AM. He spent a few months there before being hired at WLS. While at WCFL, Lujack drew the air studio curtains during public visiting hours.

Larry Lujack

"Animal Stories" came about because WLS was still receiving farm magazines long after they went into Rock and Roll in 1960.

Lujack started reading some of them and began airing stories from them.

A perfectionist about his work, Lujack would review every word he said on the air after each broadcast by listening to a "skimmer" cassette tape.

First at WCFL-AM and later at WLS-AM, a clear-channel station that could be heard far beyond Chicago, Lujack — known on the air as Uncle Lar’ or Superjock — spent 20 years spinning records and spouting opinions.

He became famous for regular features including “Klunk Letter of the Day” and “Cheap and Trashy Showbiz Report.” His best-known feature, done in collaboration with his longtime on-air partner Tommy Edwards (“Li’l Snot-Nose Tommy,” Mr. Lujack fondly called him), was “Animal Stories.”

Growing directly from the farm reports Mr. Lujack had to give early in his career, the feature involved his reading comic news reports about animals — among them the tale of a chicken who lived on despite having parted company with his head days before — to an astonished Edwards.

Lujack’s style, which also included strategic pauses, audible paper-shuffling and grandiloquent references to himself in the third person, demonstrably shaped that of Rush Limbaugh, who in 1990 told The New York Times Magazine that Lujack was “the only person I ever copied.”

According to The NY Times, Larry Lee Blankenburg was born in 1940 in Quasqueton, Iowa, and reared in Caldwell, Idaho. At 18 he joined KCID-AM in Caldwell, adopting the surname of his idol, the Chicago Bears quarterback Johnny Lujack.

After working at stations in Idaho and Washington State, Lujack joined WCFL in 1967 and moved to WLS four months later. Except for a four-year stint back at WCFL, he remained with WLS for the next two decades.

In 1984 WLS gave Lujack a 12-year, $6 million contract, making him one of the country’s highest-paid radio personalities. (“I am not the least bit excited,” he was reported to have said.) But in 1987, amid declining ratings, the station’s corporate parent, Capital Cities-ABC, bought out his contract.

His honors include membership in the Illinois Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame (“It’s not Mount Rushmore,” he said on learning of his induction) and the National Radio Hall of Fame.

➦In 2017...ESPN announced the surprise resignation of network President John Skipper over substance-abuse issues.

Keith Richards is 78

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Roger Mosley (“Magnum, P.I.”) is 83. 
• Guitarist Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones is 78. 
• Director Steven Spielberg is 75. 
• Movie critic Leonard Maltin is 71. 
• Guitarist Elliot Easton of The Cars is 68. 
• Actor Ray Liotta is 67. 
• Comedian Ron White is 65. 

• 

  Katie Holmes is 43

  Singer Angie Stone is 60. 
• Actor Brad Pitt is 58. 
• Wrestler-actor Stone Cold Steve Austin (“Chain of Command”) is 57. 
• Actor Shawn Christian (“Days of Our Lives”) is 56. 
• Actor Rachel Griffiths (“Brothers and Sisters,” ″Six Feet Under”) is 53. 
• Singer Alejandro Sanz is 53. 
• Country singer Cowboy Troy is 51. 
• DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit is 49. 
• Singer Sia is 46. 
• Country singer Randy Houser is 45. 
• Actor Josh Dallas (“Once Upon a Time”) is 43. 
• Actor Katie Holmes (“Dawson’s Creek”) is 43. 
• Singer Christina Aguilera is 41. 
• Actor Ashley Benson (“Pretty Little Liars”) is 32. 
• Actor Bridgit Mendler (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) is 29. 
• Singer Billie Eilish is 20. 
• Actor Isabella Crovetti (“Vampirina”) is 17.

Alden Sues Lee Over Rejection of Bid To Buy

The Alden Global Capital hedge fund stepped up its attempts to buy Lee Enterprises this week, filing a lawsuit that accuses its board of denying shareholders of the newspaper publisher a voice in the matter, reports The Chicago Tribune.

The publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Buffalo News and dozens of other newspapers rejected Alden’s offer to buy the company for $24 a share, or roughly $141 million, last Thursday calling the bid, “grossly undervalued.”

Alden argued in the lawsuit filed Wednesday that Lee shouldn’t have rejected its offer without even talking to the hedge fund. Alden also said Lee shouldn’t have refused to accept its nomination of three outside directors for technical reasons and has asked the court to order Lee to accept those nominees.

“Lee’s stockholder-unfriendly staggered board has exhibited all of the symptoms of severely entrenched leadership focused more on its own power than what’s best for the company,” Alden spokesperson Cameron Gurley said.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch pressman

Alden also said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Thursday that it plans to send Lee shareholders information about its director nominees in a proxy filing ahead of the company’s 2022 annual meeting, which is likely to be held in February.

Lee has been steadfast so far in its opposition to Alden, and the company said it doesn’t think the hedge fund will prevail in court.

“As we explained in detail on December 3, Alden’s director nomination notice was clearly invalid and we remain committed to acting in the best interests of all shareholders. Alden’s claims are baseless,” a Lee spokesman said in a prepared statement.

The New York hedge fund that owns 6.3% of Lee’s stock became one of the largest newspaper owners in the nation after swallowing all of Tribune’s newspapers - including the Chicago Tribune - earlier this year, but it has a history of imposing severe cost cuts and layoffs at newspapers.

Two other hedge funds that are among Lee’s largest shareholders, Praetorian Capital and Cannell Capital, have said they think the company is worth much more than Alden is offering.

Before rejecting Alden’s bid, Lee adopted a “poison-pill” plan that would make it more expensive for Alden to buy up Lee’s shares once it owns more than 10% of the company. At that point, the plan would allow Lee’s other shareholders to buy shares at a 50% discount or possibly get free shares for every share they already own.

Lee publishes nearly every daily newspaper in Nebraska in addition to those in St. Louis and Buffalo. Unions that represent journalists at those papers have come out strongly against Alden.

Wake-Up Call: CDC Cautions About Rare Blood Clots

With the Covid-19 omicron variant threat looming and already showing up in parts of the country amid an ongoing delta surge, just one week ahead of Christmas, health officials are urging those who aren't vaccinated to get vaccinated and those who are more than six months from their second shot to get a booster. But they now are saying you should get vaccinated with either Pfizer's or Moderna's vaccine, not with Johnson & Johnson's. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the recommendation yesterday because the J&J shot can in very rare cases cause serious blood clots, and it has caused nine confirmed deaths. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations not only don't have that risk, but also appear to be more effective.

NEW: People shouldn’t get J&J Covid-19 vaccine when Pfizer or Moderna shots are available, CDC advisory panel says. https://t.co/9yflPnRWN9

— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 16, 2021

🌪TORNADOES' DEATH TOLL UP TO 90 AFTER 13-YEAR-OLD'S BODY FOUND: The death toll from the tornadoes that roared through the Midwest and parts of the South last Friday night has risen to 90 in five states, including 76 deaths in Kentucky, after the discovery of a 13-year-old girl's body in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Thursday. Nyssa Brown was the seventh member of her family to die in the tornado that hit Bowling Green, including her parents, three siblings and a grandmother.

 

Workers at the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory where eight people were killed by tornadoes last weekend filed a class-action lawsuit against their employer late Wednesday night. https://t.co/E4dzowjRf4

— ABC News (@ABC) December 16, 2021

Candle Factory Survivors Sue: In another development, survivors of a tornado that destroyed a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, killing eight workers, have filed suit against the company, claiming it showed "flagrant indifference" by not allowing employees to go home early as the storm neared. The company has previously denied claims that workers were threatened with being fired if they left, saying they were free to leave anytime without retribution.

 ➤FDA REMOVES ABORTION PILL RESTRICTIONS: The Food and Drug Administration yesterday permanently ended a long-standing requirement that abortion pills have to be picked up in person. That means women in the U.S. will now be able to get a prescription for the medication through the mail after an online consultation. Prescribers will still have to undergo certification and training, and pharmacies dispensing the pills will also have to be certified, but the FDA said a scientific review supported no longer only allowing a small number of special clinics and doctors offices to dispense the pills. However, legal challenges are likely, as well as restrictions in Republican-led states, some of which have already outlawed their delivery by mail. About 40 percent of all abortions in the U.S. are now done via medication.

➤JUDGE REJECTS PURDUE PHARMA'S OPIOID BANKRUPTCY SETTLEMENT: OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement of thousands of lawsuits over the opioid epidemic was rejected by a federal judge Thursday over a provision that would protect members of the Sackler family, who are Purdue's owners, from facing litigation. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon ruled that bankruptcy law doesn't give the bankruptcy judge who accepted the plan the authority to grant that kind of release for people who aren't themselves declaring bankruptcy. Purdue said it would appeal, while also trying to come up with another agreement. Purdue sought bankruptcy protection in 2019 as it faced thousands of lawsuits claiming the company pushed doctors to prescribe OxyContin, helping start the ongoing opioid crisis.

U.S. Navy releases images of laser weapon test in the Mideast as drone boat threat looms https://t.co/D125Ru4pEf

— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 17, 2021

➤BIDEN PRESENTS MEDAL OF HONOR TO THREE SOLIDERS, TWO POSTHUMOUSLY: President Biden on Thursday presented the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award, to three soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, two of them posthumously. Honored in the White House ceremony were: Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee, a Special Forces soldier who fought off Taliban insurgents after an attack in Afghanistan in 2013; Sergeant 1st Class Christopher Celiz, an Army Ranger who died at age 32 after putting himself between Taliban fighters and a U.S. helicopter evacuating wounded soldiers in Afghanistan in 2018; and Sergeant 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, who died at age 35 as a result of burns he suffered while rescuing fellow soldiers from a burning vehicle in Iraq in 2005. The White House said Cashe is the first Black servicemember to receive the Medal of Honor for military actions since the Vietnam War.

➤EX-MCDONALD'S CEO RETURNS $105 MILLION OVER LYING ABOUT IMPROPER RELATIONSHIPS: Former McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook has returned $105 million in salary and stock to settle a misconduct case with the company. Easterbrook was fired in 2019 when it was revealed that he'd violated company policy by having a sexual relationship with an employee. However, he was still given a generous severance because he said he didn't have any other improper relationships as CEO. However, McDonald's later learned he had physical relationships with at least three other women, and gave one of them stock worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. With his return of the $105 million, McDonald's is dropping its lawsuit against Easterbrook, avoiding a trial.

➤CHRIS NOTH ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT BY TWO WOMEN:  Two women have accused Sex and the City actor Chris Noth of sexual assault.

Chris Noth

The two women, who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter using the names Zoe, now 40, and Lily, now 31, said that promotions and press reports of the HBO Max series And Just Like That..., in which Noth reprises his role as Mr. Big, "stirred painful memories."

Zoe told the outlet that the actor raped her from behind in his Los Angeles apartment in 2004. According to her account, she went to Cedars-Saini hospital with a friend following the incident, and told staff she had been assaulted but wouldn’t say who did it. 

 THR reports that Lily claims she was attacked in a similar manner at the actor's New York City apartment in 2015.

Zoe Lister-Jones

Contacted for comment, Noth sent THR a statement: “The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. These stories could’ve been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago — no always means no — that is a line I did not cross. The encounters were consensual. It’s difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out. I don’t know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women.”

Shortly after The Hollywood Reporter ran their report, Peloton pulled their ad featuring Noth. A spokesperson for the company told THR on Thursday (Dec. 16th), “Every single sexual assault accusation must be taken seriously. We were unaware of these allegations when we featured Chris Noth in our response to HBO’s reboot. As we seek to learn more, we have stopped promoting this video and archived related social posts.”

NY Post screenshot 12/17/21

➤SEARCH WARRANT ISSUED FOR ALEC BALDWIN'S CELL PHONE:  Alec Baldwin’s phone may contain evidence in the Rust shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

A New Mexico judge signed off on a search warrant for Baldwin’s mobile phone Thursday.

Documents obtained by TMZ show that Baldwin told investigators about emails between head armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and himself, in which she showed him different styles of guns and knives for the films. She allegedly showed him an antique Colt after he requested a larger gun.

Southwest Airlines CEO on masks:

"Masks don't add much, if anything." pic.twitter.com/WeTkYGlRS3

— The First (@TheFirstonTV) December 16, 2021

🧒CHILD EXPERT EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU BUY TOO MANY CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR YOUR KIDS:  Can you spoil a child with too many Christmas gifts? Maggie Dent is an Australian parenting author and educator, and explains, “[…] too many toys can limit a child’s creativity and lead to an addiction to ‘stuff,’ which children can tend to get bored with easily.” She advises parents not to “overdo” it with Christmas presents, adding, “Save your money to provide delicious, quality food instead and create enjoyable experiences you can have with your kids. It’s better to give a well-intentioned gift that really meets a special interest in your child.” Dent also says you should be careful to avoid giving gifts that prompt sibling rivalry, and try to get gifts that get your child “off the couch.” She also notes that boardgames can be good for learning “patience and how to lose well.”

🐈PET EXPERTS: WHY YOU SHOULDN’T SCARE YOUR CAT AWAY FROM THE CHRISTMAS TREE:   If you’ve been scaring your cat away from the Christmas tree, animal experts say there’s a better way to deal with it. The trend began on TikTok, where one user created a video explaining, “I saw a TikTok saying that if you traumatize your cat with your tree before putting it up they will leave it alone.” She then shakes her tree in the cat’s face, causing the animal to back up and run away. Her video got over 33 million views. In a follow-up video she noted the cat was fine and hasn’t touched the Christmas tree. Veterinarian Sarah Wooten tells Fox News this is not the best way to get your cat away from the tree. She explains, “This strategy will create conflict in your relationship with your cat, which can lead to additional behavioral or bonding problems down the road. [Scaring cars] may also create fear and anxiety that can result in behavioral or medical problems, such as redirected aggression toward other people or pets, stress diarrhea, [bladder issues], inappropriate elimination, or urinating or defecating anywhere in the house other than the litter box.” Instead, she suggests cat owners provide an alternative space where cats can spend time and stay occupied. Other experts note you can place tinfoil around the base of your tree to deter your pet safely, and that you should keep cats away from real candles, tinsel, metal ornament hooks, glass ornaments and exposed electric cords because they all are potential safety hazards.

🏈CHIEFS BEAT CHARGERS 34-28 IN OVERTIME: The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers 34-28 in overtime last night (December 16th), with Travis Kelce running in the winning touchdown after a 34-yard pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Kelce, who had a career-high 191 receiving yards, also caught a score-tying seven-yard touchdown pass with 1:16 left in the fourth quarter. Mahomes threw for a season-high 410 yards and three touchdowns.

TRAVIS KELCE WINS IT FOR THE @CHIEFS. #KCvsLAC #ChiefsKingdom @tkelce pic.twitter.com/4royb0bA6E

— NFL (@NFL) December 17, 2021

Chargers tight end Donald Parham suffered a scary injury in the first quarter when he appeared to lose consciousness after slamming his head on the turf. He was taken to the hospital, where the team said he was in stable condition.

😷NFL, NBA UPDATE COVID PROTOCOLS: The NFL and NBA both updated their Covid protocols yesterday in response to a surge in cases among players.

• NFL: The NFL is now requiring masks regardless of vaccination status, as well as remote or outdoor meetings. It is ending in-person meals, adding restrictions on activities outside the facility, banning outside visitors during team travel, and limiting the amount of people in team weight rooms. They also adjusted the type of testing rules for returning to play after recovering from Covid, which could lead to shorter times out.
• NBA: In the NBA, the league and players agreed to enhanced protocols through the holiday season. Being required to wear masks in most circumstances during team activities is returning, including during travel, when on the bench during games, in meetings, and in locker rooms, weight rooms and training rooms. Testing will also be increased from Decemer 26th through January 8th. The league also told teams that more requirements and recommendations would be coming in the next few days.

🏒CANADIENS AND FLYERS PLAY IN EMPTY ARENA DUE TO QUEBEC REQUEST DUE TO COVID: The Montreal Canadiens and Phildelphia Flyers played each other in an empty Bell Centre arena in Montreal after Quebec public health officials asked that no fans attend due to spiraling Covid-19 cases. The Canadiens said there would be an update later about the situation for Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins, but Montreal said it had been assured it would be allowed to return to partial capacity at the Bell Centre beginning in January.

➤BRADY ANNOUNCES NIL DEALS WITH 10 COLLEGE ATHLETES FOR APPAREL BRAND: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady announced yesterday that he'd signed 10 college athletes to name, image and likeness (NIL) deals for his new apparel brand, called Brady. Athletes from six sports are represented in the brand's first class, including Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and Maryland basketball forward Julian Reese. ESPN reports that the new line will debut in January.

➤FORMER NFL WIDE RECEIVER VINCENT JACKSON DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE 2 CTE AFTER FEBRUARY DEATH: Former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who was found dead in a Florida hotel in February at age 38, has been diagnosed as having Stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the Concussion Legacy Foundation announced Thursday (December 16th). Jackson, who spent 12 years in the NFL with the Chargers and the Buccaneers before retiring in 2016, was found in the hotel, where he'd been staying for a month, after his family reported him missing. Dr. Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System and director of the BU CTE Center, said in a statement, "Vincent Jackson was a brilliant, disciplined, gentle giant whose life began to change in his mid-30s. He became depressed, with progressive memory loss, problem solving difficulties, paranoia, and eventually extreme social isolation." Jackson's cause of death has not been announced.

Detroit Radio: WJR Reveals New Programming Line-Up

CUMULUS MEDIA announces that Detroit’s 760 WJR has finalized a new on-air programming lineup, just in time for its 100th year anniversary celebration in 2022. This week, the heritage Talk station launched the new ‘All Talk’ show in late mornings, “All Talk with Tom Jordan and Kevin Dietz”, capping a year of evolutionary moves that position WJR for its next 100 years serving the Detroit area with the best news, information, opinion and analysis.

The Centennial retooling of WJR was accelerated by the retirement last December of WJR’s longtime News Director, Dick Haefner, the February death of Rush Limbaugh, a two-decade figure on WJR, and the retirement of 50-year station veteran Frank Beckmann in March. Since then, WJR has put in place a series of moves including:

Ann Thomas has been promoted from Senior Executive Producer to Assistant Program Director of WJR. Thomas is approaching 30 years at WJR as a news reporter, anchor, and morning show producer. The promotion reflects Thomas’ growth in participation and influence on every aspect of WJR programming.

Paul W. Smith, who recently celebrated his 25th anniversary as WJR morning host, is joined by co-host Sean Baligian, who has spent most of his career in Detroit sports, including as pre- and post-game host of WJR’s Detroit Lions coverage. Baligian’s transition to general talk in recent years brings new insights and fresh perspectives as he partners with a Michigan broadcast legend.

Frank Beckmann’s former late morning shift is rebranded as “All Talk with Tom Jordan and Kevin Dietz”. A pair of former TV reporters, Tom Jordan spent the past eight years as morning host at crosstown WWJ and Kevin Dietz joins after a 26-year run as a Detroit TV reporter with a focus on investigative reporting. The show airs from 9AM-NOON, as Jordon and Dietz cover the headlines and happenings that Detroiters are talking about. The highly engaging duo mixes it up, with politics, social issues, sports, business news, and more.

Laura Hessen moves from the “Guy Gordon Show” to serve as Executive Producer of “All Talk with Tom Jordan and Kevin Dietz”.

Westwood One’s Dan Bongino was added to the WJR lineup in June, replacing the late Rush Limbaugh.

Nick Roddy, former Detroit Lions Broadcast Producer, takes the reins as Executive Producer of the 3PM-5PM “Guy Gordon Show”.

Blake Majchrzak joins WJR as Studio & Audio Engineer for the “Mitch Albom Show”. Albom, NY Times Best Selling Author, philanthropist and newspaper columnist also celebrated his 25th year with WJR – making his show the longest-running afternoon show in Detroit - from 5PM-7PM.

FOX News Radio has been added as the WJR network news provider and WJR news reporter/anchor Marie Osborne, WJR producer Chris Renwick and former WJR news reporter Lloyd Jackson have signed on as the first WJR Senior News Analysts, covering, writing and producing stories and presenting them across the day within the local WJR talk shows. The Senior News Analysts present the story, add analysis and participate in discussions with the WJR Talent and listeners. This first-of-its-kind approach strengthens WJR’s local news coverage and provides a cornerstone for the topics covered by WJR on-air hosts.

Ken Rogulski joins Dayna Clark to provide in-house coverage of WJR’s Traffic and Weather First.

WJR is also announcing major upgrades on weekends by adding legendary Detroit Morning Show Host Jim Harper with his Great Michigan Weekend Show. Weekday specialty programming additions also include four-time Stanley Cup Champion Darren McCarty, WJR Sports fan favorite Steve Courtney and popular local television personality Jamie Edmonds.

Steve Finateri, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Detroit, said: “We are extremely proud of this team, their credentials, their integrity and their ability to represent WJR and Cumulus in the tradition expected by all Michiganders! The new talent we’ve added around our longtime superstars Paul W. Smith, Guy Gordon and Mitch Albom makes WJR one of the most powerful and trusted media outlets among all peers. Individually they each are ‘A’ players with big brands, and as a collective group of broadcasters, we feel we have the absolute strongest lineup in Michigan radio, maybe anywhere in the country.”

Mike Wheeler, Programming Operations Manager, Cumulus Detroit, and Program Director, 760 WJR, commented: “In a transitory business, WJR has been a symbol of permanence in Michigan. Most who come to WJR, stay at WJR. But the last year has brought an unprecedented amount of change and we have used this opportunity to reevaluate and rethink how we do Talk Radio. These changes are the exciting result of that process.”