When D/FW radio station KRNB 105.7 FM dropped the “Steve Harvey Morning Show” at the end of August, there was no immediate announcement of a replacement and no immediate explanation.
The Star-Telegram reports the replacement became clear this week when Claudia Jordan, who will co-host “The Morning Rush” with comedian Rudy Rush, spilled the beans on Instagram.
“Dallas get ready. We about to be a problem in these radio streets! #TheMorningRush with Claudia & Rudy. Starting Monday Sept 24th 5am-10am.,” Jordan wrote in a post.
Rush may not be as big a name as Harvey, but he is a nationally known comedian whose IMDb credits include a stint as announcer for Chappelle’s Show, comedian Dave Chappelle’s popular Comedy Central show.
According to various sites, he hosted “Showtime at the Apollo” from 2000 to 2008. That was when the series was in syndication; in 2018, Fox rebooted it with a new host: Steve Harvey.
“Rush most recently served as afternoon host at iHeartMedia Urban “93.7 The Beat” KQBT Houston,” He previously served as co-host of the syndicated Doug Banks Show from 2005-2013 and briefly became lead host of the rebranded ‘Afternoon Rush’ after Banks’ passing in 2016.”
KRNB 105.7 FM (94 Kw) Red=Local 60dBu Coverage Area
Perhaps not coincidentally, DeDe McGuire, who hosts the “DeDe in the Morning” show on KRNB’s sister station, KKDA/104.5 FM “K104,” also worked with Banks on his nationally syndicated show. KRNB and KKDA, based in Grand Prairie, are both owned by DFW-based Service Broadcasting.
Jordan starred in the seventh season of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” and “developed her radio personality skills on Jamie Foxx’s radio show called The Foxx Hole, where she was able to deliver raw and unfiltered content to Sirius XM Radio subscribers, according to website The Jasmine Brand.
She also worked on the “Rickey Smiley Morning Show” — which DFW radio station KBFB/97.9 FM “The Beat” dropped in November 2017 to make room for the locally based “Veda Loca in the Morning.”
A couple of big changes are coming to WHYY's daily radio programming on 90.9 FM, starting this week with the end of the station's daily news program NewsWorks Tonight.
According to philly.com, NewsWorks Tonight will wrap its run following Friday's broadcast. It will be replaced by a new news radio format that is slated to begin broadcasting next month, a WHYY representative confirmed. In the meantime, NewsWorks Tonight's time slot will be filled by All Things Considered, which will be extended to 6:30 p.m.
According to WHYY, changes in radio listening habits, such as the preference for shorter segments, podcasts, and streaming services, caused the change at the station. "Deeper dives" into current news stories are planned.
"WHYY is not cutting back on local news production," WHYY said via a statement. "The WHYY news staff has grown significantly in the last few years and we are as committed as ever to bringing you trusted, in-depth news from our region, the nation and world. We're just making some changes in how and when we present stories."
WHYY's You Bet Your Garden will also end production, though its last show will be broadcast this month. After that, on Oct. 6, the Saturday afternoon show will be replaced by Planet Money, an economics-focused program, at noon, and How I Built This, which deals with entrepreneurs, at 12:30 p.m. The show's 7 a.m. Saturday broadcasts, meanwhile, will be filled by Travel with Rick Steves, a travel program that currently airs at 5 a.m. on Sundays. The BBC World Service broadcast will fill the show's Sunday morning slot.
A small town in the US state of Missouri is stirring controversy after announcing the title of its new local newspaper, the Uranus Examiner.
According to the BBC, the newspaper, which was "launched" in the town of Uranus on Wednesday, was threatened with a boycott by the mayor of nearby Waynesville, Luge Hardman.
"No. I'm sorry. But the innuendo of that title puts the city up for public ridicule," Ms Hardman said.
The people of Uranus, in Pulaski County, are divided on the issue.
Natalie Sanders, who has been named as the newspaper's managing editor, told local news channel KY3 that the title was carefully considered before a decision was made.
"We had thought about 'constitution', but most of the people who love us, and who were part of coming up with the name, liked the examiner better," Ms Sanders reportedly said.
It comes just a week after another Missouri newspaper, the Waynseville Daily Guide, ceased publication. The Uranus Examiner publishers said this left a hole in the market.
Mayor Hardman, however, reportedly said the name was used as an innuendo simply to make the publication "fly".
Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos on Thursday called President Donald Trump's criticism of journalists "dangerous," saying he will consistently stick up for the role of media in democracy.
Bezos, whose companies are a frequent target of Trump's criticism, didn't mention Trump by name but assailed the president's attacks on the media, according to USAToday.
"It is a mistake for any elected official, in my opinion — I don’t think this is a very out-there opinion — to attack media and journalists," he told interviewer David Rubenstein in an on-stage interview at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C.
Trump has repeatedly accused legitimate journalism of being "fake news." He has also baselessly accused Bezos of using his ownership of the Post as a vehicle for lobbying on behalf of Amazon, which he alleges does not pay enough taxes.
"I do defend the Post," Bezos said. "I don’t feel the need to defend Amazon."
Bezos said that public figures need to get used to bad headlines as a natural part of being in the spotlight.
Rubenstein asked Bezos whether he's discussed Bezos' criticism directly with the president.
"I’ll keep my conversations with the president to myself," he said. "But, yes, I’ve had a couple of conversations with him."
Bezos made the appearance the same day he and his wife, MacKenzie, announced a $2 billion fund to help homeless families and create preschools. He said he would continue to give away money over time and invest in his rocket company, Blue Origin, as a vehicle for colonizing space.
Bezos made the appearance in Washington amid speculation that D.C., northern Virginia and southern Maryland are among the leading contenders for Amazon's second headquarters.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must block the sale of a Mexican radio station over concerns the station will be used for Chinese information warfare, according to Sen. Ted Cruz.
According to The Free Beacon, Cruz stated in a letter sent Tuesday to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai that the commission should not approve the radio station deal because government regulations permit halting the sale of stations when there is anticipated "objectionable programming and harmful interference by foreign stations."
"The Chinese Communist Party (CPC) is waging an information warfare campaign to undermine American democracy," said Cruz (R., Texas).
"The decision before the commission risks allowing the CPC to broadcast government-approved propaganda into Southern California, one of the most densely populated regions in America of Mandarin speakers, to boost that warfare campaign."
The senator was responding to a report in the Washington Free Beacon revealing a plan by Phoenix TV, a Hong Kong-based broadcaster tied to the Chinese government and intelligence services, to purchase a large radio AM station near Tijuana, Mexico.
The FCC must approve the sale under a U.S.-Mexico agreement governing foreign broadcasts that reach the United States.
XEWW 690 AM (77 Kw-D, 50 Kw-N, DA2)
Cruz urged Pai to reject the application from the New York financial firm H&H Capital Partners to buy station XEWW-AM near Tijuana "given the unresolved and undisclosed details surrounding the application."
There are signs Phoenix TV is linked to radio deal, the senator said.
Cruz said the FCC application by H&H is misleading in stating that the buyers are U.S. nationals.
"Phoenix Satellite Television U.S. is a subsidiary of Beijing Phoenix TV, based in Hong Kong," the senator stated.
"The People's Republic of China (PRC) exerts control over Chinese media and the control extends to Phoenix," he added.
The H&H filing dismissed concerns that XEWW would be used to deliver Chinese propaganda as "unfounded."
John Carter, whose voice was familiar to thousands of Binghamton radio listeners, has died.
John Carter Ruttle, who was born in 1949, died on Wednesday. For decades, he worked at many area radio stations using the air name "John Carter."
In the 1970s, he was the "morning man" on WENE Radio in Endicott when the station had a popular Top 40 format. He later went on to co-host the morning shows with Chris O'Connor on several other local stations.
O'Connor recalled working with Carter on WAAL, WMRV, WMXW and WLTB. On Thursday afternoon, she said "we worked as a team."
After Carter retired from daily broadcasting, he continued to be involved in the business, recording radio and television commercials for local clients.
Carter also worked at radio stations in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Connecticut before arriving in the Binghamton area, according to WNBF Radio
Former KUSI-TV anchor and reporter David Davis, who retired earlier this year, was killed in a crash in Texas, the television station reported Wednesday night.
According to his Twitter page, Davis, 62, was a “motorcycle obsessive” who set out on a riding tour of the country on his Harley-Davidson on Aug. 21.
His adult son and daughter said Thursday that Davis “lived passionately,” and on this trip had made many stops to visit family members and friends, including a stop in his hometown of Memphis.
“It warms our heart to know he spent his last days and weeks with people who all played an important role in his life — in his road trip across the country,” said his son Chas Davis, reading a statement from the family.
KUSI reported that Davis was killed in a crash near Dallas. A spokeswoman for the family said the crash happened around 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Over the past few weeks, Davis had posted photos of himself on Twitter and Instagram from Alaska, Nevada, Utah, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan. His last Instagram post, from Saturday, showed him attending the University of Michigan football game at “The Big House,” Ann Arbor’s 107,601-seat Michigan Stadium.
➦In 1814...Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to the "Star-Spangled Banner," originally a poem known as "Defense of Fort McHenry," after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, Maryland during the War of 1812. On March 3, 1931, the song became the official U.S. national anthem.
➦In 1907...radio newsman & commentator Cecil Brown was born in New Brighton Pennsylvania.
Some of his most important broadcasts were from the Pacific war front during the early days of World War II. One of the correspondents known as ‘Murrow’s Boys,’ he resigned from CBS in 1943, but continued his commentaries with Mutual, NBC and ABC. For his contributions to radio he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He died Oct. 25 1987 at age 80.
➦In 1924...Yankee baseball player & later broadcaster Jerry Coleman was born in San Jose Calif. After calling the games of the Yankees, then the Angels, he was the play-by-play voice of the San Diego Padres for more than 30 years. In latter years he greatly reduced the number of games he worked, and switched to the analyst role. After injuries sustained in a fall at his home he died Jan. 5 2014 at age 89.
➦In 1927...singer Gene Austin waxed one of the first million sellers, My Blue Heaven, for Victor Records, which eventually was #1 for 13 straight weeks. Austin was a popular screen, radio & recording artist during the mid 1920's into the 1930's. He was known as "the voice of the south land" and a pioneer in the "crooning" style of singing. A jazz artist at heart, he was equally at home singing country ballads, blues and spirituals. His improvisational style apparent in his recordings, added a unique flavor to his interpretations.
➦In 1936...the NBC radio network presented John’s Other Wife for the first time. Actually, John’s other wife was not his wife at all, but his secretary.
➦In 1966…Actress Gertrude Berg, whose creation "The Goldbergs" aired on radio for 27 years (1929-1956) and television for two years (1949-1951), died of heart failure at the age of 67.
➦In 1968...on The Hot 100..The Rascals remained at the top spot with "People Got to Be Free", the fifth week at #1 for the song. Jeannie C. Riley was determined with "Harper Valley P.T.A.", Jose Feliciano's version of "Light My Fire" peaked at #3 and Steppenwolf was down with "Born to Be Wild". The rest of the Top 10: "1,2,3, Red Light" by the sugary 1910 Fruitgum Company, Aretha Franklin and "The House That Jack Built", Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell edged up with "You're All I Need to Get By", Deep Purple was up strong (13-8) with "Hush", the Doors' former #1 "Hello, I Love You" and the Beatles made history with the highest debut ever (#10) for "Hey Jude".
➦In 1974…Actor (The Green Hornet Strikes Again!, The Spider Returns, Mandrake the Magician, The Spider's Web, Bowery Blitzkrieg, The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady, The Girl from Rio, Star Reporter)/ radio-TV game show host (Strike It Rich, Top Dollar, Beat The Odds, Who In The World, Spin To Win, Vox Pop) Warren Hull died of heart failure at age 71.
➦In 1986...Radio pioneer/station owner (KLIF-AM and KNUS-FM in Dallas, KOST-Los Angeles, WYNR and WNUS-FM in Chicago, WWWW-FM in Detroit, KEEL-Shreveport, WAKY-Louisville, KABL-Oakland, KILT-Houston, KTSA-San Antonio, KELP-El Paso)/National Radio Hall of Famer Gordon McLendon, widely credited with perfecting the Top 40 radio format created by Todd Storz, died of cancer at age 65.
McLendon, who nicknamed himself "The Old Scotsman", is also noted in radio history as the founder of the Liberty Radio Network (noted for its daily national broadcasts of Major League Baseball) in the 1940s. Liberty was the second largest radio network in the U.S. at the time with over 458 affiliated stations. Most of Liberty's MLB broadcasts were re-creations of games, utilizing McLendon himself and future sportscasting stars such as Lindsey Nelson and Jerry Doggett on play-by-play.
McLendon and his father founded radio station KLIF (The Mighty 1190) in Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas in 1947, and introduced the Top 40 format there in the early 1950s to great success. KLIF enjoyed a long run at the top of the Dallas radio ratings in the 1950s and 1960s, but its standing in the market fell in the early 1970s thanks to growing competition from FM radio. One of the FM stations most instrumental in the downfall of KLIF was its former sister station KNUS (now KLUV), of which McLendon retained ownership after selling KLIF and revamped as a rock-oriented Top 40.
The McLendon family built a communications empire that included radio stations across the United States. In addition to KLIF, McLendon owned KNUS–FM in Dallas, KOST in Los Angeles, WYNR (later WNUS) & WNUS-FM in Chicago, WWWW–FM in Detroit, KEEL in Shreveport, WAKY in Louisville, KABL in Oakland, KABL–FM in San Francisco, KILT in Houston, KTSA in San Antonio, and KELP in El Paso. McLendon introduced the all-news format to Southern California through XETRA in Tijuana. McLendon was one of the originators of the "beautiful music" format on his KABL in Oakland, California in 1959; and as the founder of the first all-news radio station (WNUS in Chicago) in the 1960s.
He is credited by most broadcast historians with having established the first mobile news units in American radio, the first traffic reports, the first jingles, the first all-news radio station, and the first "easy-listening" programming. He also was among the first broadcasters in the United States to editorialize. McLendon especially attracted attention for his stern denunciations of French president Charles De Gaulle, whom he described as "an ungrateful four-flusher" who could "go straight to hell."
The McLendon family sold KLIF in 1971 to Fairchild Industries of Germantown, Maryland, for $10.5 million, then a record price for a radio station. By 1979 the family had sold all of its broadcasting properties, including fourteen radio and two television stations, worth approximately $100 million. By 1985 Forbes magazine estimated McLendon's net worth at $200 million.
iHeartMedia today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Stuff Media, LLC, the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content, which includes the HowStuffWorks (HSW) podcasting business as well as a slate of premium podcast content.
The deal is reported to be worth $55M.
This acquisition will enable iHeartMedia to leverage Stuff Media’s original content, programming and experienced podcasting management team and to further expand its podcasting platform, increasing its position as the solid #1 commercial podcast publisher globally, #2 overall (Podtrac, 2018) and almost doubling its usage metrics.
Originally founded in 1998 as a reference site, HowStuffWorks pioneered the podcast space and was one of the first companies to turn podcasting into a revenue-generating business, bringing the medium to a mainstream audience with its informative, easy-to-understand explanations of how the world works. Today, Stuff Media is one of the nation’s largest podcast publishers, with more than 61 million global downloads and streams per month.
Its “Stuff” franchises have attracted a dedicated following for more than a decade, with signature podcast Stuff You Should Know surpassing 500 million downloads this year -- the first podcast to surpass half a billion downloads. Atlanta Monster, a Stuff Media/Tenderfoot TV original true crime podcast that recently partnered with iHeartMedia, became the biggest hit podcast of 2018, and maintained the #1 spot on the podcast ranking charts for four straight weeks. Stuff Media’s Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, TechStuff and BrainStuff podcasts have all reached ten years of podcasting and over 1,000 published episodes milestones. The transaction is subject to bankruptcy court approval.
“While podcasting has already experienced tremendous growth, the real opportunity to bring the full potential of podcasts to the mainstream still lies ahead,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc. “Stuff Media is the original trailblazer of the podcasting industry, and we’ve been impressed by its ability to grow a massive, loyal audience over the past decade, led by a strong, experienced and cohesive management team, who we welcome to iHeartMedia. This strategic acquisition will pair Stuff Media’s wildly popular content and strong creative capabilities with iHeartMedia’s extensive resources and massive scale through our digital platforms, social reach and broadcast radio stations, introducing podcasts to the vast majority of the country and offering even more unique opportunities for advertisers to reach their consumers.”
Conal Byrne will join iHeartMedia as head of its podcast division. Stuff Media’s podcasts will maintain their branding and remain headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with Byrne continuing as President and CEO of that studio as well. Byrne will report into Darren Davis, President of the iHeartMedia Networks Group and iHeartRadio. Chris Peterson has been promoted to EVP of the podcasting division for iHeartMedia, and will oversee the full slate of iHeartRadio Original podcasts, as well as manage the affiliate relationships for the company, and will report into Byrne.
“HowStuffWorks was a proud pioneer of the podcasting medium more than 10 years ago, and we are truly excited to be taking the next step with iHeart to chart the industry’s course for the next decade,” said Byrne. “Combining our assets with the #1 audio and media company, and #1 commercial podcast publisher, gives us the unassailable position in the podcasting business and a platform like no one else. No company in the world has iHeart’s audience size and innovative drive, and coupled with the creative engine of Stuff Media, this is a game changer for podcast storytellers and advertisers alike, and I’m honored to be leading this effort.”
WBQT Hot 96.9 personality Ramiro Torres is poking a little fun at a police investigation centered in radio station’s mail room.
According to CBS Local, 30 pounds of marijuana was discovered Tuesday inside a box at the Dorchester building. Employees say the box could have been sitting there for weeks before it was opened.
Boston Police arrived on the scene to discover 20 bags of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana. They forwarded it to the State Lab for testing.
Torres took a picture of the pot and asked his fellow hosts to guess what it was on the air. Now, he says everyone has a theory about where the weed came from and why it was delivered to the Morrissey Boulevard address.
“If I see somebody who looks a little nervous, a little extra sweaty, a little mad, I’m going to pull them aside and tell them to tell me the story,” Torres said.
Boston Police would only confirm that the package filled with weed was not addressed to any employees of the station.
KFAN Radio alum Henry Lake is coming back to the station after more than five years on sports radio in Kansas City.
The Star-Tribune reports Lake will be back on iHeartMedia's KFXN 100.3 FM within a few weeks, “joining all of our hosts in regular appearances and hosting a college basketball show,” said program director Chad Abbott. Lake will also fill in when hosts are away, Abbott said.
Lake said in a lengthy note Tuesday on Twitter, “I’m grateful to be finalizing my return to hosting and other responsibilities.” He first signed on with KFAN, 100.3 FM, in 2003 before moving to KCSP 610 AM, in Kansas City in 2013.
“It’s where I began and am happy to return,” Lake wrote He did not disclose specifics about what his duties at the sports talk station would include and when his new gig begins.
KFXN 100.3 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local 60dBu Coverage Area
Lake, who is black, said in a telephone interview that “sometimes people of color get left out of the conversation,” pointing out that the Twin Cities broadcast market “lacks diversity” in its on-air talent. “I knew I wanted to come back for that reason.”
Abbott said KFAN has two people of color, both black, who are currently getting airtime: former Gophers basketball player Trent Tucker and former Gophers football player Ron Johnson.
While describing his time in Kansas City as “so much fun,” Lake added that he’s excited to return to the Twin Cities, where “I want to do a lot of community work in a time now where there is so much work to do. I look forward to connecting with various different organizations and charities.”
Dick Broadcasting Company has announced a new morning show for Savannah’s CHR WGCO Hot 98.3 “Jared and Katie in the Morning”
Jared Pike and Katie Tesh found remarkable success in morning radio after their 2012 debut. An instant hit with listeners, their Phonetaps, Wars of the Roses, and Local Talent Tuesdays have become staple segments for their home market of Greensboro, NC. Relatable, engaging and wildy entertaining, Jared and Katie are joined on air by Man Kisser Matt (Matt Wells), intern Hugs O’Houlihan (Thomas Marvin), and Jason Goodman.
Goodman, a member of the Jared and Katie show as well as VP of Programming for Dick Broadcasting notes, “Jared and Katie took over the morning show 6 years ago on WKZL. Since then, they have developed into a high profile show that has memorable and engaging content with a wide range of emotions. Jared and Katie have won the NCAB Morning Show of the Year in 2017 and have led WKZL to be a nationwide finalist for Station of the Year in 2017 and upcoming in 2018 at the NAB in late September. Jared and Katie will be a perfect fit for Savannah’s new Hot 98.3!
WGCO 98.3 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local 60dBu Coverage Area
“After the incredibly successful launch of Hot 98.3 earlier this year, the addition of Jared and Katie is just another step to taking over the market!”, remarked Operations Manager Gabe Reynolds.
Program Director Stacy Scott said of the addition, “We officially have the last piece to our puzzle! I am so excited to bring on such an entertaining morning show! Savannah, be ready to start your mornings off right! Now, Hot 98.3 Savannah is complete!”
ABC Radio and Skyview Networks announce syndication of The Deja Vu Show, featuring the top-rated afternoon host on New York’s iconic WBLS 107.5 FM. In her new show for Urban AC music formats, Deja Vu will provide female listeners a mixture of entertainment, lifestyle and positive affirmation that helps them find their passion and accomplish their dreams.
The syndicated show brings the best of Deja Vu, PPM friendly benchmarks, unmatched energy and personality, while allowing local programmers to maintain control of the music on their station.
“Every day I look to provide listeners an escape at work. Radio allows me to connect with, inspire and motivate listeners in an amazing way,” says Deja, host of The Deja Vu Show.
Deja is a speaker, author, philanthropist and lifestyle expert who delivers a new experience to Urban Radio. It’s an experience that at-work listeners crave—social media trends, celebrity crushes, empowerment, Black Hollywood, how to get ahead and so much more.
“Deja brings a contagious energy to the midday format,” says Steve Jones, Vice President and General Manager, ABC Radio. “Deja is a proven ratings winner who will have immediate and measurable impact for her new affiliates.”
“Deja’s a force for us both on and off air!” says Skip Dillard, Program Director WBLS, Emmis New York. “From her daily show, to social media and video, she continues to develop creative ways every afternoon to reach and engage her listeners! I’m so excited Deja’s talents can now be experienced in every radio market in America.”
The launch of The Deja Vu Show represents the latest collaboration between ABC Radio and Skyview Networks since announcing their joint syndication and sales initiative in April 2018. Last month, the two companies announced the launch of The Dana Cortez Show.
The Deja Vu Show is four hours each weekday and is now available for syndication. For affiliation information, contact Heidi Oringer at 212.456.5541 or heidi.b.oringer@abc.com.
Local advertising spending in New York City will exceed $11.5 billion in 2018, spread across TV, cable TV,direct mail, radio, mobile and 9 other media, according to research and consulting firm BIA Advisory Services.
On Wednesday, September 26 BIA will bring experts from across the local advertising and marketing, publishing, New York City Local Advertising Spend Forecast to Reach $11.5B in 2018broadcasting, and digital media fields to its annual LOCAL IMPACT New York conference at the AMA Conference Center in Midtown to examine New York’s local targeted ad marketplace and how data, trends and technologies are driving cross-platform media activation and consumer engagement.
The five leading vertical market categories in New York City are automotive, education, financial/insurance, general services, and government/political/religious and represent more than 30 percent of the ad revenue with total local market dollars going across traditional and online/digital media.
By 2022, BIA estimates the market will grow to $12.98 billion and online and mobile will continue to increase their shares in the market, while categories like print newspapers and magazines will decrease.
“As the number one media market, New York demonstrates its diversity not only in the large ad spend it makes each year, but in the categories it comes from and the mediums it chooses,” said Mark Fratrik, senior vice president and chief economist at BIA Advisory Services. “The fluctuating media landscape offers new opportunities for emerging digital solutions to capture more revenue dollars, and for some traditional media to both maintain their positions and strengthen their value to advertisers with multi-media offerings that are growing, and efforts such as programmatic selling.”
CBS News national correspondent Jericka Duncan on Wednesday revealed the text message that 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager sent to her after she contacted him for comment on a New Yorker report on Sunday morning that implicated his conduct. Fager claims it’s what got him fired. according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Fager texted her: “If you repeat these false accusations without any of your own reporting to back them up, you will be responsible for harming me. Be careful. There are people who lost their jobs trying to harm me and if you pass on these damaging claims without your own reporting to back them up that will become a serious problem.”
Fager, who had been accused of sexual misconduct in two recent New Yorker stories focused on allegations against former CBS CEO Les Moonves, stepped down earlier on Wednesday.
In a statement, CBS News president David Rhodes said that Fager “violated company policy,” but did not specify which policy he violated.
Fager, in a statement, helped clarify what happened, saying that CBS “terminated my contract early because I sent a text message to one of our own CBS reporters demanding that she be fair in covering the story. My language was harsh and, despite the fact that journalists receive harsh demands for fairness all the time, CBS did not like it. One such note should not result in termination after 36 years, but it did.”
After the message was read onscreen, CBS Evening News anchor Jeff Glor said the staff of his show fully supports her.
