And The 2018 CMT Awards Winners Are...

Blake Shelton may have taken home the top honor at Wednesday night's CMT Awards, but it was Carrie Underwood that made history with her 18th win.

"I've been doing this for 18 years. I have been making records, lucky enough that you guys have accepted them and country radio has played them and CMT has played my videos," Shelton said as he accepted his fan-voted award. "It's been a crazy ride and I gotta say, it's so cool to sit up here tonight with this new generation."

Underwood extended her run as the most decorated artist in the history of the fan-voted award show when she won Female Video of the Year. The singer also received a standing ovation for her performance of "Cry Pretty."

Hosts Little Big Town, also winners of Group Video of the Year, kicked off the night with a spoof of the royal wedding which included Darius Rucker dressed up as Queen Elizabeth and Florida Georgia Line as Princes William and Harry.

After the royal sketch, Little Big Town took the stage to perform their hit single "Summer Fever" live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.

The first award of the night went to Backstreet Boys and Florida Georgia Line for Best Performance.

Another big win went to former middle school classmates Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina for their hit duet "What Ifs."

"I just got to thank everybody especially Lauren for jumping on the song with me," Brown said. "Thanks for all of our fans that voted. This is my first award that I've ever won."

Later in the show, Carly Pearce won Breakthrough Video of the Year and thanked the "guy that broke my heart."

Other performers included Chris Stapleton, Kelly Clarkson, Sam Hunt, Luke Bryan, the Backstreet Boys, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley and Darius Rucker.

Here’s a complete list of winners:

• Video of the Year: Blake Shelton, “I’ll Name the Dogs”
• Male Video of the Year: Blake Shelton, “I’ll Name the Dogs”
• Collaborative Video of the Year: Kane Brown featuring Lauren Alaina, “What Ifs”
• Female Video of the Year: Carrie Underwood featuring Ludacris, “The Champion”
• Group Video of the Year: Little Big Town, “When Someone Stops Loving You”
• Duo Video of the Year: Dan + Shay, “Tequila”
• Breakthrough Video of the Year: Carly Pearce, “Every Little Thing”
• CMT Performance of the Year: Backstreet Boys and Florida Georgia Line, “Everybody” (From CMT Crossroads)

Kobalt's AWAL Acquires In2une Music

AWAL has announced it has acquired radio promotion and music marketing company in2une Music. The acquisition of in2une Music will upgrade AWAL’s global marketing and promotion capabilities for its roster of independent artists. As part of the acquisition, In2une Music will remain independent to serve existing and future clients, regardless of whether they use AWAL’s other services.

Over its 10 year history, In2une Music has worked with artists including Chance The Rapper, Diplo, Lauv, Marshmello, AJR, The Lumineers, Cheat Codes, Calvin Harris, Lindsey Stirling, Capital Cities and Major Lazer.

Speaking about the acquisition, Kobalt Founder and CEO, Willard Ahdritz said: “Dale and his team have done an amazing job over the past ten years - their client success speaks for itself. AWAL is committed to providing the best services for our artists and this was a natural next step to bolster AWAL’s global marketing and promotion capabilities. In2une was the perfect addition.”

AWAL CEO Lonny Olinick said: “Investing in services for independent-minded artists, managers and labels has been the number one focus for us. With in2une’s unparalleled track record in radio promotion, we took an important step forward in cementing AWAL as a comprehensive alternative to the label system. The in2une team will be stronger than ever to serve existing and future clients. And AWAL artists will now have all the key services at their disposal to reach new fans around the globe, across different platforms, while owning their music and career.”

In2une CEO, Dale Connone, added: “Having worked with Kobalt and AWAL for over four years, this is a natural evolution. We share the same vision for independent artists and the services business along with integrity and transparency.  We look forward to contributing to the growth of in2une and AWAL as we continue to build the future model of our industry. I want to thank Willard Ahdritz, Lonny Olinick and Ron Cerrito for sharing their belief and passion in crafting this unique deal."

Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed, according to MusicWeek.

Chicago Radio: Changes Set For WGN AM

WGN 720 AM has announced that Chicago’s very own Justin Kaufmann will join the weekday morning Steve Cochran Show. The show’s cast will include Kaufmann, Dave Eanet, Mary Sandberg Boyle, Steve Grzanich, Mary Van De Velde, Joe Romano and Pete Zimmerman.

Andrea Darlas will join Patti Vasquez as co-host and news anchor of The Patti Vasquez Show with Andrea Darlas, weekdays from 7pm to 11pm, or 10pm to 1am when preempted by sports play-by-play.

“Our nights will be filled with intelligent conversations about the stuff that matters from two very compelling born and bred Chicago women,” said Todd Manley Station Manager and Vice President of Content.

Steve Cochran said, “I have mixed emotions. I’ll miss Andrea but I’m excited for her and Patti. And it will be great to have Justin on the show. He’s smart, funny, and inexplicably willing to get up at a ridiculous hour.”

In addition, The Nick Digilio Show will be expanded by one-hour, starting at 1am. The Download with Justin Kaufmann will continue to release new shows on demand through iTunes and wgnradio.com.

In the latest Nielsen Audio survey, Chicago Media watcher Robert Feder notes WGN dropped to 22nd place with a 2.0 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 578,100. Cochran’s morning show tied for 15th with a 2.6 share and 211,300 weekly cume. Among listeners between 35 and 64 — WGN’s target demo — the station also ranked 22nd with a 1.7 share, and Cochran’s morning show tied for 20th with a 1.8 share.

Todd Manley, station manager and vice president of content at WGN, acknowledged the ratings problem but said it was not the impetus for the realignment.

Effective Monday, June 18, 2018, WGN Radio’s weekday programming schedule is:

• The Opening Bell, 5am – 6am
• Steve Cochran Show, 6am – 10am
• Bill and Wendy Show, 10am – Noon and streaming Noon – 1pm
• Wintrust Business Lunch with Steve Bertrand, Noon – 1pm
• John Williams Show, 1pm – 3pm
• Roe Conn Show with Anna Davlantes, 3pm – 7pm
• The Patti Vasquez Show with Andrea Darlas, 7pm – 11pm*
• Nick Digilio Show, 1am – 5am

*When preempted by sports play-by-play, Pretty Late with Patti Vasquez and Andrea Darlas airs 10pm – 1am.

More Changes:

The news-talk station will soon vacate its longtime home in Tribune Tower as it prepares for new ownership as part of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s pending acquisition of parent company Tribune Media.

With Tribune Tower sold for redevelopment, WGN Radio is leaving behind its street-level studio on North Michigan Avenue and relocating one block south to an 18th-floor perch at 303 E. Wacker Drive. Target date for the completed move is June 15.

Meanwhile, Tribune Media’s proposed $3.9 billion sale to Sinclair, a conservative Maryland-based TV station group that also owns four Seattle radio stations, is projected to close this summer.

Samantha Bee Apologizes On-Air

Samantha Bee apologized for calling Ivanka Trump a “feckless c–t” on her show “Full Frontal” Wednesday night — while adding that everyone should “worry a little bit more about the niceness of our actions.”

“A lot of people were offended and angry I used an epithet to describe the president’s daughter and adviser last week,” Bee said on her first show since the controversy.

“It is a word I have used on the show many times, hoping to reclaim it. This time I used it as an insult. I crossed the line, I regret it and I do apologize for that.”

The NY Post reports Bee continued to explain that while she has tried “reclaim” the word many women have heard the word at the “worst moments of their lives.”



The comedian said she regretted that she allowed the discussion to center around her obscene word instead of the immigration policy she was attempting to highlight.

Bee concluded her statement by trying to shift the debate over words toward a more substantive debate about people’s behavior.

“I’m really sorry that I said that word. But, you know what? Civility is just nice words, may we should all worry little bit more about the niceness of our actions,” she said.

The first broadcast of Bee’s TBS series “Full Frontal” after she sparked a controversy last week contained far fewer national commercials than it normally does, a signal that Madison Avenue  find the comedienne too hot to support a week, according to Variety.

The Time Warner-owned cable network filled the commercial breaks lwith promos for other programs on TBS and TNT, such as “Drop The Mic,” “Claws,” and “Conan.” Only a small handful of national ads for PlayStation; the Warner Brothers movie “Ocean’s 8”; the Epix cable series “Deep State”; and the latest entry in the Univeral Pictures “Jurassic World”series accompanied this week’s broadcast of the program.

Even after Bee’s many apologies, TBS -- part of the Turner Broadcasting System conglomerate that includes CNN, TNT and other stations -- will reportedly step up its oversight of the late-night show to prevent further incidents that could scare away advertisers and draw public condemnation, a source close to the matter told the Hollywood Reporter Wednesday.

Former Fox Analyst Gets CNN Face Time

Retired Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, a former FOX News contributor, told Anderson Cooper on Wednesday that he is "convinced" Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin has some type of "grip" on President Trump, according to RearClearPolitics.

"I am convinced that Vladimir Putin has some a grip on President Trump," Peters said on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. "And, Anderson, when I first learned of the Steele dossier, it just rang true to me, because that’s how the Russians do things. And before he became a candidate or president, Donald Trump was the perfect target for Russian intelligence."

"Here is someone who has no self-control, a sense of sexual entitlement and intermittent financial crisis," he said of Trump. "I mean, that’s made-to-order for seduction by Russian intelligence."


Peters also talked about his time at FOX News, why he left, and why he believes the network is doing a great deal of damage to the country.

"I think they’re doing a great deal of damage still," he said of his former home. "We won’t know how bad for years to come when we see the ultimate result. But, Anderson, for years, I was glad to be associated with FOX. It was a legitimate conservative and libertarian outlet, and a necessary one. But with the rise of Donald Trump, FOX did become a destructive propaganda machine and I don’t do propaganda for anyone."

Sarah Morgan Makes Return To Lex & Terry Morning Show

Sarah Morgan

United Stations Radio Networks, Inc. has announcd that Sarah Morgan has re-joined The Lex & Terry Morning Show as a member of the on-air broadcast team.

Morgan spent seven (7) years with the highly-rated and highly regarded Lex & Terry show before departing for a career on board a Carnival Cruise liner, but this week the popular former member of the show staff is once again a current member of the program. This announcement comes today from USRN’s EVP/Programming, Andy Denemark and from the show’s founding co-hosts, Lex Staley and Terry Jaymes.

Sarah Morgan comes back to the show in a role as full-time on-air contributor, and regarding her return, Lex & Terry commented that “Sarah is a content machine. She was beloved and revered on the show for many years and it’s fantastic to welcome her back.”

Morgan fills a hole in the show’s on-air lineup that was created by the departure of Krystina Byford who had been with the show for the past two years. Byford is joining the Creative/Production department at the Cumulus cluster in Dallas to work on the Country outlet KSCS-FM as well as KTCK “The Ticket.” Lex and Terry continued by stating that “Both of these young ladies have been a huge part of our success over the last 10 years, and we are happy for both of them to be where they are now. Krystina will be a major player in Dallas radio, and Sarah is a ratings magnet, so we are thrilled to have her on the air again.”

Currently, the Lex & Terry show is broadcast in dozens of markets from 6am until 11am Eastern Time each weekday, with “Best-Of” segments available for weekend programming.

Orlando Radio: Genesis Communications Sells Two AMs

Genesis Communications has announced a contract has been signed and an application is being filed with the FCC for the transfer of radio stations WAMT 1190 AM and WHOO 1080 AM, Orlando to Immaculate Heart Media Inc.

WAMT 1190 AM (4.7 Kw-D, 230 watts-N)

The Seller, Genesis Communications I, Inc. is a Florida-based company headed by Bruce Maduri. Genesis also owns radio stations in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater and Melbourne- Titusville-Cocoa, all in Florida, web publications News Talk Florida, Sports Talk Florida, and content production company United Cities Productions.

WHOO 1080 AM (19 Kw-D, 190 Watts-N, DA3

The Buyer, Relevant RadioTM (Immaculate Heart Media Inc.), is a Wisconsin-based not-for-profit company headed by Rev. Francis J. Hoffman, Executive Director/CEO. Immaculate Heart Media Inc. owns AM and FM radio stations throughout the United States.

MO Broadcasters Add 3 To HoF, Present Awards

The Missouri Broadcasters Association held its 2018 Awards Banquet on last Saturday at the Lodge of Four Seasons. The evening was part of the MBA annual convention and included dinner, entertainment, Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and MBA Awards Presentation.

Mark Gordon, MBA President/CEO said, “The Hall of Fame is a celebration of the past accomplishments of three amazing broadcasters who set the standard for today’s new generation of Missouri radio and television broadcasters, who were also recognized for their tremendous work over the past year.”

The 2018 Hall of Fame inductees included Mike Murphy, Kansas City talk radio legend, Shelley Graffman, a radio pioneer who brought album oriented rock to KSHE in St. Louis and Bob Priddy, long time journalist and news director of Missourinet. Nearly two hundred awards were presented to Missouri’s best radio and TV stations during the MBA Awards, including Stations of the Year presentations to WGEM-TV in Hannibal-Quincy, and KSSZ-FM 93.9 “The Eagle” in Columbia.

The MBA also recognized Danny Thomas, President and General Manager of KOAM-TV with the Distinguished Broadcaster Award. Kent Collins, retiring Chairman of Radio Television Journalism Faculty of the University of Missouri, received the President’s Award. There were 354 broadcasters and guests in attendance.

Click Here for complete list of honorees.

FLOTUS Appearance Dampers Media Speculation

First lady Melania Trump made her first public appearance in nearly a month on Wednesday, tamping down rumors about her noticeable absence from the public eye after she underwent a kidney procedure.

The first lady sat next to President Donald Trump at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a 2018 hurricane season briefing with the vice president and several cabinet officials also in attendance.

"She's doing great," Trump said, next to a smiling Melania Trump. "She went through a little rough patch but she's doing great."

He added, "We're very proud of her, she's done a fantastic job as first lady."

The appearance was her first in public since May 10, four days before she underwent a procedure for what her office called a "benign kidney condition."

The first lady did not make any remarks at Wednesday's meeting.

NBC News 'Me Too' Moment: Plans Streaming Service

NBC News has begun hiring producers and other staff for an online streaming network that its digital unit will  be experimenting with this summer, according to Variety citing a person familiar with the matter. NBC News Digital is expected to test some programs this summer.

Under current plans, the new outlet will offer all original video content, not pick-ups  of programs that already exist on NBC or MSNBC, this person said. Talent to be deployed is under discussion.

NBC News Chairman Andy Lack first unveiled plans for live-streaming in March, noting NBC hoped to launch a product in 2018.

Other TV-news outlets have begun offering streaming content. CBS News operates CBSN, a free stand-alone live-stream that features some of the segments and programming that airs on the CBS broadcast network, but uses different anchors and even runs its own documentaries and studio programs. ABC News recently launched a stream on Roku. Bloomberg offers a stream called Tic-Toc via Twitter that consists of original reporting as well as information provided by Twitter users and verified by the news service’s journalists. Buzzfeed and the business-news focused Cheddar also live-stream programming via social media. Fox News has unveiled plans to launch a subscription streaming service.

Facebook Funding Outside News Shows

Facebook  has unveiled its initial lineup of news programming that will be airing in a dedicated section of Watch, the original video content initiative the social network launched last year.

While these shows are being produced by outside media organizations, TechCrunchs reports it's Facebook that’s funding them. In a blog post, Head of News Partnerships Campbell Brown described this as an extension of the company’s announcement in January that it would prioritize meaningful social interaction over publisher content.

While that decision took a toll on digital publishers, Brown echoes CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s rationale for the move, saying that while there will be less news in users’ feeds, what remains should be “trustworthy, informative, and local.”

Below is an overview of the first slate of funded news shows for Facebook Watch:

• ABC News' “On Location” is a daily news show with ABC News journalists from around the globe delivering on-the-ground reporting and the top headlines that are driving the day.
• Advance Local's “Chasing Corruption” In Alabama Media Group’s Chasing Corruption’s weekly series, host Ian Hoppe and the Reckon by AL.com team travel across the USA to meet some of America’s toughest watchdog journalists — and the stories of conspiracy, bribery, fraud and more they’ve uncovered.
• ATTN:'s “Undivided ATTN:” is a weekly explainer show that breaks down the biggest issue of the week. In 3-5 minute episodes hosted by a rotating cast of social influencers, Undivided ATTN: will provide context on the stories everybody's talking about.
• CNN's “Anderson Cooper Full Circle” is a daily global brief on the world, M-F evenings featuring Anderson Cooper and a roster of guests. The interactive program will air live from Anderson’s New York City newsroom in mobile-friendly vertical video.
• FOX News' “Fox News Update” will focus on up-to-the minute breaking news and the most compelling stories of the day. FNC’s chief news anchor Shepard Smith will report the latest news each weekday afternoon, with Carley Shimkus updating viewers every morning. Additionally, Abby Huntsman will provide the latest headlines once each morning throughout the weekend.
• Mic's "Mic Dispatch" reveals the world as we see it: complicated, diverse and full of potential. Mic correspondents on this new, twice-weekly show go beyond the headlines to profile the underrepresented, the problem-solvers and the provocateurs."
• Univision's “Real America with Jorge Ramos” Award-winning journalist, anchor and author Jorge Ramos travels the country to talk to immigrants of diverse backgrounds and situations, delivering a rarely covered view of today’s America from their perspective. Univision will also cover the top stories in Spanish at noon every day on Watch with “Noticiero Univision Edición Digital.”

App Biz Booming for XAPPmedia

XAPPmedia Wednesday announced that over 1,000 voice apps have been launched for leading brands and media companies on Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant using the One Voice AITM platform.

One Voice AI is used to publish simultaneously to multiple voice assistants and provide a robust, high availability managed service for voice apps in production. XAPP set out to prove the scalability of voice app production and management twelve months ago when the company had just 30 voice apps live. It took just 12 months to reach the 1k milestone.

Along the way, XAPP has delivered voice apps for some of the biggest brands in media including Westwood One, Scripps and National Geographic whose Bravo Tango Google Assistant Action earned the People’s Voice Webby Award in 2018 for use of Machine Learning. Top consumer brands and agencies such as Progressive Insurance and 360i have also chosen XAPP’s One Voice AI solution.

Some relevant operating statistics include:

• Total Voice App Count Managed by XAPPmedia as of May 31, 2018: 1,012
• Total Voice Assistant Breakdown: Alexa 95%; Google Assistant 5%
• Largest Voice App Count for a Single Customer: 386 Cumulus Media / Westwood One
• Total User Sessions Served to date by XAPP Voice AI Customers: over 8 million

Suzanne Grimes

“Smart speakers are an important channel to reach radio listeners and we are already seeing strong uptake for our Alexa skills such as Westwood One Sports and Cumulus radio stations. Our team expects to see a lot more growth of smart speaker listening and XAPP is clearly playing an important role for Westwood One, Cumulus and the entire industry,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP Cumulus Media / President Westwood One.

She added “We chose to work with XAPPmedia because their platform offered us fast time-to-market, cross voice assistant publishing and the scalability we needed to launch over 300 media properties on Alexa and Google Assistant. We also were happy to see that the Westwood One Podcast Network’s Dan Bongino Show was the 1,000th of XAPP’s voice apps on the One Voice AI platform.”

Pat Higbie

“XAPPmedia provides Voice AI technology designed for quality, speed of deployment, scalability and hassle free operation for brands and media that want to engage consumers on Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Smart speaker use has surpassed 20% of U.S. adults and it is accelerating in countries around the globe. Voice assistant reach on smartphones is also growing fast. Voice AI gives marketers the ability to connect directly with consumers and savvy brands are realizing the importance of moving quickly to provide this new level of convenience and discovery. We fill that need with a platform that offers fast time-to-market and meets the scalability and managed services expectations of enterprises. We take care of everything and the market has responded positively to that value proposition,” said Pat Higbie, XAPPmedia CEO and co-founder.

Learn more about launching voice applications to reach your customers by registering for upcoming XAPPmedia webinars:

• Google Assistant (June 19th 1pm EST): What Goes Into Building an Award Winning Google Assistant Voice App, Bravo Tango Case Study and Best Practices from Leading Brands
• Amazon Alexa (June 26th 1pm EST): What We Learned Launching 1,000 Alexa Skills and What You Should Avoid

Knox Country 360 Debuts Independence Day Holiday Weekend

Focus 360 expands its radio syndication offerings with the debut of Knox Country 360 in time for the Independence Day Holiday Weekend.

The two-hour weekend program is hosted by multi-platinum, hit-music producer Michael Knox. Knox Country 360 kicks off on Friday, June 29, free of network commercials through the 4th of July that Wednesday.

“Radio is where country music fans connect with the music and artists they love, throughout their day,” observed Knox. “I’ve worked in production, management, and publishing, with record labels, and now radio. I’m excited about being on the air where I can bring country’s biggest stars directly to fans. Focus 360 has the relationships with radio stations and advertisers that make them the perfect partner to help us succeed.”

Michael Knox

Each week, Knox will take listeners into the inner-circle of the Nashville music scene. Widely known for his work with country superstar Jason Aldean, Knox has deep relationships with country music’s most notable artists, songwriters, and producers. His guests will share their personal stories and take listeners on a deep dive into the music and how it’s made. A strong social media presence extends the listener’s on-air experience, and add-ons include a daily vignette and a podcast component.

Featuring 10-12 songs per hour; Knox Country 360 uniquely mixes current hits with re-currents and trending new music, along with exclusive interviews, performances, comedy, and personal stories that only Michael Knox can deliver.

The son of rock ‘n’ roll legend Buddy Knox (Party Doll, 1957) Michael Knox has produced 21 number one career singles, with over 18 million albums and 40 million singles sold. As an executive for Warner/Chappell Music (1992 – 2002), he was the Vice President for writer and artist development and song placements, leaving his stamp on more than 150 million records. Currently, Knox serves as Vice President for peermusic Group in Nashville.

Stations interested in carrying Knox Country 360 may contact Rob Magaziner at 917-580-6108.

Envision Offers Early Bird Special On Holiday Hits

Envision Networks is offering stations an extra early jump on the holiday season by locking down The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time at early bird pricing.

Radio and TV legend Wink Martindale hosts all ten hours of this award-winning ten-hour radio special – which counts down, from 100 to 1, the top-selling, highest-charted and best-loved Yuletide hits ever released.  More than 160 stars are along for the ride – offering season’s greetings and the stories behind the Christmas classics they made famous.

The award-winning special – updated every year – counts down the 100 greatest Christmas hits ever recorded – from yesterday and today – everything from Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” to Pentatonix’s “Mary Did You Know.”

Filling out each hour are a handful of rare gem Bonus Tracks – plus insightful comments and Yuletide greetings from a galaxy of stars. Wink Martindale supplies festive fun facts throughout the broadcast – creating a compelling, captivating countdown guaranteed to bring smiles, a few tears and the warmest possible holiday experience to every listener. And that includes not only your regular audience – but all the new folks this kind of programming will draw to your spot on the dial.

To lock in your market exclusivity at this June-only Early Bird Rate, call Dave Hintz at 216.831.3761.

June 7 Radio History

Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis

➦In 1917...singer/comedian/actor Dean Martin was born in Steubenville Ohio.

He was one of the most famous music artists in the 1950s and 1960s. Playboy magazine later called Martin “the coolest man who ever lived.” He & Jerry Lewis began as a team in movies & on NBC radio in the late ’40’s, and did TV together in the early 50’s, but split in 1956.  He became a big TV star with NBC’s Dean Martin Show (1965-74) and his Celebrity Roasts (’73-’84.)

He succumbed to lung cancer Christmas Day 1995 at age 78.


➦In 1932..WLW 700 AM Cincinnati was authorized to experiment with a power of 500,000 watts at 700 khz.  Two years later WLW became the only North Amerian radio station to regularly transmit with that much power.   After complaints of signal interference and years of controversy the permission for the extra power was rescinded in 1939.


➦In 1945...an NBC radio summer replacement show The Adventures of Topper aired for the first time. Roland Young reprised his title role from the 1937 movie of the same name. Eight years later the program would move to TV with a different cast and become a big hit.


➦In 1955...NBC radio presented The Lux Radio Theatre for the final time. The program had aired for 21 years, most of them on CBS.


➦In 1959…KLX-AM, Oakland, California changed its call letters to KEWB-AM. Now it is known as KNEW 960 AM.



➦In 1965... Bob Crane, popular morning personality on KNX 1070 AM in Los Angeles told his audience he’s leaving the show to star in a new TV series “Hogan’s Heroes.” Crane says he’s been
considering offers for years. Most recently, he co-starred on “The Donna Reed Show” while still doing mornings on KNX. He begins shooting for the new series in two weeks. He’ll be replaced by Pittsburgh’s Rege Cordic. Because of contractual obligations, Cordic won’t be able to debut until January.

Bob Crane came to KNX in 1956 from WICC in Bridgeport, CT. He got his job in Los Angeles, when someone at another station sent KNX a tape of Crane, to get him out of town (Crane had huge ratings at WICC).

In 1978...House Speaker Tip O’Neal announced that for the first time in history, the House would allow complete radio coverage of its proceedings. Radio and TV coverage until now has been limited to ceremonial occasions.

➦In 1986...Bruce Wayne KFI-in-the-sky traffic reporter was killed after his small plane was taking off in Orange County. Wayne was about to file his first traffic report of the day when the crash occurred. In two weeks, he would have celebrated his 25th anniversary on the job.

➦In 1986...Wally Clark announced he would resign his post as president/general manager of Gannett powerhouse KIIS-AM/FM on September to form his own consultancy. All outlets in the growing Gannett chain will be his first clients. Clark joined KIIS in 1982 when the station had a 2.2 share and charged $37.5 per spot. KIIS now commands $2.500 per spot and is a top billing radio station.

In 2002…Longtime Seattle radio and television sportscaster (KIRO-AM, KIRO-TV) Wayne Cody died after a heart attack at age 65.



He was Nicknamed the "Mound of Sound" by Brent Musburger of CBS Sports, because of both his rich voice and his large size. The bearded and rotund Cody, who estimated his own weight at 325 pounds, vitalized the sports scene in Western Washington for more than 20 years.

He was well known for his on-camera antics and his entertaining style of broadcasting. In the 1980s, KIRO TV ran a promotion called "Watch Wayne Disappear." The sportscaster was to lose 100 pounds over nine months and collect a $25,000 bonus. He was 25 pounds too heavy by deadline day.

Cody is best known for being the sports anchor on KIRO-Channel 7 TV and hosting KIRO 710 AM "Sportsline", a weeknight sports radio talk show that was the only one of its kind at the time in Seattle. He was also the original sideline reporter for the Seattle Seahawks radio network. Cody's other play-by-play experience in the Pacific Northwest included the Seattle SuperSonics (NBA) during the late 1970s thru the mid-1980s, Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League and University of Washington Huskies college football games. Earlier in his career, he also was the sideline reporter for the Seattle SuperSonics (NBA).