Radio History: Aug 18

➦In 1900...Walter O'Keefe born  (Died – June 26, 1983).  He was a songwriter, actor, syndicated columnist, Broadway composer, radio legend, screenwriter, musical arranger and TV host.

Walter O'Keefe

O'Keefe was born in Hartford, CT, he began as a vaudeville performer in the Midwest for several years. In 1925, he went to New York City and became a Broadway performer. By 1937, he wrote a syndicated humor column and filled-in for such radio personalities as Walter Winchell, Edgar Bergen, Don McNeill and Garry Moore. He became the long-time master of ceremonies of the NBC show Double or Nothing and was a regular on that network's Monitor series.

O'Keefe also worked in television, presiding over talk shows and quiz shows for the CBS network. Producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman hired him for their game show Two for the Money. When the show's usual host Herb Shriner had other commitments during the summer of 1954, O'Keefe took over for three months. He was the host for the first Emmy Awards ceremony, held on January 25, 1949 at the Hollywood Athletic Club.

He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of radio. He died in Torrance, California of congestive heart failure at the age of 82.

➦In 1927...Theodore H. Epp (January 27, 1907 - October 13, 1985) started his 'Back to Bible Broadcasts on radio. The broadcasts were heard worldwide on 800 stations in eight languages, until 1985.

➦In 1937...FCC issued first FM construction permit. W1XOJ/W43B/WGTR, Paxton, Mass. (Yankee Network) W1XOJ went on the air May 27, 1939, with 2000 watts on 43.0 MHz. On July 24, 1939, W1XOJ began operating on a schedule of 16 hours a day on the air (8 a.m. to midnight). Broadcasting magazine on Aug. 1, 1939, listed this as one of the four FM stations "in actual operation."

John Sherpard

W1XOJ was the result of a partnership between Yankee Network owner John Shepard and FM inventor Edwin Howard Armstrong to explore the potential of inter-city FM networking. Programs were fed from the Yankee studios in Boston to Asnebumskit, and were picked up from there at stations on Mount Washington, N.H. and in Meriden, Connecticut. Other programs were picked up at Meriden from Armstrong's W2XMN in Alpine, N.J. and carried through Asnebumskit to Mount Washington.

In 1941, W1XOJ became commercial outlet W43B, with 300 kW ERP (50 Kw TPO) on 44.3, as a sister to Boston's WNAC and WAAB. Two years later, Yankee moved WAAB to Worcester to escape the FCC's new anti-duopoly rule. While WAAB and W43B were nominally sister stations, they were never operated jointly (W43B was treated as a "Boston" station and operated from Yankee's Boston studios), and Yankee soon sold WAAB to new owners.

Edwin H Armstrong

W43B eventually took new calls WGTR, moving to the new FM band on 103.1 and then on 99.1. In October 1948, the Yankee Network moved its FM operations to Boston, on the new WNAC-FM 98.5. WGTR's license was transferred to Eastern Radio, which apparently operated the station with “Transit Radio”, providing programming heard in city buses. The 1951 Broadcasting Yearbook shows WGTR once again under the ownership of the Yankee Network, but operating from the same 34 Mechanic Street address as WAAB, by then under Olin Company ownership.

WGTR faded from the scene completely within a year or two, as WAAB flirted with television. By 1961, WAAB was in the hands of Waterman Broadcasting, and when its new FM signal signed on that fall, it was as a simulcast of the full-service AM station. The simulcast lasted until 1967, when WAAB-FM split off from the AM with a stereo beautiful music format. In 1969, WAAB-FM became WAAF, adopting a freeform rock format at 107.3 FM that later evolved into album rock.

A power increase in 1970, to 16.5 kW at 780 feet above average terrain, gave WAAF a commanding signal that could be heard across most of Massachusetts, as well as large portions of eastern Connecticut, Rhode Island, southern New Hampshire and southern Vermont.

➦In 1961...Dan Daniel started at Top40 WMCA 570 AM.

Fargo Radio: WDAY Issues Complaint Over Harris Ad

A report this week from the news outlet Axios claiming that the Harris campaign has been editing news headlines and descriptions within Google Ads is impacting a local media company.

In Fargo, ND, WDAY Radio, operated by Flag Family Media, is is among media outlets that has been impacted.

“We feel insulted and violated by what was done here,” Flag Family Media President and Managing Partner Steve Hallstrom said in an interview Wednesday afternoon. “A political campaign used our news brand and our URL to lie to people about the headline we wrote.”

Hallstrom said the ad is not acceptable.

“We didn’t write that headline. We didn’t write anything close to it. We didn’t write a news story about that,” he said. “They lied to every single person that saw that ad. It’s misleading, it’s dishonest and it really hurts our news brand.”

Hallstrom said the company has reached out to the Harris campaign Wednesday afternoon, demanding they terminate the ad immediately. He said he has not heard back from the campaign.

“And we are considering all our options here, including legal action,” he said. “What’s been done here is wrong. This isn’t a grey area matter.”

CNN Reports On Radio's Bad News Week

For more than a century, Americans have been turning to a trusted and reliable source for local news: the radio. Now, reports CNN, the terrestrial broadcasts are facing an existential threat as listeners and advertising dollars rapidly shift, forcing stations to slash staff and even sign off the air for good.

This week, one of the nation’s biggest local news radio outlets, New York City’s WCBS 880 AM, announced it would sign off by the end of the month, ending a nearly six-decade run as a local news source for the five boroughs and beyond. The station’s parent company, Audacy, blamed the challenges facing the news business for the decision, saying it plans to replace WCBS’s current all-news format with ESPN sports talk programming.

“New York has always been proudly unique in supporting two all-news radio brands, but the news business has gone through significant changes,” Chris Oliviero, Audacy’s New York Market president, said in a statement. “The headwinds facing local journalism nationwide made it essential to strategically reimagine how we deliver the news for the most impact.”

Across the dial in New York, staffers at WNYC news radio learned Wednesday that the station will cut its staff by at least 8% next month — its second such reduction in a year — as it scrambles to contend with a free fall in advertising dollars.

“Despite our best efforts to contain costs and grow our revenue, we continue to face severe financial headwinds,” LaFontaine Oliver, president and chief executive of New York Public Radio, WNYC’s parent company, said in a memo to staff. “Our deficit has continued to mount and it has become painfully clear that without swift action, we will soon face significant questions about our ability to continue to serve New York.”

Over the border near Toronto, 900 CHML, a 50,000-watt news-talk station on the air for nearly a century, announced Wednesday it would shutter following “years of financial loss.”

“The shift of advertising revenues to unregulated foreign platforms, combined with the difficult regulatory and competitive landscape, has forced us to make the difficult decision to close,” the Corus Entertainment-owned station announced.

The decision came just one month after Corus, Canada’s largest independent media company, announced it would slash 25% of its workforce and close two other news and traffic radio stations in Edmonton and Vancouver.

“This is a tremendous loss to our community,” Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said of CHML’s closure. “This station has connected us in unquantifiable ways, with each other and with the rest of the province, the country, and the world for almost a century.”

The announcements are merely the latest in a long series of cut-backs and closures decimating local news outlets this year. From Boston to Los Angeles, commercial and public radio outlets have been forced to slash staff and scale back their coverage in recent years amid steep declines in advertising and membership revenue.

In June, San Francisco-based KQED, one of the nation’s largest public media organizations, closed offices and laid off 34 staffers amid belt-tightening. The following month, Los Angeles-based Southern California Public Radio reported it had slashed 17% of its staff amid a seven-figure budget shortfall.

“The traditional financial models just don’t work anymore,” Southern California Public Radio chief content officer Kristen Muller wrote in an email to listeners. “Most advertising dollars that once supported us are now heading to giant tech platforms like Facebook and Google, resulting in a significant drop in sponsorship revenue — a tough pill to swallow.”

The existential threat to the radio business model comes as listeners abandon terrestrial broadcasts in favor of on-demand podcasts and streaming services, part of a larger digital reckoning that has forced widespread layoffs across some of the nation’s largest media companies.

Music Audio Streaming Consumption Grows by 8%

Streaming music consumption isn’t slowing in the US this year, according to the latest report from Luminate.

US on-demand audio streaming consumption reached 665.8 billion streams during the first half of this year, up by 8% from the 2023 H1 figure of 616.5 billion. Despite this healthy rate, the US trailed the global average: during the first half of this year, the number of global on-demand audio streams increased by 15.1% year-over-year to 2.29 trillion.

This suggests that the US accounted for roughly 3 in every 10 on-demand audio streams globally during the first half of this year.

Premium on-demand audio represented the vast majority of total US streaming consumption (including ad-supported audio and on-demand video). Indeed, recent research shows how paid streaming music subscriptions continues to grow.

The report highlights the Latin, Rock, and Pop genres as the fastest-growing by share of US on-demand audio streams.

Total Music Consumption On the Rise

• Total album consumption has expanded again, up by 7.4% year-over-year, while total digital music consumption climbed by a similar 7.5%.
• However, digital album sales fell again, falling by 10.3% to 8.3 million for the first half of this year. Physical album sales, by contrast, grew, increasing by 3.8% to 24.7 million.
• Rock accounted for a leading 36.4% of total album sales and 37.8% of physical album sales; while R&B/Hip-Hop represented a leading 25.9% share of on-demand streams, topping all genres for both audio (25.8% share) and video (26.5%) streams.

Here are the tops of the charts in the US for the first half of the year:

• Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” was the top album by total consumption, with 4.660 billion total album-equivalent consumption, almost triple the #2 album.
• Taylor Swift’s album also led the way in total (physical+digital) album sales, with 2.474 million. The artist also had the fourth and fifth best-selling albums, “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” and “Lover” as well as the 8th-best selling (“folklore“) and 10th best-selling (“Midnights“).
• Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” emerged as the leading song as measured by song sales, on-demand audio streams, and on-demand video streams.
• Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” also topped the charts for on-demand streams (audio + video).
• Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” led the way in vinyl album sales, almost reaching 1 million (988,000). The artist had 6 of the top 10 albums by vinyl sales.

For more, download the report here.

Tik Tok Fights Looming Ban In Federal Court

TikTok told a federal appeals court on Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice has misstated the social media app's ties to China, urging the court to overturn a law requiring China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. assets or face a ban.

Reuters reports TikTok, which has sued to overturn the law, said the Justice Department has made factual errors in the case. The department's lawyers said last month that the app poses a national security risk by allowing the Chinese government to collect the data of Americans and covertly manipulate what content they see.

Signed by President Joe Biden on April 24, the law gives ByteDance until Jan. 19 to sell TikTok or face a ban. The White House says it wants to see Chinese-based ownership ended on national security grounds, but not a ban on TikTok.

The appeals court will hold oral arguments on the legal challenge on Sept. 16, putting the issue of TikTok's fate into the final weeks of the Nov. 5 presidential election.

TikTok argued on Thursday that the law would strip the company of its free-speech rights, arguing against the Justice Department's claim that the short video app's content curation decisions are "the speech of a foreigner" and not protected by the U.S. Constitution.

"By the government's logic, a U.S. newspaper that republishes the content of a foreign publication - Reuters, for example - would lack constitutional protection," the company said.

The law prohibits app stores like Apple and Alphabet's from offering TikTok and bars internet hosting services from supporting TikTok unless it is divested by ByteDance.

Driven by worries among U.S. lawmakers that China could access data on Americans or spy on them with the app, Congress overwhelmingly passed the measure just weeks after it was introduced.

Federal Judge Blocks Venu Launch

Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. and Walt Disney Co. were blocked by a judge from launching their streaming sports service one week before its rollout, taking a blow from their smaller rival FuboTV Inc.

Bloomberg reports US District Judge Margaret Garnett on Friday issued a preliminary injunction blocking the $42.99-a-month service, Venu Sports, from going forward while Fubo’s lawsuit against the three companies proceeds.

The three companies “exercise near-monopolistic control over the ability for a different live-sports-only streaming service to exist and compete with” them, Garnett wrote in her ruling.

The ruling in Manhattan is a victory for Fubo, which argues that the new venture — set to start Aug. 23 — would prevent competitors from offering a similar “skinny bundle” of sports channels and raise prices for consumers. Fubo says its business would be destroyed if subscribers flee to Venu.

The judge sided with Fubo, saying that once the proposed streaming service launches, they will “have no reason to take actions that could allow for the emergence of direct competitors.”

Losing Users

The new service comes as more and more viewers have jettisoned increasingly costly cable and satellite TV packages in favor of lower-priced alternatives.

The pay TV industry lost almost 30 million users from 2015 to 2023 and could shed another 6 million by the end of the year, according to a report on Venu by Bloomberg Intelligence. Industry leader ESPN, controlled by Disney, has seen its subscriber count fall to 71 million last year from 100 million in 2010.

Fubo sued Fox, Warner and Disney in February, right after they announced they were joining forces to launch Venu. The company argued the trio was using their control of valuable rights to major sporting events to assert control over the market. Fubo claimed they were forcing rivals to license and distribute a big bundle of less popular general entertainment channels if they wanted to carry networks such as ESPN and Fox.

Garnett ruled after more than a dozen witnesses testified at a weeklong hearing, including Fubo CEO David Gandler, who told the judge he expects “the floodgates will open” once the new service starts operating and that subscribers will abandon Fubo.

CRS Early Bird Registration Is Wednesday, Aug 21

Early Bird Registration for CRS 2025 will officially open on August 21. Individuals who are interested in attending are encouraged to act quickly and take advantage of the One-Day Only Early Bird Rate of just $599, available only on Wednesday, August 21. 

After August 21, the registration rate will increase to $699. Registration will be accessible via the official CRS website, www.CountryRadioSeminar.com.

CRB/CRS Executive Director RJ Curtis comments, “Country music is in the midst of an exciting and explosive growth cycle, which makes CRS ‘25 an absolute must-see for any stakeholder in this genre. We’re busy planning CRS ’25, with an educational and entertainment agenda designed to prepare all of us for success during this incredible time for our format. We urge everyone to take advantage of our special early bird registration rate.”

Attendees will experience CRS 2025 from February 19 – February 21, 2025. The full $599 early bird registration includes an array of beneficial and engaging events: 

• Access to the 5th Annual Digital Music Summit: Explore the ever-evolving landscape of digital music platforms and their significant impact on the country music industry.
• Three-Day Dynamic Agenda: Engage with expert panelists who provide valuable educational insights, highlight opportunities for growth and success, and address industry challenges with innovative solutions.
• Networking Breakfasts: Connect with mentors and peers during interactive breakfast sessions designed to foster meaningful relationships.
• Daily Label Luncheons: Enjoy delicious meals while networking with influential industry leaders and professionals. Experience captivating performances by some of today’s most exciting new artists and popular stars.
• Acoustic Alley: Immerse yourself in intimate acoustic performances by some of the format’s most successful songwriters.
• Pop-Up Showcase Performances: Discover emerging talent and enjoy surprise live performances that captivate and entertain.
• CRS Honors: Celebrate individuals who have made a lasting impact on the country radio scene.
• BBR Music Decades Party: An unforgettable show of powerhouse performances – the ultimate nightcap to a day of networking at CRS 2025.

For “New Faces of Country Music® Show” ticketholders, attendees will witness the future of country music as the Class of 2025 takes the stage for an unforgettable evening of performances. The sit-down dinner and show celebrate the rising stars of the genre.

Standalone tickets for lunches, evening events, or the New Faces of Country Music® Showcase are $110 each. Each paid registrant can purchase one additional guest ticket on top of their registration. Tickets for the New Faces of Country Music® Showcase are limited, so it is strongly suggested to purchase them early.

Hotel rooms at the official host hotel, Omni Nashville, will be available for booking starting August 21. A link to reserve your room will be released on that date. Please note that room availability will be limited on February 18, with more rooms becoming available from February 19-21. To ensure your stay, we encourage you to book your room as soon as the reservation link is live.

For more information, visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com and follow CRS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also call 615-327-4487 for additional information.

R.I.P.: John Lansing, Former NPR CEO

John Lansing ('57-'24)

John Lansing, a onetime CBS Minnesota and CBS Chicago and news director who went on to become the chief executive officer of National Public Radio, has died.

NPR reported Lansing died Wednesday at his home in Wisconsin, at the age of 67. He retired from his position as the head of the public broadcasting organization only months ago.

 Lansing got his start in the media business as a studio technician and photographer at WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky, when he was only 17. He went on as a young man to work as a photographer for WAVE-TV in Louisville.

He attended Bellarmine University, but left before completing his degree when he was hired as news director at WWMT-TV, Grand Rapids. According to published biographies, Lansing was named assistant news director at KARE-TV in Minneapolis in 1988—and as news director at CBS Minnesota, WCCO-TV 4, in his hometown of Minneapolis in 1990.

Published reports note that at WCCO, Lansing developed a "family-sensitive" approach to the news in an environment where a focus on crime and a sensational approach to local news was the norm in much of the country.

In the fall of 1994, Lansing moved to CBS Chicago, WBBM-TV, Channel 2 as news director—joining general manager and fellow WCCO alum Bob McGann. As noted in published reports, McGann, Lansing, and other CBS Chicago news staffers launched community meetings to gather feedback and criticism about local TV news as they revamped the station's local newscasts with a community-focused approach in mind—calling Channel 2 News "Chicago's News."

Lansing was also at the helm as longtime afternoon anchor Lester Holt took over alongside Linda MacLennan as the anchor of Channel 2's 10 p.m. news, while the renowned Bill Kurtis scaled back his duties to anchoring the 6 p.m. newscast alongside Mary Ann Childers.

In August 1995, Lansing took over as vice president and station manager at WXYZ-TV, ABC 7 in Detroit, and two years later took the same position at WEWS-TV, ABC 5 in Cleveland. Lansing went on to take over as vice president, senior vice president, and in 2005, president of Scripps Networks—the parent company of the Detroit and Cleveland stations.

In 2019, Lansing took over as CEO of NPR. In an obit story by Media Correspondent David Folkenflik, the public radio broadcasting organization noted that Lansing's focus from the start was diversifying the staff, programming, and news coverage choices in what he called his "North Star."

R.I.P.: Jack Russell, Singer For Great White

Jack Russell (1961-2024)

Jack Russell, the singer who led the popular 1980s hard rock band Great White as well as a spinoff group, which set off one of the deadliest nightclub fires of all time, died on Aug. 7 at a family member’s home in Southern California. He was 63, according to the NYTimes.

The cause was Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy, said K.L. Doty, who collaborated with Russell on his autobiography.

Russell’s death was announced in a post on his official Instagram profile on Thursday and confirmed by Doty. Great White also paid tribute to his death on its Instagram page.

Russell founded Great White with the guitarist Mark Kendall. The band, originally called Dante Fox, began playing in small clubs in Southern California in the early 1980s. It changed its name to Great White in 1984 and had its first big hit in 1987, when “Rock Me” reached the No. 60 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Great White found success with its third album, which featured its biggest hit, “Once Bitten Twice Shy.” The song climbed to No. 5 in 1989 and earned the band a Grammy nomination.

Russell briefly left Great White in 1996 to pursue a solo career. He returned in 1999, but by 2001, Great White had disbanded.

In 2002, Russell and Kendall hired three new musicians and began playing in small clubs as Jack Russell’s Great White. In February 2003, while the band was performing at the Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., its pyrotechnics ignited a deadly fire that killed 100 people, including Great White’s guitarist, Ty Longley, and left 230 injured. It was one of the worst nightclub fires in U.S. history.

The two brothers who owned the club, and who installed the highly flammable soundproofing foam around its stage, were charged in connection with the fire, as was the band’s tour manager, who lit the blaze.

Russell was not charged, but members of the band agreed to pay a $1 million settlement.

Radio History: Aug 17

➦In 1900...Quincy Howe born (Died from cancer at age 76 – February 17, 1977). He was best known for his CBS radio broadcasts during World War II.  Howe served as director of the American Civil Liberties Union before the Second World War, and as chief editor at Simon & Schuster from 1935 to 1942.

Quincy Howe

He once said that life began for him in 1939, when he began to broadcast news and commentary on WQXR radio in New York City.

Howe joined CBS in June 1942, doing the opening news summary on the radio network's The World Today newscast. He left CBS in 1947 to join ABC. In the fall of 1955, he hosted four episodes of the 26-week prime time series Medical Horizons on ABC before he was replaced in that capacity by Don Goddard.

Howe moderated the fourth and final Kennedy/Nixon debate on October 21, 1960. Howe retired from broadcasting in 1974.

➦In 1943...writer Norman Corwin’s first success debuted on CBS radio. It was Passport for Adams, starring Robert Young who played a small-town newspaper editor. Norman Corwin earliest and biggest successes were in the writing and directing of radio drama during the 1930s and 1940s.

Corwin was among the first producers to regularly use entertainment—even light entertainment—to tackle serious social issues. He also wrote and produced such radio classics as This is War, An American in England and We Hold These Truths.

➦In 1963...Ed Gardner died at age 62 (Born - June 29, 1901). He is best remembered as the creator and star of the radio's popular Duffy's Tavern comedy series.

In the early 1940s, Gardner worked as a director, writer, and producer for radio programs. In 1941, he created a character for This Is New York, a program that he was producing. The character, which Gardner played, became Archie of Duffy's Tavern.

The successful radio program aired on CBS from 1941 to 1942, on the NBC Blue Network from 1942 to 1944, and on NBC from 1944 to 1951. Speaking in a nasal Brooklyn accent, and sounding like just about every working class New Yorker his creator had ever known, Gardner as Archie invariably began each week's show by answering the telephone and saying, "Duffy's Tavern, where the elite meet to eat, Archie the manager speaking, Duffy ain't here—oh, hello, Duffy."

Duffy the owner never appeared, but Archie did, with Gardner assuming the role himself after he could not find the right actor to play the role.

➦In 1969…It was the third and final day the Woodstock Music Festival in Bethel, NY.  Performing were Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Ten Years After, John Sebastian, Sha Na Na, Joe Cocker, Country Joe and the Fish, the Band, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. 

➦In 1982...The first commercial compact disc was produced. It was a recording from 1979 of Claudio Arrau performing Chopin waltzes (Philips 400 025-2). Arrau was invited to the Langenhagen plant to press the start button. The first popular music CD produced at the new factory was The Visitors (1981) by ABBA.

Larry Johnson

➦In 2011...Radio personality Larry 'The Legend' Johnson died at age 78. The early years of his career included a stint at WKDA-AM, a Top 40 station in Nashville. He returned to WKDA after military service during WWII and then worked on-air and in management at WDXB-AM in Chattanooga.

Edison: Spotify #1 Source for 12+ Music Discovery

Edison Research has released the Music Discovery Report, detailing how important following music is to the U.S. population 12+ as well as what specific platforms audiences use to stay up to date with music. The report also tracks how platform usage has evolved over time.

The never-before-seen findings were presented in a webinar led by Alex Bargiacchi, Senior Director at Edison Research.

Top findings for music discovery include: 

•  Almost one half of the U.S. population 12+ say it’s important to them to keep up to date with music: 14% of Americans 12+ say it is very important to keep up to date with music and 35% say it is somewhat important. 

• Spotify has grown over time to be one of the most influential platforms for music discovery: In 2016, 25% of Americans 12+ used Spotify to learn about music; today that number is almost double, as 48% of Americans 12+ use Spotify to learn about music. Spotify also leads all other platforms as the one source used most often to learn about music.
• Social media plays an integral role in music discovery for people age 12-34, especially compared to older age segments: Among Americans age 12-34 who say it is “very” or “somewhat” important to keep up to date with music, 63% use Instagram, 58% use TikTok, and 18% use Facebook as sources. 
• Americans age 12-34 and those who identify as African American are the most likely to be dedicated music followers: Close to one-quarter of African Americans age 12+ say it is very important to keep up to date with music, followed by an additional 41% who say it is somewhat important. 

•  Word of mouth, YouTube, and AM/FM radio continue to play important roles in music discovery: Of Americans age 12+ who say it is “very” or “somewhat” important to keep up to date with music, 82% use friends/family, 70% use YouTube, and 50% use AM/FM radio as sources to do so.

ESPN Fires Ponder, Griffin In Cost Cutting Moves

ESPN has fired “Sunday NFL Countdown” host Samantha Ponder and analyst Robert Griffin III, sources briefed on the moves told The Athletic on Thursday.

The decisions were made for financial reasons as ESPN nears the conclusion of its fiscal year at the end of September, per a source briefed on the matter. Both Ponder and Griffin made more than seven figures. Each was informed of ESPN’s decision Thursday morning, a source briefed on the decision said. Neither Griffin nor Ponder responded to The Athletic’s requests for comment, but Griffin referenced the move in a post on X.

Ponder was entering the final season of a three-year deal worth more than $3 million, sources briefed on her contract said. She only worked in the prestigious role of “Sunday NFL Countdown” host and was basically off for the rest of the year. ESPN generally reserves these types of schedules for the Joe Bucks, Troy Aikmans and Peyton Mannings of its world.

“NFL Live” host Laura Rutledge and “Get Up” host Mike Greenberg are potential replacements for Ponder.

The buyouts of Ponder and Griffin are the only moves ESPN is making at the moment, but it could choose to shed more salary by the end of September. However, the cuts are not expected to be anywhere near the bloodletting in which around 20 big names were let go last June, including stalwarts like Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber and Jalen Rose.

Griffin, who as recently as last year had been viewed as a rising star at ESPN, had two years remaining on his deal. He was hired three years ago after gaining interest from Fox Sports and ESPN. At the time, sources at both networks raved about what they described as one of the best auditions they have ever seen.

He was considered strongly to be ESPN’s No. 2 college football game analyst with Sean McDonough last season, but the job went to Greg McElroy.

ESPN declined to comment.

NYC Radio: Public Radio To Cut at Least 8% of Staff

In a Wednesday staff memo, New York Public Radio CEO LaFontaine Oliver announced a second round of job cuts at the station in less than twelve months.

In the memo, which NYPR provided to Current, Oliver told staff that the organization “made the very difficult decision to reduce our workforce by a minimum of 8% in mid-September.” The CEO said leadership will open a voluntary layoff program through Aug. 29.

“[D]espite our best efforts to contain costs and grow our revenue, we continue to face severe financial headwinds,” he wrote. “Our deficit has continued to mount and it has become painfully clear that without swift action, we will soon face significant questions about our ability to continue to serve New York.”

Oliver described the financial shortfall as “serious,” adding, “[W]hile voluntary layoffs will not eliminate the need for involuntary layoffs, they could impact the total number necessary and give employees who are ready to leave the organization an opportunity to raise their hand. The package for voluntary layoffs is identical to that for involuntary layoffs, and is open to union and non-union employees alike.”

Edgar Bronfman Planning Offer for Paramount Global

Media executive Edgar Bronfman Jr. is preparing a bid for Paramount Global and National Amusements, Shari Redstone’s family company that controls the entertainment giant, in what would mark the latest twist in one of the messiest media mergers in recent history, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

Bronfman, who formerly ran Warner Music and liquor giant Seagram, has held discussions to team up with a number of individuals and companies to back his bid, according to people familiar with the matter. They include Fortress Investment Group, streaming-device maker Roku and Hollywood producer Steven Paul, who previously had expressed interest in making a bid for National Amusements.

A bid could be made in the coming days, the people said. Discussions are still continuing, and it remains possible that no formal bid comes out of the effort.

If a bid is made, it would come more than a month after Redstone agreed to sell her media empire to David Ellison’s Skydance Media, in a complex deal that saw many fits and turns.

Edgar Bronfman

That deal is subject to a “go-shop period,” when other potential buyers can make offers, which ends Aug. 21. And if Paramount chooses to go with another offer, it will owe Skydance a breakup fee of $400 million, according to a securities filing.

Bronfman earlier this year also expressed interest in buying National Amusements but didn’t make a bid, joining a remarkably long list of suitors for the company. 

Since Redstone began speaking to Ellison late last year about a possible deal, a number of individuals and companies including Warner Bros. Discovery and IAC Chairman Barry Diller have expressed interest in buying Paramount, which owns MTV, Comedy Central, CBS and the renowned movie studio. Buyout firm Apollo Global Management and Sony Pictures submitted a joint bid for the company. 

Skydance had to revise its offer to buy National Amusements and merge with Paramount after an initial bid prompted a shareholder revolt because it was seen by many of them as a sweetheart deal for Redstone. Amid the back and forth between the parties, Paramount parted ways with its CEO Bob Bakish, who had voiced concerns about the deal, as well as four of its directors. 

In June, when it looked like a deal with Skydance was just days away, Redstone abruptly changed her mind, ending discussions to sell her stake. Yet the parties kept talking, and Skydance once again sweetened its deal for shareholders and offered Redstone more protection against shareholder lawsuits—leading to a deal announcement early last month. 

Louisiana Radio: Cumulus Media Makes Multiple Promotions

• Cumulus Promotes Jerold Jackson to Operations Manager for Cumulus Baton Rouge and Program Director for Cumulus New Orleans Stations KMEZ-FM and KKND-FM
• Cumulus Taps New Support Team That Includes LaTangela Sherman as Assistant Program Director of Cumulus Baton Rouge Cluster; Glen Roberson as Music Director of New Orleans Station KMEZ-FM and Baton Rouge Station KQXL-FM
• Vincent Thomas as Assistant Program Director of KNEK-FM and KRRQ-FM in Lafayette

Cumulus Media announces that it has promoted Jerold Jackson to Operations Manager for Cumulus Baton Rouge. Jackson, who has programmed stations for Cumulus Media in various markets for over 20 years, also adds stripes as the new Program Director of KMEZ 102.9/KMEZ-FM (Urban AC) and Heaven 106.7 FM/KKND-FM (Gospel) in New Orleans. He will continue in his role as Program Director of Magic 104.7/KNEK-FM (Urban) and Q95.5/KRRQ-FM (Urban) in Lafayette, LA, a position he has held since 2015.

Cumulus Media also announces that it has appointed a new support team in Baton Rouge that includes the promotions of LaTangela Sherman to Assistant Program Director of the Baton Rouge Cluster, and Glen Roberson to Music Director of Q106.5/KQXL-FM (Urban AC) in Baton Rouge and KMEZ 102.9/KMEZ-FM (Urban AC) in New Orleans. In addition, the company has promoted Vincent Thomas to Assistant Program Director of Magic 104.7/KNEK-FM (Urban) and Q95.5/KRRQ-FM (Urban) in Lafayette.

Pat Galloway, Regional Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus New Orleans/Baton Rouge/Lafayette/Columbus-Starkville, said: “These appointments reflect our company values of promoting from within. Jerold Jackson has deep experience and a track record of success with Cumulus. I am confident that Jerold will be very effective in this new leadership role.”

Galloway added: “Likewise, the promotions of LaTangela Sherman, Glen Roberson, and Vincent Thomas within the Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lafayette radio clusters further strengthens our programming efforts in these key markets. We have a tremendous team in place to continue creating Louisiana’s best radio programming for our listeners and advertising partners.”

📻Cumulus Media owns and operates four radio stations in Baton Rouge, including: Q106.5/KQXL-FM (Urban AC); MAX 94.1/WEMX-FM (Urban); Classic Hits 103.3/WRQQ-FM (Classic Hits); and Heaven 95.7 FM-1460 AM/WXOK-AM/FM (Gospel). 

📻Cumulus owns and operates four stations in New Orleans, including: Heaven 106.7 FM/KKND-FM (Gospel); KMEZ 102.9/KMEZ—FM (Urban AC); The Ticket 106.1/WRKN-FM (Sports); and Alt 92.3/WZRH-FM (Alternative). 

📻The company also owns and operates four stations in Lafayette, including: Magic 104.7/KNEK-FM (Urban); Q95.5/KRRQ-FM (Urban); 94.5 KSMB/KSMB-FM (CHR); and 99.1 KXKC/KXKC-FM (Country).

Five Arrested in Connection With Matthew Perry’s Death

Five people, including Matthew Perry’s assistant and two doctors, were charged in connection with the death of the “Friends” actor last year, authorities said Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal reports Perry, who struggled with addiction for much of his life, got hooked on ketamine last fall and died after taking some obtained from a drug dealer, authorities said at a news briefing Thursday. The 54-year-old Perry was found unresponsive in a pool at his Los Angeles home in October.

The five people face various charges, including ketamine distribution and falsifying records related to the investigation into Perry’s death, according to federal prosecutors in California’s central district. One of the doctors, 42-year-old Salvador Plasencia, and the drug dealer, 41-year-old Jasveen Sangha, were arrested on Thursday. Sangha is known as the “ketamine queen,” prosecutors said.

Perry (3rd from right) rose to fame as a cast member of “Friends”

 The other three charged—who helped prescribe, sell or inject the ketamine that killed Perry—have signed plea agreements.Sangha and Plasencia pleaded not guilty, authorities said.

“They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry but they did it anyway,” said Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney in the state’s central district.

Perry’s death came as a shock. A year earlier, he had returned to the public eye to promote his memoir about substance-abuse issues. He had gone to a clinic to treat his depression and anxiety and had received intravenous ketamine, according to Anne Milgram, administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. After clinic doctors refused to increase his dosage, he spent tens of thousands of dollars obtaining vials of the powerful anesthetic from drug dealers.

Perry’s death brought fresh attention to the debate over ketamine, which is increasingly used for recreational purposes. Ketamine is a mind-altering anesthetic approved by the Food and Drug Administration to anesthetize people and animals. 

Judge Okays Audacy Emergence Plan

A US Bankruptcy Judge has granted Audacy's request to extend its financial obligation pause due to delays in the FCC's approval of its post-bankruptcy restructuring plan. 

Here's a breakdown of the situation: 

Audacy's Chapter 11 emergence plan has been pending with the FCC for six months, despite receiving court approval in February.

The company this month filed an emergency motion to extend the pause on certain financial obligations due to the delays.

Judge Christopher Lopez approved the motion after a hearing on Thursday, extending the forbearance period to September 30. The extension allows Audacy to continue its restructuring efforts while awaiting FCC approval.  The restructuring plan aims to reduce Audacy’s total debt by 80%, from approximately $1.9 billion to about $350 million1.

The ruling provides Audacy with more time to navigate the regulatory approval process and move forward with its restructuring plan.

Despite the court’s approval, Audacy’s reorganization plan has faced delays at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Conservative Republicans on Capitol Hill, including influential Texas Senator Ted Cruz, have raised concerns about the plan, particularly regarding liberal activist George Soros’s potential influence over the company’s radio stations.

George Soros’s Involvement: Soros Fund Management is set to become Audacy’s single-largest institutional investor once the company emerges from bankruptcy protection.

Some Republican lawmkera believe that Soros’s influence could impact how Audacy’s radio stations are operated.

CBS To Air VP Debate October 1

The vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News is set for Oct. 1 in New York City, with Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and GOP Sen. JD Vance of Ohio both agreeing to participate.

The debate will be moderated by "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell and "Face the Nation" moderator and CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan.

On Wednesday, CBS News proposed four dates for a debate between the two vice presidential nominees: Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1, and Oct. 8. The Harris-Walz campaign soon agreed to the Oct. 1 date. 

"See you on October 1, JD," Walz wrote on X. A campaign official said Walz "looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up."

Cox Asks Supreme Court To Overturn Piracy Ruling

Internet service provider Cox Communications asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to review a ruling that held the company responsible for its users' music piracy and led to a $1 billion verdict for a group of major record labels against the ISP, Reuters is reporting.

Cox argued that the decision to hold it liable for piracy of thousands of songs from labels including Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group had created "confusion, disruption, and chaos on the internet," according to a copy of the petition provided by the company.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in February upheld part of a jury verdict that Cox committed secondary copyright infringement by failing to address user piracy, while also throwing out a $1 billion award for the labels and ordering a new trial to redetermine the amount of damages that Cox owed for the infringement.

"We look forward to responding to Cox's petition, which on first read is substantively meritless," the labels' attorney Matt Oppenheim of Oppenheim + Zebrak said. Oppenheim said that the labels would file their own Supreme Court challenge on Friday seeking to reinstate the billion-dollar verdict.

Cox spokesperson Todd Smith said its Supreme Court petition "aims to protect users' privacy and avoid unintended consequences that will harm innocent and non-infringing consumers."

More than 50 labels teamed up to sue Cox in 2018. They accused Cox of failing to address thousands of infringement notices, cut off access for repeat infringers or take reasonable measures to deter pirates.

A Virginia jury found in 2019 that Cox owed $1 billion in damages for its customers' violations of more than 10,000 music copyrights.

Audacy Stations Connect with Back-to-School Drives Across the Country

Every day, Audacy stations connects with 200 million consumers through its exclusive, premium audio content and is committed to connecting with its local communities in the 47 markets the company operates in by promoting the health and vibrancy of those communities. By supporting causes that meet the diverse needs of our listeners, Audacy aims to build lasting, loyal relationships with our audiences and create a meaningful difference at scale.

As part of Audacy’s Sound Communities initiatives and the company’s overall Social Impact strategy, the company supports back-to-school fundraisers and drives across several local markets. Here is a look at the amazing work being done across the country:

“The BOB & TOM Show” Signs Multi-Year Deal with Westwood One

Cumulus Media’s Westwood One and The BOB & TOM Show announce that they have entered into a long-term agreement to continue to syndicate the award-winning comedic morning radio show. As part of the renewed agreement, The BOB & TOM Show will continue to air on 17 of Cumulus Media’s radio stations across the U.S., extending a successful broadcast partnership of over 25 years.

The iconic Radio Hall of Fame program is broadcast on over 100 affiliates in markets across the U.S. and is available to stations of all formats and market sizes exclusively through Westwood One, the largest audio network in the U.S.

“The BOB & TOM Show has been making Americans laugh each morning for more than 25 years,” said Collin R. Jones, President of Westwood One and EVP, Corporate Strategy & Development for Cumulus Media. “It is an impressive achievement when a program can drive audience numbers and advertiser interest for a stretch this long. We at Westwood One are honored to continue our relationship with this exceptionally talented cast for years to come.”

 
Tom Griswold, Host of The BOB & TOM Show, said: “We are truly pleased to continue working with our long-term partner Westwood One and with our incredible Cumulus Media affiliates. We have terrific teams here at The BOB & TOM Show and at Westwood One and look forward to entertaining listeners across the U.S. with the funniest morning content available. The radio party rolls on… turn it up!”

Radio History: Aug 16

➦In 1922... WEAF NYC (now WFAN) signed-on. The station went on the air from an antenna atop the eleven-story Western Electric Building at 463 West Street.

WEAF Broadcast August 1922

The origins of WEAF go way back to 1919 when original owners, AT&T, inaugurated an experimental radio-phone station, 2XB, at 463 West St. in Manhattan.  Then, on May 18, 1922, the Commerce Department granted a license to AT&T's Western Electric subsidiary to upgrade 2XB.

Original calls, taken from an alphabetical list, were WDAM, however they were deemed too profane. On May 29, 1922, the next available calls were assigned: WEAF.

WEAF stood for "Water, Earth, Air, Fire", the four elements of matter.

On August 16, 1922, WEAF hit the air on 360 meters (or 833 AM on our present AM band.)

WEAF was the first station to offer commercials, with the Queensboro Corp, a real estate company, being its first sponsor on August 28, 1922.

During hours when they had time to fill, AT&T recruited their office personnel who could sing or play music.

In July 1926, RCA took over WEAF as the flagship for the Broadcasting Company Of America, a name soon changed to the National Broadcasting Company. The purchase price was $1 million.

On November 11, 1928, WEAF moved to 660 AM.

The move that solidified WEAF's position as the most pretigious of all broadcasters took place in the autumn of 1933, when NBC moved to 30 Rockefeller Plaza and became the "radio" that gave Radio City its name.

WEAF Transmitter 1932

In October 1943, sister station, WJZ, dropped out of the NBC Blue Network and established the American Broadcasting Company and eventually became WABC.

In August 1946, "Buffalo" Bob Smith began hosting WEAF's morning show, then left in 1951 to concentrate on "Howdy Doody."

Later in 1946, NBC came to an agreement with a small station in New Britain CT to relinquish that city's initials from its call letters and on November 2, 1946 at 5:30p, WEAF presented its last broadcast, entitled "Hail And Farewell," and at 6p turned into WNBC

Then on October 18, 1954, WNBC switched calls to WRCA, as a tie-in to their parent company, RCA.

On June 1, 1960, WRCA became WNBC once again.

Today, 660 AM is home to America's first all-sports station WFAN.

➦In 1937....The American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA) was organized.

Emboldened by the National Labor Relations Act passed by Congress in 1935, radio artists from Los Angeles banded together to form the Radio Actors Guild. About the same time, Broadway actor George Heller began lobbying Actors’ Equity Association in New York for a contract protecting radio artists. This led to the creation of Radio Equity, existing under the umbrella of Actors’ Equity.

The American Federation of Radio Artists was formed, succeeding Radio Equity and the Radio Actors Guild. The Four As – the Associated Actors and Artistes of America – granted a charter to the new union, with 400 members in two locations. Chicago, the center for “soap opera” production, quickly followed New York and Los Angeles, with performers forming their own local chapter. By December 1937, AFRA had more than 2,000 members.

On July 12, 1938, with the support of radio stars Eddie Cantor, Edgar Bergen, Jack Benny, Bing Crosby, and others, AFRA members negotiated the first collectively bargained agreement on a national scale—with NBC and CBS—resulting in a wage increase of 125%. In 1939, after only two years in existence, AFRA covered 70% of live radio broadcasting through collective bargaining agreements.

In 1941, AFRA members negotiated the Transcription Code, providing for programs recorded for later broadcast, and building cost-of-living increases into contracts.

On September 17, 1952, the Television Authority and AFRA merged to create a new union, the present-day American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).

➦In 1939...“Lights Out,” radio’s “ultimate horror show,” was heard for the last time on NBC Radio.

It returned to the air on CBS in 1942-43. The show’s most familiar trademark, guaranteed to put you under the covers on a dark night was “Lights out everybody!” followed by 12 eerie chimes of a clock.

The success of Lights Out revival was part of a trend in 1940s American radio toward more horror. Genre series like Inner Sanctum, Suspense and others drew increasingly large ratings.

➦In 1977…Elvis Aaron Presley died at age 42.  (Born January 8, 1935).  Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

R.I.P.: Peter Marshall, Longtime Host of ‘The Hollywood Squares'

Peter Marshall (1926-2024)

Peter Marshall, who coaxed cheeky rejoinders from celebrities like Burt Reynolds, Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers and Paul Lynde as the longtime host of “The Hollywood Squares,” for years one of the most popular game shows on television, died on Thursday at his home in Encino, Calif. He was 98.

His wife of 35 years, Laurie Marshall, said the cause was kidney failure. according to The NYTimes.

Marshall, an actor, singer and comedian with an authoritative baritone, hosted “The Hollywood Squares” from 1966 until 1981. The show brought him four Daytime Emmy Awards.

“The Hollywood Squares,” which stuffed celebrity guests and risqué humor into a daytime game show, was a variation on tic-tac-toe, played by two contestants on a set that featured a grid of nine squares rising above the stage, a celebrity guest seated in each.

A contestant would choose a square, Marshall would ask the star inside it a question, and the star would usually respond with a quip — a zinger, in the show’s parlance — before giving a serious answer. The contestant would then tell Mr. Marshall whether the star had answered correctly, and the square would be won if the contestant was right. The first contestant to complete a line won the game; the first to win two games won cash and prizes.

The center square was reserved for the funniest celebrity; the comedian Paul Lynde occupied it for much of the show’s run.