November 6 Radio History

➦In 1933...Windsor Ontario radio station CKOK and London, Ontario's CJGC merged to create CKLW. The call letters stood for “London-Windsor”.  CKLW (“The Big 8”) became one of the most influential powerhouses of early Top40 radio, breaking national hits and dominating Detroit ratings for years in the late 1960’s and early ’70’s.

Armstong

➦In 1935…Edwin H. Armstrong announced his development of FM broadcasting after conducting the first large-scale field tests of his new radio technology at RCA's facilities on the 85th floor of the Empire State Building from May 1934 until October 1935.

In 1937, Armstrong financed construction of the first FM radio station, W2XMN, a 40-kilowatt broadcaster in Alpine, New Jersey.

The signal (at 42.8 MHz) could be heard clearly 100 miles (160 km) away, despite the use of less power than an AM radio station.

NYTimes 11/6/21

RCA began to lobby for a change in the law or FCC regulations that would prevent FM radios from becoming dominant (David Sarnoff was looking to protect his stations on the AM band) .

By June 1945, the RCA had pushed the FCC hard on the allocation of electromagnetic frequencies for the fledgling television industry. 

Although they denied wrongdoing, David Sarnoff and RCA managed to get the FCC to move the FM radio spectrum from 42–50 MHz, to 88–108 MHz, while getting new low-powered community television stations allocated to a new Channel 1 in the 44-50 MHz range.

Furthermore, RCA also claimed invention of FM radio and won its own patent on the technology. 

A patent fight between RCA and Armstrong ensued. RCA's momentous victory in the courts left Armstrong unable to claim royalties on any FM receivers, including televisions, which were sold in the United States.

The costly legal battles brought ruin to Armstrong, by then almost penniless and emotionally distraught. Eventually, after Armstrong's death, many of the lawsuits were decided or settled in his favor, greatly enriching his estate and heirs.

But the decisions came too late for Armstrong himself to enjoy his legal vindication.

It took decades following Armstrong's death for FM broadcasting to meet and surpass the saturation of the AM band, and longer still for FM radio to become profitable for broadcasters. Two developments made a difference in the 1960s.

One was the development of true stereophonic broadcasting on FM by General Electric, which resulted in the approval of an FM stereo broadcast standard by the FCC in 1961, and the conversion of hundreds of stations to stereo within a few years.

➦In 1939...the first commercial TV station in the US, General Electric’s WGY-TV Schenectady, NY, began service.

➦In 1947...The weekly show “Meet the Press” started on NBC TV, and it is still running, making it the longest running TV show in U-S broadcast history.  It started as a Mutual radio show in 1945.

➦In 1954…Elvis Presley signed on for the 'Louisiana Hayride; for one year. The Saturday night radio show originated at KWKH, Shreveport, Louisiana.

Nat D Williams

➦In 1957...Elvis visits radio station WDIA in Memphis and meets two of his idols, Little Junior Parker and Bobby Bland.

WDIA went on the air June 7, 1947, from studios on Union Avenue. The owners, John Pepper and Dick Ferguson, were both white and the format was a mix of country and western and light pop. The station did not do well.

Nat D. Williams, a syndicated columnist and high-school teacher, started Tan Town Jubilee in October 1948. This was the first radio program in the United States to specifically target black listeners, and WDIA soon became the number-2 station in Memphis. After a switch to all-black programming, WDIA was the city's top station.

Elvis 1956

In June 1954 WDIA was licensed at 50,000 watts-Day, 5Kw-Night. Its powerful signal reached down into the Mississippi Delta’s dense African-American population and was heard from the Bootheel in SE Missouri to the Gulf coast. As a result WDIA was able to reach 10% of the African-American population in United States.

Future WJLB strong jock herself, Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg became Princess Premium Stuff. Ernest Brazzell gave crop advice and Robert Thomas became a DJ named “Honeyboy” after he won a city-wide amateur competition. Among other notable personalities were Maurice "Hot Rod" Hulbert, Theo "Bless My Bones" Wade, and Ford Nelson, who remains an active gospel DJ on WDIA in 2013.

Many music legends got their start at WDIA, including B.B. King and Rufus Thomas. Elvis Presley was greatly influenced by the station.

➦In 2007…Radio personality Jim P. Stagg died of complications from esophageal cancer at age 72. 

Stagg's radio career began in Birmingham (on WYDE AM). From there, it was on to Philadelphia (on WIBG), San Francisco (on KYA), and Milwaukee (on WOKY) before his stint at KYW, Cleveland.

Jim Stagg

In 1965, KYW program director Ken Draper moved to WCFL to assume the same duties. Stagg and many other station employees, both on and off air, including Dick Orkin, Jim Runyon and Jerry G. (Bishop) eagerly moved from KYW in Cleveland to WCFL in Chicago.

As his radio career wound down, Stagg hosted innovative talk and music shows on WMAQ-AM.

At WCFL, the "Voice of Labor",  Stagg did the afternoon drive shift. He referred to the studio call-in line as the "Stagg Line" and produced a feature titled "Stagg's Starbeat" – in-depth, provocative, and insightful interviews with local, national and international music celebrities. Staggs interviewed nearly every major rock star of the 1960s, including Neil Diamond, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, the Supremes, The Monkees, and Simon & Garfunkel.

Jim became the Chicago chairman of Let Us Vote (LUV), a youth campaign which began in late 1968 to establish the minimum voting age as 18 in all states. Joey Bishop was honorary national chairman and songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart contributed a campaign song. Everyone's efforts resulted in the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution being ratified in 1971.

Stagg eschewed the flashy theatrics of other Top-40 radio hosts in favor a straightforward rock and roll show that kept the focus on the music. His close-of-program line echos that: "Music is my business. I hope my business was your pleasure."

Sally Field is 76

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor June Squibb (“Nebraska”) is 93. 
• Singer P.J. Proby is 84. 
• Actor Sally Field is 76. 
• Jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval is 73. 
• TV host Catherine Crier is 68. 
• Former news correspondent Maria Shriver is 67. 
• Actor Lori Singer (“Fame,” ″Footloose”) is 65. 
• Actor Lance Kerwin is 62. 
• Bassist Paul Brindley of The Sundays is 59. 
• Singer Corey Glover of Living Colour is 58. 
• Actor Peter DeLuise (“seaQuest DSV,” ″21 Jump Street”) is 56. 
• Actor Kelly Rutherford (“Melrose Place”) is 54. 
• Actor Ethan Hawke is 52. 
• Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson (“The Taste,” ″Chopped”) is 52. 
• Actor Thandiwe Newton is 50. 
• Model-actor Rebecca Romijn is 50. 
• Actor Zoe McLellan (“NCIS: New Orleans”) is 48. 
• Actor Nicole Dubuc (“Major Dad”) is 44. 
• Actor Taryn Manning is 44. 
• Actor Patina Miller (“Madam Secretary”) is 38. 
• Singer-songwriter Ben Rector is 36. 
• Actor Emma Stone is 34.

Daylight Saving Time To End Sunday 2AM

At 2 a.m. Sunday, daylight saving time comes to an end — at least until March 12 or whenever federal legislation proposing to make it permanent is enacted — meaning that the clocks must be reset and we get back the hour we lost in March.

For most of us, the extra hour comes and goes because we are in bed at 2 a.m., sleeping, and other than noticing more sunlight in the morning and perhaps feeling a little more refreshed, we hardly even notice it. Smart clocks, now, know when to change on their own.

But every year, partly because stupid clocks still need to be changed, news outlets remind everyone to "fall back." And the debate begins: How did this tradition start? Is it good for us? And if it is not, should we always be an hour ahead or an hour behind?

What is daylight saving time?

Daylight saving time, or some people say daylight savings time, is the term we use to distinguish between the part of the year starting in March when we advance clocks — or they now advance themselves — an hour ahead. Ironically, when this happens there's less daylight in the morning.

When we set clocks back an hour, it's called standard time.

To help schoolchildren remember what to do with clocks when they learn the mnemonic device: "spring forward" and "fall back." Get it?

Benjamin Franklin, the statesman and inventor whose picture appears on the $100 bill, is credited with the idea to conserve candles back in 1784. Others offered other proposals over the years, and in 1966, when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act, the twice-year time change became law.

Despite the commonly held belief that daylight saving time was to help farmers, it was created to save energy, and according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, when the sun sets later, it's presumed that people will stay out longer and spend more time outside leading to a need for less electricity usage for lights and appliances.

You May Have To Pay Extra To Have Alexa Play Specific Songs

Amazon's Alexa was once happy to oblige whenever you asked her to play your favorite song.

But she has been updated and many users are not simling..

The tech giant has changed its music service so that users can no longer request specific tracks from their digital assistant – unless they cough up for a more expensive subscription.

For Amazon Prime users on the cheapest package the algorithm will now only play ‘similar’ songs, though the requested track will pop up at some point.  And carefully curated playlists are now ‘shuffled’ in no particular running order, with random songs thrown in for good measure.

The change has left many users so angry they are threatening to cancel their memberships.

The Daily Mail reports the ‘sneaky move’ effectively forces users to pay an extra £8.99 a month to upgrade to the premium offering. Similar to its rivals, Amazon Music – the third-largest player in the music streaming market behind Spotify and Apple Music – offers different features depending on how much you pay.

NBC News Retracts Pelosi Report

Daily Mail graphic 11/5/22

NBC News has pulled a bombshell report that claimed Paul Pelosi did not tell responding police officers that he was in danger just before he was injured in a hammer attack at his San Francisco home last week. 

The clip posted by the media outlet early Friday morning cited sources close to the investigation that claimed the husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not declare an emergency or say he was in distress when cops showed up at his door in response to his 911 call. 

The report by Emmy Award-winning journalist Miguel Almaguer claimed the 82-year-old walked back a few feet away from the officers and into the foyer toward David DePape, 42, who had earlier broken into the home armed with a hammer. 

Massive Revenue Drop At Twitter

Elon Musk capped off his tumultuous first week as owner of Twitter Inc. by carrying out sweeping job cuts while complaining that advertisers have slashed their ad spending on the platform over concerns about how he will handle content moderation, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Musk blamed what he called “a massive drop in revenue” on “activist groups pressuring advertisers.” He said in tweets that Twitter hadn’t changed content moderation and had tried to address activists’ concerns.

Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists.

Extremely messed up! They’re trying to destroy free speech in America.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022

“We’ve done our absolute best to appease them, and nothing is working,” Mr. Musk said at an investment conference in New York on Friday. “This is a major concern,” he said, casting the ad pullback as an assault on free speech.

Musk, later Friday, appeared to threaten to expose advertisers that were withholding business from Twitter even though many have been public about their decision to suspend placing ads as they watch what the new Twitter owner does with the platform. “A thermonuclear name & shame is exactly what will happen if this continues,” he tweeted.

Twitter May Have Lost 1M Users

Elon Musk

Twitter may have lost 1million authentic users since Elon Musk took over as owner on October 27, according to data compiled by bot trackers, reports Metro.

Over 800,000 accounts have been deactivated since the takeover, and another 500,000 were suspended, according to Christopher Bouzy, who runs the tracker Bot Sentinel.

‘Based on our internal data, we estimate 877,000 Twitter accounts were deactivated, and a further 497,000 were suspended between October 27 and November 1,’ Bouzy said on Twitter. ‘That’s more than double the usual number.’

Biden Claims Twitter 'Spews Lies'

Daily Mail graphic 11/5/22

Joe Biden on Friday night told a fundraiser in Illinois that he was 'worried' about Elon Musk taking over Twitter - a platform Biden claims 'spews lies all across the world'. Musk, who on Friday fired 3,700 people - half of Twitter's workforce - was unrepentant amid the torrent of criticism. 

'Power to the people!' he tweeted. And Biden's remarks certainly raised eyebrows, given his own relationship with the truth. 

Biden this week claimed the U.S. has among the lowest inflation in the world, and mistakenly said his son Beau died in Iraq rather than a Maryland hospital. 

He has previously claimed he was arrested in South Africa, said he drove an 18-wheeler truck, was 'appointed' to the Naval Academy, and graduated top of law school.

NBC Universal's MSNBC Xs Out Tiffany Cross

Tiffany Cross, the MSNBC weekend host known for controversial comments on race and politics in America, is exiting the cable news outlet following a series of on-air outbursts that pushed the network’s execs over the edge, sources told The NY Post.

While Cross’ bumpy tenure at MSNBC appears to have come to an abrupt end, insiders said it followed multiple incidents in which she repeatedly dropped inflammatory comments on the air — despite multiple warnings from execs at the network, according to a source close to the network.

The final straw may have been Cross’ appearance on Thursday’s episode of Comedy Central’s “Hell of a Week with Charlamagne,” according to a source close to the network. The show’s host, Charlemagne Tha God, asked his roundtable of guests which state the Democrats could afford to lose in the midterm elections.

“Florida literally looks like the d–k of the country, so let’s get rid of Florida,” Cross responded. “Let’s castrate Florida.”

Cross, who is exiting MSNBC after two years, did not get a contract renewal from the NBCUniversal-owned network, the source said. Cross’ show, which aired from 10 a.m to noon on Saturdays, has been canceled as a result, according to the source. The new show will include a group of rotating anchors.

According to Variety, which first broke the news of Cross’ exit, there has been speculation that the anchor’s relationship with MSNBC “was becoming frayed.” An insider confirmed that Cross’ behavior “did not meet the standards” of the network.

Touring Business Booms

• Highest Quarterly Attendance Ever with Over 44 Million Fans Across 11 Thousand Events
• 89 Million Fans Attended 31 Thousand Events Year-To-Date
• Ancillary Per Fan Spending Growth Up 30% through September at U.S. Amphitheaters
• Ticketmaster Delivers All-Time High Reported Fee-Bearing Gross Transacted Value (GTV) of $7.3 Billion Up 62%
• 3Q Sponsorship Revenue Up 59% Driven By Festivals and Ticketmaster Platform Integration

Live Nation, parent company of Ticketmaster,  delivered the biggest summer concert season in history and drove a record quarter.  These results demonstrate the ongoing and increasing demand for live events globally, with attendance up at events of all sizes from clubs to stadiums.

Fans around the world continue prioritizing their spend on live events, particularly concerts.  Despite varying economic headwinds including inflation, we have not seen any pullback in demand, as on-sales, on-site spending, advertising and all other operating metrics continue showing strong year-on-year growth.

With this demand, revenue was up over 60% relative to Q3 of 2019, with each division up at least 30%.  Operating Income was up 95% to $506 million, with all divisions up at least 60% and AOI was up 45% to $621 million, with all divisions up at least 25%.

TV Ratings: Baseball Beat Football Thursday Night

World Series Game 5 expectedly outdrew “Thursday Night Football” in the respective local markets on Thursday.

The Philly Business Journal reports The Houston Astros’ 3-2 win over the Phillies drew a 25.9 rating in Philadelphia, outshining the 8.7 local rating for the over-the-air telecast in the market for Eagles-Texans on WPHL (PHL17). In Houston, Game 5 drew a 25.5 local rating, while the NFL matchup drew a 1.5 local rating on KTXH. 

The NFL game, won by the 8-0 Eagles 29-17, also was available for streaming in those local markets on Amazon Prime Video.

Nationally, Fox on Wednesday night finished with 11.8 million viewers for the Astros’ no-hitter against the Phillies in Game 4, up 9% from 10.8 million a year ago for Braves-Astros Game 4, which aired on a Saturday night. The game won the night among all telecasts and peaked with 13.8 million viewers from 9:45-10pm ET.

Atlanta Radio: 101FIVE Raises Over $25,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs

Cumulus Media's New Country 101FIVE/WKHX-FM in Atlanta has announced that it raised over $25,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, with a special New Country Close-Up benefit concert featuring Country star Kane Brown. Brown performed for over an hour before an intimate crowd of 1,000 at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse.

 All proceeds from the New Country Close-Up with Kane Brown go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta.

David Jernigan, President and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, said: “We are so grateful to Cumulus Media, New Country 101-FIVE, and especially to Kane Brown for their generous gift to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, "said President & CEO David Jernigan. “It is our mission to ignite the unlimited potential of kids and teens through engaging environments. This donation will directly benefit thousands of young leaders in our Clubs who have a passion for music and arts and could one day become the next Kane Brown.”

November 5 Radio History

Dale Evans and Roy Rogers

➦In 1911...Roy Rogers was born Leonard Franklin Slye (Died of heart failure at age 86 - July 6, 1998). Known as the "King of the Cowboys", he appeared in over 100 films and numerous radio and television episodes of The Roy Rogers Show. In many of his films and television episodes, he appeared with his wife, Dale Evans; his golden palomino, Trigger; and his German shepherd, Bullet. His show was broadcast on radio for nine years and then on television from 1951 through 1957. His productions usually featured a sidekick, often Pat Brady, Andy Devine, George "Gabby" Hayes, or Smiley Burnette. In his later years, Rogers lent his name to the franchise chain of Roy Rogers Restaurants.

➦In 1946...This ad appeared in the NY Times...

➦In 1948...Jack Sterling started at WCBS 880 AM.

The "Jack Sterling Show," aired Monday to Friday from 1948 to 1966, was noted for its relaxed chatter, joking, storytelling, interviews, features on news and sports and tips on fishing sites.  For seven of those years Sterling hosted a TV Show in Philadelphia in a bid to launch a television career.

The show was one of the last radio programs to offer live music -- by a quintet occasionally joined by the host's drumming. Sterling succeeded Arthur Godfrey in the local show when that humorist joined the CBS network.

Sterling, a six-footer with a trim mustache and contagious laugh, described his style this way: "It isn't pleasant for most people to get up early in the morning, so we use the undersell, quiet approach."

Alec Cumming · Jack Sterling's Tenth Anniversary 11/6/58

At age 24, he turned to radio, working for stations in Peoria and Quincy, Ill.; St. Louis; Bridgeport, Conn., and Chicago. He worked for CBS and its affiliates for 25 years and retired in 1979.

Sterling died November 1, 1990 at his home in Stuart, Fla. He was 75 years old.

The Big Show with Tallulah Bankhead (far right)

➦In 1950...a 90-minute radio spectacular to battle the TV onslaught, 'The Big Show' was launched by NBC Radio. “The greatest stars of our time on one big program” was the introduction by hostess/actress Tallulah Bankhead.  It was a big show all right. The peacock saw red as losses exceeded a million dollars in the three years the program was on the air.

➦In 1988...The Beach Boys set two records with their #1 hit, "Kokomo." It  marked the group as having the longest gap between chart-toppers (21 years and ten months from 1966's "Good Vibrations") and the longest stretch of career #1s (dating back to their first, "I Get Around," 24 years and four months earlier).

➦In 1988...CBS flips KHTR St. Louis to oldies, continuing a year-long trend moving its FM stations from Top 40 to classic hits. By the winter book of 1989, the station improved to #2 in 12+.

➦In 2011…Longtime Pittsburgh radio personality Perry Marshall died at age 86. 

Born, Sheldon Roy Lewis, he worked as "Roy Silver" in Chicago before coming to Pittsburgh. In Chicago he began his career as a writer and editor of news at WBBM.

Perry Marshall

His first Pittsburgh radio job was at WPGH in 1951. From there, he became the morning deejay at WEDO in McKeesport using the name Roy Lewis.. He then became the first Top 40 Rock & Roll deejay in Pittsburgh at WEEP when it went top 40 in October, 1957.

He was given the name "Perry Marshall" when he went to work as a DJ at WEEP.  In 1961, it was back to Chicago and WIND. In March, 1963, Marshall reached 18% of the afternoon audience at WIND, while competing against WLS.

He returned to Pittsburgh and WTAE in the mid 1960's. He then became part of the talk format at WJAS in 1968. On November 6, 1972, Marshall joined KQV.

Perry remained at KQV until March, 1974 when he moved over to KDKA part time. That part time job led to long career at KDKA. Perry replaced Jack Wheeler in overnights at KQV and the rest is history. Perry retired from full time work at KDKA in May 1988.

(H/T:  to Jeff Roteman's KQV page)

Elke Sommer is 82

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Harris Yulin (“The Hurricane,” “Scarface”) is 85. 
• Actor Chris Robinson (“General Hospital”) is 84. 
• Actor Elke Summer is 82. 
• Singer Art Garfunkel is 81. 
• Singer Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits is 75. 
• TV personality Kris Jenner is 67. 
• Actor Nestor Serrano (“24″) is 67. 
• Comedian-actor Mo Gaffney is 64. 
• Actor Robert Patrick (“The X-Files”) is 64. 
• Singer Bryan Adams is 63. 
• Actor Tilda Swinton (“The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe,” ″Adaptation”) is 62. 
• Actor Michael Gaston (TV’s “Unforgettable,” “The Mentalist”) is 60. 
• Actor-singer Andrea McArdle is 59. 
• Actor Tatum O’Neal is 59. 
• Singer Angelo Moore of Fishbone is 57. 
• Actor Judy Reyes (“Scrubs”) is 55. 
• Actor Seth Gilliam (TV’s “Teen Wolf”) is 54. 
• Keyboardist Mark Hunter of James is 54. 
• Actor Sam Rockwell is 54. 
• Country singers Jennifer and Heather Kinley of The Kinleys are 52. 
• Guitarist-keyboardist Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead is 51. 
• Actor Corin Nemec (“Parker Lewis Can’t Lose”) is 51. 
• Singer-guitarist Ryan Adams is 48. 
• Actor Sebastian Arcelus (“Madam Secretary,” ″House of Cards,”) is 46. 
• Actor Luke Hemsworth (“Westworld”) is 42. 
• Actor Annet Mahendru (“The Americans”) is 37. 
• Guitarist Kevin Jonas of The Jonas Brothers is 35.

Miami Radio: Critics Claim LMN Aims To Stifle Conservative Voices

With just days until the midterm elections, the fight for political support from Latino voters is playing out in a multimillion-dollar battle for control of Spanish-language airwaves.

Partly in response to what they allege is a barrage of disinformation and misinformation on Spanish-language talk radio, a media company led by two former Democratic aides has embarked on a push to control 18 radio stations around the country, including a flagship of conservative talk radio in Miami, the station known as Radio Mambí.

The Latino Media Network purchased Mambí and 17 other Spanish-language radio stations from TelevisaUnivision in June. The company is run by two former Democratic political advisers, Stephanie Valencia and Jess Morales Rocketto, who worked on Barack Obama's and Hillary Clinton's political campaigns. Valencia also served as an official in the Obama White House.

Until the FCC gives final regulatory approval over the sale, which is expected to come later this year, the Latino Media Network will not be able to make any changes to the stations' broadcasts. Latino Media Network declined to talk with CBS News about the purchase, but provided a statement saying that "all points of view will be welcomed and encouraged."

Democrats extend quest for Spanish-speaking voters to radio airwaves https://t.co/f7x2ZHvviz via @CBSPolitics

— Tom Benson (@Tombenson1) November 3, 2022

The Latino Media Network paid $60 million for radio stations in Los Angeles, New York, Texas, Florida, Chicago and Las Vegas, among other locations. Lakestar Finance, an investment group affiliated with businessman and philanthropist George Soros, is a lead investor. Soros, a well-known progressive donor, attracted the attention of Republican politicians who have been fighting the acquisition. 

"We know what Soros thinks about conservatives and what he thinks about Republicans," Salazar said. "I don't believe for one minute that Soros wants to be [im]partial, nonbiased."

"The people that he hired as their front people are going to do as he tells them," the congresswomen claimed.  

While resistance from conservatives grows, González says it's all a narrative to scare people.  

"I think people like to pretend that George Soros is the boogeyman and frankly, a lot of that is anti-Semitic. Not saying all of it, but we're seeing a lot of anti-Semitic narratives," said González, the Free Press co-CEO. 

In its statement sent to CBS News, the Latino Media Network said the company "believe[s] in freedom of expression and a free press which values verifiable facts and balance."

It's A Lemon Drop: 'CNN This Morning' Tanks

CNN’s new morning show co-hosted by Don Lemon, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins bombed in its debut episode on Tuesday, reports The NY Post.

Despite heavy promotion from the network, “CNN This Morning’s” first show drew a mere 387,000 viewers and averaged 71,000 viewers in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 age demographic, according to Nielsen ratings.

By comparison, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” amassed 793,000 viewers head to head from 6 to 9 am ET. Meanwhile, Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” came out on top, averaging nearly 1.5 million viewers.

No show across CNN, MSNBC and Fox News ranked lower than Lemon’s program on Tuesday.

iHM: Digital Paces 7% Net Revenue Increase

• iHM reported a third-quarter loss of $310.4 million, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier.
• On a per-share basis, the San Antonio-based company said it had a loss of $2.09. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 21 cents per share.
• The results met Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was also for earnings of 21 cents per share.
• The radio company posted revenue of $988.9 million in the period, which beat Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $982.7 million.

iHeartMedia, Inc. Thursday reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2022.  Financial Highlights:

Urban One Reports Almost 9 Percent Revenue Jump

Urban One, Inc. Thursday reported its results for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. 

• Net revenue was approximately $121.4 million, an increase of 8.9% from the same period in 2021. 
• The Company reported operating income of approximately $19.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022, compared to approximately $34.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2021. 
• Broadcast and digital operating income1 was approximately $50.8 million, an increase of 3.5% from the same period in 2021. 
• Net income was approximately $4.2 million or $0.09 per share (basic) compared to $13.9 million or $0.27 per share (basic) for the same period in 2021. 
• Adjusted EBITDA2 was approximately $44.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022, compared to approximately $42.7 million for the same period in 2021.

Alfred C. Liggins, III, Urban One's CEO and President stated, "Q3 was another very solid quarter, during which we grew both revenues and Adjusted EBITDA. Following a soft July for radio advertising, August and September rebounded and we finished the quarter +1.4% on a same station basis, and -1.3% excluding political. Same station radio pacings for Q4 excluding digital are currently +16.0% including political and +0.1% excluding political. Layering in the recent Indianapolis acquisition should push radio revenues to a double-digit percentage increase for Q4. 

Florence Radio: WBZF-FM Honored for Gospel Radio Excellence

Cumulus Media announces that its popular Florence, SC, Gospel radio station Glory 98.5/WBZF-FM has been honored with three Spin Awards, the biggest event in Gospel radio honoring those who spin the Gospel message. 

Glory 98.5 took home the Spin Award for Small Market Radio Station of the Year. Glory 98.5 on-air personality and PM Drive host Trey Nickelson won the Spin Award for Small Market Personality/Announcer of the Year, and Nickelson’s weekday afternoon radio program, Trey Nickelson in the Afternoons, received the Spin Award for Best Radio Show. Nickelson can be heard Monday through Friday from 3:00pm-7:00pm on Glory 98.5. The Spin Awards were presented at a live ceremony in Atlanta on Saturday, October 29, 2022.

Craig Dalla Riva, Regional Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Florence and Myrtle Beach, SC, said: “I was thrilled upon hearing that Glory 98.5 has been recognized as Small Market Radio Station of the Year… Then I was told that Glory 98.5 PM drive host Brother Trey was selected as Best Radio Show and Small Market Personality/Announcer of The Year - WOW! I just can’t stop smiling. Everyone’s hard work on Glory has always been evident in its market-leading ratings, but to receive accolades like these makes me burst with pride! This is a huge honor for Cumulus of Florence and all our staff, on and off the air. Thank you, Spin Awards!”

Gannett Posts 3Q Loss Amid Cost-Cutting, Layoffs

Gannett, the owner of USA TODAY and local news operations in 45 states, posted a third-quarter loss but said cost-cutting measures are improving its finances, a trend it expects to continue into 2023.

The media company reported a net loss of $54.1 million in the three months ending Sept. 30, compared with net income of $14.7 million in the same period a year earlier. The company expects a total net loss of $60 million to $70 million this year, an outlook it had forecast previously.

Gannett “continues to respond decisively to the ongoing macroeconomic volatility and inflationary pressures,” CEO and Chairman Michael Reed said in a release.

The latest results come after a “challenging” second quarter, which was followed by Gannett laying off roughly 400 employees, or 3% of its U.S. workforce, to trim costs.

Wake-Up Call: Biden Makes Final Campaign Road Trip

As President Joe Biden launched a final four-state campaign sprint on Friday to boost Democrats ahead of the midterms, he fired back at a key GOP criticism that the economy has lagged under his watch. 'Here's the deal: economic growth is up, price inflation is down, real income's up, gas prices are down,' said Biden at a rally near San Diego in support of Democratic Rep. Mike Levin, who is in a tight race to hang on to his seat. By certain narrow measures, Biden's claims could be construed as true -- for instance, gas prices and inflation have retreated somewhat from the historic highs they hit over the summer. But both are well above the levels seen in January 2021, when he first took office, and for voters struggling with soaring prices, the claims may ring hollow.

When asked if Republicans should condemn threats made against elected officials, Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski tells CBS News' @jdickerson that it's "not just happening within the Republican Party."

"It happens on both sides," she says. "We all need to speak out and condemn it" pic.twitter.com/LSGefpOAC4

— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 3, 2022

Daily Mail 11/4/22

➤FETTERMAN RESISTS CALLS FOR DETAILED MEDICAL RECORDS:  'We have shown more, and shared more kinds of medical evaluation, more than virtually anyone unless you're running for the president,' Fetterman told CBS Evening News on Thursday. However, Fetterman has resisted calls to release detailed medical records or allow interviews with his doctors, instead pointing to a one-page doctor's note he put out last month saying he had 'no work restrictions' and 'can work full duty in public office.' Dr. Mehmet Oz, Fetterman's Republican rival in the race, in September released a four-page letter from his doctor after the editorial boards of The Washington Post and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called on both candidates to release their medical records.

Twitter Layoffs Start Today

Twitter will tell employees by email on Friday about whether they have been laid off, temporarily closing its offices and preventing staff access, following a week of uncertainty about the company's future under new owner Elon Musk.

Reuters reports the social media company said in an email to staff that it will alert employees by 9 a.m. Pacific time on Friday (12 p.m. EDT/1600 GMT) about staff cuts.

"In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce on Friday," said the email sent on Thursday, seen by Reuters.

Twitter said its offices will be temporarily closed and all badge access will be suspended in order "to help ensure the safety of each employee as well as Twitter systems and customer data."

The social media platform said Twitter employees who are not affected by the layoffs will be notified via their work email addresses.

Staff who have been laid off will be notified with next steps to their personal email addresses, the memo said.

Miami Radio: WIOD Taps Andrew Colton For Mornings

Andrew Colton

iHeartMedia Miami’s NewsRadio 610 WIOD has announced Andrew Colton has been named Morning Show Host from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., effective Monday, January 9, 2023. Colton will succeed long time South Florida morning show legend and Miami Dolphins play-by-play announcer Jimmy Cefalo, who will continue to provide commentary on WIOD.

“South Florida First News with Andrew Colton” will cover the biggest news stories of the day, politics and current events, with traffic and weather every ten minutes. Colton will be joined by veteran news anchor Nathalie Rodriguez, William Althoff with more news and sports, Doug Lindsay with traffic and the Weather Channel’s Ray Stagich.

“We are pleased to introduce Andrew Colton as the new host of WIOD’s predominant live and local morning drive information program,” said Shari Gonzalez, iHeartMedia Miami/Fort Lauderdale Market President. “With Andrew’s journalism expertise and deep connections to South Florida, he is a worthy broadcaster to step into this role. Jimmy Cefalo is a true South Florida broadcasting legend. We thank Jimmy for a wonderful 14 years and are thrilled he will remain a commentator on NewsRadio 610, WIOD.”

“Jimmy and Andrew both share a passion for news, information, commonsense, and our South Florida lifestyle,” said Grace Blazer, Vice-President of News and AM Programming Florida Region and iHeartMedia NTS Brand Coordinator. “We are excited and fortunate to have Andrew Colton continue WIOD’s spoken-word tradition and digital expansion.”

Broadcast Nets Show Bias During Political News Coverage

Republican candidates are facing substantially more scrutiny in the mainstream media than Democrats leading up to the midterm elections, with news outlets airing negative coverage of the GOPers 87% of the time, reports The NY Post citing a new study.

Democrats, meanwhile, were on the receiving end of bad press 67% of the time, according to the study conducted by the conservative Media Research Center.

The study of ABC, CBS and NBC’s nightly newscasts also found that President Biden is drawing far less criticism in 2022 than former President Donald Trump did during the 2018 midterm elections. 

Trump accounted for 48% of all midterm campaign airtime on nightly newscasts in 2018, more than all the congressional and gubernatorial candidates combined, and it was mostly negative, according to the MRC.

Alabama’s Largest Newspapers to Stop Printing Next Year

One of the nation’s biggest publishers has decided to stop printing Alabama’s three largest newspapers and make them digital-only, the latest in a long string of local paper closures across America.

The Wall Street Journal reports Advance Publications, which owns 24 newspapers as well as the Condé Nast magazine-publishing empire, plans to announce it will end the print operations of the Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times and Mobile’s Press-Register in February.

“The print side of our business does not make economic sense in Alabama,” said Tom Bates, president of the Alabama division of Advance Local, the group that oversees Advance’s newspapers, in an interview.

The print readership of all three papers has been shrinking rapidly, according to the Alliance for Audited Media. Their expected combined circulation of about 30,000 early next year is a fraction of the 260,000 the papers boasted just a decade ago, Mr. Bates said.

Publishers have moved to transition local papers to digital news operations, including USA Today parent Gannett Co., which in May ended print operations for several Massachusetts newspapers, opting instead to focus on their digital news operations.

L-A Times’ Downtown Printing Facility To Shut Down

The L-A Times will leave its downtown Los Angeles printing facility in 2024, ending an era of newspaper production at a sprawling plant that was sold off by the paper’s former owner.

Print operations will continue at the Olympic Boulevard plant for the next year and a half, said Chris Argentieri, The Times’ president and chief operating officer, before The Times will begin working with the Southern California News Group to print its newspapers.

“Despite the difficult news, we’re providing this advance notice to help make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved,” Argentieri said. “We hope that manufacturing employees will continue on with us for as long as they can and will work closely with them on the transition process.”

About 170 employees work at the Olympic plant, said Hillary Manning, a Times spokesperson.

Philly Radio: 94WIP's Eskin, Morganti To Be Honored

Audacy Philadelphia congratulates a pair of SportsRadio 94WIP legends on upcoming recognitions for their years of unparalleled contributions to the Philadelphia sports media landscape.

Longtime SportsRadio 94WIP legendary radio host Howard Eskin will be inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame on November 3.

Howard Eskin

Eskin joins former Phillies star Jimmy Rollins, boxing great Bernard Hopkins, Eagles kicker David Akers, Villanova basketball coach Rollie Massimino, St. Joe’s basketball coach Phil Martelli, Temple fencing coach Nikki Franke, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Keith Allen, and Olympic gold medalist Penn rower Susan Francia as part of the 2022 class.

“It’s an honor to be selected and to be in such great company. Really overwhelming,” said Eskin. “They say do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. As hard as I work, I have to admit, it is a labor of love.”

“Congratulations to our own Howard Eskin on being named to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame,” said David Yadgaroff, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Philadelphia. “Few have made as much of an impression on this city’s sports media scene as Howard has, and this distinguished honor is a true testament of his outstanding career.”

Eskin joined The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 2011, and the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. A graduate of Northeast High School, Eskin recently celebrated 35 years at SportsRadio 94WIP.

Al Morganti

Al Morganti, co-host of the station’s morning show, will be honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame and receive the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for excellence in hockey journalism. Recipients of this award, as selected by their respective associations, are recognized by the Hockey Hall of Fame as “Media Honorees” and selected by the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee. Morganti will be honored at the “Hockey Hall of Fame NHL Media Awards Luncheon” in Toronto on November 14, and his award plaques will be displayed in the Esso Great Hall at the Hockey Hall of Fame alongside past award recipients.

“It’s the honor of a lifetime to be inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and a huge part of any success I have had is because of the fans of Philadelphia,” said Morganti. “Having been on WIP for so many years and working at the Philadelphia Inquirer, I can attest that the emotional investment Philadelphia fans make to their teams makes everyone raise their game. Thank you!”

November 4 Radio History

➦In 1916...David Sarnoff proposed the concept of a "radio music box" for radio reception.

The curator of Sarnoff's papers found a previously mis-filed 1916 memo that mentioned Sarnoff and a "radio music box scheme" (the word "scheme" in 1916 usually meant a plan).  Here is the memo:

David Sarnoff

"I have in mind a plan of development which would make radio a 'household utility' in the same sense as the piano or phonograph. The idea is to bring music into the house by wireless.  

"While this has been tried in the past by wires, it has been a failure because wires do not lend themselves to this scheme. With radio, however, it would seem to be entirely feasible. For example--a radio telephone transmitter having a range of say 25 to 50 miles can be installed at a fixed point where instrumental or vocal music or both are produced. The problem of transmitting music has already been solved in principle and therefore all the receivers attuned to the transmitting wave length should be capable of receiving such music. The receiver can be designed in the form of a simple 'Radio Music Box' and arranged for several different wave lengths, which should be changeable with the throwing of a single switch or pressing of a single button.  

"The 'Radio Music Box' can be supplied with amplifying tubes and a loudspeaking telephone, all of which can be neatly mounted in one box. The box can be placed on a table in the parlor or living room, the switch set accordingly and the transmitted music received. There should be no difficulty in receiving music perfectly when transmitted within a radius of 25 to 50 miles. Within such a radius there reside hundreds of thousands of families; and as all can simultaneously receive from a single transmitter, there would be no question of obtaining sufficiently loud signals to make the performance enjoyable. The power of the transmitter can be made 5 k.w., if necessary, to cover even a short radius of 25 to 50 miles; thereby giving extra loud signals in the home if desired. The use of head telephones would be obviated by this method. The development of a small loop antenna to go with each 'Radio Music Box' would likewise solve the antennae problem.

"The same principle can be extended to numerous other fields as, for example, receiving lectures at home which be made perfectly audible; also events of national importance can be simultaneously announced and received. Baseball scores can be transmitted in the air by the use of one set installed at the Polo Grounds. The same would be true of other cities. This proposition would be especially interesting to farmers and others living in outlying districts removed from cities. By the purchase of a 'Radio Music Box' they could enjoy concerts, lectures, music, recitals, etc., which may be going on in the nearest city within their radius. While I have indicated a few of the most probable fields of usefulness for such a device, yet there are numerous other fields to which the principle can be extended... 

"The manufacture of the 'Radio Music Box' including antenna, in large quantities, would make possible their sale at a moderate figure of perhaps $75.00 per outfit. The main revenue to be derived will be from the sale of 'Radio Music Boxes' which if manufactured in quantities of one hundred thousand or so could yield a handsome profit when sold at the price mentioned above. Secondary sources of revenue would be from the sale of transmitters and from increased advertising and circulation of the Wireless Age. The Company would have to undertake the arrangements, I am sure, for music recitals, lectures, etc., which arrangements can be satisfactorily worked out. It is not possible to estimate the total amount of business obtainable with this plan until it has been developed and actually tried out but there are about 15,000,000 families in the United States alone and if only one million or 7% of the total families thought well of the idea it would, at the figure mentioned, mean a gross business of about $75,000,000 which should yield considerable revenue.  

"Aside from the profit to be derived from this proposition the possibilities for advertising for the Company are tremendous; for its name would ultimately be brought into the household and wireless would receive national and universal attention."

Sarnoff eventually ruled over an ever-growing telecommunications and consumer electronics empire that included both RCA and NBC, and became one of the largest companies in the world. Named a Reserve Brigadier General of the Signal Corps in 1945, Sarnoff thereafter was widely known as "The General."

Sarnoff is credited with Sarnoff's law, which states that the value of a broadcast network is proportional to the number of viewers.

Walter Cronkite

➦In 1916...Longtime CBS Evening News anchorman Walter Cronkite, once called "the most trusted man in America," was born on this day in 1916. 

Shepard Smith Will Depart CNBC

Shepard Smith, who joined CNBC in summer 2020 after a long career as a Fox News anchor, will no longer appear on the financial news channel after the evening news program he anchors is canceled at the end of November, reports The Washington Post citing an network announcement Thursday.

“The News with Shepard Smith,” which airs at 7 p.m. weekdays, was meant to be a “nonpartisan” daily run-down of the country’s biggest news stories, which CNBC hoped would rival evening newscasts on the broadcast networks and their millions of viewers. But despite regularly landing interviews with key newsmakers, Smith’s show struggled to capture a fraction of that audience.

Instead, the network will pivot the evening time slot back to its core product — business news and personal finance — after Smith’s show wraps up. “Decisions like these are not arrived at hastily or taken lightly,” CNBC president KC Sullivan said in a message to employees on Thursday that was obtained by The Washington Post. “I believe this decision will ultimately help to strengthen our brand and the value we provide our audiences.

A network employee with knowledge of the situation said the decision was not a cost-cutting move, though Smith earned a large salary as an evening news anchor.

CMT Music Awards Moving to Austin In '23

The annual fan-voted CMT Music Awards plans to migrate 850 miles southwest next year - to the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, show organizers confirmed late Wednesday, reports The Tennessean.

Performing Wednesday inside the Moody Center, Carrie Underwood surprised onlookers by inviting Kelsea Ballerini on stage to announce the show's new home. Ballerini returns as co-host the CMT Music Awards for a third year, while Underwood — the winningest artist in CMT Music Awards history — plans to perform at next year's show.

The CMT Music Awards airs April 2 on CBS and online via Paramount+.

First Crack Reported In New CNN Line-Up

CNN anchor Jake Tapper is being moved out of primetime and back to daytime following poor viewership, reports The NY Post.

“As part of a special lineup, Jake agreed to anchor the 9 pm hour through the midterm elections,” a spokesperson for CNN told Fox News Digital. “At the completion of that schedule, he’ll be returning to his award-winning program ‘The Lead.’ We will announce post-election plans for that time slot in the coming days.”

Tapper made his primetime debut on Oct. 11 with a splashy broadcast that included interviews with President Biden and movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Despite the big-named guests, “CNN Tonight with Jake Tapper” only averaged 854,000 viewers, which is a distant third behind Fox News’ “Hannity” with 2.6 million viewers and MSNBC’s “Alex Wagner Tonight” with 1.6 million viewers. Tapper’s audience substantially dipped since then.