Results from Audacy’s Vaccine Hesitancy Custom Survey show that audio is the leading media source in the fight against COVID-19 and a driving force behind Americans’ willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Audacy engaged market research firm S. Radoff Associates to complete a study testing audio’s trust and influence during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
For the vaccine hesitant population, audio is the most trusted source of information about COVID vaccination (46%), ahead of TV news shows (42%), friends and family (40%), articles in a local (37%) or national (36%) newspaper, and social media (27%). The study also found that the vast majority of vaccine hesitant U.S adults (81%) say they will take some form of action if they hear a local radio or podcast host provide information about the benefits of COVID vaccines and recommend that listeners receive a COVID vaccine.
“Since the onset of the pandemic, audio has served as a trusted companion for listeners seeking vital information, local news and sports and entertainment,” said Idil Cakim, Senior Vice President, Research and Insights, Audacy. “As America slowly but surely returns to normal life, the vaccine is a major step towards doing what we all love again – going to sports events, dining at our favorite restaurants, or creating memories with loved ones – and our study shows how big of a role audio is playing in inspiring Americans to make a plan to get their shot.”
Some additional key findings include:
More than one-half (53%) of vaccine hesitant U.S. adults indicate the most useful way to find out about the COVID vaccine through audio is a local radio or podcast host interviewing a medical expert.
About half of vaccine hesitant U.S. adults (49%) say they would be more likely to get the vaccine if they hear a local radio or podcast host provide information about the benefits of COVID vaccines and recommend that listeners receive a COVID vaccine.
The study consisted of a survey of a nationally representative population of adults. S. Radoff Associates compiled the data to result in an examination of consumer experiences with audio versus various other mediums such as TV, video, social, and print platforms.
104.5 The Zone/WGFX-FM, CUMULUS MEDIA’s premier Sports Talk radio station serving Nashville and Middle Tennessee, announces that it has launched 104.5 The Zone TV, a new way to engage with 104.5 The Zone’s live and local sports content and new original live programming created exclusively for Nashville sports fans. 104.5 The Zone TV gives sports lovers the best seats in the house, thanks to four cameras inside the Zone studios delivering all the shows they love and brand-new programming, live on their favorite social media platforms.
104.5 The Zone TV features the station’s popular live and local Sports Talk shows from 6:00am to 6:00pm, original sports programming on 104.5 The Zone Podcast Network, and much more. Starting with JMart and Ramon at 6:00am and continuing on through the day through 3HL at 6:00pm, sports fans can now watch 104.5 The Zone LIVE on Facebook Live, Twitter, YouTube and Twitch – for all the best in Nashville sports, 24 hours a day.
104.5 The Zone TV will also present original shows and instant reaction specials every evening, including The Ultimate Tennessee Podcast, where sports fans will be able to talk Vols and react in real-time with Will Boling and Lucas Panzica on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Twitch. And after a big game or a huge event in Nashville, hosts will be LIVE on 104.5 The Zone TV to instantly react with you from their home studios. Along with 104.5 The Zone on the radio, streaming, on-demand, at live events and more - and through expanded sports coverage and entertainment through the station’s new content partnership with A to Z Sports – 104.5 The Zone TV brings it all together to deliver the best live and local sports content to fans wherever they are and whenever they want it.
Paul Mason
Paul Mason, Program Director, 104.5 The Zone, said: “104.5 The Zone TV is going to offer our fans a whole new experience when consuming 104.5 The Zone. Our listeners will now have the option to watch and interact with their favorite 104.5 The Zone personalities as they video stream their shows LIVE on a variety of different social media platforms. With our recent partnership with A to Z Sports, the launch of 104.5 The Zone TV, and with more to come, 104.5 The Zone is continuing our reputation as the gold standard for sports content.”
Will Boling, Digital Content Producer, 104.5 The Zone, said: "104.5 The Zone TV gives the listener a behind-the-scenes and in-depth look at the faces and voices behind the microphone from 6:00am to 6:00pm. It also provides sports fans with a chance to skip the call-in line and instantly react to the biggest headlines with our hosts in the chat. Whether it's watching the shows on our daily lineup during the week, reacting to digital exclusives in the evenings or pregame/postgame shows centered around the biggest events in Nashville sports, 104.5 The Zone TV will expand Zone coverage – and that’s a huge win for sports fans. There is more excitement to come, so stay tuned!”
Last month, 104.5 The Zone announced that it had entered into a content partnership agreement with popular online sports information and entertainment destination, A to Z Sports. The agreement brings together the two biggest sports entertainment brands in Nashville and Middle Tennessee, allowing them to create and share unique, deep-dive sports content across their respective digital platforms, including streaming and on-demand content, podcasts, social media, and much more, plus live and local on-air programming on 104.5 The Zone and high-engagement live events for area sports fans.
The innovative content partnership marries the talent, technology, resources and reach of these major sports news and entertainment brands to create exciting new and expanded sports programming. Per the terms of the agreement, 104.5 The Zone, the flagship home for the Tennessee Titans and Nashville affiliate for University of Tennessee Volunteers, will regularly feature A to Z Sports personalities, while 104.5 The Zone personalities will appear regularly on A to Z Sports’ popular programs. The partnership will create shared and complementary original programming between the brands and their platforms to give fans more and better sports news and talk than ever before.
CBS announced Thursday plans to combine the journalistic and business resources of CBS News and the CBS Television Stations into one divisional and leadership structure.
Hearst Newspapers, Cable Networks & Digital Media Executive Neeraj Khemlani and former ABC Owned Television Stations Group President Wendy McMahon have been named presidents and co-heads of the newly formed division. The announcements were made today by George Cheeks, President & Chief Executive Officer of the CBS Entertainment Group, to whom McMahon and Khemlani will report.
The unified division will bring under one management structure the broadcast resources of CBS News, the 24/7 streaming news service CBSN, 10 CBSN Local platforms, cbsnews.com and 28 CBS-owned stations in 17 major U.S. markets. It will maximize the power of CBS’ newsgathering and production operations to serve audiences across all national, digital, local and global platforms.
Neeraj Khemlani, Wendy McMahon
McMahon and Khemlani, who will each assume their roles as presidents and co-heads of the new group early next month, will partner on managing all aspects of the division, bringing their wide range of broadcast, local and digital experience to their positions. This marks a homecoming to CBS for both executives – Khemlani as a producer on 60 MINUTES and “60 Minutes II” for eight years while McMahon served seven years at WBZ Boston and WCCO Minneapolis.
Susan Zirinsky will continue as President of CBS News until the new leadership has started and will assist with the transition. The Company is in discussions with Zirinsky for a significant role at a new CBS News Content Studio to be launched later this year.
“This is an opportunity to create a news and information structure that positions CBS for the future,” said Cheeks. “It speaks to our ability to scale newsgathering, production, technical and operational resources to serve both national and local, linear and digital, with the agility to deliver trusted information to every platform. Wendy and Neeraj have the leadership background and cross-platform accomplishments that cover all these important areas, and they share our commitment for supporting superior journalism, optimal delivery platforms and the strongest of organizational cultures.”
Khemlani was most recently executive vice president and deputy group head at Hearst Newspapers, overseeing 3,000 employees who publish print and digital subscription products for 24 dailies and 52 weeklies in cities across the country.
McMahon was named president of the ABC Owned Stations in 2017, with direct responsibility for the Walt Disney Company’s eight broadcast stations, local newsrooms and streaming assets, as well as oversight of the 1,500 team members who collectively achieved their 12th consecutive year of local television news leadership in 2020.
CBS News president Susan Zirinsky stepped down after a corporate meeting in which she wrote on a piece of paper ‘‘I hate my job” and “held it over her head in protest,” according to The NY Post citing a source.
It was announced Tuesday that Zirinsky — who is famed for shepherding the career of Gayle King — is stepping down after two years in the role and will instead sign a production deal with parent company ViacomCBS.
But Page Six is told that there were some not-so-subtle signs that she wasn’t happy in the role.
A source said, “There was a CBS corporate budget meeting she was in — it dragged on and on — and at one point Susan wrote on a piece of paper ‘I hate my job’ and just held it over her head in protest.”
Zirinsky, known as Z, was a universally respected producer with a 40-year career at the network before replacing longtime president David Rhodes at the helm.
But sources say it became clear almost immediately that Zirinsky was less content wrangling marquee talent and managing vast budgets.
Zirinsky is expected to stay in the role until a successor is appointed. Early considerations for her replacement include “Today” vet Jim Bell, superstar “Late Show” producer Chris Licht, CNN’s Virginia Moseley and MSNBC’s Janelle Rodriguez, we’re told.
Michael Corn, the longtime senior executive producer of ABC’s top rated “Good Morning America,” has abruptly departed the network, The L-A Times reports.
ABC News confirmed Corn’s exit Thursday, saying in a statement that he no longer works for the Walt Disney Co.-owned unit. A representative offered no details on why he has left.
Michael Corn
Corn was involved in news division meetings Thursday morning, according to an ABC News employee not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. In the afternoon, staff had been informed that he was out.
Corn’s exit comes a day after ABC News announced that Kim Goodwin will become president of the division next month.
Godwin is joining the company from CBS News, where she was an executive vice president. Finding a successor to Corn will be her first order of business.
“Good Morning America,” with co-anchors George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan, has been leader in the Nielsen ratings since 2012. The program is a major revenue source and profit center for ABC News.
Corn has overseen “GMA” since 2014. He previously served as a senior producer on the program and also had a stint as executive producer of “ABC World News Tonight” when Diane Sawyer was anchor. He could not be immediately reached for comment.
Geraldo Rivera cursed out Dan Bongino in a heated debate on Wednesday night over the death of Daunte Wright. Bongino, who served as an NYPD officer and a Secret Service agent, accused Rivera of wanting the country to burn.
The U-S Sun reports Rivera took offense to Bongino's comment, calling him a "son of a b***h" and a '"punk" live on cable news.
“I want to see the country burn?! You son of a b***h! I want to see the country burn, you punk?! You’re nothing but a punk!"
The feud started when Rivera firmly stated that officers should use Tasers over guns.
"I don't even know how to respond to that. Give me a second to digest the stupidity of that," Bongino said.
In response to being called stupid, Rivera said that Bongino prefers name-calling instead of stating facts.
As Bongino claimed that there was "no systemic racism" among policing, the tension between the two men only became more intense as both men tried to humiliate the other.
Rivera mocked Bongino's expertise in law enforcement, comparing his four years as an officer to 10 minutes.
The Fox News host also said Bongino has been running for office for 20 years, poking fun of the former congressional candidate's repeated failures to hold office.
Bongino clapped back by telling Rivera to take a Valium, a muscle relaxer, reminding the viewers that Rivera is 77 years old.
The argument over whether or not black people like Wright are targeted and killed by white officers fueled the conversation as Rivera and Bongino continued to bash each other.
Wright, stopped for a traffic violation, was shot and killed over the weekend by former officer Kim Potter, who is now incarcerated for manslaughter charges.
Twitter said on Thursday that it had blocked the account of James O’Keefe, the founder of the conservative group Project Veritas.
The NY Times reports O’Keefe’s account, @JamesOKeefeIII, was “permanently suspended for violating the Twitter Rules on platform manipulation and spam,” specifically that users cannot mislead others with fake accounts or “artificially amplify or disrupt conversations” through the use of multiple accounts, a Twitter spokesman said.
James O'Keefe & Project Veritas did more than anyone in exposing how corporate legacy media are unethical, biased, smear merchants & liars. For that, both have been permanently banned from Twitter. https://t.co/J1rHoXAzF5
In a statement on his website, Mr. O’Keefe said he will file a defamation lawsuit against Twitter on Monday over its claim that he had operated fake accounts.
“This is false, this is defamatory, and they will pay,” the statement said.
“Section 230 may have protected them before, but it will not protect them from me,” Mr. O’Keefe said, referring to a legal liability shield for social media. That shield, part of the federal Communications Decency Act, has become a favorite target of lawmakers in both parties.
In February, Twitter permanently suspended the Project Veritas account, saying it had posted private information. It also temporarily locked Mr. O’Keefe’s account.
Reuters News on Thursday unveiled a new subscription website as part of a broad initiative to court business professionals.
In addition to targeting its current global readership, the newly revamped Reuters.com is hoping to attract professional audiences prepared to pay $34.99 per month for a deeper level of coverage and data on industry verticals that include legal, sustainable business, healthcare and autos.
Reuters.com will remain free for a preview period, but will require users to register after five stories. It is not immediately clear when it will begin charging.
The Thomson Reuters-owned news division now joins a crowded market of major news organizations which already charge for their content.
Among them, financial news rival Bloomberg.com charges $34.99 per month before discounts, while the Wall Street Journal, which in 1996 became the first to launch a paywall, charges $38.99.
In an emailed statement, Josh London, Chief Marketing Officer, Reuters and Head of Reuters Professional, called the launch "the largest digital transformation at Reuters in a decade."
He added: "Professionals need direct access to industry knowledge, data and insights from expert sources, and Reuters is pleased to offer our trusted, impartial and accurate news coverage through a premium offering."
Reuters President Michael Friedenberg and newly appointed Editor in Chief Alessandra Galloni have said the success of the digital and events business is one of their top priorities. read more
Ken Doctor, a veteran media analyst and founder of local news and information company Lookout Local Inc, characterized the introduction of the paywall as "late, but not too late," noting that Bloomberg only started charging for its site in 2018.
"The critical question is to a business news consumer, what added value do I get from Reuters that I don't get from Bloomberg or Dow Jones?" he added.
Michigan State University’s school of Communication, Arts, and Sciences has announced Paul Jacobs, Vice President/General Manager of Jacobs Media and President of jācapps is a recipient of its Outstanding Alumni Award. The announcement was made by Dean Prabu David on behalf of the department’s Alumni Board.
Jacobs is one of five MSU graduates receiving the honor at the school’s annual Alumni Awards Celebration Program, which will be held virtually on May 20, 2021. Since the award’s inception in 1949, only 229 alumni (out of more than 55,000 graduates) have been so honored.
“When I attended MSU, I was probably one of the more unlikely people who would ever have been considered for this award,” observes Jacobs. “It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, but the University afforded me the opportunity to find my true love – radio – and this launched my career. I will be forever grateful to MSU for providing the resources and inspiration that set my career on its proper path and empowered me to have an impact on my industry. I’m also particularly proud of the fact that I will be joining my brother, Fred, who received this same honor in 2012.”
Paul Jacobs
A graduate in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising, Jacobs has gone on to have an impactful career in broadcasting, beginning his journey in radio sales at Detroit stations WNIC and WRIF, before becoming a General Manager of radio stations in Dallas and Detroit (WDFX, The Fox).
In 1991, Jacobs joined his brothers Fred and Bill at Jacobs Media, the leading consulting and research company for the radio industry. The company has focused on the growth and transformation of the radio industry through its numerous initiatives, including the influential DASH Conference, its engagement with the Consumer Electronics Show, public and Christian radio, and more.
Paul’s brother and business partner, Fred Jacobs, commented, “Paul has been a shining example of the spirit and commitment to excellence he first experienced in the old TV/Radio Department at MSU. From the Union Building to becoming a highly-regarded media thought leader – it’s been a great run.”
In 2008, Jacobs Media launched jācapps, now one of the largest mobile applications development firms in the United States. Paul Jacobs serves as its President and “guiding light,” leading the company through the development of more than 1,300 mobile applications for radio stations and other brands throughout the world.
Jacobs was inducted into the Michigan Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2016 and received the Conclave’s coveted Rockwell Award in 2019.
For more information about the ComArtSci Awards Celebration, click here.
Rusty Young, founding member of the country rock band Poco, has died at age 75.
Young's management confirmed to USA TODAY Thursday that Young, born Norman Russell Young, died of a heart attack at his home in Davisville, Missouri on Wednesday.
"I just received word that my friend Rusty Young has passed away and crossed that line into eternity," founding member Richie Furay said in a statement to Variety. "My heart is saddened; he was a dear and longtime friend who help me pioneer and create a new Southern California musical sound called 'country rock.' He was an innovator on the steel guitar and carried the name Poco on for more than 50 years. Our friendship was real and he will be deeply missed. My prayers are with his wife, Mary, and his children Sara and Will."
Young formed Poco in 1967 with former Buffalo Springfield members Richie Furay and Jim Messina after Young was invited to play the steel guitar on Buffalo Springfield’s third and final album. George Grantham also joined Poco.
Over the next five decades, Young remained the only constant member of the band, which also included a rotation of members Randy Meisner, Timothy B. Schmit and guitarist Paul Cotton over the years.
The group's biggest hit was the Adult Contemporary #1 single "Crazy Love," which Young wrote in less than 30 minutes while working on his house. During a 2008 interview with MetroActive, Young said the hit song "was our first hit single. It's a classic, and it still pays the mortgage."
Rick Alter, Poco and Young’s manager of more than 20 years, described Young as "a once-in-a-lifetime musician, songwriter, performer and friend."
➦In 1913...Les Tremayne born (Died at age 90 from heart failure - December 19, 2003). He was a radio, film and television actor.
Les Tremayne
Born in England, he moved with his family at the age four to Chicago, Illinois, United States, where he began in community theatre. His mother was Dolly Tremayne, a British actress. He danced as a vaudeville performer and worked as amusement park barker. He began working in radio when he was 17 years old.
In 1974, Tremayne commented, "I've been in more than 30 motion pictures, but it's from radio ... that most people remember me."
His radio career began in 1931, and during the 1930s and 1940s, Tremayne was often heard in more than one show per week. Replacing Don Ameche, he starred in The First Nighter Program from 1936 to 1942. He starred in The Adventures of the Thin Man and The Romance of Helen Trent during the 1940s. He also starred in the title role in The Falcon, and played detective Pat Abbott in The Abbott Mysteries in 1946–47. Tremayne was once named one of the three most distinctive voices on American radio. The other two were Bing Crosby and President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In his later years, Tremayne was active in Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters as the group's historian and archivist. Those roles included interviewing people who were active in early radio to provide source material for researchers
Joan Alexander
➦In 1915...Joan Alexander was born (Died at age 94 – May 21, 2009). She portrayed newspaper reporter Lois Lane in the superhero radio program The Adventures of Superman for more than 1,600 episodes. The series began in 1940, two years after Superman's debut in the modern-day DC Comics' Action Comics #1 (June 1938), with Lane first appearing in the seventh episode.
Initially, the show, which ran through to 1951, was syndicated through the Mutual Broadcasting System's cornerstone station, WOR in New York, subsequently taken up by the Mutual network and finally to ABC.
Alexander also was heard on Dimension X and Philo Vance, Against the Storm and on Perry Mason, in the first portrayal of supporting character Della Street, secretary to defense attorney Mason. She also played Althea on The Brighter Day on radio. Alexander additionally provided Lois Lane's voice in the 1940s Fleischer Studios/Paramount Pictures (Famous Studios) animated Superman shorts. She reprised the role of Lois Lane for one season of the 1966 Filmation animated series The New Adventures of Superman.
➦In 1922....KFI 640 AM signed-on in Los Angeles. Currently owned and operated by iHeartMedia. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on this date and after succession of power increases, became one of the United States' first high-powered, clear-channel stations. KFI is a Class A 50,000 watt, non-directional station.
KFI Original 1922 50-Watt Transmitter
KFI initially used a 50-watt transmitter made from a crank telephone. Early on, Earl Anthony operated the station from his garage, and later from atop his Packard automobile dealership. In its early days, it was typically on the air for only four and a half hours a day.
From the time of its inception in 1926, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) operated two networks, the Red Network and the Blue Network. The Red Network carried sponsored commercial programs, while the Blue Network carried the sustaining ones (those without commercial sponsors). The red and blue designations came from the colors of the lines drawn on network maps. In 1931, NBC reorganized its West Coast operations, creating Orange and Blue networks for that area to replace its previous Pacific Coast network. KFI was part of the Orange group, along with KGO, Oakland; KGW, Portland, KOMO, Seattle, and KHQ, Spokane.
KFI was an affiliate of the NBC Red Network and Early Anthony's other raido station KECA 1430 AM carried programming from the Blue Network. In 1939, KECA moved to 780 kHz, the frequency of the former KEHE. Anthony sold KECA in 1944 and it moved to 790 kHz and became KABC.
KFI and KECA Building - 1939
KFI's call letters were assigned sequentially but many people assumed that the "FI" stood for "Farmers Information." Every winter evening between 1924 and 1956, KFI would deliver a frost report at 8 pm that would tell citrus farmers whether to turn on wind machines or light "smudge pots" to keep their orange and lemon groves from freezing. The frost warnings moved to 7 pm until the late 1970s when they were removed from the schedule.
On November 29, 1944, KFI officials broke ground on Mount Wilson for construction of a new FM and TV transmitting facility. The ceremony was broadcast live over KFI (AM) from Mount Wilson from noon to 12:15 pm that afternoon. KFI-FM went on the air from that site at 105.9 megacycles (Megahertz today) in July 1946 with its first test program, though some later sources say the station went on the air in 1947.
The station only lasted until 1951 when the owner, Earle C. Anthony, decided to turn off the FM station and returned the license to the FCC. This was common at the time, when some station owners saw no money from FM and no future in FM. In the early 1950s, while the audio quality was much better than AM, FM radios were not widely available, the AM-FM combination radios were expensive and stereo broadcasting on FM didn't exist until 1961.
➦In 1935...1st radio broadcast of "Fibber McGee & Molly"
➦In 1962...Walter Cronkite succeeded Douglas Edwards as anchorman of the CBS Evening News.
The show was expanded from 15 to 30 minutes on September 2, 1963, making Cronkite the anchor of American network television's first nightly half-hour news program. Cronkite's tenure as anchor of the CBS Evening News made him an icon in television news, known as "The Most Trusted Man in America."
During the early part of his tenure anchoring the CBS Evening News, Cronkite competed against NBC's anchor team of Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, who anchored the Huntley-Brinkley Report. For much of the 1960s, the Huntley-Brinkley Report had more viewers than Cronkite's broadcast. A key moment for Cronkite came during his coverage of John F. Kennedy's assassination on November 22, 1963. Another factor in Cronkite and CBS' ascendancy to the top of the ratings was that, as the decade progressed, RCA made a corporate decision not to fund NBC News at the levels that CBS provided for its news broadcasts. Consequently, CBS News acquired a reputation for greater accuracy and depth in coverage. This reputation meshed well with Cronkite's wire service experience, and in 1967 the CBS Evening News began to surpass The Huntley-Brinkley Report in viewership during the summer months.
➦In 1987...the Federal Communications Commission warned radio stations to watch the use of indecent language on the airwaves. This was directed at shock jocks, like Howard Stern. Some stations, the FCC noted, had gone way beyond the seven dirty words made famous by comedian George Carlin in a routine from the early 1970s.
➦In 1999…Regis John "Rege" Cordic died from brain cancer at age 72 (Born - May 15, 1926).
Rege Cordic
His career in entertainment was divided roughly in half. From 1948 to 1965, he was the dominant morning drive-time radio host in Pittsburgh. From the late 1950s to the mid-1980s, he was a successful voice, television, and film actor in Los Angeles.
Cordic was born in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh and attended Central Catholic High School. He started in radio as a staff announcer and substitute sportscaster at WWSW-AM. When morning host Davey Tyson left the station in 1948, Cordic was one of a number of staffers given the opportunity to replace him. At first a straightforward announcer, Cordic began introducing comedy to his program—first in subtle ways, such as reading a sports score for "East Overshoe University" along with the real scores, and later by adding a repertory company of supporting comic characters. The morning show, renamed "Cordic & Company," became the most popular in Pittsburgh.
In 1954, "Cordic & Company" moved to KDKA-AM on Labor Day, one of the first times that an American radio station had hired a major personality directly from a local competitor. Popular Bette Smiley had decided to retire from her full-time KDKA wake-up show "Radio Gift Shoppe of the Air" and move to a Sunday-only condensed version on WCAE in August 1954 in order to raise her young son Robbie. Cordic's immediate predecessor in the morning slot was the "Ed and Rainbow" show, featuring Ed Schaughency with Elmer Waltman cast in the role of Rainbow, the janitor. Waltman was dropped, and Schaughency was moved to the afternoon with a show called "Schaughency's Record Cabinet."
Schaughency lasted less than two years in that role before he was replaced by Art Pallan, who also came over from WWSW. Schaughency took on a new role as a news reader and moved back to mornings, delivering the newscasts during "Cordic & Company." The Cordic show's ratings continued to grow until, at some points, it had an 85 share—meaning that 85% of all radios in Pittsburgh were tuned to "Cordic & Company" while it was on. By the end of his tenure in Pittsburgh, Cordic was reportedly earning $100,000 a year, a huge sum for a radio host at the time.
One of Cordic's most memorable running gags at both WWSW and KDKA were fake advertisements for "Olde Frothingslosh", "the pale stale ale with the foam on the bottom." The beer was supposedly brewed by Sir Reginald Frothingslosh at Upper Crudney-on-the-Thames. In 1955, Pittsburgh Brewing Company began issuing special Christmas-season cans and bottles of Olde Frothingslosh filled with real beer. Since the Cordic ad read "The foam is on the bottom", the bottles & cans were packed upside down in the cases. The humorous labels changed every year and became favorites of collectors. The brewery (as well as a few other small local Pittsburgh breweries such as Tech Beer) released new editions of Olde Frothingslosh even after Cordic left Pittsburgh, continuing until 1982 and then reviving the brand in 1998, and more recently in 2007.
In 1965, CBS Radio offered Cordic the morning drive-time spot at KNX-AM in Los Angeles. The spot was being vacated by Bob Crane, who was leaving radio to star in Hogan's Heroes. Cordic accepted the offer in July 1965, but KDKA owner Westinghouse Broadcasting Corporation refused to release Cordic from his contract until it ended in November 1965. KNX's morning ratings dropped precipitously during the four months that the show had no permanent host. They improved somewhat when Cordic arrived, but not enough to offset the drop, and the station switched to an all-news format after 18 months with Cordic as the morning host. The flair for Pittsburgh-centered satire, it seems, was difficult for Cordic to import to the more sophisticated Los Angeles radio market, despite the successes of similar personalities like Jim Hawthorne.
Cordic, still being paid for the remaining time under his KNX contract, studied acting, and began getting television roles. He first appeared on television in The Monkees in 1967 and The Flying Nun in 1968. He had small parts in a few films, but was primarily a television actor. Over the years, he appeared several times on Gunsmoke, and also had roles in Kung Fu, Nichols, Columbo, Barnaby Jones, The Waltons, and McCloud, among many others. From the late 1970s until 1991, he was heard in cartoon voice roles, starting with The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour in 1976, and also including Jabberjaw, Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Transformers, and a voice part in the 1977 animated film The Mouse and His Child. While he lived in Los Angeles, Cordic would regularly fly back to Pittsburgh to tape segments for WTAE-TV's Sunday Afternoon Movie. Cordic had an uncredited part, as a featured party guest in Woody Allen's 1973 movie, "Sleeper."
Cordic returned to morning radio for a brief time in late 1981, taking over at oldies station KRLA/Pasadena. He signed on for a year, but left the job after just four months. He spent the rest of his career in the lucrative voiceover field, lending his voice to many national commercials.
Pat Summerall - 2008
➦In 2013…Sportscaster and former NFL player George Allen "Pat" Summerall died from cardiac arrest (Born - May 10, 1930). The former football player and television sportscaster worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN. In addition to football, he also announced major golf and tennis events. In total, he announced 16 Super Bowls on network television (more than any other announcer), 26 Masters Tournaments, and 21 US Opens. He also contributed to 10 Super Bowl broadcasts on CBS Radio as a pregame host or analyst.
Summerall played football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and then in the NFL from 1952 through 1961. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions and played with Bobby Layne. The best playing time in his career was with the New York Giants as a kicker. After retiring as a player, he joined CBS as a color commentator the next year. He worked with Tom Brookshier and then John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox. Although retired since 2002, he continued to announce games on occasion, especially those near his Texas home.
He was named the National Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in 1977, and inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1994
In the early 1960s, Summerall did a variety of reporting and anchoring assignments for network flagship WCBS 880 AM in New York City. By the middle of the decade, he was the sports anchor on its morning drive Jack Sterling Show and succeeded Sterling as the host in the fall of 1966. He remained with 880 as its sports director when the station went all news in August 1967, before moving on to local and network assignments. The affable ex-player also co-hosted the syndicated NFL Films series This Week in Pro Football in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
Sadie Sink is 19
Singer Bobby Vinton is 86.
Midnight Oil singer-turned-politician Peter Garrett is 68.
Actor Ellen Barkin is 67.
Actor Michel Gill (“House of Cards”) is 61.
Singer-bassist Jason Scheff (Chicago) is 59.
Singer Jimmy Osmond is 58.
Singer David Pirner of Soul Asylum is 57.
Actor-comedian Martin Lawrence is 56.
Actor Jon Cryer is 56.
Actor Peter Billingsley (“A Christmas Story”) is 50.
The Academy of Country Music® revealed today the full list of Radio Award winners for the 56TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™, including first-time National On-Air Personality of the Year winner Kix Brooks with American Country Countdown. Additionally, KNIX-FM received two awards for Major Market On-Air Personality of the Year and Major Market Station of the Year.
The special announcement was revealed on the Academy of Country Music’s® official social media pages, with a series of heartfelt videos capturing winners receiving surprise gifts from the Academy. To see the full video, watch here.
This is the seventh overall win for KNIX-FM for ACM Major Market Station of the Year and the fourth overall win for KUZZ-AM/FM for ACM Medium Market Station of the Year. Additionally, WQDR-FM received their third win for ACM Large Market Station of the Year. KKNU-FM and Buzz Jackson each received their second wins for Small Market Station of the year and Medium Market Personality of the Year, respectively. Additional first-time winners for On-Air Personality of the Year categories include Lexi & Banks, Lois Lewis and Steve, Ben & Nikki.
“Congratulations to all of our 56th ACM Awards radio winners. Country radio is a vital part of the Country Music industry and artists’ success and we are grateful for the contributions they make to the industry every day,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “For the first time, the Academy was able to showcase our appreciation to these winners with a special package reveal to each of them, along with an iconic ACM trophy. We hope the memory of their win is one they cherish throughout their careers.”
Below is a complete list of the Radio Award winners for the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards:
➤ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR WINNERS:
NATIONAL – American Country Countdown – Kix Brooks
MAJOR MARKET – Double L – Lois Lewis – KNIX-FM – Phoenix, AZ
LARGE MARKET – Lexi & Banks – Lexi Papadopoulos, Jared Banks – KUBL-FM – Salt Lake City, UT
MEDIUM MARKET – Buzz Jackson – KIIM-FM – Tucson, AZ
SMALL MARKET – Steve, Ben & Nikki – Steve Stroud, Ben Walker, Nikki Thomas – WXBQ-FM – Bristol, VA
➤RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR WINNERS:
MAJOR MARKET – KNIX-FM – Phoenix, AZ
LARGE MARKET – WQDR-FM – Raleigh, NC
MEDIUM MARKET – KUZZ-AM/FM – Bakersfield, CA
SMALL MARKET – KKNU-FM – Eugene, OR
The 56th ACM Awards®, honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in Country Music, will feature exciting performances, unprecedented collaborations, surprising moments and more to be announced in the coming months. For more information, visit ACMcountry.com. You can also like Academy of Country Music on Facebook, follow on Twitter at @ACMawards, follow on Instagram at @ACMawards and sign up for the FREE ACM A-List for more immediate updates.
The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards™ is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the Country Music industry. The show is produced for television by dick clark productions and will broadcast LIVE on Sunday, April 18, 2021 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. R.A. Clark, Barry Adelman and Linda Gierahn are executive producers. Damon Whiteside is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.
Audacy announced an updated weekday programming lineup for KAMP 97.1 NOW! in Los Angeles, effective immediately. The station, formerly known as 97.1 AMP Radio, rebranded on April 15.
Weekday programming will kick off with “The Morning Mess” featuring Joey Boy, Aneesh, Jeana and Karla from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. PT. Julia, who was previously heard on weekends, will now be heard middays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. PT. Josh Brubaker, who joined the station in March 2021, will be heard from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT. Yesi Ortiz will move from middays to evenings and now be heard from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. PT.
“As more and more Americans receive their COVID-19 vaccine, now is the time for us to safely get back on our feet and get moving with the daily habits we love and miss,” said Jeff Federman, Regional President, Audacy Southern California. “This rebrand not only embodies the spirit of our return to normalcy, but also the dynamic state of today’s music industry and we’re excited to usher in this new era with our consumers. As LA’s party station, our programming will spotlight the biggest stars in music and deliver a fresh listening experience to our audience no matter the time of day.”
Listeners can tune in to 97.1 NOW! (KAMP-FM) in Los Angeles on air, as well as nationwide on the Audacyapp and website. Fans can also connect with the station on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The special committee of Tribune Publishing’s board of directors continues to recommend shareholders approve a buyout of the company by a New York hedge fund even as it considers a higher offer from a Maryland businessman and a Swiss billionaire, The Chicago Tribune reports.
In an updated filing Wednesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Chicago-based newspaper group cited a number of factors in the reasoning to endorse Alden Global Capital’s deal, valued at about $630 million, over a tentative $680 million offer by Maryland hotel executive Stewart Bainum Jr. and his business partner Hansjörg Wyss.
The filing cited the nonbinding nature of Bainum/Wyss’ $18.50 a share bid, its proposed use of more of Tribune Publishing’s cash on hand, Bainum’s expressed interest in just owning The Baltimore Sun, and not all of Tribune Publishing, and the likelihood that the Alden deal for $17.25 a share could close more quickly.
The filing, however, remained preliminary. No shareholders meeting has been scheduled yet. The document states that lawyers for Bainum and Wyss only sent a draft of a merger agreement to Tribune Publishing’s lawyers Friday.
The Bainum/Wyss entity, known as Newslight LLC, continues to conduct due diligence, reviewing Tribune Publishing’s books, and expects to quickly conclude an agreement, according to the SEC filing.
The filing disclosed that Wyss, who made his fortune in medical device manufacturing, is financing the bulk of Newslight’s bid. Wyss is putting up $505 million in equity, while Bainum, whose background is in developing hotels and nursing homes and who remains the chairman of Rockville-based Choice Hotels International, is putting up $100 million.
The filing also disclosed that Bainum is no longer negotiating the originally proposed acquisition of The Baltimore Sun and its Maryland affiliates, including the Capital Gazette newspapers and the Carroll County Times, with Alden. He originally sought to acquire Baltimore Sun Media for $65 million as Alden purchased the rest of Tribune Publishing, which includes such newspapers as the Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News and Orlando Sentinel.
Alden, meanwhile, has said it would not vote its 32% stake in Tribune Publishing for any deal other than its own, according to the filing. That means any alternative deal must have the broad support of other shareholders, particularly Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the owner of the Los Angeles Times who holds a 24.6% stake in Tribune Publishing.
Spotify Premium subscribers will soon be able to take easier navigation of their tunes to their cars, thanks to Spotify's new "Car Thing."
AppleInsider reports Car Thing connects to a user's car via Bluetooth, AUX, or USB cable and enables them to play music and podcasts from Spotify Premium through their vehicle's speakers. It's powered by a car's 12V power outlet and can be mounted on the vehicle's dashboard, in a vent, or the CD player via the three included mounts.
The device features a "Hey Spotify" hands-free control system, similar to Apple's "Hey Siri." It also boasts a touch screen and a tactile dial that users can use to navigate through music. Four preset buttons allow users to access favorite artists, playlists, stations, and podcasts.
While Spotify claims that Car Thing leaves your phone free to do "phone things," that isn't entirely true — the device does not have a built-in WiFi plan. This means that Car Thing will still need to connect to the Spotify app on your smartphone to play music and draw from your mobile data plan. It also requires a Spotify Premium plan, which costs $9.99 a month or $4.99 a month for students.
Spotify's Car Thing isn't out yet, but users can sign up to be notified when it goes on sale. Spotify will initially make the device available for those in the United States, with the device priced at $6.99 or $14.99 for those in Hawaii and Alaska. Spotify will raise the price to $79.99 after the initial purchase period.
In order to use the Car Thing, you need two things: a connection from your phone to your car's audio system, such as with a Bluetooth or an auxiliary cord, and a data connection for your phone. Once your phone is connected to the audio system, the Car Thing takes it from there, controlling what Spotify content you stream to your car from your phone. While using Spotify, the Car Thing displays what you’re listening to and lets you choose other content available on the platform through a streamlined interface intended to be used in a car.
Car & Driver reports the Car Thing is fairly simple: an oversize knob allows a user to scroll through content and select songs, while a single button below it acts as a back button. Four buttons sit on the top of the Car Thing, which are shortcuts to pre-saved favorites for easy access to playlists, podcasts, or other content available on Spotify. It can also be controlled via your voice: a simply "Hey Spotify" lets users skip songs, go to new playlists, search podcasts, and so on.
A former Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police officer who resigned after fatally shooting a 20-year-old Black driver during a traffic stop on Sunday, setting off days of protests, was charged Wednesday with second-degree manslaughter.
Kim Potter, a 26-year police veteran who is white, was arrested and later freed after posting a $100,000 bond. Former Police Chief Tim Gannon, who also resigned after the shooting, had said before he did that Potter appeared to have mistakenly fired her gun instead of her Taser as Daunte Wright tried to struggle out of the grasp of police and get away when they tried to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. The outstanding warrant was discovered after police pulled Wright over for having expired tags on his car.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Kim Potter, the white police officer whose fatal shooting of Black motorist Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb ignited three nights of protests and civil unrest, was arrested and charged with manslaughter https://t.co/m7wFvRsqZmpic.twitter.com/ZnaCuczECu
Protesters clashed with police for a fourth straight night at the Brooklyn Center police station. An order was given to disperse about an hour before curfew, with police saying objects were being thrown at officers and people were trying to take down a fence put up to protect the station. Police fired gas canisters in return.
➤EXPERT TESTIFIES GEORGE FLOYD DIED DUE TO HEART DISEASE: A forensic pathologist testified yesterday in the murder and manslaughter trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin that George Floyd died of a sudden heart rhythm disturbance due to heart disease. The testimony from defense witness Dr. David Fowler, a former Maryland chief medical examiner, contradicted prosecution experts who testified last week that Floyd died due to a lack of oxygen from the way he was pinned down on the ground with Chauvin's knee on his neck. Fowler further stated that the fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd’s system, and possibly also carbon monoxide from car exhaust were contributing factors in his death. However, he acknowledged under examination that Floyd's blood wasn't tested for carbon monoxide, so there was data to support that suggestion.
Fowler also stated that Chauvin’s knee was, quote, "nowhere close" to Floyd's "airway," and that the fact that Floyd was speaking and groaning showed his airway was open. He said that Floyd didn't complain about vision changes or other symptoms of insufficient oxygen to the brain, and that he was coherent until shortly before he stopped moving, stating, "The bottom line is, moving air in and out, and speaking and making noise is very good evidence that the airway was not closed."
➤BIDEN SAYS WILL REMOVE ALL TROOPS FROM AFGHANISTAN: President Biden announced yesterday that he will withdraw all remaining U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11th, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that led the U.S. to go into that country. There are about 2,500 U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan. Speaking from the White House Treaty Room, the same place where then-President George W. Bush announced the start of the war in Afghanistan, Biden said, "It is time to end America’s longest war," stating, "We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, expecting a different result." He added, "I am now the fourth United States president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth."
This afternoon, I’m announcing the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and providing an update on the path forward. Watch live. https://t.co/SPiLX24VdM
➤ADMINISTRATION TO ANNOUNCE SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA: The Biden administration will be announcing sanctions on Russia in response to the large-scale SolarWinds hacking campaign last year that got into federal agencies, as well as for its 2020 election interference efforts, AP reported last night, citing a senior administration official. The sanctions are set to be announced today.
➤CDC ADVISERS POSTPONE RECOMMENDATION ON JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices decided Wednesday not to make a recommendation yet on whether to continue the pause that began a day earlier on Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine because of concerns about rare blood clots. The panel, which is expected to reconvene in seven to 10 days, said it wants to gather more information before coming to a decision.
➤CALLS INCREASE FOR GAY SEASON OF 'THE BACHELOR': In the wake of former 'Bachelor' Colton Underwood coming out as gay yesterday, some fans of the show are calling for a same-sex season of 'The Bachelor,' with at least one tweeting that it's, quote, "long overdue." There have been calls before for a same-sex season of the show, which only just had its first season with a Black Bachelor. Some of those calling for gay Bachelor yesterday were suggesting it should be Underwood. But others said it shouldn't be him, after he allegedly stalked Cassie Randolph, who he'd chosen, after they broke up, and she took out a restraining order against him last year. She later dropped it.
Bachelor alum Colton Underwood is ready to speak his truth. On ABC’s Good Morning America, he said he’s the “happiest and healthiest” he’s ever been, and credits the pandemic to giving him the time to really discover his true self.
.@colton tells @robinroberts that coming out as gay has made him closer to God: “I used to pray for Him to change me and ... [now] I can actually have faith and go into church and be present and not have it be conditional on this.” https://t.co/PoYJUAPBpApic.twitter.com/e8LwmmtPFy
"Obviously, this year has been a lot for a lot of people, and it's probably made a lot of people look themselves in the mirror and figure out who they are and what they've been running from or what they've been putting off in their lives. For me, I've ran from myself for a long time; I've hated myself for a long time. And, I'm gay," he said during an exclusive sitdown with Robin Roberts for ABC News' GMA. "I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it. And the next step in all of this was sort of letting people know. I'm still nervous."
He does have some regrets, and addressed what many people might be feeling after his time as The Bachelor: "Do I regret being the Bachelor and do I regret handling it the way I did? I do. I do think I could have handled it better. I just wish I wouldn't have dragged people into my own mess of figuring out who I was. I genuinely mean that."
Underwood said he always knew on some level that things were different for him. "I've known that I've been different since the age of 6, and I couldn't process it and I couldn't put my finger on what it was until high school of my freshman year when I knew I was gay." Growing up in the Catholic church, he said, "I learned in the Bible that gay is a sin" and he recalled how, as an athlete, the word "gay" was used in a negative connotation. "There are a lot of things where I look back and say, 'No wonder I held it in.'"
➤BERNARD MADOFF, MASTERMIND OF MASSIVE PONZI SCHEME, DEAD AT 82: Bernard Madoff, the mastermind of a massive Ponzi scheme for which he was sentenced to 150 years in prison, died behind bars yesterday. He was 82. An attorney for Madoff, who pled guilty to securities fraud and other charges in 2009, said it's believed he died from natural causes related to failing health. Madoff, who was a former chairman of the Nasdaq stock market, swindled both celebrities and charities of huge amounts of money in what's believed to have been the largest fraud in Wall Street’s history. A judge stripped Madoff of all his personal property and $80 million in assets his wife, Ruth Madoff, had claimed were hers. Court-appointed trustees have over the years recovered more than $14 billion of an estimated $17.5 billion investors had given to Madoff.
🛫STUDY: EMPTY MIDDLE SEATS ON PLANES REDUCE COVID TRANSMISSION RISK: New study results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that keeping the middle seats empty on planes reduces the risk of coronavirus transmission by 23 percent to 57 percent compared to full planes. However, while many airlines stopped selling middle seats after the pandemic began, all major U.S. airlines have gone back to selling all seats except for Delta. But it will also begin selling middle seats again on May 1st.
➤BUSH: NOT PASSING IMMIGRATION REFORM ONE OF BIGGEST REGRETS: Former President George W. Bush said in an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Norah O'Donnell that's set to air on CBS Sunday Morning this weekend that not passing immigration reform is one of his biggest regrets. The 74-year-old Bush, who has a new book out called, Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants, was asked by O'Donnell of immigration, "Is it one of the biggest disappointments of your presidency . . . " and answered, "Yes, it really is. I campaigned on immigration reform. I made it abundantly clear to voters this is something I intended to do." Bush also said he's ready to re-enter the immigration debate, including lobbying his own party on the issue.
➤EXPOSURE TO SMELLS IN EARLY INFANCY CAN MODULATE ADULT BEHAVIOR: It turns out the things we smell as infants can impact our behavior later in life. Researchers from Japan looked at mice, and found that during the critical period, when a newborn mouse pup is exposed to an odor (within the first week of life), the body released the hormone oxytocin which helps bond them to the memory of the odor and make them have good associations with it. Researchers note that even if a mouse pup is exposed to an odor with normally negative associations during that first week of life, they will still have a positive response when they encounter the odor later in life. The researchers say when it comes to humans, the results suggest that improper sensory inputs may cause neuro-developmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attachment disorders (AD). They also add that the result opens many research questions about the functioning of the human brain and behavior.
➤DIETARY COCOA IMPROVES HEALTH OF OBESE MICE; LIKELY HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMANS: Feeding mice that normally ate high-fat diets cocoa powder was found to improve their health. Penn State researchers say cocoa powder is rich in fiber, iron and phytochemicals that are reported to have positive health benefits. Study leader Joshua Lambert says, “While it is typically considered an indulgence food because of its high sugar and fat content, epidemiological and human-intervention studies have suggested that chocolate consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardo-metabolic diseases including stroke, coronary heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.” He adds that the dose of cocoa given to mice was the equivalent of about 10 teaspoons of cocoa powder per day for a human. It’s considered an important finding because a significant proportion of the world’s population has preexisting obesity, and this could potentially be an effective dietary intervention, which is something that is much needed.
⚾WHITE SOX'S RODON THROWS NO-HITTER, HIT BATTER IN 9TH INNING BLOWS PERFECT GAME: Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians last night (April 14th), and had a perfect game going in the 8-0 win until it was blown with one out in the ninth inning when his pitch hit Roberto Perez on the foot. That was the only runner Rodon allowed, getting out the final two batters. A crowd of just over 7,000 in Chicago, limited because of Covid-19 restrictions, saw the 28-year-old's gem, as he threw 75 of his 114 pitches for strikes, striking out seven.
🚨 NO-HITTER ALERT 🚨
Carlos Rodón throws the SECOND no-hitter of the 2021 MLB season!
⚾FIVE ASTROS PLAYERS PUT ON COVID LIST: Five Houston Astros players were put on the Covid-19 injured list yesterday, but it's not known if any had tested positive for the coronavirus or if they were out because of contact tracing. They are: second baseman Jose Altuve; third baseman Alex Bregman; designated hitter Yordan Alvarez; catcher Martín Maldonado; and infielder Robel Garcia.
⚾MLB TO CELEBRATE JACKIE ROBINSON DAY: Major League Baseball will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day today, with all players, managers, coaches and umpires to wear Robinson's Number 42. The date marks the anniversary of when the Hall of Famer debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, breaking baseball's color line. A video called, "Thank You, Jackie" will be shown at all ballparks, and more than 100 players will donate either all of part of their game-day salaries to support The Players Alliance, an organization of current and former MLB players advocating for Black representation in baseball.
🏈RAMS' AARON DONALD ACCUSED OF ASSAULT: Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald was accused of assault yesterday by a 26-year-old man who told police Donald attacked him at a Pittsburgh nightclub last weekend. Todd J. Hollis, an attorney for De'Vincent Spriggs, said Spriggs had a broken orbital bone in his head, a broken nose, a sprained or broken arm, and needed 16 stitches. He said, "We believe there was a misunderstanding that Mr. Spriggs bumped into Mr. Donald and Mr. Donald escalated the matter, leading to my client’s assault moments later." Police said they will consult with prosecutors, who will decide if charges against Donald are warranted. The Rams said they were aware of the reports and were gathering more information.
🏈CLOWNEY SIGNS WITH BROWNS: Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Cleveland Browns yesterday. The 28-year-old was the Number 1 overall pick in 2014, spending five seasons with the Houston Texans before being with the Seattle Seahawks for one year and then the Tennessee Titans last season. He season was cut short last year by a knee injury after eight games.
🏒SABRES CAPTAIN EICHEL OUT FOR REST OF SEASON WITH INJURY: Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel will be out for the rest of the season with a neck injury. The NHL team said yesterday that the 24-year-old center, who hasn't played since March 7th, has a herniated disk. He's expected to be healthy for next season.
