March 27 Radio History

Marconi 1899

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

Fred Foy

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

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

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

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

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

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

➦In 1928...KGB-AM, San Diego, California signed-on.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Milton Berle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Toni Grant

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

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

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

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Julian Glover is 87. 
• Actor Jerry Lacy is 86. 
• Actor-director Austin Pendleton is 82. 
• Actor Michael York is 80. 
• Keyboardist Tony Banks of Genesis is 72. 
• Keyboardist Andrew Farriss (INXS) is 63. 
• Jazz musician Dave Koz is 59. 

• 

  Brenda Song is 34

  Movie director Quentin Tarantino is 59. 
• Bassist Johnny April of Staind is 57. 
• Actor Talisa Soto is 55. 
• Actor Ben Koldyke (“Masters of Sex,” ″How I Met Your Mother”) is 54. 
• Actor Pauley Perrette (“NCIS”) is 53. 
• Singer Mariah Carey is 52. 
• Drummer Brendan Hill of Blues Traveler is 52. 
• Actor Elizabeth Mitchell (“V,” ″Lost”) is 52. 
• Actor Nathan Fillion (“Castle”) is 51. 
• Singer Fergie of Black Eyed Peas is 47. 
• Jazz saxophonist Tia Fuller is 46. 
• Actor Emily Ann Lloyd is 38. 
• Actor Brenda Song (“The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”) is 34. 
• Singer Kimbra is 32. 
• Actor Taylor Atelian (“According to Jim”) is 27. 
• Singer Halle Bailey of Chloe X Halle is 22.

R.I.P.: Taylor Hawkins, Drummer For The Foo Fighters

UPDATE 6PM MARCH 26, 2022...50-year-old Taylor Hawkins died of a drug overdose, according to The NY Post citing a report from official sources.  “Colombian authorities found: marijuana, antidepressants, opioids, heroine. At least 10 different substances found,”  tweeted journalist Luis Carlos Velez on Saturday afternoon, citing Fiscalia Colombia, the national attorney general’s office.

Earlier Posting...

Taylor Hawkins, the jovial, ferocious drummer for Foo Fighters for more than two decades, has died at the age of 50, according to a statement from the band.

“The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,” read the message, which was posted to social media. “His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever.” Foo Fighters are currently on tour in South America and were scheduled to perform at Festival Estéreo Picnic in Bogotá, Colombia, at the time of Hawkins’ death, a rep for the band told Rolling Stone. No cause of death was given, reports Rolling Stone.

pic.twitter.com/ffPHhUKRT4

— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) March 26, 2022

As news of Hawkins’ death spread, numerous musicians and celebrities took to social media to honor the late drummer. “God bless you Taylor Hawkins. I loved your spirit and your unstoppable rock power,” wrote Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, sharing a photo of himself and Hawkins alongside Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell. “Rest In Peace my friend.” Miley Cyrus, a noted Foo Fighters fan, shared a photograph of herself and Hawkins to her Instagram stories, writing, “This is how I’ll always remember you,” and added that her upcoming concert would be dedicated to him. Slash wrote that Hawkins’ death left him “devastated,” saying, “I’ve no words to express all the feelings I have about his passing.” Former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, Ozzy Osbourne, producer Steve Albini and musician Finneas were among others who also shared tributes.

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Hawkins relocated to Laguna Beach, California with his family in his early childhood. He first rose to prominence as the touring drummer for Alanis Morissette during the Jagged Little Pill era. “The second I heard ‘You Oughta Know,’ I was like, ‘I’m in that band!'” Hawkins told Rolling Stone last November. “I just knew.” Hawkins also appeared in the music videos for the singer’s hit singles “You Oughta Know” and “You Learn.”

After inter-studio conflict led to the departure of original Foo Fighters drummer William Goldsmith during recording sessions for the group’s breakthrough album, The Colour and the Shape — forcing frontman Dave Grohl to handle drumming duties on the record — Hawkins officially joined the band at Grohl’s request in the spring of 1997.

Grohl would later refer to the drummer as his “best friend and partner in crime” in his 2021 autobiography, The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music. “During his stint as Alanis Morissette’s drummer, long before he became a Foo Fighter, we would bump into each other backstage at festivals all over the world, and our chemistry was so obvious that even Alanis herself once asked him, ‘What are you going to do when Dave asks you to be his drummer?'” Grohl wrote. “Part Beavis and Butthead, part Dumb and Dumber, we were a hyperactive blur of Parliament Lights and air drumming wherever we went.”

Throughout his career with Foo Fighters, Hawkins occasionally handled vocal duties, singing lead on the group’s 2005 single “Cold Day in the Sun” and “Sunday Rain” from 2017’s Concrete and Gold. Hawkins also frequently sang cover songs with the group, both for Foo Fighters B sides and during live performances — including a powerful rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” during a January 2021 show for fully-vaccinated fans in Los Angeles.

Hawkins also co-starred with his bandmates in the Foo Fighters’ horror-comedy film, Studio 666, released last month.

Outside of his work with Foo Fighters, Hawkins regularly collaborated with other musicians and groups — and even launched several side projects of his own. In 2006, he embarked on a solo career with Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, reuniting with his former Morissette touring bandmate and Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney. Hawkins would go on to release three albums under the Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders banner, tapping artists including Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Elliot Easton of the Cars, Perry Farrell, as well as Grohl for collaborations. Hawkins also fronted cover band Chevy Metal with friends Wiley Hodgden and Mick Murphy, with the trio eventually releasing an album under the moniker Birds of Satan in 2014.

Hawkins is survived by his wife Alison, and their three children.

Black News Channel Is Shutting Down

Black News Channel, the TV news service launched in early 2020 to be a voice for people of color, has ceased operations, reports The L-A Times.

A memo to employees from BNC’s chief executive, Princell Hair, confirmed The L-A Times’ earlier report of the closure plans. The company is filing for bankruptcy, and live programming will end at 2 p.m. PDT/5 p.m. EDT. The channel will air repeats for the rest of the month.

The Tallahassee, Fla.-based outlet, whose majority stakeholder is Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, failed to meet payroll on Friday, a day after telling employees that paychecks would be delayed.

The announcement means BNC’s staff of 230 — a vast majority of whom are people of color — are out of work. They have been told benefits will last through next week and there will be no severance, according to one person briefed on the plans.

Khan was no longer willing to invest further, according to people briefed on the matter. The channel has been shopped to a number of media companies, including Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios, but there were no takers. The company endured several rounds of layoffs in recent months.

Black News Channel was conceived by a group headed up by former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) and media executive Bob Brillante. The channel launched after Khan made a $50-million investment in 2019, making him the majority shareholder.

The channel reached more than 50 million cable and satellite households, but was unable to generate a significant audience.

The entity entered the cable news landscape at a time when consumers were shifting away from traditional TV. Most video-based TV start-ups and niche services are turning to streaming platforms.

The average audience for BNC was fewer than 10,000 viewers, according to Nielsen data, though it had been growing in recent months.

The failure to meet payroll and the expected announcement of a shutdown stunned and angered employees at the channel. Many of the staffers came to BNC from larger, established news organizations because they believed in the mission of a TV service that provided news and information for a diverse audience.

But BNC, which delayed its launch a few times, had to overcome some early stumbles. When Watts announced the network, he signaled that it would have a conservative slant, which likely turned off a large segment of the potential audience. He touted a possible show with right-wing radio host and former California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder.

The company also had to deal with a class-action discrimination lawsuit filed by former and current female employees. The suit alleged that the women were being paid less than their male counterparts and that managers complained that they were “insufficiently feminine.”

CNN+ To Debut Tuesday

CNN has revealed details around the schedule of live, daily and weekly original programming that will be available to subscribers in the first month after the service launches on Tuesday, March 29.

“Our lineup of live daily news and dynamic weekly shows set CNN+ apart from anything else in the marketplace,” said Rebecca Kutler, Senior Vice President and Head of Programming for CNN+. “Our world-class storytellers will inform and entertain our subscribers and we will continue to grow and evolve in the months and years to come.”

CNN+ will feature live, on-demand and interactive programming, offering customers a whole new way to engage with CNN’s journalism and storytelling. The robust schedule of shows covers news, exclusive interviews and topical deep dives from several new faces, alongside some of CNN’s most prominent talent seen in new ways.

“CNN is known for the strength of its original and investigative reporting, and at CNN+ we are building on this legacy with exclusive and in-depth access for our subscribers,” said Jennifer Suozzo, Vice President of Daily Programming for CNN+. “Breaking news is crucial at CNN+, especially in a time such as this, and we’ll give subscribers a fresh and deeper understanding as stories develop and quickly change.”

Weekday, Live Daily Programming Schedule:

• 7:00 AM ET: 5 Things with Kate Bolduan – Need to get up to speed quickly? CNN’s most popular newsletter and podcast is expanding to a new morning show hosted by CNN Anchor Kate Bolduan. 5 Things gives you the five stories you need to know to start your day.
• 8:00 AM ET: Go There – Go There takes you to the front lines of breaking news. Join the crew and go behind the scenes with CNN’s reporters and correspondents stationed around the world.
• 9:00 AM ET: Big Picture with Sara Sidner – Big Picture is an in-depth look at the most important and interesting story of the day, hosted by CNN’s Sara Sidner.
• 11:00 AM ET: Reliable Sources Daily – From New York to Hollywood to Silicon Valley – CNN’s Chief Media Correspondent and Anchor Brian Stelter brings together all the headlines in the media on Reliable Sources Daily.
• 4:00 PM ET: The Source with Kasie Hunt – Get a fresh take on politics with CNN Anchor and Chief National Affairs Analyst Kasie Hunt.
• 5:00 PM ET: The Global Brief with Bianca Nobilo – The Global Brief with Bianca Nobilo is an incisive look at the most important international news stories in the last 24 hours.
• 6:00 PM ET: Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? – Join CNN+ Anchor Chris Wallace, one of the most highly-respected journalists of our time, in candid conversations with prominent individuals across the spectrum of news, sports, entertainment, art and culture.
• 7:30 PM ET: The Newscast with Wolf Blitzer – CNN Anchor Wolf Blitzer gives it to you straight, hitting the headlines you need to know on this traditional evening newscast with a sleek, modern twist.

In addition to the daily lineup, CNN+ will offer a slate of regular, weekly programming that will drop on specific days of the week to supplement the daily schedule.

CBS News Bureau Chief Slams Boss At Goodbye Party

Andy Clarke

CBS News London bureau chief Andy Clarke had some choice words for his boss Neeraj Khemlani at his going-away party Wednesday in London.

According to The NY Post citing  a source who attended the party, Clarke said he was leaving the network after 38 years because the news bureau needed a head “who respected the leader of the organization” — in an apparent slap at CBS News president Khemlani.

Clarke had clashed with Khemlani, the network’s co-president, over whether to rescue Afghan journalists and fixers who worked with CBS from the chaos-ridden country last year, as previously reported by The Post. Sources recently told The Post that at issue was a $750,000 sum that Clarke needed to get the Afghans out.

The haggling over the funds with his penny-pinching boss, Khemlani, was the last straw for the editor — who quit.

In response to a query from The Post, a CBS rep said: There have been no cuts to resources or requests denied out of Afghanistan. We are in investment mode. Whether it’s growing the number of employees, which is up year-over-year, or creating more inventory across our shows for international reporting, or working with an outside firm to build a tech solution that will help our newsgathering.”

Neeraj Khemlani

The going-away party this week was held at the Reform Club, a hoity-toity private club in central London, where about 100 colleagues attended, including CBS foreign correspondents Charlie D’Agata and Liz Palmer. And CNN correspondent Clarissa Ward, who used to work at CBS.

The party was emceed by CBS News senior foreign correspondent Mark Phillips and was likely paid for by CBS’ London bureau, a source said — noting that it was skimpy on food and beverage.

Clarke’s departure from the network has brought about an outcry of support for the journalist.

Earlier this week, Clarke circulated a goodbye memo obtained by The Post, in which he wrote he “never thought it would come to this- goodbye.”

“It’s been thirty-eight, largely enjoyable years, but I know my time is over. When I resigned in January the clouds of war were gathering over Ukraine, but a fighting war wasn’t on the horizon,” Clarke wrote. “Now, as I leave the war rages. I salute my brave and dedicated friends who are covering it. What you ALL do is important: keep telling the crucial stories of our time; keep championing the underdogs; keep fighting to get your story on the air; fight for those extra fifteen seconds because your story might just change the world of the voiceless. Above all, keep everyone safe while you go about your journalism.”

Atlanta Radio: WNNX to Import 'Elliott In The Morning' For Wake-Up Duty

Krysten Warnes, Elliot Segal, Diane Stupar and Tyler Molnar

Cumulus Media announces that WNNX Rock 100.5, Atlanta’s only Rock station, is adding the “Elliot In The Morning” show to its all-star lineup. Hosted by Elliot Segal, “Elliot in the Morning” can be heard on Rock 100.5 from 5:44am-10:00am Monday through Friday, starting Monday, March 28th.

In a career spanning more than three decades, Segal’s love of radio took him from his hometown of Houston out west to Los Angeles and across the country to New York. In 1999, he lit the on-air lamp in Washington, D.C., where he first broadcast the “Elliot in the Morning” show alongside co-host Diane Stupar. The show’s focus has always remained the same: connecting with listeners. Whether it’s to newsmakers via interviews or just to everyday people who are making life interesting, “Elliot in the Morning” wants to talk about it all with its listeners.

Sean Shannon, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Atlanta, said: “We’re beyond excited to bring Elliot in the Morning to Atlanta. Elliot and his team’s ability to engage listeners with funny, relatable content is exactly what we were looking for to complete our all-star weekday lineup.”

Axel Lowe, Program Director, Rock 100.5/WNNX-FM, said: “It's everything we were looking for in a morning show: topical, edgy, and extremely funny. We're excited to have Elliot in the Morning on Rock 100.5!”

Segal said: “I’m very excited to be joining Cumulus on Rock 100.5 in Atlanta. Thanks to Sean Shannon and Dave Milner. After spending time with them in Atlanta and talking about my style of syndication and their vision for WNNX, we all decided it was the right fit. Also, thank you to Brian Philips. Any opportunity to work with, and for, Brian is a rare opportunity that only makes you a better disc jockey or broadcaster. There is plenty of work ahead, but I look forward to getting started making Atlanta part of the EITM network.”

Audacy Adds Brad Steiner As Regional Brand Manager/Alternative

Audacy welcomes Brad Steiner as Regional Brand Manager. 

n this role, he will support the execution of programming, music and branding for ALT 92.3 (WNYL-FM) in New York, ALT 98.7 (WDZH-FM) in Detroit and 104.3 The Shark (WSFS-FM) in Miami.

“We’re excited to bring Brad’s leadership on board for three of our leading alternative brands and have him apply his breadth of experience to their day-to-day operations,” Mike Kaplan, Senior Vice President of Programming/Alternative Format, Audacy. “We’re looking forward to welcoming him to the team and collaborating to continue the growth of our stations.”

“To say that I am humbled by this opportunity is an understatement, and I’m not one to understate anything,” said Steiner. “I can’t wait to sit alongside Mike and Christine [Malovetz] crafting the future of some of the most important brands in the country.”

Steiner’s career has spanned over 20 years, including multiple formats, day parts and programming roles. After 20 years in Chattanooga as assistant program director of WDOD, he left to rebuild WZRH in New Orleans into the regional success it is today while leading it through Hurricane Ida that destroyed the 1,000-foot broadcast tower. Along the way, he added programming responsibilities for WRKN, KKND and WRQQ in Baton Rouge.

FOX News' Correspondent Benjamin Hall Evacs To Texas Facility

Fox News journalist Benjamin Hall, who was injured last week when his vehicle was struck by incoming fire outside Kyiv while in the field covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is recovering from multiple surgeries at a premier military medical facility in Texas. 

Benjamin Hall

"We’ve had an outpouring of care and concern about Benjamin Hall, so I wanted to share a brief update with everyone. Yesterday Ben was transferred from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), located at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas. BAMC is a premier military medical facility and Ben is receiving excellent care while he continues to recover from his serious injuries after multiple surgeries," FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott told staffers in an internal memo on Friday.                                     

"We are in close contact with Ben and his family, and he remains in good spirits despite everything he has endured. His strength and resiliency in the face of this crisis has been nothing short of extraordinary," Scott continued. "Please continue to keep him in your prayers and we will provide further updates as needed."

Hall has three young daughters at home. He was traveling alongside Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra "Sasha" Kuvshinova and cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, who did not survive the attack. 

Kuvshynova was just 24 years old and serving as a consultant, helping crews navigate Kyiv and the surrounding area while gathering information and speaking to sources. 

Zakrzewski, a Fox News legend who covered nearly every international story during a storied tenure, was only 55 years old. Last year, he played a key role in getting Afghan freelance associates and their families out of the country after the U.S. withdrawal. In December, Zakrzewski was awarded the "Unsung Hero" award during the FOX News Media Spotlight Awards. 

Doctor details Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall's daring rescue from Ukraine | https://t.co/GtEs1hL616

— Tom Benson (@Tombenson1) March 26, 2022

The nonprofit organization Save Our Allies helped get Hall safely out of Ukraine. To extract Hall from the combat zone, the group worked with the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, along with the Polish and Ukrainian militaries. The effort on the ground was led by a "special operations and intelligence veteran," the group revealed, as the team made sure Hall was stabilized and overseen by military medical personnel during the transport. 

March 26 Radio History

➦In 1923...Comedian "Bob" Elliott born (Died at age 92 of throat cancer – February 2, 2016).  He was one-half of the comedy duo of Bob and Ray. He was the father of comedian/actor Chris Elliott and grandfather of actress and comedians Abby Elliott and Bridey Elliott. He is most remembered by the character of Wally Ballou, a mild-mannered, but indefatigable radio reporter.

Beginning a career as a radio announcer in the 1940’s, his rise to national recognition began when he was teamed with Ray Goulding on WHDH Boston. Moving to New York the pair appeared on various networks and radio/TV outlets with their unique brand of humor spoofing broadcasting until Goulding’s death in 1990.

➦In 1929...WQXR signed-on as W2XR in NYC.

John Hogan

Now using the call signs WFME began its life as W2XR, owned by inventor John V. L. Hogan, operating at 2100 kHz, which went on the air on March 26, 1929.

Hogan was a radio engineer who owned many patents, and wanted a permit for an experimental station. To avoid interference, the frequency granted in 1934 by the Federal Radio Commission was considerably above the normal broadcasting range, which at that time ended at 1500 kHz. Hogan's permit was one of four construction permits W2XR was licensed as an "experimental broadcast station" on June 29, 1934.

W2XR began to broadcast classical music recordings on 1550 kHz.  His television broadcasts came to naught, but Hogan began to hear from unknown individuals who encouraged him to continue broadcasting music.

In 1936, Hogan and Elliott Sanger formed the Interstate Broadcasting Company, with the intention of turning W2XR into a commercial station at at time when there were already about twenty-five radio stations in New York.

The transmitter, which used a homemade antenna mounted on a wooden pole, was located in a garage in Long Island City, near the Queensborough Bridge, and its 250 watts provided just enough power to reach midtown Manhattan and parts of Queens.  On December 3, 1936, W2XR became WQXR—the cursive form of the letter "Q" mimics the number "2". An FM service, W2XQR, was added in 1939.

The North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement of 1941 formally extended the AM band to 1600 kHz, ending the "high-fidelity" service but keeping all four original stations near their existing dial positions. WQXR was originally slated to move to 1600 kHz as a five-kilowatt class III-A regional station, but was able to persuade the FCC to make it a class I-B station on 1560 kHz instead.

The New York Post approached the company in the early 1940s about purchasing the stations. Sanger said publicly that he would have preferred to sell to The New York Times, and in early 1944, the Times agreed to pay just over $1 million for ownership of Interstate Broadcasting Company.

In 1971, the Times put WQXR up for sale. Many offers were received for the FM station, but none of the bids for 1560 AM were satisfactory to management. When the FCC agreed to waive rules prohibiting stations from simulcasting if they were broadcasting classical music, the Times took WQXR off the market.

WQXR AM circa 1989

In 1992 the station broke away from the FM simulcast for good, changing to a pop standards format, which was inaugurated by a live studio performance by Tony Bennett. The change followed close on the heels of WNEW's switch from standards to business information, and to reflect that heritage, WQXR changed callsign to WQEW. Although successful, the station's advertising revenues were not spectacular, and on December 28, 1998, the Times pulled the plug and LMAed with Radio Disney after entering an 8-year local marketing agreement with Disney. At the end of this agreement in late 2006, ABC/Disney exercised an option to purchase in early January 2007. Disney/ABC officially became the owner of the station on May 24, 2007.

On November 21, 2014, Radio Disney New York filed an application to sell WQEW to Family Radio, who also owns WFME-FM and WNYJ-TV (and who previously owned what is now WNSH, owned by Cumulus Media.  Family Radio bought the station for $12.95 million. The FCC granted the sale on February 10, 2015. As a result, the station went silent the following Tuesday on February 17, 2015, in anticipation of the change of format. The sale was "consummated" on February 20, 2015 and the call sign was changed to WFME.

The station returned to the air on February 27, 2015, broadcasting Family Radio programming, again giving the network full coverage of the New York City market that it lost in January 2013, when Family Radio sold the original WFME to Cumulus Media. In late November 2020, Family Radio announced the sale of the property surrounding WFME's broadcast towers in Queens, but stipulated that the terms included that Family Radio would still use this site until a suitable alternate location for the station was found.  However, no alternate site proved to be immediately available, therefore WFME in early 2021 ended regular programming and began broadcasting a recurring announcement that the station would suspend operations "in just a few days".  Although Family Radio officials expressed a desire to eventually return to the New York airwaves, they noted that there were no immediate plans; listeners were directed to access either WFRS in Smithtown and WFME-FM in Mount Kisco, in addition to the Family Radio webstream.

➦In 1954...Curtis Sliwa born.  He's anti-crime activist, founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels, and Talk 77WABC show host in NYC.

➦In 1996...WPAT 930 AM NYC Market flipped to a Spanish format.  Today,  the station airs brokered programming format. WPAT is owned by Multicultural Broadcasting.

Wally Phillips

➦In 2008…Radio Personality  Walter 'Wally' Phillips died of Alzheimber's disease at age 82 (Born - July 7, 1925).  He was best known for hosting WGN 720 AM's morning radio show in Chicago for 21 years from January 1965 until July 1986, and was number one in the morning slot from 1968 until he left for an afternoon radio slot in 1986.  A pioneer of the radio call-in talk show format, Phillips delighted in a form now banned by the FCC: putting people on the air without their knowledge

Phillips was born in Portsmouth, Ohio. Six years later, after his father's death from tuberculosis, his family (including three siblings) moved to Cincinnati.  Phillips later dropped out of high school to join the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, but he ended up in Georgia in a tow target squadron assigned to fly practice targets for fighter pilots and anti-aircraft artillery.

After the end of World War II, he attended drama school for a while and then became a disc jockey in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A year after beginning his DJ career he returned to Cincinnati.

Phillips expanded his career as a radio personality at WLW in Cincinnati where he established his call-in format and his trademark style of remixing prerecorded interviews as a comedy piece. He was eventually fired after he inserted a phony item into a newscast.

Later, Phillips moved to Chicago, Illinois. His WGN morning show was consistently top-rated in Chicago, and led to his being labeled "the king of morning radio." At the height of his popularity, Phillips attracted nearly 1.5 million listeners, a now unheard of half of the market's listening audience.

Phillips was one of the first broadcasters to routinely use humorous and offbeat phone calls in his show, including prank phone calls. Sometimes, he called random payphones to see who would answer. For example, he called a pet cemetery to arrange a funeral for his mouse, and on another occasion he tracked down Benjamin Gingiss, founder of Gingiss Formal Wear, while the man was on vacation in the Bahamas to ask him where the fire extinguishers were kept in the store.

Another time, Phillips called Ipanema, a neighborhood located on the southern region of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and inquired whether there were any women there who were "tall and tan and young and lovely." He tried to order pizza from Rome and even tried to return a natural Christmas tree weeks into the new year because it had browned and lost all its needles. On one occasion, he managed to obtain Luciano Pavarotti's hotel room number, and called to ask if the singer would give Phillips opera lessons and "teach (Phillips) to sing flat, like you do."

In 1998, he retired from WGN radio after 42 years, twelve years after giving up the morning show where he was succeeded by Bob Collins, who continued the format and the high ratings.

Phillips was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, in the Museum of Broadcast Communications in 1993 and into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1997, marking his 50th year in radio.

➦In 2009...Toronto radio station CHUM 1050 AM ended its music era again and this time it went to simulcasting the local cable-only TV news channel CP 24.  The final full song played was “Release Me” by Engelbert Humperdinck, just before 5 am. The station changed to sports talk April 13, 2011.

CHUM AM was founded by four Toronto businessmen, including Al Leary, a former sportscaster, who had been the station manager at CKCL for 14 years.  CHUM received its licence in late November 1944 to operate a station with 1000 watts.  CHUM launched as a daytimer on 28 October 1945,  with John H.Q. "Jack" Part, an entrepreneur in the business of patent medicines, as its president. The station broadcast a format typical of the late 1940s, with a combination of information, music, and sports.

CHUM was taken over in December 1954 by Allan Waters, a salesman from Part's patent medicine business. Waters' first major move was to secure a licence for 24-hour-a-day broadcasting for CHUM, along with a power increase to 5,000 watts.

Less than three years after Waters acquired the station, and soon after bringing the new full-time transmitter online, a major programming change was made. On May 27, 1957, at 6 AM, Waters switched the station to a "Top 50" format.  Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" was the first song played.

"1050 CHUM" pioneered rock and roll radio in Toronto, and was noteworthy for hosting many noteworthy rock concerts including, among others, visits to Maple Leaf Gardens by Elvis Presley (1957) and the Beatles (1964, 1965, and 1966). While the station was rising to the top of the popularity ratings in Toronto in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it also built yet another new transmitter in Mississauga, Ontario (a few miles west of the current Toronto city line) along the Lake Ontario shoreline, and raised its power once again to its current 50,000 watts around the clock.

CHUM 1050 AM (50 Kw-DA-2)

In the late 1950s, CHUM was calling itself "Radio One", as its ratings continued to increase. An important part of CHUM's success was the station's unpredictable morning man Al Boliska, who joined CHUM in October 1957, after working at station CKLC in Kingston, Ontario.

By 1959, Boliska had made a name for himself as a disc jockey who got listeners talking. He also made them laugh, and became known for telling what he called the "World's Worst Jokes".  Boliska also did a number of stunts, such as taking part in a professional wrestling match with Whipper Billy Watson. When he lost, that led to another stunt, where Boliska stayed away from his show for several days, saying he was now too discouraged by the loss to do his show. A hypnotist was called in, and Boliska's self-esteem was restored.

Jay Nelson

Boliska left CHUM in late 1963 to go 'across the street' to CKEY. He died of a heart attack in Toronto on April 7, 1972 on the eve of his 40th birthday

He was replaced by WKBW Buffalo radio & TV personality Jay Nelson, popularly known as "Jungle Jay" from his role as host of a children's show on Buffalo's Channel 7 which was also popular among Toronto youngsters.

He would be followed by housewives' jock John Spragge; singer/DJ Mike Darow; Pete Nordheimer, replaced in 1961 by Bob McAdorey, teen DJ Dave Johnson, and all night DJ Bob Laine. Later additions to the CHUM DJ lineup included Duff Roman and Brian Skinner, both of whom came from rival Toronto rocker CKEY (then owned by Jack Kent Cooke).

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, CHUM DJs included Duke Roberts (also known as Gary Duke for a time), Johnny Mitchell (better known today as Sonny Fox), J. Michael Wilson, Tom Rivers, Scott Carpenter, Jim Van Horne, John Rode, Don Reagan, John Majhor, Mike Cooper, Daryl B, Terry Steele, Mike Holland and current CHUM-FM morning man Roger Ashby.

Among their later night-time hosts was J. D. Roberts, who joined CHUM for a time in 1977, eventually becoming known across North America as John Roberts, White House correspondent for CBS News, then the co-anchor of CNN's morning program American Morning. He now reports for the Fox News Channel.

Rick Moranis, later famous for his work on SCTV and Ghostbusters, was briefly a late-night CHUM DJ in the mid-seventies under the name "Rick Allan".

CHUM became well known for its zany contests. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was contests such as 'The Walking Man', where listeners had to spot CHUM's mystery walking man using only clues given out on the air. The 1970s' "I Listen to CHUM" promotion had DJs dialing phone numbers at random and awarding $1,000 to anyone who answered the phone with that phrase. In 1976, there was the CHUM Starsign promotion. Listeners wore a button featuring their astrological sign. If CHUM's 'Starsign spotter' saw you wearing your Starsign, you won prizes such as money or concert tickets to major events.

The CHUM Chart was, for many years, the most influential weekly Top 40 chart in Canada and has been hailed as the longest-running continuously published radio station record survey in North America.  The first CHUM Chart was released on May 27, 1957, with Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" the first Number 1 song.

By the mid-1980s, CHUM had lost ground in the Toronto ratings to competing Top 40 station CFTR and FM-based music stations. On June 6, 1986, at 3 PM, after the playing of Starship's "We Built This City", CHUM dropped its Top 40 format for a gold-based adult contemporary format ("Favorites of Yesterday and Today"). The first song after the relaunch was "Beginnings" by Chicago. The change also discontinued the CHUM Chart, which ended the week of June 14, 1986 with Madonna's "Live to Tell" as the final Number 1 song. By 1988, the station had evolved into a brighter AC format, focusing on pop hits from the past decade and dropping much of the older music.

Diana Ross is 78

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Alan Arkin is 88. 
• Actor James Caan is 82. 
• Singer Diana Ross is 78. 
• Singer Steven Tyler of Aerosmith is 74. 
• Singer-actor Vicki Lawrence is 73. 
• Actor Ernest Thomas (“Everybody Hates Chris,” ″What’s Happening”) is 73. 
• Actor Martin Short is 72. 
• Country singer Ronnie McDowell is 72. 
• Drummer Monte Yoho of The Outlaws is 70. 
• Country singer Dean Dillon is 67. 
• Country singer Charly McClain is 66. 
• Talk show host Leeza Gibbons is 65. 
• Actor Ellia English (“The Jamie Foxx Show,” ″Curb Your Enthusiasm”) is 63. 

• 

  Leslie Mann is 50

  Actor Jennifer Grey is 62. 
• Actor Billy Warlock (“Baywatch”) is 61. 
• Actor Eric Allan Kramer (“The Hughleys”) is 60. 
• Actor Michael Imperioli (“Life on Mars,” ″The Sopranos”) is 56. 
• Guitarist James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins is 54. 
• Country singer Kenny Chesney is 54. 
• Actor Leslie Mann (“Knocked Up,” ″This Is 40″) is 50. 
• Actor T.R. Knight (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 49. 
• Rapper Juvenile is 47. 
• Actor Amy Smart (“Road Trip,” ″Felicity”) is 46. 
• Actor Bianca Kajlich (“Rules of Engagement,” ″Boston Public”) is 45. 
• “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan is 42. 
• Actor Keira Knightley is 37. 
• Rapper J-Kwon is 36. 
• Actor Carly Chaikin (“Mr. Robot,” “Suburgatory”) is 32.

Townsquare Media To Acquire Cherry Creek Broadcasting

Townsquare Media, Inc. announced Thursday that it has executed definitive documentation to acquire Cherry Creek Broadcasting LLC for $18.75 million cash. 

Simultaneously, and due to FCC ownership limitations, Townsquare will divest six radio stations in Missoula, MT, to Anderson Broadcasting, Legacy Broadcasting (a non-profit organization), and Missoula Community Radio (also a non-profit organization), and place two radio stations in Tri-Cities, WA in a divestiture trust. 

Pro forma for the acquisition and divestitures, Townsquare will add assets including 35 local radio stations in nine markets, increasing its portfolio of market leading local radio stations to 356 in 74 markets. This Transaction solidifies Townsquare’s position as the the only local media and digital marketing solutions company of scale focused principally on markets outside of the Top 50 in the United States.

“We are very excited to announce the acquisition of Cherry Creek’s market leading local media brands. The acquisition includes many local heritage brands with strong competitive positions, meaningful audience share, and very talented local teams,” commented Townsquare Chief Executive Officer, Bill Wilson. 

“This represents an excellent opportunity to deploy our Digital First Local Media strategy across a broader footprint, bringing our national scale, strong digital platform, and resources to the local communities and local businesses in these markets, building upon the strong relationships these local teams have already built with their communities. We look forward to accelerating the digital growth in these markets as we implement our flywheel of powerful and effective marketing and advertising (digital and radio) solutions and technology platforms, in combination with our highly relevant, localized content on-air and online. We believe this acquisition furthers our goal of being the #1 Digital First Local Media Company in markets outside of the Top 50 in the United States.”

In connection with the Transaction, Townsquare is acquiring assets including 35 radio stations in nine markets (Butte, MT; Great Falls, MT; Missoula, MT; Montrose, CO; Sierra Vista, AZ; St. George-Cedar City, UT; Tri-Cities, WA; Wenatchee, WA; and Williston, ND). The Transaction will be funded with cash on hand.

The Transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022, pending regulatory approval. McDermott, Will & Emery and Wilkinson Barker Knauer served respectively as transaction and FCC counsel to Townsquare in connection with the Transaction. Kalil & Co., Inc. acted as exclusive broker for Cherry Creek.

February '22 PPMs: Day 4..Austin, Nashville +10 More Markets

👉Nielsen on Thursday, March 24, 2022 released the final batch of February 2022 PPM data for the following markets:

32  Austin

38  Raleigh-Durham NC

39  Indianapolis

40  Nashville

42  Milwaukee-Racine

44  Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket

45  Norfolk-Virginia Beach- News News

46  Jacksonville FL

47  West Palm Beach-Boca Raton

48  Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point NC

51  Memphis'

52  Hartford-New Britain-Middletown CT

Click Here To View Topline Numbers for Subscribing Nielsen Stations.

Wake-Up Call: Russian Forcibly Moving Civilians To Russia

As the war in Ukraine moved into a second month yesterday, the country accused Russia yesterday of forcibly moving hundreds of thousands of civilians into Russian territory from destroyed Ukrainian cities. Ukraine's ombudsperson, Lyudmyla Denisova, said 402,000 people had been taken against their will, including 84,000 children, and claimed they might be used as hostages to pressure Ukraine to surrender. Russia gave almost the same number for Ukrainains who it said relocated to Russia, but who it said wanted to go. Russian Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev said the civilians evacuated to Russia were from the separatist Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, which are predominantly Russian-speaking. But Donetsk Region Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said people are being forcibly moved into Russia.

Ukraine has accused Moscow of forcibly taking more than 400,000 civilians from shattered Ukrainian cities to Russia. Ukrainian officials fear the civilians may be used as hostages to pressure Kyiv to give up its fight against Russia. https://t.co/fjyji1abMb

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 24, 2022

President Biden and Western allies pledged new aid for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia during a day of emergency summits in Brussels of NATO, the European Council and the Group of Seven industrialized nations (G7). During appearances via video, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for planes, tanks, rockets, air defense systems, and other weapons. But while western nations are continuing to send military hardware to Ukraine, it was unlikely that Zelenskyy will get everything he asked for due to concerns over triggering a wider war. The member nations also discussed during their meetings how they might respond if Russia were to use chemical, biological or even a nuclear weapon. Biden said in a news conference after that meeting that a chemical attack would, quote, "trigger a response in kind." He added, "You’re asking whether NATO would cross. We’d make that decision at the time."

 

President Biden says the U.S. and NATO will respond if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine https://t.co/srjioFasTc pic.twitter.com/wb9KeuBP3y

— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) March 25, 2022

Biden, who will visit Poland today, which has taken in some two million of the 3.5 million refugees who've fled Ukraine, announced yesterday that the U.S. would welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, and will provide another $1 billion in food, medicine, water and other supplies. In addition to meeting with Poland's president, Biden will also visit U.S. troops who've been deployed there in recent weeks to bolster NATO’s eastern nations.

➤NORTH KOREA SAYS TEST-FIRED BIGGEST ICBM YET: North Korea said Friday that it had test-fired its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile yet, that coming the day after South Korea and Japan said they'd detected the North launching an ICBM in its first long-range test since 2017. It was also North Korea’s 12th round of launches this year. The announcement from the North had leader Kim Jong Un vowing to expand his country's, quote, "nuclear war deterrent," while readying for what it called a "long-standing confrontation" with the U.S. Analysts suggested the missile test-fired could reach targets 9,320 miles away, which would put the entire U.S. mainland within reach. The U.S. requested an open U.N. Security Council meeting on the launch, and also imposed new sanctions against five entities and individuals in Russia and North Korea over transferring sensitive items to the North’s missile program.

➤LAWMAKER CONVICTED OF LYING TO FEDERAL OFFICIALS ABOUT ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry was convicted yesterday of lying to federal authorities about an illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign from a foreign billionaire at a 2016 fundraiser. The nine-term Nebraska Republican had denied to the FBI that he was aware he had received illegal funds from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent. Sentencing is set for June 28th. Fortenberry said he would appeal, saying the process had been unfair. The trial was the first of a sitting congressman since Democratic Rep. Jim Traficant of Ohio was convicted of bribery and other felony charges in 2002.

Biden gets low marks on inflation, gas prices in Fox News poll https://t.co/YmfedSrIDk pic.twitter.com/7NH5m3ZfRl

— New York Post (@nypost) March 25, 2022

➤WEEKLY UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS LOWEST SINCE 1969: The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week fell to its lowest number since September 1969, declining by 28,000 to 187,000, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average for first-time claims also fell to levels not seen in five decades, down to 211,750. A total of 1,350,000 Americans were collecting unemployment benefits the week that ended March 12th, which is also a five-decade low.

➤ARIZONA LAWMAKERS PASS BAN ON SURGERY FOR TRANS MINORS, TRANS ATHLETES: Arizona lawmakers passed legislation yesterday to ban gender reassignment surgery for minors and transgender athletes from playing on girls sports teams, becoming the latest Republican-controlled state to pass restrictions related to transgender issues. Republican Governor Doug Ducey hasn't said if he'll sign the measures. Supporters of the bill related to surgery for minors said it would prevent children from making permanent decisions that they might later regret.

🍺AFTER IMPOSING SPRING BREAK CURFEW, MIAMI BEACH NOW LIMITING ALCHOL SALES: Miami Beach has been grappling with how to handle spring break after an outbreak of violence last weekend. After imposing a curfew earlier this week, the city has now also limited alcohol sales in certain areas this weekend where there is a curfew. City leaders on Wednesday (March 23rd) ordered that the "sale or distribution of any alcoholic beverage(s) for off-premises consumption" would be banned in the curfew area after 6 p.m. Thursday night, tonight and Saturday night. The curfew was set earlier this week from midnight to 6 a.m. in the entertainment district from Thursday night to Monday morning. Businesses in the curfew area must close by midnight. The curfew and limit on alcohol sales were put in place after five people were injured in two separate shootings last weekend, and after nine officers have been hurt since the start of the spring break season amid huge crowds and parties.

➤JUSTICE THOMAS' WIFE SENT REPEATED TEXTS TO TRUMP CHIEF OF STAFF URGING ELECTION OVERTURN: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' wife, Virginia Thomas, sent texts to then-President Donald Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, for weeks after the 2020 presidential election imploring him to act to overturn the election results, The Washington Post and CBS News reported yesterday, citing copies of the texts they obtained. Copies of the texts were provided to the House committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. The texts from Thomas, who has previously said she attended Trump's rally before the Capitol attack, cited false claims about the election from fringe websites and messages like, "The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Height of our History." Another said, "Biden crime family & ballot fraud co-conspirators (elected officials, bureaucrats, social media censorship mongers, fake stream media reporters, etc) are being arrested & detained for ballot fraud right now & over coming days, & will be living in barges off GITMO to face military tribunals for sedition." The texts suggest Meadows was willing to continue to try to find ways to overturn the election, saying in one, "I will stand firm. We will fight until there is no fight left."

➤TRUMP SUES HILLARY CLINTON, DNC, OTHERS OVER 2016 RUSSIA CLAIMS: Former President Donald Trump has filed a sweeping RICO lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, and 26 other people and entities, alleging they, quote, "maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative that [Trump] was colluding with a hostile foreign sovereignty [Russia]" to try and rig the 2016 election. The lawsuit filed in Florida seeks a jury trial and compensatory damages, claiming that as a result of the defendants' actions, Trump has suffered losses of at least $24 milliion. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation established that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Trump win and also found that Trump's campaign sought to capitalize on Russia's interference, but didn't establish a criminal conspiracy between Trump aides and any Russians.

➤WHITE HOUSE EASTER EGG ROLL RETURNING: The White House Easter Egg Roll is returning this year after not being held for the past two years because of the pandemic. The White House said yesterday that the Egg Roll will be held on Monday, April 18th, the day after Easter. The event, which welcomes thousands of people to participate in activities on the South Lawn, is the most popular publicly-attended annual event at the White House. The Easter Egg Roll has been held almost every year since 1878.

 
📲APPLE WORKING ON SUBSCRIPTION PLAN FOR HARDWARE:  Could you rent your iPhone or iPad in the future instead of owning it? A Bloomberg report says Apple is working on a subscription service for the iPhone and other hardware products, with people paying a monthly fee similar to paying a monthly app fee. However, the report cited sources as saying the project is still in development. The program would be different from an installment program because the monthly charge wouldn't be the price of the device spread out over 12 or 24 months, but instead be a monthly fee that depends on which device is being used. The report also said Apple has discussed letting people using the subscription service to swap out their devices for new models when they come out.

ARKANSAS BUSTING BRACKETS 🐗 #MarchMadness@RazorbackMBB topples Gonzaga to move on to the #Elite8! pic.twitter.com/Dz2s0I9U8L

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 25, 2022

🏀GONZAGA, ARIZONA UPSET IN SWEET 16: Overall top seed Gonzaga and and fellow Number 1 Arizona were both upset as the first half of the Sweet 16 games were played in the men's NCAA basketball tournament Thursday. Number 4 Arkansas eliminated Gonzaga 74-68, and Arizona was ousted 72-60 by Number 5 Houston. Arkansas and Houston will advance to the Elite Eight along with Number 2 Villanova, which downed Number 11 Michigan 63-55, and Number 2 Duke, which topped Number 3 Texas Tech, 78-73. The other half of the Sweet 16 games will be played tonight, along with the first four Sweet 16 games in the women's tournament.

(5) @UHCougarMBK is dancing on after getting the COMMANDING win over (1) Arizona! 🕺#Elite8 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/HOPWVISzh4

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 25, 2022

🏀SUNS CLINCH TOP SEED IN NBA PLAYOFFS: The Phoenix Suns clinched the top seed in the NBA playoffs last night with a 140-130 win over the Denver Nuggets. The Suns' Chris Paul returned from a broken right wrist that had kept him out since the All-Star break to help his team to victory, getting 17 points and 13 rebounds, while teammate Devin Booker had a season-high 49 points and 10 assists. Phoenix leads the NBA with a 60-14 record.

🏈SECOND GRAND JURY DECLINES TO INDICT DESHAUN WATSON: A second grand jury in Texas declined to indict quarterback Deshaun Watson Thursday on an allegation of sexual misconduct. Watson is now with the Cleveland Browns after they acquired him last week from the Houston Texans in a five-year, $230 million deal. Twenty-two female massage therapists have filed lawsuits against Watson, accusing him of sexually assaulting or sexually harassing them while they were giving him massages. However, two grand juries have now declined to indict him on charges relating to claims from some of the women. Cleveland is set to introduce Watson at a news conference today.

⛸U.S. WINS PAIRS FIGURE SKATING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR FIRST TIME IN 43 YEARS: American figure skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier won the pairs gold medal at the world championships in Montpellier, France, Thursday, the first Americans to do so since 1979, 43 years ago. However, there is a very big asterisk. The top five pairs from last month’s Beijing Winter Olympics weren't at the world championships, with the Russian pairs teams who placed second, third and fourth banned because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the Chinese pairs teams who finished first and fifth not there because China chose not to send its skaters. Knierim and Frazier finished six at the Olympics.

Flames broke out Thursday at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the Denver Broncos, causing damage to rows of seats. The fire started in a construction area near a club lounge and no one was injured, Empower Field said in a tweet. pic.twitter.com/hLAMTkYkJ3

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 25, 2022

🏈FIRE BREAKS OUT AT DENVER BRONCOS' STADIUM: A fire broke out at the Denver Broncos' stadium on Thursday, burning several rows of seats before firefighters were able to quickly bring it under control. The fire broke out on the fourth level at Empower Field at Mile High just after 2 p.m. and spread to the third level. Stadium officials said the fire took place in a construction zone near the East Club Lounge, but investigators haven't said what caused it. At least 100 people were attending an event on the second level, but no injuries were reported.