Good Morning: Start With The Pulse for Monday, Aug 31

Radio Broadcasting

Listener Wants: When asked Listeners still choose radio for connection — plus convenience, live humans, and information they can hear without looking at a screen. That finding sits at the center of “The Listener Truth,” a qualitative study from Coleman Insights presented as a webinar last week by VP/Consultant Jay Nachlis. 

America In The Morning: Westwood One has informed affiliates that it will end its long-running syndicated news magazine America in the Morning on September 18, after nearly 42 years on the air. 

Grand Ole Send-Off: Carly Pearce and Jelly Roll closed the Grand Ole Opry’s official tribute to Dolly Parton on Saturday leading a sold-out crowd in “9 to 5” before the night ended with a video of Parton singing “I Will Always Love You.”

Media Industry

Rebuke and Punishment: President Donald Trump said Sunday he is reporting NBC News’s Kristen Welker to the FCC for “rebuke and punishment” after she described his record of endorsing Republican primary candidates as having “mixed results.”

Networks Warned: Nielsen told television networks they may not mix its ratings with internal or third-party data when making comparative audience claims in the press, a reminder issued as the measurement firm rolls out major methodology changes ahead of a packed sports season.

Foolish Policy: Canada’s public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada said Friday it will make an exception to its long-standing policy against calling specific attacks “terrorism” and will use that term for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, after a staff memo restating the rule drew sharp criticism from U.S. and Canadian officials.

U-S News

Military Action Flares: The United States struck launchers on Iran's Larak Island on Aug. 30, marking the first US military action against Iran since late July, as tensions over mines in the Strait of Hormuz and broader war dynamics continue.

Flash Flooding At Park: Flash floods on August 29 caused major closures and evacuations in Grand Canyon National Park, leaving more than 20 people missing or unaccounted for and prompting a wide search effort.

Nepal Misery: Five days after an angry deluge tore through the mountain passes of Nepal, family members arriving after long journeys looked for something — anything — that could identify their loved ones amid the hundreds of mangled bodies.