Radio History: Dec 22

➦In 1899...Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America registered.  It was established as a subsidiary of the British Marconi Company and held the U.S. and Cuban rights to Guglielmo Marconi's radio (then called "wireless telegraphy") patents.

American Marconi initially primarily operated high-powered land and transatlantic shipboard stations. In 1912, it acquired the extensive assets of the bankrupt United Wireless Telegraph Company, becoming the dominant radio communications provider in the United States.

During World War One the United States government assumed control of the radio industry. After the war government officials balked at returning the American Marconi stations to the original owners, distrusting British control of radio communication due to national security concerns.

Led by the U.S. Navy, the government pressured the Marconi companies to transfer American Marconi to a U.S. owner. The American Marconi assets were purchased by General Electric in 1919, which provided the foundation for creating its new subsidiary, the Radio Corporation of America.

➦In 1901...Andre Kostelanetz born (Died – January 13, 1980).  He was a Russian-born orchestral music conductor and arranger who was one of the major exponents of popular orchestra music.

He arrived in the United States that year, and in the 1920s, conducted concerts for radio. In the 1930s, he began his own weekly show on CBS, Andre Kostelanetz Presents. Kostelanetz was known for arranging and recording light classical music pieces for mass audiences, as well as orchestral versions of songs and Broadway show tunes. He made numerous recordings over the course of his career, which had sales of over 50 million.

For many years, he conducted the New York Philharmonic in pops concerts and recordings, in which they were billed as Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra.

Kostelanetz may be best known to modern audiences for a series of easy listening instrumental albums on Columbia Records from the 1940s until 1980. Kostelanetz actually started making this music before there was a genre called "easy listening". He continued until after some of his contemporaries, including Mantovani, had stopped recording.

He succumbed to pneumonia Jan. 13, 1980 at age 78.

Rayburn & Finch

➦In 1917...Gene Rayburn born in Christopher, IL (Died at age 81 – November 29, 1999).  He is best known as the host of various editions of the American television game show Match Game for over two decades.

Before appearing in television, Rayburn was an actor and radio performer.

He had a morning drive time radio show in New York City, first with Jack Lescoulie (Anything Goes) and later with Dee Finch (Rayburn & Finch) on WNEW 1130 AM (now WBBR). Rayburn's pairings with Lescoulie and Finch helped to popularize the now-familiar morning drive radio format.  When Rayburn left WNEW, Dee Finch continued the format with Gene Klavan. Rayburn later took the lead role in the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie when Dick Van Dyke left the production to star in The Dick Van Dyke Show.

He was broke into TV as announcer for Steve Allen on NBC's original Tonight Show.

Besides Match Game, for which he is best remembered, he also hosted the TV games Make the Connection, Choose Up Sides, Dough Re Mi, and Tic Tac Dough.

➦In 1922...New York radio station WEAF aired radio’s first double wedding ceremony. 4,000 spectators watched as the two couples exchanged vows at Grand Central Palace. The broadcast was made in conjunction with the American Radio Exposition. The couples each got $100; a hefty sum in 1922.

➦In 1962...A surf-rock band The Tornados, formed in England, became the first British group to have a #1 record in the U-S.  Their one-hit wonder was an instrumental 'Telstar', named for the first communications satellite launched earlier in the year, went to the top of the Billboard single chart.  The song charted for a total of 16-weeks.

Philly Radio: Veteran Talker Howard Eskin Exits 94 WIP

After nearly four decades at SportsRadio 94 WIP, one of the most enduring voices in sports talk radio in Philadelphia is departing.

The Philadelphia Business Journal reports Howard Eskin on Friday afternoon announced on X, formerly Twitter, his departure from the station that served as his longtime home.

“After 38 years I am moving on from Sportsradio WIP where I launched the station’s sports talk franchise in 1986,” Eskin wrote. “I leave the station with great affection for the listeners who have made the work I do so fulfilling during my time there. I’m looking forward to what comes next career-wise. I promise you’ll be the first to know. Thank you.”

WIP’s Philadelphia-based parent company, Audacy, said in a brief statement that “WIP and Howard Eskin have parted ways. We thank Howard for his years of contributions to WIP.”

A 1968 graduate of Northeast High School in Philadelphia, Eskin got his start in radio at the now defunct Philadelphia station WFIL in 1972 as an engineer. A decade later, he joined KYW Newsradio, also in Philadelphia, as a sports anchor. He began his work as a local sports talk host at 96.5 WWDB in the mid-1980s when he hosted an afternoon drive program. He took on the same shift at WIP in 1986, launching its first-ever sports talk show.

For much of his career, Eskin pulled double duty between his radio show and serving stints as a sports anchor at Fox 29, CBS3 and NBC10.

His afternoon drive show was highly successful for decades and over the years, Eskin became known for his combative nature with callers. After being usurped in the ratings by former colleague Mike Missanelli at 97.5 The Fanatic, Eskin broadcast his last afternoon drive show in September 2011. He then shifted to weekend mornings on WIP and made regular appearances on its various weekday shows.

Eskin has also served on the Eagles broadcast team as the sideline reporter for the station.

His son, Spike Eskin, also pursued a career in radio and served as WIP’s brand manager for a time, essentially making him his father’s boss. Earlier this year, Spike Eskin was named co-host of WIP’s afternoon drive show, taking the same role his father held for years.

News of Eskin's departure from WIP comes about six months after the 73-year-old was temporarily banned by the Philadelphia Phillies from Citizens Bank Park for the duration of the 2024 season after what was described as an "unwelcome kiss" toward an Aramark employee. The Philadelphia 76ers also barred Eskin from the team's training facility.

When Eskin returned to his regular Saturday morning show in July, he apologized for the incident.

Over the years, the city’s fans, reporters, and sports media personalities have had a love-hate relationship with the bearded host, often referred to as “The King.” His brash, direct style — regularly insulting callers as “morons” and railing against the city’s athletes — helped define sports talk radio in Philly to a generation of fans and aspiring hosts.

“We all stole from him,” said former WIP morning show host Angelo Cataldi, who retired from the station last year on much different terms. “The entire next two generations of hosts evolved out of his work at WIP. He really gave us all the template for how to do sports talk in Philadelphia.”

But, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer, it also meant Eskin was often in the center of controversies of his own making.

Eskin was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, the Broadcast Pioneers' Hall of Fame in 2011, the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

Houston Radio: Doors Revolving At The Eagle, The Bull

It's been a rough end to the year for some of Houston's most beloved radio stations. 

The long-running Dean and Rog Morning Show, hosted by Dean Myers and Roger Beaty, is reportedly no longer on the air at Houston's The Eagle 106.9/107.5 KHPT-KGLK, according to local media blogger Mike McGuff. Co-hosts Myers and Beaty have been on the air in the Bayou City for 27 years. In 2022, they were inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. The duo joined the now-defunct 93.7 The Arrow KKRW in 1997. In 2009, they moved to The New 107.5 The Eagle KGLK. 

A second Houston radio show has also been dissolved. On Friday, the team at The Morning Bullpen with George Mo and Erik, co-hosted by George Lindsey, Monica "Mo" Lunsford, and Erik Scott on 100.3 The Bull KILT Houston officially signed off. Originally titled The Morning Bull, the show debuted in March 2015. 

Lindsey previously worked at 102.3 WXMA in Louisville, Ky. Lunsford joined the station from 98.7 KUPL in Portland, Ore. Smith joined the show four years ago from 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles. In 2017 and 2023, the team was named CMA Major Market Personality of the Year. 

The Houston Chronicle reports there have been some other big developments in the Houston radio world recently. This week, Tessa Barrera announced her departure from 94.5 The Buzz KTBZ Houston's The Rod Ryan Show. Barrera will focus on co-hosting KPRC 2's afternoon lifestyle talk show Houston Life with co-host Derrick Shore. She's been working at the news station since July 2023, taking over for former co-host Courtney Zavala. 

Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Shara Fryer of 740 KTRH's Houston's Morning News show was laid off after 12 years on the air. Her departure was due to recent cuts at iHeartMedia stations nationwide, with the radio and podcasting company recently letting go of less than 5 percent of its workforce. In November, Karah Leigh, night host at 94.5 The Buzz KBTX, and Stan Norfleet of Sportstalk 790 KBME were also laid off by iHeartMedia in Houston. 

Milwaukee Radio: After 40+ Years, Dave Luczak Wraps-Up A Career

Milwaukee radio veteran Dave Luczak's last day on the air at WKLH-FM (96.5) was Friday, and he'll be replaced after the holidays by a familiar voice from the station.

The Milwaukee Sentinel reports Dave Coombs, who's been the midday host at WKLH since 2020, will take over Luczak's spot on the station's morning show starting Jan. 2. Coombs will join Dorene Michaels and Marcus Allen on the show, which airs weekdays from 5 to 10 a.m.

Luczak announced in October 2023 — the month he turned 65 — that he was retiring at the end of 2024. He came to Milwaukee in February 1984 from Pittsburgh to co-host the morning show on what was then WMGF-FM.  According to the station, he was the first on-air voice heard when the station switched to a classic-rock format and changed its call letters to WKLH in January 1986.

Dave's Farewell (12/20/24) by 96.5 WKLH via #soundcloud https://t.co/HGCDunnw2P

— Tom Benson (@Tombenson1) December 21, 2024

Before joining WKLH four years ago, Coombs was the morning host on WLZX-FM in Springfield, Massachusetts — like WKLH, a Saga Communications station — and was a morning host on a slew of other stations going back to 1984, per his LinkedIn page.

CNN's Scott Jennings Rips Apart Biden's Handlers

Republican pundit Scott Jennings called it a 'scandal of epic proportions' that White House aides tried to hide President Joe Biden's limitations during the 82-year-old's entire time in office.

The Wall Street Journal came out with an explosive report Thursday including details of how Biden's team hired a vocal coach to improve the president's 'fading warble'.

Top aides were put into roles usually reserved for the president, meetings on Biden's 'bad days' were scrapped, and he was even kept away from his own Cabinet appointees and Congressional Democratic allies.

'It's the biggest scandal in America,' Jennings commented Thursday night on CNN's NewsNight with Abby Phillip, according to The Daily Mail U-S.

Scott Jennings goes off on the people who brazenly lied to us about Biden’s mental abilities for years — and you just know he wants to include CNN for being a significant part of the lying
pic.twitter.com/onNAHQtJ7z

— Ian Miller (@ianmSC) December 20, 2024

'And the level and volume of people who dedicated themselves to lying to everyone at home about this man's condition for four straight years - up through this summer - is breathtaking.' 

Jennings said it was a 'fair' question to ask: 'Who is running this country?' 

The White House has pushed back at the assertion that there was a largescale cover-up.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates told the Journal that Biden 'earned the most accomplished record of any modern commander in chief and rebuilt the middle class because of his attention to policy details that impact millions of lives.' 

Bates also rejected the notion that Biden had declined. 

But the American public realized it when Biden stepped on stage next to Donald Trump during their late June face-off in Atlanta, Georgia.

Biden's disastrous debate performance was the beginning of the end for his reelection campaign and he dropped out less than a month later. 

WATCH: Fox’s @MZHemingway on new report that Biden staff knew of his cognitive diminishment: “It’s really about all those people around him that helped cover this up. That’s partly his wife and people close to him, but it’s so many people in the media…” pic.twitter.com/AqhbJ4m9bU

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) December 21, 2024

Meanwhile, A former CNN pundit has offered a mea culpa for shrugging off concerns about President Biden's mental decline. 

Chris Cilizza, who served as CNN's editor-at-large before leaving the network in 2022, spoke candidly about his lack of journalistic curiosity about Biden's condition to serve following a pair of damning reports this week from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal that shed light on the president's diminished state. 

🧵
1/ Wrote about the reaction to my video apologizing for not pushing harder on Joe Biden's physical and mental condition.

I was not surprised by the reaction. But a few thoughts... pic.twitter.com/ZeUzAI87gy

— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) December 21, 2024

"As a reporter, I have a confession to make," Cillizza began his "apology" on his YouTube channel Thursday. "I should have pushed harder earlier for more information about Joe Biden's mental and physical well-being and any signs of decline."

Navy Vet Scores Court Win In CNN Defamation Lawsuit

U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young scored another victory on Friday ahead of his high-profile defamation trial against CNN, as a Florida judge ruled that the network’s expert witness cannot testify that he suffered zero lost income or profits as a result of the segment at the center of the case, according to Fox News Digital. 

Young alleges that CNN smeared him by implying he illegally profited via a "black market" when helping people flee Afghanistan during the Biden administration's military withdrawal from the country in 2021. The veteran believes CNN "destroyed his reputation and business" during a segment that year on Jake Tapper's program "The Lead," which was shared on social media and also repackaged for CNN's website. 

Young’s legal team argued that Brian Buss, who CNN wanted to use as an expert, should not be able to testify "on the basis of his qualifications and methodology and that his opinion is cumulative of another retained expert" of CNN, according to a court filing obtained by Fox News Digital. 

CNN pushed back, arguing that Buss’ "qualifications and methodology were sound, his opinions are proper and that his testimony is not cumulative of another expert’s opinion," according to Judge William Henry.

Judge Henry cited Florida standards that expert opinion and testimony "must be relevant and reliable," and noted that Buss was retained by CNN to "to opine regarding Young’s lost income/profits and mitigation of damages, and as a rebuttal witness to Plaintiffs’ expert."

"In formulating his opinions, Mr. Buss reviewed documentation produced by Plaintiffs regarding past income, including tax returns, employment contracts, bank statements and other financial reports and records, along with deposition testimony," Judge Henry wrote. 

NBA Brushes Off TV Ratings Slump

NBA ratings have flopped this season. Through Saturday, viewership was down 19% from this time last year across ABC, ESPN, and TNT, and down 25% with NBA TV included, per Sports Media Watch. Many critics blame the league’s infatuation with 3-pointers. Teams are hoisting up a record 37.5 attempts per game this season, about 15 more than the average a decade ago.

That’s the result of teams embracing analytics, which has shown how chucking up threes is a more efficient strategy than attempting shots inside the arc. Some NBA legends think that’s created a homogenized product: “We’re looking at the same thing,” Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal said about the decline in viewership.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver brushed off the downturn, pointing to the league having its highest attendance during the past two years and strong performance on social media. And the NBA isn’t alone: Men’s and women’s college basketball ratings are down 21% and 38% this year, respectively, the NHL is down 28%, and even college football lost viewers.

It’s not that deep: The NBA probably isn’t sweating this early season rating downturn, because it’s already locked in a long-term TV megacontract, reports The Morning Brew.

Netflix to Stream Next Two FIFA Women’s World Cups

Netflix has secured the U.S. rights to stream the next two women’s soccer World Cups, taking a major step forward in its bet on live sports.

The Wall Street Journal reports the deal, announced Friday, means the streamer will broadcast the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031. The value of the deal wasn’t given.

The move marks the first time Netflix has bought all of the rights for such a high-profile international competition. 

Netflix has tested the waters with one-off sports events, including last month’s glitch-plagued boxing match between YouTuber Jake Paul and former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.

The stream was marred by technical difficulties with fans taking to social media to complain about slow loading speeds and pixelated pictures. The fight drew an estimated 108 million viewers globally, Netflix said.

Netflix declined to comment on the tech issues at the time, but the program raised questions about the company’s technical chops ahead of other high-profile sporting events, including National Football League games on Christmas and World Wrestling Entertainment content. ​​

The 2027 Women’s World Cup, which covers 32 teams and 64 games, will be played in Brazil from June 24 to July 25. The 2031 hosts haven’t yet been decided.

World Cups are typically broadcast on free-to-air public networks to reach the biggest audiences. Netflix’s foray into live sports programming is part of its long-term strategy to build appointment viewing on the platform, which not only furthers its push to replace traditional TV networks as the main household entertainment but also offers lucrative advertising potential.

Census: Florida Growing Faster Than Any Other State

Growing faster than any other state, Florida topped 23.3 million people this year, according to estimated population data released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Census Bureau estimated that Florida had 23,372,215 people as of July 1, up from 22,904,868 a year earlier. Its 2 percent growth rate surpassed any other state and trailed only the District of Columbia, which had a 2.2 percent rate. Texas and Utah each had 1.8 percent growth rates.

Florida’s increase of 467,347 people was second only to Texas, which gained 562,941.

The estimated national population increased 1 percent to 340.11 million.

The Orlando Sentinel reports Florida’s growth reflected two key trends in the Census Bureau data: international migration and population increases across the South.

A news release accompanying the data said net international migration “was the critical demographic component of change driving growth in the (U.S.) resident population. With a net increase of 2.8 million people, it accounted for 84% of the nation’s 3.3 million increase in population between 2023 and 2024.”

The Census Bureau said Florida, California and Texas had the largest gains from net international migration, with Florida showing a 411,322-person increase.

The news release also said the South added more people from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024, than all other regions combined. The overall population in the South increased by nearly 1.8 million people.

“The South was the only region with positive net domestic migration, where the number of people entering the region exceeded those leaving,” according to the Census Bureau’s press release. “Natural increase also contributed 218,567 to the growing region.”

Natural increase is a measure comparing births and deaths. While Florida saw large overall population growth, it was one of 17 states that had more deaths than births, with a 7,321 “natural decrease,” the Census Bureau said.

The new Census Bureau data showed Florida solidly in third place behind California and Texas in overall population. Florida is followed by New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan.

People In The Northeast More Likely To Use Landlines

If your household still has an old-style landline, it might be time to hang it up once and for all, as telephone companies are saying “Cu” to traditional copper cables.

During their investor day earlier this month, cellular giant AT&T announced that it’s phasing out copper wire entirely, meaning that its landline phone service will no longer be available in almost every US state by 2029. Citing the $6 billion of annual costs incurred by legacy copper services, the company outlined plans to go all-in on fiber and wireless, including promoting a new product, “AT&T Phone Advanced”, as a fiber-based replacement for landline phones.

The telecommunications company reported that it’s expanding its wire centers to execute the nationwide exit from copper, though it also stated that “only 5% of [its] residential customers are still using copper voice technology”. Indeed, in the US at least, landlines are already a dying breed: according to the latest National Health Interview Survey from the CDC, an estimated 76% of Americans only used wireless telephone services, compared with 1.3% that solely used landline services — down from 43% just two decades before.

Although only a tiny fraction of America is solely reliant on landlines, there are still tens of millions of households who have one. But, for AT&T execs looking after the company’s bottom line, the math is hard to ignore: the Dallas-based company disclosed that maintenance costs for fiber subscribers are 35% lower than for those still using some 70-year-old copper services.

Radio History: Dec 21

➦In 1988...95.5 FM NYC switched call letters back to WPLJ. The WPLJ call-sign returned after one year as WWPR, on December 21, 1988, when research indicated that listeners still identified the station as WPLJ.

➦In 1996...Barry Gray died (Born July 2, 1916). He was an influential radio personality, often labeled as "The Father of Talk Radio".

Barry Gray

Initially a disc jockey, Gray was working for New York's WMCA 570 AM in 1945 when he, bored one evening with simply spinning music, decided to put the telephone receiver up to his microphone and share his conversation with the listening audience. The caller that evening just happened to be bandleader Woody Herman, one of the most popular celebrities of the day. This spontaneous live interview was such a hit with both his listeners as well as station bosses, that the talk radio format resulted. Gray subsequently began doing listener call-ins as well.

Rival station WOR also saw the attraction of the talk format, and Gray worked an overnight shift there from 1945 to 1948 or 1949, interviewing everyone from Al Jolson to Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. He also broadcast for WMGM from the Copacabana night club in the late 1940s. In addition during 1947 he hosted the New York-based show Scout About Town for the Mutual Broadcasting System, during which he would present an Award of the Week to popular stars of the stage such as Mitzi Green and Morey Amsterdam.

Gray broadcast on WMIE-AM radio from three Miami Beach nightclubs, the Copa Lounge, Danny and Doc's Jewel Box and the Martha Ray Club nightly in the fall of 1948 and into 1949 before he left the Miami area under some pressure. Gray bopped someone from his audience with his microphone,and this happened on the air. The impact was audible and the impact had been preceded by hot words of anger.

Barry Gray WMCA

Barry Gray returned to WMCA in 1950, and stayed there for 39 years, refining the talk show format still utilized today. During the 1960s, he was in the odd position of having an 11 p.m.-1 a.m. late night talk show on a station otherwise dominated by Top 40 music and the youth-targeted "Good Guys" disc jockey campaign.

After WMCA changed to an all-talk format in 1970, Gray was again fully in his element.  By the 1980s he had shifted from a late-night to a mid-day slot at the station.

Gray left WMCA in 1989 when it dropped its talk format, and went to work slightly up the dial for a return to WOR where he enjoyed national syndication. By the time of his death, his show was considered to be politically conservative.

➦In 2017...Sportscaster Dick Enberg, whose “Oh my!” calls rang familiar with so many sports fans,  suffered a fatal heart attack at age 82.  During the course of his 60 year career he called games and matches for CBS, NBC, ESPN, as well as UCLA Bruins basketball, Los Angeles Rams football, and California Angels and San Diego Padres baseball.

FCC's Carr Again Highlights CBS ‘Bias’ Complaint

Incoming Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr has once again highlighted how he plans to take seriously complaints about political bias and “news distortion” at CBS News in the agency’s review of Skydance Media’s bid to merge with Paramount Global, reports TV Technology.

The claims were first made by the Center for American Rights in an October filing with the FCC and in a more recent letter to the agency.

In a post on X, which is owned by Elon Musk, who gave $277 million to back President-elect Donald Trump and Republican candidates and is now playing a major role in the administration’s deregulatory efforts, Carr wrote that “Paramount's sale of CBS broadcast licenses to Skydance remains pending before the FCC. This filing from CAR raises what it describes as significant concerns, including ones that go to CBS's adherence to the public interest standard. The FCC will need to address these concerns.”

Paramount's sale of CBS broadcast licenses to Skydance remains pending before the FCC.

This filing from CAR raises what it describes as significant concerns, including ones that go to CBS's adherence to the public interest standard.

The FCC will need to address these concerns. https://t.co/IYpvmV2677

— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) December 18, 2024

Carr has raised those concerns several times in the past, both on social media and in interviews with NewsNation and Fox News. While he has tried to position himself as a “free speech” advocate of First Amendment rights, he has also indicated that the FCC will use the “public interest” regulatory requirements of broadcasters to examine potential bias in news operations during station license reviews. In addition, he has implied the regulator might crack down on fact-checking efforts as part of a larger effort “to smash” the “censorship cartel.”

That has prompted concern from critics that Carr will actually limit free speech in news operations.

In October, the Center for American Rights filed a formal complaint with the FCC against WCBS-TV New York for engaging in significant and intentional "news distortion" in the editing of an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, segments of which ran on CBS’s “Face the Nation” and "60 Minutes" on Oct. 5 and 6.

CBS News has hotly disputed those claims.

LA Times: Neil Cavuto's Departure Fox Cost-Cutting Move

Neil Cavuto Exits Fox

Neil Cavuto, the first anchor hired by Fox News in 1996, is leaving the network, another casualty of cost-cutting in the TV news business, according to The LA Times.

However Cavuto said on his closing show "(Fox News) . . . offered a very generous opportunity for me to stay years more."

Cavuto, 66, will make his final appearance on the network Thursday on “Your World,” his long-running daily business-oriented program. His current deal is up at the end of the month.

Cavuto chose to leave the company after being offered a new contract - likely at a lower salary - according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss it publicly.

“Neil Cavuto’s illustrious career has been a master class in journalism and we’re extremely proud of his 28-year run with Fox News Media,” the company said in a statement confirming the anchor’s departure. “His programs have defined business news and set the standard in the entire industry.”

Big-name anchors across the TV news business are being asked to take lower salaries as ratings and revenues are shrinking. Hoda Kotb of NBC’s “Today” and Chris Wallace of CNN both chose to leave their roles rather than take new deals at lower pay.

Cavuto anchored 12 hours of programming a week on Fox News and its sister channel the Fox Business Network, where he also served as managing editor. He was a popular figure among colleagues.

Cavuto is one of the few Fox News anchors who frequently criticized President-elect Donald Trump, which did not always please the conservative viewers who make up much of the network’s audience.

The anchor had a sense of humor about the audience’s love-hate relationship with him. When he returned after one of his long medical leaves, he read messages from viewers who were disappointed that he was back.

WATCH: Fox’s Neil Cavuto signs off at Fox News after nearly 30 years on the air pic.twitter.com/K3x2xk9Cz2

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) December 19, 2024

Throughout his career, Cavuto has battled a number of health issues over the years. He has multiple sclerosis, underwent open heart surgery in 2016and is a cancer survivor.

He was an original anchor at CNBC when it launched in 1989. He developed a bond with Roger Ailes when he ran the NBCUniversal-owned business news network and followed the executive to Fox News when it launched in 1996.

Report: MSNBC Low Balling Lefty Hosts

MSNBC’s Joy Reid and Stephanie Ruhle will reportedly need to take a pay cut if they want to remain in their anchor chairs as the struggling cable network continues to cut costs.

The news channel — which recently gave star anchor Rachel Maddow a $5 million-a-year haircut from her annual $30 million haul — has been negotiating with Reid and Ruhle on new deals at reduced salaries, according to the Ankler newsletter.

The controversial Reid is believed to be earning $3 million a year to host her nightly 8 p.m. show, “The ReidOut,” according to the Washington Free Beacon.

Reid, who has been with the network since 2011 and in primetime since 2020, recently raised hackles again with a pre-Thanksgiving rant in which she accused Republicans of worshiping Donald Trump “instead of Jesus.”

Ruhle, host of “The 11th Hour” at 11 p.m. weeknights, is thought to make $2 million a year, the Free Beacon reported.

She has also been a frequent Trump basher but recently praised him for being more accessible to the press than President Biden. Ruhle revealed she was able to contact Trump on his cellphone — though he told her to “go f–k myself” when she asked for an interview, she quipped.

A third prominent host, Jonathan Lemire — who was elevated this month to co-host “Morning Joe” from anchoring “Way Too Early” — has also been offered a new contract at a reduced salary, the Ankler reported.

An MSNBC spokesperson reached by The NY Post said the network would not comment on personnel matters.

Here's Why Disney Renewed George Stephanopoulos’ Contract

Disney decided to renew ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos’ contract — despite having to fork over a $16 million legal settlement — because they didn’t want “his blood on their hands,” The Post has learned.

Stephanopoulos, who hosts “This Week” and is a co-anchor on “Good Morning America,” was handed a multi-year deal — though he took a pay cut from his lofty $20 million annual salary, sources said.

“No one wants a talent mess on their hands,” one longtime network executive told The Post. “No one wants an angry George Stephanopoulos loose in the world. No one wants to humiliate George by firing him or to have his blood on their hands.”

The well-connected former Democratic operative had been in talks with ABC News-parent Disney, which is in cost-cutting mode, before the company’s shocking decision Saturday to settle with President-elect Donald Trump, according to Deadline.

“George is well-liked by the liberal-elite in Hollywood and The Hamptons. He’s friends with Jerry Seinfeld, Michael J Fox and Netflix boss Ted Sarandos,” the source said, adding that he operates in the same “bubble” as left-leaning Disney top brass.

“George has carefully cultivated a relationship with [Disney CEO] Bob Iger and board members. He remains a respected member of the Disney family.”

But inside the halls of ABC News, staffers remain “livid” over Iger’s decision to stand by Stephanopoulos and cave to Trump.

Two Senators Lobby Biden For TikTok Extension

Democratic Senator Ed Markey and Republican Senator Rand Paul on Thursday urged President Joe Biden to extend by 90 days a Jan. 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell the U.S. assets of its short-video app TikTok or face a ban.

Reuters reports the Supreme Court said on Wednesday it will consider the legal challenge of TikTok and ByteDance, seeking an injunction to halt the looming ban or sale and will hold arguments on the matter on Jan. 10. "Given the law’s uncertain future and its consequences for free expression, we urge you to trigger the 90-day extension before January 19," the senators wrote Biden.

The White House and TikTok did not immediately comment. 

The challengers are appealing a lower court's ruling that upheld the law. TikTok is used by about 170 million Americans. Congress passed the measure in April and Biden, a Democrat, signed it into law. The Justice Department had said that as a Chinese company, TikTok poses "a national-security threat of immense depth and scale" because of its access to vast amounts of data on American users, from locations to private messages, and its ability to secretly manipulate content that Americans view on the app. TikTok has said it poses no imminent threat to U.S. security.

TikTok and ByteDance say the law violates free speech protections under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday, in a brief filed with the Supreme Court, urged the court to reject any delay, comparing TikTok to a hardened criminal. Other senators like Republican Josh Hawley and Democrat Richard Blumenthal say ByteDance must follow the law.

Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who unsuccessfully tried to ban TikTok during his first term in the White House in 2020, has reversed his stance and promised during the presidential race this year that he would try to save TikTok. Trump said this week he has "a warm spot in my heart for TikTok" and that he would "take a look" at the matter.

AI Feature Plagues New Apple iPhones

The press freedom group Reporters Without Borders is urging Apple to remove its newly introduced artificial intelligence feature that summarizes news stories after it produced a false headline from the BBC, according to CNN.

The backlash comes after a push notification created by Apple Intelligence and sent to users last week falsely summarized a BBC report that Luigi Mangione, the suspect behind the killing of the UnitedHealthcare chief executive, had shot himself.

The BBC reported it had contacted Apple about the feature “to raise this concern and fix the problem,” but it could not confirm if the iPhone maker had responded to its complaint.

On Wednesday, Reporters Without Borders technology and journalism desk chief Vincent Berthier called on Apple “to act responsibly by removing this feature.”

More broadly, the journalist body said it is “very concerned about the risks posed to media outlets by new A.I. tools, noting that the incident emphasizes how A.I. remains “too immature to produce reliable information for the public, and should not be allowed on the market for such uses.”

In response to the concerns, the BBC said in a statement, “it is essential to us that our audiences can trust any information or journalism published in our name and that includes notifications.”

Apple introduced its generative-AI tool in the US in June, touting the feature’s ability to summarize specific content “in the form of a digestible paragraph, bulleted key points, a table, or a list.” To streamline news media diets, Apple allows users across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices to group notifications, producing a list of news items in a single push alert.

Since the AI feature was launched to the public in late October, users have shared that it also erroneously summarized a New York Times story, claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been arrested. In reality, the International Criminal Court had published a warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest, but readers scrolling their home screens only saw two words: “Netanyahu arrested.”

Apple’s AI troubles are only the latest as news publishers struggle to navigate seismic changes wrought by the budding technology. Since ChatGPT’s launch just over two years ago, several tech giants have launched their own large-language models, many of which have been accused of training their chatbots using copyrighted content, including news reports. While some outlets, including The New York Times, have filed lawsuits over the technology’s alleged scaping of content, others — like Axel Springer, whose news brands include Politico, Business Insider, Bild and Welt — have inked licensing agreements with the developers.

NYC Radio: Joe Piscopo Gets Extension At Salem's WNYM

Salem Media Group, Inc. has announced a multi-year contract extension of legendary talk show host and Saturday Night Live superstar, Joe Piscopo for morning drive hosting on WNYM AM 970 The Answer in New York City weekdays 6-10am ET.

Joe Piscopo’s celebrity may be anchored by his Saturday Night Live fame on the popular NBC program from 1980-84, but his acclaim has grown exponentially through his career as local news talk host in the nation’s top market since 2014.

Joe Piscopo

“Joe Piscopo joining our lineup was one of the best things that could have happened to AM 970 The Answer,” said Salem VP & General Manager, Jerry Crowley. “Joe is extremely talented on the radio bringing an engaging mix of entertainment and news every day. His connection with his audience is deeply rooted and watching his celebrity skyrocket over the last decade has been nothing short of amazing,” said Crowley.

Joe Piscopo remarked, “It is a distinct honor working with Mr. Crowley and Salem Media. Broadcasting to the astute, aware and patriotic audience that we have garnered over 10 years is a huge responsibility, and I am proud to continue speaking truthfully and honestly about the issues of the day with the best Morning Team in radio!”

The Joe Piscopo Show can be heard weekdays live 6-10am ET on AM 970 The Answer in New York City. The show is produced by Joe Sibilia with News Anchor, Al Gattullo, Traffic with Debbie DuHaime & Weather with Stephen Parr.

In addition to anchoring morning drive in New York City for the past decade, Piscopo has been involved in a variety of projects since he left SNL. In addition to numerous movie appearances, live music performances, comedy club gigs, speaking engagements, and an upcoming book release, Joe is also a dedicated father and family man.

AM 970 The Answer General Sales Manager, Laura Sheaffer, said, “We continue to have a tremendous response from the audience and advertisers on the relatability and genuineness of Joe Piscopo. The last decade was a home run, and we expect the upcoming years will only trend stronger. Our whole staff is eager to take the show to new levels in 2025 and beyond.”

After His Deliveries, Santa Will Watch NFL On Netflix

In a first, Netflix, will be live streaming two NFL regular season games on Christmas Day. The kick-off for first game is 1 p.m. (ET) and will feature the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers. The second game will start at 4:30 p.m. (ET) with the Houston Texans hosting the Baltimore Ravens, according to Forbes.

All four AFC teams made te NFL playoffs last season and all are playoff bound this season. With Christmas falling on a Wednesday (a rare day to schedule NFL games), all four teams will be playing on the Saturday prior to Christmas.

Last May, the NFL and Netflix negotiated a three-year deal. As part of the agreement, Netflix will also stream at least one game on Christmas Day in 2025 and 2026. The Wall Street Journal reports for the 2024 doubleheader Netflix, is paying the NFL about $150 million ($75 million per game).

Netflix is going all out to make the Christmas doubleheader a festive event. Prior to the games, Netflix announced Mariah Carey will, in a prerecorded taping, sing her holiday megahit “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. In addition, for the second game, Houston native Beyoncé will be performing live at halftime. (Beyoncé had headlined the halftime show of Super Bowl XLVII in 2013.) In addition, with the Kansas Chiefs playing in the first game, there is always the possibility Taylor Swift will be in attendance. (Last Christmas, Taylor Swift was in attendance at a Chiefs game.)

CBS will be producing both games and the NFL Network will be responsible for pre and postgame coverage as well as halftime. For their coverage Netflix will be relying on familiar NFL names. In the first game, Ian Eagle will be providing play-by-play coverage of the game. Eagle will be joined by fellow CBS announcers Nate Burleson and J.J. Watt for additional commentary. Melanie Collins of CBS and Stacey Dales of the NFL Network will be the sideline reporters.

For the second game, Noah Eagle (son of Ian) of NBC Sports will be the play-by-play announcer. The younger Eagle will be joined in the booth by Kirk Olsen of Fox Sports. The sideline reporters will be Jamie Erdahl and Sam Wyche both from the NFL Network.

NYC Radio: NEW 102.7 FM's Karen Collects 11K Toys

Audacy New York’s NEW 102.7 FM’s “Karen Carson’s 10,000 Toys for Girls & Boys” collected 11,017 toys. Donations went towards Children’s Aid NYC and the toys will be gifted to foster kids in New York City this holiday season.

“To exceed the toy collection goal that was doubled from last year’s is admirable. I’m in awe of our compassionate listeners and dedicated staff that are willing to help out the local community,” said Karen Carson, co-host, “Karen Carson in the Morning.” “Every child deserves to feel seen and our partnership with Children’s Aid NYC will create that feeling.”

“Karen Carson in the Morning” hosted by Karen Carson, Johnny Mingione and Anthony Malerba collected donations from November 18 to December 13. The trio was on air every weekday for a month encouraging listeners to donate online or by texting TOY to 20357. On December 5, Mingione even conquered his fear of heights and broadcast live on air from the Dream Wheel at the American Dream mall until they reached 5,000 toys, halfway of their collection goal.

Since 1853, Children’s Aid NYC has been helping New York City’s most vulnerable kids with programs, support, summer camps, and education.

“Karen Carson’s 10,000 Toys for Girls & Boys” is a part of Audacy’s commitment to making a meaningful difference at scale. Audacy uses its reach and personal connection with listeners to advance causes that promote strong mental health and build sound communities.

R.I.P.: Michael Brewer, Of Brewer & Shipley Fame

Michael Brewer of Brewer & Shipley passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80.

Brewer had been battling multiple illnesses for the last three years, reports Ultimate Classic Rock.

(1944-2024)

Brewer & Shipley were best known for their Top 10 hit, "One Toke Over the Line," released as their debut single in 1971.

"Who would have guessed they [the duo's record label] would release it as a single, it would go shooting up the charts, and the Nixon administration would try to ban it?" Brewer said to UCR in 2016. 

"We made Nixon's 'hate list,' which we held as a badge of honor and still do to this day, and the Vice President, Spiro Agnew, named us personally on national TV one night as 'subversives to America's youth.' I mean, you can't buy that kind of publicity."

They also enjoyed chart success with "Tarkio Road" and "Shake Off the Demon." Over the years, their songs were covered by the likes of the Byrds, John Denver, Stephen Stills, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, David Lee Roth and more. "One Toke Over the Line" was also mentioned in the first chapter of Hunter S. Thompson's famous gonzo journalism novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The duo, which first formed in 1968, continued performing live up until 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Brewer also contributed harmony vocals to Dan Fogelberg's 1981 release The Innocent Age. Two years later, Fogelberg produced Brewer’s solo album Beauty Lies and released it on his own record label.

"Michael Brewer, my friend of 65 years and music partner for over 60, had to go," Tom Shipley said in a statement. "I saw him on Saturday and he told me he wanted to go home. I will raise a glass to Michael and drink to all those years, all those miles, all those songs, and all the heavenly audiences we played for. Go with God my friend. I'll see you on the other side."

Radio History: Dec 20

➦In 1920....English-born comedian Leslie Townes Hope became an American citizen. He had lived in the U-S since 1908 and became one of that nation’s true ambassadors for show business and charity. We say, “Thanks for the memory,” to Bob Hope.

Hope's career in broadcasting began on radio in 1934. His first regular series for NBC Radio was the Woodbury Soap Hour in 1937, a 26-week contract. A year later, The Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope began, and Hope signed a ten-year contract with the show's sponsor, Lever Brothers. Hope hired eight writers and paid them out of his salary of $2,500 a week. The original staff included Mel Shavelson, Norman Panama, Jack Rose, Sherwood Schwartz, and Schwartz's brother Al. The writing staff eventually grew to fifteen.  The show became the top radio program in the country. Regulars on the series included Jerry Colonna and Barbara Jo Allen as spinster Vera Vague.

Hope continued his lucrative career in radio through to the 1950s, when radio's popularity was overshadowed by television. On the morning of July 27, 2003, Hope died of pneumonia at his home in Toluca Lake, California, two months after his 100th birthday.

➦In 1922...radio/TV actress Charita Bauer was born in Newark.  Bauer first appeared on radio on WPAP in New York City as a child. She was active throughout the 1930s and 1940s on numerous radio dramas of the day, including Let's Pretend, Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons. The March of Time, The FBI in Peace and War, Suspense and other programs.

She played Sarah O'Brien in Rose of My Dreams, Mary Aldrich in The Aldrich Family (a role she also played on the television version of the program. On November 11, 1944, Bauer made her 2,000th radio broadcast when she appeared on Grand Central Station.

Her most memorable TV role was as the soap opera Guiding Light. She died of complications from diabetes Feb. 28, 1985 at age 62.

➦In 1957... Elvis Presley received his US Army draft notice he applied for a 60-day deferment, which he was granted so he could finish filming a movie.

Neil Cavuto Departing FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network

Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto is leaving the conservative cable giant after 28 years at the network, Fox News confirmed on Thursday.

Cavuto will issue a final farewell to viewers during the Thursday afternoon broadcast of his Fox News program Your World.

“Neil Cavuto’s illustrious career has been a master class in journalism, and we’re extremely proud of his incredible 28-year run with FOX News Media,” Fox News said in a statement. “His programs have defined business news and set the standard for the entire industry. We wish him a heartfelt farewell and all the best on his next chapter.”

A network source told The Independent that Cavuto’s departure comes after he declined a new contract, which was described as generous. As is the case with the shifting landscape of cable and broadcast news, Cavuto’s new deal sawthe 66-year-old host receiving a cut in his salary.

Network News Coverage Of Trump Picks 'Uniformly Negative'

Flagship evening newscasts on ABC, CBS and NBC have been "almost uniformly negative" when covering some of President-elect Donald Trump’s most significant Cabinet appointees, according to Fox News Digital citing a new study from the Media Research Center. 

The MRC examined all coverage of Trump’s Cabinet appointees on ABC’s "World News Tonight," "CBS Evening News" and NBC’s "Nightly News" from December 1-14. The study primarily focused on Trump’s Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth, FBI Director selection Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard, though it also included the other appointments.

Trump’s nominees earned a combined total of 60 minutes and 47 seconds of coverage during the 2-week period. The conservative media watchdog group found that 96% of the coverage was negative. 

"Across all three networks, the coverage of Gabbard, Patel, and the handful of other nominees mentioned was entirely negative. Only Pete Hegseth, who received the lion’s share of the airtime, enjoyed a scant four positive evaluative statements, all of which cited his mother describing him as ‘redeemed’ and ‘a changed man,’" MRC senior research analyst Bill D’Agostino wrote.

"To reiterate: the only positive commentary any Trump nominee received on the broadcast networks was from his own mother," D’Agostino added. "In addition to a whopping 96 percent negative tilt across their flagship evening newscasts, these networks also appear to have paid the most attention to Cabinet nominees who appeared to have the highest chances of sinking."

• CBS spent the most time on Trump’s nominees overall, spending nearly 25 minutes on them with over 14 minutes focusing on Hegseth.
• The second-most transition coverage came from NBC, which was negative 94.7% of the 21 minutes and three seconds spent on Trump’s selections. NBC spent over 11 minutes on Hegseth alone and was the only network to have 100% negative coverage of him, according to the MRC. 
• ABC spent 19 minutes and 25 seconds on Trump’s nominees, 90% of which was negative, the study found. 

The MRC also found that "the majority of the reports about Hegseth centered around the handful of salacious allegations against him," but the networks "abruptly lost interest once his chances of being confirmed started to look more promising."