GBTV Subscription Plans

New subscribers can join GBTV immediately at http://www.GBTV.com. Subscriptions are $4.95/month for access to Glenn’s two-hour daily show only, or $9.95 for GBTV Plus, which offers the complete network of programs, including the radio simulcast, documentaries and special events. For a limited time, all new subscribers can join at the $4.95 rate.

Overview: Apple's New iCloud

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PAIDCONTENT.ORG: iCloud: Just A Lot Of Hot Air?

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MEDIA CONFIDENTIAL: Complete Coverage

Katie Couric To ABC With 2012 Talk Show

Katie Couric, preparing to launch and host her own talk show on ABC, said today she is delighted to join the network where she got her start in journalism, according to a story by Lauren Sher at abcnews.com.

"It's been quite a journey for me and the idea of coming back to ABC where my whole career began is really quite something and it's very exciting," said Couric, who began her news career at ABC News' Washington bureau as a desk assistant in 1979. "I had to work my way up into the newsroom."



Now Couric will host and produce a syndicated daytime talk show, premiering on ABC in September 2012. Anne Sweeney, president of Disney/ABC Television Group and co-chair of Disney Media Networks, made the announcement today from the Burbank, Calif. headquarters.

Katie Couric's new hour-long syndicated talk show will premiere on ABC in September 2012; Couric also joins ABC News in a multi-platform deal announced by Disney/ABC.

"This will be one place where you can go to make sense of a very complicated world and figure out ways that you can feel elevated and also things that you can learn that will improve the quality of your life," she said. "That's a tall order I realize, but we're dreaming big here."

Couric will also contribute to ABC News in her new role, anchoring specials, conducting interviews, and participating in special events coverage. Most recently anchor and managing editor of "The CBS Evening News," Couric said she was proud to join a group of established female journalists at ABC News.

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Scott Pelley Takes Anchor Chair for 'CBS Evening News'

Scott Pelley went old-school Monday in his first official outing as anchor of the "CBS Evening News," according to a story by Richard Huff at nydailynews.com.

He did so by presiding over a smooth newscast that was low on flash and high on bread-and-butter stories about war, cancer cures and, eventually, lying Congressman Anthony Weiner.

It was a show built to Pelley's strength - delivering solid stories, followed by low-key, informative conversations with correspondents about what's going on in the world.

The show was bookended by war reports, perhaps as a way to appeal to new and old viewers. There was an extended piece by Mandy Clark, who is on the ground with troops in Afghanistan, to start with, and it ended with an Anthony Mason piece on the anniversary of D-Day.

There were no stunning innovations, nothing viewers hadn't seen before in terms of presentation, just a straight-ahead delivery of the news in a manner that will clearly appeal to the core viewers ages 25 to 54.

That, no doubt, was the point.

For his first night, Pelley offered a newscast that recalled Bob Schieffer's anchoring following Dan Rather's departure, when he held the spot before Katie Couric got the show five years ago.

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Voice of America Plans "Sunset" For Shortwave Radio

The sun is setting on Voice of America's shortwave radio service, heard worldwide in dozens of languages for 70 years, according to a story by Rob Beschizza at boingboing.net.

                                former Voice of America Relay Station in Dixon California

A strategic technology plan prepared by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the federal agency responsible for Voice of America, Alhurra, Radio Free Asia and other international stations, concludes that it should end many shortwave broadcasts in favor of "more effective" media such as internet radio.

"The intrinsic high cost of operating high powered shortwave stations is constantly being weighed against the rapidly diminishing effectiveness of shortwave within a growing number of countries," the report states. "... the cost effectiveness of shortwave transmissions continues to wane and is expected to be circumscribed to a very small number of target countries in the relatively near future."

The "sun-setting strategy" proposed will reduce the number of stations owned by the BBG in favor of lease or sharing arrangements with—or outsourcing to—independent broadcasters. A "long-term analysis" of each country and language, and in-house research on shortwave's effectiveness in each, would determine which areas retain service.

The report, released following a Freedom of Information Act request by Government Attic, took six months to surface and it isn't clear to what extent its recommendations have been implemented. In February, however, Voice of America ceased shortwave broadcasts in China.

Its authors anticipate "political pressure" to continue widespread use of shortwave radio broadcasts. The BBG's own 2012 Budget Request (PDF) reported that it "must continue to broadcast via traditional technologies such as shortwave [because] the impact of not investing in infrastructure improvements will be the loss of capability and the loss of audience." It noted Burmese listeners as particularly dependent on shortwave service.

Titled 2010-2012 BBG Technology Strategic Plan, the report claims that BBG-funded broadcasts reach 101.9m people worldwide by radio, 81.5m by television, and 2.4m via internet. Internet broadcasts accounts for 1.4 percent of the unduplicated total audience.

The largest internet audiences are in Iraq, China and India, with large percentages of the population listening online in Oman, Kosovo and Morocco.

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Marv Albert 'Thrilled' To Call NFL Games for CBS

We don't yet have an NFL season, but when we do, Marv Albert will be calling games for CBS. Sean McManus, CBS Sports Chairman, made the announcement Monday, according to a story by Ryan Wilson, cbsports.com.

“Marv Albert is recognized throughout sports broadcasting as one of its true legends,” McManus said. “Very few in the broadcasting industry can claim his combined accomplishments and remarkable longevity. We are extremely excited to add Marv to our NFL ON CBS team.”

"I'm very excited about it," Albert told CBSSports.com. "I've always enjoyed doing football on TV. [The CBS NFL opportunity] kind of came out of nowhere when CBS and TNT partnered up to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Sean McManus contacted David Levy, the president of TNT Sports, and asked permission to talk to me about it. You know, I wasn't expecting it, but we put the deal together and I'm just thrilled about it."

Thanks to social media, fans have been swift and ruthless with their criticism of newly hired announcing teams in recent years. When the NFL Network named Joe Theismann and Matt Millen to work in the Thursday Night Football booth last season, the decision was roundly -- and loudly -- ridiculed. In Albert's case, the news has been universally praised because, well, it's Marv Albert. The man's a legend.

Part of being legendary is knowing the medium. Albert was the radio voice of Monday Night Football for Westwood One from 2002-2009, and he, better than anyone, understands the differences in his responsibilities when working television instead of radio.

"In radio, you are the game, so to speak -- you have to describe every aspect," said Albert. "In TV, I've always felt less is more, and it's really a question of my setting up the color analyst more than anything else."

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Comcast To Pay $1B For 50% Of Universal Orlando

Executives at Universal Orlando can breathe a little easier this evening now that Comcast has agreed to pay The Blackstone Group $1.025 billion for its 50% stake in the theme park, according to a story by David Lieberman at deadline.com.

The deal consolidating ownership at Comcast-controlled NBCUniversal means the park will be able to hang on to licensing agreements with other entertainment companies -- including one with Warner Bros for a Harry Potter attraction -- that might have been lost if the ownership had changed.

Blackstone said in March that it wanted to sell its stake, which triggered a clause in its contract that gave Comcast until June 12 to decide whether it would exercise its right of first refusal. The investment firm ended up tripling the investment in the park that it made in 2000. NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke says the agreement "confirms our long-term commitment to Universal Orlando and the theme park business."

The companies expect the deal to close on July 1.

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Clear Channel Resolves FCC Phone Violations In NYC

Clear Channel Radio, on behalf of its station Z100 100.3 FM WHTZ Newark, NJ, is making a “voluntary contribution” of $20,000 that will resolve violations of the FCC’s recorded telephone conversation regulations. The action stems from listener complaints in 2006 and 2007. The Commission says those complaints regarded broadcasts of recorded telephone conversations without notification.

Clear Channel and the FCC both say the contribution is not a fine. However, as part of the agreement CC said will training personnel about the FCC’s policies of putting people on the air.

The FCC regulations say people must be notified they’re about to be put on the air live or recorded for future airing. The rule is why some stations have turned to outside services to provide phone-scam-like actors, who are in on the bit from the beginning. Read the FCC's letter to Clear Channel (as "AMFM Radio Licenses LLC") and the consent order by clicking here.

Official: Mickey Mouse Gets Katie Couric Deal

Katie Couric is a corporate bunkmate of Mickey Mouse

After months of negotiations, posturing and extensive press coverage, the newswoman announced Monday she has signed a deal with the Walt Disney Co. to develop and host a daytime syndicated talk show on Disney-owned ABC. She'll also contribute to ABC News, according to a story by richard Huff at nydailynews.com.

The deal was announced on the day her "CBS Evening News" replacement, Scott Pelley, starts his run on that network's flagship evening newscast.

Couric's announcement comes after five years at CBS News, where the 54-year-old was the first solo female anchor of a broadcast network newscast.

There was constant speculation she was unhappy and wanted out, which didn't end until she finally told People magazine she was leaving the "Evening News."

CBS and NBC also courted her, but ABC won her over.

Her new talk show will launch in the fall of 2012. She's  said the format appeals to her because it frees her from the rigidity of an evening newscast and still lets her  interview newsmakers on a variety of topics.
Moving into daytime will bring comparisons to Oprah Winfrey, whose time slot Couric will inherit, but the chance of Couric -- or anyone else -- ever matching Winfrey's stature are slim, at best, due to a changed TV landscape.

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CBS News Welcomes New Anchor

Bob Schieffer says Scott Pelley is tested in the field where it counts

From Bob Schieffer, CBS News

A little family news here:

Monday we turn a new page at CBS News. Scott Pelley becomes the anchor of the "CBS Evening News."

Not many people have had the job, and Scott is a good man for it.

I've sort of watched him grow up here - actually I've watched most of the people here grow up! No one who was in the Washington Bureau when I came here in 1969 is still here. So they're ALL newcomers to me.

But here's the part I like: Scott was telling somebody the other day that, since coming here in 1989, he has never had an anchor job, so he was a little nervous about taking this one.

Well, I think that makes him MORE qualified. Too many people in TV these days get their suntans from the studio lights.

Not Scott. He hasn't spent much time in the studio. He stayed out there where the news was, and still is.

Whether it was asking tough questions at the White House or in the trenches with the troops in Iraq or traveling to God-knows-where, if there was a news story, you would usually find Scott there.

Which is probably why, since he joined "60 Minutes" in 2004, half of all the awards won by that prestigious broadcast were stories that he reported.

So I won't be worrying about Scott handling an anchor job - I won't be worrying at all.

It's just nice to see someone get the job who deserves it. He'll do just fine.

NY Public Radio to Buy New Jersey Stations

New York Public Radio, the owner of WNYC, will acquire four stations from the NJN network, New Jersey’s public television and radio broadcaster: WNJY FM 89.3 Netcong, WNJP FM 88.5 Sussex, WNJT FM 88.1 Trenton and WNJO FM 90.3 Toms River, according to a story by Ilya Marritz at wnyc.org.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said New York Public Radio will create a new public radio station focused on New Jersey news, and with a bureau in the Garden State.

In addition, the state is turning over operations and programming of the NJN TV network to WNET/Channel Thirteen, which will rename it NJTV. Governor Christie said the goal is to end the state's role in public broadcasting.

Christie said WNET won the bidding for the valuable TV license by demonstrating "the ability to deliver Jersey-centric programming, including a nightly news program."

WHYY, a public radio station in Philadelphia, will buy the state's other five public radio licenses for stations in South Jersey.

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According to other reports, WNYC will pays $1.8 million for four North Jersey FMs. WHYY will pay $1 million for five FMs in South Jersey.

WAMO Is Back In The 'Burgh

It's not just urban radio that returns to Pittsburgh Monday. It's WAMO, that storied Uptown eminence that served the black community for nearly 50 years before falling silent in 2009.

According to a story by William Loeffler in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, WAMO100 officially return to the air today with program director Tim Steele anchoring the weekday morning DJ slot, followed by Mia at midday, Mike Jax in the afternoon and Jay Stylz on nights. Weekend programming has yet to be determined.

At a Friday news conference, the station's new management said they realized those call letters carried a significant responsibility beyond their ostensible commercial identity as "Pittsburgh's Home for Hip Hop and R&B."

Pittsburgh has lacked a full-time urban radio station for nearly two years since WAMO-FM and WAMO-AM were sold to St. Joseph Missions, a religious broadcasting entity.

The new incarnation will simulcast hip-hop and R&B as 660 AM WAMO (official calls WPYT), which will broadcast from sunrise to sunset with a reach of approximately 60 miles. The FM station is a translator W261AX -- WAMO 100.1 -- will broadcast 24 hours with a reach of 15 to 20 miles.

Both will broadcast from the former WPYT-AM in Wilkinsburg. Martz Communications Group of San Francisco purchased the station last year from the Langer Broadcasting Group in Framingham, Mass., for $290,000. Martz Communications operates five other stations in Michigan and New York.

Martz Communications Group president Tim Martz said it was obvious that the city needed an urban radio station.

General Manager Laura Varner Norman said WAMO100 eventually will add public service programming and community outreach, such as street fairs and neighborhood cleanups. She said the station will provide 12 new jobs by the end of the year. A Sunday morning gospel music show is planned. The station already has begun recruiting volunteers through their WAMO 2.0 Street Team on its website.

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Winning: Ron Brown and Radio Station Contests

Michigan man has won $100,000 in prizes

Ron Brown has been on the radio for more than 30 years, but he's never spun records, given an on-air weather report or hosted a talk show.

According to a story by Jef Rietsman at The Kalamazoo Gazette, the 45-year-old Otsego man estimates he's won about $100,000 worth of prizes through radio contests and other promotions since he was a teenager.

A Grand Rapids native, Brown said he scans about 25 different radio stations daily in hopes of landing his next prize.

A jovial, talkative individual, Brown said he grew up with an overly protective mother who limited his time outdoors and with friends. As a result, Brown said he found steady companionship with a transistor radio. At 14, he won a pair of movie tickets through a radio contest. Though Brown doesn't remember the movie he saw with the winning tickets, he said the moment of good fortunate would go on to become a lucrative hobby.

He has won tickets to concerts and sporting and entertainment events, as well as food and miscellaneous prizes. He has watched Lionel Ritchie, Cheap Trick, Ratt and Eddie Money perform live. He has cheered on the Kalamazoo Wings, Detroit Red Wings and West Michigan Whitecaps.

Brown keeps meticulous records of all his winnings, documenting the date, station and prize; his entries fill two notebooks. He has a shoebox full of audiocassette tapes that have recordings of his on-air successes, along with some trivia-question failures. Brown also has kept all correspondences, promotional photos and ticket stubs issued to him through the years.

"I'm very respectful of the 30-day rule, so even though I think some of the stations get tired of me calling all the time, they know I won't try again within 30 days after winning something."

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Solar To Help Power Clinton, TN Station

Rooftop panels will help power Clinton radio station WYSH 1380 AM

It's just as well a tepid economy and some bureaucratic red tape delayed his plans to become one of the first radio stations in the country to convert to solar power, Ron Meredith tells Bob Fowler at knoxnews.com.

During the months the project was put on hold, solar power technology advanced so much he'll now be able to generate another kilowatt of electricity, he said.

Workers this week are installing brackets for 36 solar panels that will go on the roof of the headquarters for Meredith's Radio Station WYSH 1380 AM.

When the system goes on line, the panels should produce 9 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power the station during the day.

Ron Meredith, owner of Radio Station WYSH 1380 AM in Clinton, is having solar panels installed on the roof of the station, which sits on a ridgetop. They should generate enough kilowatts of electricity to power the station during the day.

Overall, Meredith estimates he'll slice his power bills in half - perhaps more - once he goes solar.

"I'm excited about it," said Meredith, who purchased WYSH in 1990.

He also owns WGAP 1400 AM in Maryville and WMYL FM 96.7 in Halls. Programming for those sister stations originates in Clinton, he said.

The Clinton station is perched on a ridgetop more than 1,300 feet higher than the average surrounding terrain, and it gets sun all day, he said.

Meredith said his conversion to solar energy isn't because he's a tree-hugger. While it's the right thing to do for the environment, it also makes good business sense, he said.

"I've always been energy-conscious and I don't see a time when energy costs will go down," he said. "The more technology we use at the station, the more energy we use."

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WPAY AM Shuts Down In Ohio, KUDO Returns

WPAY-AM 1400 concluded nearly 80 years of radio broadcasting in the Portsmouth community Friday afternoon, according to a story from the Portsmouth, Ohio Daily Times.

The AM station was not included in the WNKU deal to purchase the WPAY-FM station's license and property earlier this year, but WPAY station President Doug Braden said they can't operate the AM-side without a staff — which was lost in the FM purchase.

Braden said the WPAY-AM radio station began in Mt. Orab. The station moved to Portsmouth in about 1936, and was instrumental in covering the historic 1937 flood. On Friday, however, the radio went silent as the AM station concluded its broadcasting and left the air at 2 p.m.

Braden said he has enjoyed being a part of the Portsmouth community, and explained that this move is an entirely financial decision.

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Meanwhile in Anchorage, Alaska 1080 AM KUDO returns to the air today as Sports Talk. Sports AM 1080 The Ticket is a Fox Sports Affiliate.

The new station will air the full FOX Sports Radio lineup, plus college football, the Dallas Cowboys and Anchorage Bucs baseball.

KUDO is owned by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547.  In December 2010 KUDO was taken silent.