There’s a new king of late-night in the hotly-contested late-night TV wars — Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld, who says of his rivals, “While they cover their asses, we’ll just continue kicking them.”
Gutfeld averaged 2 million viewers over last week — when he took his NYC show on the road to Nashville — making his the second-highest-rated late-night show, topping NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” — who got an average of 1.5 million — and “ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live” at 1.4 million.
He was only beaten by CBS’ Stephen Colbert who pulled in 2.2 million last week, according to The NY Post citing Nielsen Media Research.
But the irreverent host previously outpaced Colbert — whose show Gutfeld needled as “Sesame Street for Democrats” — on Sept. 29 with 2.1 million viewers, while his CBS rival had 1.9 million.
Since the satirical comedy show launched six months ago “Gutfeld!” has posted double-digit gains across the board, including with the key younger demographics coveted by advertisers.
Gutfeld exclusively told Page Six, “With a fraction of the staff and budget, we’ve managed to rout the sullen competition in mere months. And it’s not like we care — we’re just out to have a great time, make people laugh, and do stories on woke BS that none of these other shows have the guts to tackle.
Taking a swipe at Colbert, who welcomed his fully-vaccinated audience in June by dancing with those in the crowd dressed up as vaccines, Gutfeld added, “Also, we won’t be dressing up as dancing syringes any time soon. we’re a late-night show, not Sesame Street for Democrats.”
Gutfeld, 57, launched his show on April 5 and made it clear he was gunning for the audience that traditionally tunes in to see the hosts on the big three networks.
Colbert and Kimmel have spent the past few years bashing conservatives and former President Donald Trump, while Gutfeld offers an alternative satirical take on the news of the day and pop culture.
Edison Research has announced that radio veteran Karina Farias will be joining the company as Project Coordinator. Farias recently stepped down from her roles as Program Director and morning co-host of KUFX-FM in San Jose to return to her home state of Texas.
Karina Farias
Farias’s previous radio stops include MD/APD/afternoons at KVMK-FM and MD/APD of KNDE-HD2 in Bryan-College Station, TX, talent at KILT-FM in Houston, and MD of KOIT-FM and KOIT-HD2 in San Francisco. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Farias started her radio career in McAllen, TX as a morning show intern on KTEX-FM.
Edison Research President Larry Rosin noted, “Karina’s experience in audio combined with her passion for research will be a great fit, and we’re excited to have her join the team.”
Farias added, “My enthusiasm for research is matched only by my love for the audio industry, so I am eager to combine my interests and skills with the many types of research projects that Edison conducts.”
Farias, based in San Antonio, will be directing an array of market research projects with a focus on audio and media clients. She will also take a role in Edison Research’s election research.
➦In 1906..William N. Robson born in Pittsburgh (Died at age 88 – April 10, 1995). Robson spent most of his career involved with radio. His radio debut came in 1936 as director of Big Town. He succeeded Irving Reis as head of the Columbia Workshop.
William Robson
Perhaps the most notable of Robson's productions was Suspense, followed closely by the similarly formatted Escape. Suspense lasted more than two decades on the air with more than 900 episodes broadcast. Ronald L. Smith wrote about Suspense and Escape in his book, Horror Stars on Radio: The Broadcast Histories of 29 Chilling Hollywood Voices: "Both used the same format: a challenging (if anonymous) host introducing a story of murder or perhaps classic horror. Robson favored adaptations of anything from Poe tales to a good yarn in the latest issue of Esquire magazine."
Robson left CBS in 1939 to become director of an advertising firm's radio department, and after the United States entered World War II he helped to prepare broadcasts for the Office of Emergency Management and the War Production Board. He returned to CBS in May 1942 to help the network prepare programs related to the war.
On June 22, 1950, a pamphlet called Red Channels appeared, focusing on the field of broadcasting. Robson was among 151 entertainment industry professionals (erroneously) named in the context of "Red Fascists and their sympathizers". During the ’50′s he wrote TV dramas, and in 1961 joined The Voice of America, where he was reunited with Edward R. Murrow, and won four Peabody Awards.
➦In 1935...“The O’Neills” first aired. The serial drama also aired on Mutual, CBS and NBC Red and Blue from 1934 to 1943. Created by actress-writer Jane West, the series was sponsored at various times by Gold Dust, Ivory Snow and Standard Brands.
➦In 1937...The radio series Grand Central Station started a long run long run on the major networks from 1937 to 1954. Each program opened with an announcer intoning that Grand Central was "the crossroads of a million private lives, a gigantic stage on which are played a thousand dramas daily."
➦In 1944...the first broadcast of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet was heard on the CBS radio network. The show would continue on radio until 1953 and on ABC-TV from 1952 to 1966.
“Hi Mom, Hi Dad, Hi Dave, Hi Ricky.”
Ozzie & Harriet
When Red Skelton was drafted in March 1944, Ozzie Nelson was prompted to create his own family situation comedy. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet launched October 8, 1944 on CBS, it moved to NBC in October 1948, then made a late-season switch back to CBS in April 1949. The final years of the radio series were on ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from October 14, 1949 to June 18, 1954.
In total 402 radio episodes were produced. In an arrangement that amplified the growing pains of American broadcasting, as radio "grew up" into television, the Nelsons' deal with ABC gave the network the option to move their program to television. The struggling network needed proven talent that was not about to defect to the more established and wealthier networks like CBS or NBC.
The Nelsons' sons, David and Ricky, did not join the cast until the radio show's fifth year (initially appearing on the February 20, 1949 episode, ages 12 and 8, respectively). The two boys were played by professional actors prior to their joining because both were too young to perform.
➦In 1956...Yankees pitcher Don Larsen throws a perfect game as New York beats Brooklyn Dodgers, 2-0 in Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium. Vin Scully with the call..
➦In 1984...Flashback from Radio&Records
➦In 1984....From R&R's Back Page..
➦In 2001...Syndicated talk host Rush Limbaugh announced the was totally deaf in his left ear and had only partial hearing in his right ear. The condition had happened in a three month period. (subsequently his hearing was restored through a revolutionary implant procedure.)
➦In 2010…News Correspondent Frank Bourgholtzer died at the age of 90. Born in New York City, Bourgholtzer attended Indiana University, where he majored in government and minored in economics and journalism. He graduated with a BA in 1940. Bourgholtzer returned to New York after graduation and wrote comic book scripts until joining the Wall Street Journal as a reporter in 1943. He became a Capitol Hill correspondent for the paper in 1945.
Bourgholtzer & Truman
The following year, Bourgholtzer joined NBC News as the TV news service's first full-time White House correspondent. From 1947 until 1953, he covered President Truman. During the first live televised tour of the White House, Bourgholtzer convinced the president to play on the piano in the East Room.
From the early 1950s through the 1960s, Bourgholtzer worked overseas for NBC News and served as bureau chief in Paris, Bonn, Vienna, Moscow, and Yemen. In 1969 he joined NBC's Los Angeles bureau, where he stayed until retiring in 1986.
➦In 2016...Toronto-born classical music radio announcer Peter Allen, best remembered as the host of the Saturday afternoon Metropolitan Opera broadcasts for 29 years (1975-2004), died at age 96. His regular ‘day job’ as a host at New York’s classical WQXR began in 1947.
Chevy Chase is 78
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
Actor Paul Hogan is 82.
Singer Fred Cash of The Impressions is 81.
Actor-comedian Chevy Chase is 78.
Author R.L. Stine (“Goosebumps”) is 78.
Country singer Susan Raye is 77.
TV personality Sarah Purcell (“Real People”) is 73.
Singer Airrion Love of The Stylistics is 72.
Actor Sigourney Weaver is 72.
Singer Robert “Kool” Bell of Kool and the Gang is 71.
Singer-guitarist Ricky Lee Phelps (Brothers Phelps, Kentucky Headhunters) is 68.
Actor Michael Dudikoff (“American Ninja”) is 67.
Comedian Darrell Hammond (“Saturday Night Live”) is 66.
Actor Stephanie Zimbalist (“Remington Steele”) is 65.
Actor Kim Wayans (“In The House,” ″In Living Color”) is 60.
Molly Quinn is 28
Singer Steve Perry of Cherry Poppin’ Daddies is 58.
Actor Ian Hart (TV’s “Dirt”) is 57.
Singer CeCe Winans is 57.
Bassist C.J. Ramone of The Ramones is 56.
Actor Karyn Parsons (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) is 55.
Singer Teddy Riley is 55.
Actor Emily Procter (“CSI: Miami”) is 53.
Actor Dylan Neal (“Blood Ties,” ″Sabrina, The Teenage Witch”) is 52.
Actor-screenwriter Matt Damon is 51.
Actor Martin Henderson (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 47.
Actor Kristanna Loken (“The L Word,” “Burn Notice”) is 42.
Singer Byron Reeder of Mista is 42.
Singer Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and the Tantrums is 42.
Actor Nick Cannon is 41.
Actor J.R. Ramirez (TV’s “Manifest”) is 41.
Singer-songwriter Bruno Mars is 36.
Actor Angus T. Jones (“Two and a Half Men”) is 28.
Actor Molly Quinn (“Castle”) is 28.
Actor Bella Thorne (TV’s “Shake It Up,” film “Midnight Sun”) is 24.
Audacy Promotes Clark To SVP/Digital Audio Content
Mike Thomas Named S/VP, Market Manager Boston
Audacy has elevated Tim Clarke to Senior Vice President, Digital Audio Content on the company’s central digital team, effective immediately.
In this role, Clarke will be responsible for audio content across the Audacy digital platform, which includes the Audacy app, Audacy.com, and Audacy’s station websites. Clarke will drive strategy and execution for new exclusive and original content for the platform and will have oversight of Audacy’s new exclusive digital music stations. He will also be responsible for the digital audio experiences of Audacy’s portfolio of broadcast stations, local and national station affiliates, and podcast partners.
Clarke will work alongside Pam Russo, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Audacy digital platform; and John Pacino, Executive Vice President of Product. He will also work closely with Executive Vice President and Head of Programming Jeff Sottolano and Audacy’s programming and content teams across the company to develop new and innovative listener experiences by combining the technology of the platform with Audacy’s best-in-class audio content and talent, while collaborating with podcast studio leadership and local teams and talent to further enhance and grow Audacy’s local podcast content and audience.
“Tim is a rising star in our industry and we’re excited to add his talents and capabilities to our digital business,” said J.D. Crowley, Chief Digital Officer, Audacy. “He brings rich experience leading content and consumer strategies that we trust will enable him to help us further elevate our mission of delivering dynamic digital audio content through a listener-friendly platform every day.”
“I am truly honored to join our industry-leading digital and content teams as we build the future of audio with Audacy,” said Clarke. “A sincere thanks to the team at Audacy, including Mark Hannon and my colleagues in Boston. I have loved working with the incredible people and brands in this market and look forward to seeing their continued success under Mike Thomas’ leadership.”
Clarke joined Audacy in March 2021. He previously served as Vice President of Content and Audience for Cox Media Group (CMG). In this role, he oversaw all content, programming, marketing and digital audience strategies for the company’s radio properties. Prior to that, Clarke was Senior Director of Digital Audience, where he was responsible for digital content, audience and product strategy for CMG’s radio stations. Other positions with Cox Media Group include Director of Branding and Programming for CMG Tampa’s “Hot 101.5” WPOI-FM, Director of Social Media for all six of CMG’s Tampa properties, Program Director at CMG Jacksonville’s WAPE-FM and Music Director for CMG Long Island's WBLI-FM. In 2011, Clarke was honored by Edison Research as one of their “Top 30 Under 30” in media.
Tim Clarke and Mike Thomas
Audacy subsequently welcomes Mike Thomas to succeed Clarke as Senior Vice President and Market Manager of its Boston market. In this role, Thomas will oversee the market’s six stations including Big 103 (WBGB-FM), Magic 106.7 (WMJX-FM), Mix 104.1 (WWBX-FM) WEEI (WEEI-FM), WEEI (WEEI-AM) and WVEI (WVEI-AM), effective November 1.
“I am thrilled to welcome Mike back to Boston to lead Audacy’s leading brands here,” said Mark Hannon, Regional President, Audacy. “Mike’s a proven winner and his leadership will be critical in moving the business forward. I also want to thank Tim Clarke for the exceptional job he has done this past year and wish him continued success as he moves to our central digital team.”
“Boston evokes memories of great times and celebrations,” said Thomas.” “When Mark Hannon reached out about coming back and leading such a diverse group of stations, it was exhilarating! I can't wait to reconnect with a lot of talented people, some which I spent over a dozen years working side-by-side with, and celebrating many more victories.”
Thomas joins Audacy from Good Karma Brands, where he served as Market Manager of ESPN Chicago 1000 AM since December 2019.
Prior to that role, Thomas was the Brand Manager for 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston from 2017 to 2019. During his tenure, the station was awarded three Marconi Awards for Sports Station of the Year. Thomas spent nine years with CBS Radio, holding multiple roles including Vice President of Sports Programming in which he worked with the program directors of the company’s 18 owned and operated local sports stations across the country, as well as Vice President of Programming for CBS Radio Boston and Program Director, including for Marconi Award-winning WZLX for 11 years.
Thomas launched his career at Clear Channe/iHeart, serving as Program Director and on-air personality for KGB-FM in San Diego and WFBQ-FM in Indianapolis, as well as Rock Brand Manager in 2001 for the company’s eight Classic Rock stations in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Iowa.
It is with heavy hearts that Cumulus Media confirms the death of Don Scott, Program Director and Afternoon On-Air Host for Cumulus Savannah's I-95/WIXV-FM, The Rock of Savannah.
Don, 65, passed away Wednesday from COVID-19 in a Savannah hospital.
He was a beloved member of the Cumulus Savannah family and joined I-95 in 1985. Originally from Miami, FL, Don started his radio career at legendary stations including WSHE-FM and Power96/WPOW-FM, then moved to Savannah to make I-95 the #1 Rock station.
He was honored by the State of Georgia in October 2020 with the Outstanding Georgia Citizen Award for exemplary community service. The award is Georgia’s highest service award and was presented to Don by Representative Carl Gilliard (D-Savannah). Throughout his 36 years with I-95, Don supported community initiatives that improved the quality of life for people in the area, supporting everything from local hunger relief efforts to Toys for Tots, Savannah Harley-Davidson “Toy Rides” and “Poker Runs” to benefit local children, as well as crime-stoppers events and SD Gunner events to help supply specially trained dogs for military, police and special needs children, and campaigns such as “St. Jude Rocks” for St. Jude Children’s Research Center and the “Turn It Pink” campaign benefiting breast cancer research.
I-95 will air a tribute show for Don Scott on Friday, October 15th in the 5:00pm Eastern hour. The tribute show will replay on I-95 on Saturday, October 16th at 3:00pm Eastern and again on Sunday, October 17th at Noon Eastern. In addition, I-95 is working with Coach's Corner on a tribute/fundraiser event in November with proceeds going to Don's family. Details for that event are forthcoming and will be announced when available at: www.i95savannah.com.
Eric Mastel, Regional Vice President/Market Manager, CUMULUS MEDIA, said: "Rock and Roll in Savannah has lost an Icon. I met Don 10 years ago when I moved to Savannah. In that time, I learned Don’s passion for his family, friends and career was exceptional. He went above and beyond in so many instances, I couldn’t begin to list them all. Whether he was helping to raise funds for charity, hosting a concert or simply executing a client remote, he left nothing on the bench. All in - all the time. I came to rely heavily on Don’s expertise and advice over that past decade. He will be greatly missed by me, his co-workers and his fans."R.I.P."
In the primary sports radio demographic, 98.5 The Sports Hub dominated the summer ratings, reports The Boston Globe.
Among men 25-54, The Sports Hub finished first overall in the Nielsen Audio Ratings with a 14.7 share. That more than doubled the runner-up, rock station WZLX, which had a 7.2 share covering the summer period of June 24-Sept. 15 in that demo.
Sports radio station WEEI was sixth (4.2). WEEI’s share includes its online stream (0.2). Its Providence-based affiliate WVEI did not receive any share from Boston-based listeners in the summer. The Sports Hub’s online stream is already built into its share.
The Sports Hub’s morning drive, midday, and afternoon drive programs each finished first in their respective day parts, as did the daily Baseball Hour from 6-7 p.m. Its evening programming finished second.
In morning drive (6-10 a.m.), The Sports Hub’s “Toucher & Rich” show finished first (15.2 share). WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” was tied for seventh (4.8, including 0.5 from its stream).
In middays (10 a.m-2 p.m.), the Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” finished with a 16.4 share to take first. WEEI’s “Gresh and Keefe” show came in sixth (4.2, including 0.1 for its stream).
In afternoon drive (2-6 p.m.), the Sports Hub’s “Felger & Massarotti” came in first with an 18.9 share. WEEI’s programming – which was rebranded from “OMF” to “Merloni and Fauria” when longtime host Glenn Ordway retired in the last week of August – was fourth (4.4, including 0.1 for its stream).
In the 6-7 p.m. window, The Sports Hub’s Tony Massarotti-hosted “The Baseball Hour” took first (12.7). WEEI, which typically has a lead-in to its Red Sox broadcasts in that hour, was tied for 10th (3.9).
In the 7 p.m.-midnight period, The Sports Hub, which features “The Adam Jones Show” on weeknights, came in second (9.6), trailing only Kiss 108′s evening programming (11.5). WEEI, which has Red Sox game broadcasts and “Mut at Night” show in the window, tied for seventh (4.3, with no streaming).
Last summer, The Sports Hub was first (11.2) while WEEI was tied for eighth (4.3).
Nielsen has announced that it is bringing its streaming solutions together in a single measurement suite encompassing ad-supported and subscription-based service models across content, ads and platforms. Nielsen's renewed focus on comprehensive streaming measurement comes at a moment when U.S. consumers now spend over a quarter of their total TV time engaging with this type of content.
"By combining our streaming solutions under one banner, Nielsen is providing the industry with a single destination to understand streaming audiences and how they are engaging with content, allowing media buyers and sellers to make the best decisions around ad strategies," said Deirdre Thomas, Managing Director, U.S. Audience Measurement Product Strategy. "With this comprehensive suite of streaming measurement solutions, content creators, platforms, studios and advertisers will have an unprecedented view of who is streaming, what they're watching, which platforms consumers are gravitating to and how much time they are spending with streaming content."
Over the last year, Nielsen has significantly increased its ability to measure the streaming TV landscape, more than tripling the sample size of Streaming Meter Homes, in order to provide the market with the most comprehensive view of streaming activity across connected TV (CTV), computer, mobile and tablet. Nielsen has added connected TV ad inventory from Samsung and Vizio to our existing roster of measurement clients including Roku, Amazon and Hulu, among others. Combined, Nielsen will measure 75% of CTV media spend and 87% of total video digital spend across computer, mobile and connected TV.
As part of this relaunch, the company will rebrand two of its industry-leading streaming measurement solutions to better align with its transition to Nielsen ONE, the company's cross-media solution. In addition, Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings will provide the most comprehensive view of streaming activity across connected TV (CTV), computer, mobile and tablet.
Nielsen Streaming Platform Ratings. Streaming Video Ratings will now be referred to as Nielsen Streaming Platform Ratings. Nielsen's Streaming Platform ratings will still provide a macro view of streaming activity across major subscription and ad-supported streaming services. Since launching in January 2021, Nielsen has more than tripled the sample size of Streaming Meter Homes and has also increased the number of platforms that are broken out distinctly to the top 17 platforms/apps, representing about 85% of the entire streaming market.
Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings. Nielsen SVOD Content Ratings will be known now as Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings. Delivering program and episode-level measurement in the same syndicated fashion that has made it the leading streaming solution in the market since launching in 2017, today Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings is used by seven of the top 10 TV network groups and 14 of the top agencies. The product will continue to deliver granular views of program and episode-level measurement on four out of the top five streaming platforms.
Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings. As part of Nielsen's Streaming Suite and in line with the rise of CTV, Nielsen's Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) will continue to deliver audience measurement for streaming ads on CTV devices. This intelligence is critical to understanding and uncovering comparable, actionable cross-platform performance metrics of streaming across connected TVs, computers, smartphones and tablets.
CUMULUS MEDIA announces that Buffalo Classic Rock station 97 Rock/WGRF-FM raised over $280,000 to help children with critical illnesses in the Buffalo area through its successful 27th Annual Make-A-Wish Radiothon.
97 Rock’s on-air personalities hosted the radiothon for 28 hours on September 30th through October 1st, telling the powerful stories of the wish kids to its generous listeners. Joined by media partner News 4 Buffalo, 97 Rock broadcast the Make-A-Wish Radiothon live from the BFLO Events Center inside the Eastern Hills Mall. This year’s event raised $50,000 more than last year’s effort. As a result, 300 Western New York kids will have their life-changing wishes granted.
17 local fire departments raised over $67,000 with “Fill-the-Boot for Wishes” campaigns prior to the live broadcast and 97 Rock raised additional funds with the auctioning of autographed artist memorabilia, Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres autographs, collectibles, experiences and unique getaways like golfing at TPC Sawgrass.
Buffalo Professional Firefighters Local 282 donating 11,000 from their tailgate party fundraiser
Ben Marchione, Regional Director, Make-A-Wish Western New York, said: “The Western New York Community created so much hope, strength and joy for deserving kids faced with the toughest battles of their lives and we are so grateful.”
Kate Glaser, Sr. Manager of Brand, Communications and Community Engagement, Make-A-Wish Western New York, commented: “So many wish families stopped in to share their individual journeys and showcased how strong and resilient they truly are,” said Make-A-Wish’s Kate Glaser.
Mary Hazel, Manager, Development, Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York, added: “We are extremely grateful for the platform of 97 Rock and News 4 to spread the word about these very powerful stories and to inspire the community's giving.”
With an October 18th deadline looming for Congress to raise the nation's debt limit or face the U.S. defaulting, which would set off a financial crisis, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell made an offer that would temporarily put off the debt limit deadline until December. McConnell's Senate Republicans have been refusing to provide votes to lift the debt limit, saying Democrats should do it on their own, but also using the filibuster to prevent Democrats from doing it on their own. Democratic senators were receptive to McConnell's offer yesterday, which came as President Biden and business leaders have been increasingly raising concern about an unprecedented U.S. default. McConnell said in his offer that when the deadline comes around again in December, the Republicans will again not give their votes, wanting Democrats to use the cumbersome reconciliation process, while saying they are willing to, quote, "assist in expediting" it.
JUST IN: Senate Minority Leader McConnell says he will support a debt limit extension into December to give Democrats more time to enact a long-term solution on their own. https://t.co/twGrSm8mHq
➤FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TEXAS TO SUSPEND NEW LAW BANNING ABORTION AFTER SIX WEEKS: A federal judge yesterday ordered Texas to suspend its new law that bans abortions after six weeks and is enforced by having private citizens sue anyone they believe provided an abortion or assisted a woman in getting one. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman called the law, which had been in effect since September 1st, a, quote, "offensive deprivation" of a constitutional right, and said Texas lawmakers had, quote, "contrived an unprecedented and transparent statutory scheme" by leaving enforcement to citizen lawsuits. Texas officials said they will seek a reversal of the judge's order from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The lawsuit the judge ruled on was brought by the U.S. Justice Department, and Attorney General Merrick Garland called the order "a victory for women in Texas and for the rule of law."
Daily Mail graphic 10/7/21
➤FOUR INJURED IN TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING, STUDENT ARRESTED HOURS LATER: Four people were injured when an 18-year-old student opened fire after a fight broke out in a classroom at a high school in Arlington, Texas, yesterday, with one of them in critical condition. Three of the four were students. The suspect, Timothy George Simpkins, was arrested hours later without incident after fleeing Timberview High School, according to Arlington police, and charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A spokeswoman for Simpkins' family said he'd been bullied and robbed twice at school, saying, "The decision he made, taking the gun, we’re not justifying that. . . . But he was trying to protect himself."
➤ADMINISTRATION TO SPEND $1 BILLION ON HOME COVID DIAGNOSTIC TESTS: The administration said yesterday that it will spend $1 billion on coronavirus diagnostic tests that can be taken at home and give results within 15 minutes, quadrupling the supply of such tests in the U.S. by December. White House pandemic response team coordinator Jeff Zients said the federal government will distribute the tests to community health centers, food pantries and other institutions. The news comes just two weeks after the administration announced a $2 billion purchase of 280 million rapid tests. There have been problems with delays in regulatory approval and in manufacturing of home rapid coronavirus tests that have until now affected their rollout.
None of the people telling you to worry about coronavirus are actually worried about coronavirus. https://t.co/bNTcHQH1yv
➤NATO EXPELS EIGHT RUSSIAN SECRET INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS: NATO expelled eight members of Russia’s mission to the military alliance yesterday, saying they were secretly working as intelligence officers. NATO also cut the size of Russia's team able to work at its headquarters from 20 to 10. AP cited a NATO official as saying, "We can confirm that we have withdrawn the accreditation of eight members of the Russian Mission to NATO, who were undeclared Russian intelligence officers."
➤WHO ENDORSES WORLD'S FIRST MALARIA VACCINE, CALLS IT 'HISTORIC MOMENT': The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the world's first malaria vaccine yesterday, with Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calling it a "historic moment." WHO, which said its decision was based largely on results from ongoing research in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, said the vaccine should be given to children across Africa, the continent that is hit the hardest by the parasitic disease, killing 400,000 people every year. The vaccine, called Mosquirix, was developed by GlaxoSmithKline in 1987. Despite its approval, it is only about 30 percent effective, requires up to four doses, and protection fades after several months. However, experts said it could still keep thousands of children from dying.
➤COLD CASE TEAM CLAIMS TO HAVE UNCOVERED IDENTITY OF ZODIAC KILLER: A team of more than 40 specialists who investigate cold cases claim to have identified the Zodiac Killer, a famous serial killer in the San Francisco area in the late 1960s, saying it's a man who died three years ago. The "Case Breakers" says it was Gary Francis Poste, who died in 2018, and also contend he was responsible for a murder hundreds of miles away in Riverside, California, in 1966 that was never linked to him. The Zodiac Killer has been connected to five murders in 1968 and 1969, and was known for sending letters with complex ciphers to newspapers and law enforcement. The investigators said they uncovered new forensic evidence and photos from Poste's darkroom, and deciphered letters sent by the Zodiac Killer that identified Poste, including one note that required knowing his full name to decipher.
➤WHY YOUR ALLERGIES MIGHT FEEL WORSE AS THOSE CRISP AUTUMN DAYS SET IN: It might be feeling a little bit more like fall where you live lately, with crisp, cool air and pumpkins all over the place. But if you have fall allergies, they might feel worse than ever. Dr. Neeta Ogden, an allergist, says, “Allergies in the fall can be as intense as spring for many people. The biggest culprit is fall ragweed, other weeds, and grasses. As the leaves and branches fall, outdoor molds can also cause fall allergies.” People allergic to weeds will start to feel their symptoms in August, and they’ll last through October. The experts say your fall allergies might feel more severe this year due to forest fires burning in the US. Dr. Sanjeev Jain explains, “Smoke in the air as well as weed pollen and mold spores can trigger allergic responses that result in symptoms such as sneezing, runny or itchy nose, watery or itchy red eyes, congestion, cough, and asthma exacerbations.” To reduce your allergies you should limit your time outdoors on high-allergy days, see an allergy specialist, and then see if that specialist recommends taking allergy medication as a preventative measure.
🦃PEOPLE ARE STOCKING UP ON FROZEN TURKEYS: The holidays are still a ways off, but that’s not stopping UK shoppers from buying frozen turkeys. Discount chain Aldi is selling around 1,500 frozen turkeys a day in the UK, four times the amount it normally sells at this time of year. This is happening as people fear supply chain bottlenecks will limit availability of the Christmas favorite. The US is dealing with similar problems, and experts say American consumers could also struggle to secure their turkeys for Thanksgiving, especially smaller birds. Retailers and restaurants across the US and the UK have faced delays and shortages over the past few months because of a breakdown in the supply chain driven by worker shortages, including lack of truck drivers.
Candy Power Rankings
🍬HOW LONG DOES HALLOWEEN CANDY LAST? WHAT ONE FOOD EXPERT SAYS: You might end up with some extra Halloween candy this year, but how long is it good for? Dr. Abigail Snyder, with the food science department at Cornell University, says bags of candy are usually marked with a “best buy” date, but it’s “really just a recommendation by the producer to the consumer about how quickly the product should be eaten for optimum quality.” She adds, “There is no safety implication for eating gummy bears or candy corn after that date has elapsed.” Snyder says consumers can evaluate each piece of candy to see if it’s something they want to eat, saying, “Consumers might start to notice changes in flavor or texture over time, such as staling or the white bloom that appears on old chocolate. These are not representative of food safety issues, just quality deterioration.” It turns out candy is generally shelf-stable, so use your own discretion about eating it, especially if it starts tasting stale or bland or the textures begin to change.
⚾DODGERS WIN NL WILD CARD GAME 3-1 ON TAYLOR WALK-OFF HOME RUN: The Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League Wild Card Game in dramatic fashion last night on a walk-off home run by Chris Taylor. The reigning World Series champions were tied 1-1 with the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the ninth at Dodger Stadium when Taylor hit a two-out, two-run homer for the 3-1 victory. The Dodgers will now play the NL West champion San Francisco Giants in their Division Series, which begins Friday.
⚾PADRES FIRE MANAGER TINGLER: The San Diego Padres fired manager Jayce Tingler yesterday, three days after the team finished in third place in the NL West with a 79-83 record. The dismissal came after a late-season collapse in which the Padres went from a one-game lead for the second wild-card spot on September 9th to being eliminated from contention with seven games left to play. Tingler, who came in second in voting for NL Manager of the Year last season, was 116-106 in two years with the Padres.
🏈REPORT...JAYLON SMITH TO JOIN PACKERS: One day after the Dallas Cowboys unexpectedly released linebacker Jaylon Smith, the NFL Network reported Wednesday (October 6th) that the 26-year-old was finalizing a deal to join the Green Bay Packers. The report said the deal won't be finalized until Thursday morning.
Beasley Media Group has announced Deanna Marie has been named as the new morning show Co-host of “The Mix Morning Show with Johnny B and Deanna Marie” on WJBR 99.5 FM in Wilmington, Delaware. The show will officially launch at 5:30am on Monday October 11. 2021.
The New Jersey native most recently worked at 96.5 KLCA in Reno, Nevada, where she began her radio career.
“We are thrilled to have Deanna joining market veteran Johnny B on “The Mix Morning Show”, said Program Director Eric Johnson. “We found Deanna so engaging from our first phone conversation and we think our listeners will too. Welcome Home Deanna!”
“I am so excited to be a part of the Mix Morning Show on WJBR,” said Deanna Marie. “It felt like the right decision from the very beginning and that I’ve known everyone forever- that is a great sign!”
A seasoned vocalist and theater graduate of Montclair State University, she has performed at Atlantic City casinos and other entertainment venues along the East Coast.
Audacy and the Boston Red Sox have announced a multiyear radio broadcast contract extension.
WEEI 93.7 FM will continue to be the Red Sox flagship radio station, as it has since 1995, airing all Spring Training, regular season and Postseason baseball games.
“Few things embody the city of Boston better than the Red Sox, and we’re delighted to extend our partnership with the team,” said Tim Clarke, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Boston. “The team has delivered some of the most memorable moments in baseball over the course of the last two decades and we’re proud to continue giving our audience a front row seat to everything surrounding the team.”
“For the past 26 years, WEEI has been alongside us delivering some of the most memorable moments in Red Sox history on the radio broadcast,” said Sam Kennedy, President and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Red Sox. “From epic wins to devastating losses, there has been a constancy through the dependable and familiar voice of Joe Castiglione and the entire WEEI broadcast team. We are excited to extend this enduring relationship into a new era of Red Sox baseball.”
Also part of the partnership, WEEI will continue to air a weekly front office report with as part of “The Greg Hill Show,” featuring a rotation of interviews with Red Sox President and Chief Executive Officer Sam Kennedy, Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom and General Manager Brian O’Halloran. Additionally, afternoon show “Merloni and Fauria” will welcome manager Alex Cora every week.
Audacy is the unrivaled leader in sports radio, reaching three times more people than the leading competitor. Audacy is the #1 sports radio ownership group, which owns and operates 39 all-sports stations across the U.S. Its unparalleled broadcast portfolio reaches nearly 30 million sports fans monthly and boasts the nation’s leading collection of radio play-by-play coverage. Audacy also serves as the flagship home of 41 professional teams and over 50 Division 1 collegiate programs, including the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs, Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls, and University of Michigan and University of Oregon, among others.
Saturday Night Live's Season 47 premiere with first-time host Owen Wilson has been ranked as the lowest-rated episode in the show's nearly five decade run.
According to The Daily Mail citing Nielsen, the episode is now the lowest-ranked episode among the show's key demographic - adults between 18-49. Wilson's episode also recorded the least amount of viewers for a season premiere the show has ever aired.
The Season 47 premiere scored a 0.92 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic and 4.9 million total viewers, meaning that just .92% of that group watched the show, according to Nielsen.
Keegan-Michael Key’s episode, which aired on May 15, now holds the second spot for low-ratings with a 0.93 rating, meaning that just .93% of that group watched the show.
The record for the episode with the all-time fewest viewers is still held by Scarlett Johansson, but that was not a season premiere. Her episode, which aired on May 2, 2015, was watched by 4.7 million viewers.
In comparison, Eddie Murphy's episode on December 21, 2019, delivered a 2.5 rating in adults 18-49 and 9.921 million viewers, meaning that 2.5% of that group watched the show, a far healthier number.
Murphy's episode brought the show its biggest ratings in two and a half years and is referred to as one of the best episode's in the beloved show's history.
It should be noted that Nielsen ratings does not count viewers who tape or stream episodes. This summer Nielsen reported that streaming services have a bigger audience than broadcast television.
Wilson's SNL episode was also the first to be live-streamed on NBC's Peacock service, which took viewers away from the Nielsen count.
NBCUniversal said former Hulu chief Kelly Campbell would become president of Peacock, a year-old streaming platform that parent company Comcast Corp. is looking to build into a powerhouse, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The move comes after Campbell resigned on Monday from her role as president of Walt Disney Co. ’s Hulu streaming service.
Campbell will start in November and will report to Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCUniversal’s direct-to-consumer and international division, the company said Wednesday.
Kelly Campbell
\Campbell is succeeding Gidon Katz, who resigned from his role as NBCUniversal’s president of the direct-to-consumer division last week. Mr. Katz is joining the streaming-media platform Roku Inc., where he will serve in a newly created role as senior vice president of product, customer journeys and experience, a Roku spokeswoman said Wednesday. He will report to Roku Chief Executive Anthony Wood.
Campbell had been with Hulu since 2017, when she first joined as chief marketing officer. She served as president for the past 21 months. She joined Hulu after 12 years at Alphabet Inc.’s Google, where she had leadership roles across Google Ads and Google Cloud businesses.
During its most recent quarterly earnings, NBCU said Peacock has reached 54 million signups and 20 million monthly active accounts. The overall signup tally is up from the 42 million subscribers that the company reported its fledgling streaming service had reached by the end of March. That’s well ahead of targets, as Comcast had previously projected Peacock would have up to 35 million subscribers by the end of 2024.
It is not clear how many people are actually paying for one of the streaming platform’s two premium tiers, since NBCU does not break those out. The Wall Street Journal reported in May that the service has only 10 million paying subscribers.
FOX Weather, FOX News Media’s 24/7 ad-supported streaming weather service will launch on Monday, October 25th, announced its president, Sharri Berg.
The new service marks FOX News Media’s eighth platform under the leadership of CEO Suzanne Scott as its original linear network FOX News Channel celebrates its 25th anniversary this week. Additionally, veteran WABC-TV meteorologist Amy Freeze has joined FOX Weather as an anchor.
In making the announcement, Berg said, “We have been working towards this moment for the last nine months and are thrilled to debut FOX Weather with our talented and innovative team, including Amy Freeze whose versatility and decades of experience are a great addition.”
Amy Freeze
FOX Weather is a free service that will be available at foxweather.com and through the FOX Weather app for iOS and Android. FOX Weather will also be available on internet-connected TVs via FOX NOW, the FOX News app, and Tubi.
Utilizing FOX News Channel’s expansive newsgathering units along with FOX Television Stations’ unrivaled team of 120 meteorologists, FOX Weather will offer users a comprehensive suite of weather products featuring local, regional, and national reporting, in addition to live programming. The platform will also showcase an innovative approach to forecasting, optimizing multiple radar systems, including an immersive, state of the art 3D radar to deliver the most informative coverage surrounding all weather patterns, from immediate to long-term.
Since announcing the streaming service in December 2020, FOX Weather has hired key talent from the weather industry, including top executives, storm chasers, correspondents and anchors, the latter of whom are all seasoned meteorologists.
A five-time Emmy award-winning meteorologist and television host, Freeze joins FOX Weather from the ABC owned and operated station WABC-TV in New York. Since 2011, she has been part of the station’s Eyewitness News Weather Team, where she also hosted the popular Eyewitness News Saturday and Sunday morning shows. Previously, Freeze was the first female Chief Meteorologist in Chicago, IL while working at the local FOX owned and operated station WFLD-TV. Prior to that, she served as a meteorologist for the NBC owned station WCAU-TV in Philadelphia as well as a meteorologist and morning show co-host for the ABC owned station KMGH-TV in Denver, CO. Additionally, Freeze worked at the FOX Portland, OR affiliate KPTV-TV on the local morning news program Good Day Oregon.
