10/19 WAKE-UP CALL: Biden To Address The Nation

President Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office on Thursday, delivering remarks on Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists and the situation in Ukraine, the White House announced Wednesday. The 8 p.m. speech will mark only the second time during his presidency that Biden, 80, will speak to the country from behind the Resolute Desk at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that the speech will “discuss our response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine.” Biden’s first prime-time Oval Office address was back in June, during which the president celebrated the passage of legislation raising the federal debt ceiling until January 2025 — telling Americans the country had narrowly avoided “economic collapse.”

President Biden will deliver a primetime address to the nation from the Oval Office on Thursday about the recent Hamas attacks against Israel, as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine, CBS News' @weijia reports. pic.twitter.com/kEHdbKH74i

— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 18, 2023

ISRAEL NOT TO BLAME: The U.S. government and independent security experts cast doubt on Palestinian claims that Israel was behind a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital. Preliminary evidence pointed to local militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, they said. Independent analysts said that the blast site doesn’t bear the hallmarks of a strike with the types of bombs or missiles Israel usually uses and that the amount of damage appears inconsistent with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry’s assertion that 471 people were killed. The U.S. has collected “high confidence” signals intelligence indicating that the explosion was caused by PIJ, U.S. officials said, backing up Israel’s contention that it wasn’t responsible for the blast. The militant group denied responsibility. The explosion set off protests across much of the Middle East and the broader Muslim world, with some calling for death to Israel. President Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a less-than-eight–hour visit to the country.

'Squad' Rep. Tlaib ignores US intel about Gaza hospital, sides with Hamas over Biden admin https://t.co/JG5djjKXUs

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 19, 2023

The explosion at a Gaza hospital Tuesday night set off a wave of protests across much of the Middle East and the broader Muslim world, some of them calling for death to Israel.

The president's support pledges: Biden said he would ask Congress later this week to approve an "unprecedented support package" to help shore up Israel's defense. He also pledged $100 million for humanitarian assistance for Gaza and the West Bank. The money could provide a critical lifeline to the more than 1 million displaced Palestinians in the besieged territory where water, food, fuel and medicine are in desperate need.

Survivor of Hamas terrorists hid in a greenhouse for 16 hours with no food, water: 'I feel like I'm gonna die' https://t.co/j3HCelX8sU

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 19, 2023

➤19 JOURNALISTS KILLED: At least 19 journalists from multiple countries have been killed since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The press freedom group said that eight journalists have been reported injured from the fighting and three journalists have been reported missing or detained. The journalists who are confirmed dead include 13 Palestinians, three Israelis, and one Lebanese, CPJ said.  “The Israel-Gaza conflict has taken a severe toll on journalists since Hamas launched its unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7 and Israel declared war on the militant Palestinian group, launching strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip,” the press freedom group said. 

➤BBC TAKES SEVERAL REPORTERS OFF AIR: The BBC has removed several Middle East reporters from the air amid allegations that they posted support for Hamas in its terrorist attacks on Israel. BBC News Arabic reporters — including those reporting out of Egypt and Lebanon — appeared to back Palestinians or criticize the Jewish state in posts they either tweeted or liked, the Financial Times reported. One of the reporters liked a message that appeared to describe Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters,” the outlet reported. “We are urgently investigating this matter,” said a rep for the BBC, which is already under fire for refusing to refer to Hamas as terrorists. “We take allegations of breaches of our editorial and social media guidelines with the utmost seriousness, and if and when we find breaches we will act, including taking disciplinary action.”

Why the tunnels under Gaza pose a major problem for Israel's potential ground invasion: https://t.co/PDvlfIivNe

— ABC News (@ABC) October 19, 2023

➤JORDAN COMES UP SHORT..AGAIN: Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio fell short of the votes to become House speaker in a second ballot. His tally was 199; the Donald Trump ally and favorite of the GOP’s populist wing lost 22 Republican votes, two more than in the first ballot yesterday. The 212 Democrats voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. The winner needs support from a majority of the House, or 217 votes. Because the chamber doesn’t work without a speaker, lawmakers are weighing other options such as giving Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry of North Carolina more powers. On Congress' to-do list: Additional aid to Israel and Ukraine and a plan to avoid a shutdown when the federal government’s current funding runs out next month.

Netflix Returns to Growth Mode

Netflix said its efforts to limit password sharing delivered stronger customer growth than expected in the third quarter, and it announced plans to increase some prices in the U.S., U.K. and France.

The Wall Street Journsld reports shares rose more than 12% in after-hours trading. The streaming giant added 8.8 million subscribers in the third quarter with customer growth in every region, after attracting 2.4 million net new subscribers during the same period a year earlier.

The company plans to immediately raise prices for its basic plan in the U.S., which is no longer available to new customers, to $11.99 from $9.99 and up the cost of its premium plan to $22.99 from $19.99. It is also increasing some prices in the U.K. and France, though the cost of its ad-supported and standard ad-free plans are unchanged.

The price increases are a sign of streamers’ efforts to improve profitability and wean consumers off the low monthly subscription fees that drew users away from pricey cable bundles in the early days of streaming.

Netflix said in its third-quarter earnings report that its average revenue per member decreased 1% year-over-year as a result of limited price increases over the past 18 months, a higher percentage of its growth coming from countries where it charges less for plans, and changes to its mix of its subscriptions. 

 Netflix has fared better than many of its rivals this year, with companies like Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery grappling with ailing legacy cable businesses and costly transitions to streaming on top of strikes that disrupted their production schedules.

The company ended the quarter with 247.15 million paid subscribers, up 10.8% from a year earlier.

Net profit rose 20% to $1.68 billion in the third quarter, topping its forecast. The company’s operating margin during the period was 22.4%, slightly higher than its forecast.

FOX News Digital Marks Ten Consecutive Quarters Leading News Brands

FOX News Digital finished the third quarter of 2023 marking ten consecutive quarters leading news brands with multiplatform minutes, while seeing double-digit year-over-year growth across all key performance indicators, according to Comscore.

 FOX News Digital also led news brands with multiplatform views, marking five consecutive quarters leading this metric. FOX News Digital closed out the third quarter reaching 9.5 billion total multiplatform minutes, 5.2 billion total multiplatform views, and an average of 88.4 million monthly multiplatform unique visitors.* Additionally, FOX News Digital saw a 12% increase year-over-year with multiplatform minutes for the quarter, while CNN saw a 20% decline in this metric. The FOX News Mobile app averaged 5.9 million unique visitors in the third quarter.**

In September, FOX News Digital was the top news brand with both multiplatform views and minutes, marking 31 consecutive months as the leader in multiplatform minutes.* During the month, FOX News Digital posted 3.3 billion multiplatform minutes, 1.7 billion multiplatform views and nearly 90 million unique visitors. FOX News Digital also led news brands with average views per visit in September, averaging three views per visit.FOX News remained the most engaged brand on social media in the competitive set in the third quarter with 74.5 million total social interactions, notching the 38th consecutive quarter FOX News has placed on top, according to Emplifi. FOX News drove 21.2 million interactions on Facebook, 45.3 million Instagram interactions and 7.9 million X interactions for the quarter. On YouTube, FOX News secured 461 million according to Shareablee. 

FOXBusiness.com notched 500 million multiplatform views, surpassing CNN Business for the sixth consecutive quarter. Additionally, the business network delivered 861 million multiplatform minutes and averaged 20.7 million multiplatform unique visitors during the third quarter, seeing year-over-year growth.*** FOX Business’ videos on YouTube remained the most viewed among the business news competitive set for the 18th straight quarter, driving 209.6 million views and seeing 26% growth versus the prior quarter, according to Shareablee.

THIRD QUARTER 2023 FOX NEWS DIGITAL VS. CNN.COM AND NYTIMES.COM

Multi-Platform Total Views

• FOX News Digital – 5,241,000,000 (up 20% vs. 3Q 2022)
• CNN.com – 3,517,000,000 (down 13% vs. 3Q 2022)
• NYTimes.com – 3,869,000,000 (flat vs. 3Q 2022)

Multi-Platform Total Minutes

• FOX News Digital – 9,511,000,000 (up 12% vs. 3Q 2022)
• CNN.com – 5,570,000,000 (down 20% vs. 3Q 2022)
• NYTimes.com – 4,037,000,000 (up 5% vs. 3Q 2022)

Avg. Monthly Multi-Platform Unique Visitors

• FOX News Digital – 88,366,000 (up 10% vs. 3Q 2022)
• CNN.com – 120,469,000 (up 3% vs. 3Q 2022)
• NYTimes.com – 72,139,000 (down 12% vs. 3Q 2022)

SEPTEMBER 2023 FOX NEWS DIGITAL VS. CNN.COM AND NYTIMES.COM

Multi-Platform Total Views

• FOX News Digital – 1,673,000,000 (up 19% vs. September 2022)
• CNN.com – 1,075,000,000 (down 24% vs. September 2022)
• NYTimes.com – 1,321,000,000 (up 3% vs. September 2022)

Multi-Platform Total Minutes

• FOX News Digital – 3,273,000,000 (up 19% vs. September 2022)
• CNN.com – 1,781,000,000 (down 26% vs. September 2022)
• NYTimes.com – 1,363,000,000 (up 8% vs. September 2022)

Multi-Platform Unique Visitors

• FOX News Digital – 89,520,000 (up 10% vs. September 2022)
• CNN.com – 118,615,000 (down 3% vs. September 2022)
• NYTimes.com – 68,230,000 (down 20% vs. September 2022)

*Source: Comscore Media Metrix® Multi-Platform, Total Digital Audience, Custom-Defined List including CNN.com, NBCNews.com, ABCNews.com, CBSNews.com, Fox News Digital, WashingtonPost.com, NYTimes.com, NYPost Network, Wall Street Journal Online, Insider Inc., and USAToday.com, September 2023, U.S.

**Source: Comscore Media Metrix® Multi-Platform, Total Digital Audience, Custom-Defined List including CNN.com, NBCNews.com, ABCNews.com, CBSNews.com, Fox News Digital, WashingtonPost.com, NYTimes.com, NYPost Network, Wall Street Journal Online, Insider Inc., and USAToday.com, September 2023, U.S. & Comscore Mobile Metrix®, Mobile App Only, [FOX News Mobile App and CNN Mobile App], September 2023, U.S.

***Source: Comscore Media Metrix® Multi-Platform, Total Digital Audience, Custom-Defined List including FoxBusiness.com, Bloomberg.com, CNBC.com, CNN Business, Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, HuffPost Business, MarketWatch, Motley Fool, MSN Money, TheStreet.com, USA TODAY Money, WSJ Online, Yahoo! Finance, September 2023, U.S.

KY Radio: Wes MCain Joins WMTA For Morning Drive

WMTA Star 107.3 is delighted to welcome Wes McCain to the Star 107.3 Morning Zoo. He will begin his new role on Monday, October 23, 2023.

Previously, Wes McCain graced the airwaves at WRVW-Nashville and WVLK-Lexington. He also held Programming and Promotional roles at WLKT-Lexington, WDKF-Dayton, and spent time in WNOK-Columbia, where he showcased his exceptional talent, charisma, and passion for entertaining and connecting with people. 

Wes McCain

He is a regular guest on WLW-Cincinnati, further solidifying his presence in the broadcasting world. Now, we are proud to announce that Wes McCain is relocating to Muhlenberg County and bringing his unique and engaging perspective to the Star Morning Zoo on Star 107.3.

Michael Davis, Co-Owner of Star 107.3, stated, “Wes McCain has been a long-time friend and colleague, and his involvement with the Star Morning Zoo is a fantastic opportunity to bring his talent to Muhlenberg County. We believe Wes will be an asset to both Star 107.3 and our local community.”

Casey Davis, Co-Owner of Star 107.3 stated, “I’m excited to welcome Wes to the Star family! I know our listeners and partners are going to welcome him with open arms! His industry experience, knowledge, and passion for broadcasting will be a huge asset to our station and the communities we serve.”

We encourage all residents of Muhlenberg County and beyond to tune in to Star 107.3 and join us in welcoming Wes McCain to his new role. Together, we can look forward to even more engaging and entertaining mornings from the Star Morning Zoo with Michael, Casey, Wes, and Jimmy. The Star Morning Zoo can be heard weekdays from 6-10am.

Disney To Break Out Sports Revenue In Financial Reports

Walt Disney will break out its sports programming revenue from the fourth quarter onwards following a restructuring of the company announced earlier this year, the media firm said on Wednesday.

Results from Disney's media and entertainment business will be reported in two segments: entertainment and sports, according to Reuters.

Sports will include ESPN and ESPN+, Star-branded sports channels in India, and fee earned from licensing sports content, while the entertainment segment will include its linear networks, streaming services, and revenue earned from licensing films and television content.

The company also revealed historic results according to the new segment classification for the first nine months through July 1, 2023, as well as for its fiscal years 2022 and 2021.

The move comes as Disney scouts strategic partners for its sports network ESPN. It is also exploring the sale of some of its assets in India, Reuters reported in July.

The company in February announced a sweeping restructuring that created three internal units and included trimming the company's workforce by nearly 4%.

CRB/CRS Accepting Applications for the Rusty Walker Scholarship

The Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) are thrilled to announce that applications are now open for the Rusty Walker Scholarship Program.

This coveted scholarship is not only a chance to attend one of the most significant events in the country music industry but also a recognition of outstanding talent and potential within the field. Three scholarship recipients will be selected, and will receive complimentary registration complimentary registration, hotel, and airfare for CRS 2024, to be held February 28 through March 1, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee. Scholars chosen through this program will also be recognized during CRS 2024.

Eligibility for the Rusty Walker Scholarship is limited to full-time radio station employees who will be attending CRS for the first time.

To be considered for this opportunity, applicants are required to fill out an online application through the Rusty Walker Scholarship page on www.CountryRadioSeminar.com and provide a compelling essay of 500 words or less explaining why they should be considered for the Rusty Walker Scholarship. The application deadline is set for the end of the day on November 3, 2023.

DMR/Interactive returns as a supporting partner of this scholarship program, adding to its existing participation in the CRS Lisa McKay Scholarship program.

The Rusty Walker Scholarship Program is a tribute to the late Rusty Walker, a distinguished former CRS board member. Rusty Walker was not only an inductee into the Country Radio Hall of Fame but also an influential programmer, consultant, and mentor in the music industry. His untimely passing in 2012 left a void that this scholarship program was created to fill, by continuing his legacy of supporting talented young individuals in the industry.

For more information about the Rusty Walker Scholarship Program, Country Radio Seminar, and to access the scholarship application, please visit www.CountryRadioSeminar.com. Stay updated on all CRS news and announcements by following CRS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Additional information can be obtained by calling 615-327-4487.

Audacy Launches New Season of Docu Podcast “Gone South”

Audacy HAS announced the launch of the third season of Gone South, the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning original investigative franchise.

“Gone South, Season 1: Who Killed Margaret Coon?” investigated the bizarre and brutal unsolved murder of a former Louisiana sex crimes prosecutor. “Gone South, Season 2: The Dixie Mafia” investigated the Dixie Mafia, who terrorized the Southeastern United States from the early 1960s to the 1980s. The true crime juggernaut won a prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award and has been a fixture on the top podcast charts, bringing in over ten million downloads to date.

Now, in “Gone South, Season 3: The Sign Cutter,” Audacy and Jed Lipinski, the Emmy- and Peabody Award-nominated producer and journalist, team up once again to unravel the story behind the 2018 killings of four sex workers in the border town of Laredo, Texas. Those murders triggered a manhunt for a serial killer that would lead to a shocking standoff with a man once tasked with protecting the town.

“Gone South, Season 3: The Sign Cutter” will launch on October 18, 2023, with all six episodes available to binge exclusively on the Audacy app and with the first episode everywhere podcasts are available. New episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays throughout the season.

“We’re very excited to be releasing a new season of ‘Gone South’ with our partners at Audacy,” said Jed Lipinski.

“Jed is at the top of his game as an investigative storyteller and we’re thrilled to be working with him on another season of the incredible ‘Gone South’ franchise,” said Jenna Weiss-Berman, EVP, Podcasts, Audacy.

Follow Jed Lipinski on X @JedLipinski.

Audacy to Host Annual Stars and Strings November 1

Audacy will present its annual “Stars and Strings” Country concert featuring performances from HARDY, Brian Kelley, Ashley McBryde, Michael Ray, Cole Swindell, and Hailey Whitters. Hosted by KISS Country 99.9 (WKIS-FM), the show benefits Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) to support the well-being of veterans as a part of Audacy’s "I’m Listening” mental health initiative.

WHEN: November 1, 2023

• Pre-Party: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. ET
• Red Carpet: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET
• Doors: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Show Begins: 8:00 p.m. ET

WHERE: Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way Hollywood, FL

Before the show, guests can head to Hard Rock Cafe to see performances by Hailey Whitters, George Birge and Florida’s own Sammy Arriaga. The pre-party is first come, first serve beginning at 5:00 p.m. Space is limited.

WWP offers innovative and accessible no-cost mental health programs and services that address invisible wounds, bridge gaps in care, and help warriors and their families build resilience. “Stars and Strings” will benefit WWP programs like Warrior Care Network, a partnership that provides veterans with improved access to personalized, accelerated treatment for mental and brain injuries alongside other veterans in a supportive peer setting.

“Stars and Strings” follows the 10th annual sold-out “We Can Survive” concert which raised over $600,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) as part of Audacy’s commitment to mental health. Both events are a part of a larger partnership with Hard Rock which includes nationwide events as well as performances and interviews with artists including Ed Sheeran, Florence And The Machine, Backstreet Boys and more.

For more information about “Stars and Strings,” please visit StarsandStrings.com.

Radio History: October 19

Bern Bennett

➦In 1921...Announcer Bern Bennett born (Died at age 92 – May 29, 2014). For nearly sixty years, beginning in 1944, Bennett was a staff announcer at CBS Radio and television. In the 1940s and 1950s, he was closely associated with Bud Collyer, as announcer on three Collyer-hosted game shows, Winner Take All, Beat the Clock, and To Tell the Truth, all produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman.

Other radio programs for which Bennett was the announcer included This Is Broadway, School of the Air and Breakfast With Burrows. In 1960, he was host of Upbeat Saturday Night, a 30-minute program featuring live jazz music on CBS radio.

➦In 1937...the radio classic, “Big Town“, made its debut on CBS radio. Star reporters at the Illustrated Press, Steve Wilson and Lorelei Kilbourne, were played by Edward G. Robinson and Claire Trevor. In 1942 they were succeeded by Edward Pawley and Fran Carlon, who carried the show for most of its 14 year run.

Julius LaRosa

➦In 1953...Julius LaRosa was fired live on-air by Arthur Godfrey.

La Rosa was on Godfrey's shows from November 19, 1951 to October 19, 1953. When Archie Bleyer, Godfrey's bandleader, formed Cadence Records in 1952, the first performer signed was La Rosa. Cadence's first single, which was also La Rosa's first recording, was "Anywhere I Wander." It reached the top 30 on the charts, and his next recording, "My Lady Loves To Dance", was a moderate success.

After La Rosa's third recording, and a dispute with Godfrey over his failure to attend a Godfrey-mandated dance class required of all cast members, La Rosa hired his own agent and manager: Tommy Rockwell.

With hit recordings and his appearances on Godfrey's shows, La Rosa's popularity grew exponentially. At one point, La Rosa's fan mail eclipsed Godfrey's. A year after La Rosa was hired, he was receiving 7,000 fan letters a week.  Godfrey did not react well to LaRosa hiring Rockwell as his manager. After consulting with CBS President Frank Stanton, on the morning of October 19, 1953 (in a segment of the show broadcast on radio only), after La Rosa finished singing "Manhattan" on Arthur Godfrey Time, Godfrey fired La Rosa on the air, announcing, "that was Julie's swan song with us." La Rosa tearfully met with Godfrey after the broadcast and thanked him for giving him his "break".

In 1970, he became a very successful and amiable disc jockey at one of America's biggest radio stations in the top market, Metromedia's WNEW 1130 AM in New York City.

➦In 1958...Brenda Lee, still weeks short of her 14th birthday, recorded a Johnny Marks song destined to become a seasonal classic, ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.’ Floyd Cramer played piano for the Nashville session, Boots Randolph was on sax.

➦In 1975...Phillips Haynes Lord died at age 73 (Born - July 13, 1902). He was a radio program writer, creator, producer and narrator as well as a motion picture actor, best known for the Gang Busters radio program that was broadcast from 1935 to 1957.

His thirty-minute program ran on Wednesday nights at 10:00 p.m. on CBS radio and opened with the portentous sounds of machine gun fire, police whistles screaming and tires screeching, causing the phrase "coming on like gangbusters" to be coined. Copied years later by the television show America's Most Wanted, each episode of Gang Busters had up-to-the-minute reports of criminals wanted by the FBI or other law enforcement officials, many of whom were later arrested due to tips from listeners.

The Gang Busters radio show was an enormous long-running success with 1,008 radio broadcasts over twenty-one years from July 20, 1935, to November 20, 1957.  In 1998, Gang Busters was part of the 30-hour audio cassette called CBS's 60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows.

➦In 1991...Grant Turner, WSM-AM Nashville and Grand Ole Opry announcer for 49 years, died at the age of 79.

Jesse Granderson "Grant" Turner was born May 17, 1912 in Baird, Texas, near Abilene. In 1928, while in high school, he performed as Ike and His Guitar announced for Abilene, TX. Turner majored in journalism at college and worked for Texas and Louisiana newspapers during the 1930s, but he returned to radio announcing in 1940 at KFRO in Longview, TX., before joining a station in Sherman, TX.

Grant Turner

In 1942, he moved to Knoxville, TN.. Turner rode an all-night bus to Nashville and auditioned for WSM, where he joined the staff on June 6, 1944, which was D-Day, the day the Allies invaded Europe in World War II.

He first announced early-morning programs, but a few months later joined George D. Hay's staff of Saturday night Grand Ole Opry announcers. Turner became announcer for R. J. Reynolds's NBC network half hour of the Grand Ole Opry, in the late 1940s: the Prince Albert Show, piped weekly to some 170 stations and some 10 million listeners by 1953. In the early 1950s he hosted WSM's Mr. DJ, USA program, featuring guest DJs from around the nation, and in the mid-1950s became the third regular announcer for Ernest Tubb's WSM Midnight Jamboree, a job he held until 1977

Turner for years hosted the pre-Opry Grand Ole Opry Warmup Show-spinning records and taking requests on the Opry House stage. He worked the Friday and Saturday night Opry shows, besides the summer matinees, until the night before he died. Grant Turner was one of three original members to be inducted into the Country Music D J Hall of Fame in 1975. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1981.

➦In 1991...Dan Ingram debuted at Oldies WCBS 101.1 FM NYC.  Here's an un-dated aircheck:

➦In 1994...comedienne/singer/actress Martha Raye died after a lengthy illness at age 78. The big-mouthed comic appeared with Al Jolson on radio, and had her own weekly TV series 1954-56. Thereafter she was a frequent guest on numerous TV variety shows.

Boom Boom Branigan

➦In 2010…Albany NY radio personality "Boom Boom Brannigan" died at age 82.

Born in Utica as Joseph Charles Motto, he became well known during the 1960s as a disc jockey at Albany-Troy giant WPTR 1540 AM. Brannigan was going by the name Ronny Victor at a Buffalo radio station when he landed the job at WPTR during the early 1960s.

In a 1998 interview, Brannigan said he was trying to think of a new name for the Capital Region market when he tuned in his new employer and learned his stage identity had already been chosen. “I heard this jingle that said ‘Boom Boom is coming’ and then there would be this sound of drums,” he said. Brannigan remained at WPTR until 1975, when the popularity of disc jockey-driven rock ’n’ roll had been replaced by album-oriented rock formats and talk radio.

Later, he would buy small radio stations like WKOL in Amsterdam and WSCG in Corinth, both NY.

Brannigan had chances to move to bigger broadcasts in New York City and Philadelphia to compete against national talents such as Dick Clark and Wolfman Jack, but Brannigan didn’t want to move to talk radio.

➦In 2014...Chattanooga radio legend  Luther Masingill passed away after a short illness at age 92.  With a career that spanned an incredible 74 years, Luther had been at the morning mic at WDEF radio for both Pearl Harbor (1941) and 9/11 (2001).

He had also appeared on the WDEF-TV noon news every weekday since the station signed on in 1954.

Pam Dawber is 73

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Singer Russ Giguere of The Association is 80. 
• Actor Joe Morton is 76.
• Actor Pam Dawber is 73. 
• Gospel singer Vickie Winans is 70. 
• Director David Twohy (“Riddick” movies) is 68. 
• Actor Jon Lindstrom (“General Hospital”) is 66. 
• Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme is 63. 
• Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is 62. 
• Actor Vincent Spano is 61. 
• Bassist Tim Cross (Sponge) is 57. 
• Singer Nonchalant is 56. 
• Actor Joy Bryant (“Parenthood”) is 49. 
• Guitarist Peter Svensson of The Cardigans is 49. 
• Actor Wesley Jonathan is 45. 
• Singer Ne-Yo is 44. 
• Country singer and “American Idol” contestant Josh Gracin is 43. 
• Country musician Jesse Littleton (Marshall Dyllon) is 42. 
• Actor Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”) is 39. 
• Jazz musician Esperanza Spalding is 39. 
• Actor Zac Efron (“High School Musical,” ″Hairspray”) is 36. 
• Actor Joy Lauren (“Desperate Housewives”) is 34. 
• Actor Tyler Posey is 32. 
• Actor Toby Regbo (“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”) is 32.

✞REMEMBRANCES

• In 1982..Jock Ewing, dies in an aircrash on TV show "Dallas"
• In 1994..Martha Raye [Margaret Reed], American actress (Waikiki Wedding, Martha Raye Show), dies after illness at 78
• In 1995..Don Cherry, American jazz trumpeter (Ornette Coleman), dies from liver cancer at 58
• In 2020..Spencer Davis [Davies], English guitarist (Spencer Davis Group - "Gimme Some Lovin'"), dies of pneumonia at 81

Tucker Carlson's Media Startup Gets Big Boost

Tucker Carlson

Former Fox News primetime host Tucker Carlson scored a win this week as an "anti-woke" venture capital firm has agreed to invest millions of dollars in his budding media startup, according to The Epoch Times citing media reports.

Venture firm 1789 Capital, co-founded by Chris Buskirk and Omeed Malik, has invested $15 million in Carlson's media company, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Chris Buskirk

Buskirk and Malik told the Journal that 1789 Capital sees investment opportunities in three key areas, including in what they described as the "parallel economy," where companies like Mr. Carlson's use existing business models to reach conservative-leaning consumers.

Another area of focus for 1789 is investing in companies that are bringing jobs back to the United States as part of the broader trend of deglobalization and reordering of supply chains.

The third is what Mr. Malik described as capital-seeking companies left out in the cold due to politicized investment decisions on the part of the collective "ESG cult."

ESG refers to the "Environmental, Social, and Governance" (ESG) framework that started out as soft guidelines but some experts say has turned into heavy-handed mandates that push controversial "social justice" ideologies and refuse to invest in startups that don't toe the "woke" line.

The goal of 1789, which is named for the year the Bill of Rights was written, is to get Carlson and Patel’s company to the point of showing a proof of concept for its online video-driven business model, so the pair can continue raising the hundreds of millions of dollars they are eventually targeting.

Report: Pat McAfee Admits Paying Aaron Rodgers For Appearances

Over the past three-plus years, Aaron Rodgers never misses his appearances on "The Pat McAfee Show." He has come to you from locker rooms whether he's in Green Bay or New Jersey, from his homes in Wisconsin or in Malibu, California, to now even the rehab facility.

The former Green Bay Packers quarterback calls in every Tuesday whether he's recovering from COVID-19 or an Achilles injury.

It started in 2020 and has continued into the 2023 season as Rodgers and the media mogul host have become close friends.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports some financial details of the partnership were revealed when a story published last Thursday by the New York Post reported through it sources that Rodgers brings in over seven figures annually from his weekly appearances on McAfee's show, which recently began airing on ESPN.

“Aaron has made over $1,000,000 with us, for sure,” McAfee told The Post.

McAfee addressed this report on his show Tuesday, detailing the impact Rodgers has had on the program.

"Aaron Rodgers Tuesday, it became the biggest show on earth," McAfee said, referencing Rodgers' appearances.

He said his show went from being valued between $2 million-$5 million to now $500 million and Rodgers has played a big part in that.

"All the people that helped make that happen have all been paid very handsomely," McAfee said. "That is what business is, that is what you do in the world."

Hedge Fund Says Murdoch's News Corp Should Break Up

Activist hedge fund Starboard Value's CEO Jeff Smith said on Tuesday that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is trading at a big discount to the value of its assets and should consider spinning off some of them.

Smith's remarks at the 13D Monitor Active Passive Investor Summit came after Reuters revealed last week that Starboard had become a News Corp shareholder, a prelude to a potential shake-up at Murdoch's media empire.

Smith said News Corp could unlock billions of dollars in value by separating its Dow Jones news division, which publishes the Wall Street Journal, from its REA real estate division, publisher of property websites.

Jeff Smith

"We believe this valuation does not make sense," Smith said referring to News Corp's valuation that including debt approaches $12 billion, equivalent to 7.9 times its projected 2024 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

"We believe separate news and real estate assets could help unlock $7 billion or more in value," he added.

A News Corp spokesman said the company has maintained an active and engaged dialogue with investors. "We remain focused on executing our strategic plan, which has helped us set records in profitability over the past three years," he said.

"We are proud of our rapid digital transformation and bright prospects for long-term growth and value creation," the spokesperson added.

10/18 WAKE-UP CALL: 500 Dead, Blame Game Underway

• Biden to put 'tough questions' to Israel during visit - White House spokesman Kirby
• Israeli military urges Gaza City residents to move south
• U.N. chief says he was "horrified" by hundreds of people killed in Tuesday's strike on a Gaza hospital
• U.S. raises travel alert for Lebanon to "do not travel"

A strike on a Gaza hospital killed hundreds of Palestinians, deepening tensions in the Middle East and raising the stakes for U.S. President Joe Biden as he flies to Israel on Wednesday to signal support for its war against Hamas.

Palestinian officials said an Israeli air strike hit the hospital, with the Palestinian Authority's health minister accusing Israel of causing a "massacre". Israel blamed the blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital on a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which denied responsibility.

Reuters could not independently verify the claims around the catastrophe, which has inflamed a region already in crisis since Hamas carried out an Oct. 7 cross-border rampage against communities in southern Israel in which at least 1,300 people died. Palestinian ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qudra said rescuers were still pulling bodies from the rubble.

Al Jazeera carried footage showing a frantic scene as rescue workers scoured blood-stained debris for survivors. Rescuers and civilians were shown carrying away at least four victims in body bags. A Gaza civil defence chief gave a death toll of 300, while health ministry sources put it at 500. The strike reverberated across the Arab world, prompting street protests and upending diplomatic efforts to create safe passage out of Gaza for foreign nationals and free some of the hundreds of hostages taken during Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks that also killed more than 1,400 Israelis. More than half a million Palestinians have left northern Gaza after Israel warned residents ahead of a potential ground invasion; they are dealing with shortages of drinking water, food and fuel.

It is "very tense" in northern Israel as some communities are ordered to evacuate amid rocket fire exchanged between Israel and Hezbollah.

"There is a widespread concern that Hezbollah could open another front in this conflict against Israel," CBS News' @roxanasaberi reports. pic.twitter.com/492Fgr3apx

— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 17, 2023

U-S Daily Mail Graphic

➤BIDEN TRIP OFF TO ROCKY START: President Joe Biden landed in Israel Wednesday morning as he demonstrated the United States’ commitment to the Middle Eastern country devastated by the Hamas terrorist attack that claimed over 1,400 Israeli lives. Biden is to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and show U.S. support in the aftermath of an attack on Israeli villages and military bases by Gaza-based Hamas gunmen that killed hundreds of people on Oct. 7. 

President Biden says he is “outraged and deeply saddened" by the explosion at the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza.

Biden adds he has directed his national security team "to continue gathering information about what exactly happened.” https://t.co/IYGQ9bAKz4

— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 17, 2023

After his meetings in Israel, Biden had planned to travel to Jordan for meetings with Arab leaders, but that stop was canceled after the strike on the hospital which Palestinian officials blamed on Israel and Israel blamed on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. Biden will meet with Netanyahu and the Israeli war cabinet and seek a sense of Israel's plans and objectives in the days and weeks ahead, White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Air Force One during the flight to Tel Aviv.

Iran foreign minister warns 'preemptive action' against Israel expected within hours https://t.co/Vt4GaB5FFd

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 18, 2023

➤JORDAN COMES UP SHORT:  Rep. Jim Jordan failed to win enough votes to be elected House speaker on a first ballot. Twenty fellow Republicans declined to back the Ohio representative in the floor vote. Jordan, a favorite of the GOP base and a Donald Trump ally, must win a majority of the House, which is split between 221 Republicans and 212 Democrats. He wanted to hold another round of voting later Tuesday; some of his detractors also argued that the vote should be held immediately. Jordan’s victory would be an earthshaking win by the party’s populist wing over more establishment and pro-governance figures. It would also raise questions about the Republican-Democrat cooperation needed to pass critical bills in the coming months.

TV Ratings: Terror News Dominated The Week

The week of October 9, 2023, the first full week of the Israel-Hamas war and corresponding wall-to-wall TV news coverage, saw Fox News expand its already-commanding ratings lead over the competition, and CNN continue to show notable growth, particularly in the key Adults 25-54 demo.

TV Newser cites Nielsen live plus same day data for the week of Oct. 9, 2023 which shows Fox News Channel remained in its usual position as the top-rated cable news network in total viewers and among Adults 25-54.

Fox News ranked No. 1 on all of basic cable in total primetime viewers (this time ahead of ESPN), with a 2.245 million total viewer average, and No. 3 in the primetime demo (behind football-carrying ESPN and MLB playoffs-carrying TBS) with a 286,000 A25-54 average. That’s +10% and +24%, respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week (Oct. 2, 2023) in those key measurements.

In total day viewing, FNC averaged 1.59 million total viewers and 220,000 A25-54 viewers, +22% and +42%, respectively, from the week prior. The 1.59 million total viewer average is No. 1 on all of basic cable, while the 220,000 A25-54 average in total day is No. 3 on all of basic cable.

Turning to MSNBC, the NBCU-owned politics-focused cable newser isn’t riding the Israel-Hamas war coverage wave like its news outlet competitors are. The network averaged 1.10 million viewers and 122,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime, -26% and -20% respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week.  

Like Fox News, CNN continues to benefit, ratings-wise, from its live, on-the-ground coverage of the war. The network averaged 810,000 total viewers and 196,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime this past week, growth of +4% and +26% respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week (Oct. 2). The 810,000 total primetime viewer average is No. 6 on all of basic cable, and the 196,000 A25-54 primetime viewer average for the week is also No. 6 on all of basic cable.

In total day, CNN averaged 688,000 total viewers (the smallest gap with MSNBC in months) and 151,000 A25-54 viewers, +13% and +28%, respectively, from the week prior. The 688,000 total viewer average is No. 4 on all of basic cable, while the 151,000 A25-54 average is No. 4 on all of basic cable.

Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN (w/permission)

The Five remained No. 1 in total viewers, averaging 3.34 million total viewers at 5 p.m., and improved to No. 1 among Adults 25-54 (375,000 viewers).

TV Ratings: MSNBC Denies It Sidelined Muslim Anchors

MSNBC has denied a report that it quietly sidelined Muslim anchors amid slumping ratings and outrage over the network’s biased coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

The explosive report from Semafor on Friday said the network has quietly taken Mehdi Hasan, Ayman Mohyeldin and Ali Velshi out of the anchor chair since Hamas’ cold-blooded terror attack on Israeli children, women, men and senior citizens.

MSNBC parent NBCUniversal told Semafor it did not sideline the hosts, saying the changes in the lineup were “coincidental.”

“We have and will continue to cover the barbaric terrorist attacks on defenseless civilians in Israel last weekend and the tragic war it has provoked thoroughly and in all their dimensions,” an NBCU spokesperson told The NY Post.

Graphic courtesy of RoadMN (w/permission)

The network has lost 33% of its primetime viewers since the deadly attack on Israel. It also saw its total viewer figures plunge 24% for the four days between Oct. 7 and Oct. 10 compared to the same period the previous week.

The network has come under fire for refusing to refer to Hamas attackers as terrorists during its coverage, as well as providing reasoning around Hamas violence, which claimed the lives of more than 1,400 Israelis and 30 US citizens.

Hasan, Velshi and Mohyeldin have been slammed by media critics over their Israel coverage.

National Review said MSNBC spent the week “justifying Hamas violence as the inevitable result of Israeli aggression,” citing Mohyeldin’s analysis that the attacks were the “very deadly consequences of failed policies” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration.

Meanwhile, New York Post writer Jon Levine has pointed out that the three hosts spent parts of their careers at Al Jazeera, the Qatari state-run TV network.