D-C Radio: Suspicious Package Delivered To Cumulus Stations

Employees at Cumulus's news-talk WMAL 105.9 FM / 630 AM , and Hot AC WRQX, 107.3 FM were force to evacuate their building Thursday afternoon after a reports of a suspicious package.

The package was addressed to some of WMAL's hosts, according to NBC/Washington.

DC police responded  and later gave an all-clear at 5:45 pm

The incident comes after PVC pipe bombs were sent to several high-profile critics of President Trump and CNN offices in New York City.

Our radio stations here in NW Washington, DC have been evacuated due to a suspicious package. #wrqx #wmal pic.twitter.com/JaR9U3yL0j

— JASON KIDD (@JKIDD1073) October 25, 2018

"Suspicious package received at mix107.3 building. The building has been evacuated. Police and fire are on scene. As soon as the all clear is given, Jason Kidd will be back on air but for now enjoy commercial free music on mix107.3," the radio station tweeted earlier.

I'm not going to describe the package in question because there is an ongoing investigation. We were informed moments after police studied it to immediately evacuate.

Could be a bad copy cat or could be something more.

We will return to the air as soon as we can. @WMALDC

— Larry O'Connor (@LarryOConnor) October 25, 2018

Larry O'Connor, who hosts a show for WMAL, tweeted a photo of police blocking off the street. O'Connor said he saw the package and it did not look like the suspicious packages sent to high-profile Democrats such as former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on Wednesday.

"Though it does not look like the other packages we have seen the past day or two, there were some similarities. DC police examined it and immediately ordered full evacuation," O'Conner tweeted.

Seattle Radio: It's John & Jeanne In The Morning on KSWD

John Fisher & Jeanne Ashley

Entercom has  named Jeanne Ashley to the role of Assistant Program Director at KSWD 94.1 The Sound in Seattle. Ashley will also assume the role of co-host of the station’s morning show, joining on-air personality John Fisher. “John and Jeanne” airs weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. PT. Both roles are effective immediately.

“Jeanne is an exceptional radio talent and we are happy to have her join The Sound’s air team because of her deep understanding of the values of the Adult Contemporary format, from the interests of its fans to its music library,” said Jack Hutchison, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Seattle. “She is fresh, engaging and a great fit with John’s wit and local wisdom. Her music programming skills will provide us with greater creative power in packaging and presenting The Sound’s unique blend of relaxing favorites.”

“I have been geeking out on 94.1 The Sound since the launch last December, so you can imagine how psyched and honored I am to join Entercom Seattle and to be a part of this team,” said Ashley. “I owe so much to Jack Hutchison and Dave Richards [Vice President of Programming] for their vote of confidence in me. Smokey Rivers [Program Director and on-air host for 94.1 The Sound] is one of my favorite people on Earth, so working with him and John Fisher is really a dream come true.”

KSWD 94.1 FM (69 Kw) Red=Local 60dBu Coverage

Jeanne has extensive broadcast experience dating back to 1990, including on-air roles for WFEZ and WLYF in Miami, KCKC in Kansas City, WYYY in Syracuse, NY and WLZW in Utica, NY.

Toronto Radio: Roger Ashby Retiring From Mornings On CHUM

Roger Ashby

As announced on the air Thursday morning, legendary HotAC CHUM 104.5 host Roger Ashby has confirmed his retirement after an incredible 50 years with the station. Ashby’s farewell broadcast airs live from the Sheraton Centre Toronto Grand Ballroom on Wednesday, Dec. 5 beginning at 5 a.m. ET.

Featuring a multitude of celebrity guests, the special broadcast will recount Ashby’s most amazing memories from his half-century as a preeminent voice on Toronto radio.

“It’s easy to get up early every morning when you love your job and the people you work with,” said Ashby. “Of course, I couldn’t have done it without the amazing Marilyn Denis. From the first moment we met, I knew she was the right person to spend my mornings with. And our success over the decades would not have happened without the dedication of our longtime listeners.”

“Marilyn and Jamar will keep entertaining Torontonians every morning on CHUM 104.5, and I look forward to listening,” he continued. “I’d also like to thank my wife, Moira, and my family and friends – with whom I will be spending a lot more time, whether they like it or not!”

“Roger Ashby is quite simply a radio legend, and a luminary of Canada’s music industry,” said Randy Lennox, President, Bell Media. “He is a model of excellence and consistency in radio broadcasting, and upholds that gold standard every time he sits behind the mic. We wish him the very best in his retirement, and thank him for 50 incredible years at CHUM.”

“On behalf of the entire team at CHUM 104.5, I’d like to thank Roger for his 50 years of dedication to CHUM and to our listeners in Toronto and beyond,” said Sarah Cummings, Program Director, CHUM 104.5. “Roger has stepped into the studio for decades, long before the sun comes up, turned on his mic, and entertained millions of listeners over multiple generations. He is without question in a league of his own, and we will miss him dearly. Thank you, Roger, and congratulations!”

In January 2010, Ashby was inducted into the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame, receiving the Waters Family Broadcast Lifetime Achievement Award.

Outside of the studio, Ashby dedicates his time to a multitude of charities, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Toronto, the CNIB, the Toronto Humane Society, and the Toronto Wildlife Centre, among others.



Earlier this year, CHUM 104.5 welcomed new co-host Jamar McNeil to the station’s morning team, and unveiled an all-new brand refresh of CHUM 104.5, updating the look and feel of one of Toronto’s most iconic radio brands.

CHUM 104.5 will announce more exciting updates in the lead-up to Ashby’s farewell on Dec. 5, and listeners are invited to tune in and re-live some of the most memorable moments in Toronto radio history as the station celebrates Ashby’s career over the next six weeks.

CHUM 104.5 is available across Canada via live stream on the iHeartRadio Canada app.

SiriusXM Radio: POTUS Channel Launches Dan Abrams Show

Dan Abrams

Today SiriusXM announced that Dan Abrams will host an exclusive SiriusXM radio show starting October 29. "The Dan Abrams Show: Where Politics Meets The Law" will air live on weekdays on P.O.T.U.S. channel 124 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

On his new show, Abrams will analyze the biggest news stories of the day from a legal perspective. With so much of today's breaking political news having a legal component, Abrams will delve into the issues with a team of specialists, including former federal prosecutors and other high-profile experts. The program will also feature one-on-one interviews with top newsmakers, panel discussions, and listener calls.

"The legal side of news stories is more important and prominent than ever," said Abrams. "I'm thrilled to have this opportunity on SiriusXM to really dig in and separate the legal realities from the wishful spin for listeners and people calling in to the show."

"Dan is the perfect voice to add to our great P.O.T.U.S. lineup," said Megan Liberman, Senior Vice President of News, Talk, and Entertainment at SiriusXM. "There has never been a more critical time to address the intersection of law and politics, and I can't think of anyone better to lead that conversation."

Over the course of his career, Abrams has established himself as one of the nation's top legal analysts, first covering the O.J. Simpson trial for Court TV and NBC News. Now the Chief Legal Analyst for ABC News, Abrams is well known for his shrewd analysis of legal issues ranging from high-profile criminal trials to the Mueller investigations and the Supreme Court.

Abrams is also the host of A&E's Live PD, the highest rated live show on all of cable among adults 18-49 and 25-54.

Below is the new SiriusXM P.O.T.U.S. lineup of top non-partisan political news and analysis programs:

• The Morning Briefing with Tim Farley, 6:00 – 9:00 a.m. ET
• The Michael Smerconish Program, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET
• Let's Get After It with Chris Cuomo, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET
• The Dan Abrams Show, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
• Press Pool with Julie Mason, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
• The Big Picture with Olivier Knox, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

NYC Radio: Craig Carton Judge Is A WFAN Listener

Former WFAN sports-talk celebrity Craig Carton will have one highly placed fan in the courtroom when his trial for running a ticket resale Ponzi scheme begins Monday in Manhattan federal court.

According to Newsday, U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, the Manhattan court’s chief judge who will preside at the trial, revealed near the end of the final pretrial hearing on Thursday that she’s more than a little familiar with Carton’s on-air personality.

Judge McMahon

“I, by the way, am a WFAN listener,” McMahon told the lawyers during a discussion of how many jurors are likely to be familiar with Carton’s longtime radio home. “I have listened to Mr. Carton for years.”

Carton, 48, the longtime co-host of a morning talk show on WFAN with former NFL star Boomer Esiason, was indicted last year on charges that he used false statements to raised $4 million from investors to buy tickets for resale at a profit and then diverted the money.

Reacting to McMahon’s remark outside court, Carton said, “I didn’t know that. I always assume everyone’s a listener… I hope she enjoyed it.”

Carton has loudly maintained his innocence, and claims that he was misled by an alleged co-conspirator, Joseph Meli, who is now imprisoned on separate Ponzi scheme charges.

Google Revenue Misses Expectations

Google parent Alphabet Inc on Thursday missed analysts’ quarterly revenue estimates for the first time in at least two years and reported continuing erosion of its operating margin, sending shares down almost 7 percent after hours.

According to Reuters, the tech company’s third-quarter results fanned investor concern that big investments in new businesses, increasing regulatory scrutiny and emerging competition are producing slow and unpredictable returns.

Overall revenue rose 21 percent to $33.74 billion, missing analysts’ estimate by about $310 million, according to Refinitiv data.

Google ad sales contributed 86 percent of revenue, but growth slowed to 20 percent from nearly 24 percent last quarter.

“Google’s earnings momentum remains strong,” said Haris Anwar, senior analyst at Investing.com. “But if you dig in a little deeper, there are cost pressures which are building up and are mainly responsible for this period’s disappointment.”

Non-advertising revenue, such as from sales of mobile apps and cloud computing services, also came in slightly below expectations.

Also Thursday, Google announced that it has fired 48 employees for sexual harassment during the past two years and sent them away without severance packages, hours after a news report that it had protected some male executives facing sexual misconduct allegations and offered them large sums to leave the company.

The surprise disclosure Thursday came in an email to Google employees from CEO Sundar Pichai. It was a direct response to a New York Times report that the company had dismissed the executive in charge of its Android software for sexual misconduct in 2014 and paid him handsomely to leave.

A spokesman for Andy Rubin, the former Android executive, said he left on his own accord and has never been informed of any accusations of sexual misconduct. Rubin acknowledges having consensual sexual relationships with Google employees that didn’t report to him, adhering to the boundaries drawn by Google policy at that time, according to the spokesman, Sam Singer.

Amazon Drops On Revenue Miss

Amazon’s third-quarter earnings beat estimates, but its revenue and fourth-quarter outlook fell short of expectations, dropping its stock roughly 9 percent in after-hours trading — on pace for its lowest close since May, reports CNBC.

The company gave fourth-quarter revenue guidance in the range of $66.5 billion and $72.5 billion, well-below consensus of $73.79 billion. The fourth quarter is the biggest and most important sales period for Amazon because of the holidays.

The results show how Amazon could have a disappointing holiday season in its all-important fourth-quarter, as the overall business sees a slight deceleration in growth. At the same time, it highlights the growth of Amazon’s high-margin businesses, like its cloud and advertising units, that are more profitable than its core retail segment.

Net income, meanwhile, grew more than 10-times from the year-ago period, to a record-high $2.8 billion, marking the fourth straight quarter of topping $1 billion in profits.



In a prepared statement, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos highlighted the growth of Amazon Business, its marketplace for business customers.

“Amazon Business has now reached a $10 billion annual sales run rate and is serving millions of private and public-sector organizations in eight countries,” Bezos said in a statement.

Amazon’s quarterly report comes amid a broader market sell-off that saw other tech stocks get hammered in recent weeks. Amazon stock is up roughly 49 percent this year.

Twitter Stock Soars After Strong Earnings Report

Twitter shares surged more than 17 percent Thursday after the company reported higher-than-expected earnings and revenue for the third quarter. It closed up 15.47 percent.

“We’re achieving meaningful progress in our efforts to make Twitter a healthier and valuable everyday service,” CEO Jack Dorsey said in the earnings release. “We’re doing a better job detecting and removing spammy and suspicious accounts at sign-up. We’re also continuing to introduce improvements that make it easier for people to follow events, topics and interests on Twitter, like adding support for U.S. TV shows in our new event infrastructure. This quarter’s strong results prove we can prioritize the long-term health of Twitter while growing the number of people who participate in public conversation.”

Twitter revenue went up 29 percent year over year. Advertising revenue in particular reached $650 million, also a yearly increase of 29 percent.

Nielsen Earnings: Revenue, Income Drop

Nielsen Holdings reported Thursday net income and revenue that fell from the comparable quarter a year ago, but its per-share earnings and top line still beat analysts' expectations.

Nielsen's third-quarter net income was $96 million, down 34%. Earnings were 27 cents a share, down from 41 cents a share, the company said. Analysts polled by Refinitiv were expecting earnings of 25 cents a share.

Nielsen's revenue fell 2.5% to $1.6 billion. Analysts polled by Refinitiv were expecting $1.59 billion.

The company reiterated its earnings, revenue and adjusted Ebitda guidance for 2018. It now expects free cash flow to be between $450 million and $500 million. That's a drop from the range of $550 million to $575 million it had expected.

Nielsen Chief Financial Officer Dave Anderson said in prepared remarks that the company lowered the cash flow guidance "due  to continued working capital headwinds."

The company’s audio ratings service falls under its Watch segment and for the third quarter, Audio revenue dipped 1.6%, from $127 million in 2017 to $125 million in Q3 of 2018. 

However, the company reports “Audience Measurement of Video and Text revenues increased 4.7%, or 5.2% on a constant currency basis, due to continued client adoption of our Total Audience Measurement system and our ongoing investments, including Gracenote.” 

Nielsen executive chairman Jim Attwood says, “The third quarter revenue and earnings are consistent with our updated 2018 guidance despite a number of near-term challenges in our markets.  We have a number of key initiatives and actions that we are pursuing to improve our future outlook.”

England Radio: Listening Reaches Yearly High

New audience figures have revealed further growth in listeners for commercial radio during Q3 2018, bucking the trend across the broader radio market and the BBC.

The latest data published by RAJAR, the body responsible for measuring radio audiences in the UK, found that the overall commercial radio audience was 35.81m. This represents the highest ever audience for commercial stations in this quarter of the year.

Commercial radio’s strong performance was driven primarily by continuing strong performance of national commercial stations, which have seen a 4.2% growth in listeners in the past year, underpinned by a broad range of local services.

The BBC still retains a greater share of listening time (51.7%) compared to commercial stations (45.7%), although this gap has also narrowed significantly.

Overall radio listening remains strong with nine out of ten people (89% of the population) tuning in to live radio each week for an average of 21.1 hours on average.

The latest RAJAR infographic on radio listening in Q3 2018 is available here.

Sean Hannity Says He Wants To Sue NBC Reporter

Fox News host Sean Hannity said he would like to sue an NBC News reporter who linked incendiary rhetoric from conservatives to the string of explosive devices targeting prominent Democratic figures, according to Newsweek.

Speaking about the explosives sent to George Soros, Barack Obama, Maxine Waters, the Clintons, Robert DeNiro and Joe Biden in recent days, journalist Ben Collins wrote that Fox News has provided a platform for extremist political views.

Hannity, who regularly criticizes the Clintons and Obama, disavowed the statements and attempted to undercut Collins' credibility.

"The media today and their reaction to this is so over the top, so outrageous, so disgustingly partisan. It just -- they're so quick to blame President Trump, Fox News, talk radio," he said. "You know, this jackass maybe needs to go back and hear my history because, I've got the tapes when Obama was president -- you know, whenever there was any threat to the president when the guy walked into the White House -- I said that we got to protect our president, doesn't matter what their politics are. We've got to protect all our politicians, retired politicians. And they purposely do this for cheap political points."

The Fox News host continued, saying "who is this Ben Collins? He's the -- you know, I feel like suing somebody like him and ramming the tapes I have of defending people and telling people never to act like this up his you-know-what in a court of law. Because he's a liar."

FCC Rejects Call For CBS 'News Distortion' Hearing

President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested that the FCC should do something about so-called fake news. On Thursday, the FCC demonstrated some independence by refusing to go that road with CBS, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The opportunity to assess CBS' "character" came as a result of the merger between CBS Radio and Entercom. The transaction meant a transfer of licenses, which necessitated the FCC's review. Last November, the merger gained approval.

Ed Stolz, the head of Royce International Broadcasting, which owns some radio stations in California, petitioned for reconsideration in July. He previously attempted to throw a monkey wrench in the merger by highlighting something obscene that Stephen Colbert said on The Late Show, and this time, he had two additional reasons why CBS' fitness for holding licenses should be up for review.

First, Stolz pointed to how the FCC had designated the Sinclair-Tribune merger to a hearing in a move that would soon kill that merger.

"This raises questions of fundamental fairness, where the FCC is investigating Sinclair, a right of center media organization, while giving a free pass to CBS Corporation, a well-known leftist media organization," stated the petition.

Second, and with specific nods to Trump tweets on the subject of license review, Stolz pointed to "intentional news distortion," which he submitted was backed by research by the Media Research Center. Specifically, he linked to MRC's studies on how television networks covered Trump's immigration crackdown, its "brazen double-standard on sex scandals" and how anti-gun activists overwhelmed gun rights advocates on television after the shooting in Parkland, Florida.

On Thursday, the FCC rejects the bid to designate for hearing CBS Corporation's basic character qualifications to assign its stations.

"Upon review of the Petition, we conclude the two developments Petitioners cite do not provide new evidence that would justify reversing our findings," states the order.

FOX Nation Streaming Service Debuts Nov. 27

Fox Nation—the upcoming streaming subscription offering from Fox News—now has a premiere date and price.

According to AdWeek, the ad-free streaming service will debut on Nov. 27, Fox News said today. It will be cost $5.99 a month or $64.99 per year.

Fox Nation is offering an early deal for subscribers to become “founding members” of the service by buying one of four Founders Program packages that will be available beginning on Sunday, 30 days ahead of its launch.

“We are incredibly excited to bring our viewers exclusive access, content and experiences from our Fox News stars at an attainable price. In an on-demand era of viewers watching content wherever and whenever they want, Fox Nation will complement and enhance our powerhouse Fox News programming for the loyal superfans who want to remain connected to our signature platforms,” said John Finley, svp of development and production, in a statement.

The company’s Founders Program includes four tiers, going from basic ($60 for a one-year subscription and a “Fox Nation founder challenge coin”) to all-inclusive ($1,200 for a three-year subscription, a “Fox Nation founder tactical watch” and gift box with other Fox Nation swag like the coin, hat, glasses and a medal).

As the Founders Program kicks off Sunday, Fox News will air an hour-long special, Fox Nation First Look, at 8 p.m. ET. That program will highlight the streaming service’s upcoming programs and talent.

When Fox Nation launches, it will include exclusive content from many of the network’s most popular stars, including its primetime trio of Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson, as well as Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume. Those stars and others will offer signature content and exclusive access with everything from deep dives into the big issues of the day to daily short- and long-form programming.

Fox Nation will be the third streaming news network from a major news organization to have launched by year’s end. CBS News’ CBSN was first on the scene in 2014 and Wednesday, NBC News shared details about NBC News Signal, which it quietly rolled out earlier this month.

NBC News Launches Signal Streaming Service

NBC News on Wednesday became the latest company to launch a streaming news network for people who want to get up-to-date information online rather than on TV.

The company announced that it is launching NBC News Signal, a streaming video news channel, which will appear on NBCNews.com, internet TV apps, YouTube, Twitter and PlutoTV, a free bundle of online channels. By mid-2019, the network will run 24 hours a day and seven days a week, though some features have already begun.

The initiative, which currently has 13 staffers, aims to provide coverage that is pitched somewhere between NBC News' youthful daily news show "Stay Tuned" on Snapchat and its TV broadcast program "Nightly News."

Nick Ascheim, senior vice president for digital at NBC News Group, said in a news release that Signal is meant to appeal to younger audiences who are turning to so-called over the top, or OTT, internet-delivered services for news.

When the network isn't covering the news of the day, it might do shows on topics such as e-sports or a lunar eclipse, Jones said.

"We're doing it in a way that is much more authentic," Jones said. "You're not going to see ties and anchor-speak."

Simone Boyce, a former local news anchor in Los Angeles, is the network's evening news host. Her show will air weekdays at 7 p.m. ET. Two MSNBC anchors, Steve Kornacki and Katy Tur, will also make appearances.

200+ Journalists Sign Letter Condemning Trump Rhetoric

More than 200 journalists condemned President Trump’s “sustained pattern” of attacks on the free press in an open letter dated Thursday, describing his behavior as “un-American and utterly unlawful and unseemly for the President of the United States and leader of the free world," reports The Washington Post.

“Trump’s condoning of political violence is part of a sustained pattern of attack on a free press — which includes labeling any reportage he doesn’t like as ‘fake news’ and barring reporters and news organizations whom he wishes to punish from press briefings and events,” said the letter, which as of Thursday morning had been signed by 211 journalists, the vast majority of them retired or semi-retired.

Meredith Wheeler, a former ABC News producer in the 1970s and ’80s, organized the dozens of journalists, who are mostly former ABC staffers, to sign the letter. She said more have continued to sign since the release.

Wheeler said she was inspired to write the letter after Trump recently appeared to condone the May 2017 assault of Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs by Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.). Trump’s comments, made at a Montana political rally on Oct. 18, came amid continued worldwide outrage over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

“Any guy who can do a body slam, he’s my kind of — he’s my guy,” Trump said at the rally to cheers, referring to Gianforte’s assault.

“To hear him praise the Montana congressman in the wake of Khashoggi’s killing was just too much, too awful, too soon, and I thought we have to, as a group of journalists, stand up and protest this,” Wheeler told The Washington Post. “Of course, the trouble is working journalists can’t sign a document like this. That’s why it’s mainly people who are retired or teaching in journalism.”

In the letter, she and the former journalists charge that Trump’s behavior and rhetoric has amounted to a violation of the First Amendment. The journalists voiced support for a lawsuit recently filed against the president by PEN America, which describes “official acts” Trump has taken against news outlets that the suit claims amount to an attempt to stifle criticism, in violation of the First Amendment.