Saturday, January 25, 2025

Radio History Jan 26


➦In 1899...writer/producer Wyllis Cooper was born in Pekin Illinois. He was the creator of NBC Radio’s scary series “Lights Out.” Besides writing, producing and directing, he hosted the show from its start in 1934 to 1936, when Arch Oboler succeeded him. He also was creator/writer/producer of “Quiet, Please!” on Mutual (1947-1948 ) and ABC Radio (1948-1949), and producer/narrator of the early TV series Volume One. He died June 29 1955 at age 56.

1936 group of breakfast-clubbers "start the day with a smile, music and an extra cup of cawfee." L-R: Carl Fasshauer, Bill Short, Earl Roberts, Walter Blaufuss, Helen Jane Behlke, Don, Frank Papile, Clark Dennis, Bill Krenz and Eddie Ballantine.

➦In 1907...bandleader Eddie Ballantine was born in Chicago. He was musical director of the Don McNeill Breakfast Club on NBC Blue/ABC Radio for almost thirty years. When that program ended in 1968 he became a stock market reporter for a Chicago TV station. He died Nov. 14 1995 at age 88.

➦In 1922...pianist Page Cavanaugh was born in Cherokee Kansas. He formed & led his own trio from 1943-1960, which was featured on NBC Radio’s Jack Paar Show in 1947. They worked as backup to Mel Torme recordings, and also were featured repeatedly on CBS Radio’s Songs by Sinatra. He died of kidney failure Dec. 19, 2008 at age 86.

This ad for KNOW appeared in a 1947 edition of Broadcasting

➦In 1932...KUT AM in Austin Texas became KNOW 1490 AM.

On December 7, 1926, the station's first license was originally granted, with the sequentially issued call sign of KGDR. It was owned by a company named "Radio Engineers" and broadcast in San Antonio, Texas. In December 1929, the station was renamed KUT and moved to Austin.That was followed by a call letter change to KNOW on January 26, 1932.

KNOW was owned by the KUT Broadcasting Company. It broadcast at only 100 watts, on 1000 kilocycles. The original KUT moved to Houston and later became KTRH. Today, the KUT call letters are found on the University of Texas' public radio station at 90.5, an affiliate of National Public Radio.

In the 1940s, KNOW moved to its current dial position at 1490 kHz, with the power at 250 watts. It served as Austin's ABC Radio Network affiliate, carrying ABC's schedule of dramas, comedies, news and sports during the "Golden Age of Radio."

In 1949, KNOW was acquired by the Pioneer Broadcasting Company. In the 1950s, it boosted its daytime power to 1,000 watts and remained at 250 watts at night. In the 1960s, it switched to a Top 40 sound. Air Staff in the 70's included P.D. Dave Jarrott, Randall McKee, Jason Wayne. Bill Mayne, Gil Garcia, Jim Gossett, David Gayle, Bill Moss. It call letters where change during the time Hicks Communication owned it from KNOW to KMOW since a mistake was made on giving up the old call letters but were now taken. As contemporary music listening shifted to the FM band in the 1980s, KNOW decided to serve Austin's growing African American community. It flipped to an urban contemporary format. That was coupled with Hicks Communications acquiring the station in 1981.

In 1989, KNOW was sold again, this time to Degree Communications, which switched the format to Oldies. In 1996, the station changed hands again, this time being acquired by San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications, now iHeartMedia. The call letters were switched to KFON and the format became talk radio {with FON standing for "phone"). It later shifted to sports talk.

In 2005, the station was acquired by Border Media Partners, which owned other stations in Texas, several serving the Latino community. KFON switched to a Classic Regional Mexican music format. There were further call letter changes to KLGO and KTAE, before Township Media switched the call sign to KTSN, standing for The Sun Network. Today KTSN is heard at 1060 AM and calls KJFK are assigned to 1490 AM and simulcasts KJFK 98.9 FM airing a JackFM music format.

The call letters live-on as KNOW-FM and are assigned to Minnesota Public Radio at 91.1 FM.

➦In 1947... “The Greatest Story Ever Told” began a 10-year run on ABC radio. It was the first radio program to dare to simulate the voice of Jesus Christ.

➦In 1969... The Beatles recorded “The Long And Winding Road.” And Ringo Starr wrote “Octopus’s Garden."

When issued as the group's final single in May 1970, a month after the Beatles' break-up, it became the group's 20th and last number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U-S.

President Pledges Aid and Support To Victims of Wildfires

CA Gov. Welcomes The Trumps To LA

In a somber scene lighted by an orange Los Angeles sunset, President Trump walked through the ruins of Pacific Palisades on Friday, shaking hands with firefighters and speaking to a handful of residents as he took in the devastation wrought by firestorms that swept through L.A. County this month.

Leveled properties and charred trees were visible in the background as the president walked through a neighborhood of destroyed homes. Firefighters handed him a white fire helmet with No. 47 on the front and side.

The LA Times reports Trump said he was stunned by the devastation and vowed to partner with local officials to help victims.

“We have to work together to get this really worked out,” Trump said during a meeting with Los Angeles officials. “I don’t think you can realize how ... devastating it is until you see it. It’s incredible. It’s really an incineration.”

During a roundtable meeting with residents and officials on Friday evening, his tone was much more subdued. He declared a national emergency, pledged to waive or expedite any federal permits needed for rebuilding, and did not mention specific conditions for federal aid. He also said he would look into the possibility of waiving tariffs on building materials.

“I’m going to give you everything you want,” he told the group. “I’m going to give you more than any president would have ever given you.”

The trip to Los Angeles was part of a broader national disaster recovery tour. Earlier Friday, Trump visited North Carolina to inspect damage after Hurricane Helene ravaged the area in October.

Trump landed at Los Angeles International Airport midafternoon and after briefly speaking with Gov. Gavin Newsom on the tarmac, the president and First Lady Melania Trump embarked on their tour of the destruction in Pacific Palisades, surveying neighborhoods by helicopter and foot.

The president did not visit Altadena, where the Eaton fire carved a deadly and destructive path. The firestorms burned more than 16,000 structures, including many homes, and killed at least 28 people. Estimates of the cost have topped $250 billion.


Newsom thanked the president for making the trip to California.

“We’re going to need your support. We’re going to need your help. You were there for us during COVID — I don’t forget that — and I have all the expectations that we’ll be able to work together to get this speedy recovery,” Newsom said to Trump.

Trump Trip Included Stop In North Carolina


President Donald Trump on Friday floated shuttering the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a trip to disaster areas in North Carolina and California, where he pledged government support and sparred with Democratic officials.

Fresh from assuming office on Monday, Trump's visit showcased a desire to show up early in the two states, hit by a hurricane and massive wildfires, respectively. But he punctured the visits with criticism of FEMA, vowing to sign an executive order to overhaul or eliminate the main federal agency that responds to natural disasters.

"FEMA has turned out to be a disaster," he said during a tour of a North Carolina neighborhood destroyed by September's Hurricane Helene. "I think we recommend that FEMA go away."

Trump accused FEMA of bungling emergency relief efforts there and said he preferred that states be given federal money to handle disasters themselves.

The trip to North Carolina and California culminates a week during which Trump moved with stunning speed to meet campaign promises on illegal immigration, the size of the federal workforce, energy and the environment, gender and diversity policies, and pardons for supporters jailed for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Former FOX Host: Pete Hegseth Confirmed As SecDef


Republican lawmakers celebrated after the Senate narrowly confirmed Pete Hegseth as defense secretary on Friday.

The Senate was split 50-50, with three Republicans — Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — joining the Democrats in opposing Hegseth's confirmation, forcing Vice President JD Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote.

After Hegseth was confirmed, GOP lawmakers praised him as a "change agent" who has a "passion for the warfighter."

"Pete has served in the Army National Guard as a frontline officer, and he has a keen intellect and a passion for the warfighter," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote on the social media platform X.

"He did an excellent job during a very contentious hearing and withstood all the attacks that came his way," Graham added. "He is bullish on creating a larger, more lethal military and is clear-eyed about America’s enemies, including Iran. Israel will have no better friend than Pete Hegseth."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he was "proud to vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense."

"He is the change agent that the DOD desperately needs," Cruz said.

Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin said: "We did it, America."

"It was an honor to be in the fight with my friend, and your SecDef: @PeteHegseth," he wrote. "The Hegseth family is the best!!

"Heck yeah! @PeteHegseth is the man for the job," Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said. "I’m honored to have voted for him. We just confirmed him as the next defense secretary."

Sen. Roger Marshall wrote: "Congratulations to @PeteHegseth, our new Secretary of Defense! Pete will bring transformative change, refocusing our military on lethality and recruiting efforts. I can’t wait to see what a great job he will do."

"Pete Hegseth is the perfect fit to make our military great again and achieve peace through strength," Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., wrote. "It was an honor to support his nomination, and I look forward to seeing him restore trust in the Department of Defense by prioritizing war fighters over bureaucrats."

LA Times Owner Admits It’s a ‘Struggle’ to Revamp Newsroom

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong

Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong on Friday said it has been a “struggle” to get his newsroom to buy into a more balanced ideological approach in the months after he canceled the editorial board’s planned endorsement of Kamala Harris.

“Change is difficult, right? I respect that, and I have empathy for that,” the billionaire told Fox News Digital.

A handful of employees ditched the LA Times after Soon-Shiong nixed the editorial board’s plan to endorse Harris against Donald Trump in the 2024 election. One editorial writer who quit even called him a “chickens—t” who threw the editorial team “under the bus.”

On Friday, Soon-Shiong said he knew his decision would lead to thousands of canceled subscriptions and some irritated employees leaving the paper: “I knew I’d get pushback. If you want to lead, you have to lead, so we took that position.”

According to The Wrap, the LAT owner then said “competence matters” when it comes to endorsing a presidential candidate — the same phrase he has been using recently when criticizing LA Mayor Karen Bass’ handling of the wildfires.

“You know, did we feel as a group that [Harris] was a competent leader?” Dr. Soon-Shiong asked rhetorically.

He also said he did not see the “prepackaged endorsement” the editorial board had planned for Harris before making his decision to axe it. It was the first time the editorial board had not endorsed a Democrat for president since 2008.

Country Music Expected To Remain Strong In 2025


For the past several years, country music's streaming boom has been one of the biggest stories in the industry, as superstars like Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, and Zach Bryan have helped turn country into music's hottest genre. 

According to Rolling Stone, that dominance was once again reflected on the charts this year. By the first week of December, country albums took up 34 spots for the Top 200 best-selling albums of the year, according to data from Luminate. That's a 30 percent increase from last year, when 25 albums made the list. It's a 79 percent bump from 2022, when 19 country albums made the Top 200. Country still came in third to hip-hop and pop this year, with rap taking up 55 spots while pop took 41. But rap dropped 19 percent from last year, and pop stayed stagnant.

Eleven different country albums garnered at least a billion streams this year, up from nine a year ago, and from five back in 2022. As country has caught fire, it's lured in the rest of the music business too, with coastal labels signing upcoming artists out of Nashville. Meanwhile, Post Malone and Beyoncé both made country pivots this year with F-1 Trillion and Cowboy Carter. The albums were the fourth and fifth best-selling country albums of the year, respectively. Both are up for Best Country Album at the upcoming Grammys alongside more traditional country stars Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, and Chris Stapleton. 

Country's hot streak extends into singles too. Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" tied the record for most time atop Billboard's Hot 100 chart last week, taking Number One for 19 consecutive weeks. "Bar Song" is now tied with Lil Nas X's fellow country smash (or country-adjacent, at least) "Old Town Road." Wallen's "Last Night" meanwhile, sits at third after spending 16 non-consecutive weeks at Number One last year.

Country's rise has been a subject of discussion among critics, some of whom have pondered if it was a foreshadowing of the changing political landscape in the U.S., with Trump's reelection to the presidency. Country insiders who spoke to Rolling Stone last year attributed the bump both to older country fans embracing streaming since the pandemic, and to the streaming platforms bringing forward a new crop of stars who found strong fanbases outside of the traditional country radio system.

Morgan Wallen Set To Tour In 2025


Morgan Wallen's three-year evolution from consistent country chart-topper to top-tier Billboard all-genre superstar will continue with a newly announced album and tour for 2025.

Leaning into his police blotter appearances and notoriety of late, the 18-time Billboard Music Award winner and 2024 Country Music Association entertainer of the year has entitled his forthcoming project "I'm The Problem" and announced a corresponding U.S. tour.

Morgan Wallen
USAToday reports the top performer is set for a 19-date summer 2025 tour from June to September. A rotating lineup of guests including Brooks & Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett and Koe Wetzel join in direct support with Gavin Adcock, Corey Kent, Ella Langley and Anne Wilson as openers across select dates. 

Wallen noted via a press statement that "working on new music" inspired a return to the road so swiftly after an 87-date and two-year-long One Night at A Time world tour.

Wallen's North American tour starts June 20 at Houston's NRG Stadium and includes stops in Seattle, Foxborough, Massachusetts and Toronto, Ontario.

A portion of every ticket sold benefits the Morgan Wallen Foundation, which supports youth programs focusing on sports and music. During the One Night At A Time tour, the foundation partnered with Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation to donate $500,000 worth of musical instruments to schools in need across 14 U.S. 2024 stadium touring cities.

The Grammys Unveils Artists To Perform


The first performers for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards have been announced. 

Billie Eilish, Shakira and Chappell Roan, all nominated for awards, will be among the biggest stars performing at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 2, the Recording Academy said in a news release. Nominees Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter are also set to perform. 

Other nominees, including Benson Boone, Doechii, RAYE and Teddy Swims, will also be performing. More artists will be announced in the coming days. 

CBC News reports nominees for the 2025 Grammy Awards were announced in November 2024. Beyoncé led the nominations, earning 11 nods for her country album "Cowboy Carter." The nominations also made her the most-nominated artist in the show's history: She's had 99 total nominations throughout her career.

Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone and Charli XCX were each nominated for seven Grammys, while Roan, Carpenter and Taylor Swift were nominated for six awards each. 

The awards show will be refocused in light of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. Officials estimated that thousands of residents, including entertainment industry stars, lost their homes. Some lead-up events to the awards were canceled because of the blazes. 

Musical stars including Eilish and Green Day are set to headline FireAid, a benefit concert that will raise money for wildfire recovery, on Thursday, Jan. 30, just days before the Grammy Awards. 

Paramount Receives Last-Minute Counter Offer


As Skydance Media and RedBird Capital Partners work to close the Larry Ellison-backed takeover of Paramount Global this spring, a consortium of investors who previously bid on the storied media conglomerate is mounting an eleventh-hour $13.5 billion offer.

Variety has obtained a legal letter being sent to Paramount’s board from Project Rise Partners, outlining a new bid that is higher than an all-cash offer the consortium made during the go-shop window. The group claims its terms are vastly superior to the $8 billion deal from Skydance and RedBird.

\The letter, prepared by the law firm Baker & Hostetler, notes that in light of “the market’s negative reaction to the Skydance transaction, PRP is now increasing its offer as follows: The offer for the B shares is $19 per share compared to $15 per share in the Skydance offer — a 75% premium and 27% more than Skydance. 

The PRP offer for the A shares remains the same as the Skydance offer. PRP will add $2B to the balance sheet. This is an all-cash offer with committed financing from credible investors.

The Baker & Hostetler letter — addressed to Paramount board members Shari Redstone, Barbara Byrne, Linda Griego, Judith McHale and Susan Schuman — states that the company’s Class B shareholders “would own 50% of the equity versus 30% in the Skydance offer. The PRP offer includes an independent board and normal corporate governance. The board committees Skydance plans to eliminate would be retained. B shareholders would receive a vote for the first time in the company’s history.”

NBC News Cuts


CNN was not the only news network to reduce headcount this week.

Puck reports NBC News also laid off more than 40 of its employees, mostly in production—the latest news organization to shed costs as companies resize their ambitions and audiences tune out for the Trump era. 

Most of the cost savings are pretty minor, with networks like NBC preferring the long slow bleed of incremental layoffs rather than the one-fell-swoop mass firings that redefined the tech industry during the ’22 correction. 

Apart from the layoffs, about 12 new positions will be created, mostly in digital news. NBC News is encouraging those laid off to apply. The network is also hiring for over 50 other positions.

TV news is in flux. Linear TV news viewership has declined as people get more of their news on social media and streaming video. CNN just laid off 200, or about 6% of its workforce, as it shifts resources from linear TV to digital. The Washington Post, HuffPost, and Vox Media also conducted layoffs in 2025.

NBC News is set to face a big change when Comcast's NBCUniversal spins off several of its slower-growing cable brethren, including CNBC, into a new company later this year. The plan has left some at NBC News wondering how the spin will affect newsgathering efforts since it relies on CNBC's reporting. Comcast is positioning the move as a way to grow by acquiring other channels.


No Charges Against Marilyn Manson


Marilyn Manson will not face criminal charges in a series of sexual assault and domestic violence allegations, Los Angeles County prosecutors said Friday.

The LA Times reports the musician, whose real name is Brian Warner, had been under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department since 2021 after several women came forward to accuse him of rape and abuse. His accusers included “Westworld” actress Evan Rachel Wood and “Game of Thrones” actress Esme Bianco.

Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement Friday that the statute of limitations had run out on the domestic violence allegations and that prosecutors did not believe they could prove the rape charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

“We recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation,” Hochman said in a statement. “While we are unable to bring charges in this matter, we recognize that the strong advocacy of the women involved has helped bring greater awareness to the challenges faced by survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault.”

An attorney for Manson, Howard King, said in a statement: “We are very pleased that, after a thorough and incredibly lengthy review of all of the actual evidence, the District Attorney has concluded what we knew and expressed from the start — Brian Warner is innocent.”

Radio History: Jan 25


➦In 1910...Actress/dancer/radio personality Portland Hoffa was born in Portland, Oregon. After beginning a career in vaudeville she became known nationally as Fred Allen‘s wife and performing partner on his network radio series (1932-49). She died of natural causes on Christmas Day 1995 at age 85.

NY Times headline 1915

➦In 1915...Alexander Graham Bell in New York spoke to his assistant Thomas Watson in San Francisco, inaugurating America’s first transcontinental telephone service.

Lead paragraph of Times story

➦In 1916...radio/TV script writer Les Crutchfield was born. He became a prolific writer for Gunsmoke on both radio and television and wrote frequently for the CBS radio shows, Suspense, Escape, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, Romance and Fort Laramie, popular during the 1940s and 50s. He died while still quite young Oct. 6 1966 at age 50.

➦In 1919...Radio, TV newsman Edwin Newman was born. He died August 13, 2010 at 91.

➦In 1920...radio/TV announcer Roy Rowan was born in Paw Paw, Michigan. He is best remembered as the warm-up guy and announcer for all of Lucille Ball’s TV shows over two decades, but is also fondly recalled as the announcer for “People Are Funny” and especially “Gunsmoke” on radio, and “I Married Joan,” “Rawhide,” “Simon and Simon,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “The Lonesome Dove” miniseries and “Dallas” on television. He died of heart failure May 10 1998 at age 78.

➦In 1937... the first 15-minute broadcast of the daytime serial “The Guiding Light” aired on NBC Radio; it holds the record as the longest-running story line in soap opera history. The show remained on radio until 1956. “The Guiding Light” began its long run on CBS-TV in 1952, and signed off for the last time in 2009.

➦In 1944...a black maid named Beulah (played by a white man, Marlin Hunt) joined the “Fibber McGee and Molly” radio show for the first time. A spinoff show, “Beulah”, became a radio series in 1945. But it didn’t last long .. Hurt died a year later.

➦In 1961... just five days after his inauguration President John F. Kennedy held his first press conference at The White House. It was the first such event to be broadcast live on radio & TV.

➦In 1964...the Beatles reached the #1 spot on North American music charts, as their hit single, “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, grabbed the top position in “Cash Box” magazine.

Friday, January 24, 2025

Upon Review..Allen Media To Keep Local Weather Forecasters


Allen Media Group has reversed its plan to consolidate weather forecasting operations across its local television stations into a centralized hub managed by The Weather Channel in Atlanta.

This decision, initially intended to streamline operations and reduce costs, faced significant public backlash in the communities served by AMG stations and would have resulted in the termination of nearly 100 local forecasters across 36 outlets. 

“While not all staff and meteorologists are safe, a majority will remain in their roles. Earlier today, employees were informed of their termination dates, but this afternoon they were told, ‘Allen will no longer hub the weather from Atlanta and your job is still there,'” wrote Emily Pike of WMTW on Facebook.

It’s unclear how this move impacts those already terminated under the plan, with the hub in Atlanta still planned, albeit in a lesser capacity. 

Stations such as WTVA in Tupelo, Mississippi, and WAAY in Huntsville, Alabama, are among those that will retain their local meteorology teams, both reporting on the reversal. WTVA noted the changes were “mostly reversed.” 

Both stations emphasized the importance of community trust in their local meteorologists, who possess knowledge of regional weather patterns and geography critical for accurate forecasting during severe weather events.

At WTVA, the news was shared with anchor Craig Ford thanking the community for its vocal support. The station credited calls, emails and messages from viewers as influential in the company’s decision to maintain its “Severe Weather Authority” team.

WAAY’s general manager, Mike Wright, echoed similar sentiments, noting that viewer feedback was instrumental. Wright stated, “This decision was about keeping local meteorologists who have a deeper understanding of the unique weather patterns and challenges of our region.” While the station will maintain its local team, Wright indicated continued collaboration with The Weather Channel, including guest meteorologist possibly filling in on weekends.



The original plan, reported by NewscastStudio last week, called for consolidating weather operations at AMG’s Atlanta-based Weather Channel. 

AMG touted the move as leveraging The Weather Channel’s resources, including proprietary software and forecasting tools, to enhance weather coverage across its 36 stations in mid-sized and small markets. The company’s announcement highlighted the introduction of augmented reality technology and centralized expertise but omitted details about job losses or specific plans for severe weather events.

Allen Media Group, like many traditional broadcasters, is navigating a challenging economic environment, with rising competition from digital platforms and declining revenue from linear TV. While the decision to retain local weather teams may delay cost-saving efforts, it underscores the importance of public opinion in shaping such initiatives.

Bloody January At Embattled CNN


CNN is laying off roughly 200 employees, or about 6% of its workforce, part of a plan Chief Executive Mark Thompson says will shift the cable TV brand’s emphasis toward digital growth and prepare it to launch a streaming service. 

The Wall Street Journal reports the changes at CNNs are part of the organization’s continuing response “to profound and irreversible shifts in the way audiences in America and around the world consume news,” Thompson wrote in a memo to staff Thursday.

The business environment for cable television has been on a downward path for years, thanks to cord-cutting and a growing distrust of legacy media. CNN averaged 578,000 prime-time viewers in the three months through December, down by 74% from its peak in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to Nielsen data, placing it firmly in third place among the major cable news networks.

MSNBC’s viewership was down about 62% in that same period and Fox News, whose parent Fox Corp. fell by 27%.

To try to claw back viewers as the second Trump administration gets under way, CNN is also revamping its show lineup for both domestic and international channels. 

Blitzer, Hunt and Acosta

TV Newser reports the biggest name to relocate is Wolf Blitzer, who moves along with The Situation Room from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. ET. (All times Eastern.) He will anchor the long-running two-hour program alongside Pamela Brown, who previously occupied the 11 a.m. time slot. She’s now joining The Situation Room as co-host.

Going in the opposite direction, CNN This Morning host Kasie Hunt will move from the early morning daypart to 4 p.m. as anchor of the new show The Arena. Audie Cornish will replace Hunt at 6 a.m. on CNN This Morning. One hour earlier, Rahel Solomon will host a weekday version of the 5 Things franchise at 5 a.m., produced by CNN International.

Meanwhile, in the later hours, The Lead with Jake Tapper shifts closer to primetime, airing from 5 to 7 p.m. The rest of the primetime lineup otherwise remains unaffected.  In a note to staff, Thompson wrote that the revamped schedule will “bring energy and competitive edge to our delivery.”

One name missing from the current programming shuffle is Jim Acosta, who currently anchors CNN Newsroom at 10 a.m. It has been reported that CNN is looking to move him to late nights, possibly anchoring the 12 a.m. to 2 a.m. slot.

Reached for comment about Acosta’s status, a CNN spokesperson told TVNewser: “We are in active discussions with Jim about a new time slot and will have more information to share soon.”

Here is CNN’s new weekday lineup debuting in March below:

5 a.m.: 5 Things with Rahel Solomon 6 a.m.: CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish
7 a.m.: CNN News Central
10 a.m.: The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown
12 p.m.: Inside Politics with Dana Bash
1 p.m.: CNN News Central
4 p.m.: CNN’s The Arena with Kasie Hunt
5 p.m.: The Lead with Jake Tapper
7 p.m.: Erin Burnett OutFront
8 p.m.: Anderson Cooper 360
9 p.m.: The Source with Kaitlan Collins
10 p.m.: NewsNight with Abby Phillip
11 p.m.: Laura Coates Live

 Although CNN already has a streaming service with CNN Max, Thompson said there are plans to launch an additional streaming product, although it did not yet announce what kind of programming the new streaming service will provide. Max, as it stands, “is not a complete answer to the future of the great linear CNN experience,” Thompson wrote.

Jim Acosta's CNN Co-Workers Applaud His Banishment

CNN CEO Marc Thompson Reportedly Wants To Demote Jim Acosta

Jim Acosta's banishment to CNN's graveyard midnight slot has delighted many of his colleagues who have long been fed up with his grandstanding ways.  

According to the Daily Mail, few are hiding their glee that President Donald Trump's botherer-in-chief has been moved from a plum morning slot to a time when viewing figures plummet even further.

'Jim is one of the least-liked and most eye-rolled of all the talent at CNN. And this has been a longstanding status,' said one network insider. 

'He's insufferable, an egomaniac. If he can make himself part of the story, he will.' 

Another added: 'His jealousy is even visibly thicker than his makeup and hardened hair gel.'

Acosta, 53, became famous for getting under Donald Trump's skin as White House press briefings descended into bouts of bickering during his first administration.

'You are a rude, terrible, nasty person,' the president clapped back at his botherer-In-chief in an especially testy 2018 exchange.

On Thursday, CNN announced 200 layoffs and a series of major changes, one of which was to boot Acosta from his mid-morning slot and give him a show starting at midnight.

Acosta is now understood to be considering a move away from the network rather than accept the downgrade. 

And that cannot come fast enough for many who work with him. 

The timing of the demotion – three days after Trump's inauguration – raised suspicions that CNN was trying to curry favor with the incoming president by sending his biggest antagonist to the 'Siberia of television news'.

Third Place Norah O'Donnell Exits Anchor Role At CBS Evening News



On her 51st birthday, Norah O’Donnell bid farewell to viewers of the CBS Evening News Thursday after a surprise taped cameo from Oprah Winfrey which celebrated the anchor and showed many highlights of her tenure. 

According to Variety, O’Donnell thanked the audience for welcoming “hard news with heart into your homes,” and was spotted being surrounded by colleagues and family as the show’s credits began to roll. 

Starting Monday: a completely overhauled edition of the program that is taking pains to break many visual ties to the days when Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather told the nation what was most important at the end of their day.

CBS will launch a new “Evening News” that relies on a group of co-anchors, rather than a single person. One of the goals is to maintain the national program with the look and sensibility of the local-news programs that viewers of CBS stations see across the U.S., a nod to the fact that local broadcasts tend to still have traction among audiences who are more prone to get their headlines and information from streaming and digital sources than in the past.

Already, the similarities are evident. The graphics used on “CBS Evening News” Thursday evening looked just like those on display for the 6 p.m. broadcast of the local news from New York’s WCBS that preceded O’Donnell’s last round. During O’Donnell’s last broadcast, one segment centered on WCBS meteorologist Lonnie Quinn, who is slated to have a significant role in the new edition of the program.

“CBS Evening News” has been stuck in third place behind ABC’s “World News Tonight” and NBC’s “NBC Nightly News” for years. O’Donnell didn’t change that. 

In her place, CBS will launch an “Evening News” led by John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, with Quinn adding weather and Margaret Brennan adding to her duties as moderator of “Face The Nation” on hand to offer perspective on Washington and politics. The new format will help accomplish a goal touted for months by senior CBS and Paramount Global executives: bringing together the news teams of CBS News and the CBS local stations. 

The maneuver takes place as Paramount is under extreme pressure to cut millions of dollars from its operating costs. 

God-Like Anchor Days At News Platforms Are Gone


Hoda Kotb's out. George Stephanopoulos is reportedly staying on board at ABC. And on Thursday, Norah O'Donnell signed off as the "CBS Evening News" anchor after a six-year run.

The ever-changing TV news business is reportedly offering anchors, from Kotb to O'Donnell, their walking papers or new contracts with significant pay cuts, and many big-name journalists are declining them or shifting to smaller roles, reports USAToday.

CNN's Alyson Camerota and Poppy Harlow left CNN last year, and so did Chris Wallace. Univision anchor Jorge Ramos left the U.S. Spanish language network shortly after the 2024 election. Stephanopoulos, though, is apparently sticking with ABC — at least for now — after the network's $15 million settlement involving his comments about President Donald Trump.

On Thursday, struggling CNN shifted much of its programming lineup, bumping hosts such as Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer to earlier timeslots as the company cuts about 200 TV positions, or 6% of its workforce, according to the network's own reporting. The company also removed Jim Acosta from their lineup, leaving him without a show.

But over the past year, a slew of notable anchors jumped ship. At least a half dozen marquee hosts at U.S. news organizations — from Fox News to CNN — have left their powerful perches at the anchor desk.

As news consumers flee traditional platforms for peppy TikTok videos and political podcasts, media experts are opening up about TV anchors changing the channel on the format.

The “big three” networks — CBS, NBC and ABC — have toyed in recent years with replacing big-name news anchors, like Kotb and O’Donnell, with little-or-lesser-known broadcasters. Kotb was replaced by Craig Melvin, well-known among "Today" viewers but far from a household name.

When ex-"Today" anchor Katie Couric left the CBS nightly anchor chair in 2011, she was replaced by Scott Pelley. Before O'Donnell took the reins of "Evening News," the network tapped Jeff Glor, who was recently laid off

Their hope, experts say, is that news organizations can cut high salaries, hiring younger anchors whom they hope will appeal to a younger audience.

Chicago Radio: WBEZ's Parent Owner Pushes Buyouts


The nonprofit owner of the Chicago Sun-Times is calling for staff reductions that will fall heavily on the publication’s newsroom employees.

The cutbacks could be the deepest Chicago Public Media has ordered since it absorbed the Sun-Times in 2022. The noncash acquisition by the owner of public radio station WBEZ was an innovative attempt to preserve local journalism under a nonprofit umbrella, but the combined operations have been unable to stop financial bleeding.

Melissa Bell, CEO of Chicago Public Media, disclosed the planned cuts Wednesday in announcements to donors and employees. She said staff will be offered incentives to voluntarily exit via buyouts. The offer will be made to Sun-Times staff and to non-newsroom workers at WBEZ.

The move could save the company from $3 million to $5 million in annual expenses, possibly representing the departure of 20 to 30 people.

“Our hope is that this action and other efforts will reduce our costs so that we can avoid more significant cost-cutting measures down the road,” Bell said in a letter to donors.

“This is a proactive decision that allows us to align our organization’s size with our goals while strengthening our most valuable and impactful initiatives and ensuring our financial sustainability,” Bell said. “While we’ve made strides in adapting to the rapidly changing media landscape, these efforts haven’t yet translated into the sustainable revenue we need.”

Her letter did not detail expected savings from the buyouts. A company spokeswoman said no specific individuals or reporting functions are being targeted.

Bell said in an interview that the buyouts could start in mid-March.

“I came here only four months ago because I was intrigued and excited about the project” to unite the Sun-Times and WBEZ, she said. The cutbacks are “one more step we need to take to set it up for its future success.”

TV Ratings: Will Cain Show Off To Great Start At FOX News


FOX News Channel’s (FNC) debut of The Will Cain Show secured 3.5 million viewers and 451,000 in the 25-54 demo on Tuesday, January 21st making it the highest-rated daytime show debut in network history. 

This marked the second highest-rated 4 PM/ET hour for FNC since 2021, commanding 68% of cable news viewers and 73% of younger viewers in the 25-54 demo. Notably, Cain’s debut more than doubled the network’s 2024 average at 4 PM/ET, seeing a 106% increase with viewers and a 128% increase in the 25-54 demo. The debut was also a top 10 telecast in all of television broadcast prime and cable on Tuesday, besting every CNN and MSNBC show as well as broadcast programs including ABC’s The Rookie and CBS’ FBI International.

The Five was the top-rated show of the day in all of television on Tuesday with nearly 6 million viewers and 762,000 in the 25-54 demo. Special Report with Bret Baier captured 4.6 million viewers (668,000 in A25-54), The Ingraham Angle delivered 4 million viewers (556,000 A25-54) and Jesse Watters Primetime was the second most-watched show with 4.7 million viewers (643,000 A25-54). Sean Hannity’s eponymous program Hannity netted 3.8 million viewers while MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show only drew 1.68 million viewers (149,000 A25-54) and CNN had 708,000 total viewers (177,000 A25-54) at 9 PM/ET.

Across primetime, FNC scored 4.1 million viewers and 609,000 in the 25-54 demo and, during total day, posted 2.7 million viewers and 371,000 in the 25-54 demo, crushing the competition. Notably, a number of FNC programs delivered post-election viewership highs with Gutfeld! seeing 3.8 million viewers and 606,000 in A25-54, while The Faulkner Focus, Outnumbered, America Reports and The Story all notched 3.1 million viewers. In fact, every hour on FNC from 8 AM/ET through midnight averaged more than 2 million viewers, meanwhile neither CNN nor MSNBC reached that benchmark.

iHM's Breakfast Club Now Streaming on FAST Channel


Tubi, the ad-supported streaming service from Fox Corporation, has announced a new partnership with iHeartMedia to bring the radio show and podcast "The Breakfast Club" to its platform. This marks the first time the morning show will be available both on-demand and through a dedicated free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel set to launch in February.

"The Breakfast Club," hosted by DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, and Jess Hilarious, is known for its mix of entertainment, music, and candid discussions with high-profile guests. The show reaches six million listeners monthly and has a strong presence on social media, influencing discussions in modern culture, particularly in contemporary Hip-Hop and R&B.

As of Thursday, Tubi viewers can access "best of" moments from the show on-demand. The upcoming FAST Channel will feature a daily selection of the show's most memorable episodes and segments, alongside curated clips and highlights—all available for free.

The partnership extends "The Breakfast Club's" reach beyond its traditional radio audience and into a new digital realm, leveraging Tubi's platform to tap into a broader fan base. The show is syndicated by Premiere Networks on over 100 stations nationwide, from WWPR (Power 105.1) in New York to markets such as Houston, Atlanta, and Miami. It is also available as a podcast on iHeartRadio.

John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia, highlighted the show's cultural significance: "'The Breakfast Club' has become a beacon of popular culture for millions in America on air, online, and socially. This new partnership with Tubi extends the reach of this iconic franchise to new TV audiences everywhere."

Philly Radio: Audacy's KYW To Celebrate 60-Year Milestone


Audacy’s KYW Newsradio (103.9 FM and 1060 AM) is gearing up to celebrate 60 years of its ongoing commitment to delivering trusted news to the Philadelphia area. To commemorate the diamond anniversary, the station will roll out a monthly series of special programming and initiatives throughout 2025.

The station will kick off the year with updated 60th-anniversary imaging, on-air liners and fresh studio signage. In February, KYW Newsradio listeners can send “love notes” via the Audacy app's voicemail feature and be featured on the station. Come March, KYW Newsradio will feature "60 Voices" from the Philadelphia area, with quotes from local community organizers, business leaders, celebrities and hometown heroes, sharing why they love living in the Delaware Valley.

“Local radio is vital more than ever, and it's a privilege to work at a media outlet so connected to this region,” said David Yadgaroff, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Philadelphia. “For generations, Philadelphians have turned to KYW for everything from breaking traffic updates to complex international headlines. When I walked in the door as an account executive in 1992, I was so excited to work at KYW Newsradio. That sense of pride has only grown and intensified. I'm in awe of our team and their impact on the community, and we’re excited to dedicate this year to those who have devoted their lives to reporting the facts.”

KYW Newsradio was an early innovator of the all-news format and has served the community since September 1965. In 60 years, it has kept listeners informed and connected for over 500,000 hours, given over 3,000,000 traffic and weather updates, and covered dozens of Mummers Parades, 15 mayoral races, two World Series celebrations and one memorable Super Bowl parade.

🎧Listeners can tune in to KYW Newsradio (103.9 FM and 1060 AM) in Philadelphia on-air and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station via X, Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on anniversary programming.

Westwood One To Provide NFL Coverage


Cumulus Media’s Westwood One, America’s largest audio network and the official audio partner of the National Football League, will present live play-by-play coverage of NFL Championship Sunday, sponsored by Intuit TurboTax, on January 26th. 

In the first of two highly anticipated championship games, the Washington Commanders square off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia, with Westwood One’s live coverage beginning at 2:00pm ET. The excitement continues Sunday evening at 6:30pm ET, with the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs match-up in Kansas City. Westwood One keeps the play-by-play action coming, with live coverage beginning at 6:30pm ET.  

This season marks Westwood One’s 38th consecutive year as the official audio partner of the NFL.    

For the 16th consecutive season, Scott Graham will host Westwood One’s pre-, half-, and post-game coverage for NFL Championship Sunday. 

🎧Listeners can hear Westwood One’s NFL broadcasts on approximately 500 broadcast radio stations nationwide as well as on westwoodonesports.com, SiriusXM, NFL+ and via the NFL App. 

CRS 2025 Unveils Humanitarian Award Honorees


Eric Church and Luke Combs have been announced as co-recipients of the CRS 2025 Artist Humanitarian Award.

The honor will be presented on Friday, Feb. 21 during the annual Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, and recognizes the unparalleled efforts of Church and Combs, who raised over $24 million in under a month, driven by an Oct. 26 stadium concert in Charlotte that drew a record-breaking 82,000 fans. This massive event, which typically requires over a year of planning, was remarkably mobilized by their collective teams in just 28 days.

Church, through his nonprofit Chief Cares, announced plans to build 100 homes for hurricane victims, starting in Avery County, providing critical shelter to families affected by the devastating storms while also committing to helping address longer-term needs like creating jobs, rebuilding schools and supporting local businesses. In addition, he signed over all publishing royalties from his latest single, “Darkest Hour,” to the people of North Carolina.

Meanwhile, Combs and his team are working directly with North Carolina-based relief efforts to ensure funds are distributed where they are needed most. Their contributions support organizations including Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina.


CRS Honors Mark ''Hawkeye'' Louis with Humanitarian Award


Mark "Hawkeye" Louis, the morning host from Cumulus Media's KSCS in Dallas, is set to be honored with the Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award at the Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2025. This award celebrates figures in Country radio who demonstrate exceptional public service and humanitarianism.

For over two decades, Hawkeye has been deeply involved in charitable endeavors, particularly with Cook Children's Hospital. Since 2002, he has contributed as a camp counselor at Camp Sanguinity for cancer patients and served on its board from 2004 to 2006. Under his leadership, the first radiothon launched by KSCS in 2014 has raised nearly $4.5 million, with over $1 million raised in 2023 alone.

In a remarkable personal gesture last year, Hawkeye auctioned his extensive collection of over 17,000 baseball cards, raising more than $10,000 for the hospital. His commitment extends beyond healthcare, supporting various causes including veteran initiatives like the annual 10,000 For The Troops program, which garnered over 152,000 handmade cards in 2023, and Pets For Vets, which raised $20,000 to train service dogs for disabled veterans.

Radio History: Jan 24


➦In 1916...longtime Chicago baseball announcer Jack Brickhouse was born in Peoria Illinois.

Jack Brickhouse
He started his first job when he was only eleven, delivering the Peoria Journal and Peoria Star, and he began his long broadcasting career when only eighteen, at Peoria radio station WMBD in 1934. Chicago radio station WGN hired him in 1940 to broadcast Cubs and White Sox games, largely on the recommendation of their top announcer, Bob Elson. His was the very first face shown when WGN-TV, Chicago's Channel 9, began broadcasting in 1948.

Brickhrouse served as a U.S. Marine Corps in World War II. and he missed the 1945 Cubs season. He broadcast both Cubs and White Sox games until 1967, which he was able to do because they almost never played at home on the same day. He retired in 1981.

He died at age 82 on Aug 6, 1998 after suffering a heart attack while undergoing surgery.

➦In 1942... “Abie’s Irish Rose” was first heard on NBC radio, replacing “Knickerbocker Playhouse”. The program was a takeoff on the smash Broadway play that ran for nearly 2,000 performances. Among the cast members were a young Clayton ‘Bud’ Collyer and Mercedes McCambridge. The show aired for 2½-years.

➦In 1962...Brian Epstein signed with the Beatles as their manager and began to direct their image away from leather jackets. He led them toward a smarter stage presentation, with matching suits and bows to the audience. Epstein was to receive 25 per cent of the Beatles’ gross earnings, the normal management deal was 10 per cent.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

CNN Confirms: 200 To Be Fired, New Digital Push



UPDATE 1:30 PM:   CNN has confirmed it is laying off roughly 200 employees, or about 6% of its workforce, part of a plan Chief Executive Mark Thompson says will shift the cable TV brand’s emphasis toward digital growth and prepare it to launch a streaming service. 

The changes at CNNs are part of the organization’s continuing response “to profound and irreversible shifts in the way audiences in America and around the world consume news,” Thompson wrote in a memo to staff Thursday.

The business environment for cable television has been on a downward path for years, thanks to cord-cutting and a growing distrust of legacy media. CNN averaged 578,000 prime-time viewers in the three months through December, down by 74% from its peak in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to Nielsen data, placing it firmly in third place among the major cable news networks.

Earlier Story...


Warner Bros. Discovery’s CNN plans to lay off hundreds of employees Thursday as it refocuses the business around a global digital audience, according to CNBC citing people familiar with the matter.

The layoffs come as CNN is rearranging its linear TV lineup and building out digital subscription products. The cuts will help CNN lower production costs and consolidate teams, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic changes.

Certain shows that are produced in New York or Washington may move to Atlanta, where production can be done more cheaply, said the people.

For the most part, the job cuts won’t affect CNN’s most recognizable names, who are under contract, said the people. CNN has about 3,500 employees worldwide.

During a town hall meeting earlier this month, CNN CEO Mark Thompson said the media company has received an investment of “more than $70 million” from Warner Bros. Discovery to help fund the company’s digital operations. Part of that investment will go toward hiring employees in areas where CNN sees potential growth avenues, such as data scientists and product development.

In October, CNN launched a digital paywall, charging heavier users of the site $3.99 per month.

NBC News is also planning cuts later this week, according to people familiar with the matter. While the exact number couldn’t be determined, the job losses will be well under 50, two of the people said.

Both news organizations waited until after the U.S. presidential inauguration to make the cuts. The news media landscape is in transition as fewer people watch linear TV and more consume their news on streaming services and through social media.