George Soros Closer To Controlling 200 Audacy Stations

The FCC seemingly approved a deal that would "fast-track" left-wing billionaire George Soros’ acquisition of more than 200 Audacy radio stations across America, irking a Republican commissioner who "objected."

The New York Post first reported that the FCC last week "adopted an order to approve Soros’ purchase of more than 200 radio stations in 40 markets just weeks before the presidential election," potentially allowing the far-left kingmaker to reach more than 165 million Americans at a critical time.  

"The FCC decision came after a partisan vote with the commission’s three Democrats voting for the move while the two Republicans voted against it, sources added," Post reporter Lydia Moynihan wrote. 

"Under existing FCC rules, foreign company ownership of US radio stations is not supposed to exceed 25%. Soros took foreign investment to make his bid and then made a filing asking the commission to make an exception to the usual review process, according to public documents," Moynihan added. "The FCC decision to fast-track his deal is the first time in modern history such a deal has been approved by the full Commission without first running the national security review process—a process that could take up to a year or more."

The Soros group told the Post they would circle back to the FCC in the near future to run that process. If the deal goes through, Soros would be considered a "major shareholder," but not necessarily the "owner" of the stations. 

An FCC spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "no decision is final until the Commission releases it, which we have not."

"The Commission has a long-standing process for reviewing transactions that involve emergence from bankruptcy," the spokesperson added, noting that the application before the Commission pertains to a transfer from Audacy in bankruptcy, to Audacy post-bankruptcy.  

Some inside the FCC object to the notion the move was some sort of shortcut or "fast-tracked" for Soros, pointing to a similar process used to under the previous administration in the bankruptcy proceedings of Cumulus Media in 2018, iHeart Media in 2019, Liberman Television in 2019, Fusion Connect in 2019, Windstream Holdings in 2020, America-CV Station Group in 2021, and Alpha Media in 2021. 

However, Trump-nominated Commissioner Nathan Simington blasted the process and said it was, indeed, fast-tracked. 

"The FCC has a practice of permitting entities temporarily to exceed foreign ownership caps when emerging from bankruptcy—and the majority, over my objection, did so here. But that wasn’t the only way in which this item was ‘fast-tracked,’" Simington told Fox News Digital. 

"Commission leadership tried to approve the item at the staff level, with nothing but a 48-hour notice to Commissioners on a summer Friday. There is almost no factual record on the item because there was almost no attempt to do a real public interest analysis," Simington continued. "Not a single Commissioner outside of the Chairwoman was invited to even think about the issue until staff was directed to handle it on our behalf without our votes. That’s the true ‘fast-track.’" 

TV Ratings: ABC's WNT, Fox News Channel Dominate News Viewers

After a historic presidential debate boosted CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC to huge ratings, all three cable news giants fell back to Earth during the week of Sept. 16. Absent an increasingly unlikely rematch between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the trio experienced week-to-week declines in the double digits among total viewers and the advertiser-friendly Adults 25-54 audience.

According to TV Newser citing Nielsen live plus same-day data, Fox News handily won both measured categories across all dayparts. In primetime, the network attracted 2.513 million total viewers and 310,000 pairs of A25-54 eyeballs. FNC was down a respective -20% and -34% compared to the previous week. Total day numbers were 1.486 million in the former category and 203,000 in the latter for declines of -6% and -11%, respectively.

On the basic cable chart, Fox fell from first to second place in total primetime viewers and remained static in second in the primetime demo. It ticked upwards from second to first on the total day total viewers chart and held second in the total day demo.

MSNBC experienced a steeper exodus in primetime, with 1.481 million total viewers and 154,000 A25-54 viewers for declines of -29% and -46%, respectively. It fell under the million-viewer mark in total day total viewers with an audience of 952,000, and under the 100,000-viewer mark in the demo with 99,000. That translates to declines of -18% and -27% compared to the previous week.

Basic cable chart-wise, MSNBC dropped one spot from No. 2 to No. 3 among primetime total viewers and fell from fourth to seventh in the primetime demo. Total day standings saw the network holding on to second place in total viewers and moving down from third to fourth in the demo.

CNN took the biggest week-to-week hit of the three outlets, settling for a primetime audience of 681,000 total viewers and 138,000 A25-54 viewers. That translates to plunges of -43% and -54%, respectively. The news wasn’t much better in total day, where only 517,000 total viewers and 94,000 demo viewers tuned in for drops of -21% and -30% compared to Debate Week. CNN also saw its total day demo gap with MSNBC expand to 5,000 viewers after narrowing to 1,000 for a two-week stretch.

Programming:

Fox News claimed 10 spots on the week’s list of the Top 15 most-watched cable news programs among total viewers. The Five (3,396,000 viewers at 5 p.m.) finished first, while MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show (2,359,000 viewers at 9 p.m.) swooped in at No. 7.

• FOX News Channel’s Gutfeld! notched its best week with viewers since launching in 2021, powered by the show’s interview with former President Donald Trump. Wednesday’s show saw nearly 5 million viewers and 744,000 in the 25-54 demo, marking the highest-rated night in the show’s history. It was the number one show in all of cable and broadcast primetime on Wednesday, defeating the highly anticipated debuts of CBS’s Survivor (4.7 million P2+) and ABC’s The Golden Bachelorette (2.8 million P2+). For the week, Gutfeld! averaged 3,229,000 viewers and 461,000 in the 25-54 demo, topping CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (1,946,000 P2+; 300,000 A25-54), ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1,590,000 P2+; 275,000 A25-54) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1,098,000 P2+; 273,000 A25-54).

• For the week, The Five averaged 3.4 million viewers and 371,000 in the 25-54 demo, making it the most-watched show of the week with viewers. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier drew 2.4 million viewers and 264,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Ingraham Angle saw 2.5 million viewers and 297,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime delivered 3.1 million viewers and 370,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity posted 2.7 million viewers and 337,000 with A25-54. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night secured 1.7 million viewers and 270,000 in the 25-54 demo.

• FNC also saw a number of its daytime programs outrank the broadcast competition. Most notably, Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 1,930,000 P2+), Harris Faulkner’s The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 1,845,000 P2+), America’s Newsroom with Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET; 1,742,000 P2+), America Reports with Sandra Smith and John Roberts (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET; 1,714,000) and The Story with Martha MacCallum (weekdays, 3 PM/ET; 1,671,000 P2+) all outpaced ABC’s GMA3 (1,300,000 P2+) and NBC’s Today with Hoda and Jenna (1,236,000 P2+).

Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. Week of 9-16-24 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54, P18-49. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats and include the corresponding program name.

Top 25 U-S News Websites During August

Two-thirds of the top news sites in the US saw traffic shrink month-on-month in August following a bumper July, according to the Press-Gazette.

But the picture is rosier over a longer timespan, with three-quarters of the top 50 publishers seeing year-on-year growth in visits in August.

The contraction is particularly pronounced among the top ten US news sites by traffic, where eight publishers saw visits drop compared to July.

In July every site in the top ten saw month-on-month traffic growth, likely driven by blockbuster news events including the first assassination attempt on Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s departure from the presidential race.

But in August People.com (162.6 million visits) and Yahoo Finance (162.8 million) were the only top ten sites to continue growing their traffic, by 3% and 2% respectively.

The biggest drop came at CNN, which saw visits fall 16% to 441.4 million. It nonetheless remained the most-visited news site in the US, a position it has held since Similarweb updated its data model in June and pushed the site ahead of The New York Times.

Top 25 news websites in the US

The New York Times maintained its position in second place, with 361.8 million visits, and Fox News was third on 293 million.

Yahoo Finance and People both shuffled up the board one spot to sixth and seventh place respectively, pushing the New York Post (150 million visits, down 7% year-on-year) down to eighth.

Mail Online remained steady at ninth place with 122.2 million visits while Google News (120.8 million) jumped three places to tenth despite losing 4% of traffic month-on-month, displacing Newsweek (115.7 million) from the top ten.

Helene Forecast To Hit Florida as Category 4

Hurricane Helene reached sustained winds of 85 mph and is expected to strengthen, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday afternoon. The storm’s center moved past Cancun and heading toward the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Helene is forecast to slam into the Florida Panhandle on Thursday evening.

The western coast of Florida, including Tampa Bay, are under a hurricane and storm surge warning. The storm’s winds are forecast to reach at least 120 mph, making it a Category 3 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale.

The Weather Prediction Center forecasts a high risk of excessive rainfall that could cause flash flooding in the region between Atlanta and Asheville, N.C., on Thursday. ”Landslides are possible in areas of steep terrain in the southern Appalachians“, Robbie Berg, a meteorologist at the NHC, wrote in the hurricane center’s last advisory.

“A catastrophic and deadly storm surge is likely along portions of the Florida Big Bend coast, where inundation could reach as high as 20 feet above ground level, along with destructive waves,” said NHC Warning Coordination Meteorologist Robbie Berg. “There is also a danger of life-threatening storm surge along the remainder of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula. Residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so.”

FCC Greenlights Power Increase For HD Radio

The FCC has decided to allow FM stations to use asymmetric sideband power is a significant development for the radio broadcasting industry. This change means that FM stations can now operate with different power levels on the upper and lower digital sidebands, which can enhance digital FM coverage while minimizing interference with adjacent analog stations12.

This flexibility is expected to help broadcasters optimize their digital signal coverage, making digital radio more accessible and reliable for listeners. By allowing stations to adjust power levels independently on each sideband, they can better protect adjacent analog stations from interference3.

It’s a move that should support the broader adoption of digital radio, providing a more robust and flexible broadcasting environment. How do you think this will impact the radio industry, especially in terms of digital adoption and listener experience?

\The new rules will streamline the notification process for FM stations adopting this technology. Stations can now notify the Commission of changes to their digital power levels using Form 2100, Schedule 335-FM, without the need for ongoing experimental licensing. This change is expected to lead to increased adoption of digital broadcasting among FM stations and enhance the reach and quality of digital radio.

The rulemaking followed petitions from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Xperi Corporation, and National Public Radio (NPR), who have long advocated for increased flexibility in FM digital broadcasting. The FCC acknowledged their studies, which demonstrated that many stations could operate at higher digital power levels on one sideband while protecting neighboring analog signals by reducing power on the other sideband. The FCC also noted that such operations have not led to significant interference in tests.

The FCC's decision affects nearly all FM stations, except for those operating on Channel 300 (107.9 MHz), which still require experimental authorization for asymmetric sideband use due to concerns about interference with the Aeronautical Radio Navigation Spectrum.

MSNBC Harris Interview: 'She doesn't answer the question'

MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle called out Vice President Kamala Harris for not answering her question on how she plans to raise taxes with what would likely be a divided government. 

Wednesday night Ruhle pressed where Harris would "get the money" to fund her pricey economic proposals if Republicans on Capitol Hill block her efforts to raise the corporate tax rate.

"Do you still go forward with those plans and borrow?" Ruhle asked. 

"But we're gonna have to raise corporate taxes," Harris responded. "We’re going to have to make sure that the biggest corporations and billionaires pay their fair share. That’s just it. It’s about paying their fair share."

WATCH: Fox’s @tracegallagher calls out MSNBC’s Ruhle for weak interview with Kamala: “The interview went exactly as expected: Questions were asked, answers were not given. And MSNBC called it a huge success.“ pic.twitter.com/J2YLWP1E35

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) September 26, 2024

Appearing on "Deadline: White House" after the interview, Ruhle admitted that Harris "doesn't answer the question."

"If the GOP is controlling the Senate, if she can’t raise corporate taxes, where is she going to get the money from to expand the child tax credit and do whatever she wants to do. And she says, ‘we just have to do it,’" Ruhle told MSNBC colleague Nicolle Wallace. "That’s great and that’s a campaign promise, but the issue is, if it means we’re gonna just borrow again, then what we’re doing is we’re just never addressing the deficit. And back in the days when you were a proud Republican, debts and deficits matters."

Baltimore Radio: WWMX Signs Extensions With Steve and Jessica

Jessica and Steve 

Audacy has announced a multiyear contract extension with morning show hosts Steve Kramer and Jessica Dutra, co-hosts of “Kramer & Jess” on Mix 106.5 FM (WWMX-FM) in Baltimore. The show will continue to be heard weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET.

"I am thrilled that we have successfully extended ‘Kramer & Jess,’” said Tracy Brandys, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Baltimore. “This morning duo’s outstanding talent and dynamic presence have truly made a remarkable impact in Baltimore, and I am confident that our listeners will continue enjoying and engaging with their entertaining show."

“We've worked hard the last four years and have created a cool community here in Baltimore,” said Kramer. “We're excited to grow with Audacy and connect with Maryland listeners for years to come. Thanks to the whole team for believing in us!" 

In addition to hosting mornings, Kramer is the voice and creative mind behind the “Certified Mama’s Boy” podcast. He has had radio stops nationwide in Flordia, San Diego and Phoneix, including at Audacy’s KMLE Country 107.9 (KMLE-FM). 

"I’m so grateful for our strong relationship with Baltimore,” said Dutra. ”Our listeners have been a part of some of our biggest milestones, including my engagement and wedding. I’m so excited to continue waking up with Baltimore and building our connection!" 

Before joining Audacy in 2020, Dutra was co-host, producer and social media coordinator for “Geena The Latina and Frankie” on Channel 933 (KHTS-FM) in San Diego, 

NYT Launching Podcast Subs on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

With the launch of “The Daily” in 2017, The Times began a push into audio journalism that changed the role it plays in people’s lives. Since then, The Times has built a comprehensive audio report that helps listeners understand the world around them and has taught them how Times journalism is different from what they’ll find elsewhere. The Times now reaches tens of millions of people who find Times podcasts more valuable than ever before.

Along with our stand-alone Audio app and the Listen tab in The New York Times app, we remain dedicated to getting our journalism to subscribers in more creative, accessible and direct ways. Today, we’re excited to expand where people can subscribe to listen to our world-class audio journalism by teaming up with Apple Podcasts and Spotify, two of the biggest platforms where listening is happening.

On Apple Podcasts, listeners who purchased their subscription to The Times in The New York Times app will have their subscriptions automatically connected the next time they open Apple Podcasts. Listeners can also connect their subscriptions by signing into their account from The New York Times channel page and from individual Show pages on Apple Podcasts.

On Spotify, listeners can also connect their subscriptions by signing into their account from any of our New York Times podcasts. Listeners wishing to become subscribers from Spotify can follow a few simple steps to become subscribers and return to listening.

“Our audio journalism connects The Times with millions of people every day, and now we’re taking a significant step forward in transforming this powerful connection into a key driver of our subscription business,” said Ben Cotton, head of subscription growth at The Times. “We believe that our audio journalism, featuring the most authoritative coverage of the most important and interesting stories, is worth paying for. And working closely with Apple Podcasts and Spotify has allowed us to create a seamless experience that’s both intuitive to use and easy to understand. This collaboration allows us to expand our reach while making it easier than ever for listeners to not only engage more deeply with The Times but support our original, independent audio journalism by subscribing.”

“Our audio report has gotten much bigger over the past few years, and it has a lot more breadth. We now have several news programs, more shows in tech, politics, culture and lifestyle, and we’ve even expanded our shows in Opinion and Sports. We’re excited to get all our shows in front of more people,” added Paula Szuchman, The Times’s director of audio.

A podcast subscription will cost $6/month and $50/year. New York Times All Access and Home Delivery subscribers will continue to have full access at no additional charge.

InfoWars Media To Be Auctioned

Alex Jones' Infowars media business can be auctioned off starting next month so the far-right conspiracy theorist can make payments to the families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting as part of a $1.5 billion settlement, a Houston judge has ruled.

Alex Jones

CBS News reports Infowars' assets, including its social media accounts, copyrighted material and trademarks owned by parent company Free Speech Systems, will be liquidated in November. Additional Infowars assets, including studio equipment, would be sold at a later auction.

In a court hearing Tuesday, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez said he would approve the sale, but that he must first change a previous order to make clear that the trustee overseeing Jones' personal bankruptcy case controls all of Free Speech Systems' assets.

Jones and the company filed for bankruptcy in 2022 after losing defamation and emotional distress lawsuits by Sandy Hook families after he repeatedly called the Connecticut school shooting a hoax staged by "crisis actors." Adam Lanza killed 26 people, including 20 children, in the shooting, in Newtown, Connecticut.

The outcome of the Infowars auctions could determine Jones' broadcasting fate. He has vowed to continue hosting talk shows and could do so through a new website or his personal social media accounts, which are not part of the sale. 

Number of Women's Sports Podcasts Growing

Sports podcasts hosted by men and about men’s teams and leagues still rule the Apple Podcasts and Spotify charts, but there’s been a recent explosion of sports podcasts by, for, and about women, and interest from media companies, listeners, and advertisers only continues to push the category forward.

According to Marketing Brew, the roster of women’s sports podcasts on the market has been quietly growing for the past several years. The Athletic first introduced Full Time with Meg Linehan, a women’s soccer podcast hosted by the veteran reporter, in 2020, the same year Hyslop and the team at The Gist got The Gist of It up and running. A year later, start-up consultancy and media platform Goals started its podcast, The Business Case for Women’s Sports. And ahead of the Women’s World Cup last summer, soccer stars Christen Press and Tobin Heath debuted their women’s soccer podcast, The Re—Cap Show.

Gayle Troberman

Around the time of the Paris Olympics this summer, there were even more shows that came into the fold. iHeartMedia teamed up with agency Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment to create the Women’s Sports Audio Network audio platform. Vox Media signed Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird’s A Touch More podcast to its network. Dear Media inked a deal with woman-hosted sports podcast Sunday Sports Club. Betches Media, which has introduced a sports vertical, is currently developing a vodcast to further build out its sports coverage, and is in talks with potential advertisers, Chief Content Officer Kate Ward told us.

“For years, whenever I’ve turned on pre-game or halftime reports, I have always been disappointed to see almost exclusively all-male roundtables and chat shows on my screens,” Ward wrote in an email. “It’s the reason we are psyched to be amplifying women’s voices in the space even further.”

iHeartMedia CMO Gayle Troberman said the programming team noticed increased interest in women’s sports content from both audiences and advertisers, prompting a rapid move into the space earlier this year. The company debuted its women’s sports network at Cannes, which includes the daily women’s sports podcast Good Game with Sarah Spain and women’s sports broadcast dispatches across 500 iHeart radio stations.

Audiences seem to like what they hear. The Gist of It, which covers both men’s and women’s sports, has grown its audience about 20% year over year without any paid marketing support since it started, Hyslop said, and more than 90% of its mainly millennial and Gen Z listener base identify as female or non-binary, she said.

Radio History: Sep 26

➦In 1887…Inventor Emile Berliner was granted his first patent for what he called the "Gramophone". The patent described recording sound using horizontal modulation of a stylus as it traced a line on a rotating cylindrical surface coated with an unresisting opaque material such as lampblack, subsequently fixed with varnish and used to photoengrave a corresponding groove into the surface of a metal playback cylinder.

In practice, Berliner opted for the disc format, which made the photoengraving step much less difficult and offered the prospect of making multiple copies of the result by some simpler process such as electrotyping, molding or stamping. Soon Berliner was using a more direct recording method, in which the stylus traced a line through a very thin coating of wax on a zinc disc, which was then etched in acid to convert the line of bared metal into a playable groove.

Ted Weems band on set of Fibber McGee & Molly - 1937

➦In 1901...Bandleader Ted Weems born in Pitcairen, PA (Died at age 61 - May 6, 1963). His work in music was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Weems moved to Chicago with his band around 1928. The Ted Weems Orchestra had chart success in 1929 with the novelty song "Piccolo Pete", which rewarded him with his second Gold Record, and the #1 hit "The Man from the South". The band gained popularity in the 1930s, making regular radio broadcasts. These included Jack Benny's Canada Dry program on CBS and NBC during the early 1930s, and the Fibber McGee & Molly program in the late 1930s.

In 1936, the Ted Weems Orchestra gave singer Perry Como his first national exposure; Como recorded with the band (on Decca Records), beginning his long and successful career.

The first season of the Beat the Band radio show on the NBC Red Network (1940–1941) included Weems and his orchestra as part of the cast.

In 1940, Weems and his orchestra were featured on Beat the Band on the NBC-Red radio network.

➦In 1908...Saturday Evening Post ad for a Victor 'talking machine'.

➦In 1919...Actress Barbara Britton born Barbara Maurine Brantingham (Died from pancreatic cancer at age 60 – January 17, 1980). She is best known for her Western film roles opposite Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, and Gene Autry and for her two-year tenure as inquisitive amateur sleuth Pam North on the television and radio series Mr. and Mrs. North.

➦In 1960…John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon squared off in the first televised presidential debates in American history. The debates were staged at the studios of WBBM-TV in Chicago. The Kennedy-Nixon debates not only had a major impact on the election’s outcome, but ushered in a new era in which crafting a public image and taking advantage of media exposure became essential ingredients of a successful political campaign. They also heralded the central role television has continued to play in the democratic process.

CBS Anchor Jeff Glor Pushed Out By Paramount Layoffs

Jeff Glor

Jeff Glor, who anchored the CBS Evening News for two years before co-hosting CBS Saturday Morning, is leaving CBS News amid a wave of layoffs, according to a report TVLine.

Glor was currently a co-host of CBS Saturday Morning, along with Dana Jacobson and Michelle Miller, a position he’s held since June 2019. Glor also serves as a CBS News special correspondent, traveling the world to report on breaking news stories on location. He has interviewed dozens of authors as well as part of the show’s extensive book coverage.

The network news division is also parting ways with three veteran correspondents, including Ben Tracy, who covered environmental issues out of Los Angeles; Anna Werner, the senior consumer investigative correspondent; and Chicago-based reporter Roxana Saberi, according to people briefed on the cuts.

The staff reductions hit CBS stations as well. Morning news anchor Marci Gonzales of Los Angeles outlet KCAL is among those who will depart.

During O’Donnell’s five years at the helm, the ratings have plunged roughly 25%, cementing the newscast firmly behind rivals at ABC and NBC.

CBS News top brass announced this summer that O’Donnell would vacate the anchor chair after the presidential election in November. The network will also bring the show back to New York in a cost-savings measure and revamp it under CBS News journalist John Dickerson and WCBS anchorman Maurice DuBois.

The changes come as CBS-parent Paramount is in the throes of laying off 2,000 staffers in order to cut $500 million from the budget ahead of its planned merger with Skydance Media, which is expected to be finalized next year.

Glor has been with CBS News since 2007, first serving as a reporter and anchor and filing reports for CBS Sunday Morning and The Early Show, which was later rebooted as CBS This Morning. In December 2017, Glor became the anchor of the CBS Evening News, taking over for Scott Pelley. Glor was then replaced in June 2019, with 60 Minutes correspondent Norah O’Donnell taking his place in the anchor’s chair. That same month, he joined CBS Saturday Morning as a co-host.

Report: FCC Not Following Normal Process For Audacy Transaction

Commissioner Brendan Carr of the Federal Communications Commission has sounded the alarm over a pending purchase which would allow billionaire Democratic donor George Soros to purchase hundreds of U.S. radio stations.

During a House Oversight Committee hearing last week, Carr objected to a deal that would allow a Soros-backed group to take ownership of 200 stations across 40 markets. He claimed the FCC was deviating from its normal procedure by allowing the purchase to take place.

“I think what’s interesting about it is that the FCC is not following its normal process for reviewing transactions that it has established over a number of years,” Carr warned. “It seems to me the FCC is poised, for the first time, to create an entirely new shortcut.”

The National Desk reports the transaction would break a rule preventing more than 25% foreign ownership of U.S. radio stations, Carr alleges. Despite this, Carr claimed the agency was expediting its review process.

“What we usually do is require people to file a petition with us, bring in the National Security Agency to review the foreign ownership—it’s probably no big deal here—but we review that foreign ownership and then we vote,” Carr said. “Here, they’re trying to do something that’s never been done before at a commission level.”

Inside Radio reports to get through the bankruptcy process as quickly as it could, Audacy set up the transaction in a way that would allow the restructuring to be completed and maintain short-term compliance with the foreign ownership limits until it secures approval from the FCC to have indirect foreign ownership of more than 25% — a process that can take up to a year to complete. Audacy’s alternative plan is to use special warrants that will not convert to equity until the government signs off.

But critics call that a “Soros shortcut” and have asked the FCC to reject Audacy’s plan that will allow it to go forward with its reorganization while the government’s review of the Soros-backed offshore fund’s involvement is reviewed. If the FCC were to agree, it would sideline Audacy’s proposed restructuring.

Insiders say Audacy isn’t looking for a new shortcut or a fast-track process, and that a full foreign ownership review will still take place after Audacy emerges from bankruptcy. They point out it is similar to the structure that has been used in several other Chapter 11 reorganizations in radio during the past several years, including iHeartMedia in 2019, Cumulus Media in 2018, LBI Media in 2019, and Alpha Media.

Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., said during the hearing he was “extremely alarmed” by the purchase.

“Looking at the facts, it seems the administration is giving a left-wing billionaire, who is a major donor, a close ally, one of the chief funders of all of their efforts and their dark money, a free pass to take control of hundreds of local radio stations, flooding the airwaves with leftist propaganda and I think it’s blatant,” he said.

NBCUniversal Wins Gold In Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge

NBCUniversal took a commanding lead in TV watch-time among media companies in the August 2024 Media Distributor Gauge report, Nielsen’s monthly view of total television consumption by media company. On the strength of its presentation of the Paris Olympics, NBCU added 3.9 points to notch 13.4% of TV usage in August, setting both a personal-best and a new record for the Media Distributor Gauge (since calculations began in November 2023). 

NBCU’s stable of entities exhibited double-digit viewership growth across the three main channels that televised Olympics coverage: USA Network viewership jumped 47%, Peacock streaming was up 39%, and viewing across NBC broadcast affiliates rose 62%. Additionally, the Democratic National Convention also provided a boost for NBCU in August, as MSNBC’s coverage of the four-day DNC event lifted network viewership by 43% compared to July levels.  

In addition to NBCU, two more companies in the Media Distributor Gauge exhibited positive share changes in August. After topping all media distributors in July, YouTube’s watch-time was up 2% in August to finish the month with 10.6% of TV—another high-water mark for the streaming platform. The other to record growth was The Roku Channel, which received a 3% bump in viewership and added one-tenth of a share point for a platform-best 1.7% of TV usage.

Combined with the fact that audiences turned their attention to the Olympics, many of the remaining media companies were affected by typical August viewing trends in an otherwise atypical month of TV consumption. With new seasons of football and broadcast programming on the horizon, Disney, Paramount and FOX all experienced the end-of-summer lull in viewership in August, and finished with 9.5%, 7.1% and 6.0%, respectively. 

Few measurement intervals are likely to rival the impact the Paris Olympics had on TV consumption throughout July and August. While the Games are undoubtedly unique from a cultural and TV programming perspective, NBCU established a successful blueprint for reaching consumers on their viewing platform of choice, which could prove to be an important milestone into the future. 

The measurement month of August 2024 included four weeks: 07/29/2024 through 08/25/2024. Nielsen measurement weeks run Monday through Sunday.

‘World News Tonight’ Is #1 in Total Viewers in the 3Q of 2024

ABC News’ “World News Tonight with David Muir” won the 3rd Quarter 2024 in Total Viewers (7.305 million) and Adults 25-54 (995,000), based on Most Current Data from Nielsen Media Research. 

“World News Tonight” led the 3rd quarter in both measures for the 5th consecutive year. 

In addition, “World News Tonight” took the top spot in Total Viewers for the 30th quarter in a row and for the 19th straight quarter in Adults 25-54 — since 2Q17 and 1Q20, respectively.

“World News Tonight” outdelivered “NBC Nightly News” (6.197 million and 951,000, respectively) by 1.108 million Total Viewers and by 34,000 Adults 25-54.

For the 3rd quarter, “World News Tonight” (7.305 million, 995,000 and 678,000, respectively) outperformed “CBS Evening News” (4.337 million, 608,000 and 404,000, respectively) by 2.968 million Total Viewers, by 387,000 Adults 25-54 and by 274,000 Adults 18-49.

NJ Radio: Al Levine Joins 107-1 The Boss

Tri state radio fixture Al Levine “On The Scene” joins Press Communications’ WWZY/WBHX 107-1 The Boss to host a new weekly specialty program “The Boss Radio Hall of Fame” Wednesday nights. 

The show will spotlight an artist, year or theme and Al will bring a deep knowledge of music and the charts combined with his high energy delivery to bring it all to life. He’ll also appear periodically on weekends. 

Levine spent several decades at Long Island CHR WBLI and previously was heard on heritage stations including WKCI/New Haven, WTIC-FM/Harford and WPRO-FM/Providence.  

“I’m excited to be on board with this team! A lot of big talent on a station with a lot of style! I’m looking forward to hosting a special feature show on The Boss Wednesday nights!” said Levine.  

“We have built one of the premiere on air staff’s in America at 107-1 The Boss and Al Levine fits like a glove. We are thrilled to have him host this fun show as only he can. It’s the special and unique connection iconic talent like Al make with the listener to keep them coming back to the radio station for more, that a streaming playlist never could!” added Press Communications VPP Robby Bridges.

The Boss Radio Hall of Fame with Al Levine on The Scene premieres Wednesday night September 25th on the air and streaming at 1071TheBoss.com or the free 1071 The Boss.

Denver Radio: Mix 100, KOOL 105 Shuffle Morning Shows

Starting Oct 1

Longtime Denver radio host Dom Testa announced Tuesday that he would soon be leaving the morning show at KIMN Mix 100 after nearly 32 years.

However., Testa is not leaving the building. “I’m NOT leaving the airwaves in Denver,” he posted on social media. “I’m moving next door.”

Testa, who has hosted at the station since January 1993, will officially sign off at KIMN on Wednesday, Sept. 25, but will be back on the air on KXKL Kool 105 for its morning show starting Monday, Oct. 7.

Both stations are owned by KSE Radio Ventures, LLC, and both studios are in the same building in Glendale.

Testa said that his new partner will be Melissa Moore, who was previously the host of the midday show at KOSI-101. The two previously worked together in the 1990s.

Dom Testa

The Winston and Mel morning show on Kool 105 had its final broadcast on Sept. 24.

KSE Radio Ventures announced several changes to the morning show going forward.

Jeremy Padett, Testa’s longtime cohost, will continue to host the morning show on Mix 100 and will be joined by fellow Mix 100 show host Steve Marshall and producer Josh Griesemer.

The new show will be called “The Boyz in the Morning,” and will launch Oct. 1.

Marshall has been part of the Mix 100 afternoon Drive team for seven years, according to KSE.

“Jer and I have had a lot of fun together for so many years, and I know his new show will be fantastic,” Testa said.

Elaina Smith Again Is Voice of People’s Choice Country Awards

Westwood One announces that Elaina Smith, On-Air Host of Westwood One’s nationally syndicated “Nights with Elaina” and four-time Gracie Award-winning Country radio personality, is the voice of the People's Choice Country Awards for the second year running.

NBC will broadcast the People’s Choice Country Awards live from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Thursday, September 26th at 8:00pm Eastern/7:00pm Central.

Hosted by Country superstar Shania Twain, the People’s Choice Country Awards is the country’s biggest fan-voted music awards program. The show will feature performances, tributes and surprises from Country music stars including Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Keith Urban, Lady A, Little Big Town, The War and Treaty, Kane Brown, Brad Paisley, Carley Pearce, Dan + Shay, and more.

Elaina Smith said: “It was such an honor being a part of last year's inaugural show. Seeing year two come together has been so exciting, it's going to be an incredible show with some big surprises. Hoping to make my radio friends proud!"

Smith can also be heard as the voice of the 17th Annual ACM Honors Award Show, held on August 21, 2024, at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, now streaming on Merit Street Media.

“Nights with Elaina” is a Country music and lifestyle show hosted by Elaina Smith. The show airs from Nashville and is available seven nights per week airing from 7:00pm to midnight. “Nights With Elaina” features 14-15 songs per hour, at least two top Country artist interviews each night, listener calls and interaction, as well as Country music news updates. Recent guests include Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Carly Pearce, and more.

For more information, visit: https://www.westwoodone.com/programs/music-entertainment/daily-shows/nights-with-elaina/.

“Top 10 Now & Then” Celebrates 20 Years of Making Old School Cool

Benztown announces that nationally syndicated Urban music countdown show, “Top 10 Now & Then,” celebrates its 20th year of entertaining radio listeners with Old School’s biggest hits on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

The Saturday countdown show will mark its 20th anniversary this weekend with a specially produced edition that revisits the same topic covered by the program’s very first show on September 28, 2004, “The Top 10 Duets Now & Then.”

“Top 10 Now & Then,” the most unique countdown show on the radio today, is hosted and written by award-winning radio personality and music executive Rick Nuhn, and produced by Ron Shapiro, creative director, programmer, and producer extraordinaire, who brings over 25 years of experience in countdown shows and syndicated programming to “Top 10 Now & Then.”

Designed for America’s Urban Adult audience, the show takes listeners back in the day with music, memories, and a look back at all the things that make the Old School cool. The broad-based appeal of the music, the polished production values, and the major market content of the countdown make it a favorite with listeners across the board.

Rick Nuhn recounts: “The origins of the show date back to Ron’s and my time together at Hot 92.3 in Los Angeles. Longtime radio personality and VO talent Irma Blanco hosted a weekend show at the station called Hot 10 Now & Then. Irma later left the station and Ron and I both felt that the concept was strong. With a few tweaks and a more national approach, Top 10 Now & Then was born!”

Ron Shapiro added: “Since 2004, the show has run in markets from Florida to California and around the world. As radio has evolved, so has Top 10 Now & Then. We remain dedicated to the Urban Adult audience with a female slant, but the show continues to evolve musically, always sharing familiar music but eliminating some of the "dusty" reminders of the 60’s and 70's.”

The duo noted: “20 years later, we remain grateful to all of our affiliates past and present, and we pledge to continue to provide the polished production values and major market content that have always made Top 10 Now & Then a ratings winner from coast to coast. Here's to the next 20 years of Top 10 Now & Then!”

For more information or to get “Top 10 Now & Then” for your station, visit https://benztown.com/program/top-10-now-then/ or contact Masa Patterson at Benztown at mp@benztown.com or (818) 842-4600.

Fox News Medias To Simulcast CBS' VEEP Debate

FOX News Media will present live programming surrounding the CBS vice presidential debate between candidates Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday, October 1st in New York City. Special programming will be available across all of FOX News Media’s key platforms, including FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio and FOX Nation.

FNC’s special coverage will begin at 8 PM/ET with debate preview analysis from Jesse Watters Primetime until 8:20 PM/ET. At 8:20 PM/ET, FNC will feature FOX News Democracy 2024 live from New York with chief political anchor Special Report’s Bret Baier, anchor and executive editor of The Story Martha MacCallum, co-host of The Five and host of Jesse Watters Primetime Jesse Watters, The Ingraham Angle host Laura Ingraham as well as Sean Hannity live from the debate’s spin room in New York. The hosts will be joined by co-host of FNC’s The Five and America’s Newsroom Dana Perino, FNC’s senior political analyst Brit Hume, The Five co-hosts Harold Ford, Jr. and Jessica Tarlov as well as network contributor Kellyanne Conway. Additionally, congressional correspondent Aishah Hasnie and senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich will report live from the spin room.

FNC will present FOX News Democracy 2024: CBS Vice Presidential Debate from 9-11 PM/ET, featuring the simulcast of CBS’s vice-presidential debate. FOX News Sunday’s Shannon Bream will anchor coverage of the CBS debate simulcast on FOX Network. She will be joined by FNC contributors Marc Thiessen and Juan Williams.

FBN will present a two-hour special edition of The Bottom Line from 6-8 PM/ET followed by an encore of Kudlow at 8 PM/ET. Beginning at 9 PM/ET, FBN will simulcast FNC’s Democracy 2024 programming.

Following the debate, Hannity will host the 11 PM/ET hour live from the spin room in New York and Trace Gallagher will anchor FOX News @ Night from 12-1 AM/ET. On Wednesday, October 2, the FOX & Friends franchise will wake up America an hour earlier beginning with FOX & Friends FIRST at 4 AM/ET and FOX & Friends from 5-9 AM/ET.

FOX News Digital will feature a debate-focused live blog as well as the latest on election news leading up to, during and after the event. From 8:30-11 PM/ET, FOXNews.com will livestream coverage of the debate with the FOX Network feed of the CBS simulcast. All content will be available on desktop devices, tablets and the FOX News Mobile App. Viewers can also follow all developments from the network and its programs on social media across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.

FOX News Audio will simulcast FNC to FOX News Radio affiliates with coverage from 8-8:55 PM/ET and will feature an hour of post-debate reporting and analysis with FOX News Radio’s Jared Halpern and Jessica Rosenthal. The Brian Kilmeade Show, FOX Across America and The Guy Benson Show will break down the debate with newsmakers and analysts weighing in on the event. The FOX News Rundown Podcast will offer listeners an event preview on the Rundown: Evening Edition and will bring the audience the latest reaction following the debate Wednesday morning on the flagship broadcast. The Bret Baier Podcast, Perino on Politics and The Untold Story with Martha MacCallum will all provide debate centric episodes.

FOX Nation will live stream FOX Network’s coverage helmed by Bream. FOX & Friends Weekend co-host Pete Hegseth will provide pre- and post-debate analysis from Nashville with OutKick’s Clay Travis and Tomi Lahren as well as former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.

Spotify Expands AI Playlist Feature To New Markets

Spotify is expanding its tool that helps create playlists using generative artificial intelligence for premium users to four new markets, including the United States and Canada, the Swedish streaming giant said on Tuesday.

AI Playlist, which is currently offered in beta, helps subscribers personalize their selection of songs that can be refined via additional text prompts.

Reuters reports Spotify is expanding AI Playlist to fresh markets, including Ireland and New Zealand, in a bid to attract new subscribers by sprucing up its app with AI amid growing competition from rival services by Apple and Amazon.com.

Spotify said the feature, which was launched in the United Kingdom and Australia in April, will not produce results for non-music-related prompts such as current events or specific brands, as it is still in beta.

The company also offers tools such as 'daylist', a personalized playlist that updates daily with new music recommendations, and 'AI DJ', which creates music recommendations based on users' listening habits.

The company's paying subscribers rose about 12% from a year earlier to 246 million during the second quarter.

R.I.P.: Sam Putney, D/FW Radio Personality

Sam Putney (1948-2024)

The family and friends of longtime Dallas radio personality Sam Putney confirmed his passing on Monday.

Putney, 76, was known for years as a news personality and singer on a top-rated morning radio show in Dallas.

“I don’t care how old you were, what age group, what demo of audience, everybody loved Sam Putney,” Nanette Lee said. “The best thing about this is, we’re going to laugh and we’re going to cry,” Lee said. "So that’s what I think people are getting now.”

Nanette Lee, Chris Arnold and Wig shared reflections of their colleague with NBC 5 on Tuesday. They made up three of the five personalities on the Skip Murphy and Company Morning Show on K104 FM from 1993 to 2006.

Putney grew up in Houston graduating from Jack Yates High School in 1966 and went on to work in radio in Los Angeles and WBAP in Dallas too, after his time at K-104.

The show was a ratings powerhouse on Dallas radio with Sam Putney as a newsman,

“He would have, like, a news story and then he would have a funny story,” Chris Arnold said.

A connection former colleagues and life-long friends say they hope listeners hold on to and cherish as they remember Sam Putney.

“He really was your uncle, your brother, your cousin,” Lee said. “That’s our motto, family for life,” Wig and Arnold said, completing each other’s thoughts.

Radio History: Sep 25

➦In 1922...WOAI San Antonio signed on the air. At first, it broadcast on 1190 kilocycles with only 500 watts. Over the next several years WOAI was issued permits by the Federal Radio Commission to move the transmitter site and increase its power from 500 to 1,000 watts; then to 2,000 watts, and then 5,000; and finally to 50,000 watts in 1930.

Meaning of call letters: World Of Agriculture Information.

During The Golden Age of Radio, WOAI was an NBC Red Network affiliate, airing its schedule of dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows, children's shows and big band broadcasts. For more than four decades, WOAI was owned by Southland Industries, Inc.

Because it went on the air in the earliest days of broadcasting, the station's call sign begins with a "W." Stations in Texas were in the W territory before 1923, when the dividing line became the Mississippi River. From that point, nearly all stations in Texas received "K" call letters. But WOAI has been grandfathered with its unusual call sign.

Today, WOAI is currently the westernmost station to have "W" call signs. There are still about two dozen W stations in states west of the Mississippi River.

In 1941, WOAI was moved to clear channel frequency 1200 kHz.

➦In 1933...The Tom Mix Radio Show was heard for the first time on NBC. The show ran until June 1950.

Thomas Edwin Mix was born Thomas Hezikiah Mix on January 6, 1880 and died October 12, 1940. He was an American film actor and the star of many early Western movies between 1909 and 1935. Mix appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent movies. He was Hollywood's first Western star and helped define the genre as it emerged in the early days of the cinema.

Mix himself never appeared on these broadcasts (his voice, damaged by a bullet to the throat and repeated broken noses, was not fit for radio) and was instead played by radio actors: Artells Dickson (early 1930s), Jack Holden (from 1937), Russell Thorsen (early 1940s) and Joe "Curley" Bradley (from 1944). Others in the supporting cast included George Gobel, Harold Peary and Willard Waterman.

Here's the Tom Mix tie-in to the call sign of Hubbard Radio's WTMX Chicago.

WKBI AM in St. Marys PA went on in 1950. This was the first of a group of stations that would become the Allegheny Mountain Radio Network headed up by Cary Simpson. In 1966, WKBI-FM went on the air Licensed to Ridgeway, Elk County PA's County seat.

In the 70's WKBI-FM changed formats from Top 40 to Country and at that time changed call letters to WTMX in honor of one of Hollywood's early famous cowboys of the silver screen, Tom Mix. Mix was born in Southern Elk county.

WTMX would become WKBI-FM again in 1983.

In Chicago, WCLR changed it's call sign to WTMX in 1989.

(H/T: Jim Linn Jacksonville.)

➦In 1967...Announcer Bob Hall, Host of Music Til Dawn on WCBS 880 AM died. His program "Music Till Dawn" premiered on April 13, 1953.

➦In 1975...While performing "Lonely Teardrops" onstage at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, NJ during a Dick Clark oldies revue, Jackie Wilson collapsed from a heart attack, bashing his head on the stage and lapsing into a come from which he will remain until his death in 1983. Radio-TV personality Dick Clark paid for Wilson's care, since he himself had no insurance.

Video features Wilson on the TV Show Shindig with Billy Preston on the keyboards.

Philly Radio: At WPHT..'We Are Penn State'

Audacy and Penn State University have extended their longtime broadcast partnership. As part of the multi-platform partnership, Talk Radio 1210 WPHT in Philadelphia will continue to serve as the flagship home for all Penn State football and men’s basketball play-by-play broadcasts.

“Penn State has been a longtime valued partner of Audacy Philadelphia and Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, and we are delighted to continue this long-standing relationship,” said David Yadgaroff, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Philadelphia. “Philadelphia is home to many Penn State sports fans, and we are proud that Talk Radio 1210 WPHT will provide tremendous reach for fans and alums over the air, on their smart speakers, or the free Audacy app.”

“Penn State and Playfly are thrilled to continue our long-term relationship with Audacy Philadelphia,” said Daniel Solomon, Vice President, Corporate Partnerships, Playfly Penn State Sports Enterprises. “Broadcasting our football and men’s basketball games in a city with a large amount of fans and alumni such as Philadelphia is very important to our statewide footprint and we look forward to another successful athletic year with our partners in Philadelphia.”

🎧Listeners can tune in to Talk Radio 1210 WPHT (WPHT-AM) in Philadelphia and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station via X, Facebook and Instagram.