Chico Radio: JJ Jeffries Named OM For Results Radio Cluster

Results Radio LLC has hired JJ Jeffries as Operations Manager for the Company’s 4-station cluster in Chico: 92.7 BOB-FM (Adult Hits KBQB-FM) Power 102.1 (CHR KCEZ-FM), 106.7 Z-Rock (Active Rock KRQR-FM), and Thunder 100.7 (Classic Rock KTHU-FM). Jeffries will also serve as Program Director for Z-Rock. 

He succeeds Paul Boris who passed away unexpectedly in May. KTHU-FM and the company’s KHRD-FM Redding continue to be led by Classic Rock Format Captain Mark Zander.

JJ Jeffries

Jeffries begins July 24. He will report to Sr VP of Strategic Development Dave Shakes and recently named Chico Market Manager Rocky Cosgrove.

Jeffries is an industry programming veteran with a wide range of experience. He has been VP of Programming for the Riviera Broadcast Group in Phoenix, and independent consultant for Rock, AC, Alternative, and Classic Hits formats.

He was PD of KUPD Phoenix 1995-2005. Also, PD of the Ervasti Media Group’s Super Radio Music Group’s 7 streaming formats. 

He has been a News Anchor for USA/IRN Radio News and performs as a voice actor with international clients including The European Baseball League, “Noah” in the “A Whisper in the Twilight” video game, and Iceland’s promotional video “Magical Breathtaking Iceland”. 

Jeffries’ also served as an OM in Monterey CA, PD in St Cloud MN and Palm Springs CA, and Air Talent for several stations in Minneapolis MN.

Nashville Radio: WGFX-FM Renews 3HL Afternoon Show

Brent Dougherty, Dawn Davenport and Ron Slay 

104.5 The Zone/WGFX-FM, Cumulus Media’s premier live and local Sports/Talk radio station serving Nashville and Middle Tennessee, announces that it has renewed its Afternoon show, “3HL,” in a multi-year extension with its winning team of high-profile on-air sportscasters. The renewal ensures that 104.5 The Zone’s popular drive-time hosts, Brent Dougherty, Dawn Davenport, and Ron Slay will deliver the show’s signature Sports coverage, insights, and entertainment for years to come. 

Together, the “3HL” on-air team brings the area’s most popular Afternoon Sports/Talk programming to Nashville and Middle Tennessee sports fans every Monday through Friday from 3:00pm-7:00pm.

Brent Dougherty is known as “The Mayor of Middle Tennessee Sports” and is a well-known fixture in Nashville's sports scene. Dawn Davenport is seen every Saturday on the college football sidelines, and her relationships and knowledge of the SEC are huge assets for 104.5 The Zone listeners. Ron Slay is an SEC Player of the Year for the Tennessee Volunteers Men’s Basketball team and is a beloved natural entertainer.

Allison Warren, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Nashville, and Paul Mason, Program Director, 104.5 The Zone, said in a joint statement: "Today, we celebrate the powerhouse trio Brent Dougherty, Dawn Davenport and Ron Slay. They have proven time and again to be a driving force behind 104.5 The Zone’s success, dominating the ratings and capturing the hearts of our listeners. They have an undeniable chemistry—a lightning in a bottle connection that brings our audience together. We are grateful to our clients, who have become our biggest fans, for choosing this remarkable station and these influential personalities to support their local businesses.”

Brent Dougherty commented: “I’m so blessed to be able to work with incredibly talented people at 104.5 The Zone. Being able to push the 3HL path long term and do it with my teammates and friends in the best city with the best listeners in the country is such a blessing. I'm pumped! Let's roll!”

Dawn Davenport, remarked: “It’s not very often you find the chemistry and culture that we are lucky enough to have right now at the Zone and on 3HL. We have the best listeners in the country, and I’m so excited our team will be together for the foreseeable future!"

NY Radio: WVOS Flips To News/Talk

Bold Gold Media Group has announced the debut of their new local radio station, Catskills News Talk on Sullivan County’s first radio station, 1240 WVOS-AM. The news/talk format will also be heard on two new local FM frequencies, 92.5 FM and 94.9 FM. WVOS-AM which celebrated its 75th Anniversary last year, will be broadcasting again as the Voice of Sullivan and the Catskills. 

The station will become the new home of the legacy morning show, Ciliberto & Friends starring popular Radio Personality Paul Ciliberto, which will form the backbone of the station’s programming; along with greatly expanded local news provided by legendary News Director Mike Sakell.

Dawn Ciorciari

“Taking a legacy AM Radio Station, and re-imagining it into an additional radio format in a local market is an exciting expansion of Bold Gold’s local broadcast portfolio, and is a testament to an incredible team of local broadcast professionals, a supportive community, and the importance that local radio continues to have to provide local news, talk and information.” – Dawn Ciorciari, General Manager, Bold Gold Media NY

“For close to 18 years Ciliberto & Friends has become the morning show dedicated to the local community. I’m very excited for the move to Catskills News Talk. This move gives Ciliberto & Friends the opportunity to expand the focus on the local community with more time dedicated to guests and information. I’m also thrilled for the expansion of the trusted local news product with Catskills News and Mike Sakell being even more a part of the show. This new project exemplifies Bold Gold Media’s commitment to the local community and local radio.” -Paul Ciliberto, Ciliberto & Friends Host and Senior Advisor, Bold Gold Media NY

“As both a radio personality and News Director for the past 43 years, a large part associated with the “Voice of Sullivan,” I am honored to be a part of this historic addition to the Sullivan County media landscape. I am also excited for the opportunity to expand on the information services available to the community including local news, interviews and unique features.” – Mike Sakell, Catskills News Director, Bold Gold Media NY

“The launch of Catskills News Talk marks another BOLD move in our New York market as we expand our programming offerings and bring back the heritage “Voice of Sullivan”. Putting this station together required a lot of well thought out decisions and I’m honored to have had the opportunity to bring it all together.” – Chase Daniels, Director of Programming, Bold Gold Media NY

You can begin listening to Catskills News Talk starting Monday, June 26th on air at: 92.5 FM, 94.9 FM, 1240 AM, on the Free RadioBOLD App, and streaming live at catskillsnewstalk.com.

Industry Vet Andrew Curran New CEO At DMR Interactive

DMR/Interactive, a strategic marketing agency catering to the radio industry across North America, proudly announces the appointment of Andrew Curran as the company's new CEO, effective July 1, 2023. Curran will succeed long-time veteran Tripp Eldredge, who will remain as Chairman.
“I bought a radio with my First Communion money in 1986 and I’ve been preparing for this opportunity ever since,” said Curran, who has served as the company’s President and COO since 2013.

Amid an ever-changing media landscape, Curran passionately champions innovation, skillfully leveraging DMR/Interactive's strategic approach to marketing to maximize audience engagement and drive client success.

Andrew Curran

“Since Catherine Jung launched our first campaign, we have been helping clients uild relationships with the heavy listeners who matter most. As technology accelerates and audiences engage with content across multiple platforms, this philosophy becomes even more important and Andrew keeps us focused,” says Tony Bannon, VP of marketing strategy with DMR/Interactive.

Curran’s first order of business will be a listening tour with clients, industry leaders and other key stakeholders. Curran shares his enthusiasm, stating, “I’ve been here for 20 years and I’m just getting started. We have an incredible team, we work with great clients and I’m ready to go.”

Before graduating Cum Laude from Boston College, Curran demonstrated a deep-rooted passion for the industry by authoring a senior thesis on the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Additionally, he earned his MBA with honors from Thomas More University. He volunteers with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, where he was named the youngest board president in the organization’s 150 year history.

Curran's previous experience includes working for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT and with iHeartMedia. He resides in Cincinnati, OH with his wife Liz and their four children: Anna, Bridget, James, and Claire.

6/22 WAKE-UP CALL: Titan Crew Believed Doomed

The world waits for news as the window of survival for the five passengers onboard the Titan sub is rapidly closing, with the oxygen supply due to run out at 7.08am ET today, the US Coastguard has projected. The announcement has painted a bleak picture for those trapped inside the stranded vessel, but officials have continued to insist that the hunt is '100 per cent' still a search and rescue mission. 

The Titan, a tourist submersible which runs $250,000 tours of the doomed Titanic ship and is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has been underwater since 8am on Sunday with five people on board. The group, dubbed the Titan Five, includes British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, a French navy veteran and a Pakistani b usinessman and his son. A countdown has begun, with the vital oxygen supply expected to run out at 7.08am US eastern time, a US Coastguard spokeswoman has said.

Professor Jeff Karson at Syracuse University, told DailyMail.com that the sounds could be coming from Titanic wreck debris and proof of life hopes could be 'wishful thinking'. The US Navy detected the noises on Wednesday morning after a Canadian P3 search aircraft had detected sounds coming from underwater on Tuesday night. It has been a glimmer of hope for the multinational effort to find the Titan, which vanished after launching on Sunday with five men on board. But Karson says he won't be 'shocked if that, wherever that sound is, that there's no submarine there.'

The wife of the CEO of OceanGate, who was piloting the missing Titanic tourist submersible, is descended from a wealthy New York couple who drowned on the Titanic. Wendy Rush's husband, Stockton, is among five people inside the sub, which went missing on Sunday during a trip to visit the Titanic wreckage. Wendy's great-great-grandparents Isidor and Ida died in the 1912 disaster. In the 1997 James Cameron film, they were depicted lying on a bed embracing as the icy waters rose around them. The pair had in real life been offered seats on a lifeboat - her as a woman, and him as a well-known former congressman and co-owner of Macy's department store.

The submersible that disappeared Sunday near the Titanic wreckage was on only its third trip since the company OceanGate Expeditions began offering them in 2021. https://t.co/ZacOqYBiGO

— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 22, 2023

➤SCHIFF CENSURED: The Republican-controlled House voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), a longtime antagonist of former President Donald Trump, making him only the third member to suffer such a rebuke since the turn of the century.  The vote was 213 to 209 along party lines, with six Republicans voting present. Democratic lawmakers yelled “Shame! Shame! Shame!” as the vote wrapped up. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) then summoned Schiff to the well of the chamber and was repeatedly interrupted as he read him the censure resolution. “I have all night,” McCarthy said. 

Adam Schiff

The vote came amid a broader push by some House Republicans to punish Democrats and administration officials under “privileged votes” that fast track the measures. After one lawmaker pressed for an impeachment vote against President Biden, McCarthy, who supported the Schiff censure, said such efforts were premature and disruptive.  Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R., Fla.), the freshman sponsor of the Schiff censure resolution, alleged that he improperly used his prior position as House Intelligence Committee chairman to spread falsehoods about Trump regarding ties to Russia and encourage abusive intelligence investigations. In a speech Wednesday, she said Schiff “woke up every morning with one goal, to lie, lie, lie to the American people that there was direct evidence of Russia collusion.” 

➤HUNTER COURT DATE SET: Hunter Biden will make his initial appearance in federal court in Delaware on July 26 after agreeing to plead guilty to two counts of tax evasion and a firearm offense.U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika issued the order Wednesday for Biden, the youngest son of President Joe Biden, to appear in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware. The order comes one day after the Justice Department announced that Biden had reached an agreement to resolve federal tax and gun charges that culminated a five-year criminal investigation.

The Syndicated Todd Schnitt Show Is Ending

Effective July 28th, Todd Schnitt will cease broadcast of THE SCHNITT SHOW to focus full time on The MJ Morning Show, heard on Beasley Media Group’s WRBQ in Tampa.

“For over 20 years, I have been working two daily jobs,” said Todd Schnitt. “The time has come for me to focus my full energies on The MJ Morning Show… This is bittersweet as it has been a joy and privilege to host The Schnitt Show and I am forever grateful to our affiliates, sponsors, partners, and most importantly our listeners for supporting the show for so many years.”

“How many people in the history of radio have hosted two-daily, drive time shows, targeting two completely different audiences, and doing it successfully for over two decades? The answer is virtually no one else,” said Peter Kosann, Founder/CEO of Compass Media Networks. “Kudos to Todd for his work ethic, creativity, ingenuity, and talent. It has been an honor to serve as Todd’s syndication partner all these years and we look forward to working with him on this next chapter.”

The Schnitt Show debuted on Newstalk WIOD/Miami in October 2001 and then on flagship WFLA/Tampa in January 2002. The show quickly rolled into national syndication. At the shows’ apex, The Schnitt Show was heard in over 75 markets and on legendary stations including WFLA in Tampa, KNXT in Las Vegas, WTKK-FM Raleigh, KNEW San Francisco, KOGO San Deigo, and WIOD in Miami.

“The hallmark of The Schnitt Show was prioritizing the most impactful stories of the day and delivering it with a sense of urgency and entertaining personality -driven opinion,” said Sue Treccase, Executive Producer of the Schnitt Show. “No one delivers theater of the mind, especially in moments of crisis and confusion, better than Todd Schnitt. I will miss serving as executive producer and thank our listeners and partners for their steadfast support and kindness.”

St. Louis Radio: Johnnie Glover Gets Double Duty At WHHL, WFUN-FM

Audacy has named Johnnie D Brand Manager of WHHL Hot 104.1 and WFUN 96.3 The Lou in St. Louis. In this role, he will oversee the stations’ content strategy, talent, operations and branding.

“Johnnie’s experience managing a leading Hip-Hop brand in a major market will enable him to position these two local favorites for consistent success,” said Becky Domyan, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy St. Louis. “We’re thrilled to welcome him aboard WHHL and WFUN.”

Johnnie Glover

“I am super excited to work and grow my career with Audacy and oversee WHHL and WFUN,” said Johnnie D. “In this chapter of my career, I was seeking an opportunity that would lead to career growth and let me be an innovative Brand Manager. The decision was easy, as the leadership team at Audacy St. Louis believed in my vision and presented me with a clear plan to achieve my career goals. I want to thank the Audacy leadership team, including Reggie Rouse, Dave Richards, Becky Domyan and Steve Moore for giving me this grand opportunity. This is the beginning of the great success story I will build at WHHL and WFUN in St. Louis.”

Johnnie D’s radio journey spans over 15 years, with career stops at HOT 97 in New York, Power 92.3 WPWX in Chicago, and Audacy’s WPGC 95.5 in Washington D.C. and V-103 in Atlanta. He spent the last eight years as the Program Director of 107.5 WGCI in Chicago. While in Chicago, he led 107.5 WGCI to dominant rating success amongst direct competitors, developed and executive produced “The WGCI Morning Show,” and produced several NTR events that generated millions of dollars in revenue. He has experience working with radio talent, including Charlamagne tha God, “The Frank Ski & Wanda Morning Show,” “The Ryan Cameron Morning Show,” Miss Jones, Donnie Simpson, Angie Martinez, Big Tigger, Egypt Sherrod, and most recently “The WGCI Morning Show” with Kendra G, Leon Rogers and Kyle Santillian.

BIA Advisory Launches New Resource: Media Access Pro

BIA Advisory Services has launched MAPro Breeze (MEDIA Access Pro Breeze), a streamlined service designed to make finding and using MAPro data more intuitive, easier and faster.

“MAPro Breeze takes the best suggestions from out clients to deliver faster, easier searching options along with new functionality that helps clients work better,” said Georgina Santilli, director of research client services at BIA Advisory.

Search features enable users to look up call letters, affiliations, licensed market names and ranks as well as total number of markets and stations in a market. The new offering also allows users to find digital coverage Points of Presence, OTA and digital revenue, current and previous station owners along with FCC IDs that directly link to its websites, the company said.

“MAPro Breeze is a necessary tool for busy professionals, offering simple searches and customizable search options to all types of our proprietary MAPro information,” said BIA Advisory founder and CEO Tom Bruno. With MAPro Breeze, we’ve made it easier for our clients to find the data they need to make informed decisions, whether they are tracking owners, examining comparable sales within markets or doing group revenue comparisons.”

June 22 Radio History

➦In 1928...radio station KVL 1370 Seattle went on the air with more than 6 hours of musical celebration featuring live orchestras playing jazz, classical and Hawaiian music. Governor Roland H. Hartley delivered the dedicatory address. The station later evolved into KEEN, KEVR. KING 1090 and now KFNQ1090 the Fan.

➦In 1941...CBS news correspondent Edward Rudolph "Ed" Bradley, Jr. born (Died – November 9, 2006).  He was a journalist, best known for 26 years of award-winning work on the CBS News television program 60 Minutes. During his earlier career he also covered the fall of Saigon, was the first black television correspondent to cover the White House, and anchored his own news broadcast, CBS Sunday Night News with Ed Bradley. He received several awards for his work including the Peabody, the National Association of Black Journalists Lifetime Achievement Award, Radio Television Digital News Association Paul White (journalist) Award and 19 Emmy Awards.

Bradley's introduction to news reporting came at WDAS-FM during the riots in Philadelphia in the 1960s. In 1967 he landed a full-time job at the CBS-owned New York radio station WCBS 880 AM. In 1971, he moved to Paris, France. Initially living off his savings, he eventually ran out of money and began working as a stringer for CBS News, covering the Paris Peace Talks. In 1972 he volunteered to be transferred to Saigon to cover the Vietnam War, as well as spending time in Phnom Penh covering the war in Cambodia. It was there that he was injured by a mortar round, receiving shrapnel wounds to his back and arm.

He received 19 Emmy Awards. He died from complications of leukemia Nov 9, 2006 at age 65.

➦In 1957...Liverpool skiffle group The Quarrymen, later to morph into the Beatles, played their first major gig at a local fete by performing on the back of a coal truck.

Four years later to the day, the Beatles (with Pete Best on drums) would have their first formal recording session, performing "My Bonnie," "When The Saints Go Marching In," "Why Can't You Love Me Again," "Nobody's Child," and "Take Out Some Insurance On Me Baby" while backing singer Tony Sheridan.

The sessions, produced by Bert Kaempfert in Hamburg, Germany, also feature "Ain't She Sweet" and the instrumental "Cry For A Shadow," which are both performed by the group alone.

➦In 1992...legendary WABC 770 AM Program Director and consultant, Rick Sklar, died from complications during routine foot surgery.

Geraldo Says He's Off FNC's 'The Five'

Longtime Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera will no longer be one of “The Five.”

Rivera announced Wednesday on his Twitter feed that his final appearance on the daily round-table program, which has the largest audience in cable news, will be June 30, reports The L-A Times.

“It’s been a great run and I appreciate having had the opportunity,” Geraldo wrote. “Being odd man out isn’t always easy. For the time being, I’m still Correspondent at Large.”

Geraldo Rivera

Rivera has served as one of the rotating liberal hosts on the program, along with commentator Jessica Tarlov and former U.S. Rep. Harold Ford, since Jan. 2022. They take turns sparring with the four conservative regulars: Jeanine Pirro, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino and Greg Gutfeld.

Rivera appeared to have a strained relationship with Gutfeld and had suggesting on Twitter that the co-host was the reason he was showing up less frequently on “The Five.” The two have had heated exchanges on the show, typically a breezy conversation about the day’s issues.

Tarlov has emerged as a star on the program. She is the most outspoken liberal on the network, unafraid to push back forcefully on her co-hosts.

Rivera, who turns 80 next month, had to travel to New York from his home in Ohio for his work on “The Five.”

Rivera’s departure is likely part of the cost-cutting moves that have been made across the network over the last month. A representative for Fox News did not return a request for comment.

Streaming Grows to 36.4% of TV Usage in May

New data from Nielsen’s The Gauge shows that May was a good month for streaming, with streaming growing its market share by 2.5 share points to a 36.4% share of time spent watching TV in May as overall TV viewing declined for the fourth straight month. 

Viewing declines are typical this time of year, Nielsen said. Total TV usage in the U.S. fell in May 4.4% from April. In May, time spent watching TV declined 2.7% compared to May of 2022.

Nielsen’s The Gauge, which offers a monthly snapshot of total broadcast, cable and streaming consumption that occurs via television, also found that 31.1% of TV viewing was spent watching cable content, and 22.8% with broadcast content. On a year-over-year basis, broadcast viewing was down 5.6% (-1.7 share points), and cable viewing was down 13.7% (-5.4 share points).

TVTechnology reports Nielsen said that a technical enhancement in the way it calculates viewing was a factor in the monthly uptick but that approximately half of the increase was a reflection of viewing behavior alone.

Nielsen also reported data for the Roku Channel for the first time. Representing 1.1% of TV usage in May, the Roku Channel is the latest streaming service, and third free ad-supported television (FAST) service, to get enough viewers to be included in The Gauge's coverage. 

Audacy Expands Audio To Tune-In

Audacy will extend digital distribution of its 250+ stations and entire podcast library to TuneIn, a leading live streaming service providing hundreds of home, car and portable device integrations. The partnership bolsters the reach of Audacy’s premium live local music, news and sports content, as well as its award-winning collection of podcast titles, by expanding availability to over 200 additional platforms and connected vehicles and devices, including Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, Bose, Samsung and Xbox, as well as on the TuneIn mobile app and TuneIn.com.

TuneIn users will now have access to Audacy brands like WFAN, America’s No. 1 sports radio station, 1010 WINS, the most-listened-to news radio station in the country, the world-famous KROQ and thousands of titles from award-winning podcast studios Cadence13, Pineapple Street Studios and 2400Sports. The agreement will also give Audacy access to TuneIn’s advertising supply and bring select TuneIn original content to the Audacy digital platform.

“Streaming of AM/FM Radio is one of the fastest growing segments of all digital audio today. As consumer demand for Audacy’s best-in-class local audio content continues to increase, we’re committed to meeting the listener wherever they wish to consume, and we’re delighted to expand the availability of our unique live sports, news, and personality-driven audio content to over 200 new TuneIn-supported platforms,” said J.D. Crowley, Chief Digital Officer and President of Podcast and Streaming, Audacy. “We’re equally thrilled to welcome TuneIn’s premium exclusive content to the Audacy digital platform.”

“We’re very pleased that Audacy has selected TuneIn to extend its digital reach and monetization capabilities,” said Rich Stern, Chief Executive Officer, TuneIn. “Audacy and TuneIn together bring consumers the nation’s most coveted Audio talent, including Garth Brooks, Tom Hanks, Boomer Esiason, Katie Neal and Bru, podcasts like “Fly on the Wall” with Dana Carvey and David Spade, Amy Poehler’s “Say More with Dr. Sheila” and “HBO’s Succession Podcast.”

The partnership also unlocks new monetization opportunities for Audacy and TuneIn’s advertising partners, leveraging the companies’ collective scale, precision targeting and analytics capabilities.

NYC Radio: Official! New WFAN Line-Up Starts July 24

Audacy has announced a new weekday programming lineup for WFAN AM/FM in New York, America’s most-listened-to sports station.

Effective July 24, the new line-up:

• 5:00 a.m.: “The Warmup Show with Al and Jerry”
• 6:00 a.m.: “Boomer and Gio”
• 10:00 a.m: Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata *NEW
• 2:00 p.m.: Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber *NEW
• 7:00 p.m: Keith McPherson
• 12:00 a.m: Chris McMonigle *NEW

The changes are highlighted by the launch of a new afternoon show with Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber. Barber replaces Craig Carton, who will continue to host his responsible gaming show on Saturdays on WFAN. Sal Licata, who currently hosts overnights on the station, replaces Barber alongside Brandon Tierney in middays. Chris McMonigle, producer of the “Carton & Roberts” show, will host a new show in the overnight timeslot.

“The new lineup card of WFAN continues to exemplify the station’s extraordinary depth of talent with all-star veterans and next-generation voices,” said Chris Oliviero, Market President, Audacy New York. “This roster, with the additions of Tiki to afternoons and Sal to middays and including the market-leading ‘Boomer & Gio’ morning show, will continue WFAN’s now nearly 40-year dominance of the sports conversation in New York.”

 
Additionally, Shaun Morash, who previously produced “The D.A. Show” with Damon Amendolara on CBS Sports Radio, will serve as a producer and on-air contributor for “Evan & Tiki” alongside executive producer Tommy Lugauer.

📻Listeners can tune in to WFAN (WFAN-FM/AM) in New York on air and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Chicago, Minneapolis Radio: Cumulus Media Unveils Changes

• James Kurdziel Appointed Program Director, Q101 - Chicago’s Alternative, and Promoted to VP/Classic Rock and Alternative for Cumulus Media
• Wade Linder Named Program Director of 92 KQRS-FM in Minneapolis

Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed James Kurdziel as Program Director for Q101/WKQX-FM in Chicago, Cumulus Media’s biggest Alternative station. 

James Kurdziel

Cumulus Media also expands Kurdziel’s corporate programming leadership role, upping him from VP, Classic Rock, to the newly created position of VP, Classic Rock and Alternative, for the company. Kurdziel moves to Chicago from Cumulus Minneapolis, where he was Program Director for Classic Rock station KQRS-FM. Before his arrival in the Twin Cities, Kurdziel programmed acclaimed Cumulus Alternative FM, The Edge/WEDG-FM in Buffalo, NY.

Concurrently, Cumulus Media has appointed Wade Linder as Program Director for Classic Rocker 92 KQRS-FM in Minneapolis. In addition to his new role with 92 KQRS-FM, Linder will also continue to handle Special Projects for the Cumulus Corporate Programming team. Linder moves to Cumulus Minneapolis from Cumulus Chicago, where he has been Program Director for Classic Hits station 94.7 WLS-FM since 2018, following four years as Program Director for the former Chicago Classic Rock station WLUP-FM. Prior to that, Linder spent nearly two decades programming Cumulus Minneapolis Rock station 93X/KXXR-FM.

Wade Linder

Brian Philips, Chief Content Officer, Cumulus Media and Westwood One, said: “In our careers, we may never again hit upon the perfect alignment of circumstances which made this deal possible. Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul have always generously shared people and ideas. We believe we've landed the ideal combination of star programmers to ensure the ongoing success of these stations."

Marv Nyren, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Chicago, said: “One of the benefits of having great talent throughout Cumulus is that when multi-market opportunities like this come up, we create a win-win-win situation. Having an experienced talent like James Kurdziel take over the reins of Q101 couldn’t happen at a better time and the entire staff in Chicago will benefit from his leadership and expertise. While WLS-FM will miss Wade’s knowledge and total professionalism, he gets to go back home and stay within the Cumulus family.”

Shelly Malecha Wilkes, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Minneapolis, said: “Congratulations to James Kurdziel. James has done an outstanding job in Minneapolis and, while we will miss his daily presence, this is a wonderful opportunity and we’re very happy for him. We’re also very excited to have Wade Linder back at Cumulus Minneapolis. Wade was an original architect of KQRS and KXXR. He’s a very strong Program Director and the right guy to lead the legendary KQRS. Welcome home, Wade!”

The appointments are effective immediately.

FNC's Bret Baier Earns Bipartisan Praise for Trump Talk

A divided nation of pundits has united in praising Bret Baier for his tough but fair interview with former President Donald Trump over his alleged mishandling of classified documents, according to Mediaite.

Given the current partisan landscape, it’s nearly impossible to find moments of consensus. Yet Baier seemed to pull it off as news watchers from both sides of the political aisle are praising him for his interview with the former president.

Baier aired the first half of his interview with Trump on Monday night, which largely gravitated around the ex-president’s indictment for improperly retaining classified documents and refusing to give them back to the government. The tense face-off touched on an array of other subjects as well, and Baier seemed to win the approval of his Fox News colleague, Brit Hume, who was less-than-sold on the defenses Trump mustered up to Baier’s questions.

As the interview unfolded, a bipartisan mix of observers noticed how Baeir put Trump under pressure and confronted the ex-president. As such, many people took to Twitter to congratulate Baier on an interview well done.

Also Tuesday Fox News announced Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will co-moderate the first Republican primary debate of the 2024 cycle. The debate will be held August 23 between 9-11 p.m. ET, and will originate from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Fox says that there will be additional “special programming” surrounding the debate, to be announced later. The debate will also be simulcast on Fox Business Network, and will stream live for Fox Nation subscribers and on Fox News’ website.

CNN Website Closing In on NYTimes For Top Spot

The Sun was the fastest-growing newsbrand in the US in May for the second month in a row, according to Press Gazette’s latest monthly top 50 ranking.

There were 69 million visits to the website of the UK tabloid’s US edition, which launched in 2020, an increase of 80% compared to May last year.

It was followed by cbsnews.com which has similarly enjoyed a recent strong run of growth (58.9 million visits, up 43% year-on-year) and NBC Universal-owned MSNBC (20.1 million visits, up 37%).

Meanwhile, the website of another British newsbrand also seeking to expand further in the US, The Independent, also made the top ten fastest-growing list. Visits to independent.co.uk were up 33% to 29.7 million.

Among the top ten sites by number of visits, there was little year-on-year growth. Visits to the BBC were up 1% to 142.1 million, while MSN saw virtually no change compared to last May (278.5 million visits).

In contrast, much of the top ten saw large falls. The biggest drop was seen by the New York Times (432.1 million visits, down 24% year-on-year) and Google News (144.2 million visits, down 20%).

The New York Times maintained its spot at the top of the table, although second-place CNN continues to close the gap. CNN grew 3% month-on-month while the New York Times’ audience was largely static. The New York Times’ fall in traffic is possibly linked to declining interest in the Wordle puzzle and, like other titles, less news interest compared to the early months of the Ukraine war last year.

While the ranking of the top five brands remained unchanged, with Fox News, MSN and New York Post rounding out the top five, the BBC fell one place to rank seven after climbing last month, while Google News was up to rank six.

6/21 WAKE-UP CALL: Searchers Believe They Hear Tapping Sounds

 A Canadian airplane aiding in the search for the missing Titanic-bound submersible recently detected “banging” every 30 minutes in the area where the vessel lost radio contact with its surface ship. Details of the potential signs of life aboard the OceanGate Expeditions’ submersible were included in internal emails sent to the Department of Homeland Security and separately confirmed early Wednesday by the US Coast Guard.

The search intensified Tuesday for the submersible that vanished two days ago in the North Atlantic Ocean, as ships and aircraft from U.S. and Canada joined the effort to locate the small vessel carrying five people to the Titanic wreckage site before it runs out of oxygen. Capt. Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District in Boston said the Titan, as the submersible is known, had "about 40 hours of breathable air left" around 1 p.m. ET Tuesday, meaning its oxygen supply could get depleted by Thursday morning. He added that an underwater robot had started searching in the vicinity of the Titanic and that there was a push to get salvage equipment to the scene in case the sub is found. Besides that, three C-130 aircraft and three C-17 transport planes from the U.S. military have been aiding the search, and the Canadian military said it provided a patrol aircraft and two surface ships.

Still, the remote location − 900 miles east of Cape Cod and up 13,000 feet below sea level − make the pursuit "an incredibly complex operation,'' Frederick said. The carbon-fiber submersible had a 96-hour oxygen supply when it went to sea at about 6 a.m. Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions, the deep-sea exploration company that owns the vessel. The company that operated the expedition, OceanGate Expeditions, listed Titanic trips for tourists at $250,000 this year. The Titanic sank in 1912 in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg, killing an estimated 1,500 passengers and crew.

➤HUNTER MAKES A DEAL: Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges and resolve a gun violation. The deal means avoiding a politically explosive prosecution while his father campaigns for re-election. Federal prosecutors have agreed to recommend probation, a person familiar with the matter said; a judge will decide the sentence, which likely will include a fine. (Misdemeanor tax prosecutions, without other charges, rarely lead to prison time.)

President Biden’s son failed to pay income tax in 2017 and 2018, despite owing more than $100,000 each year. The deal is the denouement of an investigation launched in 2018 that began by examining the junior Biden’s foreign business dealings.

ABC's Jonathan Karl: Hunter Biden charges will be a 'major issue' in 2024 https://t.co/brPryJEBfF

— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 21, 2023

➤HUNTER, BABY MAMA SETTLE: Hunter Biden and his baby mama have privately settled their child support dispute in Arkansas, according to a source close to the first son. Lunden Roberts, 32, the mother of Hunter’s long-unacknowledged 4-year-old daughter, agreed to her $20,000 monthly child support payments being slashed after she showed up in person to his deposition in Little Rock last week. Roberts’ lawyer, Clint Lancaster, told The Post late Thursday that final terms were still to be determined and declined to confirm that his client had agreed to a reduced monthly payment of $5,000.  “The case is sealed, and these are financial terms that should never be disclosed,” he said, warning that leaks about details of the settlement would derail talks and end up with Hunter back in an Arkansas court on July 11.

Gannett Sues Google Over Ad Dominance

The nation’s largest newspaper chain sued Google on Tuesday, arguing that the search giant’s dominance of the digital ad marketplace is stifling the struggling local news industry.

The Washington Post reports the complaint from Gannett, filed in federal court in New York, alleges violations of antitrust and consumer protection laws. It’s just the latest challenge to Google and parent company Alphabet on this front, following actions from the U.S. Justice Department, the government of Australia and even a group of small West Virginia weekly papers.

In an op-ed published in Gannett’s national newspaper, USA Today, company CEO Mike Reed argued that Google “has monopolized the markets for important software and technology products that publishers and advertisers use to buy and sell ad space.” As a result, he wrote, even while online readership is on the rise, newspapers are reaping little of the $200 billion market for online ads.

“Gannett’s lawsuit seeks to restore fair competition in the digital advertising marketplace that Google has demolished,” he said in a separate news release. “Digital advertising is the lifeblood of the online economy. Without free and fair competition for digital ad space, publishers cannot invest in their newsrooms.”

In a Tuesday statement, Google ads vice president Dan Taylor strongly denied the claims made against the company.

“Publishers have many options to choose from when it comes to using advertising technology to monetize,” he said, adding that Gannett uses dozens of competing ad services. He argued that Google’s ad services allow publishers to keep most of the revenue.

Google’s competitors and critics have long accused it of using its position in the advertising world to favor its own products over those of others. The advertising ecosystem is dizzyingly complex, encompassing hundreds of companies offering a range of services, such as helping to design ads and tracking whether anyone clicked on them.