tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32473062821343148452024-03-18T20:25:19.431-04:00Media ConfidentialRadio Intel Since 2010. Now 17.0M+ Page Views! Edited by Tom Benson Got News? News Tips: pd1204@gmail.com.Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.comBlogger51526125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-39442394388716681432024-03-18T12:38:00.004-04:002024-03-18T12:38:38.484-04:00Audacy Facing Divestitures In Kansas City and Greenville-Spartanburg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRlN-aaRtNg584f-IXXtGbP8xwVmwXHd8Q-GKV4Hxeo1C1CRcli2woCuW1oqUJyn_Eh0JTSBbm9ktizWDOYfvRxbJGMXdHadBNS0V4XUWj3jEaMkT4vET6kkCurC8siAdxUEEDKlxWsSalPAAGfWc_aRvSrLJX_QsQ46VmPLKik6F2dMf_qPUdebiVy_9/s300/AUDACY%20MIC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRlN-aaRtNg584f-IXXtGbP8xwVmwXHd8Q-GKV4Hxeo1C1CRcli2woCuW1oqUJyn_Eh0JTSBbm9ktizWDOYfvRxbJGMXdHadBNS0V4XUWj3jEaMkT4vET6kkCurC8siAdxUEEDKlxWsSalPAAGfWc_aRvSrLJX_QsQ46VmPLKik6F2dMf_qPUdebiVy_9/w320-h213/AUDACY%20MIC.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />As Audacy seeks approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the broadcaster faces the need to divest at least one station. <div><br /></div><div>Due to the restructuring, Audacy will lose its grandfathered status in the market, necessitating the cut of one FM station in its Greenville-Spartanburg portfolio to meet regulatory standards. Currently, Audacy holds seven stations in the market, of which five are FMs—one over the legal limit. The station being cut loose has already been decided: Magic 106.3 (WSPA). Formerly under the WYRD-FM call letters, this station has been with Audacy since 1999 following Entercom’s acquisition of 41 stations from Sinclair Broadcast Group. </div><div><br /></div><div>With the FCC’s blessing, WSPA will be moved to “The Greenville Divestiture Trust,” managed by media brokerage firm Kalil & Co.’s Kalil Holding Group LLC. The initial transfer will cost Audacy $10,000, with an ongoing $1,000 monthly fee to Kalil & Co. until WSPA finds a new owner.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KDe-a5XsibSbm2xvtyz0-ALrqC9aIzH53GdSxpAKvJ1VOFPPJ9iH8S-_suCstQO0zX79chkZOFmAggugaaUPRs4FL7LIGrp3W22qO4tCKgllpsTW2BHQYSm7sjA-V6kbgfdOkdAcE0lv90ZJRg24PQvzTg6eyu-qwOCqvaWL2FCcATN3wCS4xK9CWuN-/s240/audacy%20logo%20sm%20black.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="240" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KDe-a5XsibSbm2xvtyz0-ALrqC9aIzH53GdSxpAKvJ1VOFPPJ9iH8S-_suCstQO0zX79chkZOFmAggugaaUPRs4FL7LIGrp3W22qO4tCKgllpsTW2BHQYSm7sjA-V6kbgfdOkdAcE0lv90ZJRg24PQvzTg6eyu-qwOCqvaWL2FCcATN3wCS4xK9CWuN-/w200-h175/audacy%20logo%20sm%20black.png" width="200" /></a></div>Meanwhile, Audacy faces challenges in deciding which station to let go of in Kansas City. </div><div><br /></div><div>The organization currently operates nine radio stations, including one on an expanded band AM frequency, under a specific waiver from the FCC. Audacy is seeking a waiver to continue operating all stations in the market. Despite its new majority Attributable Shareholder, Laurel Tree Opportunities Corporation, and the indirect controlling parent, George Soros’ Fund for Policy Reform, Audacy will likely divest only in these markets.</div><div><br /></div><div><div> Here are some other key points in the bankruotsy proceedings:</div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Financial Reorganization:</b> Audacy has been dealing with significant debt since its 2017 acquisition of CBS Radio, which added $1.5 billion in new debt. As part of the Chapter 11 reorganization, senior debt holders swapped their debt for an ownership stake in the company.</li><li><b>Ownership Changes: </b>The new ownership group, including banks that significantly reduced Audacy’s debt from $1.9 billion down to $350 million, will take control of the board. This group will likely install a new board of directors, potentially by Audacy’s annual shareholders meeting in May.</li><li><b>CEO’s Future: </b>The fate of current CEO David Field remains uncertain. Analysts believe the chances of him retaining his position are “extremely low.” The new management team could be led by someone with expertise in both digital and broadcast media.</li><li><b>Cost-Cutting Measures: </b>Trimming expenses will be a priority for the new leadership. Expect major cost-cutting efforts, including potential headcount reductions.</li></ul></div>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-34226866931532385142024-03-18T10:37:00.002-04:002024-03-18T10:37:26.863-04:00S-I Print Gets A Lifeline<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZLhOsQUQsBZNUorrqIpHV04B5Uc88dKXDuOhUTCdKSTlhkQSR6tMfneh7kCX4DcQ7hznBXKSU62HcmEgNMKIBIbM95WWzQz1jLeB-vN39fJjAoHyroYbOTdvmObBluUVMistYBzdIJ1TdQC_1D3ICKd4n5Ta7dDZK43pWgxZ9_heSVTJRtSMlCq_63_2/s567/si%20logo%20black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZLhOsQUQsBZNUorrqIpHV04B5Uc88dKXDuOhUTCdKSTlhkQSR6tMfneh7kCX4DcQ7hznBXKSU62HcmEgNMKIBIbM95WWzQz1jLeB-vN39fJjAoHyroYbOTdvmObBluUVMistYBzdIJ1TdQC_1D3ICKd4n5Ta7dDZK43pWgxZ9_heSVTJRtSMlCq_63_2/s16000/si%20logo%20black.png" /></a></div><br />The owner of Sports Illustrated said it had chosen a new company to publish the magazine, a deal that could settle some of the recent friction at the storied publication and continue the print edition.<p></p><p>The NY Time <b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/business/sports-illustrated-magazine.html">reports</a></b> Authentic Brands Group, which owns the intellectual property rights to Sports Illustrated as well as to celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali, said it had struck a long-term deal to license Sports Illustrated’s publishing rights to Minute Media, a digital-media company focused on sports.</p><p>Minute Media’s license with Sports Illustrated will stretch for 10 years with an option to extend for up to 30 years total, into the magazine’s centenary. The companies declined to disclose financial terms but said that Authentic Brands Group was taking a stake in Minute Media as part of the deal.</p><p>The deal is a significant expansion for Minute Media, a New York-based company founded in 2011 whose holdings — which include the sports websites The Players’ Tribune and Fansided — generate more than $400 million in revenue annually.</p><p>Sports Illustrated has been engulfed in turmoil for months, the result of a corporate tug of war between the company that owns the iconic magazine and the energy drink mogul whose executives have been running it. The agreement begins immediately and effectively wrests Sports Illustrated’s operations away from Arena Group, the digital-media company that has run the magazine since 2019 and threatened to end its print edition.</p><p>It is a new chapter for Sports Illustrated, which published its first issue in 1954. Asaf Peled, the chief executive of Minute Media, said in an interview that he planned to continue Sports Illustrated’s print edition.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-36160154247587588502024-03-18T10:17:00.004-04:002024-03-18T10:43:09.353-04:00WSAB Study Offers Insight On Relevance of Radio, TV<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LneToy5gXBuyOA-fnEPszaqP6QplMgzaAdO5ulnVmkCJmD7roADJhUaLVOAm60rYYwHLTriikI1ATI2kTwUXzkBCBVq2OlOe14Vzp8lW1hv3HKScK_UZkxmhTWKG9PkoK2Cayx2vJbwxlcqhttKKAZ9D1L9tvyT7GNk42f-m79lIO9zAYZcnT2cEPDJL/s770/media%20landscape.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="770" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LneToy5gXBuyOA-fnEPszaqP6QplMgzaAdO5ulnVmkCJmD7roADJhUaLVOAm60rYYwHLTriikI1ATI2kTwUXzkBCBVq2OlOe14Vzp8lW1hv3HKScK_UZkxmhTWKG9PkoK2Cayx2vJbwxlcqhttKKAZ9D1L9tvyT7GNk42f-m79lIO9zAYZcnT2cEPDJL/w400-h224/media%20landscape.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Local media leads truth and accuracy in Washington state in a recent statewide media study, conducted by SmithGeiger for the Washington State Association of Broadcasters (WSAB). Based in Los Angeles, SmithGeiger's research for WSAB underscores the enduring relevance of local radio and television broadcasters across the state, despite the rise of on-demand content. <p></p><p>Keith Shipman, President & CEO of the WSAB, expressed satisfaction with the findings. "It's gratifying to see the majority of our state's citizens recognize local television and AM/FM radio as leading the media landscape in truthfulness and accuracy. With local TV securing the top spot for trust and accuracy at 62%, and AM/FM radio following closely at 57%, it underscores their pivotal role in our information ecosystem. Additionally, local newspapers are highly regarded among all media sources, further emphasizing the value of local journalism.” </p><p>Key Insights from the First-Ever WSAB Statewide Media Landscape Study: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Local radio (AM/FM) continues to lead as Washington state's preferred audio platform, with daily usage surpassing 5 hours across various devices—including in-car, digital, mobile, and social platforms—marking a +34% increase over paid audio. </li><li> The widespread availability of radio content on diverse platforms has greatly improved access, leading to increased engagement with local AM/FM stations. Notably, 77% tune into terrestrial radio, with 63% listening in their cars; 52% stream AM/FM radio, while 27% access it via their smartphones. </li></ul><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxiFsYxwPjI8sxHjA81fz638xBX-CTmDrFz8C0f3uydaLyg0uSS2KdLHAqPOuyB7SWWCKBcPTxw092cVeexVbK2DN7t3_n6e2QtBA_ZPgVcZwMxX8jWx7TVgaAQke4Q5h1kkh182xScIZBwoOS274v_2Hg9yijM2qvy3ckChcX8YeHAlrloie7QtOgoAD/s222/wsab%20logo.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="84" data-original-width="222" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxiFsYxwPjI8sxHjA81fz638xBX-CTmDrFz8C0f3uydaLyg0uSS2KdLHAqPOuyB7SWWCKBcPTxw092cVeexVbK2DN7t3_n6e2QtBA_ZPgVcZwMxX8jWx7TVgaAQke4Q5h1kkh182xScIZBwoOS274v_2Hg9yijM2qvy3ckChcX8YeHAlrloie7QtOgoAD/s1600/wsab%20logo.png" width="222" /></a></div> Local television holds the top spot as Washington state's preferred video platform, with an average daily viewership of nearly 4.5 hours across linear, digital, and social channels—outpacing paid video platforms by +40%. </li><li> Local television and radio advertisements play crucial roles in introducing new products and services, capturing 48% and 33% of consumers respectively. This highlights the significant impact of both platforms, with television ads slightly leading and radio, especially talent-endorsed spots, closely following as key discovery sources. </li><li> Support for local journalists, who report on community news, is deemed important by more than half (52%), highlighting the substantial impact of local radio and television stations on consumer sentiment. </li><li> Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu rank as the leading subscription-based video services in our state, with significant cross-subscription among these platforms. Meanwhile, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram emerge as the top social media channels, with YouTube engaging 8 in 10 consumers weekly in Washington state. </li><li> More than 8 in 10 (84%) are registered to vote, and nearly 6 in 10 (59%) routinely seek out political news and information each week. Adults 55 and older primarily depend on national TV news (56%) and local TV (39%) for political insights, whereas those aged 18-34 lean towards social media channels not associated with local TV or radio for such information. </li></ul><p></p><p>This research will help with setting up the important calls that can lead to a successful partnership with new businesses and deepen the relationship with existing clients.” </p><p>WSAB initiated this research to offer crucial insights to its members and community leaders, demonstrating the vital and lasting impact local broadcasters have in connecting with and informing their communities. The study was released on March 1, 2024. </p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-45402222709766166022024-03-18T10:10:00.000-04:002024-03-18T10:25:38.795-04:00Podcaster Kast Media Files for Bankruptcy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8n2QiTKJBXGfQNXF5WI8xqHNSn2gMMXQfI9e8wUwLTxGWVEy5ky9qqor6EIUf2lk_wFw4zCeLdau8SsnoCmYc-_f1VWnEaO4w3wT2Rz76x_bhL8hEHV1wJtXDOxlQuladCT4B1KJXfN7EekhsVM7Q2FYl-0Ff_BQ62mKiLL7bZadze44XCbhyBvAYWoA/s369/kast%20media%20logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="128" data-original-width="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8n2QiTKJBXGfQNXF5WI8xqHNSn2gMMXQfI9e8wUwLTxGWVEy5ky9qqor6EIUf2lk_wFw4zCeLdau8SsnoCmYc-_f1VWnEaO4w3wT2Rz76x_bhL8hEHV1wJtXDOxlQuladCT4B1KJXfN7EekhsVM7Q2FYl-0Ff_BQ62mKiLL7bZadze44XCbhyBvAYWoA/s16000/kast%20media%20logo.png" /></a></div><br />A podcast production company that was accused by comedian Theo Von and others of owing content creators millions of dollars has filed bankruptcy in California.<br /><br />Bloomberg <b><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-14/podcast-firm-that-theo-von-accused-of-missing-payments-files-bankruptcy">reports</a></b> Kast Media Inc., which historically produced and placed ads in shows, filed a type of Chapter 11 for small businesses. It had nearly $700,000 in total assets and more than $6.3 million in total liabilities as of Jan. 31, according to a balance sheet Kast included in the Wednesday filing.<br /><br />Multiple podcasters last year accused Kast and its chief executive officer Colin Thomson of falling behind on payments to shows the company worked with. In a Youtube video with more than 1.7 million views, Von said Kast owes various podcasters more than $4 million in back pay.<br /><br />Kast owes Von’s company $456,398, according to the bankruptcy petition, which is signed by Thomson. The company also listed other debt that it described as being related to podcast content, subscription services and legal services.<br /><br />The case is Kast Media Inc., number 24-10396, in the US Bankruptcy Court in the Central District of California (San Fernando Valley).Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-29401502634134116602024-03-18T09:59:00.001-04:002024-03-18T10:43:39.721-04:00One Year Later, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Reaches Staggering Numbers<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3EChU3pSUUm-lJHBoSGVF7-Enymfjw_ChtoWTZi4GzXAbuaY7YJPixvfjRtuboQwveK3ukoGm0wsB1HA5ansxd2hoxL4o7xSRJanEzrtzwDRenKzx3KdG-qEFluGtKkEIpOcqGvg_YzKXFRxbBv78zZXO8s2QVJ5lmt0iVTr2I1bX8h_Fhs4RtKi533E/s549/swift%20concert.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="549" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3EChU3pSUUm-lJHBoSGVF7-Enymfjw_ChtoWTZi4GzXAbuaY7YJPixvfjRtuboQwveK3ukoGm0wsB1HA5ansxd2hoxL4o7xSRJanEzrtzwDRenKzx3KdG-qEFluGtKkEIpOcqGvg_YzKXFRxbBv78zZXO8s2QVJ5lmt0iVTr2I1bX8h_Fhs4RtKi533E/s16000/swift%20concert.png" /></a></div><br />As of yesterday, it has been officially have been one year since Taylor Swift's Eras Tour kicked off in Glendale, Ariz. In the 12 months since that fateful first show, Swift has broken untold records, made history as TIME's 2023 Person of the Year, cultivated a new legion of NFL fans, and announced her forthcoming 11th studio album—The Tortured Poets Department, out April 19—among a litany of other accomplishments, according to <b><a href="https://time.com/6900208/taylor-swift-eras-tour-anniversary-stats/">Time</a></b> magazine.<p></p><p>By the end of 2023—less than halfway through its scheduled 152-show run—the Eras Tour had earned over $1 billion to become the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. During that period, every city where Swift played got a substantial economic boost from the so-called "Taylor Swift effect," a term that refers to the singer's unprecedented ability to influence consumer behavior. Following the inaugural U.S. leg of Eras, the U.S. Travel Association estimated that the tour's total economic impact likely exceeded $10 billion.</p><p>In the new year, Swift's staggering popularity seems to somehow still be on the rise. Less than a week after watching her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, win the Super Bowl, Swift played to the biggest concert crowd of her career while performing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia during the first run of 2024 Eras dates, following four shows in Tokyo.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqtsvYs1aX0M9Ofw1xB2GXMiDkFnhRlqsp1X7ky45LTD3rUvGIid8p-tKTQvwmpcEZTySc3DxWlC1f7mLmGaew2F4s9k2YqK6RRV_KylliopjIP2PGSMR3d0I2vzZGtEZ5j2C7F0EMx343zAXmTO5tw8Dp43zMwUMZcaI9LB8wOVoQk80YNo34Q_Yad4d/s384/swift%20time.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="353" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqtsvYs1aX0M9Ofw1xB2GXMiDkFnhRlqsp1X7ky45LTD3rUvGIid8p-tKTQvwmpcEZTySc3DxWlC1f7mLmGaew2F4s9k2YqK6RRV_KylliopjIP2PGSMR3d0I2vzZGtEZ5j2C7F0EMx343zAXmTO5tw8Dp43zMwUMZcaI9LB8wOVoQk80YNo34Q_Yad4d/w184-h200/swift%20time.png" width="184" /></a></div>Of her shows, 53 took place in the U.S. in 20 different cities stateside. The remaining 30 were part of the Latin America and Asia-Pacific legs of the tour. By the end of 2024, Swift is set to play a grand total of 152 Eras shows across 54 cities worldwide.<p></p><p>Swift played three back-to-back shows at MCG on Feb. 16, 17, and 18 that were each attended by a record 96,000 people for a three-day total of 288,000 concertgoers. Ed Sheeran, who drew a crowd of around 109,500 each of the two nights he played at MCG in 2023, still holds the venue's single-night attendance record. But that's largely due to the fact that Swift's stage setup took up more room in the arena, cutting down on the number of available seats.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p>Based on the approximately $17.32 million in ticket revenue Pollstar estimates Swift earned for each of the first 60 Eras dates, her total tour gross currently sits somewhere around $1.44 billion. By the end of 2024, the tour is expected to have brought in an astronomical $2.165 billion. For comparison, the second-highest grossing tour of all time, Elton John’s multi-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, sold six million tickets over the course of 328 shows to earn $939 million.</p><p>According to reports from different venues, Pollstar estimates Eras attendees were spending an average of $40 per person on merch at the first 60 Eras shows. That puts Swift's tour merch revenue at an estimated $240.8 million—not including non-concert day purchases—following her first run of 2024 Eras dates.</p><p>Since its Oct. 13 release in theaters, Swift's record-breaking three-and-a-half-hour concert film has grossed $180,756,269 in North America and $261,656,269 globally at the box office. An extended edition of the movie became available to rent via video on demand services on Swift's birthday, Dec. 13, followed by the longest and most complete version of the film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version), arriving on streaming on Disney+ March 14.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-48601486980807988212024-03-18T09:58:00.001-04:002024-03-18T10:02:22.100-04:00MLB Atlanta Braves Announce Their 2024 Broadcast Team<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9OUKvneheNx93uyHWuH_GusS12jJBJ9IgJkGV5hXl-5GbyJZG4es2UxwZGxEYiurDs-0HgEEbt1lDzDNIuFqgcqHkMpvTaCvejNeUyKR5bhpV1aJ8r6HMx2G0JfnsVBuaodYA1wyuYh3C3fMbzANdKbnqxKyuLD5vSztpyEKA5jazGqSSRFkQ7WZS5Wr/s511/braves%20broadcast.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9OUKvneheNx93uyHWuH_GusS12jJBJ9IgJkGV5hXl-5GbyJZG4es2UxwZGxEYiurDs-0HgEEbt1lDzDNIuFqgcqHkMpvTaCvejNeUyKR5bhpV1aJ8r6HMx2G0JfnsVBuaodYA1wyuYh3C3fMbzANdKbnqxKyuLD5vSztpyEKA5jazGqSSRFkQ7WZS5Wr/s16000/braves%20broadcast.png" /></a></div><br />Last season the MLB Altanta Braves went through a change in their play by play commentator for the first time in over a decade. Hopefully, the changes set for the 2024 season can walk the same path Brandon Gaudin last season.<p></p><p>Earlier this offseason it was announced Jeff Francoeur would be taking a reduced schedule in order to spend more time with his family. Former big league pitcher C.J. Nitkowski will take on the brunt of the color commentary duties alongside the aforementioned Brandon Gaudin.</p><p>Bally is set to broadcast 151 of the possible 162 regular season games, so we will be getting a heavy dosage of all these names in 2024. Recently, The House That Hank Built <b><a href="https://housethathankbuilt.com/posts/braves-news-atlanta-announces-new-look-broadcast-team-for-2024-season-01hs2jrpj2as">website</a></b> learned about a trio of new additions that will make the on-field reporting much different from seasons past.</p><p>One of the most notable new additions is that of the recently retired Collin McHugh. Just last season, he pitched over 58 innings for the Braves, so he will certainly bring an insight on the feelings in the clubhouse considering he's not long removed from it. McHugh was often regarded as one of the brightest pitchers in the league, so I'm sure we are all eager to hear some of his insights to what pitchers are trying to do on the mound.</p><p>Also notable is the absence of regular sideline reporter, Kelly Crull. It seems the Braves will instead rotate through Hanna Yates, Wiley Ballard, and Ashley ShahAhmadi as their sideline reporters for 2024. It has not yet been stated why Crull will not be apart of the Braves broadcasts for the upcoming season.</p><p>Trevor Scales will remain the host for the majority of "Braves Live" while the beloved Peter Moylan and Nick Green will serve as analysts once again in 2024. Bally's season-long coverage will start with an hour long edition of "Braves Live" at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 28th when the Braves take on their rivals the Philadelphia Phillies on Opening Day.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-83809228089368395552024-03-18T09:57:00.000-04:002024-03-18T10:00:27.412-04:00Study: Americans Can’t Tell The Difference Between Facts And Opinions<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40LLopzDBZDkoAjLH_eGkw55zam8ROUnkA6TPFDuR2NegMUHwe8QLFb6AT-_ft2fGnBm_Hr6h3J1WzCH94XdG-zRFmYhgS-hot8TpYDm7b3LTOzakJIhtBMF_nJktb3Bmm0PQBLOjWoM-BW8v4l5SveWC8ZRwmiG2r9zuxGmSpQRMuBLOKo5bmlnL43KX/s464/fake%20news%20device.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="464" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40LLopzDBZDkoAjLH_eGkw55zam8ROUnkA6TPFDuR2NegMUHwe8QLFb6AT-_ft2fGnBm_Hr6h3J1WzCH94XdG-zRFmYhgS-hot8TpYDm7b3LTOzakJIhtBMF_nJktb3Bmm0PQBLOjWoM-BW8v4l5SveWC8ZRwmiG2r9zuxGmSpQRMuBLOKo5bmlnL43KX/s320/fake%20news%20device.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />With many people’s judgments clouded by partisan bias, troubling new research finds many Americans struggle to distinguish facts from opinions in their 24-hour news cycles. <p></p><p>Study authors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say this worrisome trend potentially holds grave implications for civic discourse in the United States. On an individual level, this research suggests the average American is ill equipped to navigate the nonstop wave of political information (and possibly misinformation) they receive on a daily basis.</p><p>“There’s a huge amount of research on misinformation. But what we found is that, even before we get to the stage of labeling something misinformation, people often have trouble discerning the difference between statements of fact and opinion,” says study co-author Jeffery J. Mondak, a professor of political science and the James M. Benson Chair in Public Issues and Civic Leadership at Illinois, in a university release.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-bXMC0zr0vdeAXa6lA16p_0ih5HbKC5RAyGyrBwzz0nYMh9-KDIQC4gZK_y-f62lRIjuknh4Q8felPGC6VHn83_OS4MNHC9P5IDqG7BjZJuEmTWOWmVFEhWZ5rO5JBLzI2OsbKTZ7Qb_7CVnCAkZxMWZO8pT9PlOr_d9i7_v09UyH3UNFhlYMdlW8E2E/s356/fact%20opinion%20sign.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="356" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-bXMC0zr0vdeAXa6lA16p_0ih5HbKC5RAyGyrBwzz0nYMh9-KDIQC4gZK_y-f62lRIjuknh4Q8felPGC6VHn83_OS4MNHC9P5IDqG7BjZJuEmTWOWmVFEhWZ5rO5JBLzI2OsbKTZ7Qb_7CVnCAkZxMWZO8pT9PlOr_d9i7_v09UyH3UNFhlYMdlW8E2E/w200-h142/fact%20opinion%20sign.png" width="200" /></a></div>“We also see a lot of research on misinformation that comes at the problem from the angle of, ‘How are we doing in terms of playing whack-a-mole with misinformation? Are we able to fact check them and rebut these claims?’ Well, that isn’t necessarily a useful way of getting at the root cause of the problem,” adds Matthew Mettler, a U. of I. graduate student and co-author of the study.<p></p><p>The <b><a href="https://studyfinds.org/americans-facts-opinions/">Study Finds</a></b> focused on assessing whether Americans can differentiate statements of fact (2 + 2 = 4) versus statements of opinion (“Green is the most beautiful color”). The research team placed a particular emphasis on political statements.</p><p>Researchers asked study participants to categorize 12 statements regarding current events as either statements of fact or statements of opinion. Rather surprisingly, 45.7 percent of respondents did as badly as if they had flipped a coin to make a decision.</p><p>“What we’re showing here is that people have trouble distinguishing factual claims from opinion, and if we don’t have this shared sense of reality, then standard journalistic fact-checking – which is more curative than preventative – is not going to be a productive way of defanging misinformation,” Prof. Mondak explains. “How can you have productive discourse about issues if you’re not only disagreeing on a basic set of facts, but you’re also disagreeing on the more fundamental nature of what a fact itself is?”</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-22012321213327526342024-03-18T02:32:00.002-04:002024-03-18T04:13:51.937-04:003/18 WAKE-UP CALL: Guess Who Won The Russian Election<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQvBSylZhsPD1nPtfEBpKdAJT4JzbdUCV9SOBU4VA4XU85RaKsJ6lAWXcCGKSks6_iGF9viDEYiRZosIv9fxPn0d-nnT1f0znueN-cI_a1pjmVEHCvz0f2RDXJkh_NAyQyqL1uM2yhyAHjHZcRfC3BYayzVx9OagzchfCeqrI9Z_2_iLq-07kfueSWd5b/s449/putin3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="449" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQvBSylZhsPD1nPtfEBpKdAJT4JzbdUCV9SOBU4VA4XU85RaKsJ6lAWXcCGKSks6_iGF9viDEYiRZosIv9fxPn0d-nnT1f0znueN-cI_a1pjmVEHCvz0f2RDXJkh_NAyQyqL1uM2yhyAHjHZcRfC3BYayzVx9OagzchfCeqrI9Z_2_iLq-07kfueSWd5b/s16000/putin3.png" /></a></div>Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed his preordained electoral victory Sunday as a sign of the country's "trust" and "hope" in him, and after stifling any real attempt at unseating him, felt confident enough to refer to late opposition leader Alexei Navalny by name. Despite several opposition protests across Russia, Putin easily claimed another six-year term by getting 87% of the vote with 80% of the precincts counted, election officials said. Other candidates languished below 5%. Putin has been in power since 1999, and the predetermined victory will allow him to surpass Josef Stalin's 29-year tenure, making the former KGB agent the longest-serving Russian leader in more than 200 years even though the country has been engaged in a costly war in Ukraine for more than two years. The turnout of 74.22% was higher than the 67.5% recorded in 2018.<p></p><p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">With Vladimir Putin all but certain to win a fifth term in a landslide presidential election, thousands of Russians protested by spoiling their ballots or voting for other candidates. <a href="https://twitter.com/LamaHasan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LamaHasan</a> reports as Putin plans a victory parade in Moscow. <a href="https://t.co/7x5uMX7qYl">https://t.co/7x5uMX7qYl</a> <a href="https://t.co/aJPlhmoUQo">pic.twitter.com/aJPlhmoUQo</a></p>— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCWorldNews/status/1769559360282206435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p><b>➤BIBI CALLS SCHUMER'S COMMENTS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE:</b> Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday denied claims that he is an obstacle to peace in Gaza and dismissed as "totally inappropriate" Sen. Chuck Schumer's call for Israelis to hold elections to vote Netanyahu from power. "It's inappropriate to go to a sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership," Netanyahu said. "That is something the Israeli public does on its own, we're not a banana republic." Schumer, D-NY, the nation's highest-ranking Jewish elected official and long a supporter of Israel, said last week that "nobody expects Prime Minister Netanyahu to do the things that must be done to break the cycle of violence, preserve Israel’s credibility on the world stage and work toward a two-state solution.”</p><p><b>➤TRUMP TALKS THE ABORTION DEBATE:</b> Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the abortion debate, which has been a politically fraught subject for Republicans. Reports claim Trump has discussed having a ban on abortions after 16 weeks of pregnancy with three exceptions: rape, incest and the life of the mother. “Pretty soon, I’m going to be making a decision. And I would like to see if we could do that at all. I would like to see if we could make both sides happy,” Trump said on “MediaBuzz” Sunday.</p><p>Trump was vocally pro-life throughout his presidency, but he drew backlash after telling MSNBC in September that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ six-week ban on abortion was “a terrible thing and a terrible mistake.” While he has not officially announced his recommendation for abortion, his stance on the issue illustrates the changing attitudes and strategies among Republicans.</p><p>“If the Republicans spoke about it correctly, it never hurt me from the standpoint of elections. It hurt a lot of Republicans,” Trump told host Howard Kurtz. “But I tell people, No. 1, you have to go with your heart. You have to go with your heart. But beyond that, you also have to get elected, and if you don’t have the three exceptions, I think it’s very, very hard to get elected.”</p><p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">TRUMP: I’ll debate Joe Biden “anytime, anyplace” as he floats holding it on Fox News <a href="https://t.co/7GVQ7cQf5z">pic.twitter.com/7GVQ7cQf5z</a></p>— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TVNewsNow/status/1769479970324172879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p><b>➤LEFT LOSES ITS MIND OVER 'BLOODBATH' DECLARATION: </b>Former President Donald Trump’s declaration that if his second attempt at securing a second term in the White House fails then it will result in a “bloodbath” was taken entirely out of context by the Biden team and the media, according to his campaign. </p><p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough deletes misleading Trump ‘bloodbath' post after being challenged by Elon Musk <a href="https://t.co/EcD6XsgEmZ">pic.twitter.com/EcD6XsgEmZ</a></p>— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TVNewsNow/status/1769600894125957229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>Trump was speaking from an airfield in Dayton, Ohio on Saturday during a rally in support of Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, when the former president seemed to suggest another electoral loss would lead to widespread violence in the United States. “If I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole — that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country,” Trump said.</p><p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Republicans are defending Donald Trump’s controversial remarks, while discussing economic tariffs, that there would be a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses the 2024 election. <a href="https://twitter.com/maryaliceparks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@maryaliceparks</a> has the story. <a href="https://t.co/idJFkfiLEu">https://t.co/idJFkfiLEu</a> <a href="https://t.co/EaRWeFBEsp">pic.twitter.com/EaRWeFBEsp</a></p>— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCWorldNews/status/1769549282326073489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>President Biden’s campaign was quick to call out the 45th president’s rhetoric, declaring Trump’s statements a further piece of evidence that his public cozying up to authoritarians like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is not just politics as usual, but a sign of his own authoritarian leanings.</p><p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This bloodbath “controversy” is just a sign of how desperate left wingers are. Anyone with a brain could clearly see Trump was referring to a business collapse. Here are these same left wingers using the word bloodbath on their shows: <a href="https://t.co/iVfwoVjUUR">pic.twitter.com/iVfwoVjUUR</a></p>— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1769521293089550737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>According to Trump’s campaign, the “bloodbath” comment is being taken out of context from a larger speech. The former president was not indicating any sort of violence, they say, but was instead referring to the impact Chinese auto manufacturing will have on U.S industry and job markets, his team said.</p><p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">‘Woke’ people more likely to be unahppy, anxious and depressed, new study suggests <a href="https://t.co/25RQn08ouR">https://t.co/25RQn08ouR</a> <a href="https://t.co/QDHcGadc8D">pic.twitter.com/QDHcGadc8D</a></p>— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1769483261728657609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a></blockquote><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMoI3glgxtFB7Atnj4UJg-7zC2HoE6-FCIUtOTIYaBRK2NBcl79MGEYPV7bLcbQ9OjNul_QRA1UgsNBTiuePgddOc6MUk4Qwlo0JM9IcUSh39uOvC9nTzWyU5NaPr1BkllXDiGsligmQFjAGUVWIfFQJOItJfF7_NHSmGq8yk0EuTcJ-WLDJSm15wVkpr/s453/man.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="453" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMoI3glgxtFB7Atnj4UJg-7zC2HoE6-FCIUtOTIYaBRK2NBcl79MGEYPV7bLcbQ9OjNul_QRA1UgsNBTiuePgddOc6MUk4Qwlo0JM9IcUSh39uOvC9nTzWyU5NaPr1BkllXDiGsligmQFjAGUVWIfFQJOItJfF7_NHSmGq8yk0EuTcJ-WLDJSm15wVkpr/s16000/man.png" /></a></b></div><b>➤MAN SHOOTS 3 FAMILY MEMBERS:</b> A man faces multiple charges in Pennsylvania and New Jersey after suspected of killing three family members, including a 13-year-old girl, and carjacking vehicles in both states, authorities said Sunday. Andre Gordon Jr., 26, was charged in Bucks County, PA, with three counts of first- and second-degree murder, aggravated assault, robbery and other charges, according to court documents. In New Jersey, Gordon was charged with first-degree carjacking and weapons offenses, the state Attorney General's Office said in a news release Sunday. "The string of violent acts that took place yesterday, allegedly at the hands of a single armed individual, alarmed and terrorized communities in Bucks and Mercer counties."<div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /><p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Public scrutiny over Kate Middleton’s well-being has continued to grow this week after a digitally altered photo of the Princess of Wales and her children was released. <a href="https://t.co/XiepLwpSjl">https://t.co/XiepLwpSjl</a> <a href="https://t.co/kirFkvvfJI">pic.twitter.com/kirFkvvfJI</a></p>— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1769178368446955813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a></blockquote><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikr-WQORBuDPArkPnl5d1dghyPzO_MBXLUT0myqzAwElIjNNbjI0Nxf4KHStUQ_4aXnKr6CjY2aeV2lIiORBaV0_N9LdDZGRHCiZnP0RtZsOOCBIb4RZ1olvMirRt3r1fnGiEa5UL3V39HGL-nj4Oisma40e8VUk48QxdReorZKF9zaKVj0HmBO4792ivT/s450/SEEDS.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikr-WQORBuDPArkPnl5d1dghyPzO_MBXLUT0myqzAwElIjNNbjI0Nxf4KHStUQ_4aXnKr6CjY2aeV2lIiORBaV0_N9LdDZGRHCiZnP0RtZsOOCBIb4RZ1olvMirRt3r1fnGiEa5UL3V39HGL-nj4Oisma40e8VUk48QxdReorZKF9zaKVj0HmBO4792ivT/s16000/SEEDS.png" /></a></b></div><b>🏀SELECTION SUNDAY, WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT:</b> Men’s college basketball launches fully into March Madness 2024 as the 68-team field for the NCAA Tournament was announced on the Selection Sunday. UConn, which won the national championship last year, will enter the tournament with an even bigger target as the No. 1 overall seed. The Huskies will play in the East Regional, and they are joined as a top seed by Houston in the South, Purdue in the Midwest and North Carolina in the West. Get more details: <b><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2024/03/17/march-madness-bracket-ncaa-tournament-reveal/72955781007/"> HERE.</a></b><p></p><p><b>🏀GREG GUMBEL TO MISS ACTION:</b> As the 2024 men's NCAA Tournament kicks off, a familiar face in March Madness coverage will be missing. CBS studio host Greg Gumbel will not be part of this year's coverage because of "family health issues," the network announced Sunday, just before the bracket reveal. Taking over his duties will be Adam Zucker. The rest of the crew – Clark Kellogg, Jay Wright and Seth Davis – all wished Gumbel and his family well before the bracket was announced. </p><p><b>🏀WOMEN'S MARCH MADNESS BRACKETS REVEALED:</b> Undefeated South Carolina earned the top overall seed and is in the first Albany Region. Iowa and Caitlin Clark, poised for another Final Four run after her landmark season where she broke the all-time scoring record, earned the No. 1 seed in the second Albany Region. USC and Texas are the top seeds in the Portland 3 and Portland 4 regions, respectively. LSU's Angel Reese, Stanford's Cameron Brink, Connecticut's Paige Bueckers and South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao are hoping to stand in the way of Clark's first national title. See the complete women's bracket here. <b><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaw/2024/03/17/womens-bracket-march-madness-ncaa-tournament-reveal/72955677007/">Read USA TODAY</a></b> Sports' full breakdown and analysis of the women's bracket. Catch up on all the Selection Sunday results, bracket updates and more below.</p><p><b>🏈BEARS DEAL FIELDS TO STEELERS</b>: The Chicago Bears have traded former first-round pick Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the teams announced Saturday night. The Steelers are sending the Bears a 2025 sixth-round pick that could become a fourth-round pick. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the pick becomes a fourth-rounder if Fields plays 51% of the offensive snaps this season. The trade comes one day after the Steelers traded 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. That move appeared to pave the way for free agent pickup Russell Wilson to start, but the Fields addition brings added intrigue to the Steelers' offseason.</p><p>➤<b>MONDAY'S WEATHER MAP:</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jfXdVkbgmoH9DupGvLMdeOL-IYZOxViSutMQeyKYCZhNqeDF2MaiHxyvk6ewTjuS1MjYjKAk7O4BU4qCSV-zJnDY0Kg1MWIJhmihdWR2F0ZGkbPYB6N9Gp9e_zD2tYEiptLqu8h6GSH99XNMi292Zd6v9QjA587chrNLQ85oX5_4C1IIx2JQBlooEhrp/s749/weather%20monday1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="749" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jfXdVkbgmoH9DupGvLMdeOL-IYZOxViSutMQeyKYCZhNqeDF2MaiHxyvk6ewTjuS1MjYjKAk7O4BU4qCSV-zJnDY0Kg1MWIJhmihdWR2F0ZGkbPYB6N9Gp9e_zD2tYEiptLqu8h6GSH99XNMi292Zd6v9QjA587chrNLQ85oX5_4C1IIx2JQBlooEhrp/w640-h340/weather%20monday1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p></div>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-51497736468530216362024-03-18T02:17:00.000-04:002024-03-18T04:22:29.314-04:00Apple In Talks to Let Google Gemini Power iPhone AI Features<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1pcer5oMM70Ldq_fZi7Xd_SHaYPLNMbjjRZmVm9LPzqeFaVBOIQwJZmTZ63qs6PFdkrydJsp87tkBftyk2trP6xUIxx3mctJO8XntLPws0SVy8lbGDgDzi18mvqx180ne22VrMrqiRJmMr0XjK0gsaoR1PNPisbH5DKovlsMFO3N2buZAr2XRpEcWUWK/s615/gemini%20logo%20black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="615" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1pcer5oMM70Ldq_fZi7Xd_SHaYPLNMbjjRZmVm9LPzqeFaVBOIQwJZmTZ63qs6PFdkrydJsp87tkBftyk2trP6xUIxx3mctJO8XntLPws0SVy8lbGDgDzi18mvqx180ne22VrMrqiRJmMr0XjK0gsaoR1PNPisbH5DKovlsMFO3N2buZAr2XRpEcWUWK/s16000/gemini%20logo%20black.png" /></a></div><br />Apple Inc. is in talks to build Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence engine into the iPhone, according to people familiar with the situation, setting the stage for a blockbuster agreement that would shake up the AI industry.<p></p><p>Bloomberg<b><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-18/apple-in-talks-to-license-google-gemini-for-iphone-ios-18-generative-ai-tools?srnd=homepage-americas"> reports </a></b>the two companies are in active negotiations to let Apple license Gemini, Google’s set of generative AI models, to power some new features coming to the iPhone software this year, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private. Apple also recently held discussions with OpenAI and has considered using its model, according to the people.</p><p>If a deal between Apple and Google comes to fruition, it would build upon the two companies’ search partnership. For years, Alphabet Inc.’s Google has paid Apple billions of dollars annually to make its search engine the default option in the Safari web browser on the iPhone and other devices. The two parties haven’t decided the terms or branding of an AI agreement or finalized how it would be implemented, the people said.</p><p>A deal would give Gemini a key edge with billions of potential users. But it also may be a sign that Apple isn’t as far along with its AI efforts as some might have hoped — and threatens to draw further antitrust scrutiny of both companies.</p><p>Apple is preparing new capabilities as part of iOS 18 — the next version of the iPhone operating system — based on its own AI models. But those enhancements will be focused on features that operate on its devices, rather than ones delivered via the cloud. So Apple is seeking a partner to do the heavy lifting of generative AI, including functions for creating images and writing essays based on simple prompts.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-44306573056160760542024-03-18T00:11:00.001-04:002024-03-18T00:11:00.133-04:00Swift’s Taylor-Made Recordings Just Reached A Special Milestone<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Fcwkoaijd1TpVoj6UUsh1lZeLGshq1SRmi3EplfliavYpDlKGsQONJqSWEMFlaeJdXd9i8AB7Ezmi8jI3GMfq69DEQt0ijuwp6v76B-Va5ki6CynNeaoapL2RHQEfCP7ZYA6Hn_IrrLKJpfIO2rFnQtoF7Au0uS1hy1Gx-DoKwt6wglaPFYPkB6O8nwI/s1280/swift%20rerecording.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Fcwkoaijd1TpVoj6UUsh1lZeLGshq1SRmi3EplfliavYpDlKGsQONJqSWEMFlaeJdXd9i8AB7Ezmi8jI3GMfq69DEQt0ijuwp6v76B-Va5ki6CynNeaoapL2RHQEfCP7ZYA6Hn_IrrLKJpfIO2rFnQtoF7Au0uS1hy1Gx-DoKwt6wglaPFYPkB6O8nwI/w400-h225/swift%20rerecording.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Taylor Swift started releasing re-recorded editions of her first six albums–renamed Taylor’s Version–nearly three years ago. Since then, all four projects she’s delivered have become massive global commercial successes. They’ve all churned out big hits and sold incredibly well. This week, Swift hits a special milestone for the first time with one of her re-recordings. according to <b><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2024/03/17/taylor-swifts-re-recordings-just-reached-a-special-milestone/?sh=4bd94fd293ac">Forbes</a></b>.<p></p><p>“Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version) [From The Vault]” is the new No. 1 song on two of Billboard’s charts. The single, taken from her 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album, jumps to the top spot on both the Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay rankings.</p><p>That track now stands as the first No. 1 from any of Swift’s re-recordings on one of Billboard’s radio charts. Impressively, before this week, she had never reached the highest rung on any of the radio rankings with a tune from a re-recorded album, but suddenly, she’s scored two such wins at the same time.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vKddysty__a8gLy3OEUYW2M40IpLexqBTedOV-MBdCNxXXpZvIFRz_xYpG2yHqDbPXndI4AYl8cJTe8EA6JRj0LUHk8SLcU_G9YUTB4RpxfDe6TSUbETiKhhyb4WHB_CO-DAir7rL8lemp7TWF5Uo_JTLGWYyuOm8cyfL-NsXnKeToW-TpnuBxRatrbe/s409/taylor%20swift1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="409" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vKddysty__a8gLy3OEUYW2M40IpLexqBTedOV-MBdCNxXXpZvIFRz_xYpG2yHqDbPXndI4AYl8cJTe8EA6JRj0LUHk8SLcU_G9YUTB4RpxfDe6TSUbETiKhhyb4WHB_CO-DAir7rL8lemp7TWF5Uo_JTLGWYyuOm8cyfL-NsXnKeToW-TpnuBxRatrbe/w200-h192/taylor%20swift1.png" width="200" /></a></div>“Is It Over Now?” lifts from No. 3 to No. 1 on both of the aforementioned rankings, which are two of the three of Billboard’s pop radio charts. At the same time she leads both the Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay lists, Swift also controls the third pop radio tally, the Adult Contemporary chart. On that roster, her single “Cruel Summer” is still in charge.<p></p><p>As she earns another leader, Swift makes history on both tallies. On the Pop Airplay chart, “Is It Over Now?” helps the singer further distance herself from all other acts with the most No. 1s ever. It’s her thirteenth champion, while the runners-up, Rihanna, Maroon 5, and Katy Perry, all claim 11.</p><p>On the Adult Pop Airplay chart, Swift doesn’t yet own the record for the most No. 1s ever, but she’s close. “Is It Over Now?” is her twelfth ruler. She’s currently behind only Maroon 5, as the pop band has collected 15 winners.</p><p>“Is It Over Now?” has been slowly climbing on the radio charts for several months, since it was first released in October of 2023. The track debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and was a huge sales success the moment it hit the Billboard rankings, but it usually takes much longer for singles to climb on the radio lists</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-74941614640683924542024-03-18T00:06:00.000-04:002024-03-18T00:06:00.125-04:00CNBC Releasing Documentary About ESPN<p><b><a href="https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/cnbc-documentary-alex-sherman.html"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vOBoXVabpB9uloW4gCzDkHSytj8arupUrUIYCwSAiRfASsSJ-CjXKH5Po4Tck5ygTD1CwtcFJygdBLuu0f5iWOkMwxKE9DNKJBQ7gbq2YB6ov2405AIZHQUSbzGLe3O35oLSYBvfSX6msUmnLpX99rswPNOvnW6QUqmFa7WgbrLOFsolC1cwZyEFEeLN/s630/espn%20docu.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="630" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vOBoXVabpB9uloW4gCzDkHSytj8arupUrUIYCwSAiRfASsSJ-CjXKH5Po4Tck5ygTD1CwtcFJygdBLuu0f5iWOkMwxKE9DNKJBQ7gbq2YB6ov2405AIZHQUSbzGLe3O35oLSYBvfSX6msUmnLpX99rswPNOvnW6QUqmFa7WgbrLOFsolC1cwZyEFEeLN/w400-h266/espn%20docu.jpeg" width="400" /></a></b></div><b><br /> Awful Announcing</b> is reporting CNBC is releasing a documentary this week highlighting ESPN’s transition from cable reliance to the uncertainty of direct digital offerings.<p></p><p>The documentary, titled “ESPN’s Fight for Dominance,” will be announced next week with clips airing Wednesday and throughout the week with the full version (a little under half an hour) posted online next week at a time to be determined. The project is being led by CNBC reporter Alex Sherman, who has done an extensive amount of reporting on the business of ESPN.</p><p>We’re told several ESPN personalities did participate such as Elle Duncan, Kevin Negandhi, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and others appearing in the project. On the business side, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro was interviewed, as was Rosalyn Durant, ESPN Executive Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions. Endeavor President and COO Mark Shapiro also participated.</p><p>n a bit of a surprise, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek was also interviewed. Chapek has not spoken much publicly since being ousted from the company. Noted ESPN pessimist Rich Greenfield was also interviewed, ensuring the “sky is falling” narrative will be articulated in a way that only he can.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-29453811729141157202024-03-18T00:05:00.001-04:002024-03-18T00:05:00.133-04:00RI-CT Radio: Cumulus Stations Official Radio Home for Rhode Island FC<a href="http://www.cumulusmedia.com/"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cumulusmedia.com/"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXHZZDZXiJ_5Qd8Lb4pnDUIbjvzoatp-ADDySmBe6aeD-DOElqvf7hXg9ZAAtA2xAU1Mf8m-dOyHOzBkbE9hAa-HvOPumBabb-mfhJ55_1nf5Lo_aoC74MQDy3tksI8JJZFKkSKzgvY2Mr1vYjmYxdH2yeXWTs800OQz2hunk7SgdpmZnJ9zDmPy3Y4h_/s321/RI%20COMBO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="125" data-original-width="321" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXHZZDZXiJ_5Qd8Lb4pnDUIbjvzoatp-ADDySmBe6aeD-DOElqvf7hXg9ZAAtA2xAU1Mf8m-dOyHOzBkbE9hAa-HvOPumBabb-mfhJ55_1nf5Lo_aoC74MQDy3tksI8JJZFKkSKzgvY2Mr1vYjmYxdH2yeXWTs800OQz2hunk7SgdpmZnJ9zDmPy3Y4h_/w400-h156/RI%20COMBO.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Cumulus Media announces that it has entered into a new partnership with <a href="https://www.rhodeislandfc.com/">Rhode Island Football Club</a> (Rhode Island FC) to broadcast select matches for the club’s inaugural 2024 season on Cumulus radio stations 790 The Score/WPRV-AM (Sports) in Providence, RI, and 890 WXLM-AM (NewsTalk/Sports) in New London, CT. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJ3tyMufRDOnVkDB0nEuhnUGQVfQJioHxlPC_EP4-xKdgVm4sPC2do9dpFvHAJh2HOUkqqwU2H4WmgeP9kS4DL0xpsf2Z650JuSbI0m-q5DYji-1Wwx7HrWn6hQ4wR0MsnXkSh54-Uhjktm2TcxC591XmV7KVPCv9ShIwU1lppuChEGEWzehkO4XjaDi_/s517/ri%20footbal.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="517" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJ3tyMufRDOnVkDB0nEuhnUGQVfQJioHxlPC_EP4-xKdgVm4sPC2do9dpFvHAJh2HOUkqqwU2H4WmgeP9kS4DL0xpsf2Z650JuSbI0m-q5DYji-1Wwx7HrWn6hQ4wR0MsnXkSh54-Uhjktm2TcxC591XmV7KVPCv9ShIwU1lppuChEGEWzehkO4XjaDi_/w200-h197/ri%20footbal.png" width="200" /></a></div>A club for all Rhode Island, Rhode Island FC is independently owned and operated and is the only homegrown men’s professional team in the state. It is led by co-founders Brett Johnson and former MLS and USMNT player Michael Parkhurst, a Rhode Island native. The club will begin play in March 2024 in its temporary venue, Beirne Stadium on the campus of Bryant University, while its permanent home stadium is completed for the 2025 season. The Stadium at Tidewater Landing in downtown Pawtucket will be a state-of-the-art stadium with a 10,000+ capacity.<br /><br />Holly Paras, Regional Vice President and Market Manager, Cumulus Media, said: “I am delighted that our stations will enter into this new broadcasting partnership with Rhode Island FC, and help to bring the Southern New England community the passion and drama of this new team and exciting sport.”<br /><br />“We are beyond excited to be partnering with Cumulus Media to broadcast Rhode Island FC matches on their stations,” said Rhode Island FC President Brett Luy. “As a Club for All Rhode Island, it is imperative to be able to provide our fans with access to our matches through as many platforms as possible, and this partnership is another critical step in accomplishing that objective.”<br /><br /></div>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-79011765558388960602024-03-18T00:03:00.002-04:002024-03-18T10:44:34.431-04:00Beyonce's Country Hits Raising Profiles Of Other Artists Of Color<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQV0MX56OX8flh1YBPDNEQAZ1DJ3OYQVCw1nXg_W-oMOfTKNf0gQRzw8AYuzx4WfV40D8Rax1Qr959WLukx5RFoOtFfAOYExxo_DRR-ZV70NbJPEReCiTD1Uz3tF2mWymOfJ4axwtMtai6-XryHERqMh4Kp3As_mABmEiqcBG9sdFgA1ukzBMcKvYOIKuF/s1500/beyonce.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQV0MX56OX8flh1YBPDNEQAZ1DJ3OYQVCw1nXg_W-oMOfTKNf0gQRzw8AYuzx4WfV40D8Rax1Qr959WLukx5RFoOtFfAOYExxo_DRR-ZV70NbJPEReCiTD1Uz3tF2mWymOfJ4axwtMtai6-XryHERqMh4Kp3As_mABmEiqcBG9sdFgA1ukzBMcKvYOIKuF/s320/beyonce.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Beyonce</span></b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Superstar singer-songwriter Beyoncé Knowles is foraying into country music — taking on a genre that has excluded women of color for decades and in the process proving its listeners have a strong interest in Black female artists. Her country music era, launched during a Super Bowl ad in mid-February and headlined by an upcoming album, is broadening the industry’s listenership and igniting streaming numbers for songs by other Black female country artists.<p></p><p>Country star Tanner Adell, a Black artist, saw U.S. streams of her track “Buckle Bunny” soar 305% during the first week of March, according to <b><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/16/beyoncs-country-songs-are-boosting-streams-for-black-artists.html">CNBC </a></b>citing data from Spotify</p><p>Another song from Adell, “Trailer Park Barbie,” saw a 130% jump in streams, the music streaming company said.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQAc7J3KvpTgLKRLXE-VaslqNxkwObYFKdC67LvZpBaFgDmNTEGTVg4LlGNz55zybnModTewUkHZqT3esBAAmG7I2DsRlTWgF_cE9TVujNx_dqCy8aD2F8KrBGRsyZN2qJt8CjWi7k0Va2ikPckaJ7V2Gevn66QAM-KQwHbVoOAFM8qZKLbAT3U1d4kc6/s379/country%20hits%20beyonce.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="379" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQAc7J3KvpTgLKRLXE-VaslqNxkwObYFKdC67LvZpBaFgDmNTEGTVg4LlGNz55zybnModTewUkHZqT3esBAAmG7I2DsRlTWgF_cE9TVujNx_dqCy8aD2F8KrBGRsyZN2qJt8CjWi7k0Va2ikPckaJ7V2Gevn66QAM-KQwHbVoOAFM8qZKLbAT3U1d4kc6/w200-h168/country%20hits%20beyonce.png" width="200" /></a></div>Other Black female country artists like Mickey Guyton and Reyna Roberts saw boosts too, and Knowles’ own country-esque song “Daddy Lessons,” off her sixth studio pop album, “Lemonade,” spiked 540% in streams the day after her two country singles were released last month, Spotify reported.<p></p><p>“Texas Hold ’Em,” one of those singles, made her the first Black woman to claim the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Country chart, according to the famed music magazine.</p><p>That song and her second recent country hit, “16 Carriages,” will appear on “Act II: Cowboy Carter.” Knowles announced the album title in a Tuesday post on her website. It follows “Act I: Renaissance” and serves as the second installment to a three-part project.</p><p>Knowles’ album announcement was a “pinnacle moment in time,” according to The New York Times bestselling author, country songwriter and lecturer Alice Randall, who was the first Black woman to write a No.1 song for an artist on the Hot Country chart, back in 1994.</p><p>“Beyoncé is signaling that Black women have been in country music almost since the beginning,” Randall said. “We have finally broken through the redlining that kept us out of the charts.”</p><p>Acceptance for artists of color in country music remains a challenge, though, — even for Knowles, whose recorded songs are mostly categorized as pop and R&B.</p><p>Political tensions have flared in the country music industry for decades, as newer and more liberal artists try to transition away from the genre’s “conservative” roots, Neal said. The genre’s fan base has long skewed conservative, she said.</p><p>Knowles — along with superstar Taylor Swift, who both had mega years in 2023 — received a higher percentage of negative ratings from registered Republicans than any other demographic of voters, across political affiliation, race and age, according to an NBC News poll. Of voters polled, 34% had a negative stance on Knowles, while 16% had a positive view. More than 40% of Republicans were neutral. Among registered Democrats who were polled, just 5% had a negative stance on Knowles and more than half had a positive view.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-49518322470122910822024-03-18T00:02:00.001-04:002024-03-18T10:46:24.943-04:00R.I.P.: Bill Jorgenson, Longtime NYC Broadcast News Anchor<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ud6DsUzBybNUWfQ671_FcD5uZCU7HgnSfF-qtSeNFvV3GjDRZQ-4mMwZCVVzVj0IqJtyeGcBVigWm4MIpK6NPYdNRubB2Dnqox00hxT3vjRj8JIanD5jQkAfMu8RGP8d4gP3MJlGuXJR6I1-7QN0VTlW0GH6UT5-dDvozBqZjgbw9dvHdvdILzO5udSr/s376/BILL%20JORGENSON.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="376" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ud6DsUzBybNUWfQ671_FcD5uZCU7HgnSfF-qtSeNFvV3GjDRZQ-4mMwZCVVzVj0IqJtyeGcBVigWm4MIpK6NPYdNRubB2Dnqox00hxT3vjRj8JIanD5jQkAfMu8RGP8d4gP3MJlGuXJR6I1-7QN0VTlW0GH6UT5-dDvozBqZjgbw9dvHdvdILzO5udSr/s320/BILL%20JORGENSON.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Bill Jorgensen (1928-2024)</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Longtime New York City broadcast news anchor Bill Jorgensen, known for coining the tagline, “It’s 10 p.m. — do you know where your children are?” died on Wednesday at age 96.<p></p><p>The NY Post <b><a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/16/us-news/longtime-new-york-city-news-anchor-bill-jorgensen-dead-at-96/">reports </a></b>Jorgensen was recruited from Cleveland in 1967 to be the founding anchor of the Ten O’Clock News on WNEW, now Fox 5 New York, which he hosted for over 12 years, always signing off with his signature, ““Thanking you for your time this time, until next time.” </p><p>“His ‘never-give-up’ spirit lasted until his end of life, and I just hope to be able to follow his example as long as possible,” his daughter, Rebekah Jorgensen, wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.</p><p>She did not share his cause of death.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p>“I grew up knowing him, behind the scenes, as a man deeply committed to finding the story that put people and their rights in danger, intent on finding innovative ways of telling it,” she said.</p><p>His daughter recalled his coverage of environmental stories including Cleveland pollution, as well as the story of Robert Manry, a copy editor from Ohio who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1965 in a 13-foot sailboat.</p><p>He also reported on the famous case of Dr. Sam Sheppard, who was accused and then acquitted of his pregnant wife’s 1954 murder.</p><p>The Sheppard case is said to have inspired the television series and later movie, “The Fugitive.”</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-12892832994849518242024-03-18T00:01:00.017-04:002024-03-18T10:18:36.465-04:00Radio History: March 18<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rKZW4UWLRltDTsB8IuCDCmID91DeGgNpSt8SDwtX-2sdlxnBOz-H_RdWj_Pt3JqFbrcsmCuNc9ukbjlB0beOywggPFSU7sCGb-SC9vQ8BFMLuWGsuc1Yn2a3suC6JaA9TpEYFK7b_ivhQgqsqzacpiP4tWGOmdH2SWTMICZ90DyXeL4pcWJ4Hh6QJw/s439/Radio_history_new.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="439" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rKZW4UWLRltDTsB8IuCDCmID91DeGgNpSt8SDwtX-2sdlxnBOz-H_RdWj_Pt3JqFbrcsmCuNc9ukbjlB0beOywggPFSU7sCGb-SC9vQ8BFMLuWGsuc1Yn2a3suC6JaA9TpEYFK7b_ivhQgqsqzacpiP4tWGOmdH2SWTMICZ90DyXeL4pcWJ4Hh6QJw/w320-h216/Radio_history_new.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1911</span></b>...Lester Alvin Burnett was born (Died at age 55 from leukemia – February 16, 1967). <p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6xJiJ0G85Bb2gH62f4selEpEWUhNEby2fU6zyChs6iMTwTFF7UbCSKr9Af3tzG6w7BuGmij7l7EJf-nt5rujfKIwMLw5IcP6-p8aggD321epzb_i2AnjdIwz0w09tVR9Y-CRXaEvS6ZvRMeCeweTfQ3Pseu_-s40fYkp0BrvRkJAVTVUVJ23svZx6A/s200/smiley_burnette.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="148" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6xJiJ0G85Bb2gH62f4selEpEWUhNEby2fU6zyChs6iMTwTFF7UbCSKr9Af3tzG6w7BuGmij7l7EJf-nt5rujfKIwMLw5IcP6-p8aggD321epzb_i2AnjdIwz0w09tVR9Y-CRXaEvS6ZvRMeCeweTfQ3Pseu_-s40fYkp0BrvRkJAVTVUVJ23svZx6A/s1600/smiley_burnette.png" width="148" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Smiley Burnette</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table>He better known as Smiley Burnette, was a country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and other B-movie cowboys. He was also a prolific singer-songwriter who could play as many as 100 musical instruments, some simultaneously. His career, beginning in 1934, spanned four decades, including a regular role on CBS-TV's Petticoat Junction in the 1960s.<p></p><p>He began singing as a child and learned to play a wide variety of instruments by ear, yet never learned to read or write music. In his teens, he worked in vaudeville, and starting in 1929, at the state's first commercial radio station, WDZ-AM in Tuscola, Illinois.</p><p>Burnette came by his nickname while creating a character for a WDZ children's program. He was reading Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" at the time, which included a character named Jim Smiley. He named the radio character Mr. Smiley and soon adopted the moniker as his own, dropping the title.</p><p>He made 80 western movies with Autry, then in TV became a regular on Ozark Jubilee, and played Charlie the railroad engineer on Petticoat Junction.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1912</span></b>... Art Gilmore born in Tacoma, WA (Died at age 98 – September 25, 2010) . He was an actor and announcer heard in on radio and television programs, children's records, movies, trailers, radio commercials, and documentary films. He also appeared in several television series and a few feature films.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvTEzAKgVcKf8sIczU_tyTLiFrKOtrgAvwsxCIrcADtLXRcxZv3Yg-_4dB0nJHlQAFoG_DVO5uiEoKyjfD4CPXZNJfObnncuFHqVH8RvKjS5u_faqBfttok3VA2E_0iC9fivXJnyKR3cpWbkmiblYDeSiBZTMniiA6YwIH_whFvxXq6tu6s-jvC0Tqw/s168/art_gilmore.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="128" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvTEzAKgVcKf8sIczU_tyTLiFrKOtrgAvwsxCIrcADtLXRcxZv3Yg-_4dB0nJHlQAFoG_DVO5uiEoKyjfD4CPXZNJfObnncuFHqVH8RvKjS5u_faqBfttok3VA2E_0iC9fivXJnyKR3cpWbkmiblYDeSiBZTMniiA6YwIH_whFvxXq6tu6s-jvC0Tqw/s1600/art_gilmore.png" width="128" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Art Gilmore</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table>Raised in Tacoma, Washington, Gilmore attended Washington State University in 1931, where he was a member of the Chi chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity and a member of the Alpha Omicron Chapter of Theta Chi fraternity. In 1935, he got hired to work as an announcer for Seattle's KOL Radio. In 1936, he became a staff announcer for the Warner Brothers' radio station KFWB in Hollywood and then moved to the CBS-owned station KNX as a news reader. During World War II, he served as a fighter-director U.S. Navy officer aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean.<p></p><p>Leaving the Navy, he decided to become a professional singer and returned to Hollywood. With a group of notable Hollywood radio stars, including Edgar Bergen, Ralph Edwards and Jim Jordan, Gilmore founded Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters in 1966.</p><p>Gilmore's announcing voice became a part of many classic radio programs. Drawing his inspiration from the radio sports commentators of the 1930s, he became the announcer for Amos 'n' Andy, The Adventures of Frank Race, Dr. Christian, Sears Radio Theater, Stars over Hollywood, The Golden Days of Radio and other radio shows. It was Gilmore who introduced Herbert W. Armstrong and Garner Ted Armstrong, reminding listeners to request free religious literature at the conclusion of "The World Tomorrow" on radio and television.</p><p>He narrated 156 episodes of syndicated TV’s Highway Patrol with Broderick Crawford, 39 segments of Mackenzie’s Raiders with Richard Carlson, and 41 episodes of Men of Annapolis</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRF3pLR8dGuqbdu-qlOmV1WN1j-7qBl-BidZbzFB3qj-iOxBSG7nzha9nAETU35Pc-DD2PyyYMePyCZvAdEwB2JtHVLxCpX9WY0ishW5aBjMaR76zo6p_fxvs8MR0YV0jpwJ-2M9y9o1vCNX3ZeiyxclL1LyfwNLQt0k2RQTkmVTuy8EBUzTlE9v6iDA/s529/whn_mic.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="436" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRF3pLR8dGuqbdu-qlOmV1WN1j-7qBl-BidZbzFB3qj-iOxBSG7nzha9nAETU35Pc-DD2PyyYMePyCZvAdEwB2JtHVLxCpX9WY0ishW5aBjMaR76zo6p_fxvs8MR0YV0jpwJ-2M9y9o1vCNX3ZeiyxclL1LyfwNLQt0k2RQTkmVTuy8EBUzTlE9v6iDA/s320/whn_mic.png" width="264" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1922</span></b>...WHN-AM, NYC signed-on at 833Kc<p></p><p>According to Faded Signals, WHN, New York City, signed on in 1922 as the radio station of The Ridgewood Times newspaper. It was one of the city’s first radio stations, featuring a format of jazz and dance music of the era, as well as children’s shows, variety programs and newscasts. The Loew’s Theater Organization bought the station in 1928.</p><p>The station played jazz and contemporary dance music, including Sophie Tucker, Fletcher Henderson, and Duke Ellington, as well as broadcasting Columbia University football games. In 1928 the station was bought by the Loew's Theatre Organization.</p><p>During the 1920s the station's frequency changed to 830, 760, and then 1010.</p><p>In the 1930s it broadcast the Major Bowes Amateur Hour, which was picked up by the CBS Radio Network.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitnaMwY3kfkDrF6BLYpnnLIjAv63qYytBHAXXUMKMchVsuTjKrQ7Jui7zFYfDo7s9hHO4ahuvnj4hG8g_Zl1-WkYmH6a221j8wC7-j9WwCWDi0gW26yiK6cgEGUB1htlphnyHfb8mp_1nv5j4fgQ8yahKmSF0sGNh4lLSwc8SbFiYtJk1-krtHFl9Vg/s287/whn1010.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="287" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitnaMwY3kfkDrF6BLYpnnLIjAv63qYytBHAXXUMKMchVsuTjKrQ7Jui7zFYfDo7s9hHO4ahuvnj4hG8g_Zl1-WkYmH6a221j8wC7-j9WwCWDi0gW26yiK6cgEGUB1htlphnyHfb8mp_1nv5j4fgQ8yahKmSF0sGNh4lLSwc8SbFiYtJk1-krtHFl9Vg/s1600/whn1010.png" width="287" /></a></div>WHN made its final frequency change to 1050 in 1941.<p></p><p>During the 1940s the programs Radio Newsreel and Newsreel Theater were prototypes for what would later become the all-news radio format. The station broadcast Brooklyn Dodgers games with Red Barber as well as the New York Giants and New York Rangers with Marty Glickman.</p><p>In 1948, WHN became WMGM, reflecting the Loew’s then-ownership of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie studio. The station continued its diversified format until flipping to Top 40 and rock music in the mid 1950s. While it included some R&B, country and instrumentals in the Top 40 mix, WMGM carried a narrower, more up-tempo playlist.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBQfjErPF3Mwcm2h2DImfr7UwVHj4sb2a9wrq8bDZObPQEFOUnbKpb1GojEIdy130pykJRGz6sD5qL3yZ2_42Q6O53Ohq3v4HE8U_Bc19uUeo9otAW_dJw2LlBSICkHUQlBoyI122vyTN070ht_c4HDcip2_iSA5X1bm5L-O7u4oDySnjNL9pnBTAYg/s295/wmgm.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="295" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBQfjErPF3Mwcm2h2DImfr7UwVHj4sb2a9wrq8bDZObPQEFOUnbKpb1GojEIdy130pykJRGz6sD5qL3yZ2_42Q6O53Ohq3v4HE8U_Bc19uUeo9otAW_dJw2LlBSICkHUQlBoyI122vyTN070ht_c4HDcip2_iSA5X1bm5L-O7u4oDySnjNL9pnBTAYg/s1600/wmgm.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>By the early 1960s, WMGM 1050 AM had several competitors in the Top 40 radio market. WINS, WABC and WMCA all were playing rock, and WMGM was falling behind in the ratings.<p></p><p>Storer Broadcasting bought the station in 1962, renaming it WHN and dropping the Top 40 in favor of slow-paced “beautiful music” and standards.</p><p>WHN also became New York City’s Mutual Radio Network affiliate. Bob & Ray, WABC legend Herb Oscar Anderson and Jim Ameche were some of WHN’s on-air personalities.</p><p>The station picked up New York Mets baseball and launched Marv Albert’s sportscasting career.</p><p>WHN’s ratings were low and skewed toward older demographics. After researching the market, Storer converted WHN to a country format in 1973. Here’s an aircheck from WHN’s Bruce Bradley in 1973:</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XT8-jTrap7M" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>Mutual bought WHN in the late 1980s. An FM competitor flipped to country from 1980 to 1984, hurting WHN’s ratings.</p><p>Doubleday Broadcasting bought WHN in 1985, and Emmis Communications bought it the following year. Emmis added sports talk in the evenings, keeping the country format during the day.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizt1YMybbJRNPkTsWztU-ti2QTcvDMLkxLo5iAkQJQvees6jQN2b0wI2pg2Y0rYSaKvkugYvuJAE8h1Vq_LA_FZxX2Kmeyjmt89yc5WB3TFkzxrZgIgUL3AJ2xBnUM0QdrT4ShsiFFirza_0ChX0kiRa9iUsKbEZSPCpQD3R0nuP8EC31xZWW2ySjuzg/s223/wevd_logo.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="122" data-original-width="223" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizt1YMybbJRNPkTsWztU-ti2QTcvDMLkxLo5iAkQJQvees6jQN2b0wI2pg2Y0rYSaKvkugYvuJAE8h1Vq_LA_FZxX2Kmeyjmt89yc5WB3TFkzxrZgIgUL3AJ2xBnUM0QdrT4ShsiFFirza_0ChX0kiRa9iUsKbEZSPCpQD3R0nuP8EC31xZWW2ySjuzg/s1600/wevd_logo.png" width="223" /></a></div>In 1987, Emmis announced WHN would become all-sports WFAN. When Emmis purchased NBC’s New York radio stations in 1988, the company moved WFAN from 1050 AM to 660 AM, formerly occupied WNBC.<p></p><p>Spanish Broadcasting System purchased the 1050 AM license and became WUKQ, a Spanish Adult Contemporary station. Spanish Broadcasting System wanted to swap 1050 AM with cash for the Jewish Daily Forward’s FM station, WEVD 97.9. The deal was approved in 1989.</p><p>WEVD’s call letters and programming moved to the 1050 AM frequency. The station mainly carried a brokered format of ethnic programs, talk shows and foreign-language programming. By the mid-1990s, WEVD moved to a left-leaning news-talk format.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUADBMChiWE2kA-r6HAnNYBfQbqt6P5RrBgUhPbDMj9V9z91p9PajZ6wi7aikD6K4yqvb99cUpO6JAFLprBEEbJqd4XuU-40z1atgdBQ-NZQvf_kDX5MpXZ6bQCO9TyrPQUmK-vCiS7zZ47Z-P1ZlZM6Z-jcCD8NSugVCeE1UQUTcD03PdosVMLOtfg/s200/espn_deportes.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="200" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUADBMChiWE2kA-r6HAnNYBfQbqt6P5RrBgUhPbDMj9V9z91p9PajZ6wi7aikD6K4yqvb99cUpO6JAFLprBEEbJqd4XuU-40z1atgdBQ-NZQvf_kDX5MpXZ6bQCO9TyrPQUmK-vCiS7zZ47Z-P1ZlZM6Z-jcCD8NSugVCeE1UQUTcD03PdosVMLOtfg/s1600/espn_deportes.png" width="200" /></a></div>An agreement with ABC/Disney brought ESPN’s “The Dan Patrick Show” to WEVD in 2001. A public campaign to save the old format failed. On the final day of the news/talk format, soon-to-be-terminated staffers occasionally interrupted portions of the brokered programming with sometimes-profane audio clips. On September 2, 2001, WEVD became “1050 ESPN Radio.”<p></p><p>The call letters were changed to WEPN in 2003 after Disney bought the station, competing directly with WFAN’s all-sports format. In 2012, WEPN’s programming moved to 98.7 FM. ESPN Deportes later moved the 1050 AM frequency.</p><p>On June 11, 2019, ESPN announced that it would be discontinuing the ESPN Deportes Radio network on September 8, 2019. It was stated that WEPN would switch back to an English-language sports format at this time. In September 2019, ESPN agreed to a two-year deal to carry at least 60 New York Islanders broadcasts; due to WEPN-FM's existing contracts with the Knicks and Rangers, most Islanders games are aired on 1050 AM, with select games on WEPN-FM, and previous flagship WRHU continuing to be the primary station for games not carried on either WEPN or WEPN-FM.</p><p>WEPN is now owned by Good Karma broadcasting and has announced it will end an LMA with Emmis for the 98.7 signal in late summer and distribute programming exclusively on WEPN-AM (1050) and streaming.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1939</span></b>...saxophone player Frank Mane, who knew Frank Sinatra from Jersey City radio station WAAT where both performed on live broadcasts, arranged for him to audition and record "Our Love", his first solo studio recording.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1940</span></b>...the daytime drama “Light of the World” began airing on the NBC Blue Network. It aired for 10years and was unique in that it featured the Bible as the center of the story line.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1974</span></b>...Jim Kerr started mornings on WPLJ 95.5 FM NYC</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3V_L0U3xrwc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /></p><p>He began his career at age 14 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. After working at stations in Howell and Ann Arbor Michigan, Kerr joined WORJ, a progressive rock station in Orlando, Florida. At 18, he returned to his hometown and joined the airstaff of WKNR, Detroit. At 19, he served as morning host at WDAI, Chicago, at 20 he moved to the legendary WLS, and when he was 21, he became New York’s youngest morning show host at WPLJ.</p><p>Kerr has been the morning show host on six NYC stations, most notably 15 years at WPLJ and as of 2018, 15 years at WAXQ Q 104.3 FM.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1985</span></b>... Capital Cities announced that it would purchase ABC Radio for $3.5 billion, which shocked the media industry, as ABC was some four times bigger than Capital Cities was at the time.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p>Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett helped to finance the deal in exchange for a 25 percent share in the combined company. The deal was, at the time, the largest non-oil merger in world business history. However, this record would be surpassed by year's end by the merger of General Electric and RCA (the latter company then being the parent company of rival network NBC).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQ4IzSoDRylJ3BOOCaxPGoXFTHLiLc4WyalBIC6bQ27_iEiMg4hRNdWCa-nkAucdc_OOZYjNU0O4UMnJBseCaeeug8ARxhnAlskP1YCTpSmbJJBpow0TJj8HTOsJw6Nf3gM4Irhb0qgRRKfoK7qO619AWlhn9MEdIKlz2SU_e_yQVpqh0IDwTi93l1w/s676/rime_abc_cap_icties.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQ4IzSoDRylJ3BOOCaxPGoXFTHLiLc4WyalBIC6bQ27_iEiMg4hRNdWCa-nkAucdc_OOZYjNU0O4UMnJBseCaeeug8ARxhnAlskP1YCTpSmbJJBpow0TJj8HTOsJw6Nf3gM4Irhb0qgRRKfoK7qO619AWlhn9MEdIKlz2SU_e_yQVpqh0IDwTi93l1w/s16000/rime_abc_cap_icties.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">NY Times story 3/20/85</span></i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The newly merged company, known as CapCities/ABC, was forced to sell off some stations due to FCC ownership rules. Between them, ABC and CapCities owned more television stations than FCC rules allowed at the time. Also, the two companies owned several radio stations in the same markets.</p><p>Of the former Capital Cities television stations, the new company opted to keep the outlets in Houston, Durham, and Fresno. WFTS and ABC's WXYZ-TV in Detroit were divested as a pair to the E.W. Scripps Company's broadcasting division (then known as Scripps-Howard Broadcasting).</p><p>WTNH and WKBW-TV were sold separately to minority-owned companies; WKBW-TV would eventually be acquired by E.W. Scripps by 2014. WTNH would have been sold in any event due to a significant city-grade signal overlap with ABC flagship WABC-TV in New York City. At the time, the FCC normally did not allow companies to own two television stations with common coverage areas (known commonly as the "one-to-a-market" rule), and would not even consider granting a waiver for a city-grade overlap.</p><p>Capital Cities/ABC originally planned to retain WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, but FCC rules could have forced a sale of that station as well due to a large signal overlap with WABC-TV. Citing CBS' ownership of television stations in New York City (WCBS-TV) and Philadelphia (at the time WCAU-TV) under grandfathered status, Capital Cities/ABC requested, and received a permanent waiver from the FCC allowing it to keep WPVI-TV. If the waiver request were denied, WXYZ-TV would have been retained.</p><p>On the radio side, new owners were found for CapCities' WPAT stations (Park Communications was the buyer), WKBW (Price Communications, the new owner, changed its call letters to WWKB, which was necessitated due to an FCC regulation in effect then that forbade TV and radio stations in the same city, but with different owners from sharing the same call letters) and KLAC and KZLA-FM (to Malrite Communications), and ABC's WRIF-FM in Detroit (to a minority-owned concern), among others.</p><p>The merger was completed on January 3, 1986.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoZZLvjhSIQoMDGJzcoUR70JVXvmFMpg6x8P5EkPnlbdLBgGFQoxDwf6cM39Hx0i0VrEURaACaJ068yHp0NkWxTcjT5KOWzeWvsY0zDC4CHRP9zajEg_JpzPkpLbKCO0nxemLe8fulzwSgkHJYx12ZvrAdwUID5GcRBi1saew8lfpyNpmCwWvmmxSSQ/s254/cap_cities_abc.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="254" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoZZLvjhSIQoMDGJzcoUR70JVXvmFMpg6x8P5EkPnlbdLBgGFQoxDwf6cM39Hx0i0VrEURaACaJ068yHp0NkWxTcjT5KOWzeWvsY0zDC4CHRP9zajEg_JpzPkpLbKCO0nxemLe8fulzwSgkHJYx12ZvrAdwUID5GcRBi1saew8lfpyNpmCwWvmmxSSQ/s1600/cap_cities_abc.png" width="254" /></a></div><p>The new company retained ABC's radio and television combinations in New York City (WABC, WABC-TV and WPLJ), Los Angeles (KABC, KABC-TV and KLOS), Chicago (WLS, WLS-FM and WLS-TV), and San Francisco (KGO and KGO-TV), along with WMAL and WRQX-FM in Washington, D.C.; CapCities' aforementioned television outlets and the Detroit, Providence, Marietta and Fort Worth radio stations; Fairchild Publications; the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Kansas City Star; and other broadcasting and publishing properties.</p><p>In May 1991, Capital Cities/ABC's Farm Progress Cos. closed its purchase of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc.'s 12-magazine farm publishing group. In February 1993, the company formed a TV production joint venture with Brillstein-Grey Entertainment to tap into their managed talent and to take advantage of relaxed production regulations. In July, CC/ABC purchased a majority ownership in animation studio DIC Animation City, forming a joint venture called DIC Entertainment L.P. Later in July, CC/ABC reorganized into 4 groups, ABC TV Network Group, CC/ABC Publishing Group, the CC/ABC Broadcast Group, and a newly formed CC/ABC Multimedia Group overseeing the network, magazines & newspapers, stations and new technology & miscellaneous operations respectively. Network Group president Bob Iger was also promoted to executive president of CC/ABC.</p><p>CC/ABC in December 1994 agreed to a $200 million seven-year TV production joint venture with the new DreamWorks SKG studio.</p><p>Capital Cities/ABC merged with The Walt Disney Company on January 5, 1996. A Disney subsidiary operating the combined company's television operations, ABC, Inc., was established on September 19, 1996.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1991.</span></b>..Former Radio/TV personality, Jack McCoy, died at age 72.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/09IZkYOA1Ng" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In </span></b><b><span style="font-size: medium;">2005</span></b>...Pat Cashman aired his final morning drive show on KJR-FM, Seattle, after 12 years.</p><p>Following his graduation from the University of Portland (Oregon), he worked at various small radio stations in Oregon. But after moving to Eugene, Oregon, he left full-time radio work to take a job at a TV station as a commercial writer and director. For a period of time, he even served as the station’s weathercaster, though his humorous bits often took more time than the weather during this brief stint.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPPG_4mAiwALJQYhvvkNL0SHhpCFc0H5fdO4natW8qfIlv3B0IIgHbwNon7QP2fydvvqRUAOOu4hVYQ9C2RYJvDRs7hBFYb4w3Tav-9_WqzSt2DSlWFsIJHMq2mxgmv6U6T0NGjISvhGLT9iOhoj-8bI_omvvo-G0xwzbeAd69aY5Lf54-tMYmK04hQ/s209/pat_cashman.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="194" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPPG_4mAiwALJQYhvvkNL0SHhpCFc0H5fdO4natW8qfIlv3B0IIgHbwNon7QP2fydvvqRUAOOu4hVYQ9C2RYJvDRs7hBFYb4w3Tav-9_WqzSt2DSlWFsIJHMq2mxgmv6U6T0NGjISvhGLT9iOhoj-8bI_omvvo-G0xwzbeAd69aY5Lf54-tMYmK04hQ/s1600/pat_cashman.png" width="194" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pat Cashman</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table>He moved on to another TV station in Boise, Idaho – this time serving as production director. While there, he originated a legendary Saturday late night TV show called “Peculiar Playhouse.”<p></p><p>Pat moved to Seattle in the early 1980’s, hired as a commercial writer and producer by KING TV. In 1984, he became the station’s first-ever creative director – writing, producing and directing a vast number of award-winning promos and commercials. He was honored with Clios, Addys and Tellys</p><p>In 1991, Pat returned to his radio roots on 1090 AM Seattle. He hosted his morning drive time news/comedy show until 1994, when KING Radio was purchased by Bonneville Broadcasting – and moved Pat to become the morning host on another station (then KIRO FM, later called “The Buzz”).</p><p>In 1999 Fisher Broadcasting – KOMO Radio hired Pat to immediate strong ratings. When KOMO switched to an all-news, no-Pat format, he left the building… and concentrated on his freelance work.</p><p>In the summer of 2003 Pat joined the legendary KJR FM 95.7 as host of the morning show from 6 to 10 AM.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYbidnmvmQZCZB9yfLCDkrycy7tgYIyiWpzhFDo76dxLDuLeXDboqy6qJxc8WRmZBFNxE2Kfe_zUxmw8NwnLYAY1yj38HwlH0XjYnGIUfQws8crxUHM7v57kX6mDT4PTACeYhT7ajWIY-qv2HBFhL0EeR9rLtFVsV562V3Ek9STrifGG7cXSEVCi_zA/s294/mike%20rowe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="294" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYbidnmvmQZCZB9yfLCDkrycy7tgYIyiWpzhFDo76dxLDuLeXDboqy6qJxc8WRmZBFNxE2Kfe_zUxmw8NwnLYAY1yj38HwlH0XjYnGIUfQws8crxUHM7v57kX6mDT4PTACeYhT7ajWIY-qv2HBFhL0EeR9rLtFVsV562V3Ek9STrifGG7cXSEVCi_zA/w400-h233/mike%20rowe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mike Rowe is 62</span></b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;">🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:</span></b><p></p><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Composer John Kander (“Chicago”) is 97. </li><li>Actor Brad Dourif (“Deadwood,” ″Lord of the Rings”) is 74. </li><li>Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell is 73. </li><li>Keyboardist Karen Grotberg of The Jayhawks is 65. </li><li>Actor Geoffrey Owens (“The Cosby Show”) is 63. </li><li>Actor Thomas Ian Griffith (“Cobra Kai,” “The Karate Kid Part 3”) is 62. </li><li>TV personality Mike Rowe (“Dirty Jobs”) is 62. </li><li>Singer-actor Vanessa Williams (“Desperate Housewives,” ″Ugly Betty”) is 61. </li><li>Keyboardist Scott Saunders of Sons of the Desert is 60. </li><li>Actor David Cubitt (“Medium”) is 59. </li><li>Guitarist Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains is 58. </li><li>Actor Michael Bergin (“Baywatch”) is 55. </li><li>Rapper-actor Queen Latifah is 54. </li><li>Comedian Dane Cook (“Employee of the Month”) is 52. </li><li>Singer Philip Sweet of Little Big Town is 50. </li><li>Singers Evan and Jaron Lowenstein of Evan and Jaron are 50. </li><li>Actor Sutton Foster (“Younger,” “Bunheads”) is 49. </li><li>Singer Adam Levine of Maroon 5 is 45. </li><li>Drummer Daren Taylor of Airborne Toxic Event is 44. </li><li>Actor Adam Pally (“The Mindy Project”) is 42. </li><li>Actor Cornelius Smith Jr. (“Scandal”) is 42. </li><li>Actor Duane Henry (“NCIS”) is 39. </li><li>Actor Lily Collins is 35. </li><li>Actor Julia Goldani Telles (“Bunheads”) is 29. </li><li>Actor Ciara Bravo (“Big Time Rush”) is 27. </li><li>Actor Blake Garrett Rosenthal (“Mom”) is 20.<br /></li></ul></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">✞REMEMBRANCES</span></b>:<div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>In 2009</b>..Natasha Richardson, English actress (Gothic, Handmaid's Tale), dies of a traumatic brain injury at 45</li><li><b>In 2010</b>..Fess Parker, Actor (Davy Crockett, Old Yeller), dies at 85</li><li><b>In 2017</b>..Chuck Berry, American rock n' roll guitarist and singer-songwriter ("Roll Over Beethoven"; "Sweet Little Sixteen"), dies at 90</li><li><b>In 2022</b>..John Clayton, American sports journalist/reporter (The Pittsburgh Press, The News Tribune; ESPN), dies at 67</li></ul></div></div>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-77284307742048628092024-03-16T23:59:00.003-04:002024-03-17T07:34:53.043-04:00Radio History: March 17<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_VmP-7VdrzSUqGo0h1PCehKp_6e7No_yNLdgYPt-ZLufg6fIGyxPApCf0U71f7HJiDvyy6Ab5qVMYSkvxHTIBXXLEJtbqOZOwPvzIhlvGhxikMTNd6esHYp7hQsoVX1NjmZR_8rAzhvztd0BrthahOmY-U4CLN5X7KpCw1ImB2nbo30vj3dWG-EemQ/s439/Radio_history_new.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="439" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_VmP-7VdrzSUqGo0h1PCehKp_6e7No_yNLdgYPt-ZLufg6fIGyxPApCf0U71f7HJiDvyy6Ab5qVMYSkvxHTIBXXLEJtbqOZOwPvzIhlvGhxikMTNd6esHYp7hQsoVX1NjmZR_8rAzhvztd0BrthahOmY-U4CLN5X7KpCw1ImB2nbo30vj3dWG-EemQ/w320-h216/Radio_history_new.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaS6GYq7ZhZDABju77ghNkacrT2H89AT4s1ueiZHbHoSuok0wdF_zECyYcFvq9xTGNK3hw06q3h-ijTC_EGeGejMzT2HVQIESw3PGyQkF2hDqFC-YK5qHXd7iEXZBO1PmLzAxRBvM_opRSs0xR9lfeH0hDIOKl6Kdha1ebiyZxlH2PBYbso5uhoRlVA/s320/kate_smith.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="320" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaS6GYq7ZhZDABju77ghNkacrT2H89AT4s1ueiZHbHoSuok0wdF_zECyYcFvq9xTGNK3hw06q3h-ijTC_EGeGejMzT2HVQIESw3PGyQkF2hDqFC-YK5qHXd7iEXZBO1PmLzAxRBvM_opRSs0xR9lfeH0hDIOKl6Kdha1ebiyZxlH2PBYbso5uhoRlVA/w320-h256/kate_smith.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kate Smith</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></b><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1931</span></b>...Kate Smith started to become a major star of radio. She began with her twice-a-week NBC series, Kate Smith Sings (quickly expanded to six shows a week), followed by a series of shows for CBS: Kate Smith and Her Swanee Music (1931–33), sponsored by La Palina Cigars; The Kate Smith Matinee (1934–35); The Kate Smith New Star Revue (1934–35); Kate Smith's Coffee Time (1935–36), sponsored by A&P; and The Kate Smith A&P Bandwagon (1936–37).<p></p><p>The Kate Smith Hour was a leading radio variety show, offering comedy, music, and drama with appearances by top personalities of films and theater for eight years (1937–45). The show's resident comics, Abbott and Costello and Henny Youngman, introduced their comedy to a nationwide radio audience aboard her show, while a series of sketches based on the Broadway production of the same name led to The Aldrich Family as a separate hit series in its own right in 1940.</p><p>Smith continued on the Mutual Broadcasting System, CBS, ABC, and NBC, doing both music and talk shows on radio until 1960.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSc3cu_1N-vADok33k9WZM5ixGe3FZQxdSwjrXfGZyhPGhc_JJ9rvMaFMzWL7Bigz1rnGNXkfzQ-qIsjcSDz_Eoe8rr_BBvJ1jwiBl92ufAWJcufx6V1Z9KUI9U1ERGSRwGRmxKrEjcq2TELN86geylEtn1CjaP74iF4AsFcfayQOYxyReBNSojtS5g/s243/phil_baker.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="243" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSc3cu_1N-vADok33k9WZM5ixGe3FZQxdSwjrXfGZyhPGhc_JJ9rvMaFMzWL7Bigz1rnGNXkfzQ-qIsjcSDz_Eoe8rr_BBvJ1jwiBl92ufAWJcufx6V1Z9KUI9U1ERGSRwGRmxKrEjcq2TELN86geylEtn1CjaP74iF4AsFcfayQOYxyReBNSojtS5g/w320-h225/phil_baker.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Phil Baker</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1933</span></b>...Phil Baker was heard on network radio for the first time when The Armour Jester was heard on the old NBC Blue network. Baker rapidly rose to the top of the radio ratings, and was quizmaster on the original $64 Question (Take It Or Leave It).<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1935</span></b>...Major changes on KSO Clarinda, Iowa as it gained a sister station in Des Moines, KRNT. To accommodate the new station, KSO moved to 1430 kc, a frequency previously used by KWCR, Cedar Rapids. KWCR moved to Des Moines and given to KSO-AM call-sign.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrbx-tQMeKAfwehnUsKiLeXpVbRYIo3ojxqVCFRecsjdrVufDJu5F1wEal5J93E9qzs91tTB6x6LcuS2DjaJ0eZqZSrvdhkoTqoyXqBJh-pYmx8k4iBmOqMHP1lboyopdtWGFVAWD_U1O6-dRFr7ev9yRK_u-6Lz7b1_5XJgWVkIDykq2E11IhACuSQ/s640/kso_studios.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="640" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrbx-tQMeKAfwehnUsKiLeXpVbRYIo3ojxqVCFRecsjdrVufDJu5F1wEal5J93E9qzs91tTB6x6LcuS2DjaJ0eZqZSrvdhkoTqoyXqBJh-pYmx8k4iBmOqMHP1lboyopdtWGFVAWD_U1O6-dRFr7ev9yRK_u-6Lz7b1_5XJgWVkIDykq2E11IhACuSQ/w640-h348/kso_studios.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Starting in 1925, KSO was authorized to operate from Clarinda, Iowa, on October 7, 1925. The owner of the station was the A.A. Berry Seed Company. KSO was assigned the frequency of 241.8 meters (1240 kc) with a power of 500 watts. A used 500 watt Western Electric Transmitter was acquired from WHO, Des Moines. The first KSO broadcast was on November 2, 1925. The station used the slogan, "Keep Serving Others".</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdio4hj0EUnG2zuEzcZJwL_rvnqu_Toq4rHJnzDEqiG4hgpi9Qr9zdyKttZy5VQaNjkex0ejxw3AjxLHOKCXo5YBr07K2unXA7M7_emOewh1xwwNhzZ-7l54Fv_Hrrg3xeMy-zNTr3Kv0pHRQoS7veDp_KXPlGKX3iDJpNaA7qvLAXYrSDG-0pm8WnTg/s252/kso_remote.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="252" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdio4hj0EUnG2zuEzcZJwL_rvnqu_Toq4rHJnzDEqiG4hgpi9Qr9zdyKttZy5VQaNjkex0ejxw3AjxLHOKCXo5YBr07K2unXA7M7_emOewh1xwwNhzZ-7l54Fv_Hrrg3xeMy-zNTr3Kv0pHRQoS7veDp_KXPlGKX3iDJpNaA7qvLAXYrSDG-0pm8WnTg/s1600/kso_remote.png" width="252" /></a></div>In 1927 KSO was moved to 1320 kc. Then, in the great revision of frequency assignments which occurred on November 11, 1928, KSO moved to 1380 with 1,000 watts power, but it had to share the frequency with WKBH, LaCrosse, Wisconsin. On January 18, 1929, KSO was ordered to reduce power to 500 watts; then, the share time order ended on February 28, 1931.<p></p><p>Iowa Broadcasting Co. entered into KSO's history in 1931 when it purchased the station from the Barry Seed Co. Iowa Broadcasting had been formed by Gardner and Mike Cowles, the newspaper publishing brothers who owned the Des Moines Register and Tribune, Minneapolis Star, and Look magazine. The sale from Barry Seed Co. to Iowa Broadcasting occurred on June 26, 1931.</p><p>For about a year KSO remained in Clarinda under Iowa Broadcasting ownership. One June 4, 1932, authority was received to suspend operations until October 1, 1932. The FRC granted permission in September 1932 for Iowa Broadcasting to move KSO to Des Moines. KSO returned to the air with studios and transmitter at the Register and Tribune building in downtown Des Moines on November 5.1932, but with a reduced power. KSO was now authorized to use 100 watts.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj312w2nhMmcyEjrduqkeANmyK4ywctWbnWQ27SYMnQbyJRke_HPdhsRrC263tfNHMa6Gp19OHqUJSdD_O8_WuKfkGyAWzMhqTIFsLRyU-pFRXLGtLfic9T9ATjHjigqNjjlkx_RqysR5BuAOJyGETvT8zDDpRUVC0BQ8FZgkX7x-o7LtpRqgFf_nyw2Q/s381/kso.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="381" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj312w2nhMmcyEjrduqkeANmyK4ywctWbnWQ27SYMnQbyJRke_HPdhsRrC263tfNHMa6Gp19OHqUJSdD_O8_WuKfkGyAWzMhqTIFsLRyU-pFRXLGtLfic9T9ATjHjigqNjjlkx_RqysR5BuAOJyGETvT8zDDpRUVC0BQ8FZgkX7x-o7LtpRqgFf_nyw2Q/w400-h321/kso.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: On-Air Signs for KRNT and KSO</span></i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>On September 11, 1989, the KSO call letters were retired.</p><p>Today, 1460 is owned by iHeartMedia. In early 2001, the call letters were changed to KXNO, and 1460 became an all sports station, featuring the Fox Sports Network.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUUyT9pH-NH1o-eMx001Xwx87mS92oy0XtaW59hpmC24CsPxmVHI6nXoICUURer3up5SFyVhWopYVTiDtuO0eSUpSa-iJBkxfC3CiAw6bhR0rWjKz9ECMPiDi1U8dbrOTmeiHp87jzXe1m0t2prtcasPlsitFfpcztu8tCXNC-bpp1wsH3_eZUh9TOA/s320/fred_allen.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="261" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUUyT9pH-NH1o-eMx001Xwx87mS92oy0XtaW59hpmC24CsPxmVHI6nXoICUURer3up5SFyVhWopYVTiDtuO0eSUpSa-iJBkxfC3CiAw6bhR0rWjKz9ECMPiDi1U8dbrOTmeiHp87jzXe1m0t2prtcasPlsitFfpcztu8tCXNC-bpp1wsH3_eZUh9TOA/w326-h400/fred_allen.png" width="326" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fred Allen</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1956</span></b>...John Florence Sullivan aka Fred Allen died from a heart attack (Born - May 31, 1894). The Fred Allen Show radio (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the Golden Age of American radio.<div><br /></div><div>His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and fellow comedian Jack Benny, but it was only part of his appeal; radio historian John Dunning (in On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio) wrote that Allen was radio's most admired comedian and most frequently censored. A master ad libber, Allen often tangled with his network's executives (and often barbed them on the air over the battles) while developing routines whose style and substance influenced fellow comic talents, including Groucho Marx, Stan Freberg, Henry Morgan and Johnny Carson; his avowed fans also included President Franklin D. Roosevelt, humorist James Thurber, and novelists William Faulkner, John Steinbeck and Herman Wouk (who began his career writing for Allen).</div><div><p>Allen's first taste of radio came when he and his wife appeared on a Chicago station's program, WLS Showboat.</p><p>Allen was honored with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for contributions to television and radio.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1965</span></b>...Quentin Reynolds died from cancer at age 62 (Born - April 11, 1902). He was a journalist and World War II war correspondent. He also was a narrator on several radio & TV programs about World War 2.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_viO-iTa2v4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 1978</span></b>…"American Hot Wax" debuted in theaters. It's the fictionalized account of the early days of disc jockey Alan Freed and is considered to be one of the best rock 'n' roll movies of all time. It featured appearances and performances by Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Tim McIntire played Freed. Fran Drescher, Jay Leno, Laraine Newman, and Jeff Altman were also in the cast.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 2004</span></b>...Radio, TV Personality J.J. Jackson died from an apparent heart attack (Born - April 8, 1941). He was one of MTV's five original VJs (along with Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, and Martha Quinn). In his appearances on MTV, Jackson often went by and introduced himself as "Triple J".</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecwXv8Rfqkz6SH4u3AAzhhNdDq22q1z-biIkbv0DS6htfZUTvtXJQwfHT9ROc8WWtrBq9M6RvZi7ZXRcfysLBPQwXMwBMWvgzwk2rURRuQGBaltyp5Z7YzwdrVuITUKO8upg9bE6XL8TuFaczgVhPVz9nIc3HpKoMOQzg3oTlHy2B2Lt2uOzaaHoRSA/s200/jj_jackson.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="161" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecwXv8Rfqkz6SH4u3AAzhhNdDq22q1z-biIkbv0DS6htfZUTvtXJQwfHT9ROc8WWtrBq9M6RvZi7ZXRcfysLBPQwXMwBMWvgzwk2rURRuQGBaltyp5Z7YzwdrVuITUKO8upg9bE6XL8TuFaczgVhPVz9nIc3HpKoMOQzg3oTlHy2B2Lt2uOzaaHoRSA/s1600/jj_jackson.png" width="161" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">JJ Jackson</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table>Jackson first gained prominence while working at WBCN in Boston in the late 1960s, then at KLOS in Los Angeles for ten years. Jackson was one of the first DJs to introduce Americans to The Who and Led Zeppelin. In 1976, he was featured in a voice-only performance as a DJ of the fictional KGYS radio in the movie Car Wash. He was a music reporter for KABC-TV when he was tapped as one of MTV's original "fab five." As a VJ, Jackson hosted the long-awaited and much anticipated "unmasking" of KISS. He was one of the few African Americans to DJ an "album rock" radio station.<p></p><p>After five years at MTV, Jackson returned to Los Angeles radio, first at KROQ-FM in 1987, then as program director of modern rock/alternative station KEDG The Edge until May 1989. He later returned to KLOS, and hosted the afternoon shift at smooth jazz station KTWV "The Wave" for one year. He also hosted Westwood One Radio Network's nationally syndicated radio show The Beatle Years from 1995 until his death.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KSKA0FYYEUk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">➦In 2015</span></b>…Veteran radio personality Jack Wood aka Charlie Brown died after a stroke at the age of 80. Woods (left), who in 1962 and using the name "Charlie Brown" was a founding member of the popular Charlie & Harrigan morning show (with his first on-air partner Ron 'Irving Harrigan' Chapman, succeeded in 1966 by Paul Menard).</p><p>Charlie & Harrigan were first paired in 1966 at KLIF/Dallas before moving on to ratings success in Cleveland, Houston, and both KFMB and KCBQ in San Diego, where the duo invented “reconstructed syndication,” a way to spread their local success to more than 40 affiliates in both large and small markets across the country. Using specially tailored audiotapes delivered via UPS that included time checks, weather, and local information and references, listeners in every single city were sure that Charlie & Harrigan were just down the street.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTto3HS2wd6cO8C0lsJ91uoUO4YHuB6yFNA2gh8fh-eiyZQDvzm2iP1hdeoFeGxKzZo0YEQbWpkORvND3uU4AM-oE9VxhZUyvYOW-Ll_ShkB1givwCoR2GAY2NnNHap4cRCgVZzL4dwVOii_3btkotdBz5du2QHAYhP1wbIGFM3tNxwST0px6vw4XbUw/s300/john sebastian.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTto3HS2wd6cO8C0lsJ91uoUO4YHuB6yFNA2gh8fh-eiyZQDvzm2iP1hdeoFeGxKzZo0YEQbWpkORvND3uU4AM-oE9VxhZUyvYOW-Ll_ShkB1givwCoR2GAY2NnNHap4cRCgVZzL4dwVOii_3btkotdBz5du2QHAYhP1wbIGFM3tNxwST0px6vw4XbUw/w320-h179/john%20sebastian.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Sebastian is 80</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;">🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY:</span></b><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Singer-songwriter John Sebastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful is 80. </li><li>Percussionist Harold Brown of War is 78. </li><li>Actor Patrick Duffy is 75. </li><li>Actor Kurt Russell is 73. </li><li>Country singer Susie Allanson is 72. </li><li>Actor Lesley-Anne Down is 70. </li><li>Actor Mark Boone Junior (“Sons of Anarchy”) is 69. </li><li>Country singer Paul Overstreet is 69. </li><li>Actor Gary Sinise is 69. </li><li>Actor Christian Clemenson (“CSI: Miami”) is 66. </li><li>Actor Arye Gross (“Castle”) is 64. </li><li>Actor Vicki Lewis (“NewsRadio”) is 64. </li><li>Actor Casey Siemaszko (“NYPD Blue”) is 63. </li><li>Actor Rob Lowe is 60. </li><li>Singer Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins is 57. </li><li>Actor Mathew St. Patrick (“Six Feet Under”) is 56. </li><li>Actor Yanic Truesdale (“Gilmore Girls”) is 55. </li><li>Bassist Melissa Auf der Maur (Smashing Pumpkins, Hole) is 52. </li><li>Drummer Caroline Corr of The Corrs is 51. </li><li>Actor Amelia Heinle (“The Young and the Restless,” “All My Children”) is 51. </li><li>Singer Keifer Thompson of Thompson Square is 51. </li><li>Actor Marisa Coughlan (“Boston Legal,” ″Freddy Got Fingered”) is 50. </li><li>Rapper Swifty of D12 is 49. </li><li>“The NFL on CBS” reporter Tracy Wolfson is 49. </li><li>Actor Natalie Zea (“Justified,” “Dirty Sexy Money”) is 49. </li><li>Actor Brittany Daniel (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) is 48. </li><li>Singer-TV personality Tamar Braxton (“Braxton Family Values”) is 47. </li><li>Bassist Geoff Sprung of Old Dominion is 46. </li><li>Reggaeton singer Nicky Jam is 43. </li><li>TV personality Rob Kardashian (“Keeping Up With The Kardashians”) is 37. </li><li>Singer Hozier is 34. </li><li>Actor Eliza Hope Bennett (“Nanny McPhee”) is 32. </li><li>Actor John Boyega (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) is 32. </li><li>Actor Flynn Morrison (“Last Man Standing”) is 19.</li></ul><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">✞REMEMBRANCES</span></b></div></div><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>In 461</b>..Saint Patrick, Patron saint of Ireland, dies in Saul (according to legend)</li><li><b>In 1993</b>..Helen Hayes, Actress (Caesar & Cleopatra, Happy Birthday), and 1st female EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winner), dies of congestive heart failure at 92</li><li><b>In 2002</b>..Pat Weaver, American broadcast executive (b. 1908)</li><li><b>In 2020</b>..Lyle Waggoner, American actor (The Carol Burnett Show; Wonder Woman), dies from cancer at 84</li></ul></div></div></div>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-84848421891679763322024-03-16T00:21:00.000-04:002024-03-16T00:21:00.153-04:00Philly Radio: Street Talk ..Is Mike Missanelli Returning to The Fanatic?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwsQ7NADw-D6ChLwuogzHUMr_xquXyvSxA1Uq_GkZrKtaGx0AW00VHF3kRK7wT6tCw-iwIo5sFcq5AUp-2HpQxTeMhaSOqqHUm_sd0pllm0JFJUWRIEm5tlmFcW0k-iOu2eITBaCnjtxSsCy_25U2Bxij9xxduB__FozpSVg03B_zKRKnB11D9qdwOOut/s564/fanatic%20logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="564" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwsQ7NADw-D6ChLwuogzHUMr_xquXyvSxA1Uq_GkZrKtaGx0AW00VHF3kRK7wT6tCw-iwIo5sFcq5AUp-2HpQxTeMhaSOqqHUm_sd0pllm0JFJUWRIEm5tlmFcW0k-iOu2eITBaCnjtxSsCy_25U2Bxij9xxduB__FozpSVg03B_zKRKnB11D9qdwOOut/w400-h204/fanatic%20logo.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />WPEN 97.5 The Fanatic announced a lineup shake-up on Friday that will see Andrew Salciunas move to mornings and former Daily News writer Bob Cooney shift to middays.<p></p><p>But, The Philly Inquirer <b><a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sports/975-the-fanatic-mike-missanelli-lineup-andrew-salciunas-bob-cooney-20240315.html">reports</a></b>, what was left unsaid is whether former Fanatic host Mike Missanelli would be returning.</p><p>Rumors have been swirling in sports radio circles the past few days about the return of Missanelli, once the station’s biggest star whose sudden exit from his afternoon show in 2022 after 15 years shocked listeners.</p><p>“Mike’s name has come up. He’s a great talent, and we’ll just have to wait and see what happens,” new program director Scott Masteller told The Inquirer. “A lot of people are interested in the radio station right now. So I’ll leave it at that.”</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd78TQOMAWY4sYwT5MT0NI1AxqyySjn0_3gS0hyphenhyphen8Y0tjGidpq2S0A_HM3yahqX1JKDS8Q6mzj6jM1eSsTOd2B4qR1Auxw8h-4F_7VF7NxPNHe8Sqw1tc3dPRj2JPCLbBI5sZ6WpdYYxNUyOcK85YyNLdmPVkfDokeT_9EQcDHa1s81ShgUy9vS43V-RgEt/s400/mike%20missanelli.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd78TQOMAWY4sYwT5MT0NI1AxqyySjn0_3gS0hyphenhyphen8Y0tjGidpq2S0A_HM3yahqX1JKDS8Q6mzj6jM1eSsTOd2B4qR1Auxw8h-4F_7VF7NxPNHe8Sqw1tc3dPRj2JPCLbBI5sZ6WpdYYxNUyOcK85YyNLdmPVkfDokeT_9EQcDHa1s81ShgUy9vS43V-RgEt/w200-h150/mike%20missanelli.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mike Missanelli</span></b></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Since leaving the station, Missanelli has hosted a podcast for BetRivers and been part of JAKIB Media’s Eagles postgame show, alongside former Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner, former Fanatic host Marc Farzetta, and Kayla Santiago.<p></p><p>His return would be as surprising as his exit, especially after accusing Fanatic management of lying about the terms of his departure.</p><p>Missanelli claimed he decided to walk away during contract negotiations after discovering The Fanatic already had a show featuring Tyrone Johnson, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ricky Bottalico, Hunter Brody, and Jen Scordo under contract. Brody was laid off by The Fanatic back in July and is currently a fill-in host at WIP.</p><p>The lineup changes are the first shake-up under Masteller, who took over in January facing the need to fill a hole in programming vacated by Anthony Gargano, who was suspended and ultimately terminated over his involvement with new sports outlet PHLY.</p><p>Salciunas moving to the mornings is the biggest move. Masteller said Salciunas will become the show’s “facilitator” and lead content discussion. That will free up current morning show host John Kincade, who replaced Farzetta at the station in 2021, to react to big stories and offer his opinion.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bQXk5Ok24UMpA_NN-Idr1LXCfdCxotoXQApnG871fnJGS8X5JhCx6CATLdgC6bgYzHYjPvVJSdcCMO19r9WfiUmew1qpsvAq0s0d_5MZ1Rt8PRsHQZQuVGSJ_M6WbHFOclS9QSK9MUKrLOW9fkm6wIyCz5CItuYgcxXTfa1NvWkjptCCKrfm_Ku-e1so/s909/fanatic%20mornings.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="909" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bQXk5Ok24UMpA_NN-Idr1LXCfdCxotoXQApnG871fnJGS8X5JhCx6CATLdgC6bgYzHYjPvVJSdcCMO19r9WfiUmew1qpsvAq0s0d_5MZ1Rt8PRsHQZQuVGSJ_M6WbHFOclS9QSK9MUKrLOW9fkm6wIyCz5CItuYgcxXTfa1NvWkjptCCKrfm_Ku-e1so/w400-h171/fanatic%20mornings.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Here’s what The Fanatic’s new lineup will look like, beginning Monday:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Mornings, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.: Andrew Salciunas and John Kincade, with Connor Thomas producing</li><li>Middays, 10 a.m. to noon: Bob Cooney, with Ray Dunne assisting</li><li>Afternoons, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.: The Best Show Ever? with Tyrone Johnson, Ricky Bottalico and Jenn Scordo</li><li>Evenings, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.: Pat Egan, when the station isn’t airing Sixers, Flyers, or Union games</li><li>Weekends, 9 a.m. to noon: Bill Colarulo</li></ul><div><div>The decision to move Salciunas to mornings shifts Bob Cooney to middays as host from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and puts his fellow "John Kincade Show" co-host Pat Egan in the host's chair for Philly Sports Tonight.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Fanatic's "The Best Show Ever?" afternoon drive show, which replaced Missanelli from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., will remain unchanged with hosts Tyrone Johnson, Ricky Bottalico and Jennifer Scordo.</div></div><p></p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-78683184809495246862024-03-16T00:19:00.000-04:002024-03-16T00:19:00.138-04:00TikTok..Gaining Ground As A News Source<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58qUpHnqkDhm6y1cj33Pcze7QVczyZqgwITiosjf9Z320_7V6OqOuK8s_b8HSOnsos6BTiBwO_Y3XRnAAu-bEZJ_IojdUddnp5tDhdl9prqyD_sW8OqLDglks2PKfbX6BvdcEPkjct5z03N5fui4JkhXV1wVtQS4vpoScEwnOGqVHd2jkE3Nj6cPPT7cZ/s632/tiktok%20logo%20bb.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="632" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58qUpHnqkDhm6y1cj33Pcze7QVczyZqgwITiosjf9Z320_7V6OqOuK8s_b8HSOnsos6BTiBwO_Y3XRnAAu-bEZJ_IojdUddnp5tDhdl9prqyD_sW8OqLDglks2PKfbX6BvdcEPkjct5z03N5fui4JkhXV1wVtQS4vpoScEwnOGqVHd2jkE3Nj6cPPT7cZ/w640-h174/tiktok%20logo%20bb.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />The U-S House passed a bill on Wednesday requiring Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the platform or see TikTok face a total ban in the US. The bill now moves to The Senate for consideration.<p>While the legislation still faces plenty more hurdles before it becomes law, that hasn’t stopped global discourse regarding the future of the popular social media escalating, with an onslaught of phone calls overwhelming Capitol Hill offices and US investors poising themselves to buy the app should it be divested from its parent company. </p><p>Although concerns about privacy and national security are the main driving forces behind the bill, larger questions about the role TikTok plays in the lives of the estimated one-third of Americans who use the app are now being thrust into the spotlight. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQxt6Pr1GqQHfoJei8-0JYYXPoWM0xijoZ3fm_KKxoY_KzZHOZjSiYk_cMYVBgRddzli9kOf69zZnjGeXv_8UCqNRkFzCm0Jf2j-9THDqm-kpyioEsskqvK9pa2p8qh22wTx4HRAX3kCOkwINUjWydIrqR0hnx9s4pS9EJq3IHIvwWxxvtmRNvKHoD80D/s656/tiktok%20news.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="656" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQxt6Pr1GqQHfoJei8-0JYYXPoWM0xijoZ3fm_KKxoY_KzZHOZjSiYk_cMYVBgRddzli9kOf69zZnjGeXv_8UCqNRkFzCm0Jf2j-9THDqm-kpyioEsskqvK9pa2p8qh22wTx4HRAX3kCOkwINUjWydIrqR0hnx9s4pS9EJq3IHIvwWxxvtmRNvKHoD80D/w644-h536/tiktok%20news.png" width="644" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>It seems that many TikTok users have moved on from filming themselves dancing to music clips — in fact, only a little over half have ever posted a video — and are increasingly using it to stay informed: surveys conducted by Pew Research found that last year, 43% of TikTok’s users regularly turned to the app to get their news, up 21% from 2020, as more traditional information sources like Facebook fell out of favor.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-14991517861030716812024-03-16T00:18:00.001-04:002024-03-16T08:17:40.273-04:00Sports TV Streamer Gets A Leader<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkD7k-rUQFwZ18kE3AfKGYe7C0tvJLhx66lMs5CZxbVy51_-amsX_4qs_qNGPENOR0rUkxmE05L0gcHJhv_jYbL9aU4NIfs8JN8Pq_Ao3gxGML_Kb4mvlW3NeDJBKUNaQN3Wnzd-SGmV3vdS3mJCgsnq448V-zkp15ZQKsNMROjXV4awq-horPrfokNfjK/s1200/sports-platform.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkD7k-rUQFwZ18kE3AfKGYe7C0tvJLhx66lMs5CZxbVy51_-amsX_4qs_qNGPENOR0rUkxmE05L0gcHJhv_jYbL9aU4NIfs8JN8Pq_Ao3gxGML_Kb4mvlW3NeDJBKUNaQN3Wnzd-SGmV3vdS3mJCgsnq448V-zkp15ZQKsNMROjXV4awq-horPrfokNfjK/w400-h266/sports-platform.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br />Former Apple executive Pete Distad will be the CEO of the sports streaming joint venture formed by Walt Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, and Fox Corp, the media companies said on Friday.<p></p><p>Distad worked at the iPhone maker for about a decade and led teams that launched the Apple TV and the MLS Season Pass. He was also part of the team that launched Hulu, where he spent six years.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsCqi9jQbTuX43Ia8UBp5P5CtcZv650t-n-YtFwWtmxg65CBPpQPcxdkJoAqH05Q78kbL6wTVmClRfdWtquE23hd4LAZGpdAHIviXSa2Un8QhYSR9eRS1iud3_GHD-xt27hW44SgK00gM5_zdh4lRKxoUyDwgkC7eA_B6icYxdNkDJZi54Oim_AqWb86S/s287/pete%20distad.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="203" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsCqi9jQbTuX43Ia8UBp5P5CtcZv650t-n-YtFwWtmxg65CBPpQPcxdkJoAqH05Q78kbL6wTVmClRfdWtquE23hd4LAZGpdAHIviXSa2Un8QhYSR9eRS1iud3_GHD-xt27hW44SgK00gM5_zdh4lRKxoUyDwgkC7eA_B6icYxdNkDJZi54Oim_AqWb86S/w141-h200/pete%20distad.png" width="141" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pete Distad</span></b></i></td></tr></tbody></table>He will now assume oversight of all aspects, including overall strategy, distribution and marketing, of the yet-to-be-named sports streaming platform by the media firms.<p></p><p>Distad will report to the joint venture's board, which will include representatives selected by each of the three companies.</p><p>The plans for the sports-centric service, which is hoping to get younger viewers, were announced last month.</p><p>Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said earlier in March the venture, set to be launched this fall, expects to have 5 million subscribers in its first five years.</p><p>The addressable market for the venture is expected to be between 50 million and 60 million, Murdoch had said, adding he does not have any concerns about regulatory hurdles about the venture.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-48502064265691999122024-03-16T00:16:00.000-04:002024-03-16T00:16:00.139-04:00New York's Population Has Shrunk The Most Of All States<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQuSEceqJrehJKbpoN5C49sdZm94-ZxOqxokyUDdZTaxe9rDDgHQrpzEpxfsZw6vryapsD0FrzGFwiP7FJbtDQ9p0mh2IWsbGXg3FgqIEhhJ5QikoE_j0lVkqdHLyxVNtWM0GZGeQElF35Lx2btx36PIaduXvc23_qI7a5S_V8Gx_aNsadLdAoscv1TDs/s1024/New-York-New-License-Plate--1024x546.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQuSEceqJrehJKbpoN5C49sdZm94-ZxOqxokyUDdZTaxe9rDDgHQrpzEpxfsZw6vryapsD0FrzGFwiP7FJbtDQ9p0mh2IWsbGXg3FgqIEhhJ5QikoE_j0lVkqdHLyxVNtWM0GZGeQElF35Lx2btx36PIaduXvc23_qI7a5S_V8Gx_aNsadLdAoscv1TDs/w400-h213/New-York-New-License-Plate--1024x546.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br />Even as the Covid years recede further in the collective rearview mirror, it seems that many New Yorkers are still running back the pandemic play of ditching the city that never sleeps to set up life elsewhere. Last year, NYC lost a further 78,000 citizens, taking the net population decrease to over 546,000 since April 2020. <p></p><p>Data from the Census Bureau shows that the declines haven’t just been contained to the 5 boroughs either: New York posted the largest drop of any state over the last 3 years, down 2.7% since 2020 to 19.6 million. That slide in citizenship makes it the biggest loser over the period by some distance, with second-place Illinois losing just 1.9% of its population and Louisiana & California shedding 1.7% and 1.4%, respectively. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0mYyrdZDx5-VhdWKp-0R6vzkGmo2roEjvYk4hDbE0AvTdnVstFTtsATk_ZwzbemGEcZpaJvC_CUYEcD8L4lk57kZ-HZOd4ktDZqQ9Hvb8SGXWGfk-BalDuyv89fudeNFqTnZKvPligWttk3iQcZaddfRwoaFDn7ess5ORzqeYC-obM1pDI2xBZVi5wWO/s645/populatgion%20growth.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="645" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0mYyrdZDx5-VhdWKp-0R6vzkGmo2roEjvYk4hDbE0AvTdnVstFTtsATk_ZwzbemGEcZpaJvC_CUYEcD8L4lk57kZ-HZOd4ktDZqQ9Hvb8SGXWGfk-BalDuyv89fudeNFqTnZKvPligWttk3iQcZaddfRwoaFDn7ess5ORzqeYC-obM1pDI2xBZVi5wWO/s16000/populatgion%20growth.png" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b>Changes of state</b></p><p>The story playing out across the US more broadly, however, is much different. 60% of American counties posted annual population gains rather than losses in 2023, according to Census data published Thursday, up from 52% the year before. </p><p>That trend has seriously translated in states like Idaho, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas, where citizen headcounts have grown 4.3% to 6.2% since 2020, as fewer deaths and a return to pre-pandemic immigration levels saw the US population tick up by 1.6 million last year.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-41510080105767868542024-03-16T00:14:00.000-04:002024-03-16T00:14:00.142-04:00 Atlanta Metro Area Now 6th Largest<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKl9vjDIHzgeUEVyPgB51bx0luZOZzkT3Bs2ePFZe9bb06efN8ugRPkcx0QaiItubEn90OgWBgT9a_i9oIxpS9h8Z2FfYwYC0QpGmxEj7GEZcg0K2RZ4IY0RyQFOQK7diGe1LDbKhXbbLty51BSPIdneWry_JEPTX_wahHJe1hcHVB7SNa3iuoe4bDXXB/s833/atlanta%20traffic.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="833" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKl9vjDIHzgeUEVyPgB51bx0luZOZzkT3Bs2ePFZe9bb06efN8ugRPkcx0QaiItubEn90OgWBgT9a_i9oIxpS9h8Z2FfYwYC0QpGmxEj7GEZcg0K2RZ4IY0RyQFOQK7diGe1LDbKhXbbLty51BSPIdneWry_JEPTX_wahHJe1hcHVB7SNa3iuoe4bDXXB/w640-h364/atlanta%20traffic.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Atlanta Traffic</span></b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Atlanta metropolitan area has leapfrogged both Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia to become the nation’s sixth-largest metropolitan region, according to newly released population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.<p></p><p>AJC.COM reports the population in Atlanta’s 29-county region increased a little more than 1% to 6.3 million between 2022 and 2023, gaining nearly 69,000 residents. D.C. and Philly also grew, but not as fast as Atlanta.</p><p>While not the fastest-growing metro area in the country, the Atlanta metro — formally known as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metropolitan statistical area — had the third-largest total population increase in the country between 2022 and 2023, the Census data shows. Only the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth metros added more total residents.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfa6DevhgbEI0kLTbc_f9sbOx3Rp9wU0ioAmbBEhWsocprsovOjoK58Og9vZ0_-N2thxaKabWA_rwXcnq8CNXljWwjhuSKOhfqgi_iAyaj1vOIOHPeDM3Fu3gZSVX8wd-RoFgYL5JiRvrtVFrAl1m07Ahgh54PpfmSFIP8bw44WQogsjBJBx4ogpMqN82z/s203/census%20bureau.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="108" data-original-width="203" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfa6DevhgbEI0kLTbc_f9sbOx3Rp9wU0ioAmbBEhWsocprsovOjoK58Og9vZ0_-N2thxaKabWA_rwXcnq8CNXljWwjhuSKOhfqgi_iAyaj1vOIOHPeDM3Fu3gZSVX8wd-RoFgYL5JiRvrtVFrAl1m07Ahgh54PpfmSFIP8bw44WQogsjBJBx4ogpMqN82z/s1600/census%20bureau.png" width="203" /></a></div>The new census figures continue a trend for Atlanta. Last year’s data noted that metro Atlanta in 2022 had outgrown the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolitan area in Florida. At that time, Georgia also surpassed 11 million residents statewide for the first time.<p></p><p>It wasn’t just major cities in Georgia that saw significant growth. The Census Bureau tracks growth in what it calls micropolitan statistical areas, which are typically smaller cities with populations of more than 10,000 residents in areas with less than 50,000 population.</p><p>The Jefferson micropolitan area, which encompasses all of Jackson County northeast of Atlanta, was the fastest-growing micropolitan area in the entire country, the Census said. The area, which in recent years has landed major economic development projects including the SK Battery Atlanta facility, added about 4,600 residents since 2022.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-79616527267028075332024-03-16T00:10:00.001-04:002024-03-16T00:10:00.139-04:00Audacy's SVP/Digital Content To Exit The Company<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsCxvfZphzK-oz1W_n4szjKMR3q4zAlwwH1vHUArRl_IkWnFPDZnxkSXDfPzTFFgDuMW7YGWVpXwyK6_ZMn8hZRM_XTGHBB18X8MmdyJaZzYbzCc08zgj0EbRn31Ok6DY4Dv2VOtzujkt5lwTLfdB0RoyBKcL_IRnxh29YJ_J7m5G9fIVFmIsvg0BSXHC/s320/audacy%20logo%20tight%20blue.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsCxvfZphzK-oz1W_n4szjKMR3q4zAlwwH1vHUArRl_IkWnFPDZnxkSXDfPzTFFgDuMW7YGWVpXwyK6_ZMn8hZRM_XTGHBB18X8MmdyJaZzYbzCc08zgj0EbRn31Ok6DY4Dv2VOtzujkt5lwTLfdB0RoyBKcL_IRnxh29YJ_J7m5G9fIVFmIsvg0BSXHC/s16000/audacy%20logo%20tight%20blue.png" /></a></div><br />Tim Clarke, the Senior Vice President of Digital Audio Content at Audacy, is set to leave the company at the end of his current contract. <p></p><p>Clarke joined Audacy in 2021 after a successful career at Cox Media Group, where he rose through the ranks to become the Vice President of Audience and Content. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCXfeac2UvvpA4JufHtqteT2lKMiY3GVG7Azy26T32Qp97TMh9hoQsUQvgTtk55uJrH6Hj8VqLkgt0n0OsfJDhl-0BkclTLGlUWgYugIY4mPdk5NdiVK-HNAQ28ZEmVkfOz4rrAUSxp98B46cqScvASkdh5WdWuUIx5HeZtRXD8Z-WD8e0pA1mzuk3-SC/s206/tim%20clarke.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="142" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCXfeac2UvvpA4JufHtqteT2lKMiY3GVG7Azy26T32Qp97TMh9hoQsUQvgTtk55uJrH6Hj8VqLkgt0n0OsfJDhl-0BkclTLGlUWgYugIY4mPdk5NdiVK-HNAQ28ZEmVkfOz4rrAUSxp98B46cqScvASkdh5WdWuUIx5HeZtRXD8Z-WD8e0pA1mzuk3-SC/s1600/tim%20clarke.png" width="142" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tim Clarke</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table>Initially joining Audacy as the Senior Vice President and Market Manager in Boston, he later transitioned to his current role with the company. His contract with Audacy concludes at the end of this month. </p><p>In a memo to staff, Chief Digital Officer J.D. Crowley informed employees that Clarke’s position would not be filled as part of the company’s efforts to streamline and integrate its organization. Instead, Clarke’s teams will be absorbed into various other teams, including Product, Marketing, and Programming, based on their respective job functions12.</p><p>Audacy is currently emerging from a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, and this organizational realignment is part of their strategy moving forward. Clarke’s departure marks a significant change within the company, and his contributions will be remembered as Audacy continues to evolve in the digital audio landscape.</p><p>This is not the first executive departure for Audacy throughout its restructuring process. VP of News Bill Smee left in February. There have been additions staff shifts occurring from the local level up to format captains, as well as layoffs in its podcasting department.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-45576672672186432932024-03-16T00:09:00.001-04:002024-03-16T00:09:00.133-04:00The FCC Has Released A Budgetary Request For Fiscal Year<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzZOanMwnV_Og_PbpSVeQ6IGJnbaD-anm21AuuAIrOWLHVa8GEoHAFGs8hQrRC5jyPmo0bSEVgqENzl6I3Og7TwMqOaok5_5Whw1DONvGjoNiUu8gVoeyecctNf-XUtCtkUP1kl5onFGy5wAKbfZMnZ5Q0jsasWqWWMiY1iR-RCzwlMf6rOBJNyS7_HjF/s352/fcc_money_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="352" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzZOanMwnV_Og_PbpSVeQ6IGJnbaD-anm21AuuAIrOWLHVa8GEoHAFGs8hQrRC5jyPmo0bSEVgqENzl6I3Og7TwMqOaok5_5Whw1DONvGjoNiUu8gVoeyecctNf-XUtCtkUP1kl5onFGy5wAKbfZMnZ5Q0jsasWqWWMiY1iR-RCzwlMf6rOBJNyS7_HjF/s320/fcc_money_logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />The FCC’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2025 includes a 14.8% increase in regulatory fee authority, amounting to $448,075,0001. <p></p><p>This is a significant rise from the FY 2024 level of $390,192,000. The request also includes a $139,000,000 budget authority for the Spectrum Auctions program. </p><p>The FCC is urging Congress to renew its authority to conduct auctions, which expired last year. The Commission’s spectrum auctions have generated over $233.5 billion while costing less than $2.5 billion. </p><p>The FCC aims to maintain a staffing level of 1,600 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) to meet its mission demands in FY 20255. The Enforcement Bureau and Media Bureau are also expected to see budget increases, with staffing levels remaining constant.</p><div>The full request and the FCC’s discussion of its goals for FY 2025 are available <a href="https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-401057A1.pdf"><b>here</b></a><span face=""Open Sans", "Open Sans-fallback"" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">. </span></div>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-64610211225512987112024-03-16T00:08:00.006-04:002024-03-16T06:04:34.194-04:00Just Call Him Don 'the Prima Donna' Lemon<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwtAtcY0USqBYf9zItgV9pU-1wDlaQX904rmnn6_FdjZ12ErmMSvClDU_iMLmx30LEUaXeNeGCAGk-XkvFkOIgmhWy7XuxRZHfxqS9zL0yRXSVKzFJzPNpsnNYpMNlAwC3lFZ7pjmjJTd2ynvhEd25LxiXtaQzv9BoqVHDBH6ZnFoL95-VPJHe2hXPU1X/s438/lemon%20musk.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwtAtcY0USqBYf9zItgV9pU-1wDlaQX904rmnn6_FdjZ12ErmMSvClDU_iMLmx30LEUaXeNeGCAGk-XkvFkOIgmhWy7XuxRZHfxqS9zL0yRXSVKzFJzPNpsnNYpMNlAwC3lFZ7pjmjJTd2ynvhEd25LxiXtaQzv9BoqVHDBH6ZnFoL95-VPJHe2hXPU1X/s16000/lemon%20musk.png" /></a></div><br />Don Lemon demanded the sun, the moon and the stars from the SpaceX boss – before being unceremoniously dumped this week, <b><a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/15/media/don-lemon-demanded-tesla-cybertruck-5m-advance-equity-in-x-before-elon-musk-canned-him-sources/">The NY Post </a></b>is reporting.<p></p><p>The ex-CNN anchor sent over an astronomical wish list to Elon Musk during contract talks to host a show on the billionaire’s social media platform X – including a free Tesla Cybertruck, a $5 million upfront payment on top of an $8 million salary, an equity stake in the multibillion-dollar company, and the right to approve any changes in X policy as it relates to news content, according to a document reviewed by The Post.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYi3ku2vyPe3KLvz3yoHWJhqYPCw2MyqsRFxHxwL0XTBmFUJdMV8441PZmqZ-j4oi5JPslnu72DbtLnOf8flgcxxfL23qjCnbvnhwwdNnIoUnfIuL9QUxcQv7jcgINgMk1zxFUuaeWaOTAU6wgpgSlGU1uBQ22MZ4-Df2zVK57GPGp33ydDtGpVLwIVNcn/s320/x%20logo%20update.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="320" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYi3ku2vyPe3KLvz3yoHWJhqYPCw2MyqsRFxHxwL0XTBmFUJdMV8441PZmqZ-j4oi5JPslnu72DbtLnOf8flgcxxfL23qjCnbvnhwwdNnIoUnfIuL9QUxcQv7jcgINgMk1zxFUuaeWaOTAU6wgpgSlGU1uBQ22MZ4-Df2zVK57GPGp33ydDtGpVLwIVNcn/w200-h174/x%20logo%20update.png" width="200" /></a></div>Lemon — who was expected to air an interview with Musk for next week’s debut episode on X — had also demanded a private jet flight to Las Vegas, a suite for him and his fiance, and that the company pay for their day drinking and massages, a source with knowledge of the situation said.<p></p><p>Musk agreed to do the interview with Lemon despite the fact that he was aware of some of Lemon’s outlandish demands, sources told The Post.</p><p>Lemon was fired hours after the one-on-one sit-down, with Musk calling the anchor “dull” and “underwhelming.”</p><p>The one-and-half hour grilling included testy exchanges about Musk’s political leanings, his past drug use and the site’s content moderation policy. It is scheduled to run on YouTube next week.</p><p>Lemon claimed on Wednesday that he was jettisoned by X because Musk reneged on his “free speech” pledge.</p>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3247306282134314845.post-83347058355512291482024-03-16T00:06:00.001-04:002024-03-16T06:04:03.714-04:00“You Better You Bet Countdown To Tip-Off” Returns To Audacy Stations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ed7COG5cf4pY76NDqibjm6eCpWLe9yecIBfXw2Oo-l8elzDwrbjsXoG5I4QBKVOKBzELT6iGmwZuDPOmg277yZLrL4BwvABork69uWlpVhQOB2ci-NH5mgRdRM4fXzA73OxZ7D8M9qe38qKyMN45m3nP7uwLhoGLimyI2mK3MgNICtOCGW782VXyW0Xp/s1024/audacy%20countdown.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="1024" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ed7COG5cf4pY76NDqibjm6eCpWLe9yecIBfXw2Oo-l8elzDwrbjsXoG5I4QBKVOKBzELT6iGmwZuDPOmg277yZLrL4BwvABork69uWlpVhQOB2ci-NH5mgRdRM4fXzA73OxZ7D8M9qe38qKyMN45m3nP7uwLhoGLimyI2mK3MgNICtOCGW782VXyW0Xp/w640-h284/audacy%20countdown.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Audacy announced the return of “You Better You Bet Countdown to Tip-Off,” a four-episode series of special men’s college basketball tournament programming. <div><br /></div><div>The series will air on March 17, March 23, March 30 and April 6 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET on 90 Audacy stations nationwide, including select leading sports brands like WEEI (WEEI-FM/AM) in Boston, 670 The Score (WSCR-AM) in Chicago and WFAN (WFAN-FM/AM) in New York, as well as BetQL Network, Audacy’s network of sports betting content heard across its broadcast portfolio and digital platforms, and BetQL Network HD affiliates.<br /><br />Led by Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley, co-hosts of <a href="https://www.audacy.com/podcasts/you-better-you-bet-29923">You Better You Bet</a> – the No. 1 sports betting podcast in the U.S – “BetQL Countdown to Tip-Off” will serve as breakdowns of the men’s college basketball tournament, featuring a mix of sports betting insight. The show will also welcome talent from across Audacy’s portfolio of sports stations. <br /><br />The show on March 17 marks the first time the show will air on Selection Sunday.<br /><br />BetQL Network is a live, linear digital channel that distributes approximately 100 hours of original weekly content on 80 stations nationwide, the Audacy and BetQL digital platforms and YouTube. The network, which is also the current home of the popular shows BetQL Daily, You Better You Bet, The Daily Tip and BetMGM Tonight can be consumed on numerous digital on-demand platforms, Audacy-owned and operated broadcast stations around the country and other network broadcast affiliates. The BetQL Network is available nationwide via the Audacy mobile app and website, over 10,000 home and auto-connected devices and betqlnetwork.com.</div>Tom Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14932293849458232397noreply@blogger.com0