March 13 Radio History

➦In 1903...Charles D. Livingstone was born (died at age 83 - July 28, 1986) He was a favorite director of the two men who put Detroit in the forefront of live radio drama in the '30s and '40s with such programs as "The Lone Ranger," "The Green Hornet" and "Sgt. Preston of the Yukon."

A University of Michigan graduate, Livingstone began his professional career as an actor in stock companies and on Broadway. He joined Detroit radio station WXYZ in 1933, playing minor roles in "Warner Lester" and "The Lone Ranger" and a major part in "Thrills of the Secret Service." George W. Trendle, an attorney, and John H. King, a theater owner, had decided to turn to the infant medium of radio after the stock market crash of 1929.

They found an assortment of writers, actors and directors, and bought WXYZ. Their successes with the "Ranger" and "Hornet" enabled them to expand the shows to WGN in Chicago and WOR in New York. The three stations became the mainstay of the Mutual Network in the mid-1930s.

Livingstone was named the station's dramatic director in 1938 and remained there until 1954, when he went to Hollywood to help film "The Lone Ranger" for television.

 ➦In 1922...WRR-AM, Dallas, TX signed-on.

WRR-AM was Texas’ first broadcast station. Owned by the City of Dallas, the original studio and transmitter was located in the Dallas Fire Department central headquarters.

WRR-AM actually dates back to 1921 as the wireless operation of the Dallas Police and Fire Departments.

The station received a formal license as a "land station" from the Bureau of Navigation on August 4, 1921, and was assigned the call letters "WRR".  In later years, the call letters would be said to stand for “Where Radio Radiates”.   According to WRR’s original license, the station operated with a “composite” transmitting system (i.e. “homemade”), and was authorized to operate at a power of up to 100 watts, giving the station an approximate range of 200 nautical miles.

According to DFW Radio Archives, there were often long stretches of time when there were no fire or police calls to broadcast, so to ensure the equipment was indeed working (and perhaps satisfy their own curiosity with the strange new device), the dispatchers started to resort to other means of occupying the airwaves.  They would read articles from the Dallas News or Herald, read letters, and tell jokes.  Soon they had even brought in a phonograph player to place next to the microphone and send music over the airwaves.

A small but growing audience became fascinated by the magically transferred voices and music – these were the very beginnings of radio in north Texas.

WRR soon began to evolve into a “real” radio station.  WRR’s initial license was issued through the Bureau of Navigation and fell into a categorical no-man’s land - while operating as a “broadcast” station, it was licensed as if it were a point-to-point operation.  WRR did not receive a true broadcast license from the Commerce Department's Radio Division until March 13, 1922.

WRR-FM signed on in 1948, playing classical music.  WRR-AM focused on popular music until it switched to all-news in 1975.

Bonneville Broadcasting bought the station in 1978.  It became KAAM.  It became all-sports KTCK in 1994.  Today, Cumulus Media owns “Sports Radio 1310: The Ticket.”

The city kept WRR-FM, which remains on the air as a classical station.  Taxpayers do not sustain WRR.  It operates commercially, depending upon advertising revenue.

➦In 1923...Production of the first radio set incorporating a loudspeaker. All previously produced sets had required the use of headphones, which were considered a nuisance because they were so heavy to wear and messed up hairdos. The new radios were also said to have a “foolproof” design.

➦In 1938...“World News Roundup” aired CBS Radio Network for the first time.

The CBS World News Roundup is the longest-running network radio newscast in the United States. It airs weekday mornings and evenings on the CBS Radio Network.

Robert Trout

It first went on-air on March 13, 1938 at 8 p.m. ET as a one-time special in response to growing tensions in Europe -- specifically the Anschluss, during which Adolf Hitler annexed Austria.

When the show first went on the air it was hosted by veteran radio personality Robert Trout. The first show gave the world the voices of Edward R. Murrow and William L. Shirer. In fact, it was the first time Murrow had ever delivered a news report. During the early years of the war, Murrow's reports from London and Shirer's reports from Berlin were essential listening to anyone trying to keep informed on events unfolding in Europe.

The program was a 38-minute special report from multiple locations around the world as the pre-war crisis mounts. It was the first time that on-the-scene European field correspondents were linked with a central anchor in New York for a national broadcast. A recording of the first episode, as well as some others, is available at the Internet Archive.

Most broadcast references credit either CBS President William S. Paley or News Director Paul White as coming up with the idea for the show, as a way to trump Max Jordan's NBC coverage of the Anschluss. The previous day, Shirer had flown from Vienna to London at the request of Murrow (the CBS European chief) to give the first uncensored eyewitness account of Germany's takeover of Austria.

It was White who relayed the order to Murrow and Shirer for the first Roundup. The two, Murrow in Vienna and Shirer in London, then had the responsibility of linking up reporters and circuits that same day...a Sunday, when many of the key people would be mostly unreachable.

The format was so successful that it was repeated the following evening, and then revived later that year during the Sudetenland crisis. Eventually, it evolved into a daily show.

As World War II raged in Europe, the Roundup format spawned a weekend edition, The World Today. It was just before one 2:30 p.m. Eastern broadcast, on December 7, 1941, that White and World Today anchor John Charles Daly received word in New York that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. Daly's report at the top of the show, among the first on any radio station or network, is the one most often used in audio retrospectives.

➦In 1956…'Elvis Presley' is the debut studio album by Elvis Presley. It was released on RCA Victor, catalog number LPM-1254, in March 1956.

The recording sessions took place on January 10 and January 11 at the RCA Victor recording studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and on January 30 and January 31 at the RCA Victor studios in New York. Additional material originated from sessions at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, on July 5, August 19 and September 10 of 1954, and on July 11, 1955.

The album spent ten weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart in 1956, the first rock and roll album ever to make it to the top of the chart.

Stacy Harris

➦In 1973...Stacy Harris died from an apparent heart attack at age 54  (Born - July 26, 1918). He was a Canadian-born actor with hundreds of radio, film and television appearances

Harris was best known for his role as agent Jim Taylor on ABC Radio's This is Your FBI. In 1946, Jerry Devine, that program's producer-director, told newspaper columnist Jack O'Brian: "Stacy has just the sort of voice I need for the quiet authority of the special agent on my show. On top of that, he's a good actor, and it's a combination on radio which can't be beat."

His other roles in radio programs included Batman in The Adventures of Superman, and Ted Blades in The Strange Romance of Evelyn Winters. He was also a member of the casts of Confession, Dragnet,  Pepper Young's Family, Destiny's Trails and Frontier Gentleman

He also appeared in scores of TV series over a 20 year period, including recurring roles in Bonanza, Dragnet, Wagon Train, Zane Grey Theatre, Perry Mason, Laramie & Return to Peyton Place.

➦In 1992…the FCC unleashed a new era in radio ownership.  The rules were changed to allow corporations to own as many as 30 AM & 30 FM stations (the former limit was 12).

➦In 2017...John Andariese, the white-haired, NBA Knicks radio and television analyst whose love of basketball earned him the nickname Johnny Hoops, died  at age 78.

“He was all basketball,” Marv Albert, one of Mr. Andariese’s radio and television partners, said in an interview. “He was in very good shape for a long time, and he was always looking for a game. One of his thrills was on game day at Madison Square Garden — he’d play on the court with Garden employees.”

Neil Sedaka is 83

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Jazz drummer Roy Haynes is 97. 
• Songwriter Mike Stoller is 89. 
• Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka is 83. 

• 

  Tracy Wells is 51

  Singer Candi Staton is 82. 
• Actor William H. Macy is 72. 
• Comedian Robin Duke is 68. 
• Actor Dana Delaney (“Body of Proof” ″China Beach”) is 66. 
• Bassist Adam Clayton of U2 is 62. 
• Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard is 60. 
• Drummer Matt McDonough of Mudvayne is 53. 
• Actor Annabeth Gish (“The West Wing,” ″The X-Files”) 53 
• Actor Tracy Wells (“Mr. Belvedere”) is 51. 
• Rapper Common is 50. 
• Rapper Khujo of Goodie Mob is 50. 
• Singer Glenn Lewis is 47. 
• Actor Danny Masterson (“That ’70s Show”) is 46. 
• Musicians Natalie and Nicole Albino of Nina Sky are 38. 
• Actor Noel Fisher (“Shameless”) is 38. 
• Actor Emile Hirsch (“Into the Wild”) is 37.

Norah O’Donnell’s Attitude Questioned at ‘CBS Evening News’

“CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell is in third place in the ratings, but NY Post is reporting sources at the network gripe that she’s got a first-class attitude — even as she faces getting sidelined by her sharp-elbowed, bean-counting boss, reports The NY Post.

CBS News co-president Neeraj Khemlani — who has been slashing costs in a bid to make the network profitable — is eyeing O’Donnell, who reportedly makes between $6 million and $8 million a year, and whose contract is set to expire this spring.

Accusations that Khemlani wanted to replace O'Donnell first rose last year at which time he said there were no plans for staffing changes. Khemlani has not commented on the most recent replacement rumors. However, he did say Friday: 'We support Norah and the Evening News team and the quality journalism they deliver each and every night'.

“The next big decision from him is revamping the ‘Evening News,’” said a CBS insider, who explained that the network can find a cheaper alternative to be last in the ratings.

“It’s not a money maker,” a second source said, adding that O’Donnell’s “toxic behavior” is weighing the show down.

Speculation that her days are numbered has surged since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war. O’Donnell is the only evening TV news anchor who isn’t in Eastern Europe, which has taken a toll on ratings.

For the week of Feb. 28, CBS’ total viewers sank to less than 5.1 million, trailing NBC’s 7.4 million and ABC’s 8.8 million, Nielsen said. Prior to the war, O’Donnell was reaching around 5.6 million to 5.3 million viewers a night.

Tony Dokoupil

“David Muir, Lester Holt and Anderson Cooper are all in Ukraine. Where’s Norah? We are in the middle of a war and she’s reporting from Washington, DC,” said a source. “Either she didn’t want to go or leadership didn’t want her to go. It’s bad either way.”

Meanwhile, “CBS Mornings” anchor Tony Dokoupil, rumored as a possible successor to O’Donnell, has been reporting from Poland and appearing on her show nightly. Sources said O’Donnell is finally being sent to Poland this weekend and will report from there on Monday, but some insiders say “it’s too late.”

The 48-year-old anchor’s routine includes a full “dress rehearsal” of the “Evening News” half an hour before the show airs — an often tense ritual that has seen O’Donnell chewing out dressing room stylists over her hair and makeup, sources said.

“She’s a news actress,” another insider said, noting that the dress rehearsals are “very unusual” for news broadcasts — especially for an anchor who’s three years into a job. A third added that the show’s producers use the quirky routine as a way to coach the “robotic” O’Donnell and “make her look more human,” by critiquing how she delivers the news and reads from the teleprompter.

Some of O’Donnell’s staffers in DC won’t miss her while she’s gone. Insiders said O’Donnell has a $65,000-a-year wardrobe allowance and she is particular about which designers she wears.

Louisville Radio: Drew Deener MIA At WHBE After Arrest

Drew Deener

One of Louisville sports talk radio's most prominent voices has been off the airwaves for nearly a week after domestic violence charges were filed against him following a weekend arrest, reports The Courier-Journal.

Drew Deener, vice president of WHBE ESPN Louisville radio and the station's daily host from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., pleaded not guilty to charges of fourth-degree domestic violence assault at his first court appearance Wednesday, according to court records.

Deener has not appeared on the air since the Saturday arrest and is currently on administrative leave, according to a statement from ESPN Louisville. Guests have filled in to host his daily show each morning this week.

Deener was charged over the weekend with fourth-degree assault after an alleged altercation in the parking lot of a Rooster's restaurant along Shelbyville Road.

His Louisville Metro Police citation said a woman accused him of grabbing her head and slamming it into the side of a vehicle during an argument. The woman suffered minor injuries and declined EMS services, according to the report.

A former co-sports director for WHAS-11 who's worked in local radio since 2008, Deener's morning show generally revolves around University of Louisville athletics, with occasional discussions of other topics such as horse racing.

His program, The Deener Show, airs each weekday on 680 AM and 93.9 FM. The two stations are owned by the Louisville First Radio Group, a joint venture between Union Broadcasting and Word Media Group that aims to offer comprehensive coverage of the Cardinals.

Deener's next court date is set for March 29, according to court records.

DST: Lawmakers Debate The Need For Time Change

It’s time to Spring Forward again, as most of the U.S. shifts Sunday into daylight-saving time. If it were up to some lawmakers, the lost hour of sleep every March would be but a fixture of the past.

According To Fox Business, the tradition of setting clocks forward in the spring and backward in the fall has been a source of debate and consternation for decades. Efforts to make daylight-saving time—or, in some cases, standard time—permanent have bubbled up in state houses over the years. But the bipartisan cause to stop the time changes has gained renewed momentum recently, with lawmakers citing studies identifying the negative effects of clock changes on people’s health and the economy.

Eighteen states have passed legislation or resolutions in the past four years making daylight-saving time permanent, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In 2022, 28 states are weighing bills regarding the time changes, according to the group, which tracks state laws. The majority of the 68 measures seek to make daylight-saving time the permanent standard—making the changes less likely to be swiftly enacted. 

Under current federal law, any state can choose to observe standard time year-round. But states can’t move to follow daylight-saving time permanently without changes to federal law.

A bipartisan group of senators, including Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) and Ed Markey (D., Mass.), reintroduced legislation in March 2021 to make daylight-saving time the year-round standard. The legislation would allow similar laws passed in states including Florida, Georgia, Delaware, Oregon and Louisiana to take effect. But the bill hasn’t made much progress in the past year.

"Switching in and out of daylight-saving time is outdated," Mr. Rubio said in a video message Thursday, renewing calls for action. "Let’s just lock the clock once and for all and put all this stupidity behind us."

Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia observe daylight-saving time eight months a year, and standard time the remaining four months; Arizona, aside from the Navajo Nation, and Hawaii observe standard time year-round. The U.S. began using daylight-saving time in 1918. The Uniform Time Act in 1966 set the current policy as a way to conserve energy; Congress voted in 2005 to extend daylight-saving time by two months.

The idea was to extend the benefits of daylight-saving time for as long as possible in the spring, summer and fall, without having late-morning sunrises in the winter, said David Prerau, author of "Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time" who said he assisted lawmakers with the policy changes in 2005.

"I think the current system is about the best we can do," Dr. Prerau said. "It is not pleasant to lose an hour of sleep. But there were ways to mitigate that. It’s no different than traveling from Chicago to New York."

Lawmakers hoping to make daylight-saving time permanent say it would reduce car accidents, risks for heart attacks and reduce energy use. Some researchers, however, have questioned the role that time change plays in energy conservation and its correlation to negative health impacts.

ESPN Hopes To Team Buck, Aikman

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Joe Buck is expected to leave Fox Sports for ESPN, where he will become the voice of “Monday Night Football,” The NY Post reports. 

Buck, 52, has called the World Series for nearly a quarter century and was Fox’s play-by-player on six Super Bowls. 

On Friday, Fox granted Buck permission to speak with ESPN, according to sources. A deal is expected to come to fruition shortly. 

With Fox, Buck had one year and near $10 million remaining on his contract. Fox, though, is letting him out early as a gesture for his years of service to the company. He is expected to sign a contract in the five-year, $60-$75 million range with ESPN, according to sources. 

Fox tried to keep Buck with an offer of $12 million per year. 

At ESPN, Buck will join his longtime partner Troy Aikman in the MNF booth. The Post previously reported that Aikman agreed to a five-year, $92.5 million contract, according to sources. 

At ESPN, Buck, besides calling “Monday Night Football,” is expected to be involved in producing ESPN+ projects, as well. In exchange for letting Buck out of his contract a year early, Fox will receive the ability to choose one Big Ten football game earlier next season, according to a source. The two networks share the rights to the Big Ten and there is a drafting system that is utilized to pick games. The two sides began talks late Thursday night. 

Over the past year, ESPN chairman, Jimmy Pitaro, a diehard Yankees fan, has been on a George Steinbrenner-like shopping spree to glamorize the once-vaunted MNF booth. 

With Buck moving to ESPN, it blocked Al Michaels from possibly joining Aikman there. ESPN planned to consider Michaels if it were unable to lure Buck. ESPN favored Buck over Michaels for this type of outlay as it wanted to have its Super Bowl team for 2027 in place.

Michaels, 77, has been on the one-yard line with Amazon about being the voice of its “Thursday Night Football” coverage. He had wanted to know who his partner would be. Amazon has agreed to a contract with ESPN’s college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, according to sources. Herbstreit will remain on ESPN’s College GameDay and as its lead game analyst. 

Michaels is a free agent because NBC decided to replace him with Mike Tirico as its lead Sunday Night Football play-by-player. Michaels called the Super Bowl for NBC last month.

Meanwhile, Kirk Herbstreit has officially agreed to a deal with Amazon to be its game analyst when it begins its exclusive coverage of “Thursday Night Football,” according to The NY Post citing sources. 

Herbstreit will continue with ESPN, where he will be on College GameDay and be the network’s No. 1 game analyst for college football. 

NBC’s Peacock May Stream MLB Sundays

NBCUniversal’s Peacock is finalizing a deal with Major League Baseball for exclusive rights to stream games in a new Sunday time slot, according to The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the discussions, as the league looks to increase digital partnerships.

The deal with NBCUniversal, a unit of Comcast Corp., would involve a package of 18 games, some beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET and others just after noon, the people said. That would limit the conflict with Sunday games that typically start at 1 p.m., making the telecasts more valuable for Peacock. The games would primarily be played on the East Coast, given the early timing.

The games would be available exclusively for paying Peacock subscribers, meaning consumers wouldn’t have access through traditional cable-TV packages or other streaming services, such as MLB’s direct-to-consumer app, the people familiar with the discussions said.

Talks are continuing, and a deal could be announced in the coming days, the people said. The league is coming off a labor standoff with the players’ union that delayed the start of the 2022 season. The two parties on Thursday agreed to a new labor contract; opening day is now scheduled for April 7.

MLB is hard at work to maximize the value of its media rights and cash in on new demand from streaming services. That requires carving up its schedule in creative ways. Earlier this week, Apple Inc. announced it would broadcast MLB games on Apple TV+ on Friday nights, another exclusive set of games that will be available only on the streaming platform.

Streaming services are finding live sports to be a major draw in their push to sign up viewers and subscribers—just as they have long been in the traditional TV world. Streamers like Apple and Peacock “need more ammunition,” said Daniel Cohen, senior vice president of global media-rights consulting at Octagon. “And nothing is better when it comes to being an audience aggregator than live sports.”

Walt Disney Co. ’s ESPN broadcasts MLB games, mostly on Sunday nights, while WarnerMedia’s Turner Sports and Fox Sports also air national baseball games. MLB has also recently been seeking a buyer for a package of nonexclusive weeknight games, which used to be carried by ESPN. Amazon.com Inc., a minority owner in the YES Network, is expected to stream 21 New York Yankees games this season.

One America News Sues ATT Over DirecTv Drop

One America News is suing DirecTV and parent company AT&T for breach of contract after the TV provider dropped the far-right cable channel from its lineup in January.

The Wrap reports Herring Networks, which owns OAN, alleges that AT&T gave into pressure from “liberal organizations” such as the NAACP and Media Matters for America in its decision.

The 36-page lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of California in San Diego on Monday. It alleges DirecTV, AT&T and company board chair William Kennar have committed breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with business expectancy and violated California’s Unfair Competition Law.

“This is an action to redress the unchecked influence and power that Defendants have wielded in an attempt to unlawfully destroy an independent, family-run business and impede the right of American television viewers to watch the news media channels and programs of their choice,” Herring Networks stated in the filing.

The lawsuit states that the defendants “bowed to political pressure and have put their unlawful interests and the unlawful personal, political, and financial interests of their management ahead of contractual and legal obligations… These wrongdoings are part and parcel of a larger, coordinated, extremely well-financed political scheme to take down Herring and unlawfully destroy its ability to operate in the media business.”

The company, which maintains it has lost up to $1 billion, is seeking compensatory damages, attorney fees and other relief deemed “just and proper” by a jury.

A spokesperson for DirecTV told TheWrap on Friday, “These claims are baseless, and we are confident that we have fully complied with both the law and our agreement.”

Fox Says Distribution Fees Make-Up Greater Share of Revenue

While it continues to see strong advertising revenues, Fox Corp's distribution revenues are taking greater share of its overall business, reports Mediapost.

At the company, over the last few years, advertising-to-distribution revenue share was about 50-50. “That has shifted to about 45-55, advertising-to-distribution,’” said Lachlan Murdoch, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Corp., speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference. Still, he adds: “Advertising has remained very strong.”

Even with cord-cutting, distribution revenues (cable carriage and broadcast retransmission fees) continue to grow at Fox, especially on the strength of its Fox News Channel. Murdoch says the company doesn’t position itself as competition against other cable TV networks -- but instead, compares itself to broadcast networks.

“We are an essential part of the bundle,” he says. “When we look at pricing of distribution, we are competing in ratings with the broadcast networks. We don’t compare ourselves to other cable channels. It is almost broadcast retransmission pricing.”

Murdoch also touts major advertising growth at Fox News Channel. Not only is overall viewership climbing again, but in particular, certain political-minded viewers that one might associate with its competitors CNN and MSNBC.

“We have more Democrats and Independents [politically minded viewers] watching Fox News than watching MSNBC or CNN... Advertisers have noticed that, and we have a broader array of advertisers than we ever had before," Murdoch says.

Heading into the upfront advertising selling season, Murdoch says, current TV scatter pricing for news content and sports TV programming on the Fox Television Network and Fox Sports channels is 20% to 25% higher than last year’s pricing.

Also for this year, Murdoch expects political advertising for this midterm election cycle to best the results the last time around in 2018, when Fox Corp. posted a total of $180 million on a company-wide basis.

Fox Corp., now three years old, continues to hone its national TV sports and news focus, coming primarily from its Fox Television Network and Fox News Channel, respectively.

Discovery Shareholders Okay WarnerMedia Merger

Discovery Inc shareholders voted Friday to approve the media company's $43 billion merger with WarnerMedia, moving the deal one step closer to completion, reports Reuters.

Shareholders approved various measures, such as charter amendments and a share issuance proposal, related to the transaction. They also supported golden parachute payments to executives, in case the transaction fails to close.

The outcome was all but assured, as two of Discovery's major investors, John C. Malone and Advance/Newhouse, agreed to vote their shares in favor of the merger. They together represent 43% of Discovery's voting shares.

In May, AT&T announced it would spin-off WarnerMedia, whose assets include HBO, CNN and the Warner Bros studio, and merge it with Discovery. The combination would create one of the world's largest media companies with a breadth of well-known film franchises and television series, including Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings, "Succession" and the reality-series "90 Day Fiance" and "Property Brothers."

The transaction has cleared regulatory reviews by the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission. Earlier this week, AT&T and Discovery secured funding for the deal through a $30 billion bond offering.

The merger is expected to close as soon as April, with Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav leading the new Warner Brothers Discovery.

March 12 Radio History

➦In 1900...Early radio announcer Harlow Wilcox born (Died - September 24, 1960 at age 60).

Harlow Wilcox

Radio shows for which Wilcox was announcer included Amos 'n' Andy, The Baby Snooks Show, Ben Bernie, Fibber McGee and Molly, Frank Merriwell, Hap Hazard, Hollywood Premiere, Suspense, The Victor Borge Show,  Your Electric Servant, Blondie, Boston Blackie and The Passing Parade.

Wilcox came from a show business-oriented family, with a father who played in the Ringling Brothers circus band and a sister who played violin both in vaudeville and in classical concerts. Harlow took vocal lessons and briefly performed on stage. His first radio work was for station WGES in Chicago in 1930. In January of 1934, he was signed as a Chicago staff announcer by NBC.

An April 1944 article in Radio Mirror magazine reported:  Wilcox was one of the masters of the integrated commercial, a technique that was popularized on Ed Wynn's and Jack Benny's shows. Instead of stopping the story for the mid-show commercial, Wilcox would just show up and work his plug into the plot, much to Fibber's consternation. Fibber tagged Wilcox with the nickname "Waxy" for his ability to turn any conversation topic to Johnson's Wax.

➦In 1912... orchestra leader Paul Weston was born Paul Wetstein in Springfield Mass.  First big break was as arranger for Rudy Vallee’s Fleischmann Hour on NBC Radio.  Worked as arranger for Tommy Dorsey, Dinah Shore and Bob Crosby, then joined Capitol Records, where he met & married singer Jo Stafford. He worked on radio with Johnny Mercer’s Music Shop, his wife’s Chesterfield Supper Club, & the Joan Davis & Duffy’s Tavern sitcoms.  In TV Weston was musical director for Danny Kaye, Jonathan Winters, Jim Nabors, etc. He died Sep 20, 1996 at age 84.

➦In 1917...Georgia Ellis was born (Died – March 30, 1988). She was an actress who is best known for her recurring role of Kitty in the Western radio drama Gunsmoke.  Other featured radio credits include Dragnet, Dr. Kildare, Escape, Romance, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, This is Your FBI, and dozens of lesser known series.

➦In 1923...Radio pioneer Dr. Lee DeForest developed a sound-on-film optical recording system called Phonofilm and demonstrated it in theatres between 1923 and 1927. Although it was basically correct in principle, its operating quality was poor, and he found himself unable to interest film producers in its possibilities. Paradoxically, within a few years’ time, the motion-picture industry converted to talking pictures by using a sound-on-film process similar to de Forest’s.

➦In 1933...President Franklin D Roosevelt spoke to American in his first fireside chat, just days after his inauguration. The chats were a series of 30 evening radio addresses given between 1933 and 1944. Roosevelt spoke with familiarity to millions of Americans about the promulgation of the Emergency Banking Act in response to the banking crisis, the recession, New Deal initiatives, and the course of World War II.

On radio, he was able to quell rumors and explain his policies. His tone and demeanor communicated self-assurance during times of despair and uncertainty. Roosevelt was regarded as an effective communicator on radio, and the fireside chats kept him in high public regard throughout his presidency.  The name 'Fireside Chats' was coined by CBS newsman, Robert Trout.

➦In 1953...Rufus Thomas, rhythm-and-blues, funk, soul and blues singer, songwriter, dancer, DJ and comic entertainer from Memphis, signed with Sun Records.

➦In 1985...Orchestra leader Eugene Ormandy died at age 85 (Born November 18, 1899). He was a Hungarian-American conductor and violinist, best known for his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as its music director. The maestro's 44-year association with the orchestra is one of the longest enjoyed by any conductor with a single orchestra. Under his baton, the Philadelphia Orchestra had three gold records and won two Grammy Awards.

➦In 2001...Sean Morton Downey died at age 68 (Born - December 9, 1932). He better known as Morton Downey Jr., was a radio, television talk show host of the late-1980s who pioneered the "trash TV" format on his program The Morton Downey Jr. Show

He was a program director and announcer at radio station WPOP in Hartford, Connecticut in the 1950s. He went on to work as a disc jockey, sometimes using the moniker "Doc" Downey, in various markets around the U.S., including Phoenix (KRIZ), Miami (WFUN), Kansas City (KUDL), San Diego (KDEO) and Seattle (KJR).

Downey Jr.

Like his father, Downey pursued a career in music, recording in both pop and country styles. He sang on a few records and then began to write songs, several of which were popular in the 1950s and 1960s.  In the 1980s, Downey was a talk show host at KFBK-AM in Sacramento, California, where he employed his abrasive style. He was fired in 1984. He was replaced by Rush Limbaugh, who has held the time slot ever since, later via his national syndication.

Downey also had a stint on WMAQ-AM in Chicago.  His third – and final – attempt at a talk radio comeback occurred in 1997 on Cleveland radio station WTAM in a late evening time slot.  It marked his return to the Cleveland market, where Downey had been a host for crosstown radio station WERE in the early 1980s prior to joining KFBK. This stint came shortly after the surgery for lung cancer that removed one of his lungs. At WTAM, Downey abandoned the confrontational schtick of his TV and previous radio shows, and conducted this program in a much more conversational and jovial manner.

Barbara Feldon is 89

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Barbara Feldon (“Get Smart”) is 89. 
• Actor-singer Liza Minnelli is 76. 
• Singer-songwriter James Taylor is 74. 
• Singer Bill Payne of Little Feat is 73. 
• Actor Jon Provost (TV: “Lassie”) is 72. 
• Bassist Steve Harris of Iron Maiden is 66. 
• Actor Lesley Manville (“Phantom Thread”) is 66. 

• 

  Kendall Applegate is 23

  Singer Marlon Jackson of The Jackson Five is 65. 
• Actor Courtney B. Vance is 62. 
• Actor Titus Welliver (“Deadwood”) is 60. 
• Actor Julia Campbell (“Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion”) 59. 
• Actor Jake Weber (TV’s “Medium,” film’s “Dawn of the Dead”) 59. 
• Actor Aaron Eckhart (“The Dark Knight”) is 54. 
• Guitarist Graham Coxon of Blur is 53. 
• Drummer Tommy Bales of Flynnville Train is 49. 
• Actor Rhys Coiro (“Hostages,” “Entourage”) is 43. 
• Country singer Holly Williams is 41. 
• Actor Samm Levine (“Freaks and Geeks”) is 40. 
• Actor Jaimie Alexander (TV’s “Blindspot”) is 38. 
• Actor Tyler Patrick Jones (“Ghost Whisperer”) is 28. A
• Actor Kendall Applegate (“Desperate Housewives”) is 23.

Philly Radio: iHM Launches Rumba 106.1 FM

iHeartMedia debuts Rumba 106.1, # 1 Para Reggaetón Y Variedad En Philadelphia, effective immediately. WISX Rumba 106.1 will air high energy contemporary top 40 hits from the most popular genres in Latin music today, such as Reggaetón, Urban Pop, Bachata, Salsa and more.

Listeners can tune in to hear music from some of their favorite Latinx artists including Bad Bunny, J. Balvin, Karol G, Marc Anthony and more. Listeners can tune in to hear the biggest hits from their favorite Latinx artists including Bad Bunny, J. Balvin, Karol G, Marc Anthony and more. Broadcasting from Parx Casino Studios, Rumba 106.1 will play ten thousand songs commercial free to kick off the launch. Founding partners include Miller Lite, PGW, Top Dog Law, CarVision.com, Angels Are Us Home Health Agency and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

“Our decision to create Rumba 106.1 is a recognition of the importance and vitality of the Greater Philadelphia region’s Latino population, which has grown to just over 15 percent over the past five years,” said Derrick Corbett, Senior VP of Programming for iHeartMedia Philadelphia. “The latest Census Bureau statistics show that the Philadelphia region contains the third-highest Latino population in the Northeast.”

“History is unfolding in the city of brotherly love with the very first full-power FM signal dedicated to the Latino community, which has been longing for many years to have its voice represented in Philadelphia,” said P.J. Gonzalez, Senior VP of Programming for iHeartLatino.

“iHeartRadio is proud to introduce Rumba 106.1 as a companion station to the ever-excelling Latino culture.”

“The Delaware Valley has a wealth of organizations and individuals who are committed to serving the Latino community and we are excited that we have a radio station that will strongly support their efforts,” said Jeff Moore, Market President for iHeartMedia Philadelphia.

Rumba 106.1 will play 10,000 songs commercial free to kick off the launch. Founding partners include Miller Lite, PGW, Top Dog Law, CarVision.com, Angels Are Us Home Health Agency and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

P.J. Gonzalez, senior vice president of programming for iHeartLatino, said Rumba 106.1 will be “the very first full-power FM signal dedicated to the Latino community, which has been longing for many years to have its voice represented in Philadelphia.” Gonzalez said the Philadelphia market has seen its Hispanic population triple in the past 20 or so years, which made the region a prime target for the new format.

Derrick Corbett, senior vice president of programming for iHeartMedia Philadelphia, said the decision to make the format change “is a recognition of the importance and vitality of the Greater Philadelphia region’s Latino population, which has grown to just over 15 percent over the past five years. The latest Census Bureau statistics show that the Philadelphia region contains the third-highest Latino population in the Northeast.”

The Philly Business Journal reports iHeart has more than 30 Latin stations across the country, several of which use the Rumba moniker, including Rumba 92.3 in Reading and Rumba 100.5 in Lancaster. Gonzalez said the station will hire local on-air talent and a local program director and broadcast primarily in Spanish. While the artists at the Rumba formatted stations in the iHeart chain play the same type of music, there are tweaks based on the makeup of the local Hispanic community. For example, the Philadelphia area has a large Dominican population, so the station here might feature more Dominican artists.

In the Philadelphia market, Rumba will face some competition from Mega 105.7 (WEMG-FM), the Camden-based station offers Latin music from a mix of local and syndicated hosts as well as local Spanish play-by-play of Eagles games. It is owned by Davidson Media, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based broadcaster specializing in multi-cultural, community focused formats. WEMG, though, has a much less powerful signal and had less than a third of the listeners to WISX in January.

CNN+ Launches March 29

CNN has finally set the date for the launch of its standalone service CNN+, reports The Wrap.

On Friday, the network announced they’ll debut the plus version on March 29. CNN+ will cost $5.99 a month, or $59.99 for an annual subscription.

CNN+ will feature live, on-demand and interactive programming, and feature new ways to interact with CNN’s journalism and storytelling, the cabler said a release.

“March 29 will be an important day in the history of CNN and CNN+ will be a critical part of our future,” Andrew Morse, CNN EVP, chief digital officer and head of CNN+, said in a statement. “I am so proud of the work our teams have done to ensure our world class journalism and storytelling comes to life on this new platform. We can’t wait for our subscribers to experience it.” 

“We’re excited for everyone to experience CNN+ and see what we’ve been working on,” Alex MacCallum, CNN Worldwide head of product and general manager for CNN+, said in a statement. “We have a really compelling content offering with CNN’s world class journalists and are confident in the product offered at this compelling price.”

CNN+ has already announced many of the programs set for the service, including the daily show, “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” where the former Fox News journalist will engage in candid conversations with news, sports, entertainment, arts and culture personalities. Other daily offerings are “5 Things with Kate Bolduan,” “Big Picture with Sara Sidner,” “The Global Brief with Bianca Nobilo,” “Go There,” which takes viewers to the frontline of breaking news, “The Newscast with Wolf Blitzer,” “Reliable Sources Daily” and “The Source with Kasie Hunt,” featuring the former MSNBC news personality.

Russia Opens Criminal Investigation of Facebook Over Death Calls

Russia opened a criminal case against Facebook's parent Meta Platforms on Friday and moved to designate it as an "extremist organization" after the social network changed its hate speech rules to allow users to call for violence against Russians in the context of the war with Ukraine, reports Reuters.

"A criminal case has been initiated ... in connection with illegal calls for murder and violence against citizens of the Russian Federation by employees of the American company Meta, which owns the social networks Facebook and Instagram," Russia's Investigative Committee said.

The committee reports directly to President Vladimir Putin. It was not immediately clear what the consequences of the criminal case might be.

Two weeks into Russia's war in Ukraine, a Meta spokesperson said on Thursday the company had temporarily eased its rules for political speech, allowing posts such as "death to the Russian invaders," although it would not allow calls for violence against Russian civilians.

Meta said the temporary change aimed to allow for forms of political expression that would normally violate its rules. Its oversight board said on Friday that it was closely following the war in Ukraine, and how Meta is responding

Russia has for more than a year been striving to curb the influence of U.S. tech giants including Alphabet Inc's Google and Twitter, repeatedly fining them for allowing what it deems to be illegal content.

But the invasion of Ukraine - met by a storm of international condemnation and unprecedented sanctions - has sharply raised the stakes in the information war.

The Investigative Committee said the Facebook move could violate articles of the Russian criminal law against public calls for extremist activities.

It said it had applied to a court to recognize Meta as an extremist organization and prohibit its activities in Russia.

Wake-Up Call: Russian Bombardments Continue

NY Post 3/11/22

HUGE RUSSIAN CONVOY OUTSIDE KYIV APPEARS TO DISPERSE: The huge, 40-mile Russian convoy of vehicles, tanks and artillery that was stalled since last week outside Ukraine's capital of Kyiv appears to have dispersed, with satellite images showing that it fanned out into nearby towns and forests, with artillery moved into firing positions. As they braced for an attack, Kyiv's mayor said the city had become practically a fortress protected by armed civilians.

Russian forces continued their relentless bombardment of Mariupol, and Ukrainian authorities said repeated attempts to send in desperately-needed food and medicine had been prevented by Russian shelling. The attacks continued amid international condemnation and war crime accusations for the airstrike a day earlier on a maternity hospital in Mariupol in which three people were killed, including one child, and 17 wounded, including pregnant women. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian refusal to allow evacuations from Mariupol was, quote, "outright terror," while also saying 100,000 people have been evacuated during the previous two days from seven cities under Russian blockade, including the Kyiv suburbs. The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine has now passed 2.3 million.

A convoy of Russian tanks is seen coming under attack in Brovary, just 20 miles from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in this video released by the Ukrainian military. https://t.co/5WwCiRYKSL pic.twitter.com/Un73MR8ufA

— ABC News (@ABC) March 11, 2022

In other developments:

Revoking Russia's 'Most Favored Nation' Status: President Biden will announce today that the U.S., the European Union, and the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations would move to revoke Russia’s "most favored nation" trade status, according to reports. This would allow tariffs to be imposed on Russian imports and increase the isolation of the Russian economy.

Congress Approves $13.6 Billion Ukraine Aid: The Senate gave final congressional approval yesterday to a $13.6 billion emergency package of military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine and its European allies, one day after it passed in the House. About half of the money is for arming and equipping Ukraine and the Pentagon’s costs for sending U.S. troops to nervous Eastern European nations in NATO. Most of the rest is for humanitarian and economic aid, strengthening regional allies' defenses, and protecting their energy supplies and cybersecurity needs.

➤U.S. SAYS NORTH KOREA HAS BEEN TESTING NEW ICBM: The administration said yesterday that North Korea was test firing a new long-range ICBM in two missile launches in recent weeks, and that a full-range test could come soon. The missile being tested is reportedly larger than the one North Korea launched in 2017 that was judged to be able to reach the U.S. North Korea has claimed the recent launches were to test cameras to be installed in a spy satellite. U.N. Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from firing ICBMs, and the the U.S. will announce a new round of sanctions today.

➤U.S. KEEPS MASK MANDATE FOR TRAVEL FOR ANOTHER MONTH: Federal officials said yesterday that they are extending the mask mandate for travel on planes and public transportation for another month, running through mid-April. It had been scheduled to expire on March 18th. The Transportation Security Administration said the month will give the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention time to develop new, more targeted policies, signaling it may be lifted after April 18th. The federal mask mandate was imposed in January 2021, days after President Biden took office, but the airlines had begun requiring them in mid-2020.

NY Post 3/11/22

💵INFLATION UP 7.9 PERCENT OVER LAST YEAR, NEW 40-YEAR RECORD: Inflation increased to 7.9 percent over the past year, according to Labor Department data out Thursday, the biggest jump since 1982. The increase reflected the 12 months ending in February, and while it was driven by costs for gas, food and housing, it didn't include the further gas price hikes since Russia invaded Ukraine. The war has worsened price increases, but even before that, inflation was being driven by strong consumer spending, good pay raises, and persistent supply shortages.

'WE HAVE THE OIL': Bring back American energy independence, former president says https://t.co/WCJkqRgGaj pic.twitter.com/TsUWGDwENU

— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 10, 2022

 🚘AAA SAYS GAS PRICES—NOW AVERAGING $4.32—WILL BRING CHANGES TO DRIVING HABITS, LIFESTYLE:  It’s no secret that gas prices are climbing fast. The AAA says in a recent survey, 59 percent of U.S. drivers said they would make changes if the average cost of gas rose above $4 per gallon, and about three-quarters said they would do so if it rose to over $5. Yesterday AAA reported the national average for a gallon of gasoline was $4.32, up from $4.17 earlier this week. The company says the impact on drivers varies by age, as 18-to-34-year-olds are almost three times as likely to consider carpooling than those over age 35. And drivers over age 35 are more likely to combine trips and errands and cut down shopping and dining out due to the higher gas prices. Still, AAA says it doesn’t expect the higher prices to have a significant impact on summer travel in the coming months, as a recent survey found 52 percent of Americans said they have summer vacation plans, and 42 percent said they wouldn’t change those plans regardless of the price of gas.

Daily Mail 3/11/22

➤JUSSIE SMOLLETT SENTENCED TO 150 DAYS IN HATE CRIME HOAX CASE: Jussie Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail in his hate crime hoax case. According to TMZ, the former Empire star was also ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and spend 30 months on felony probation after being found guilty on five counts of felony disorder conduct for making false reports to the Chicago police.

Smollett alleged that he was the target of an anti-gay and anti-black hate crime, which a judge has deemed as false.

Judge James Linn called Jussie arrogant, selfish and narcissistic while making the judgement, and stated that Jussie faked the attack because he wanted attention. She explained, “You picked out the actors…They idolized you. You paid them in advance. You chose the date. You chose the time. You chose a location.” Jussie maintained his innocence by responding, “Your honor, I respect you and I respect the jury, but I did not do this. And I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that.”

Emilio Delgado, the Mexican American actor best known for his role as Luis on 'Sesame Street,' has died at age 81. https://t.co/QDgPRLc6Fw

— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 11, 2022

➤POLL...AMERICAN ARE VERY, VERY STRESSED:  After two years of a pandemic, high inflation, and now Russia's invasion of Ukraine, bringing horrible scenes of devastation and raising nuclear war fears, it's not a surprise that Americans are stressed. But the American Psychological Association's "Stress in America" poll out yesterday found unprecedented levels of stress. It found 87 percent cited the costs of everyday items, like groceries and gas as a "significant sources of stress," and 84 percent said the invasion of Ukraine is, quote, "terrifying to watch." The same percentage said their mental health was greatly affected by a, quote, "constant stream of crises without a break over the last two years." Clinical psychologist Lynn Bufka called the shared feeling of stress among Americans "startling," saying, "We don't usually see 80 percent of people telling us that a particular stressor is stressful for that many individuals." Specifically related to Russia, 80 percent said they were concerned about potential retaliation from Russia, either through cyberattacks or nuclear threats, and 69 percent said they feared they were witnessing the beginning stages of what could be World War Three.

People fleeing Ukraine carry few belongings, abandoning their luggage and vehicles along the way. But everywhere amid the exodus of more than 2.3 million people are the animals they could not leave behind: cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, hamsters. https://t.co/fh9to0RB1o pic.twitter.com/vK301EuPEX

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 10, 2022

⌚EXPERTS URGE CONGRESS TO SWITCH COUNTRY TO DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME PERMANENTLY: Most Americans will be switching their clocks forward one hour on Sunday, and members of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee and a variety of experts say it’s time for the country to stop switching times. Law professor Steve Callandrillo testified before the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee and said that while saving energy “was the original justification for daylight saving time, it’s no longer as strong as it used to be, but it still does save energy.” The amount of energy being saved is relatively small, a 2008 study found “the total electricity savings of extended daylight saving time was about 1.3 terawatt-hour. That corresponds to…0.03% of electricity consumption over the year.” Another argument for ending the time switching was the harm it has on physical and mental health. Lawmakers touted choosing daylight saving time as the permanent time, pointing out the economic benefits of having the extra hour of sunlight in the afternoon or early evening. Lawmakers from both parties have introduced bills in the House related to time changes. Two bills would make daylight saving time permanent, and two others would give states the option to observe it year-round.

⚾MLB LOCKOUT OVER AS OWNERS AND PLAYERS REACH LABOR DEAL: MLB's 99-day lockout ended yesterday as the owners and players agreed on a new labor deal. Spring training camps will open today, with players required to report by Sunday. Even though MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred had earlier announced the cancellation of each team's first four series of games, there will be a full 162-game season after all, with Opening Day pushed back just one week to April 7th, and the regular season extended by three days to October 5th. About three games per team will be made up as part of doubleheaders. Besides the economic issues that were resolved, there was also agreement on some changes to the game, including the designated hitter being expanded to the National League and the post-season increased from 10 teams to 12. Baseball will also now have an amateur draft lottery.

"I do want to start by apologizing to our fans"

- Rob Manfred pic.twitter.com/kk3HxrdJWA

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 10, 2022

🏀LOUD BOOS FOR SIMMONS IN RETURN TO PHILLY AS NETS HAMMER 76ERS 129-100: Boos rained down on Ben Simmons as he made his return to Philadelphia last night (March 10th) for the first time since requesting a trade over the summer, but his Brooklyn Nets weren't fazed, blowing out the 76ers 129-100. Simmons didn't actually play because he's dealing with a back issue, but he heard the boos and jeers as he sat on the bench cheering on his teammates.

🏈BEARS FINALIZING TRADE OF MACK TO CHARGERS: The Chicago Bears are finalizing a trade of six-time Pro Bowl defensive end Khalil Mack to the L.A. Chargers, according to media reports Thursday. The Chargers are expected to send a 2022 second-round draft pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick in return. The 31-year-old Mack is going into his ninth NFL season, having been with the Bears for the last four seasons, and the Raiders for the four years before that. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2016.

🏀GRINER'S HIGH SCHOOL COACH DOESN'T BELIEVE RUSSIAN CHARGES: Brittney Griner's high school coach, Debbie Jackson, says she doesn't believe the charges that Russia claims led them detain the WNBA star, who's been held since February 17th. The Phoenix Mercury center had been playing in Russia in the off-season, and when she went to the airport in Moscow, officials said they found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. Jackson told the New York Times, "It’s just hard to believe that Brittney, or any professional athlete that knows the laws of that country and the cultural differences and norms and just the completely different political system, would even think about putting in their carry-on bag something that was a banned substance in that country." There's been little word from Russia on Griner's case amid the sky-high tensions over its invasion of Ukraine.

D/FW Radio: KESN-FM Drops Sports For Christian

For some North Texas radio listeners, sports really did turn into religion on Wednesday.

According to The Dallas Morning News, that’s when KVDT – “Your Christian Voice for Dallas” - went on the air in the space that had belonged to ESPN’s radio spot at 103.3 FM. KESN went on the air in April 2001 as an all-sports format that intended to challenge Sportsradio 96.7 FM/1310 AM The Ticket [KTCK-AM] for sports talk dominance.

But the emergence of a third sports talk station, KRLD 105.3 The Fan in 2008 made the field more competitive. KESN and its parent company, Disney, turned over management to Cumulus Radio, The Ticket’s parent company, in 2013. Cumulus operated the station through 2020. At the time, the agreement between Cumulus and Disney ended, so did all local programming, with the exception of Dallas Mavericks broadcasts. The Mavericks exercised an out in their contract with the station to leave for the 2021-22 season.

Disney announced plans to sell the station to Christian radio group VCY America for $9.3 million last December. VCY, which operates 32 radio stations across the country out of its Milwaukee, Wisc. headquarters seeks to “advance the gospel through every legitimate means,” according to the mission statement on its website. Several of the station’s shows include North Texas-based faith leaders, including Dr. Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. The sale of the station closed on Feb. 23.

103.3 FM Coverage Area (98Kw)

In its release on the new station, VCY said 103.3 FM “is now your home for Biblical teaching, Sacred Music, informative news, as well as radio drama for the young and young at heart.” KVDT is the network’s second Texas-based station, joining KVCE in Lubbock. It expects to add a station in Midland/Odessa soon.

FL-NY Radio: JVC Goes On A Hiring Spree

JVC Broadcasting one of America’s largest independent and locally owned broadcast and entertainment companies, just completed a hiring boom and continues to staff the company with radio pros and industry veterans. In January of 2022 JVC began a massive recruitment campaign using its local radio stations and social media platforms and the response was overwhelming. JVC announces that is has hired or internally promoted 16 media and entertainment professionals company wide.

“The current radio market is great for employment,” said John Caracciolo President and CEO of JVC. “There was a lot of trepidation for media companies in 2020 and 2021, people wanted to see how things would work out and if the radio business would bounce back, and it did stronger than ever”.

“The most important and most rewarding investment an entrepreneur can make isn’t a new client or a cool piece of equipment, It’s your team of employees. I have built this business by surrounding myself with fantastic people who are visionaries and leaders. If all your employees become entrepreneurially minded or leaders in their own right, your organization will grow even faster. And the coolest thing about this entire recruitment campaign, we did all the outreach using only our local radio station assets! So yes, RADIO IS WORKING AND RADIO WORKS!” added John Caracciolo.

📻JVC’s Long Island NY cluster is proud to announce:

• Leeana Costa – Long Island radio veteran Leeana Costa has joined JVC NY as traffic manager. Leeana has spent time as a long time morning show co-host on WKJY and WPTY.
• Donna DiBiase – Another long time Long Island Radio vet, Donna DiBiase brings us experience stretching back to 1982 – starting as operations manager for WNYG, then moving on to WALK and B-103. She returns to JVC NY as a Senior Account Executive.
• Sunny Joe Allen – Joining JVC NY from the Hudson Valley – Sunny Joe is a successful voice actor of his own production company and has spent time on air on multiple stations along the East Coast over his nearly 30 year career including WBLS, WNEW and Jammin 105.1 in New York and 95.7 Jammin' Gold in Philadelphia. Joe has a strong sales background as well and will be a full time Account executive and part time on air for JVC.
• Darryl Murphy – Over 15 years as a Sales Assistant at Newsday Inside Media Sales Department, Darryl brings his skills and get it done attitude to support JVC NY’s growing Sales Department as our new Sales Assistant.
• Estefania Andino – Born in NY but growing up in Honduras, Estefania is proud to represent Latinos on Long Island as an on-air personality at night from 6pm to 11pm.
• Michael Scudiero – Mike came to JVC from Five Towns College as a part time board operator for LI News Radio back in the fall of 2017. His loyalty, dedication, hard work and attention to detail has led him to taking on his new full-time role as Operations Manager of LI News Radio.
• Scotty Hart joins JVC with Nighttime duties on Oldies 98 in addition to his Super Saturday Night Show.
• Frank Campanella “Frankie C” takes over Oldies 98 website duties and adds Weekend Jock/Fill In/Vacation relief position on Oldies 98 and My Country 96.1.
• Cody Feola – has joined the JVC Promotions staff as Digital Media Coordinator
• Patrick Caracciolo – is promoted to Vice President and Operations Director of the JVC sister company Long Island Events.
• John Morgenthaler, “LJ” – joins Long Island Events as facility manager of the companies 7,000 seat outdoor venue.
• Jason Stone – longtime Live Nation exec known for being VP of booking for New York, overseeing its club and theatre team and for overseeing NYCB Theatre at Westbury through its many names, has joined Long Island Events and will oversee bookings and operations of the companies live events and NTR opportunities in all markets.

📻JVC Orlando announces the addition of:

• Lil Shawn Omar Vasquez – Lil’ Shawn is an Orlando radio staple, having spent 20 years at CMG Orlando’s WPYO, most notably as co-host of the station’s morning show. He’ll be heard with Justin Clark in the Orlando and Fort Walton Beach markets.
• Wendy Richardson – Wendy brings a strong background in Advertising, Marketing, Branding, Social Media Marketing, Promotions and Event Coordination. She has spent time at Clipper Magazine and TV Channel 6 in Orlando.

📻Over in FT Walton Beach, Florida JVC announces the addition of:

• Ray Edwards – formally with Community Broadcasters and Vivial Digital Media, Ray brings his passion for all things radio and the Emerald Coast to the JVC Fort Walton Team.
• Lacy Mertins- Lacy comes to JVC from USA Networks and time at Cumulus Media. She is an ambitious, tenacious, interpersonal Sales professional with a passion to succeed, self-motivated, strong work ethic, and goal oriented attitude.