ASCAP Asks FCC To Reconsider Pandora Decision

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to reconsider its decision allowing Pandora Media Inc. to buy an KXMZ 102.7 FM in Rapid City, SD, saying the agency ignored glaring public interest questions with its approval.

The FCC applied an extremely narrow lens when earlier this month it gave its blessing to the sale, the sole purpose of which the group claims is for Pandora to continue with its complicated bid to reduce the copyright royalties it pays to ASCAP, the group said in its petition Wednesday. ASCAP negotiates and collects royalties on behalf of a large portion of songwriters.

Law360 reports ASCAP believes the FCC should have instead taken a broader public-interest approach to examining applications that propose foreign broadcast ownership.

The petition claims that the FCC ruling was “arbitrary and capricious” in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act as the agency failed to properly justify its decision.

ASCAP blasted the part of the FCC order that it said mistook a fact admitted by Pandora for an allegation hurled by the group: namely, that Pandora was primarily interested in reducing its royalty payments by adopting licensing terms equivalent to those of prominent terrestrial radio broadcasters.

In articulating that it did not believe its job was to analyze the motivation of a company for such a ruling, the FCC made an “extraordinary change of policy,” ASCAP said.

NYC Radio: WQHT Summer Jam Concert Turns Chaotic

(Nimi Hendrix via Instagram)

A WQHT Hopt 97 Hip-Hop and R&B concert in New Jersey erupted into chaos Sunday night when police in riot gear tried to contain agitated crowds.

The melee started when attendees tried to forcefully enter the Summer Jam concert at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, CNN reports.

"Security personnel at one of the entrance gates ... were confronted by crowds attempting to illegally enter the sold out Summer Jam concert by climbing over fences and forcing their way through security personnel," New Jersey State Police said.

Troopers on site asked for extra backup to help maintain order, Sgt. Gregory Williams said. Witnesses said authorities arrived in riot gear. Officers with shields used mace to disperse the crowd, causing more chaos and delaying the concert by hours, according to witnesses.



"People were falling down, trampling onto each other," a concertgoer said. "The concert started at 6 p.m. and at 9 p.m., people still weren't getting in."

Fights broke out as crowds pushed through a metal barrier. Others hurled bottles at officers, she said.

When things got chaotic, many departed without attending the concert.

The Summer Jam concert featured artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, Chris Brown and Trey Songz.

Several arrests were made.

WQHT released the following statement:

"Due to strong demand for tickets for Summer Jam 2015, the show sold out early this evening. When fans realized tickets were not available at the box office, a small number of people created an unsafe environment, and for the safety of all guests, the New Jersey State Police were on scene to disperse the crowd.  The gates were closed at that time.  No further entry was permitted into the event. For ticket holders whose tickets were not scanned, refunds will be offered at the point of purchase."

Female Country Singers Get Extra Spins on SiriusXM

Three times an hour, from Monday through Sunday, SiriusXM's The Highway channel will introduce what it calls Fresh Female Voices, little-known records by women with and without record deals. It's part of a platform-wide music-discovery initiative taking place on the subscription-based broadcast service this week.

"We're pulling in a wide swath of female talent to gather up what the listeners will respond to," says John Marks, SiriusXM's senior director of music programming.

The women include major-label acts Leah Turner and Kelleigh Bannen, as well as singers who've achieved some industry renown, such as Pistol Annies member Angaleena Presley and Brandy Clark. Small-label or independent acts such as Sunny Sweeney, Risa Binder and Allison Veltz will be played. Marks also has picked records by outside-the-box acts, namely former The Voice runner-up Dia Frampton and Swedish folk band First Aid Kit, who he feels fit the format.

John Marks

The Fresh Female Voices programming will add approximately 200 spins for women beyond what singers like Lambert and Carrie Underwood might usually get. Marks will monitor sales data, social-media activity and music-streaming statistics for signs of potential breakout records.

USA Today reports no female act had a solo record in the top 30 of its weekly Country airplay chart.

None ranks among the 10 most-played acts at country radio this year. Other than Lambert, Underwood and Taylor Swift, none has topped the format's airplay chart since Reba McEntire's Turn on the Radio in 2010.

PA Radio: WEEO Hires Real Morning Mayor

Darren Brown

Darren Brown is about to take on a modified persona — with a radio handle of Mayor Darren.

Brown, the mayoral voice of Chambersburg borough, is poised to become the morning radio voice for an even wider audience as host of First News, the morning morning on NewsTalk WEEO 103.7 FM. (licensed to McConnellsburg, PA)

According to The Chambersburg Public Opinion, Patrick Ryan, general manager at 103.7, said it's a match made in heaven for a local radio station.

"Can you think of a better host for a local news radio show than the mayor?" Ryan asked. "As mayor he certainly knows how to talk. He's at every ribbon-cutting in town and champions local issues that everyone needs to know about."

The 35-year-old Brown said he took his first plunge into radio in January when Ryan approached him to do a "Mayor on the Air" segment as part of First News. He accepted.

"I thought that tied in perfectly with finding new and better ways to reach out to the public," Brown said. "We did it for a couple of months and I decided I'd be interested in an actual job in radio."

Ryan was open to that scenario.

Brown is currently "anchor in training" for the First News show that airs 6-9 a.m. Monday through Friday.

"There is a learning curve," Ryan said. "It's a hands-on process. Darren is here every day. You'll hear a progression over the weeks and months. It's a living breathing process."

WEEO 103.7 FM (135 Watts) Red=Local coverage Area

Two years ago, Darren Brown was elected Mayor of Chambersburg, PA, in 2013. Brown joined the U.S. Army in 2004 and was deployed to Iraq for 11 months and Afghanistan for 13 months.

Hannity, Maddow Blamed For Divided U.S

Credit: Jeff Malet, maletphoto.com

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, thinks he knows why the country is increasingly divided on ideological lines, and it has a lot to do with MSNBC and Fox News, according to the Washington Examiner.

In an interview last with NBC's Chuck Todd, Graham said the current media environment makes it difficult for lawmakers to accomplish anything. He envisioned what it would be like for the Constitution to be written, had MSNBC's liberal Rachel Maddow and Fox News' conservative Sean Hannity been there for its creation.

"So, you're at Philadelphia Hall, you've got satellite trucks parked outside," Graham said. "You know, Ben Franklin comes outside and Rachel Maddow and Sean Hannity jump on him, 'Don't give in, Ben.' Just think how hard it is in today's 24/7 news cycle, talk radio, cable television and money [in politics]. There is a group telling you to say no about everything."

Graham is considered by many in political and media circles to be a long shot for the GOP presidential nomination.

Hannity

Newsbusters adds all of which begs an obvious fact of history. Benjamin Franklin was, but of course, one of the most polarizing figures of his day.

According to historian H.W. Brands, a Franklin biographer who wrote The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin, Franklin was so polarizing that in British circles  - where he spent considerable time leading up to the American Revolution - Franklin was referred to as “this old snake”, “the old veteran of mischief”, a “Judas”, “old Doubleface” and a man of “vindictive subtlety” who was “one of the bitterest and mischievous enemies” in all of British history.

Maddow

Hannity spent some time on his Thursday radio answering Graham. Running through a litany of public figures who were seen in the day as polarizing, among them Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill, he added another obvious answer. Franklin was a signer of one of the most polarizing episodes in American history - the Declaration of Independence that led to the seven year all-out war known as the American Revolution. It’s hard to top that in the polarizing department.

Borrell To Release Massive Report On Local Advertising

In advance of a new report on Local Advertising being released this Wednesday, Borrell Associates has released some key findings that it says indicates a tipping point for local advertisiers:

• Print directories are being earmarked the most for cuts. Borrell’s survey of 7,000+ SMBs shows 33% are expecting to cut directory spending in next 12 months.
• Who says local broadcast is dying? Massive survey of advertisers shows twofold increase in percentage who say they plan to increase radio or TV budgets in next 12 months. Maybe SMBs don’t read media industry news!
• Yellow page books and newspapers are in the biggest trouble, earmarked for cuts over the next 12 months by the greatest percentage of SMBs. One-third said they planned to cut directory budgets this year, while one-fifth said they’ll cut their newspaper budgets. Details June 10th when we release...
• Big uh-oh for radio: Percentage of SMBs who "won’t buy radio" now at 37%, up from 23% five years ago. Who else is being abandoned? Details June 17th.
• Newest customer base for newspapers: Mom & Pop stores. Survey of 7,228 SMBs shows bigger advertisers leaving newspapers, but smaller ones embracing them. Where are the bigger ones going? You’ll be surprised.

SLC Radio: KBEE 98.7 FM Stages Purse Party

Cumulus AC KBEE B98.7 FM om Salt Lake City has great promotions in the bag!

The station gave away “A Purse a Day for Mom in May”, culminating in a “Purse Party” at Station Park outdoor mall in Farmington, UT, last weekend.

B98.7 gave away 20 purses on the air and an additional 20 at the party, attended by 180 listeners. All purses were filled with other prizes like shopping sprees, coupons and various certificates and free samples.

Listeners were welcomed by the B98.7 team and major sponsors Nordstrom Rack and Banana Republic with food, drinks, and big savings on clothes, services and products. B98.7's Purse Party was followed by an after party at select mall merchants, which all saw an increase in sales (some as high as 170% increase in sales!).

The best part: The promotion also had a community-centered twist, as B98.7 asked listeners to come to the Purse Party with “gently loved” purses to donate to Safe Harbor, a local women’s shelter-- and nearly 150 purses were donated to victims of domestic violence.

American Pharoah Wins Triple Crown

After 37 years, the wait is over!

Saturdy  American Pharoah won the Triple Crown during the Belmont Stakes, and Westwood One Sports and NBC Sports Radio were there.

Hear the call by NBC’s Larry Collmus, as heard on Westwood One and NBC Sports Radio.

R.I.P. NJ Broadcaster, Mentor Tom Niven

Tom Niven

"Don't annoy the audience" was Tom Niven's credo.

Mr. Niven, for 50 years the heart and soul of Pompton Lakes radio station WGHT 1500 AM  - has died from lung cancer in Florida, four months into retirement. He was 78, according to the Bergen Record.

"Tom was representative of what small communities are all about," said Bloomingdale Police Chief Joseph Borell, whom Mr. Niven mentored in the Big Brothers program. "A lot of people relied on him not only for the information he shared, but for his calmness and his personality."

WGHT is a 1,000-watt, daytime oldies station heard in Pompton Lakes, Pequannock, Bloomingdale, West Milford, Wayne and environs. Mr. Niven, a Long Island native, came aboard in 1964 when the station was WKER. Those call letters were a play on the name of the couple who established the station, Bob Kerr and Joan Brooks Kerr.

Mr. Niven started as an announcer on WKER's first day and performed every role since, including afternoon disc jockey, morning anchor, copywriter and engineer. He owned the station from 1982 to 1993, when it was acquired by the current owner, John Silliman, and rechristened as WGHT. At his retirement in January, he was operations manager.

Houston Radio: Sports Voice John O'Reilly Dead At 72

Veteran broadcaster John O’Reilly, a staple of Houston sports talk radio for decades and a former member of the Oilers’ radio broadcast team, died Friday at a local hospital after an extended battle with throat cancer.

He was 72, according to The Houston Chronicle.

O’Reilly worked in sports media for more 30 years, including almost two decades in Houston at KTRH 740 AM, KSEV 700 AM and KPRC 950 AM. He served two stints on the Oilers’ radio team between 1983-85 and 1989-91.

He also was a longtime ABC Radio Network voice and part of the team that helped launch WFAN 660 AM, the nation’s first all-sports radio station, in New York in 1988.

A native of Chicago, O’Reilly earned a master’s degree in speech broadcast communications from the University of Michigan. He began his career as director of promotions for the Cincinnati Reds from 1968-69 and as director of promotions and sales for the Oakland A’s in 1969-70.

After leaving the A’s, he worked as sports director at KGO-TV in San Francisco and as an anchor at WNBC in New York and WMAQ in Chicago. Turning to radio, he hosted ABC Radio’s World of Sports on the American Information Network and hosted the network’s coverage of the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.

He arrived in  Houston in 1983 to work for KTRH, delivering sportscasts and commentaries and eventually becoming the station’s sports director and host of the nightly “SportsBeat” talk show.

In 1988-89, he moonlighted as a weekend anchor on WFAN in New York.

June 8 Radio History

In 1947...the 15-minute "Lassie" radio show began its three-year run – first on ABC then on NBC.


In 1967...Exactly one week after its release in the UK, the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" went to #1, where it remained for 27 weeks. Costing $42,500 to produce and requiring 700 hours of studio time, it was also the first album to print the lyrics on the sleeve.

In 1968…The Rolling Stones released the single, "Jumpin' Jack Flash"

In 1968…Gary Puckett & The Union Gap released "Lady Will Power"

In 2003...Dan Ingram does last show at WCBS 101.1 FM NYC. Here's an aircheck from 1992:




In 2011…Steve Popovich, who founded and managed Cleveland International Records, died at the age of 68.


In 2011…Former Detroit Tigers broadcaster/outfielder Jim Northrup died of complications from Alzheimer's disease at age 71.