Audacy Signs Contract Extension for “We Can Do Hard Things”

Audacy has announced that it has signed a multi-year contract extension for Glennon Doyle, her wife Abby Wambach, and her sister Amanda Doyle’s acclaimed, chart-topping podcast We Can Do Hard Things.

At the same time, the show is rebranding and unveiling new art on November 2, 2023. The new cover features Abby and Amanda alongside Glennon for the first time. Amanda Doyle has been part of the show since it launched in May 2021. Wambach initially sat in as a guest, began to make regular appearances, and soon joined the sisters as a permanent co-host.

New episodes of “We Can Do Hard Things” are released on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the Audacy app and everywhere podcasts are available. As part of the new agreement, select episodes will drop early exclusively on the Audacy app.

Radio History: November 3

➦In 1906...International Radiotelegraph Conference in Berlin selects "SOS" (· · · – – – · · ·) distress signal as the worldwide standard for help

➦In 1946...This photo appeared in the NY Times...

➦In 1957...Sam Phillips, owner of legendary Sun Records in Memphis released Great Balls of Fire, by Jerry Lee Lewis. The single sold 5 million copies worldwide. Looking carefully at the original label, one will find credit to Lewis and “his pumping piano.”

➦In 1962...Billboard magazine drops the "Western" from its "Country and Western" chart title.

➦In 1961...Newscasters and deejays returned to the air on Top40 KFWB 980 AM in Los Angeles after a striking for 122 days. Major provisions included raising base wages of staff announcers (disc jockeys) for the first year as of May 1 to $187.50 a week, $197.50 the second year and $205 the third year. Base wages of three returning newsman will be increased to $195 a week as of December 1st.

'The Long And Winding Road' Ends As 'Now & Then' Drops

When surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr heard John Lennon singing anew on “Now and Then” — a brand new Beatles song that will be released on Thursday — it was like their former bandmate had miraculously come back to life four decades after he was murdered.

“And there it was — John’s voice, crystal clear,” says McCartney, 81, in the new short film “Now and — The Last Beatles Song,” which premiered on the Fab Four’s YouTube channel on Wednesday.

“It’s like John’s there,” adds Starr, 83.

“Now and Then” — the first new Beatles tune since “Real Love” in 1996 — was written and first recorded by Lennon in the ’70s when he was living in the Dakota building on New York’s Central Park West — where he was murdered 43 years ago on Dec. 8, 1980.

Here It Is...

Despite Profit Dip, News Corp Edges Expectations

Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch said his father, Rupert, “is very much involved and will be for years to come” despite stepping down from his chairman role in September.

“I would like to congratulate my father on his 70-year career at News Corp. and Fox,” Murdoch said during a call with Wall Street analysts to discuss fiscal first-quarter results. “His enduring legacy can be felt in both of these companies. And I can assure you that he is still very much involved and will continue to be for years to come.” 

Deadline reports while Fox edged Wall Street analysts’ estimates but profits dipped due to a comparative lack of political advertising. Fox Corp. nipped Wall Street estimates for its fiscal first quarter, but earnings fell from a year ago partly due to a comparative lack of political ad spending.

Rupert Murdoch

Revenue came in at $3.21 billion, up a smidgen from $3.19 billion in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted earnings per share were $1.09, down from $1.21 a year ago. Both the top and bottom line slightly exceeded Wall Street analysts’ consensus forecasts, but Fox shares slipped 2% in pre-market trading due to some less-than-upbeat aspects of the quarterly report.

Affiliate fee revenues increased 2%, driven by 8% growth at the Television segment. Advertising revenues decreased 2%. The broadcast of the Women’s World Cup and continued growth at Tubi were more than offset by comparably lower political advertising revenues at the company’s local station division and the impact of elevated supply in the direct response marketplace at Fox News Media.

Although 2023 is an odd-year lull, industry analysts and top ad sellers are expecting a record haul for political ad spending in 2024 due to the presidential race.

The Cable Network Programming unit reported quarterly revenues of $1.39 billion as compared to the $1.43 billion reported in the prior year quarter. Segment EBITDA fell to $607 million from $742 million in the prior-year quarter. The company blamed higher expenses, primarily due to higher sports programming rights amortization and production costs driven by the broadcast of the Women’s World Cup.

Saga Communications The Latest To Report Revenue Drop

Saga Communications, Inc. today reported that net revenue decreased 2.8% to $29.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $30.0 million for the same period last year. Station operating expense increased 2.1% for the quarter to $22.8 million compared to the same period last year. 

For the quarter, operating income was $3.5 million compared to $1.1 million for the same quarter last year and station operating income (a non-GAAP financial measure) decreased 14.7% to $7.6 million. Capital expenditures were $760 thousand for the quarter compared to $1.2 million for the same period last year. We had net income of $2.7 million for the quarter compared to a net loss of $104 thousand for the third quarter last year. Diluted earnings per share were $0.45 in the third quarter of 2023.

Net revenue decreased 1.3% to $83.6 million for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2023 compared to $84.8 million for the same period last year. Station operating expense increased 3.4% for the nine-month period to $66.9 million compared to the same period last year. For the nine-month period, operating income was $8.7 million compared to $8.2 million for the same period last year and station operating income (a non-GAAP financial measure) decreased 14.3% to $20.4 million. Capital expenditures for the nine months were $3.4 million compared to $4.7 million for the same period last year. Net income was $7.0 million for the nine-month period compared to $4.9 million for the same period last year. Diluted earnings per share were $1.15 in the first nine months of 2023.      

Our results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2022 were impacted by one-time expenses of $3.8 million related to the passing of our founder.

11/2 WAKE-UP CALL: Biden Favors Cease Fire 'Pause'

President Biden was last night confronted by a bearded female rabbi who demanded a ceasefire in Gaza - leaving the president claiming he had asked for a 'pause.' Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg stood up during his speech in Minnesota and told the president: 'As a rabbi, I need you to call for a ceasefire right now.' Biden told her: 'I think we need a pause. A pause means give time to get the prisoners out.' He added: 'I'm the guy that convinced Bibi (Netanyahu) to call for a ceasefire to let the prisoners out. I'm the guy that talked to (Egyptian President) Sisi to convince him to open the door.' The White House later clarified that Biden was referring to the hostages - not prisoners - held by Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which 1,400 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage. He was heckled by Rosenberg while speaking to a crowd of 200 donors at a private Minneapolis fundraiser. The rabbi's striking appearance gave rise to questions as to whether she is trans, but Rosenberg herself deliberately avoids the issue. 

➤CIVILIANS TO LEAVE GAZA: More foreigners prepared to leave the besieged Gaza Strip on Thursday as its Hamas-run government said at least 195 Palestinians died in Israeli attacks on the Jabalia refugee camp, strikes that Israel said had killed Hamas commanders. Americans among first civilians allowed to leave Gaza. Egypt allowed hundreds of foreign passport holders, including Americans, and dozens of seriously injured Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip to flee through the Rafah crossing Wednesday as the humanitarian crisis intensified and the war's combined death toll climbed above 10,000. 

Israel-Hamas conflict intensifies. Civilian evacuees leave Gaza while aid enters. (hashtag: ) - summary © https://t.co/kvlJoBs4iZ - https://t.co/qPOhQRedhy

— The America One News (@am1_news) November 1, 2023

A State Department spokesman said about 400 U.S. citizens are seeking to leave the territory, along with their family members. Egypt had refused to accept refugees amid concerns Israel might not allow them to return but made an accommodation for those in dire need of medical help. More than 2 million Palestinians remain trapped while Israel has bombed Gaza relentlessly since the attack of Hamas militants on Israeli border communities on Oct. 7.

➤U-S- INTEL HAD STOPPED TRACKING HAMAS: U.S. intelligence agencies all but stopped spying on Hamas and other violent Palestinian groups in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. They instead directed resources to hunt for al Qaeda leaders and, later, Islamic State, according to U.S. officials familiar with the shift. American intelligence outsourced the spying on Hamas to Israel—Hamas had never directly threatened the U.S—confident it would detect any threat. 

Now, more than 30 Americans are dead and 10 missing, fears of a regional war are mounting and billions of dollars in U.S. military hardware are heading to the Middle East since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, which left more than 1,400 Israelis dead and 200-plus held hostage. Some officials say the U.S. misjudged the threat to its national security. 

While the U.N. warns Gaza is running dangerously low on fuel, Hamas maintains a stockpile of more than 200,000 gallons for rockets and generators to provide electricity in its underground tunnels, U.S. officials, Israeli officials, and academics say. https://t.co/aKyWH2vyXh

— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 2, 2023

💸FED LEAVES INTEREST RATES UNCHANGED: The Fed left interest rates unchanged at a 22-year high and signaled they would remain elevated well into next year to keep inflation dropping. This is the second consecutive central-bank meeting without a rate hike; the Fed last lifted its benchmark federal-funds rate in July, to a range between 5.25% and 5.5%. To avoid causing an unnecessarily severe downturn, Fed officials don’t want to overdo rate bumps, but they also don’t want to let inflation to reaccelerate or settle at levels well above their 2% target. A continued slowdown in inflation could allow the central bank to continue holding rates steady, while any price-pressure acceleration might mean raising rates again. The pause helped Treasury yields retreat and U.S. stocks climb.

Beatles fans await release of their 'final song' https://t.co/hxyHfR4cp1

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 2, 2023

iHeartMedia Stages Beatles Release On Multi-Formats

In conjunction with today’s Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe announcement in London, iHeartMedia will World Premiere across its broadcast stations nationwide the last Beatles song “Now And Then,” written and sung by John Lennon, developed and worked on by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and now finally finished by Paul and Ringo over four decades later. “Now And Then” will broadcast on more than 760 iHeartRadio stations across the U.S. on November 2, 2023 at 10 a.m. ET.

The double A-side single pairs the last Beatles song with the first: the band’s 1962 debut UK single, “Love Me Do,” a truly fitting full-circle counterpart to “Now And Then.” Both songs are mixed in stereo and Dolby AtmosÒ, and the release features original cover art by renowned artist Ed Ruscha.

“Through the years, The Beatles have always counted on radio to connect with their fans,” said Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia. “We are proud that iHeart is part of this momentous release, sharing this special moment in music history from the world’s greatest band.”

Fans can tune-in to iHeartRadio Alternative, Rock, Classic Rock, Classic Hits, CHR, Country, AC, Hot AC, News / Talk, Sports and more stations on November 2 at 10 a.m. ET to hear the last Beatles song “Now And Then.” iHeartRadio Classic Rock Stations will continue to broadcast the single every hour throughout the day.

“The Beatles changed music and global culture forever,” said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia. “It’s only fitting that we celebrate the last Beatles song release by sharing it with millions of fans simultaneously on the day it’s released.”

Fans can also listen to all The Beatles songs on the iHeartRadio app by searching “The Beatles” to hear their favorites.

Disney To Buy Remaining 33% Stake in Hulu from Comcast

Walt Disney on Wednesday formally began the process of buying Comcast's one-third stake in Hulu, a deal that will give Disney full ownership of the streaming service and freedom to incorporate it into the Disney+ streaming service.

Reuters reports Disney said it expected to pay NBCUniversal parent Comcast about $8.61 billion by Dec. 1. This represents NBCU's percentage of the $27.5 billion guaranteed floor value for Hulu when it agreed to sell its stake to Disney in 2019, minus the anticipated outstanding capital call contributions payable by NBCU to Disney.

Under the 2019 deal, either NBCU or Disney could initiate the transaction as soon as Nov. 1 - a timetable that was accelerated from the initial date of January 2024.

Burbank, California-based entertainment conglomerate Disney gained a controlling interest in Hulu as part of its $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox's film and television assets. The transaction gave the studio a competitive leg up in the streaming wars.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger in August told investors the company was making extensive Hulu content available to bundle subscribers, with the company moving closer to having one app in the U.S. that combines the general entertainment content of Hulu with content from Disney’s other brands and franchises for bundle subscribers.

In remarks at a Goldman Sachs conference this fall, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts called Hulu a "scarce kingmaker asset" that is "way more valuable today" than when the deal was initially struck.

ESPN Sports Could Fetch $24B For Disney

Walt Disney’s ESPN sports network could secure an enterprise value of $24 billion and attract investment interest from sports leagues, tech firms like Apple and telecom majors including Verizon, according to The NY Post citing  BofA Global Research.

In a bid to lure an outside investor, the media giant last month disclosed the financials of ESPN that revealed declining sales and profit at the network considered to be the crown jewel of its traditional TV business.

CEO Bob Iger has said Disney wants to keep ESPN and will try to create a streaming app for it by either forming a joint venture or finding a buyer for a minority stake in the network.

That means a 36% interest in ESPN would be up for sale, assuming Disney intends to retain a 51% majority interest and accounting for media company Hearst’s 20% stake, BofA analysts led by Jessica Reif Ehrlich wrote in a note published Wednesday.

Interested parties could include leagues like the National Football League and the National Basketball Association, newcomers like Apple and Amazon, which are jostling to get into live sports, and distributors like Verizon and Comcast, the note said.

TV Cable Ratings: Israel-Hamas Coverage Dominates

Cable news highlights for the week include continuing coverage of the Israel-Hamas war and late-week breaking news coverage of the Maine mass shooting.

With Nielsen live plus same day data for last week officially in, TV Newser reports Fox News Channel retains its usual position as the top-rated cable news network in total viewers and among Adults 25-54.

In total day viewing, FNC averaged 1.41 million total viewers, No. 1 on all of basic cable, and 175,000 A25-54 viewers, No. 3 on all of basic cable, behind live sports-focused networks ESPN and TBS. The 1.41 million and 175,000 are +3% but -2%, respectively, from the week prior (week of Oct. 16, 2023).

In primetime, Fox News moved up to No. 2 in average total primetime viewers (2.06 million) behind ESPN, but dropped to No. 5 in the key A25-54 demo (239,000), behind live sports-focused ESPN, TBS, TNT and FS1. Fox News’ 2.06 million total primetime viewer average for the week is -7% from what the network averaged the previous week (Oct. 16, 2023) and the 239,000 A25-54 average is -5% from the week prior.

MSNBC, like Fox News, saw a slight dip in primetime viewing this past week. The network’s 1.25 million total primetime viewer average for the week is No. 4 on all of basic cable (behind ESPN, Fox News and TBS), and its 123,000 A25-54 primetime viewer average is No. 17 on all of basic cable for the second consecutive week. In total day, MSNBC held relatively steady. 

With the news cycle still hot, CNN once again trended nicely in its primetime performance. The network averaged 762,000 total viewers and 189,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime this past week. Unlike in primetime, CNN saw a dip in total day viewing. 

Lastly, according to Nielsen Media Research, upstart cable news network NewsNation had its most-watched week in total day ever (67,000 total viewers, 13,000 A25-54 viewers). Compared to the year-ago week, the network’s weekday primetime slate is up by double-digit percentage points in multiple demos and dayparts.

Denver Sports: Altitude 92.5 Adds Darren McKee

KSE Radio Ventures, LLC, a subsidiary of KSE Media Ventures, LLC, announced that Darren McKee (DMac) will be joining the new midday “P.H.D.” show on KKSE Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM. Polumbus, Hastings, and DMac which will air weekdays from 12 – 3 p.m. starting on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.

Darren McKee has been a radio broadcaster for 36 years. DMac, as he is known, is a proud graduate of Syracuse University. Having spent the last 24 years in Colorado, he has a deep understanding of the vital role that sports play in our community. DMac is an award-winning broadcaster, as recognized on numerous occasions by The Colorado Broadcasters Association. Known for his tireless work ethic, DMac will offer Altitude 92.5 listeners his unique insights and we believe he will be the perfect complement to his co-hosts Scott Hastings and Tyler Polumbus.

“I’m so excited to be joining a station that has a long history of covering all the region’s sports teams,” said Darren McKee. “With Altitude Radio being the Official Home of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids, and Colorado Mammoth I’ll have an opportunity to cover championship teams at the top of their games. Just like all Denver fans, I couldn’t be more excited by the prospects of this season.”

Darren and his wife Kim of 29 years have two boys. The McKee family supports youth baseball and started the Colorado Flash, a non-profit baseball organization that creates an affordable path for lower income kids to train and play high level youth baseball.

“We are excited to add Darren to our new and improved midday P.H.D. Show,” said KSE Radio’s SVP & GM Dave Fleck. “He is a respected member of the community whose work ethic and passion for broadcasting will help take our radio stations to new heights. Having DMac as part of Altitude Sports Radio allows us to reconfigure our daily lineup while adding a great voice to the station.”

Vero Beach FL Radio: WZTA Flips To Conservative Talk

iHeartMedia Treasure Coast announced today the debut of the new Newsradio WZTA 107.9 FM/1370 AM The Patriot. The new station will feature a combination of local, statewide and national news, along with local and national talk hosts.

Brian Mudd will simulcast his show, currently airing on 1290 WJNO-AM in West Palm Beach, along with Joel Malkin. “The Brian Mudd Show” will now add news and information for Vero Beach and the surrounding area daily. “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” debuted on Premiere Network in June 2021 as one of the biggest launches in talk radio history and is now heard on over 320 stations nationwide. They’ll bring Vero Beach the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor.

Futuri Launches Futuri AudioAI™

Futuri, the leader in AI-powered software solutions for the media industry, today announced the launch of Futuri AudioAI™, formerly known as RadioGPT.

The end-to-end content system, which combines automation system integration, Futuri’s TopicPulse story discovery AI, large language model (LLM) technology, and AI voice, has enhanced multiple features and added new capabilities. In response to industry demand, it’s also now accessible to television broadcasters, digital publishers, streaming stations, and others wanting to capture growth opportunities in live audio.

The new Futuri AudioAI™ integrates multiple LLMs — beyond the GPT-4 integration that was a component of RadioGPT — to develop content based on up-to-the-minute TopicPulse insights. Using multiple LLMs means the content Futuri AudioAI™ delivers is even stronger, and it better enables Futuri to improve the system continuously.

FOX News Audio Expands Partnership With Audacy

FOX News Audio has expanded its partnership with Audacy to include FOX Weather, FOX News Media’s free, ad-supported streaming television (“FAST”) weather service. Effective November 1, the deal will expand FOX News Audio’s existing relationship with Audacy, which also distributes FOX News Podcasts and the FOX News Talk audio streams.

Available on both the Audacy app and Audacy.com, listeners will have on-the-go access to FOX Weather’s critical weather news, reporting and live programming from a team of over 120 meteorologists nationwide. Audacy has delivered FOX News Audio content to its digital platform consumers since 2019.

FOX Weather, which recently marked its two-year anniversary on October 25th, can also be found on platforms including Verizon Fios, Samsung TV Plus, Cox, The Roku Channel, fuboTV, YouTube TV, Fire TV Channels, Optimum, Spectrum, LG Channels, DIRECTV STREAM, Xumo Play, WOW!, Vidgo, TuneIn, Plex and Astound Broadband. The service continues to be available through FOX Television Station Diginets in top markets including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, among others.

FOX News Audio encompasses FOX News Radio (FNR), FOX News Headlines 24/7 and FOX News Podcasts. A 24/7 news service, FNR reaches over 16 million listeners a week on over 1,500 affiliated radio stations. Featuring three nationally syndicated weekday talk programs — The Brian Kilmeade Show, FOX Across America with Jimmy Failla and The Guy Benson Show — FNR also provides hourly newscasts surrounding business updates and breaking-news coverage. FOX News Podcasts offers a catalogue of more than 40 on-demand original podcasts, including The FOX News Rundown. On SiriusXM Channel 115, FOX News Headlines 24/7 provides listeners with around the clock coverage of the day’s headlines in 15-minute segments.

Ohio Public Media Services Adds Wendy Turner As GM

Wendy Turner, general manager of Ohio Public Media Services, will become the next executive director and general manager at Michigan Radio.

Turner, who will join U-M Jan. 2, 2024, will lead Michigan Radio, U-M’s public radio station. She replaces Steve Schram, who retired from the university in late 2022.

Turner is currently a member of Ideastream Public Media’s Executive Team and oversees statewide initiatives on behalf of Ohio’s 15 public TV and radio stations, including The Ohio Channel, The Statehouse News Bureau and The Ohio Newsroom.