Alan Longmuir, a founding member of the Bay City Rollers, died early Monday after a brief illness, according to the BBC.
Alan Longmuir
The group were a pop sensation in the mid-1970s — a Tartan-clad early boy band who played up their Scottishness — via a series of chart-topping U.K. singles like “Bye Bye Baby” and “Shang-a-Lang,” and their U.S. breakthrough, “Saturday Night,” which hit No. 1 in 1976.
According to Variety, Longmuir formed the band, initially called the Saxons, in Edinburgh in 1966 with his younger sibling and drummer Derek. The group’s best-known lineup, which featured McKeown and guitarists Eric Faulkner and Stuart Wood as well as the Longmuirs, came together early in 1974.
According to legend, the group chose its name by throwing a dart at a map, which landed on Bay City, Michigan. At the peak of their success the group had their own television show and a fanbase known as the “Tartan Horde.”
It isn't every day that a comedian manages to speak to the president of the United States by pretending to be a U.S. senator, but "Stuttering John" podcaster John Melendez claims he did.
Now, Melendez said Sunday evening, the United States Secret Service wants to interview him. And to represent him, Melendez has enlisted Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Trump.
The Secret Service did not respond to a request from CBS News to confirm the meeting. Avenatti confirmed to CBS News' Paula Reid that he is representing Melendez.
As for the interview with the Secret Service, Melendez had said earlier that it was set for Monday morning at his home in California. But now Avenatti wants to review the facts before the interview takes place.
A former Secret Service agent told CBS News that the agency likely wouldn't be investigating how the call happened — it would potentially be investigating if Melendez posed a threat.
The White House has not acknowledged the prank call, earlier saying, "we are not engaging on this at all."
So, how did a comedian apparently reach the U.S. president?
Melendez told CBS News on Saturday that he and his producer were doing his "Stuttering John" podcast when they decided to call the White House. At first, according to Melendez's account, he called in as himself. He said he thought he could get through, given that he has known Mr. Trump for many years. But the White House didn't patch him through.
Melendez said he then called back again, claiming to be the senator's assistant, using what he described as a bad British accent.
That apparently worked. The White House, Melendez said, took the call, and called him back on his cell. When he was asked why his number included an area code from California, Melendez claimed to be on holiday.
Melendez said that Mr. Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner then called him from Air Force One. Kushner asked what he wanted to discuss with the president, according to Melendez, and Melendez told Kushner he had an extensive conversation with Mr. Trump on immigration, and wanted to continue the conversation.
Melendez claimed he got a call back within 20 minutes, patching him through to Mr. Trump aboard Air Force One.
On Sunday, staffers at the Capital Gazette published an op-ed remembering those lost when a gunman entered their newsroom.
Mediaite reports they also thanked those who reached out with kindness after that horrific day.
“We will never forget Rob Hiaasen, Gerald Fischman, Wendi Winters, John McNamara or Rebecca Smith, our five co-workers who were gunned down in a senseless attack,” the staff began in the letter titled, “Our Say: Thank you. We will not forget.”
They added: “The words of appreciation for our work and its importance to Annapolis and Anne Arundel County is a balm to our wounds. More than 800 people subscribed to our digital edition Friday as a show of support after the terror on Thursday afternoon.”
However, they also pointed out that not everyone was so kind.
“Here’s what else we won’t forget: Death threats and emails from people we don’t know celebrating our loss, or the people who called for one of our reporters to get fired because she got angry and cursed on national television after witnessing her friends getting shot,” they wrote.
Then, in what appears to be a direct jab at President Donald Trump, the staffers stressed, “We won’t forget being called an enemy of the people. No, we won’t forget that. Because exposing evil, shining light on wrongs and fighting injustice is what we do.”
CNN reporter Jim Acosta said Sunday that he turned down a request to appear on former White House press secretary Sean Spicer's new talk show because he's not interested in helping Spicer resurrect his career, reports The Hill.
"We politely turned that down," Acosta said on CNN's "Reliable Sources" when asked if he'd appear on a new TV show Spicer is developing.
"My sense of it is that Sean has crossed the line from being somebody who was a former press secretary to somebody who wants to resurrect his career and go on Fox News and bash CNN. And if he’s going to do that, I don’t think we should give him time to do that," Acosta said.
Acosta's comments come days after The New York Times reported Spicer's plans to become a talk-show host. No network has yet picked up his show, tentatively called “Sean Spicer’s Common Ground." The first episode is expected to be filmed this month.
“In this current environment, I think it’s important to have a platform where we can have civil, respectful, and informative discussions on the issues of the day,” Spicer told the Times last week.
Acosta has maintained a tense relationship with President Trump and his administration, often becoming the target of jabs from the president and his supporters.
Jacobs Media has released the full schedule of their “Broadcasters Meet Podcasters” sessions, part of the Podcast Movement conference, which takes place at the Philadelphia Marriott July 23-26.
Sponsored by the Beasley Media Group, the sessions are designed to bring together leaders from the broadcast and podcast communities to help broadcasters take full advantage of the podcast opportunity.
Fred Jacobs
“Last year, ‘Broadcasters Meet Podcasters’ was a one-day event, and the response was so tremendous, we expanded it to nine sessions over two days this year,” remarks Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs. “Interest was so high, we actually could have covered three days, but we’ll be featuring the best of the best from broadcast radio CEOs, to top podcasting talent and revenue-generators. Anyone in radio interested in getting into podcasting or elevating their current efforts will benefit from attending.”
Jarl Mohn
Some of the featured sessions include NPR’s CEO Jarl Mohn, nationally syndicated host Bobby Bones, CEOs including Caroline Beasley (Beasley Media Group), Ginny Morris (Hubbard Radio), Suzanne Grimes (Westwood One), and Julie Talbott (Premiere Radio), a session on Alexa and podcasting, and much more.
Bobby Bones
Other presenters and panelists include Mark Ramsey (producer/talent “Inside: Jaws” podcast), Dave Beasing and Steve Goldstein (“Inside Trader Joe’s” podcast), and Seth Resler’s popular “Podcast Makeover” panel where two up-and-coming podcasters are live airchecked on stage.
Podcasters will also be able to tell their stories at the Westwood One Pitch Pod, where they will be invited to “pitch” their podcast, or their concept to be considered on the Westwood One Podcast Network. “Podcasting is white hot, liberating content creators with the freedom to express themselves, and listeners with the ability to enjoy their favorite podcasts any place at any time,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP, Marketing, Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One. “With revenue projected to hit $659 million by 2020, Westwood One is all in on this incredible, contemporary medium, and pleased to support Jacobs Media’s ‘Broadcasters Meet Podcasters’ track at Podcast Movement."
Syndicated Sale radio talk host Hugh Hewitt announced the end of his MSNBC show on Saturday.
Hewitt, who hosted the Saturday morning program on MSNBC since June 2017, said he would remain on the network as a commentator and appear as a guest on MSNBC shows as well as NBC's "Meet The Press."
"It's been great fun to host this show and I will see you on MSNBC again soon, thank you for watching," Hewitt said to end Saturday's program.
Despite earning high-profile interviews with figures such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, his show struggled with ratings for months, according to Mediaite.
According to The Hill, Hewitt also ran into controversy while he helmed the show after news emerged that he had brokered a meeting with EPA chief Scott Pruitt to clean up a polluted area near his house. Hewitt had staunchly defended Pruitt amid a laundry list of ethics controversies about his high-cost travel and a discounted condo he rented from a lobbyist.
MSNBC scolded the commentator in May over his advocacy on behalf of Pruitt.
The CBS affiliate in Albuquerque, New Mexico, KRQE-TV, says it was forced off the air for roughly an hour-and-a-half Sunday night after an intruder entered its building.
Two of the station's newscasts were affected before regular programming resumed.
A reporter/anchor at the station, Madeline Schmitt, told the story on Twitter:
Myron Jones, a pioneer in Erie’s radio and television broadcasting industry died June 28 in Erie. He was 92.
Jones founded WJET Radio in the 1950s and established it as the No. 1 top 40 radio station in the Erie market. In 1966, he introduced Erie’s ABC affiliate with the launch of WJET-TV on what was then considered a remote piece of property on Peach Street in Summit Township. He was known and respected not only in the local broadcasting industry but also in national circles.
“With Myron’s passing, the broadcasting industry and the Erie community has lost a legend, and Penn State Behrend has lost a steadfast friend,” Penn State University Chancellor Ralph Ford said. “He was an innovator, an advocate, and a mentor to so many in the radio and television media, and his vision and energy extended to the nurturing of new generations of communications talent.”
Jones launched the radio careers of many disc jockeys who went on to national prominence.
One of them was Erie native Ron Seggi, a former JET Good Guy on WJET Radio, who now hosts a nationally syndicated radio program from his studio on Florida. He recalled Jones used to be his next door neighbor and his passion for radio lit a fire in him. He said Jones put him on the radio when he was a teenager, and he's still behind a microphone today. He told JET 24, "Myron didn't have any children, but he had a vast number of young people that he influenced. His broadcast family goes from sea to shining sea. He was quite a man." Known as Ronnie G on JET Radio, Seggi added Myron "...was a legend, he brought rock and roll music to Erie. He was one of the forerunners of the broadcasting industry. We will miss the man."
Larry Cotlar, the longtime Des Moines sports radio personality and Drake men's basketball broadcaster, was killed during Saturday's flash flooding, according to the Des Moines Register.
Around 8:50 p.m. on Saturday, Des Moines police were called about a stalled van with people inside in the flooded streets. As officers headed there, it was reported that the occupants had left the van, and that one person had been swept away.
Officers and rescue personnel from the Des Moines Fire Department immediately began a search of the area.
Around 12:39 a.m. on Sunday, first responders found Cotlar, 66, deceased, several blocks away from the original call.
Cotlar's biography on his website says his professional career began in 1974 and started doing talk radio in 1981. He was the 2007 Iowa Sportscaster of the Year. His "Cotlar and Company" show ran on KXNO 1460 AM from 2001 to 2009; he's also appeared on KBGG 1700 AM and KRNT 1350 AM.
➦In 1916...Radio personality Barry Gray was born, generally considered the father of the "Call-In" Radio format.
Initially a disc jockey, Gray was working for New York's WMCA radio station in 1945 when he, bored one evening with simply spinning music, decided to put the telephone receiver up to his microphone and share his conversation with the listening audience. The caller that evening just happened to be bandleader Woody Herman, one of the most popular celebrities of the day. This spontanenous live interview was such a hit with both his listeners as well as station bosses, that the talk radio format resulted. Gray subsequently began doing listener call-ins as well.
In 2002, industry publication Talkers magazine selected Barry Gray as the 8th greatest radio talk show host of all time. Beginning in 1950 he ran for 39 straight years late-night on WMCA, then moved to WOR until his death Dec. 21 1996 at age 80.
➦In 1939…In 1939, The Aldrich Family debuted as the summer replacement for Jack Benny Sunday nights at 7 on NBC radio.
For the next 13 years the program would open to the sound of Mother Aldrich calling, “Hen-ree! Henry Aldrich!” Mrs. Aldrich was named Alice; Mr. Aldrich was Sam; Henry’s sister was Mary; Henry’s mischief-making friend was Homer Brown; and Henry’s girlfriend was Kathleen. The teenaged Henry was played delightfully by Ezra Stone who was then already in his mid-20’s.
The show moved to CBS from 1944 to 1946, then back to NBC until 1953.
➦In 1941...the lighthearted comedy-mystery The Adventures of the Thin Man, based on the Nick & Nora Charles movie series of the same name, debuted on NBC radio. Claudia Morgan delightfully played Nora throughout the ten year run, while Les Damon was the first of four radio actors to play Nick.
➦In 1945...The Marlin Hurt & Beulah Show made its debut on CBS radio. Marlin Hurt had first introduced his Beulah character (a black maid) while a cast member of the Fibber McGee & Molly Show.
➦In 1946…Arthur Godfrey was signed by CBS Radio to host a weekly nighttime show called "Talent Scouts."
➦In 1951...Bob & Ray show premieres on NBC radio network.
Elliott and Goulding began as radio announcers (Elliott a disc jockey, and Goulding a news reader) in Boston with their own separate programs on station WHDH-AM, and each would visit with the other while on the air. Their informal banter was so appealing that WHDH would call on them, as a team, to fill in when Red Sox baseball broadcasts were rained out. Elliott and Goulding (not yet known as Bob and Ray) would improvise comedy routines all afternoon, and joke around with studio musicians.
Elliott and Goulding's brand of humor caught on, and WHDH gave them their own weekday show in 1946. Matinee with Bob and Ray was originally a 15-minute show, soon expanding to half an hour. (When explaining why Bob was billed first, Goulding claimed that it was because "Matinee with Bob and Ray" sounded better than "Matinob with Ray and Bob".) Their trademark sign-off was "This is Ray Goulding reminding you to write if you get work"; "Bob Elliott reminding you to hang by your thumbs".
They continued on the air for over four decades on the NBC, CBS, and Mutual networks, and on New York City stations WINS, WOR, and WHN. From 1973 to 1976 they were the afternoon drive hosts on WOR, doing a four-hour show. In their last incarnation, they were heard on National Public Radio, ending in 1987.
➦In 2012…Broadcasting executive Julian Goodman, president of NBC (1966-1974), died at age 90.
➦In 2015…Veteran CBS Radio News correspondent David Jackson died of cancer at 70.
