October 16 Radio History

In 1923...Bert Kaempfert, prolific songwriter ("Strangers in the Night" for Frank Sinatra, "Spanish Eyes" by Al Martino, "Danke Schoen" for Wayne Newton, "L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole, and many others), performer ("Wonderland By Night" from 1960) and the man who signed the Beatles to a recording contract, was born in Hamburg, Germany.


In 1939...listeners welcomed “The Right to Happiness” to the NBC Blue network. The 15-minute daytime drama turned out to be one of the longest-running radio shows of its kind. It moved over to CBS in 1941, then back to NBC in 1942. Fourteen years later “Right to Happiness” returned to CBS where it stayed until its final days in 1960


In 1951...Singer Richard Penniman, already going by the stage name Little Richard, made his first recordings for RCA Camden at the studios of WGST-Radio in Atlanta. It took another four years and working in New Orleans' French Quarter to turn him into a rock 'n' roll star.

In 1954...Elvis Presley made his famous first radio appearance on the KWKH Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, LA. He appeared weekly for $18. His sidemen, Bill Black and Scotty Moore, were paid $12 each.


In 1960...Arch McDonald, MLB Giants, Yankees announcer died.

Arch McDonald

In 1939, he became the first full-time voice of the Yankees and Giants, working the second half of the season alongside a young Mel Allen. In that same year, he aired the opening of the Baseball Hall of Fame on CBS. However, his homespun style didn't play well in New York, and he was back in Washington for the 1940 season.

For the most part, McDonald called losing baseball; the Senators only finished higher than fifth four times during his tenure. However, he was named "Announcer of the Year" again in 1942. During the 1940s, he began calling Washington Redskins and college football games.

McDonald was forced off Senators broadcasts by a sponsor change in 1956, but remained behind the mic for the Redskins. He died at age 59, of a heart attack, while en route by train from New York City to Washington, D.C.

In 1965...The Hot 100..1965:  The Beatles held on to #1 with "Yesterday" while Roy Head edged up with "Treat Her Right" and the former #1 from the McCoys ("Hang On Sloopy") was now at #3.  The Toys shot up from 19 to 4 with their great song "A Lover's Concerto" and the Gentrys had a nice 14-5 move with "Keep On Dancing".

The rest of the Top 10:  "The 'In' Crowd" from the Ramsey Lewis Trio, Herman's Hermits hit the Top 10 again with "Just a Little Bit Better", Sonny & Char at #8 with "Baby Don't Go", Lovin' Spoonful had song #9 with "Do You Believe In Magic" and "Eve of Destruction" from Barry McGuire was #10.

In 1976...The Album Chart..Stevie Wonder became the second solo artist of the Rock Era (Elton John was the first) to debut at #1 on the album chart as Songs in the Key of Life entered at the top.

It did so ahead of some great albums:  Silk Degrees by Boz Scaggs, Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive! fell after 10 weeks at #1, Fly Like An Eagle from Steve Miller Band was #4, Hasten Down the Wind by Linda Ronstadt was fifth and the self-titled Fleetwood Mac was #6 after 64 weeks of release



In 1984…Radio announcer (Life of Riley, Halls of Ivy, The Great Gildersleeve, Lux Radio Theater) Ken Carpenter, who for 27 years was a foil for wisecracking Bing Crosby on his radio shows, died at age 84.


In 1999...Jean Shepherd WOR Personality passed.

Shepherd began his broadcast radio career on WSAI in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1948. From 1951 to 1953 he had a late-night broadcast on KYW in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after which he returned to Cincinnati for a show on WLW. "Shep," as he was known, settled in at WOR radio New York City, New York on an overnight slot in 1956, where he delighted his fans by telling stories, reading poetry, and organizing comedic listener stunts.

Jean Shepherd

The most famous of the last involved creating a hoax about a non-existent book, I, Libertine, by the equally non-existent author "Frederick R. Ewing", in 1956. During a discussion on how easy it was to manipulate the best seller lists, which at that time were based not only on sales but demand, Shepherd suggested that his listeners visit bookstores and ask for a copy of I, Libertine which led to booksellers attempting to purchase the book from their distributors. Fans of the show eventually took it further, planting references to the book and author so widely that demand for the book led to it being listed on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Shepherd, Theodore Sturgeon and Betty Ballantine later wrote the actual book, with a cover painted by illustrator Frank Kelly Freas, published by Ballantine Books.

When he was about to be released by WOR in 1956 for not being commercial, he did a commercial for Sweetheart Soap, not a sponsor, and was immediately fired. His listeners besieged WOR with complaints, and when Sweetheart offered to sponsor him he was reinstated. Eventually, he attracted more sponsors than he wanted—the commercials interrupted the flow of his monologues.



He left WOR in 1977. His subsequent radio work consisted of only short segments on several other stations including crosstown WCBS-AM. His final radio gig was the Sunday night radio show "Shepherd's Pie" on WBAI-FM in the mid-1990s, which consisted of his reading his stories uncut, uninterrupted and unabridged.

Throughout his radio career, he performed entirely without scripts. His friend and WOR colleague Barry Farber marveled at how he could talk so long with very little written down. Yet during a radio interview, Shepherd once claimed that some shows took several weeks to prepare.


In 2006...DJ Mike Phillips WXLO, WWDJ NYC died.

Atlanta Radio: Host Suspended For Recycling Interview

UPDATE 2PM FRIDAY 10/16: Steve McCoy has been fired by WYAY. Click Here for latest developments.

Postings from Thursday 10/15/15....

Atlanta WYAY 106.7 FM morning host Steve McCoy who interviewed Donald Trump on his show said he was told by Trump representatives that he was not allowed to ask questions about policy.

But, reports Politico,  a lawyer for the Trump campaign said that the interview appears to be an old one, conducted well before Trump declared a presidential run, and that radio host Steve McCoy re-ran the interview apparently without adding that necessary context. The exact date that the interview took place wasn't clear.

In the interview, McCoy is heard asking Trump about self-funding his campaign and whether he “plans to watch the debate tonight” to which Trump answered “I do not.” (Trump live-tweeted the debate.) During the show, McCoy said Trump representatives told him he could not ask any questions about policy because they were not yet “set in stone,” and that the representatives had the power to “x out any questions.”

BuzzFeed, which first reported on the radio interview, interviewed McCoy, who reportedly told the site that the interview was conducted this week.

The Trump campaign issued the following statement:

"This interview did not take place. It is a fraud and/or a spoof. The Trump campaign has never communicated with this man. 

He said Mr. Trump spoke to him yesterday prior to the debate- Mr. Trump never spoke to him yesterday or any day before that," Trump campaign spokesperson Hope Hicks said in a statement. "The radio host admitted it was a fraud to our attorney, apologized and he is now hiding and not returning anyone’s call. 

This is representative of the dishonesty Mr. Trump faces from the media."

There has been no comment from McCoy or WYAY.

11AM UPDATE:  McCoy has been suspended and was off the air Thursday as management investigates. Market manager Sean Shannon said they are still trying to ascertain what exactly occurred. 

  2PM UPDATE:  McCoy's name seems to be missing as a listed Show from the WYAY wesbite. 

 4PM UPDATE: NewsRadio 106.7 morning host Steve McCoy told Buzzfeed today that yes, he did “recycle” an old interview of Donald Trump Tuesday. McCoy said as a result of his decision, he has been suspended but didn’t say how long.

Feds Probing Daily Fantasy Sports

Nigel Eccles CEO of FanDuel

(Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are looking into the business model of daily fantasy sports operators and trying to determine whether they violate federal laws, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Customers of DraftKings Inc have been approached by FBI agents from the Boston office, asking them about their experiences with the company, the WSJ said, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The probe is at a preliminary stage and no decision has been reached. The Justice Department is trying to ascertain if daily fantasy games are a form of gambling that are outside the purview of the exemption, the newspaper reported.

A spokeswoman for DraftKings told the WSJ that they have no knowledge of the specifics of any federal investigation but added that they strongly disagree with any notion that the company has engaged in any illegal activities.

Jason Robins CEO of DraftKings

The fantasy sports industry has faced a firestorm of criticism since news broke that an employee at DraftKings won $350,000 from a $25 entry in an American football contest on the rival FanDuel site using what reports said appeared to be inside information.

Representatives at the Justice Department, FBI, DraftKings, and FanDuel were not immediately available for comment outside regular U.S business hours.

Fantasy sports companies FanDuel Inc and DraftKings said last week that they had banned their employees from all daily fantasy games and also barred staff from rival companies from their sites.

Daily fantasy sports, which have developed in recent years, allow participants to draft teams in games played in just one day. It has allowed fans to bet with a frequency that some critics argue is akin to sports betting or gambling.

FanDuel and DraftKings are privately owned and both valued at more than $1 billion.

(Reporting by Shivam Srivastava in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Blair Garner To Host Nat'l Radio HOF Ceremony

Blair Garner, host of America’s Morning Show powered by NASH, will bring his affable personality to Chicago to host the 27th Annual National Radio Hall of Fame Induction ceremony and celebration.

Blair Garner

The black-tie optional event will be held Thursday, November 5 at the Museum of Broadcast and Communications in downtown Chicago from 6-9 p.m.  Limited tickets are still available at www.radiohof.org.

Garner comments, “I’m honored to have been invited to host such a prestigious affair.  This year’s nominees will truly make it a memorable evening and I hope to add to the fun.”

RHOF Chairman Kraig T. Kitchin says, “Blair’s deep roots in radio and his natural ability to engage a live audience makes him a perfect host for the evening.”

For the first time ever, the induction ceremony is being offered as a podcast, available at www.museum.tv.  Radio stations will have the opportunity to offer the podcast to their respective audiences through their websites and social media platforms.

The 2015 inductees include Big Boy (Kurt Alexander), Elvis Duran, Clark Howard, Bob Kevoian & Tom Griswold, Dan Mason, Scott Muni, Ronn Owens and Dave Ramsey.

Report: Pandora To Pony-Up Over Pre-72 Hits

Online radio giant Pandora is poised to fork over roughly $90 million to the major record companies as payment for use of pre-1972 recordings, The NY Post has learned.

The company would be the second major radio outlet to settle with rights holders. In June, Sirius paid $210 million to resolve a long-running lawsuit over its broadcast of oldies.

Pandora would pay $60 million for the use of recordings through 2015, and another $30 million to cover through 2016. The company’s board is expected to approve the deal at an Oct. 20 meeting, sources said.

Last year, recording companies filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, accusing Pandora of violating the state’s copyright protections by using recordings of older songs without permission.

Sirius and Pandora contend that federal copyright law covering master recordings didn’t begin until Feb. 15, 1972, and they don’t have to pay performance royalties.

But some recording artists and labels have won rulings entitling them to copyright protection under individual state laws. The Turtles, known for the hit “Happy Together,” helped bring about a change after a California judge ruled they were entitled to public performance fees in a suit against Sirius XM.

Radio Jumps Into Pre-'72 Fight

Terrestrial radio stations this week urged the Eleventh Circuit to affirm a district court's ruling that Florida state law doesn't require satcaster SiriusXM to pay to play pre-1972 records.

The filings came in one of several proposed class actions being fought in courts around the country over the old sound recordings. The songs are protected by a murky patchwork of state-level laws rather than by federal copyright law, and it remains unresolved whether companies like Sirius need to pay royalties.

In its filing, CBS Radio denied all the allegations in a pre-1972 music copyright suit brought against it by ABS Entertainment. InsideRadio reports about the only things CBS attorneys admit in their response is that the company owns radio stations, streams on the Internet and is based in New York.

In August, ABS separately sued CBS, Cumulus Media and iHeartMedia in United States District Court for the Central District of California. ABS claimed their radio stations and online streams haven’t obtained performance rights licenses or paid performance royalties for older recordings it owns by Al Green, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay and other artists.

ABS filed similar suits against the three broadcasters in New York. Recordings made before 1972 are not protected by federal copyright law.

Filed Tuesday, the CBS response shoots holes in ABS’ claims, based on a variety of legal doctrines, that bar a claim based on the plaintiff’s previous conduct or for having voluntarily given up a right. CBS says each of the ABS claims should be barred because ABS “otherwise licensed, authorized or consented to CBS’ alleged conduct.” It further argues that ABS has “suffered no provable injury” and that ABS “failed to mitigate any damages” it supposedly suffered.

Jay Z Testifies At Copyright Trial

Jay Z arrives at court

By Daina Beth Solomon

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Jay Z said in court on Wednesday that he had no responsibility for clearing the rights for music used in his recordings, testifying at the trial of a copyright lawsuit over his 1999 hit song, "Big Pimpin'."

Jay Z and hip hop producer Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley are among the defendants named in a 2007 complaint by the nephew of late Egyptian songwriter Baligh Hamdy, who alleged that the rapper had used his uncle's song without permission.

When asked if he had cleared copyright for Hamdy's "Khosara, Khosara" melody, Jay Z said, "That's not what I do. I make music."

Jay Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, appeared calm throughout his hour-and-a-half testimony on the second day of the trial at U.S. District court in Los Angeles, saying he had assumed his producer Timbaland had created the key chorus melody in "Big Pimpin'."

"I didn't think it was a sample. There would be no reason for me thinking to clear the song," he said.

The rapper said hundreds of people typically deal with his contracts and licensing.

Testimony by Mosley, who goes by "Timbaland," followed Jay Z's, and the hip-hop producer described composing "Big Pimpin'." Timbaland said he created a rhythmic beat before adding the beginning of Hamdy's "Khosara, Khosara" track, which he said he found on a CD of Arabic music labeled "license free."

"I'm thinking it's free music, free songs, and I sampled it," Timbaland said during his hour-and-a-half testimony.

He demonstrated the process in court with a keyboard that had been set up by the witness stand, recording a rap vocal and layering several sounds over it to create a brief musical piece.

Timbaland said when his legal team alerted him to a copyright claim, he immediately asked how to solve it and was advised to pay $100,000 for the license.

"Legal just told me, 100 grand, and you're clear," Timbaland said. "I thought I was free and clear."
The producers paid $100,000 to EMI Music Arabia to acquire the license.

Timbaland said he had never been contacted by Osama Ahmed Fahmy, Hamdy's nephew, who filed the initial complaint, before the lawsuit. On learning of the complaint, he said, "I was like, so who did I pay the 100 grand to?"

Testimony from Fahmy, who delivered his deposition by video, will be heard by the court on Wednesday.

(Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Jonathan Oatis)

Nielsen: Radio Means Consumer Engagement

Nielsen announced Wednesday the results of a sales effect study that examined radio’s return on advertising spend in four retail categories. The four categories included department stores, home improvement stores, mass merchandisers and quick-service restaurants (QSR).

When brands invest in radio advertisement, they experience higher consumer engagement as illustrated by the study results. Depending on the category, radio exposure led to increased sales, foot traffic and dollars spent per shopper. Hispanic consumers led all categories measured in total spend and drove increased sales ranging from 9% to 49%.

Nielsen’s research revealed that radio exposure led to significant return on advertising investment for each category. Department stores saw the highest return of $17.00 to $1.00 and experienced a 10% increase in sales. Mass merchandisers saw a $16.00 to $1.00 return. Home improvement stores experienced a $10.00 to $1.00 return while the return for quick-service restaurants was $3.00 to $1.00.

“Our new sales effect study shows once again why radio is a critical element in any media campaign. It helps increase sales and delivers positive ROI, providing a powerful and reliable way for advertisers to connect with consumers and grow their brands,” said Carol Edwards, Senior Vice President, Media Analytics, Nielsen. “Reaching 93% of all U.S. adults every week and playing a leading role in consumers’ purchasing decisions, radio has the ability to positively impact campaign results.”

Data results by category: For each category, radio exposure positively affected bottom line sales and drove new, valuable shoppers.

• Department stores: Four department store brands that implemented radio campaigns experienced a 10% increase in sales. In addition, the campaign led to a 3% increase in total number of buyers and a 6% increase in dollars spent per customer. Radio exposure delivered a $17.00 return for every $1.00 spent.
• Home improvement: Two home improvement store brands that implemented radio campaigns saw a 4% increase in sales. The brands also saw an 8% increase in total number of buyers and a 2% increase in transactions. Radio exposure delivered a $10.00 return for every $1.00 spent.
• Mass merchandisers: Two mass merchandiser retailers that executed radio campaigns experienced a 1% increase in overall sales. Retailers saw a 2% increase in total number of shoppers and 2% in dollar spent per transactions. Radio exposure delivered $16.00 return for every $1.00 spent.
• Quick-service restaurants: Three quick service restaurant brands that implemented radio campaigns saw a 6% increase in sales. Quick service brands also experienced a 6% increase in consumers and a 1% increase in dollar spent per purchaser. Radio exposure delivered a $3.00 return for every $1.00 spent.

The research combined data from Nielsen’s Portable People Meter panel with Nielsen Buyer Insights credit and debit cards consumer data to measure sales driven by advertising. Study participants were separated into two groups and weighted to be identical on key characteristics including: age, gender, race, education, employment status, household size, children and buying history. The main difference between the test and controlled groups was radio exposure.

Pierre Bouvard, Chief Marketing Officer of Westwood One and Cumulus, comments: "In the past two years, Nielsen has looked at 22 brands advertising on the radio across multiple categories and the results are consistent: radio resoundingly drives consumer spending. In fact, across all of the examined categories, radio delivers an average  $8 incremental sales for every $1 spent. As marketers look for measurable ROI, Nielsen’s studies demonstrate the true value of radio to not only provide massive reach, but directly impact consumer spending.”

In his latest blog post, Bouvard highlights one of Nielsen's recent case studies looking specifically at a telecom advertiser. The results show how radio drove an incremental $14 per $1 spent.

Nielsen: Millennials Most Trusting Of Advertising

A recent Nielsen global survey found that trust levels in advertising have remained fairly consistent across earned, owned and paid formats over the past two years. Furthermore, among global respondents, self-reported action levels as a result of advertising actually exceeded trust levels for 14 of 19 advertising formats reviewed, suggesting that trust is not always a prerequisite to purchase.

Millennials (age 21-34), who came of age with the Internet, have the highest levels of trust in online and mobile formats, followed closely by Generation X (age 35-49). While that may not come as a surprise, it’s not just online and mobile advertising formats where Millennials exceed the average. They also show the highest levels of trust in 18 of 19 advertising formats/channels, including TV, newspapers and magazines, and they’re also the most willing to take action on 16 of 19 formats.

“Millennials consume media differently than their older counterparts, exercising greater control over when and where they watch, listen and read content—and on which device,” said Randall Beard, president, Nielsen Expanded Verticals. “But even if they rely less heavily on traditional channels, their trust and willingness to act on these formats remains high. While an integrated, multi-channel approach is best across all generations, it carries even more importance when reaching Millennials.”

Jenny Wants To Be Playboy's Last Nudie

Jenny McCarthy

“In solidarity, I will be wearing my panties at half-mast,” former Playmate says on her SiriusXM talk show.

Jenny McCarthy is campaigning to return to Playboy for its upcoming final issue with full nudity. according to The Wrap.

“I would be totally willing to take it all off one more time. Just to say I’ll be in the last one,” the former Playmate said Wednesday on her SiriusXM talk show “Dirty, Sexy Funny with Jenny McCarthy.”

On the show, McCarthy bemoaned Monday’s news that the print edition of Playboy magazine will stop featuring nude women in March 2016, following a similar move by the website last August.
The actress said that the loss of what she called “classy” nudity from the magazine section.

“They really captured that innocence of the women… almost like art,” she said. “There was nothing that I felt was too embarrassing or gross. And nothing that I’m not proud of today.”


McCarthy, who was named Playmate of the Year in 1994, argued that the magazine set itself apart by featuring the “girl next door” type of model. By featuring the type of girl who, like McCarthy, worked in Polish grocery stores rather than strip clubs.

Jason Whitlock Returns To FOX Sports

Jason Whitlock

Jason Whitlock, the former editor-in-chief of The Undefeated, has left ESPN to return to Fox Sports.

After being replaced as the head of ESPN’s website that focuses on the intersection of race and sports in June, Whitlock will rejoin Fox Sports as a columnist and on-air personality effective immediately, the network said in a statement to TheWrap Wednesday.

Whitlock, who was with Fox from 2007 to 2013, made the announcement Tuesday night in a column titled “The Explanation 2.0: Still Undefeated” on his new Fox Sports Digital blog, J.school.

To share the news, Whitlock joined another recently departed ESPN personality, Colin Cowherd, on his radio show, “The Herd” on FS1 and FOX Sports Radio.

“I feel free today. I feel like Jason Whitlock today. I feel like the journalist I’ve always been, the opinion-maker I’ve always been,” he told Cowherd, who was booted from ESPN in June after making controversial comments about the Dominican Republic.

“I feel free to be me and not persecuted for being me. It’s an overwhelming sense of relief and joy,” Whitlock went on to say.

Indy Radio: The Fan To Move Simulcast To 93.5 FM

Emmis Communications Corp. has bought translator W228CX 93.5 FM 93.5 and is set to move its simulcast of 1070 The Fan to it.  ESPN Radio's national content will be then be added fulltime to 107.5 FM, except for Mike&Mike.  M&M will remain on 1070 AM and 93.5 FM.

The Fan’s primary competitors in the sports-talk realm are WNDE 1260 AM and WXNT 1430 AM, but Emmis officials said The Fan is taking on—and beating—other top local male-oriented stations, according to the Indianpolis Business Journal.

“People say ‘you have the No. 1 sports-talk station,’ and I say ‘no, we have the No. 1 men’s station,’” said Emmis Market Manager Charlie Morgan. “Since we’ve started simulcasting, it’s safe to say we’ve more than doubled our audience, and advertisers have followed the audience growth.”

Emmis began airing sports talk on WFNI 1070 AM in December, 2007.

In early 2013, Emmis bought translator W298BB 107.5 FM from Frankfort-based Kaspar Broadcasting, ditched its soft-rock format, and boosted its weak signal. It then re-broadcast some of its locally generated content from WFNI—The Fan—but also aired a fair bit of ESPN national content.

This summer, Emmis bought another Kaspar station, FM 93.5, and strengthened its signal.

W228CX 93.5 FM (161 Watts) Red=Local Coverage Area

“We had so much success with the local parts of The Fan that we were simulcasting, we went on a search for another FM frequency,” Morgan said.

Emmis is merely waiting for FCC approval to flip the switch on the new FM 93.5.

SiriusXM Launching Donny Deutsch Show

Donny Deutsch

SiriusXM announced Wednesday that Donny Deutsch will host a live, limited-run one-hour show October 19 - 23, on SiriusXM.  The new show, Dialing Donny, will have Deutsch taking calls from listeners—dishing advice on relationships, sex, career and all aspects of life.

Examining the issues that matter to women but through a male perspective, Deutsch will deliver candid, honest and quick witted discussions in this special show. He is part big brother, part big bad wolf in this no holds barred new series.

"Sincere, sometimes brutal, but always likeable, Donny will bring his charmingly direct style to this special format of talk programming," said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM's President and Chief Content Officer. "Audiences will want to tune-in to catch the unpredictable Donny field live calls on a variety of topics."

"I am so excited to partner with SiriusXM, one of the greatest communication brands out there," said Deutsch.  "Dialing Donny is a great platform for me to do two of my favorite things in life—give advice and connect with an audience."

Deutsch is the star, executive producer and creator of a new original comedy series, Donny!, which premieres Tuesday, November 10, on USA Network.  This half-hour scripted series takes a satirical look at the media, wealth and modern romance through the eyes of Deutsch's fictionalized character based on the real-life ad-man and TV personality.

Dialing Donny will air beginning Monday, October 19, at 8:00 pm ET on SiriusXM Stars, channel 109, featuring diverse programming for women.  The channel is available to SiriusXM subscribers nationwide on satellite radios, and on the SiriusXM app and online at siriusxm.com.

NYC Radio: Hot 97.1 FM's Peter Rosenberg Talks Radio

Peter Rosenberg

The website HotNewHipHop recently sat down with WQHT HOT 97.1 FM  personality, Peter Rosenberg, to get the scoop on how radio works as well as how he developed his own skillset as an interviewer.

HOT 97's Ebro in the Morning is one of the essential hip-hop-centric morning shows if you're in NYC, and Peter Rosenberg is definitely essential to the Ebro in the Morning dynamic.

Rosenberg desicussed how the radio works and how songs make their way on to the radio. During the conversation, he also explained why it is that we often hear radio stations repeating the same popular songs 3 times within an hour, and gives insight on whether or not payola exists (likely, yes).

He goes on to give us his theory on in-app radio services, which could, in the future, make FM/AM radio dials obsolete.

October 15 Radio History

Robert Trout

In 1909...radio & TV newsman Robert Trout was born in rural North Carolina.  While with CBS before & after World War 2 Trout became known as the “Iron Man of Radio” for his incredible ability to ad lib, as well as his stamina, composure, and elocution.  He died Nov 14, 2000 at age 91.



In 1914...ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers) was founded which ultimately led to nightmares in paperwork for radio board ops midway through the 20th Century!


In 1929...broadcaster/actor Art James was born in Dearborn Michigan. He hosted a series of TV game shows including Concentration, Say When, Pay Cards, Matches ‘N’ Mates, Catch Phrase and Blank Check. He died March 28 2004 at age 75.




In 1935...In Seattle, radio station KCPB became KIRO, as new owner Saul Haas increased the power to 500 watts on 650 kc.  Now with 50,000 watts at 710 kHz, and with sister stations on the FM and TV spectrums, the KIRO call letters are among the best known and most revered on the West Coast.

In 1957…Elvis Presley released "Elvis' Christmas Album," his fourth long-play disc for RCA Victor and the top-selling holiday album of all time with more than 9 million in sales. After hearing Presley's version of "White Christmas," Irving Berlin, the song's composer, called it a "profane parody of his cherished yuletide standard," and instructed his staff to phone radio stations across the U.S. demanding airplay of the song be discontinued. While most stations ignored Berlin's request, at least one disc jockey was fired for playing a song from the album, and most Canadian stations refused to air any part of the disc.

In 1960...While in Hamburg, The Beatles back Wally Eymond, the guitarist for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, on his version of George Gershwin's "Summertime." As Beatles drummer Pete Best is absent from the session, the band plays with Rory Storm's drummer, Ringo Starr. This is the first known recording of the group together, though the master is lost to history; two years later, the group would hire Ringo permanently.


In 1971...singer Rick Nelson was booed off the stage when he didn’t stick to all oldies at the seventh Annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival show at Madison Square Garden, New York. He tried to slip in some of his new material and the crowd did not approve. The negative reaction inspired Nelson to write his last top-40 entry, Garden Party, which, ironically, was his biggest hit in years.

Circa 1966

In 1975...the Music stopped on Pittsburgh's KQV 1410!  Whether they knew it as “14-K”, “14-KQV”, or “Groovy QV” many considered it was one of the great Top40 stations in the country. It was 40 years ago today that the music stopped in favor of an all-news format.

George Hart and Billy Soule did their final music show together. Taft executives were monitoring from Cincinnati, and the decision was made to pull the plug on the show –post haste– at 10:30 p.m. Their final song was “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show” by Neil Diamond. Bob Harvey finished the night with “Those Were the Days My Friend” by Mary Hopkin.

For more on KQV: Click Here and Click Here.

In 1968...The former New Yardbirds, now known as Led Zeppelin, perform their first gig under that name at England's Surrey University.




In 1971...Rick Nelson (formerly Ricky) is invited to perform at the Seventh Annual Rock 'n' Roll Revival Show, an oldies concert held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Debuting some of his newer, country-rock material with his Stone Canyon Band, Nelson is booed by the audience; the experience so unnerves the former teen idol that he goes home and pens a song about the experience, puckishly entitled "Garden Party." Ironically, in 1972 it will become his first US Top Ten hit since 1963's "For You."


In 1973...The US Supreme Court upholds, by a 7-2 vote, the 1971 FCC directive that bans radio DJs from playing songs that glorify drugs.

In 1985...NYC WMCA 570 AM personality Ted Steele died. At one time, he also worked at KMPC 710 AM in Los Angeles.

Ted Steele's Bandstand first popularized music on television during the 1950s.

It is hosted by 40s bandleader and conductor, Ted Steele, who was also a mentor to famous singers in the likes of Frank Sinatra and Perry Como.

The show is a teen-oriented music program promoting young talents. One of the episodes features rock and roll legend Bill Haley singing his hit, Rock Around the Clock.



Ted Steele's Bandstand is the precursor of Dick Clark's American Bandstand, and shown on New York's WOR-TV (Channel 9).

In 1956...at age 19, future WNEW-FM NYC personality Alison Steele married Steele,  who was twenty years her senior.

In 1967, Ted Steele took over Saturday night Monitor from Henry Morgan.  Click Here and listen on a Saturday night in November of that year. Features "Abe Weatherwise," a feature on Wilt Chamberlain & more.


In 1990...NRSC-3, recommendations for AM receiver specifications, was adopted


In 2001...Jay Stone NYC personality at WXLO, WNBC died in a car crash in Hawaii.  Stone was raised in Los Angeles and worked at radio stations across the country in the '70s and '80s before moving to Hawaii, where he most recently was morning show host for Oldies KGMZ 107.9 FM.


In 2012...NYC Radio personality Dick Shepard personality died at age 90.

Shepard is strongly associated with WNEW, he also had stints are WABC, WMGM and WPAT.

Better known to his legion of listeners on WNEW at different times in the 50s, 60s and 70s as Shepard Richard A.

He also worked at WABC Radio, before the Top 40 era, as an air personality in the late 50s and  during part of 1960, appeared as a commercial, on-camera announcer on some ABC Television game shows in the early 50s, and was a busy voice-over talent  during parts of his five decades in New York.  Shep also did air work at WMGM and WPAT.