Aussie Radio Exec Defends ‘S**t Happens’ Comment

Max Moore-Wilton

Southern Cross Media's chairman has accused a British MP of relying on sensationalist media reports to condemn his language about a tragic royal radio prank, according to au.news.yahoo.com.

British MP Keith Vaz says Max Moore-Wilton's comments, playing down last year's incident on Sydney radio station 2Day FM as "s**t happens", were an insult to the memory of Jacintha Saldanha, who committed suicide after being a victim of the prank.

But Mr Moore-Wilton says Mr Vaz was basing his criticism on selective Australian media reporting.

"Mr Vaz should look at the transcript of my comments and take it in context rather than listening to the truncated and sensationalist reports of the Australian media," he told AAP.

"What the media commentary focused on was a one sentence that I made and presumably that's what Mr Vaz is focusing on."

Mr Moore-Wilton defended the comments he made on Tuesday to shareholders at Southern Cross Media's annual general meeting in Melbourne.

"I'm not here to be censored for my use of a word which is common in everyday parlance in Australia.

"If you don't like it, or the media don't like it, well that's fine."

Mr Vaz, who has been speaking on behalf of Ms Saldanha's family, called on Mr Moore-Wilton to apologise for his comments.

In December 2012, 2Day FM presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian rang King Edward VII's Hospital in London, posing as the Queen and Prince Charles, inquiring about the health of a then pregnant Duchess of Cambridge.  Ms Saldanha, 46, transferred the call to a duty nurse who gave out information about the Duchess, and later took her life.

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R.I.P.: Former KYW VP/GM Roy Shapiro Was 76

Roy Shapiro

Roy Shapiro, retired vice president and general manager of KYW-AM, who was in on the beginning of all-news radio in Philly when everybody was scared to death of such a brand-new concept, died Tuesday.

He was 76, according to philly.com.

While he kept active in his retirement years, including work with numerous community and charitable causes and as a consultant to KYW, Roy suffered recently from respiratory problems.

"He was vibrant until the end," said Marc Rayfield, senior vice president and market manager for CBS Radio Philadelphia. "He was somebody who was so much bigger than life."

Dan Mason, president and CEO of CBS Radio, said: "Roy was the backbone of KYW Radio for so many years and continued to make valuable contributions to CBS Radio through his wealth of knowledge in audience-measurement research. All of us at CBS Radio will miss him, not only as our colleague, but as our loyal friend."

Scott Herman, executive vice president of operations for CBS Radio, said: "Roy was an incredible person and one of the brightest and smartest minds the broadcasting industry has ever seen. His legacy will live on through those of us lucky enough to have been mentored by him and those of us blessed to have been able to call him a friend."

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R.I.P.: NYC Radio/TV Personality Bill Mazer

Bill Mazer (Newsday)

Iconic New York sports radio and television personality Bill Mazer died Wednesday,

He was 92, according to the CBS website.

Mazer was associated for many years with WFAN 660 AM, and provided color commentary on television for CBS Sports’ NHL and NFL games.

After 16 years on radio and TV in Buffalo, Mr. Mazer returned to New York City, where he had grown up, in 1964. He held several jobs on local radio and television.

In 1968 and 1969, he provided color commentary during 13 regular season afternoon NHL games and five Stanley Cup playoff games, alongside play-by-play broadcaster Dan Kelly.

In later years, Mr. Mazer hosted a lunchtime interview show from Mickey Mantle’s restaurant on WFAN after it became an all-sports station in 1987.

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According to Newsday, Mazer's greatest historical claim to fame was as host of the first regularly scheduled sports call-in show -- which premiered on WNBC radio on March 30, 1964.

Mazer's long, varied career began in 1941 when he replaced a fellow Michigan alumnus, Mike Wallace, at WOOD in Grand Rapids.

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DC Radio: Don Geronimo Returning To WJFK

It starts tomorrow night 7pm on @1067thefandc! Blessed to be back on wjfk.
— Don Geronimo (@DonGeronimoShow) October 23, 2013

It has been more than five years since his voice was last heard as a host on 106.7.  And now, Don Geronimo is coming home.

According to CBS Radio, the legendary radio personality begins his second tenure at 106.7 The Fan Thursday at 7 p.m.

“The Don Geronimo Show” will air 7-10 p.m. weeknights and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon when not preempted by Washington Wizards, Capitals or Nationals broadcasts.  In addition, Geronimo will also be featured on the “Washington Gameday Uncensored” broadcast every Sunday.

Don Geronimo

Geronimo catapulted to fame as the leader of the nationally syndicated “Don and Mike Show,” which broadcast for more than 22 years, amassing 26 affiliates at its peak.

“It’s good to be back, it’s good to be home and I can’t wait to be a part of 106.7 The Fan,” Geronimo said. “Radio is my life and I’m elated the next chapter will continue on WJFK in DC.”

Geronimo, along with longtime partner Mike O’Meara, debuted on 106.7 in 1991 following a five-year run at WAVA-FM.  The show would remain a stalwart on WJFK until 2008.

“Don built an incredible following over two decades in Washington, and I’m excited to bring him back home to WJFK,” said 106.7 The Fan program director Chris Kinard. “Don is a passionate D.C. sports fan and will bring a unique perspective and approach to his new show.”

Since leaving WJFK, Geronimo spent time at a pair of stations on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Most recently, he spent three years hosting “The Don Geronimo Show” on longtime “Don and Mike” CBS Radio affiliate KHTK in Sacramento, Calif.

“The Girls On Fox News” Music Video Goes Viral

Austin Cunningham

Texas-bred Nashville-based singer and hit songwriter Austin Cunningham has penned and sings a tribute to the women on the Fox News Channel.

He has had songs recorded by artists such as Hank Williams, Jr., Martina McBride, Dolly Parton, Wynonna, Chris Knight, Del McCoury, and other.

Cunningham has songs on feature film soundtracks including Ashley Judd’s Where the Heart Is, and the Richard Gere/Winona Ryder film, Autumn in New York. He and his music are featured in "Hey Dillon", a documentary about one of the "last great DJs", Brett Dillon of KHYI in Dallas.

Austin has performed at the Sundance Film Festival for the Bluebird Café On the Road series, and a few years back, was awarded the coveted Johnny Mercer Award for “Emerging American Songwriters”. 

Lady Gaga, Personal Assistant Reach Settlment

Lady Gaga, O'Neill

Lady Gaga settled claims that she and her touring company owed a former personal assistant to the pop star $379,000 in overtime wages, according to Courthouse News.

Jennifer O'Neill sued Mermaid Touring in 2011 and later added Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, as a defendant to the federal complaint.

O'Neill claimed that her primary job duties as Gaga's assistant "included, but were not limited to, confirming defendant principal's schedule with said principal; reviewing and reconciling defendant's credit card statements; ordering meals and ensuring that they were correctly prepared and served at specific times; maintaining the principal's personal supplies; ensuring the availability of chosen outfits; ensuring the promptness of a towel following a shower; and serving as a personal alarm clock to keep defendant's principal on schedule."

For this she was allegedly paid an annual salary of $75,000 in 2010.

O'Neill claimed, however, that she "worked 512 overtime hours in early 2009 for which she was not compensated, and 6,656 overtime hours from February 5, 2010 through March 5, 2011 for which she was not compensated."

U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe dismissed the case Monday, noting that the parties had settled.

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CBS-TV To Air Two Rare ‘Lucy” Episodes

The I LOVE LUCY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, a one-hour special featuring two newly colorized back-to-back classic episodes of the 1950s series, will be broadcast Friday, Dec. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The two episodes—the seldom-seen "Christmas Episode" and "Lucy's Italian Movie" (aka "Grape Stomping")—were colorized with a vintage look, a nod to the 1950s period in which the shows were filmed.  The main titles and end credits of the two episodes are seamlessly combined into one set—at the beginning and end of the hour—with no interruption between the episodes. 

The programs feature Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, and Vivian Vance and William Frawley as the Ricardos' friends and landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz.

"The Christmas Episode" finds the Ricardos and Mertzes decorating Lucy and Ricky’s Christmas tree and reminiscing about how their lives have changed since the arrival of the Ricardo's son, Little Ricky (Keith Thibodeaux).  Flashbacks (in black-and-white to emphasize the time lapse) recall the night Lucy tells Ricky she is pregnant, the time Lucy shows up unexpectedly as part of a barbershop quartet, and the day Ricky and the Mertzes rehearse taking Lucy to the maternity ward.

"The Christmas Episode" was first presented as part of the regularly scheduled "I Love Lucy" series on CBS in December 1956.  The episode wasn't included in the series' long history of rebroadcasts, first on CBS Daytime and later in syndication.   Thought to be "lost," CBS rediscovered the episode in 1989.

"Lucy's Italian Movie" finds the Ricardos and Mertzes visiting Rome, where Lucy is invited by a famous Italian film director to appear in his next picture, "Bitter Grapes."  Mistakenly thinking the film concerns the wine industry, Lucy sets out to visit a local vineyard where she soaks up more local color than intended.

"Lucy's Italian Movie" was originally presented on "I Love Lucy" in March 1956 and became an instant classic.  It was included in CBS's 1958 summer series, "The Top 10 Lucy Shows," as chosen by television critics.

"I Love Lucy" aired on CBS from Oct. 15, 1951 until May 6, 1957.  It was voted "the best TV show of all time" in a 2012 viewer poll conducted by People Magazine and ABC News.

Ryan Seacrest Re-Ups For NY’s Rockin’ Eve

Ryan Seacrest

Ryan Seacrest has extended his deal to continue to host and executive produce Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve for a multi-year term, according to THR.

Seacrest has been involved with the show since 2005 and became the sole host last year, with Dick Clark's passing.

Last year's edition of the show, which included a two-hour tribute to Clark, was the most-watched New Year's Eve special in the U.S. with 22.6 million viewers. This year's special will again be broadcast on longtime home ABC.

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St. Louis Radio: WIL’s Cornbread Starts Roof-Top Rally

Country WIL 92.3 FM morning host Cornbread is packing up and moving downtown in support of our Red Birds for Cornbread’s Roof-Top Rally!

It worked for the 2006 World Series and again in 2011. Really he has no choice…it’s his due diligence to St. Louis and to Cardinals fans everywhere!

Starting at noon on Wednesday, October 23 Cornbread will live on top of the InterPark East Stadium Garage downtown and he will not come down until the Birds have safely secured the World Series trophy!

Cornbread will broadcast the morning show from atop the roof each morning and check in periodically throughout the day with updates on his quest. You can also follow along with his stay by checking back here for updates along with following the 92.3 WILFacebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

All pictures and posts will use hashtag #cornbreadmojo.

So far Cornbread has enlisted bearded men to chop off their beards in honor of a win and made bets with the another New England radio station.

Syracuse's NewChannel 9's Ron Wood Observes 50-Years

Fifty years ago, Rod Wood started his career in broadcasting.  And Tuesday night  — much to his surprise — WSYR NewsChannel 9 in Syracuse devoted most of its 5:30pm newscast to honoring the milestone. 

According to cynradio.com, not wanting Wood to learn about the event in advance, the station did no promotions on-air, online or otherwise… and when you see how many people were on-hand in the studio, you might say organizers deserve a big hand for keeping it all under wraps.

There was no hint of anything unusual as the 5:30 half-hour of the ABC affiliate’s 90-minute early evening newscast got underway.  Wood and co-anchor Carrie Lazarus did the usual block of news stories, then a commercial break, followed by the weather forecast.  But when chief meteorologist Dave Longley wrapped up, the technical crew went from the forecast directly into a clip from Deborah Kostroun, the syndicated host of the “Bloomberg After the Bell Report” that the station airs every weeknight.

Regular viewers know that Kostroun usually appears a bit later in the newscast, and Wood always gives her a brief introduction.  But it instantly became apparent that Kostroun’s unusually-early appearance was purely intentional when, instead of offering her usual report, Kostroun congratulated Wood on his 50 years in broadcasting.

Her greeting was followed by another congratulatory message from ESPN’s Mike Tirico, who started his career at WTVH.  Tirico joked that Wood owes his longevity not to his desire to inform and educate viewers, but rather, “because you sit next to Carrie Lazarus all the time.”  Visible in an inset box on the screen, Wood opened his mouth as if to act like his secret had been discovered, and Lazarus leaned into the shot to show her appreciation for the compliment.

For Much More, Click Here.

Note: the date on the video should read “2013”

AP Fires Third Staffer Over False Story

Norman Gomlak, an editor in The Associated Press's Atlanta bureau, was among those fired in the wake of an erroneous report about Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, POLITICO has learned.

Gomlak was involved in editing Bob Lewis's report on McAuliffe on the night of Oct. 9 along with Lewis's editor, Dena Potter. Lewis, Potter and Gomlak were fired on Monday. All three have not responded to requests for comment; an auto-reply email stated that Gomlak was "currently out of the office."

In the Oct. 9 report, the AP alleged that McAuliffe lied to a federal official investigating a death benefits scam. The AP retracted the story less than two hours after it went up, and Lewis immediately took responsibility for the mistake.

As POLITICO reported Monday, the news of Lewis's firing sent shockwaves throughout Virginia political circles and beyond while many of Lewis's current and former colleagues on the Richmond scene complained of what they saw as an overreaction by the AP.

Equally shocking to Lewis's colleagues has been the AP's reluctance to comment on the matter. Far from issuing a long mea culpa or even a curt explanation, the AP's response at every turn has been: "The Associated Press does not comment on personnel matters" — a nonresponse that has left those following the story shaking their heads.

Menawhile, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said Tuesday he was "disappointed" by The Associated Press's decision to fire Bob Lewis.

iTunesRadio Reaches 20M Listeners

Apple has revealed that iTunes Radio has reached 20 million users listening in to a billion songs since it launched in September.

According to cnet.com, Chief Executive Tim Cook made the update at an event in San Francisco on Tuesday.

After Apple said it had collected more than 11 million unique listeners in iTunes Radio's first five days of life, it took about 5 weeks to come within range of doubling the initial figure.

That indicates that many of those initial users were tire kickers, checking out Apple's long-awaited online radio service right after it launched with the rollout of iOS 7 and update to desktop iTunes software.

Pandora, by comparison, is the current leader in streaming radio with about 72.7 million active users as of last month, and it surpassed 200 million registered users earlier this year.

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Apple Unveils New iPads and MacBook Pro

Walt Mossberg, from wsj.com, gives his take on Apple's San Francisco event where the company unveiled the iPad Air, new iPad Mini, and new MacBook Pro.

His focus? How OS X Mavericks and new Intel chips will significantly improve hardware battery life.

Twitter Teens’ Most Important Social Network

Some encouraging news for Twitter as it prepares for its IPO: it now ranks ahead of Facebook as teens’ most important social network, according to the latest semi-annual survey from Piper Jaffray.

 According to marketingcharts.com, the study indicates that Facebook’s popularity has weakened considerably among teens: just 23% named it their most important social network, down from 33% 6 months ago and 42% a year ago.

By comparison, a leading 26% of teens named Twitter their most important social network in the latest study.

It’s worth noting while Twitter may be the “most important” social network among teens, a recent study from Pew suggests that it’s not the most-used. Nevertheless, the same Pew survey found that Twitter’s adoption rate among teens had grown by 50% in just one year. The Piper Jaffray study results also indicate that teens believe that Twitter impacts their purchases more than Facebook and Instagram.

While that’s all good news for Twitter, there are some discouraging signs for the platform, too. A newly-released Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted the week of October 11-17 found that 36% of respondents who had joined Twitter don’t use it, and 7% had closed their account. By comparison, just 7% of Facebook members had stopped using it, and only 5% had closed their account.

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TV Infomercial Pitchman Kevin Trudeau Jailed

Kevin Trudeau

Kevin Trudeau, the popular infomercial pitchman who sold you things you didn't think you needed before selling you books about things the government supposedly didn't want you to know, has been jailed for repeatedly failing to pay $37 million in civil fines.

Accoridng to USAToday, Trudeau was jailed for contempt of court Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman in Chicago for failing to pay a Federal Trade Commission fine. Trudeau spent a night in jail last month after arguing that he had no money.

Trudeau, 50, became a best-selling author using TV to promote books such as Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About, which suggested the government and pharmaceutical companies had conspired to hide or devalue cures to medical problems ranging from constipation to cancer. That book and several followups, including More Natural "Cures" Revealed; Previously Censored Brand Name Products That Cure Disease, drew criticism from scientists and medical experts.

Ironically, Trudeau's writing career evolved after a settlement with FTC, which banned him from selling products other than books. The $37 million fine was levied against Trudeau for violating the FTC settlement.

Gettleman, who in 2007 ordered Trudeau from appearing in any infomercials for three years, said the fine amounted to what consumers had paid for Trudeau's books.

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Radio Host R Dub Wins Digital Sponsor

R Dub

Benztown Radio Networks has announced that nationally syndicated radio show, Sunday Night Slow Jams, has a major new sponsor, legal services firm Jackson and Associates Law Centers, as a result of the show’s exposure on the October 11th episode of “Shark Tank” on the ABC Television Network.

Bakersfield-based Jackson and Associates contacted the show’s creator and producer, R Dub!, the Monday after the “Shark Tank” episode aired, and signed a one-year digital sponsorship deal for $75,000 last Friday. Sunday Night Slow Jams is a four-hour weekly radio show that airs in over 70 markets and features Rhythmic and Pop love songs and listener dedications called “Oral Expressions.”

Jackson and Associates will sponsor Sunday Night Slow Jams’ digital initiatives for one year, including www.slowjams.com, the launch of the new Slow Jams App, Slow Jams’streaming and social media platforms, texting campaigns and dedication and request telephone lines and digital entry submissions.

Sunday Night Slow Jamsalso welcomed a bonanza of new affiliates in the week following R Dub’s “Shark Tank” appearance, including: KKWD-FM, Oklahoma City (Rhythm); WWZY-FM, Jersey Shore (Hot AC); and KKBB-FM, Bakersfield (Rhythmic AC).

R Dub!, Sunday Night Slow Jams Host and President of Fusion Radio Networks, said: “Being one of 40,000 applicants to appear on ‘Shark Tank’ was a dream come true for me! The opportunity to market the Slow Jams brand to 6.5 million potential new customers and meet the Sharks while appearing on one of my favorite television shows was one of the best experiences of my life. I’m so happy that the folks at Jackson and Associates understand the value of the Slow Jams brand and community of listeners across America-- and the power and effectiveness of radio. I’m also thrilled to welcome these great new affiliates to the Slow Jams family. I’d like to thank all of our radio station affiliates and program directors, my partners at Benztown and Compass Media, and our listeners, whose belief in the show makes Slow Jams successful, book after book.”

CBS Kennedy Coverage To Be Rather-Free

CBS, the network most closely associated with President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, being the network on which Walter Cronkite gave the first television network news report officially announcing Kennedy’s death, has unveiled plans for coverage of the 50th anniversary of the assassination in Dallas.

Cronkite died in 2009, but the CBS News guy assigned to the region who reported on the assassination in Dallas, Dan Rather is still around.

But Rather, who unwillingly stepped down from CBS News years ago, won’t be part of the news division’s coverage next month — in fact, Rather’s name is not even mentioned in CBS News’ announcement, according to deadline.com.

Dan Rather will be seen on NBC News, in an appearance with Tom Brokaw on Today, on the actual anniversary of JFK’s death, November 22.

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Hoax CEO Explains Death To Shareholders: “S**T Happens”

Max Moore-Wilton

The chairman of the Aussie radio station behind the hoax 'royal call' that resulted in the death of duped nurse Jacintha Saldanha crudely brushed the incident off  by declaring to shareholders that 's*** happens', according to The Daily Mail.

At the annual meeting of shareholders of Southern Cross Media - owners of Sydney radio station 2Day FM - in Melbourne today, chairman Max Moore-Wilton tried to play down the controversy with a crude, casual throw-away line.

'These incidents were unfortunate, no doubt about that,' he said.

'But in the immortal words of someone whose identity I cannot recall, s*** happens.'

Mel Greig, Michael Christian, Jacintha Saldanha

It was last December that presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian called King Edward VII hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.

Mrs. Saldanha failed to see through their poor impersonations and transferred them through to another nurse who revealed some details about her condition.

Three days later Jacintha Saldanha was found hanged at her London accommodation.

Only two months ago, it emerged that in one of the three letters she left, Mrs Saldanha directly accused the two Australian DJs of driving her to her death.

Shareholders were told that revenue from the company's metropolitan radio stations, which include the 2Day FM and Triple M networks, fell last year due due to scandals involving presenter Kyle Sandilands - who on one occasion called an editor a 'fat slag' - and what the company called 'the UK incident'.

The company suspended all advertising on 2Day FM after the royal hoax scandal, but it did not prevent chief executive Rhys Holleran's total pay rising by more than $350,000 to $1.66 million during the last financial year.

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