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Saturday, September 17, 2022

September 18 Radio History



➦In 1907... Edmund Lincoln Anderson born (Died at age 71 – February 28, 1977) was an American comedian and actor. To a generation of early radio and television comedy he was known as "Rochester."

Anderson got his start in show business as a teenager on the vaudeville circuit. In the early 1930s, he transitioned into films and radio. In 1937, he began his most famous role of Rochester van Jones, usually known simply as "Rochester", the valet of Jack Benny, on his NBC radio show The Jack Benny Program. Anderson became the first Black American to have a regular role on a nationwide radio program. When the series moved to CBS television in 1950, Anderson continued in the role until the series' end in 1965.

➦In 1927...the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System debuted with a network of 16 radio stations. (Although some sources say 18.) The name was later changed to Columbia Broadcasting System, CBS.

William Paley
The origins of CBS date back to January 27, 1927, with the creation of the "United Independent Broadcasters" network in Chicago by New York City talent-agent Arthur Judson. The fledgling network soon needed additional investors though, and the Columbia Phonograph Company, manufacturers of Columbia Records, rescued it in April 1927; as a result, the network was renamed the "Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting System" on September 18 of that year. Columbia Phonographic went on the air on September 18, 1927, with a presentation by the Howard Barlow Orchestra from flagship station WOR in Newark, New Jersey, and fifteen affiliates.

Operational costs were steep, particularly the payments to AT&T for use of its land lines, and by the end of 1927, Columbia Phonograph wanted out.

In early 1928, Judson sold the network to brothers Isaac and Leon Levy, owners of the network's Philadelphia affiliate WCAU, and their partner Jerome Louchenheim. None of the three were interested in assuming day-to-day management of the network, so they installed wealthy 26-year-old William S. Paley, son of a Philadelphia cigar family and in-law of the Levys, as president.

With the record company out of the picture, Paley quickly streamlined the corporate name to "Columbia Broadcasting System".   He believed in the power of radio advertising since his family's "La Palina" cigars had doubled their sales after young William convinced his elders to advertise on radio.   By September 1928, Paley bought out the Louchenheim share of CBS and became its majority owner with 51% of the business.

L-A Radio: Silverman Starts Monday At All-News KNX


Late July Alex Silverman was named director of news and programming at Newsradio KNX 1070 AM /  97.1-FM in Los Angeles.

Alex Silverman
A statement at the time from station owner Audacy, a Philadelphia radio broadcast group, said Silverman will oversee the KNX editorial strategy and newsroom, including broadcast and digital operations, with an eye toward audience and revenue growth and engagement on all platforms. 

His first day on the job is scheduled for Monday.

Since 2018, Silverman previously served as brand manager of Audacy station Newsradio KYW 1060 AM / 103.9-FM, in Philadelphia. Before that, beginning in 2011, he was at WCBS 880AM in New York, where he led coverage of Hurricane Sandy, the Boston Marathon bombings and Pulse nightclub shooting.

“Alex has led two of our company’s leading news brands to newfound success and industry-wide recognition,” said Jeff Federman, regional president, Audacy Southern California. “We look forward to welcoming him to the team and further establishing KNX as the go-to news source for Southern Californians.”

“KNX News is iconic,” said Silverman last month. “I can’t wait to work with the amazing team to build the future of the brand and set the agenda for news coverage in Southern California.”

ESPN MNF To Air Two Games Simultaneously


By the time the Eagles kickoff their home opener at Lincoln Financial Field against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football tonight, a second NFL game will be nearing halftime, reports The Philly Inquirer.

For the first time since taking over Monday Night Football in 2006, ESPN has two games scheduled simultaneously. First up will be the Tennessee Titans at the Buffalo Bills, which will kickoff at 7:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN called by Steve Levy, Dan Orlovsky, and Louis Riddick, with Laura Rutledge reporting from the sideline.

A little over an hour later, Vikings-Eagles will kickoff at 8:30 p.m. on ABC, called by new Monday Night Football announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who joined ESPN in the offseason after spending 20 years at Fox. Returning for her 11th season on Monday Night Football is reporter and King of Prussia native Lisa Salters.

Survey Tracks Consumer Behavior On Extended Road Trips


The automobile was in heavy use this summer as people packed up and headed out on road trips. A new Katz Radio Group survey found that half the country (49%) took at least one extended road trip this summer, involving overnight stays at their destinations. These extended road trips lasted an average of 5 days. Unimpeded by gas prices, road trippers embarked on an average of 2 trips this summer, and 74% traveled outside of their home state to do so. 

Summer road trips have been a yearly tradition for 7 in 10 road trippers. And whether they were ultimately headed to stay at the beach, explore a new city, visit a national park or just see family and friends, 81% of road trippers believe the journey is part of the fun. Feeding into that amusement is what's playing over the speakers, as nearly every road tripper reported listening to and enjoying audio while traveling. By far, AM/FM radio (OTA and station streams) garnered the most listening, with two-thirds, +89% ahead of its nearest competitor, pureplay audio streaming, and double satellite radio. 

NJ Radio: WKXW's Bill Spadea Facing Defamation Lawsuit

Bill Spadea

Radio talk host Bill Spadea at WKXW 101.5 FM faces potential legal trouble after a Morris, NJ child psychologist brought on as a guest to speak about masking children accused him of defamation after Spadea called him a "child abuser" and "crackpot" during one of his broadcasts.

Steven Tobias, a child psychologist and director and owner of the Center for Child and Family Development, filed a lawsuit on this week in Morris County Superior Court against Spadea, NJ 101.5 FM and Townsquare Media, the radio station's parent company. 

Wheel's Pat Sajak: ‘The End Is Near’


Pat Sajak, the popular host of “Wheel of Fortune,” revealed during an interview this week that the “end is near” for him hosting the show, according to The Daily Wire.

The 75-year-old entertainer, who has hosted the show for 41 years, made the remarks during a Thursday interview with Entertainment Tonight.

“In most television shows by this time, you would have said, ‘That’s probably enough,’ but this show will not die,” Sajak said. “It appears I may go before the show.”

“Years go by fast. We’re getting near the end. It’s been a long [time]. We’re not gonna do this for another 40 years. The end is near,” he continued. “It’s an honor to have been in people’s living rooms for that long. People were out there welcoming us. We’re happy and proud.”


Idaho Radio: Iliad Media Headed To Employee Ownership


Iliad Media Group Holdings Inc. has announced its forty-six employees will become employee-owners of the media company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). 

The transition to 100% employee ownership by the media group illuminates that despite dismal news about workforce retention, volatile economy, and speculation about the decline in radio revenues, the team believes so much in the power of good local radio that they partnered with ownership to buy the company.

The multi-media company has a long tradition of being the only locally owned, privately held, large commercial radio cluster in the Boise market since 2007 and enjoys a 26-year history of commercial radio excellence in Twin Falls, Idaho. By transitioning to an employee-owned model, Iliad Media Group will maintain its long-term commitment to staying local by joining only 42 other ESOPs in Idaho.

Darrell Calton
President and CEO Darrell Calton says, “One of the biggest concerns that the ownership and I had about the company was not the year-to-year successes, but the decade-to-decade success. Many independent business owners struggle with what to do about the march of time regarding estate and business planning. We are so fortunate to have an owner that wants to recognize the efforts of our long-term employees and wants to put the future of the business in our hands. This ESOP business transition tool is precisely what we all needed.”

About Employee Stock Ownership Plans. Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) are qualified retirement plans that buy, hold, and sell company stock for the benefit of the employees, providing an ownership stake in the company.

Denver Radio: Sandy Clough Retires From KKFN The Fan


Bonneville Denver announces that after 25 years with the station, Sandy Clough is retiring from full-time hosting duties at KKFN 104.3 The Fan. In his time with the station, Clough served in a variety of roles, working in every daypart and hosting postgame shows.

“I’ve had a tremendous experience over the past 25 years sharing my opinions and interacting with our wonderful listeners at The Fan,” Clough said. “Being able to share in the joy of Denver’s wins while consoling the city’s heartbreak of losses was a privilege and responsibility I was honored to have. I’m very grateful and appreciative for all of the amazing colleagues I’ve had the opportunity to call teammates, and most of all I’m extremely thankful to The Fan audience who took the time to listen in and interact during our shows.”

TikTok Is The New Search Engine


TikTok is known for its viral dance videos and pop music. But for Generation Z, the video app is increasingly a search engine, too.

The NY Times reports more and more young people are using TikTok’s powerful algorithm — which personalizes the videos shown to them based on their interactions with content — to find information uncannily catered to their tastes. That tailoring is coupled with a sense that real people on the app are synthesizing and delivering information, rather than faceless websites.

On TikTok, “you see how the person actually felt about where they ate,” said Nailah Roberts, 25, who uses the app to look for restaurants in Los Angeles, where she lives. A long-winded written review of a restaurant can’t capture its ambience, food and drinks like a bite-size clip can, she said.

TikTok’s rise as a discovery tool is part of a broader transformation in digital search. While Google remains the world’s dominant search engine, people are turning to Amazon to search for products, Instagram to stay updated on trends and Snapchat’s Snap Maps to find local businesses. As the digital world continues growing, the universe of ways to find information in it is expanding.

Google has noticed TikTok edging into its domain. While the Silicon Valley company disputed that young people were using TikTok as a replacement for its search engine, at least one Google executive has publicly remarked on the rival video app’s search capabilities.

Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral Monday...Coverage Will Be Extensive


The State Funeral of Her Majesty the Queen is scheduled to begin Monday at 11 a.m. BST (British Summer Time, 6am EDT 3 a.m. Pacific) at Westminster Abbey, and will be attended by heads of state, prime ministers, members of European royal families and other notables.

The service comes after four days lying in state at London’s Westminster Hall. A procession will lead to Westminster Abbey with the queen’s coffin carried on a gun carriage, pulled by sailors rather than horses. British military personnel will line the streets and some will join members of the royal family in the procession, reports The L-A Times.

Following the funeral, the coffin will be taken, via Wellington Arch, to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for a committal service, which also will be televised (4 p.m. BST, 12 noon EDT 9 a.m. Pacific).

A private interment service with members of the royal family will follow.

Memorial Saturday For Lowry Mays, Who Founded Radio Empire

Lowry Mays (1935-2022)

A private memorial service for family was scheduled for today for Lester Lowry Mays, who founded Clear Channel Communications Inc. and became a billionaire by using rapid-fire acquisitions to turn it into the largest U.S. radio broadcaster, now known as  iHeartMedia Inc.

Mays died this past Monday at the age of 87.

"Chief", as he was known to those close to him, was raised in Dallas, Texas where his father, Lester, was killed in a traffic accident when Lowry was only 10 years old. This event prompted the forming of a very close union with his sister, JoAnn, and an even closer relationship with his mother, Ginny, who taught him lessons of strength, initiative, and resourcefulness.

According to an obit posted by family, Lowry graduated from Highland Park High School where he was a member of the ROTC. At age 16 and charmed by the thought of becoming a larger-than-life Texas wildcatter, Lowry enrolled in the petroleum engineering program at Texas A&M University where he joined the Corps of Cadets. While in the Corps, he distinguished himself as commander of his squadron that went on to win awards for best drill unit and most outstanding company overall. Lowry credits the Corps for developing the discipline, confidence, wisdom, and leadership skills which characterized him for the rest of his life.

September 17 Radio History


➦In 1931...RCA Victor unveiled an early version 33 1/3 rpm long-playing or "LP" record.

RCA Victor introduced "Program Transcription" discs, as Victor called them, played at 33 1⁄3 rpm and used a somewhat finer and more closely spaced groove than typical 78s. They were to be played with a special "Chromium Orange" chrome-plated steel needle. The 10-inch discs, mostly used for popular and light classical music, were normally pressed in shellac, but the 12-inch discs, mostly used for "serious" classical music, were normally pressed in Victor's new vinyl-based Victrolac compound, which provided a much quieter playing surface. They could hold up to 15 minutes per side. Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, performed by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski, was the first 12-inch recording issued.

Unfortunately for Victor, it was downhill from there. Many of the subsequent issues were not new recordings but simply dubs made from existing 78 rpm record sets. The dubs were audibly inferior to the original 78s. Two-speed turntables with the 33 1⁄3 rpm speed were included only on expensive high-end machines, which sold in small numbers, and people were not buying many records of any kind at the time. Overall record sales in the US had crashed from a high of 105.6 million records sold in 1921 to 5.5 million in 1933, because of competition from radio and the effects of the Great Depression.  The failure of the new product left RCA Victor with a low opinion of the prospects for any sort of long-playing record, influencing product development decisions during the coming decade.

The new format to lie dormant for years until Columbia revived it in 1948.

Kate Smith

➦In 1936..the Kate Smith Hour began a decade-long run on CBS radio network. It was a leading radio variety show, offering comedy, music, and drama with appearances by top personalities of films and theater for eight years (1937–1945). The show's resident comics, Abbott and Costello and Henny Youngman, introduced their comedy to a nationwide radio audience aboard her show, while a series of sketches based on the Broadway production of the same name led to The Aldrich Family as a separate hit series in 1940.

Smith continued on the Mutual Broadcasting System, CBS, ABC, and NBC, doing both music and talk shows on radio until 1960.

➦In 1937...Yvonne Daniels born in Jacksonville, FL (Died of breast cancer- June 21, 1991).

Yvonne Daniels
She started her broadcasting career in 1956 working at WOBS in Jacksonville, she soon moved to East St. Louis IL amd worked at WBBR. In the mid 60s Daniels moved to Chicago, where she had stints at WYNR and WCFL (hosting an overnight jazz show before the station flipped to Top40).

On June 9 1973, she became the first female DJ on blowtorch 89 WLS working overnights and fill-in.

In 1982, she left to do morning drive for WVON before moving to afternoons in 1984 when WVON changed it’s calls to WGCI. She stayed until 1989 when she became morning drive host at jazz station WNUA.

In late '91, Chicago's Dearborn Street Bridge was renamed Yvonne Daniels Way in her honor. In 1995, she was posthumously inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.


➦In 1967...The Who performed on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.  Drummer Keith Moon rigged his drum set to explode at the conclusion of "My Generation".  He rigged the normal amount of explosives used at other concerts, and didn't tell the rest of the group.  The result of the stunt was a massive explosion on stage.  One of Moon's drum cymbals shattered, causing cuts to Moon's leg and arms was cut.  Guitarist Pete Townshend was closest to the blast, had his hair singed.

➦In 1976...Jay Thomas aired first show on WXLO NYC, now ESPN Sports WEPN 98.7 FM.

➦In 1989...Now owned by Salem Media Group, former Top40 giant WMCA 570 AM NYC flipped format to religious.

The WMCA Good Guys Meet The Beatles

Throughout the 1960s, WMCA beat other radio stations on most Beatles' promotions, scoring firsts, causing headaches in particular for rival WABC - most notably when Capitol Records printed a photograph of the "Good Guys" line-up - on the back of a limited edition record sleeve for the single, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (Side 2: "I Saw Her Standing There"). WMCA's Good Guys were also featured at both of the Beatles' concerts at Shea Stadium, on August 15, 1965 and on August 23, 1966.

WABC responded in different ways, scoring a success during the Beatles' second New York visit in August 1964 - when the band stayed at the Delmonico Hotel, rousing thousands of teenage fans into a frenzy - while broadcasting from one floor above the Beatles' rooms.  WABC later went against its own music policies, promising promoter Sid Bernstein that it would play a new group he was handling before any other New York City radio station - if it could get exclusive access to the Beatles. WABC never added records "out of the box" - but it did for Sid Bernstein when it played The Young Rascals' "I Ain't Going To Eat Out My Heart Anymore" - before other radio stations.

Since WABC knew WMCA already had a relationship with the Beatles, with tapes of the group promoting the station - what could WABC do to achieve the same? In August 1965, WABC came up with what it thought was a brilliant idea - issuing "medals" called "The Order of the All-Americans" - tied to its own DJs. The strategy was to present the medals to each of the Beatles the next time they were in New York. Everything was set.

WABC's Bruce Morrow interview The Beatles August 1965

The goal was to get each Beatle to comment on the "medal" - and then to get each to say the station's call letters, "W-A-B-C." These in turn could be used in station IDs and promotions, etc. - thus matching WMCA's success at getting the Beatles to promote WMCA and its Good Guys. But WABC's plan backfired. The station got its interviews, but none of the band's members would utter WABC's call letters. According to Beatles' historian Bruce Spizer, manager Brian Epstein ordered the Beatles to stop "giving away valuable promotional spots to radio stations for free."

➦In 1997…Richard Bernard Eheart died at age 84  (Born - July 18, 1913). He was  professionally known as Red Skelton and was a comedy entertainer. He was best known for his national radio and television acts between 1937 and 1971, and as host of the television program The Red Skelton Show. He has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in radio and television, and also appeared in burlesque, vaudeville, films, nightclubs, and casinos, all while he pursued an entirely separate career as an artist.

Red Skelton
Skelton's first radio appearance on Rudy Vallée's The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour on August 12, 1937. Vallée's program had a talent show segment and those who were searching for stardom were eager to be heard on it. Vallée also booked veteran comic and fellow Indiana native Joe Cook to appear as a guest with Skelton. The two Hoosiers proceeded to trade jokes about their home towns, with Skelton contending to Cook, an Evansville native, that the city was a suburb of Vincennes.

On October 1, 1938, Skelton replaced Red Foley as the host of Avalon Time on NBC; and his wife Edna also joined the show's cast, under her maiden name.  She developed a system for working with the show's writers: selecting material from them, adding her own and filing the unused bits and lines for future use; the Skeltons worked on Avalon Time until late 1939.  Skelton's work in films led to a new regular radio show offer; between films, he promoted himself and MGM by appearing without charge at Los Angeles area banquets. A radio advertising agent was a guest at one of his banquet performances and recommended Skelton to one of his clients.

Skelton went on the air with his own radio show, The Raleigh Cigarette Program, on October 7, 1941. The bandleader for the show was Ozzie Nelson; his wife, Harriet, who worked under her maiden name of Hilliard, was the show's vocalist and also worked with Skelton in skits.

➦In 2011…TV entertainment reporter, ESPN sports reporter and radio show host on WCCO Minneapolis Eleanor Mondale died from brain cancer at age 51.  He was also an actress and daughter of former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale.

➦In 2012…Fashion model and radio personality Tedi Thurman died at age 89.  She was "Miss Monitor" on the NBC weekend radio series Monitor.

Tedi Thurman
Her gig on Monitor made her the most recognizable female voice on radio during the 1950s-1960s. Notably, not only does Tedi have one of the most iconic voices in radio history, and her weather girl antics influenced the entire profession.

➦In 2015…Milo Hamilton died (Born September 2, 1927). He was a sportscaster who called play-by-play for seven different MLB teams starting in 1953. He received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.

LaMonte McLemore is 87

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

  • Singer-turned-photographer LaMonte McLemore of the Fifth Dimension is 87. 
  • Singer Fee Waybill of The Tubes is 74. 
  • Actor Elvira is 71. 
  • Comedian Rita Rudner is 69. 
  • Puppeteer Kevin Clash (formerly Elmo on “Sesame Street”) is 62. 
  • Denyse Tontz is 28
    Actor-director Paul Feig is 60. 
  • Director Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge”) is 60. 
  • Singer BeBe Winans is 60. 
  • Businessman Robert Herjavec (“Shark Tank”) is 59. 
  • Actor Kyle Chandler (“Early Edition”) is 57. 
  • Rapper Doug E. Fresh is 56. 
  • Actor Malik Yoba (“New York Undercover”) is 55. 
  • Singer Anastacia is 54. 
  • Actor Matthew Settle (“Gossip Girl”) is 53. 
  • Rapper VinRock of Naughty By Nature is 52. 
  • Actor Bobby Lee (“MADtv,” ″Harold and Kumar” films) is 51. 
  • Singer Marcus Sanders of Hi-Five is 49. 
  • Singer-actor Nona Gaye (“The Matrix” films) is 48. 
  • Drummer Chuck Comeau of Simple Plan is 43. 
  • Actor Billy Miller (“General Hospital,” ″The Young and the Restless”) is 43. 
  • Actor Danielle Brooks (“Orange Is the New Black”) is 33. 
  • Gospel singer Jonathan McReynolds is 33. 
  • Actor Denyse Tontz (“All My Children,” ″Big Time Rush”) is 28.


Friday, September 16, 2022

Media: Migrants Bused To Joint Base Cape Cod

Boston Globe photo

In an emotional farewell Friday, the roughly 50 Venezuelan migrants flown unannounced to Martha’s Vineyard Wednesday in what critics derided as a cruel political stunt by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis left the island bound for temporary housing on Cape Cod.

The Boston Globe reports that just before 10 a.m., one large bus and two smaller ones from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional Transit Authority pulled in front of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church to a crowd of families waiting in the driveway with backpacks and suitcases.

The teary-eyed migrants hugged volunteers, took selfies, and gave the church, which had doubled as an emergency shelter for them, a round of applause before embarking on the next stretch of their journey to Joint Base Cape Cod in Bourne, which Governor Charlie Baker’s office said Friday was being made available as temporary shelter for the migrants.

Detroit Radio: iHM Promotes Colleen Grant to Metro President


iHeartMedia announced today that Colleen Grant has been named Metro President for Detroit. 

As President, Grant will be responsible for overseeing strategic partnerships across the region, building strong community relationships, and the growth of revenue across all platforms and stations ratings. She will report to Tom McConnell, Division President for iHeartMedia.

Colleen Grant
“Colleen has been instrumental to the success in Detroit,” said Tom McConnell. “She has created a culture of high performance, accountability and respect and is the perfect choice to lead the Detroit market.”

Grant most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Sales for the Detroit Metro. In addition, she also served as the Region Vice President of Automotive for iHeartMedia’s Detroit Region, and Co-Host of iHeartMedia Detroit’s Public Service Program, “Light Up the D.” She began her career at KDZR in Dallas, Texas, and attended Ball State University.

“This is a childhood dream come true for me,” said Grant. “Having a father who was the General Manager of television stations, I’d always wanted to oversee stations as he did. I saw the care for people it required, the creativity necessary to generate growth, and his commitment to the community. These are the things I plan to bring to this opportunity and I couldn’t be more excited to do it.”

Comcast CEO: We Would Bid To Buy Hulu


Comcast Corp. CEO Brian Roberts said this week that the Philadelphia media conglomerate would make a bid to buy Hulu if the Walt Disney Company puts the streaming service up for sale, reports The Philly Business Journal.

“It’s scale is fantastic. It has wonderful content, and I believe if it was for sale, put up for sale, Comcast would be interested," Roberts said during an appearance at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference in San Francisco. "So would a lot of other tech and media companies, and you would have a robust auction."

Comcast already owns a 33% stake in Hulu through its NBCUniversal division. In 2019, it entered into an agreement with Disney under which either side can trigger the sale of Comcast's ownership stake to Disney beginning in 2024. Under the terms of the agreement, Disney must pay fair market value as determined by independent experts with Comcast guaranteed a minimum total valuation for Hulu of $27.5 billion.

Roberts’ comments on the possibility of Comcast instead buying Hulu outright came just hours after Disney CEO Bob Chapek appeared on the same stage and addressed a potential merger of Hulu and the company's other streaming service, Disney+, whenever it is able to gain full control by acquiring Comcast's stake.

“We would love to get to the end point earlier [than 2024], but that obviously takes some level of propensity for the other party to have reasonable terms for us to get there, and if we could get there, I would be more than happy to try to facilitate that,” Chapek said.

Report: Music Industry Showing Signs of Economic Distress


The economic storm clouds that have triggered layoffs and deep cuts to investment budgets at companies like Netflix, Snap and Apple are coming to the music business, according to Billboard.

In recent months, Spotify said it would cut hiring by 25%, SoundCloud laid off 20% of its staff and BMI said it was cutting just under 10% of its total workforce, through a combination of letting 30 people go and leaving certain jobs unfilled.

In memos to staff, the companies cited uncertain economic times and challenging conditions in financial markets. Fears of a recession in the United States have been hovering over capital markets and investors since the Federal Reserve began aggressively raising interest rates earlier this year. The effort to rein in inflation, which hit a 40-year high in June, has cooled markets as intended but has also proved difficult to control.

Investors are hoarding cash and insiders at song-catalog holding companies say it’s difficult to raise capital, as the U.S. stock market had its weakest August in seven years.

R.I.P.: Robert Ferrante, Former NPR Executive

Robert Ferrante

Robert Ferrante, a broadcast executive who oversaw the overhaul and growth of National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” during the 1990s, bolstering its news operation and enlisting producer Ira Glass and humorist David Sedaris for commentary and features, died Sept. 15 at a hospital in Cambridge, Mass. He was 87.

The cause was complications from a stroke, reports The Washington Post.

In a journalism career that spanned more than five decades, Mr. Ferrante reported live from Dallas when nightclub owner Jack Ruby killed presumed presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963; directed TV coverage of the riots outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago; and helped create innovative public affairs programs in the 1970s for Boston’s public television station, WGBH.

He achieved even greater prominence in the media in the 1980s — revamping the “CBS Morning News,” a ratings success, and creating the network’s overnight news program “Nightwatch.” When he jumped to NPR in 1989, he was tasked with performing the same magic.

“Morning Edition” had labored in the shadow of the network’s signature afternoon news program, “All Things Considered.” Ferrante is credited with transforming it over the next nine years into the most popular morning news magazine in public and commercial broadcasting.

At NPR, Ferrante made the aggressive pursuit of the news part of a program that, by many accounts, had spent a decade searching for an identity. Public radio had a reputation for being “late and long,” according to Ellen McDonnell, a senior producer who served as Mr. Ferrante’s second-in-command and succeeded him as executive producer when he left.

Wake-Up Call: Chaos At Martha's Vineyard



The posh liberal enclave of Martha’s Vineyard has been thrown into chaos by the arrival of two planeloads of migrants sent there by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Roughly 50 mostly male migrants were flown to the famed Massachusetts island — constituting what the local tourism board called a “humanitarian crisis’’ Thursday. “This is an ongoing situation,’’ wrote a county emergency-management rep in a statement, noting that local authorities “are actively collaborating to develop a coordinated regional response. We have reached out to our State and Federal partners for additional and long term support and assistance.’’

Disney CEO Bob Chapek: ESPN Will Never Take Bets


Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek said Thursday that the company’s sports network ESPN is looking for a partner to help it step into sports gambling, reports CNBC.

“We at ESPN have the ability to do that. Now we’re going to need a partner to do that, because we’re never going to be a book, that’s never in the cards for the Walt Disney Company,” Chapek told CNBC’s David Faber said in an exclusive interview. “But at the same time, to be able to partner with a well-respected third party can do that for us.”


The comments come after activist investor Daniel Loeb’s Third Point recently took a new stake in Disney during the second quarter, valued at about $1 billion, or 0.4% of the company.

Amazon, Apple Pass On LIV Golf Deal

Amazon.com Inc. isn’t interested in streaming LIV Golf, according to Bloomberg citing a person familiar with the matter, leaving the Saudi-backed league with fewer options as it searches for a media partner.

LIV Golf held its first tournaments this year and has quickly established itself as a threat to the PGA Tour. It has poached some of the sport’s biggest names, including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Cameron Smith, luring them away with massive sums of money.

Amazon’s lack of interest in LIV Golf was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal, which also said that Apple Inc. had passed on the rights. Apple didn’t reply to a request for comment from Bloomberg News. Now, FOX is the leading candidate to grab the media rights for the controversial tour, sources told Front Office Sports.

LIV’s tournaments are free to watch online but they’re not available on TV in the US, making it tougher to reach the typical weekend golf viewer.

Most of the major US sports broadcasters -- CBS, NBC and ESPN -- have long-term contracts with the PGA Tour. It’s unlikely that they would air a rival league and jeopardize that relationship. Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., which owns TNT, also has a deal to show the PGA Tour outside the US.

iHM Promotes Michael Biondo To Pres/Business Development

Michael Biondo
iHeartMedia has promoted Michael Biondo to President of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships. 

He previously served as Executive Vice President, Strategic Business Operations for the iHeartMedia Networks Group. Biondo has been with iHeartMedia for almost 12 years, where he has been instrumental in building international partnerships, leading expansions in Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Italy and France. 

He also brokered iHeartMedia's early podcast deals, including the first BetCast with the English Premiere League and a partnership with the NBA.

Jennifer Griffin Signs Multi-Year Deal With Fox News

Jennifer Griffin

FOX News Media has signed Jennifer Griffin to a new multi-year deal in which she will now serve as FOX News Channel’s (FNC) chief national security correspondent, announced CEO Suzanne Scott.

In making the announcement, Scott said, “Jennifer is one of the industry’s premier journalists and has proven to be an indispensable asset on a consequential beat with unrivaled experience spanning more than three decades in multiple war zones. We are extremely proud that she will continue her incredible career at FOX News Media.”

Griffin added, “It has been an honor to provide viewers with trusted reporting from the Pentagon and across the world on issues that are paramount to all of us – the security and safety of our fellow citizens and allies. I am looking forward to continuing to inform the FOX News audience alongside the best journalists in the business.”

Throughout Griffin’s high-profile career, she has amassed more than 30 years of reporting on national security and the Middle East. She has traveled across the globe to cover every major story impacting the United States’ security at home and abroad, interviewing countless government and military officials. Notably, she will receive the 2022 “Freedom of the Media” Gold Medal for Public Service award from the Transatlantic Leadership Network on Saturday evening in honor of her extensive body of work.

BIN Promotes Andrea Coleman, Mike Stevens


BIN: Black Information Network, the 24/7 comprehensive national audio news network dedicated to providing an objective, accurate and trusted source of continual news with a Black voice and perspective, announced Thursday that Andrea Coleman has been elevated to Vice President of News Operations, while Mike Stevens becomes BIN’s first-ever Managing Editor.

As Vice President of News Operations, Coleman will lead the charge in keeping BIN: Black Information Network front and center while guiding newsroom operations to optimize the network’s reach, scale and influence. Coleman previously served as News Director of BIN. In the new Managing Editor position, Stevens will work closely with Coleman to guide newsroom operations, as well as assign and coordinate national and local news coverage. The shift in leadership structure comes after the passing of Tanita Myers, a seasoned network and local news manager, producer, broadcaster and anchor who joined BIN in June 2020 and was most recently serving as Vice President of News Operations.

“A major part of Tanita Myers’ legacy at the Black Information Network will forever be the incredible depth of talent she hired. Following her passing, Andrea and Mike not only helped us to continue her work but have built upon this foundation,” said Tony Coles, President of BIN: Black Information Network. “It only felt natural to elevate both to these leadership positions and trust them to continue bringing BIN to new heights. I am excited to see two of our best journalists advance into these new roles, and I am confident we will continue to grow under their leadership.”

Columbus OH Radio: DaveMan Joins WLVQ For Evenings, Production


Columbus Radio Group has announced that David “DaveMan” Bjorklund will be joining the staff Monday, September 26, 2022 as Production Director and Evening On-Air Host (7pm – 12am).

Dave had previously spent 12 years (1994-2006) doing mid-days on Classic Rock WLVQ 96.3 FM, as well as building his career hosting shows in Detroit, Seattle, Portland, Sacramento & Charlotte.

DaveMan
“Many, many years ago, Qfm96 let a good one get away. I’m thrilled that we had the opportunity to bring DaveMan back home! Not only will Qfm96 listeners get to enjoy that iconic voice again on-air, but we gain an extremely talented veteran broadcaster who truly understands the power of local radio,” said Erik Schmidt, VP/GM of CRG.

Dave added, “QFM96 is epic in Columbus and getting the invite to return home is a dream come true. That combined with the chance to work with the staff at fellow market legend Sunny 95 and the other Columbus Radio Group properties like Rewind and Mix is an incredible opportunity. My sincerest thanks to the CRG management and staff.”

Qfm96 PD Mike Dorsey added, “We couldn’t be happier to welcome Dave to the Columbus Radio Group. When you can add a veteran radio pro to your team, you do it. Dave will be bringing his vast knowledge and creativity to our Production Department as well as taking over evenings (7p-Mid) on WLVQ Qfm96. I consider it a great honor to be able to welcome him back home.”

BYU Student Newspaper Scoops MSM On 'Racial Slur' Story


A college volleyball player alleged spectators hurled racist abuse at her, but the claims were never proven — and it took a student newspaper to expose the truth as major left-wing media outlets ate up the story, according to The NY Post

The racist saga involving Brigham Young University first made national headlines late last month when Duke University sophomore Rachel Richardson went public with allegations that she had been subjected to racist slurs every time she served during a volleyball match in Provo, Utah, on Aug. 26.

But BYU dropped a bombshell last week when it revealed that its “extensive” investigation into the matter, which involved reviewing multiple videos and CCTV, had found zero evidence to support 19-year-old Richardson’s claims.

R.I.P.: Robert Mitchell, NOLA Radio Personality, Programmer

Lonnie Matherne Jr., better known as Robert Mitchell during his half-century career as a popular New Orleans radio disc jockey, program director and talk show host, died Monday at Slidell Memorial Hospital of complications from surgery. 

He was 79, reports nolA.com.

Matherne, who was called “The Real” Robert Mitchell on air, spent more than 20 years as a DJ on WTIX-AM during the station’s heyday in the 1960s and ‘70s. He was also the station’s program director, before transitioning to a similar role on FM stations in the 1980s and ‘90s. Hurricane Katrina opened a third chapter in his career as a talk show host on WWL-AM and FM.

Matherne fell in love with broadcasting while listening to WTIX as a teenager. He asked some veteran DJs for career advice, and they told him to buy a tape recorder and practice talking into it.

By the time he graduated from high school in 1960, he had sent out three audition tapes and gotten two job offers. At 17, he landed his first job, at a tiny radio station.

His daughter, Meridith Legendre of Slidell, said it was there that a station manager suggested Matherne change his on-air name. He handed Matherne a stack of records. The name Bob Mitchell was on one of them; Matherne liked it, and it stuck.

September 16 Radio History


➦In 1914...Allen Albert Funt born (Died at age 84 – September 5, 1999). He was a radio, TV producer, director, writer and personality best known as the creator and host of Candid Camera from the 1940s to 1980s, as either a regular television show or a television series of specials. Its most notable run was from 1960 to 1967 on CBS.

Allen Funt
Trained in commercial art, Funt worked for an advertising agency in their art department, but he eventually moved to its radio department. Among his first jobs for radio, he wrote for Truth or Consequences and assisted US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt with her radio commentaries.

Drafted into the military during World War II and stationed in Oklahoma, Funt served in the Army Signal Corps, eventually making radio shows. He began his signature program on ABC Radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947, and it ran until September 23, 1948. The program was revived on CBS June 6 – August 29, 1950.

He soon experimented with a visual version by doing a series of theatrical short films also known as Candid Microphone. These film shorts served as a springboard for his entrance into television on August 10, 1948. The show ran on all three major TV networks and in syndication while hosted by Allen Funt until he was sidelined by a stroke in 1993. The syndicated version of Candid Camera was broadcast from 1974 to 1979; his co-hosts included, at various times, John Bartholomew Tucker, Phyllis George and Jo Ann Pflug.

Andy Russell
➦In 1919....Singer and radio personality Andy Russell born (Died  – April 16, 1992). He sold 8 million records in the 1940s singing in a romantic, baritone voice and in his trademark bilingual English and Spanish style. He had chart-busters, such as "Bésame Mucho", "Amor", and "What a Diff'rence a Day Made". He made personal appearances and performed on radio programs, most notably Your Hit Parade, in several movies, and on television. During this initial phase of his career, his popularity in the United States rivaled that of crooners Frank Sinatra and Perry Como.

1944
By 1944, he had become a well enough regarded pop vocalist to be invited to perform on radio programs.

On November 9, he debuted on his own radio show on the "Blue" network, or NBC, called The Andy Russell Show, which broadcast out of Hollywood.  He was the host and featured vocalist. In addition, he would invite guests to appear on his program, such as Dinah Shore and Johnny Mercer.

On Sunday nights over CBS radio, Russell was also a featured vocalist on the Old Gold Show, which was the name of the cigarette company that sponsored the program.

with Groucho
Next up was an invitation to appear as a vocalist on The Jackie Gleason - Les Tremayne Show on NBC radio. Unlike his eponymous show which was broadcast from Los Angeles, California, it was necessary for Russell to take the train out to the East Coast, as this show originated from New York. It was reported that during the trip, he got sick because he had never been on a train before.

Also, in addition to duties as a vocalist, Russell played straight man to Jackie Gleason, the legendary comic and performer who would later be the star of the classic television program The Honeymooners. He would do this later in a motion picture with Groucho Marx, too.

1966
From September 3, 1945 to May 27, 1946, Russell appeared on the CBS radio comedy show, The Joan Davis Show, which originated out of New York City.  Finally, and most notably, starting on April 26, 1946, Russell began to appear as featured vocalist on the pop music radio program Your Hit Parade. This popular program aired on Saturdays, 9:00-9:30 pm on NBC radio and was broadcast out of New York City.

After five months in New York, he was so popular that Lucky Strike cigarettes, the sponsor of the show, agreed to pay for the show to be broadcast out of its Los Angeles studios in order to appease Russell who was homesick. The shows from Hollywood began on September 21, 1946. He stayed on the program for 2 seasons, which led to huge popularity for the singer.

➦In 1919...Lawrence "Larry" Dobkin born (Died at age 83 – October 28, 2002).  He was a prolific performer during the Golden Age of Radio. His voice was used to narrate the classic western Broken Arrow (1950). His film performances include Never Fear (1949), Sweet Smell of Success (1957) and North by Northwest (1959). He announced the landmark television series Naked City (1958–1963), closing each episode with the statement, "There are eight million stories in the naked city, and this has been one of them."

Dobkin w/Vincent Price
A former child actor, Dobkin began working in radio to pay for his studies at the Yale University School of Drama. He understudied on Broadway before serving with a radio propaganda unit of the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. When he returned to network radio he was one of five actors who played the detective Ellery Queen in The Adventures of Ellery Queen.  In The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe (1950–1951), Dobkin played detective Archie Goodwin opposite Sydney Greenstreet's Nero Wolfe.

While playing Louie, The Saint's cab-driving sidekick on NBC Radio in 1951, he was asked to step into the lead role of Simon Templar to replace Tom Conway for a single episode — making Dobkin one of the few actors to portray Leslie Charteris' literary creation.

His other radio work included Escape (1947–1954), Gunsmoke (1952–1961), Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (1956–1960), and the anthology series Lux Radio Theater. "The few of us who are left," Dobkin said of his radio days not long before he died, "keep telling each other that we never had it so good."

➦In 1928...WGL changed call letters to WOV in New York (now WADO 1280 AM).

This station was launched as WGL on January 30, 1927, and was owned by the International Broadcasting Corporation. WGL president Colonel Lewis Landes stated on the inaugural broadcast,

"The International Broadcasting Corporation's aim is to adhere to truth, to be free of partisanship, religious or political."

WGL was the first station to protest the frequency allocations of the Federal Radio Commission in May 1927. WGL was authorized to move to 1170 AM, but wanted to go to 720, occupied by WOR.

When WOR was awarded the 710 frequency, both stations went to court, with WOR eventually winning the case. Finally in June 1927, WGL moved to 1020 AM and shared time with Paterson station, WODA.

In August 1927, studio manager Charles Isaacson announced one of the city's first attempts at local news coverage. WGL was organizing listeners to volunteer as radio reporters and call the station with breaking news stories.

On September 16, 1928, WGL changed calls to WOV and was sold to Sicilian-born importer John Iraci. The WGL call sign was then picked up by a Fort Wayne station, which uses them to this very day.

➦In 2011...Philly/NYC Radio News Anchor John "Jack" O'Rourke died.   He was known to thousands of listeners for nearly 20 years as a Newsradio KYW 1060 sportscaster.

He had also been with the station in the late 1960s as a news anchor and City Hall Bureau Chief, before joining NBC News in 1969, where he anchored newscasts on WNBC 660 AM and the NBC Radio Network.  He remained there for 20 years in a variety of positions, including Executive Producer of Sports from 1983 to 1989.

While with NBC News, he received a George Foster Peabody Award, a major journalism prize.

➦In 2011...Citadel Broadcasting merged with Cumulus Media.

Starting in June 2010, Cumulus made multiple unsuccessful offers to buy out Citadel Broadcasting after its emergence from bankruptcy.   In February 2011, Cumulus was again said to be in "exclusive negotiations" to acquire Citadel for $2.5 billion paid to Citadel shareholders, according to CNBC.

Some Citadel shareholders were said to have been pushing the board to consider a sale.  On March 10, 2011, Citadel Broadcasting stations announced via email that Cumulus had purchased Citadel Broadcasting. Citadel was made up of 225 radio stations in over 50 markets, as well as Citadel Media, one of the largest radio networks in the United States.

The deal was finalized on September 16, 2011, after acceptance by the FCC and Citadel's shareholders.   As part of the deal, Cumulus Media will have to place 14 stations into a separate trust to comply with ownership limits.

In an effort to focus on accretive large market consolidation as well as further de-leveraging of their balance sheet, Cumulus and Townsquare Media ink a deal to swap 65 radio stations in 13 markets, with majority of the 65 stations being sold to Townsquare.

➦In 2014...Clear Channel announced a change in name to iHeartMedia.

Clear Channel Communications, Inc. was founded by Lowry Mays and B. J. "Red" McCombs in 1972, and later taken private by Bain Capital, LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners through a leveraged buyout in 2008. As a result of this buyout, Clear Channel Communications, Inc. began to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of CC Media Holdings, Inc. On September 16, 2014, CC Media Holdings, Inc. was rebranded iHeartMedia, Inc.; and Clear Channel Communications, Inc., became iHeartCommunications, Inc. On March 14, 2018, the company filed to operate under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, dealing with a debt load in excess of $20 billion.

The company owns 850 full-power AM and FM radio stations in the U.S., making it the nation's largest owner of radio stations.

The name "Clear Channel" came from AM broadcasting term, referring to a channel (frequency) on which only one station (or a very limited number of station) transmits. In the U.S., clear-channel stations have exclusive rights to their frequencies throughout most of the continent at night, when AM signals travel far due to skywave. The company's new name is intended to reflect its growing digital business. Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc., explained: "We have a company that's doing progressive stuff, and yet we're named after AM radio stations."

Georg Chakiris is 90

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

  • Actor-singer Janis Paige (“Please Don’t Eat The Daisies”) is 100. 
  • Actor George Chakiris (“West Side Story”) is 90. 
  • Singer Betty Kelley of Martha and the Vandellas is 78. 
  • Drummer Kenney Jones (Small Faces, Faces, The Who) is 74. 
  • Actor Susan Ruttan (“L.A. Law”) is 74. 
  • Actor Ed Begley Jr. is 73. 
  • Singer David Bellamy of the Bellamy Brothers is 72. 
  • Actor Mickey Rourke is 70. 
  • Comedian Lenny Clarke (“Sirens,” “Rescue Me”) is 69. 
  • Jazz guitarist Earl Klugh is 69. 
  • Actor Christopher Rich (“Reba,” ″Murphy Brown”) is 69. 
  • TV weatherman Mark McEwen is 68. 
  • Amy Poehler is 51
    Illusionist David Copperfield is 66. 
  • Country singer Terry McBride is 64. 
  • Actor Jennifer Tilly is 64. 
  • Actor Jayne Brook (“Chicago Hope”) is 62. 
  • Singer Richard Marx is 59. 
  • Comedian Molly Shannon (“Saturday Night Live”) is 58. 
  • Singer Marc Anthony is 54. 
  • Talk show host Tamron Hall is 52. 
  • Comedian Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation,” ″Saturday Night Live”) is 51. 
  • Actor Toks Olagundoye (“Castle”) is 47. 
  • Singer Musiq is 45. 
  • Rapper Flo Rida is 43. 
  • Actor Alexis Bledel (“Gilmore Girls”) is 41. 
  • Actor Sabrina Bryan (“The Cheetah Girls”) is 38. 
  • Actor Madeline Zima (“The Nanny”) is 37. 
  • Actor Ian Harding (“Pretty Little Liars”) is 36. 
  • Actor Kyla Pratt (“Fat Albert,’” “Dr. Doolittle”) is 36. 
  • Singer Teddy Geiger is 34. 
  • Actor Bailey De Young (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) is 33. 
  • Musician-actor Nick Jonas is 30.