Radio History: Aug 25

➦In 1921...Radio-TV host Monty Hall was born in Winnipeg.  He began his career at local radio station CKRC while still in school, then moved to Toronto in 1946, where at CHUM he hosted the nationally syndicated quiz Who Am I.   Moving to New York he guest hosted several TV game shows, hosted the Saturday night portion of NBC Radio’s Monitor, and was hockey radio analyst for the N.Y. Rangers. Then off to L.A. where he co-created & hosted the flamboyant TV game with which he will forever be identified, the original Let’s Make a Deal (1963-91.)   He suffered heart failure and died Sept. 30 2017 at age 96.

➦In 1949…NBC Radio debuted the sitcom "Father Knows Best."  The series was set in the Midwest, it starred Robert Young as the General Insurance agent Jim Anderson. His wife Margaret was first portrayed by June Whitley and later by Jean Vander Pyl. The Anderson children were Betty (Rhoda Williams), Bud (Ted Donaldson), and Kathy (Norma Jean Nilsson). Others in the cast were Eleanor Audley, Herb Vigran, and Sam Edwards. Sponsored through most of its run by General Foods, the series was heard Thursday evenings on NBC until March 25, 1954.

The Father Knows Best TV series premiered on October 3, 1954 and starred Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, and Lauren Chapin.

Dick Clark

➦In 1962...The radio bug bit Dick Clark again - as he announced plans to syndicate a radio series for Top-40 stations.

The two-hour program would be broadcast five days a week and would be produced and distributed by Dick Clark Radio Productions and Mars Broadcasting Inc.

Dick Clark says the show will feature artist interviews and records and will be taped at Mars Broadcasting in Stamford, Conn. Clark was a Disc Jockey at WFIL 560 AM in Philadelphia when he landed the job as host  of TV's “American Bandstand.

Fred Wolf

➦In 1962...Detroit radio personality Fred Wolf celebrated 12 years as the morning man on WXYZ 1270 AM.

He started with the station in 1950 and stayed until 1965 when he left the after refusing to play some rock and roll records.

➦In 1962...Paul Sherman, 1010 WINS, New York replaced Bob (Bob-A-Loo) Lewis on its Saturday and Sunday “Freedomland” remote broadcasts. He would soon join rival 77WABC.

➦In 1966...WNBC 660 AM New York canceled the syndicated “Joe Pyne Show” after debuting last March. WNBC gives no reason for the cancellation. Discharged from the Marines at the end of World War II, Pyne attended a local drama school to correct a speech impediment. While studying there, he decided to try radio. He worked briefly in Lumberton, North Carolina, before he was hired at a new station, WPWA, in Brookhaven, PA.

More Commercials Clutter Podcasts

Ads in the second quarter of this year took up an average of 10.9% of podcast run times, up from 7.9% in the second quarter of 2021, according to The Wall Street Journal citing new research from marketing agency Oxford Road and audio measurement company Podscribe. 

In 2024, podcasters collected 6 cents in ad revenue per hour of programming that was heard by a listener, an increase from just under 5 cents in 2021 and 2 cents in 2015.

To some, the numbers represent a win for podcasting—a medium that has steadily increased its audience over the past two decades, offering a more intimate experience than other media, and which only recently convinced large multinational brands to become advertisers.

But others worry the industry is getting too greedy in its race to monetize and might wind up killing value for advertisers and the intimate experience for listeners in the process. 

“Some publishers have already pushed their ad load beyond where it should be,” said Dan Granger, the chief executive and founder of Oxford Road, which helps marketers create and buy time for podcast ads. “This is not going in a direction that’s going to end well for any of us.” 

The first podcasts to sell ads would often place one commercial at the beginning of their show, and another in the middle. Now it isn’t uncommon for podcasts to run ads after every 10 minutes, stack two or three ads per commercial break and play even more at the end of each episode. A recent hourlong episode of Alex Cooper’s popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast, for example, included eight ads over four slots. 

To be sure, podcasts’ ad load is still relatively low compared with almost every other type of media, according to Emarketer figures. And some analysts think the most popular podcasts could stand to carry even more ads, given U.S. consumers’ historic capacity to endure commercial breaks on TV and radio. Only 10% of podcast listeners describe podcast ads as intolerable or barely tolerable, while 42% think they are “slightly annoying, but tolerable,” according to data from SoundsProfitable, a podcasting research and advocacy group. 

But other podcasting executives think that adding more ads to podcast episodes would backfire. Research from Oxford Road and Podscribe found that the likelihood of a listener responding to an ad—by visiting an advertiser’s website or making a purchase, for example—decreases as the number of ads per episode goes up.

SAG-AFTRA’s AI Deal: A $5 Billion Gamble

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing 160,000 actors and media artists, has signed a landmark agreement with AI startup Narrativ, an online marketplace where brands create audio ads using artificial intelligence. Forbes reports this deal has the potential to reshape the multi billion voice acting industry.

Under this agreement, SAG-AFTRA members have the option to license a digital replica of their voice to Narrativ for use in audio advertising. The union and Narrativ have negotiated terms that address informed consent, compensation, and other essential AI-related protections. “Not all members will be interested in the opportunities that licensing their digital voice replicas might offer, and that’s understandable. But for those who do, you now have a safe option,” said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.

This agreement is promoted as an ethical framework for AI in voice replication. But could it could also accelerate the shift from human to artificial voices, raising critical questions about the future role of human voice in media.

The voice acting market, valued at $4.4 billion in 2019 and projected to reach $5.2 billion by 2027, now faces a paradigm shift. While Narrativ has stated that its deal with SAG-AFTRA preserves talent rights and minimum compensation - with voice actors earning between $385 for a 4-week license and $2,420 for a 21-month term - the broader market may react differently in the future.

WARC Forecasts Slight Uptick For Legacy Media Ad Spend

 A new study from WARC, the experts in marketing effectiveness, has found that global advertising spend is on course to grow 10.5% this year to a total of $1.07trn – the best performance in six years if the post-Covid recovery of 2021 (+27.9% year-on-year) is disregarded. 

Ad spend growth is also anticipated next year (+7.2%) and in 2026 (+7.0%), culminating in a global ad market worth $1.23trn. Global ad investment has more than doubled over the last decade, and has grown 2.8x faster than global economic output since 2014. Just three companies – Meta, Amazon and Alphabet – account for more than 70% of this incremental spend. This trifecta is expected to attract 43.6% of all advertising spend this year, rising to a share over 46% by 2026.

The new projections show that ‘pureplay’ (i.e. online only) internet companies are set to record a 14.0% rise in advertising revenue this year, reaching a total of $735.7bn. In total, almost nine in every ten (88.5%) incremental dollars spent on advertising this year will go to online-only businesses, with half (52.9%) being paid to Alphabet, Amazon and Meta. Taken together, pureplay platforms are set to account for over 70% of all advertising spend worldwide next year.

Retail media (+21.3%), social media (+14.2%) and search (+12.1%) are set to lead digital growth in 2024, with these three sectors alone accounting for over 85% of online spend and almost three in every five (58.7%) incremental dollars spent on advertising worldwide this year. All are benefiting from the increased adoption of AI-driven ad services and growing appreciation of first party data.

At $241.8bn in 2024, social media is the largest single advertising channel measured in WARC’s study, having overtaken search (excl. retail media) for the first time last year. It accounts for 22.6% of all global ad spend this year and is forecast to rise to a share of 23.6% by the end of 2026. 

Within social, Meta is the largest individual player, commanding 62.6% of the market this year. Its share is being eroded however, most notably by Douyin and TikTok owner Bytedance, which now draws a fifth (20.1%) of all social spend, up from a share of just 9.3% five years ago. TikTok is on course to account for over half of its parent-company’s advertising revenue for the first time next year with estimated ad billings over $28bn, though uncertainty remains around the platform’s future in the US – its largest market by far with 170m monthly active users. 

➤Legacy media, encompassing print publishing, broadcast radio, linear TV, cinema and out of home (OOH), now collectively account for a quarter (25.3%) of total advertising spend, having recorded a dip in share in each of the last 15 years. 

Advertising spend on legacy media is expected to total $270.5bn this year, representing a 1.5% rise from 2023. Much of this growth can be attributed to US political spending; with this removed legacy media are, collectively, set to record a 0.5% decline in advertiser investment in 2024.

North America is on track to be the fastest-growing region this year – inflated by the US presidential elections – with ad spend rising 8.6% to a total of $347.5bn. US ad spend is expected to grow 8.9% this year (+4.0% excluding political spend, more than double the 1.4% growth rate recorded in 2023) to a total of $330.8bn. A further rise, of 3.6%, is forecast next year, by when the US ad market should be worth over $342bn. The Canadian ad market is due to grow 7.5% to CAD23.3bn ($16.8bn) this year.

DNC Draws 26.2M Viewers on Final Night

The final night of the Democratic National Convention, which included Vice President Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech as presidential nominee, attracted a US TV audience of 26.2 million viewers Thursday night.

According to Bloomberg, that’s 3.1% more than the nearly 25.4 million who watched Donald Trump accept his party’s nomination at the Republican convention last month, according to data from Nielsen.

The closing night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago culminated with a roughly 40-minute speech by Harris in which she talked about her childhood, took shots at Trump and gave hints of her policy priorities, including an “opportunity economy” that benefits the poor and middle class.

The Democratic convention drew more than 20 million TV viewers each over the first three nights. The highest audience for the first three nights of the Republican convention was 18.1 million on July 15 when Trump made his initial appearance.

Megyn Kelly thinks the false rumors about Beyoncé performing Thursday at the Democratic National Convention originated with the DNC itself as a ploy to boost the ratings.

Though there were persistent rumors and reports about the superstar, the DNC never actually made any announcement. But on Friday’s episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” the host poked fun at the media frenzy that built up when speculation began on who a rumored surprise guest for the final night of the Democratic National Convention could be.

“This is why I think they released the lie about Beyonce allegedly showing up at the event last night,” she said. “They wanted to boost ratings. That would be absolutely stupid to say she’s coming when you know she’s not coming, if it didn’t have a real purpose.”

Milwaukee Radio: WISN Talker Off-Air After Mocking Comment

Gus Walz at DNC

WISN Milwaukee radio host Jay Weber apologized Friday for mocking Gus Walz, the 17-year-old son of Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz, for his emotional reaction to his father's speech at this week's Democratic National Convention.

Gus Walz, who has ADHD, an anxiety disorder and a non-verbal learning disorder, sprung from his seat at one point during the speech and could be seen tearfully saying: "I love you, dad! That's my dad!"

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Weber wrote in a post on X, "Sorry, but this is embarrassing for both father and son. If the Walzs represent today's American man, this country is screwed: 'Meet my son, Gus. He's a blubbering bitch boy. His mother and I are very proud.'"

Weber, a radio host for 1130 WISN-AM, has faced heavy criticism for his comments, with some calling for him to be fired, and others urging a station boycott. He has since deleted his post, initially saying "I didn't realize the kid was disabled."

On Friday, there was a fill-in host on "The Jay Weber Show." That host, Benjamin Yount, said Weber's absence was "scheduled ahead of time."

"Jay will be back on Monday," he said.

Weber apologized on X Friday, acknowledging he had said "something stupid and hurtful."

"I said it without thinking or having the facts," Weber wrote. "No excuses Having been a teacher, I’ve had a standard of never involving children, I broke that and I'm disappointed with myself."

He added, "I apologize to the Walz family and anyone who was offended. I feel horrible, I am so sorry."

Apple Sets Sept 10 For Product Unveiling

Apple Inc. is planning to hold its biggest product launch event of the year on Sept. 10, when the company will unveil the latest iPhones, watches and AirPods, according to Bloomberg citing people familiar with the situation.

Though the timing hasn’t yet been announced, the company is making preparations for that date, which falls on a Tuesday, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. The unveiling will be followed by the phones going on sale Sept. 20, in line with Apple’s typical approach in recent years.

The launch is a critical one for Apple, which has suffered sluggish sales of its smartphones and wearable devices in recent quarters. A Sept. 20 release of the new iPhone 16 would mean some of the device’s revenue is recorded in the current period — Apple’s fiscal fourth quarter — when the company expects sales to grow about 5% from a year earlier.

A bigger chunk of sales will come the following quarter, which coincides with the holiday season. Analysts have predicted that revenue will climb 7% to $128.4 billion in that period.

The iPhone 16 will have larger screens on its Pro models and new camera features, such as a dedicated button for snapping photos. The company also is rolling out a suite of artificial intelligence tools called Apple Intelligence. Overall, though, the phones won’t be vastly different than last year’s models.

Apple’s wearable devices, meanwhile, are due for bigger changes. The Apple Watch Series 10 models will be thinner but include larger screens. And Apple is revamping its AirPods lineup with new low-end and mid-tier versions. For the first time, the company will offer noise cancellation on its mid-level AirPods, and the entry-level model is getting updated for the first time since 2019.

The company is also planning to begin transitioning its Macs over to M4 processors later this year, but Mac updates typically don’t arrive until about a month after the annual iPhone launch.

Don Bongino To Release Episode On Trump Assassination Hearing

Cumulus Media’s Westwood One has announced that The Dan Bongino Show podcast will offer a special two-hour edition on Monday, August 26, 2024, the first day of hearings for the House Republicans’ independent investigation into the assassination attempt against former President Donald J. Trump led by Reps. Cory Mills (R-FL) and Eli Crane (R-AZ). Mills and Crane will be joined by Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Chip Roy (R-TX), and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) in this independent investigation. 

Bongino, a former Secret Service Agent, will be one of three to testify at the forum, along with Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL officer, and Ben Shaffer, a Washington regional SWAT operator. Bongino will record the special edition of his podcast from The Heritage Foundation, also the site for the forum. 

The Dan Bongino Show podcast saw a surge in growth in July 2024 as listeners turned to Bongino for his expertise and insight as a former United States Secret Service agent following the assassination attempt against former President Donald J. Trump just prior to the Republican National Convention. 

Nashville Radio: Cromwell Sports Network Launches Monday

Cromwell Media is set to launch The Game Nashville Sports Network on Monday, August 26. 

The network will feature several stations, including the flagship brands WPRT (102.5 & 106.3 The Game) and W235BW (94.9 The Fan), along with the new addition of WQZA (Sports Talk 830 AM). 

Notably, ESPN will return to a full-time lineup on 94.9 The Fan, and other sports media personalities like VSiN, Dan Patrick, Colin Cowherd, and Doug Gottlieb will anchor Sports Talk 830 AM. Sports enthusiasts can find all this content on the online hub at thegamenashville.com, and the stations will also be accessible via the Game Nashville App.

"Cromwell Media has established itself as a major player in local sports talk with 102.5 & 106.3 The Game," said Director of Operations and Sports Programming Chase McCabe. "We continue to further our national coverage with a renewed relationship with ESPN on 94.9 The Fan, while continuing to deliver great sports betting coverage along with icons Dan Patrick and Colin Cowherd on Sports Talk 830 AM. Sports enthusiasts do not have to go far to get the coverage they want."

"The Game Nashville Sports Network puts all of our sports coverage under one umbrella," added General Manager Shawn Fort. "We are really excited to continue adding more exclusive digital content following Nashville's favorite sports teams, as well as special offerings like discount tickets to events, win before you can buy opportunities, and pre-sale specials for our fans who subscribe to our network online."

Audacy Makes Programming Updates To BetQL Network

Audacy has announced a series of weekday programming updates for BetQL Network, the Company’s network of sports betting content heard across its broadcast portfolio and digital platforms. The Network welcomes Brad Evans, Sam Panayotovich and Femi Abebefe.

Evans, a Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Famer with nearly two decades of experience at Yahoo! Sports, Bally Sports and SiriusXM, will join Ryan Horvat on “BetMGM Tonight.” The show airs weekdays from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET and offers a unique blend of humor, energy and authenticity. The duo will provide picks, advice and strategies while chatting with insiders and sweating the action alongside listeners.

Panayotovich, recently a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and NESN, will team up with Joe Ostrowski on “BetQL Daily” weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET. Featuring two of the sharpest bettors in the game, this show will provide listeners with actionable insights, bold predictions and high-stakes entertainment. Panayotovich also has experience with WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN, and previously worked with Ostrowski on the original Chicken Dinner Podcast.

Radio History: Aug 24

➦In 1911...Durward Kirby born (Died at age 88 – March 15, 2000).  He was a radio, TV announcer/host, best remembered for The Garry Moore Show in the 1950s and Candid Camera, which he co-hosted with Allen Funt from 1961 through 1966.

Durward Kirby

By 1936, Kirby was an announcer for WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1937, an Associated Press news story reported that Kirby "made a name for himself" with his reporting on the Ohio River flood of 1937. He also worked at radio stations in Chicago and Indianapolis before the war.

Following the war, Kirby hosted Club Matinee in Chicago with Garry Moore on the NBC Blue radio network before moving to television in 1949 as an announcer. He also worked on Meet Your Navy and Honeymoon in New York on network radio.

Kirby also appeared as a host, announcer, or guest on other television programs, including serving as one of NBC Radio's Monitor.

➦In 1917...Dennis James born (Died of lung cancer at age 79 – June 3, 1997). 

Dennis James

He was a TV personality, philanthropist, and commercial spokesman. Up until 1976, he had appeared on TV more times and for a longer period than any other television star. Often referred to as "The Dean of Game Show Hosts", he is credited as the host of television's first network game show, the DuMont Network's Cash and Carry (1946). James was also the first person to host a telethon (raising over $700,000,000 for United Cerebral Palsy throughout his career), the first host to appear in a television commercial, first to emcee a variety show, and first to appear on video tape.

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, James began his career in radio with WNEW (now WBBR) and moved to television in 1938, working for the soon-to-become-DuMont Television Network station WABD (now WNYW), which helped to found the DuMont network in 1946. James became the host of many game shows, such as the ABC version of Chance of a Lifetime (1952–53) and served as commentator for DuMont's wrestling and boxing shows, such as Boxing From Jamaica Arena (1948–49) and other DuMont boxing and wresting shows such as Amateur Boxing Fight Club (1949–50). He hosted the DuMont daytime variety show Okay, Mother (1948–51) with Julia Meade.

➦In 1950...the summer replacement radio show for Suspense, titled "Somebody Knows", was heard for the final time on CBS Radio. The program offered a reward of $5,000 for information that led to the solving of crimes. Somebody Knows began with the introduction, “You out there. You, who think you have committed the perfect crime — that there are no clues, no witnesses — listen. Somebody knows.”

➦In 1999...actress Mary Jane Croft, who frequently appeared in Lucille Ball’s TV & film projects, died of natural causes at age 83. She was a much-in-demand Hollywood radio regular from the 1940′s through the 70′s, with supporting roles in dozens of series such as One Man’s Family, Suspense, Sam Spade, Our Miss Brooks and Sears Radio Theatre.

WLW's Dale Summers

➦In 2012...Bruce Dale Sommers died (Born - November 26, 1943). He was best known by his nickname "The Truckin' Bozo" and for his long-running country music show geared toward truck drivers.

Dale Summers

Sommers hosted the overnight show from Cincinnati, Ohio-based clear-channel station WLW from 1984 to 2004, and it was carried by a small network of similarly high-powered stations across the United States. Sommers discontinued playing music on his nightly show, focusing on general and truck news, and talk from his listeners. Sommers announced his retirement from radio in 2004, but XM Satellite Radio was successful in getting him to do an afternoon truck show.

Born Glen Council in Humboldt, Tennessee, Sommers moved to Cincinnati with his family at the age of 15. The next year (1959), be began working for WAEF. Sommers worked for other local radio stations in Cincinnati, as well as in Evansville, Indianapolis, Seattle, San Diego, Miami, and Kansas City, before settling back at WLW in 1984.

Jay Thomas

➦In 2017...Jay Thomas died from throat cancer (Born Jon Thomas Terrell -  July 12, 1948).  He was an actor, comedian, and radio personality. He was heard in New York from 1976-79 on Top 40 station 99X, and later on Rhythmic CHR station WKTU, and in Los Angeles beginning in 1986 on KPWR "Power 106", where he hosted the station's top-rated morning show until 1993.

NYC Radio: ESPN Takes Over 880 AM Starting Monday

Starting Monday August 26 at 12:01, New York radio station WCBS 880 will undergo a significant change. Audacy, the parent company of WFAN, and Good Karma Brands, the owner of ESPN New York, recently reached an agreement. Under this deal, Audacy will license its 880 AM signal to ESPN New York, effectively ending WCBS-AM 880’s nearly six-decade run of all-news programming1. 

Here are the key points:

Format Shift: WCBS-AM 880, an iconic New York brand known for all-news coverage since 1967, will transition away from its current format. Instead, ESPN New York will take over the 880 AM frequency.

ESPN New York Lineup: ESPN New York’s popular shows, including “The Michael Kay Show,” “DiPietro & Rothenberg,” and “Bart & Hahn,” will move to the 880 AM signal. This change aims to give ESPN New York a stronger broadcast presence.

Call Letters Change: Pending FCC approval, the station’s call letters will shift from WCBS to WHSQ-AM.

Mets Radio: Mets radio broadcasts, owned by Audacy, will continue to air on 880 AM, with Audacy retaining all rights to the games.

FS1 To Roll Out New-Look Daily Show Line-Up

FOX Sports has announced the launch of an exciting new era for its FS1 daily studio shows. 

Beginning this fall, new shows BREAKFAST BALL and THE FACILITY will anchor weekday mornings, with FS1 pillars THE HERD WITH COLIN COWHERD and FIRST THINGS FIRST continuing to fortify the afternoon block alongside a new-look SPEAK in the cleanup spot.

“FS1 is evolving around a dynamic roster of sports talk personalities, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead,” said Charlie Dixon, Executive Vice President and Head of Content, FS1. “From early morning to late afternoon, viewers can look forward to an array of compelling sports discussions, expert analysis and exclusive interviews, all designed to keep sports enthusiasts informed and entertained throughout the day.”

Full breakout of FS1’s new daily studio lineup below:

BREAKFAST BALL (8:00 – 10:00 AM ET): To feature one of sports talk’s best-known voices, Craig Carton, alongside co-hosts Mark Schlereth and Danny Parkins, debuts live from New York City on Monday, Aug. 26. Tackling sports’ most enticing stories each weekday morning, Carton, newly inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame and a veteran morning show voice, joins forces with Schlereth, a FOX NFL game analyst since 2017 and three-time Super Bowl winner, and FS1 newcomer Parkins, a standout Chicago sports radio personality, where he consistently hosted one of the city’s highest-rated shows.

Programming Note: For the first week, BREAKFAST BALL will be televised live at 12:00 PM ET on FS1. The following week, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 3, BREAKFAST BALL will move to its regular time slot at 8:00 to 10:00 AM ET.

THE FACILITY (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET): Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 3, THE FACILITY takes over at 10:00 AM ET on FS1 featuring Emmanuel Acho, LeSean McCoy, James Jones and Chase Daniel. Live from Los Angeles, the four former football stars with 36 combined professional seasons take on sports from all angles as Acho, a #1 New York Times Bestselling author and two-time Emmy winner, anchors the show alongside former Philadelphia Eagles teammate McCoy, a two-time Super Bowl champion and six-time Pro Bowler. Jones, a former Super Bowl-winning wide receiver, and FS1’s new addition, Daniel, a two-time Heisman Trophy Award finalist and longtime NFL quarterback, round out the cast, offering their distinctive opinions from the desk each weekday.

THE HERD WITH COLIN COWHERD (12:00 – 3:00 PM ET): Afternoons on FS1 continue to start with the most interesting voice in sports, Colin Cowherd, alongside co-host Jason McIntyre, on THE HERD WITH COLIN COWHERD. Every weekday at 12:00 PM ET, Cowherd applies his unique lens to a variety of topics while featuring interviews with some of the biggest names in the industry. Heading into its 10th season overall on FS1, THE HERD remains one of the network’s most-popular daily studio shows, earning its most-watched episode ever in 2024.

FIRST THINGS FIRST (3:00 – 5:00 PM ET): Hosted by Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes, remains in the 3:00 PM ET timeslot. Wright, who started his broadcasting career as a critically acclaimed radio host, is joined each day by veteran sports reporter, media personality and columnist Broussard and sports television producer, media personality, sports radio talk show host and podcaster Wildes, as they explore and energetically advance the biggest stories in sports. FIRST THINGS FIRST, launched in September 2017, enjoyed its most-watched month ever in January to start 2024, following its most-watched year ever in 2023.

SPEAK (5:00 – 7:00 PM ET): SPEAK gets the last word at 5:00 PM ET as longtime FS1 contributor and media personality Joy Taylor teams up with Super Bowl champion Keyshawn Johnson and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce to passionately dive into the biggest stories in sports with elevated insight and distinguished experience. The star-studded trio debuts together Tuesday, Sept. 3, in the show’s familiar afternoon block from 5:00 to 7:00 PM ET.

Philly Radio: Andie Summers Morning Show To Air In Boston, Elsewhere

Shannon Boyle, Jeff Kurkjian, Andie Summers and Donnie Black

92.5 WXTU-FM’s Andie Summers Morning Show featuring Award Winning Host Andie Summers with Jeff Kurkjian, Producer Donnie Black and Assistant Producer Shannon Boyle, will be syndicated on Beasley Media Group’s 102.5 WKLB-FM in Boston and KCYE-FM in Las Vegas. The Company will officially launch the show across the markets on Monday, August 26.

Andie Summers has been waking up country music fans in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties on 92.5 XTU since 1999.  During her 25+ years in the business, Andie has earned the love of her listeners and the respect of the country music community, winning several awards, including multiple Country Music Association (CMA) Award for Major Market Personality of the Year, the Academy of Country Music Award (ACM) for Major Market Station of the Year and a Gracie Award.

“Andie Summers has been beloved by loyal fans in Philly for decades and the show brand has only improved in recent years with the addition of Jeff Kurkjian, Donnie Black and Shannon Boyle,” said Chief Content Officer Justin Chase. “I have no doubt that Country radio listeners in Boston and Vegas will fall in love with this amazing cast.”

Summers has been waking up country music fans in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties on 92.5 XTU since 1999.

During her 25-plus years in the business, Summers has won several awards, including multiple Country Music Association (CMA) Award for Major Market Personality of the Year, the Academy of Country Music Award (ACM) for Major Market Station of the Year and a Gracie Award.

As part of the transition, KCYE-FM Program Director and On Air Personality Shawn Stevens will move from mornings to middays on KCYE-FM in Las Vegas.

Walmart+ To Offer A Whopper Of A Deal

Members of Walmart+ will soon get discounted meals at Burger King, the latest in a string of new benefits as the membership program chases its far larger rival, Amazon Prime.

Walmart launched Walmart+ in 2020, 15 years after Prime’s introduction. Walmart promised members free shipping on purchases and later free access to the Paramount+ streaming service. A full-price membership now costs $98 a year, while Prime costs $139. Now Walmart is adding discounts at Burger King, a chain that is popular with Walmart+ members, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Walmart and other businesses with subscription models have struggled with retention in recent years amid stiff competition and higher prices for everyday necessities such as food. They face established services that have already entrenched themselves in consumers’ budgets, such as video streaming platform Netflix and e-commerce behemoth Amazon’s Prime membership, which has more than 200 million members.

Walmart+ membership plateaued early last year at around eight million people, including about a million Walmart workers who were offered a free membership as part of their employment, according to a person familiar with the matter. 

Membership stagnated at Walmart because some people didn’t pay to continue past their free trial period, but it has since grown steadily in recent quarters, according to people familiar with the matter. Over the past year, Walmart has worked to refocus its benefits and marketing to keep people from dropping out. Walmart+ membership income has grown by 10% or more in the last three quarters, executives have said on recent conference calls with analysts. 

Over the past year, Walmart has added a discounted membership for people who receive government assistance such as the food stamps program, as well as a student discount in the back-to-school season. It also added a travel benefit through Expedia and worked to promote the membership program in more places in stores and online.

Starting this week, Walmart+ members will get 25% off all digital orders at Burger King, and beginning in September, a free Whopper once every three months with a Burger King purchase. Amazon Prime earlier this year introduced free delivery of many restaurant meals through Grubhub.

Skydance Media Claims Paramount In Breach of Deal

Skydance Media is accusing Paramount’s special committee of directors of breaching the terms of its deal by extending the period when it can engage with other bidders for the company, according to a letter viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

“While Skydance is not currently exercising its right to terminate the Transaction Agreement, we reserve the right to do so in the future,” Skydance’s attorneys wrote in the letter, which was sent Thursday.

Edgar Bronfman Jr.

Paramount on Wednesday extended the “go shop” period—a window during which the committee can solicit and review bids—until Sept. 5, after it received a $6 billion deal proposal from Edgar Bronfman Jr. for Shari Redstone’s National Amusements, her family company that controls Paramount, and a stake in Paramount. The “go shop” period was originally slated to expire at the end of Wednesday.

Under the terms of the deal with Skydance, the special committee had to decide if Bronfman’s bid “is or would reasonably be expected to lead to a superior proposal,” relative to Skydance’s offer. Skydance is arguing that the bid wasn’t superior, as defined in the transaction agreement, and thus the committee shouldn’t have extended the window.

Additionally, under the terms of the agreement, the special committee was supposed to inform Skydance that it was extending the go-shop, which it failed to do, according to the letter.

Skydance says that by not halting all negotiations with Bronfman’s team by the end of Wednesday, “Paramount has committed an incurable, material breach of the Transaction Agreement,” and the committee should request for the return or destruction of all deal-related information back from Bronfman’s group.

About Half of TikTok Users Under 30 Use It As News Source

 TikTok has been so popular among young Americans that presidential campaigns are using it for voter outreach. And some young adults are using TikTok to keep up with politics or get news, a recent Pew Research Center survey shows.

The survey explored various reasons people might use TikTok and other social media platforms. Young TikTok users stand out from their older peers on several of these reasons, including:

Keeping up with politics or political issues. For 48% of TikTok users ages 18 to 29, this is a major or minor reason why they’re on the platform.

By comparison, 36% of those ages 30 to 49 and even smaller shares of older users say the same:

• 22% of those 50 to 64
• 24% of those 65 and older

Getting news. We also asked TikTok users if getting news in general is a reason they use the platform – regardless of whether that’s political news or another topic entirely. About half of those under 30 say getting news is a major or minor reason they use TikTok.

That compares with 41% of TikTok users ages 30 to 49 who say getting news is a reason they’re on it. The shares of older users saying so are even smaller:

• 29% of those 50 to 64
• 23% of those 65 and older

TikTok has increasingly become a destination for news, bucking trends on other social media sites. A 2023 Center study showed more Americans – and especially young Americans – regularly get news on the platform compared with a few years ago. 

For more on what motivates TikTok use – like entertainment, which is a major draw for most TikTok users – read Pew's deep dive into why and how people use the platform.

NYC Radio: Report Has John Sterling Returning For Post Season

John Sterling may come out of retirement to call the New York Yankees’ postseason, according to The Athletic citing sources briefed on WFAN, the Yankees and Sterling’s plans.

Early this season in April, Sterling, 86, stepped away from the booth after 36 years. The Yankees held a retirement ceremony for him. A trio of Rickie Ricardo, Justin Shackil and Emmanuel Berbari has replaced him.

This week, Sterling made a brief appearance in the Yankees booth, teaming up with analyst Suzyn Waldman to call a few innings.

Over the next few days, he is expected to discuss with Audacy New York president Chris Oliviero if he will return for the playoffs, according to a person briefed on the plans. Oliviero, who oversees WFAN, has not officially asked Sterling yet.

“The ball is in their court,” Sterling said. “They would have to ask. I would feel bad for the guys who have done the games all year.”

While it is possible that WFAN and the Yankees could have Sterling call home playoff games, initial indications from those briefed on discussions is that he would need to commit to all home and road playoff games. Travel was one of the major reasons Sterling retired in April. On Thursday, via phone, he said the scheduling of the playoffs makes that aspect easier.

If he returns, Sterling could call a few regular-season games to tune up.

Regardless of whether he returns or not in October, Sterling is expected to resume retirement after the season.

The Yankees and WFAN would then consider Ricardo, Shackil and Berbari for the job while also conducting a national search.

Report: Peacock Added 2.8M Signups During the Olympics

NBCUniversal accumulated 2.8 million signups for Peacock during the recently completed Paris Summer Olympics, averaging 398,000 enlistments a day during the first week of the Games, a 5.6 times increase vs. the previous eight weeks, according to research company Antenna.

The performance compares to the 3 million Peacock sign-ups measured by Antenna when the platform exclusively hosted an NFL AFC Wild Card playoff matchup in January between the eventual Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins. 

Some of those customers ended up churning away quickly, with Peacock reporting a loss of around 500,000 subscribers in the second quarter. 

Antenna also measured 3.4 million signups for Paramount Plus just before and during the Super Bowl in February. 

On average, Peacock has commanded 16% share of premium SVOD gross customer additions over the prior 12 months. In July 2024, Peacock drew 29% share of all gross additions in the category, Antenna said.

Jax Radio: DJ Killer Sentenced To Life

Tasheka Young

The man convicted of killing Jacksonville radio host Tasheka Young and her unborn child interrupted his victim's mother's impact statement during his sentencing Thursday. 

The victim's mother Olivia Young emotionally addressed the courtroom before Bursey Armstrong was sentenced to life in prison for killing Young's daughter and the mother of his children, Tasheka Young. 

An arrest warrant states Olivia Young was the one to find Tasheka Young unresponsive and bloody while the victim's 1-year-old and 3-year-old children were inside the residence.

"I tragically lost my child on July 23, 2022, and now I raise my two grandchildren as my own," Young said. "Through the love and the grace of God..." 

"You are full of it," Armstrong said, interrupting Young. 

"I am also thankful to have the love and support of family, my church members, my friends and my neighbors," Young continued, but Armstrong interrupted again. 

Judge Tatiana Salvador then called for order in the courtroom.  "Excuse me, we're going to do this in order... If you wish to address the court, I will absolutely give you your opportunity, but right now we are hearing from Ms. Young," Salvador said.  Armstrong declined to address the courtroom before his sentencing.

Radio History: Aug 23

Art Van Harvey, Clarence Hartzell, Bernadine Flynn, Billy Idelson

➦In 1883...Radio actor Art Van Harvey was born in Chicago.  He is best known for playing the role of  Vic in the memorable daytime radio series Vic & Sade.

Vic and Sade was an American radio program created and written by Paul Rhymer. It was regularly broadcast on radio from 1932 to 1944, then intermittently until 1946, and was briefly adapted to television in 1949 and again in 1957.

During its 14-year run on radio, Vic and Sade became one of the most popular series of its kind, earning critical and popular success: according to Time, Vic and Sade had 7,000,000 devoted listeners in 1943. For the majority of its span on the air, Vic and Sade was heard in 15-minute episodes without a continuing storyline. The central characters, known as "radio's home folks", were accountant Victor Rodney Gook (Art Van Harvey), his wife Sade (Bernardine Flynn) and their adopted son Rush (Bill Idelson). The three lived on Virginia Avenue in "the small house halfway up in the next block

Van Harvey died Sept. 7 1957 at age 74.

➦In 1923....Billy Jones and Ernie Hare, “The Happiness Boys”, first aired on New York’s WEAF radio.  The two were billed as radio’s first comedians and were also credited with creating and performing the first singing commercial.

They began on radio October 18, 1921 on WJZ (Newark, New Jersey), where they were sponsored by the chain of Happiness Candy stores. Listeners mailed in their comments about the singers on cards supplied to retailers by Happiness Candy.

The Happiness Boys aired on WEAF, moving to NBC from 1926 to 1929. The duo sang popular tunes, mostly light fare and comic songs, and they engaged in humorous repartee between numbers. Their theme song was "How Do You Do" (1924). However, only the words to this song were new at that time. The melody had been used for a variety of other songs in the past and is still used in the camp favorite "If You're Happy and You Know It (Clap Your Hands)".

By 1928, Jones and Hare were the highest paid singers in radio, earning $1,250 a week. The partnership ended with Ernie Hare's death on March 9, 1939.

➦In 1989...The music faded away on the Big 89 WLS in Chicago.

In June , WLS 890 AM had announced they were going all talk by the end of the summer. Many expected that to happen on September 1.

By 1988, WLS was airing adult contemporary music, liberally laced with oldies and standards, with talk programming at night.  Air personalities were becoming more talk intensive anyway and midday talk was added as well.

Then with no warning, on August 23, 1989 at 7 pm, WLS stopped playing music altogether. Phil Duncan was the last DJ to play music on WLS, and as Phil finished up his show.  The last song was "Just You 'n' Me" by Chicago.

Boston Radio: Major Shakeup At WEEI Amid Brutal Ratings

Top: Rich Keefe & Andy Hart, Bottom: Adam Jones & Christian Arcand

Audacy has announced a series of weekday programming updates for WEEI.

Afternoon show co-host Adam Jones and weeknight host Rich Keefe will reunite for a new midday show. The duo, who previously hosted a top-rated evening show together for multiple years in the market, will deliver a blend of sports and lifestyle entertainment, on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET beginning August 26.

The station elevates Andy Hart as afternoon show co-host alongside Christian Arcand. “The WEEI Afternoon Show” will be heard weekdays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET beginning August 27. The show will welcome various special guests throughout the week, including the New England Patriots starting quarterback, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, ESPN insider Adam Schefter and former NBA player and current NBC Sports Boston Celtic analyst Brian Scalabrine.

“These exciting updates bring together a dynamic mix of talent with New England roots that will continue to deliver top-tier content to Boston’s biggest sports fans,” said Mike Thomas, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Boston. “Adam Jones and Rich Keefe's notable on-air styles and rapport will energize our midday show, while Andy Hart and Christian Arcand’s experience will help bolster afternoon drive. We’re looking forward to this next chapter of WEEI weekdays continuing to make WEEI the go-to destination for everything Boston sports.”

➤New WEEI weekday programming lineup is as follows.

• 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET: “The Greg Hill Show”
• 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET: “Jones & Keefe”
• 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. ET: “WEEI Afternoon Show”

Jones joined WEEI in 2023 from 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, where he hosted the station’s night show since 2013 and co-hosted “The Dan Shaughnessy Show” from 2009 to 2010. Other previous roles include host for ESPN Boston.com Radio and ESPN Radio and updates anchor for 890 ESPN Boston.

Keefe’s professional radio career began at WGAM in Nashua, NH, leading to seven years at 98.5 The Sports Hub and later at WEEI in 2017. Rich has also done play-by-play for local colleges, appeared on pre- and postgame shows for both the New England Revolution and Patriots.com, filled in as a color analyst on Celtics and Red Sox broadcasts, and is a contributor to NBC Sports Boston.

Hart has been WEEI’s go-to Patriots reporter since 2019, appearing on all station programs and serving as co-host of “The 6 Rings Postgame Show” after all games. He also co-hosts Audacy’s 6 Rings and Football Things podcast and is a regular contributor with NBC Sports Boston.

Arcand launched his radio career in multiple on-air roles for weekend WGAM in New Hampshire. He originally joined WEEI in 2014 as host of the debut “WEEI Late Night” program. In 2017, Arcand joined 98.5 The Sports Hub, where he hosted the Sunday Service and co-hosted nights on “The Adam Jones Show.” He returned to WEEI in 2022 as afternoon drive co-host.

Former afternoon show co-host Megan Ottolini will remain with the station as a full-time writer, succeeding Hart, and as a fill-in on-air host.

July PPMs 6+

📻Listeners can tune in to WEEI in Boston on air and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station on social media via X, Facebook and Instagram.

NYC Radio: WCBS-AM To Air Farewell Program Today

WCBS/880 AM will wrap 57 years as a beloved all-news New York broadcast institution Monday morning at 12:01, but those six eventful decades will first be celebrated in a three-hour "commemorative special" to air Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Newsday reports neither the station nor its owner, Audacy, have offered many details about Thursday's program other than that it will be live and anchored by the veteran 880 trio of Wayne Cabot, Paul Murnane and Brigitte Quinn. Audacy initially described the program as a "special edition" of Quinn's midday show, "Newsline," but it now appears to have evolved into a much deeper dive into 880's legacy.

And if perhaps only by osmosis, Thursday's live special should also reflect some of the bereavement listeners and staffers have shared since the Philadelphia-based radio giant announced that the 24-hour news format will be replaced by sports talk ESPN New York on Aug. 26 and the station renamed WHSQ.

Murnane and Cabot will also anchor another special — expected to air over the weekend — on the long history of WCBS itself. Just before the 12:01 changeover early Monday, Cabot — who became an anchor here 36 years ago — will offer a personal farewell message. 

In a phone interview Wednesday, Murnane — who joined 880 as a reporter in 1994 and became morning co-anchor in 2016 — said "we have a very rough sketch of what we anticipate will be a huge amount of archival material" for both commemorative programs. 

"We have some special guests coming in, but I don't want to promise specific names because you know how things go getting to a studio in Manhattan. But so many people have things they want to say about WCBS, including people in government who have relied on this station to get the word out in good times and bad. It's really been such an overwhelming response."

He added, "We also want to do something that pays tribute to all the constituencies inside the organization because we stand on the foundation built by so many great broadcasters and writers."

➤NYC Radio: WCBS-AM..The Early Years

➤NYC Radio: Valuable Traffic Reports Ending On WCBS-AM

WINS  has traditionally been a stronger station in New York City, while 880's stronghold has been Long Island, Connecticut, and suburbs north and out east (the WCBS antenna, set on a small rock outcrop off City Island, broadcasts an especially powerful 50,000 watt "clear channel" signal). WCBS featured a direct, sober, and authoritative style, in sharp contrast to 1010's scrappy, staccato "you-give-us-twenty-minutes-we'll-give-you-the-world" approach.

The competition largely ended after Audacy — then called Entercom — bought the CBS-owned stations in 2017, then began to simulcast 1010 on 92.3 FM in 2022. The move was designed to introduce younger listeners to 1010 and to boost that listenership beyond the five boroughs. It worked but at 880's expense: Since then, 1010's ratings have improved dramatically, while 880's have dropped.

880 AM (50 Kw)

In a phone interview Wednesday, former news director Tim Scheld said "we wanted to own breaking news. If there was a blackout, flood or snowstorm, our staff was very aggressive but the delivery was calm, steady, informative. You saw that on 9/11, the pandemic, Superstorm Sandy, Jan. 6, the Miracle on the Hudson, Sandy Hook, but the legacy of the place was built on the legacy of those legendary broadcasters from before. When you walk into this radio station you do feel the weight of them."

Murnane said "I am grateful to have been a small part of that tradition and that legacy — and it does seem to have had a cast of thousands — but I may not really be able to reflect on my role until after I'm out the door. I do feel gratitude for the people who gave me and Wayne their time and I don't think you can get more than that from people in New York given all the choices.

"My plan for my first day outside of WCBS is to start going through all the [social media] messages and offering a personal thank you. There are so many of them that could turn into my next career."