NYC Radio: NASH FM 94.7 Raises $113.6K+ For A “Miracle for the Kids”

Cumulus Media-New York’s Country radio station WNSH NASH FM 94.7 announces that it raised a total of $113,638  for Children’s Miracle Network through its “Miracle for the Kids” live radio broadcast on Friday, December 15, 2017.

Westwood One nationally syndicated morning radio hosts Ty, Kelly and Chuck kicked off the successful listener event high atop Madison Square Garden studios in Cumulus Media-New York’s festively decorated performance studio Stage 17, followed by NASH FM 94.7 on-air personalities Jesse Addy and Katie Neal who hosted the live broadcast until 7pm. Live performances by Chuck Wicks, Jordan Davis, Michael Tyler, Lauren Davidson and J. Antonette added to the full day of high-energy Country entertainment and great Country music, while NASH FM 94.7 celebrated the holidays with a big party for the kids!

Chad Lopez, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-New York, said: “Today marks a very important day for NASH FM 94.7, with our partners at Children’s Miracle Network. This year it was critical for everyone at NASH to hit a fundraising milestone and we’ve done it. I couldn’t be more grateful to each and every one of our listeners today, coming together with our team Ty, Kelly, Chuck, Jesse and Katie, to help us make the season a little brighter for these courageous kids during the holiday season.”

John Foxx, Program Director, NASH FM 94.7, said: “Friday was a magical day at NASH FM 94.7 and our listeners really made a Miracle Happen For The Kids, it was a special day in our community and a very special day on air. The kids that need our help and support the most here in the Tri-State have a lot to look forward to, thanks to our amazing listeners.”

Ivory Black Wins Cumulus' 2017 "next2rock" Competition

                                           (L-R) John Varvatos, Scott Borchetta, Ivory Black, Keenan Franklin

Ivory Black, from Kansas City, Missouri, was announced as the winner of Cumulus Media’s inaugural neXt2rock 2017 competition — a national and local grassroots search for the nation’s newest rock star. The final competition event featured live performances from the top five national finalists, and a special performance by John Varvatos Records recording artist Badflower.  The competition featured up-and-coming rock talent through this first-of-its-kind national radio grass roots talent search and artist development program for rock music, sponsored nationally by Tile, the world’s best-selling Bluetooth tracker.

“You exude artistry from the minute you step on the stage,” “you’ve got star quality and a lot of potential,” “there is something special about you, you’ve got great stage presence,” “you sing what you’ve lived and that’s real; that’s credibility,” “we’ve been waiting for the WOW, and you are the WOW” were a few of the comments by the neXt2rock 2017 expert judges to describe Ivory Black’s performance. Ivory Black humbly accepted their high-praise and went on to win the top honor and will receive national radio airplay on Cumulus Media radio stations, and a recording contract on John Varvatos Records label under the Big Machine Label Group umbrella. 

"Last year, my manager Klaartje Van Lue said, "by the end of 2017, you will have a record deal." Those words still ring in my ears, but what I never expected was to be recognized by the biggest independent record label in the world and get the response I received by experts in the music business after my performance at The Viper Room. It’s hard to put into words and I’m still trying to take in all that’s happened in the past week.  I’m so honored and can't wait to start working with John Varvatos, Scott Borchetta , Desmond Child, Chris Lord-Alge and many more.  Cumulus’ neXt2rock has changed my life forever."

The winner of the neXt2rock 2017 was selected by a panel of Rock music luminaries and industry professionals, including, Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale; Sex Pistols' guitarist and host of “Jonesy’s Jukebox” Steve Jones; Big Machine Label Group President & CEO Scott Borchetta; fashion designer and record label head John Varvatos; musician, songwriter and producer Desmond Child; and engineer/mixer Chris Lord-Alge. This illustrious panel will also provide mentorship to the winning band as they embark on their journey from discovery to national exposure. 

"Radio leads the way when it comes to music discovery," said Mike McVay. EVP, Programming and Content, Cumulus Media. "neXt2rock 2017 genuinely discovers new artists, enables all of the contestants to be heard and allows the winners to take advantage of an amazing opportunity to have their music backed by a major label as well as played nationally on the radio. We’re very excited to see what the future holds for Ivory Black.”

"John and I came together with an A&R mission to find a unique artist with a vision, and last night we found that in Ivory Black," said Borchetta. "There are artists like Ivory Black that never would have had an opportunity to showcase their talent, and the power of rock radio brought us five great acts, with Ivory Black prevailing."

December 19 Radio History

➦In 1932...The British Broadcasting Corp. began transmitting "Empire Service" to Australia and New Zealand, the BBC's first overseas service.

➦In 1944...ABC took over ownership of WJZ 770 AM



➦In 1956...Elvis Presley had 10 singles on the Billboard chart, a record high number for an individual act, which stood until 1964 when the Beatles had 14 simultaneous chart hits.

➦In 1958...the first radio broadcast from space occured when President Dwight D. Eisenhower said "To all mankind, America's wish for Peace on Earth & Good Will to Men Everywhere".

Les Tremayne

➦In 1985...ABC Sports announced that it was parting company with Howard Cosell and released him from all TV commitments. He continued on ABC Radio for another five years.

➦In 2003...radio & TV actor Les Tremayne died of heart failure at age 90. He was a leading man during Radio’s Golden Era on shows such as The Thin Man, The Falcon, Betty and Bob and The Romance of Helen Trent.  It is estimated that Les worked on more than 30,000 broadcasts, with as many as 45 radio shows a week in the 30s and 40s. Later he played scores of character roles over the first 45 years of commercial TV.

➦In 2004...a single-engine Cessna 182 crashed into the KFI 640 AM radio tower knocking the station off-the-air for an hour and killing the two people in the plane.

On December 19, 2004 at 9:45 am Pacific Standard Time, Jim and Mary Ghosoph were killed when their rented Cessna 182P single engine airplane, travelling from the El Monte Airport to Fullerton Municipal Airport, struck KFI's transmission tower, located in the City of La Mirada.

The solid steel truss, originally built in 1948, collapsed upon itself, mostly landing in a parking lot to the north of the site (KFI was relatively late to convert from a horizontal to a vertical antenna—same-market Class A KNX converted to a vertical in 1938, and same-state Class As KGO and KPO (now KNBR) converted to verticals in 1941 and 1949, respectively). KFI's signal was knocked off the air for approximately one hour.

Pilots had complained for years to KFI management that it needed to put strobe lights on the tower and highly reflective balls on the guy wire. KFI and Clear Channel Communications management responded by saying the tower was in compliance with Federal Communications Commission and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and that it did not need to make any changes. Until a replacement was successfully erected, the station transmitted from a 200-foot auxiliary tower at a power of 25,000 watts.

On Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 2:30 pm Pacific Standard Time the replacement tower collapsed while under construction.  The tower was about 300 feet tall (the final height was to be 684 feet) when a guy wire support failed, causing the tower to tip over the opposite direction. There were no major injuries, and only limited collateral damage.

A new tower began construction at the end of July 2008 and was completed on August 14, 2008. The station returned to full power (50,000 watts) on September 25, 2008 at 17:00 PT.

The new tower has a 50-foot-wide (15 m) top-loading "capacitance hat", which electrically extends the tower's height another seventy-five feet, effectively, without actually needing more tower sections (the local regulation authorities in apparent defiance of electrical engineering principles, and communications law, demanded "a 10 percent reduction in overall height", otherwise the necessary permits would be refused, not withstanding the federal government's primary authority over radio communications, and KFI's strategic role as an Emergency Alert System station for the western U.S. region).

The new tower is also equipped with high intensity strobe lights due to its proximity to the Fullerton Municipal Airport, and additional safety upgrades because of the previous plane crash. The new tower has torque arms which limit the twisting of the tower in high winds. The tower has been dedicated to the memory of John Paoli, KFI Chief Engineer from 2000 to 2008, who died suddenly from a previously unknown genetic heart condition soon after overseeing the construction of the new tower.

ESPN President John Skipper Resigns

John Skipper

ESPN President John Skipper announced today that he is resigning from his position, citing a substance addiction problem. Former ESPN President and Executive Chairman George Bodenheimer (who worked at ESPN from 1981-2014) will serve as Acting Chair of the company for the next 90 days, overseeing the transition process.

Below are quotes from Skipper and Bob Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive of The Walt Disney Company, as well as bios and photos of Skipper and Bodenheimer.

Statement from John Skipper, ESPN President:

Today I have resigned from my duties as President of ESPN. 

I have had a wonderful career at The Walt Disney Company and am grateful for the many opportunities and friendships. I owe a debt to many, but most profoundly Michael Lynton, George Bodenheimer and Bob Iger. 

I have struggled for many years with a substance addiction. I have decided that the most important thing I can do right now is to take care of my problem. 

I have disclosed that decision to the company, and we mutually agreed that it was appropriate that I resign. I will always appreciate the human understanding and warmth that Bob displayed here and always. 

I come to this public disclosure with embarrassment, trepidation and a feeling of having let others I care about down. 

As I deal with this issue and what it means to me and my family, I ask for appropriate privacy and a little understanding. 

To my colleagues at ESPN, it has been a privilege. I take great pride in your accomplishments and have complete confidence in your collective ability to continue ESPN’s success.

Statement from Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, Walt Disney Company

“I join John Skipper’s many friends and colleagues across the company in wishing him well during this challenging time. I respect his candor and support his decision to focus on his health and his family. With his departure, George Bodenheimer has agreed to serve as Acting Chair of ESPN for the next 90 days to provide interim leadership, help me identify and secure John’s successor, and ensure a smooth transition. I am grateful for George’s support and look forward to working with him again in this temporary role.”

Tavis Smiley: 'PBS Made A Huge Mistake Here'

Radio/TV Talk-show host Tavis Smiley defended himself again against sexual harassment allegations today, saying, "PBS made a huge mistake here."

PBS suspended the distribution of his eponymous talk show earlier this month after an investigation, noting "multiple, credible allegations," the network confirmed to ABC News in a statement.

A PBS spokesperson added, "PBS engaged an outside law firm to conduct an investigation immediately after learning of troubling allegations regarding Mr. Smiley. This investigation included interviews with witnesses as well as with Mr. Smiley. The inquiry uncovered multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS, and the totality of this information led to today's decision."

During a live sit-down interview on ABC's  "Good Morning America" Monday, the 53-year old Smiley reiterated that "I've never groped, I've never coerced" women into sexual relations on his staff "in 30 years over six different networks."

He added, "I celebrate and applaud these women who had the courage to come out," but he's concerned that because of the recent climate, "people end up being guilty simply by accusations."



Smiley had relationships with women while working on “The Tavis Smiley Show,” he said, adding he can prove they were consensual “with letters, cards, gifts and, certainly, photographs."

Tampa, Augusta Radio: Tee Gentry Departs WQYK-FM

Tee Gentry

Beasley Media Group announces Tee Gentry will be returning home as Operations Manager and Program Director of Kicks 99 for the company’s Augusta-based cluster.

Gentry most recently spent the past three years serving as Beasley Media Group Tampa Operations Manager and Program Director at WQYK 99.5 FM. He previously held the same position in Augusta.

“T has done a tremendous job over the past 17 years at Beasley Media Group,” said Beasley Media Group Augusta Vice President and Market Manager Kent Dunn. “He did great in Tampa, but has decided to return to Augusta to be closer to his family. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome him home to lead our team and Kicks 99!”

Chris O’Kelly will remain on staff as Assistant Program Director and Music Director of Kicks 99.

Pittsburgh Radio: KQV To End Nearly 100 Years Of Broadcasting

Pittsburgh's oldest all-news radio station, KQV 1410 AM, is going silent next year, ending nearly 100 years of broadcasts.

Bob Dickey Jr., the station's general manager, said 1410 on the AM dial will go off the air Jan. 1, reports TribLive.com.

“It's a sad day for broadcast and for the news business,” Dickey said Friday.

Dickey said he told the station's staff of about 20 people.

“This has always been a labor of love. The news business is a tough business,” Dickey said. “We loved doing what we were as long as we've done it.”

KQV started in 1919 and is one of only three radio stations east of the Mississippi — KQV, KDKA and KYW in Philadelphia — with call letters beginning in K. The station has been independently owned since 1982, when Dickey's father, Robert W. Dickey Sr. and Tribune-Review publisher Dick Scaife formed Calvary Inc. to buy it from Taft Broadcasting. Scaife sold the station back to Dickey and his sister, Cheryl A. Scott, after their father died in 2011.

Scott died in November. Dickey said the station wasn't the same after that.

Dickey said without Scaife's financial backing, the station would have died decades earlier.

“Mr. Scaife made this possible,” Dickey said.

Dickey said declining revenue from advertising and increasing labor costs made the station unsustainable. The station hopes to sell land in Ross Township where its transmitters sit and the license. Dickey hopes someone buys the license, revives the station and makes it another 100 years.

Report: Live Thrives In Online World

Forecast:  Live revenue 2018

Deloitte Global predicts that live broadcast events will generate $545B in direct revenue in 2018, a one percent increase over the previous years'.  The vast majority 98.5% are forecast to come from traditional sectors, with the remainder from live streaming and eSports.

The revenue forecast expects LiveTV and radio broadcasting to generate 72% of all live revenues. Largest share will come from broadcast TV with $358B from advertising and subscriptions.

After TV, the largest broadcast sector by revenue is likely to be radio, with almost all revenue coming from advertising.  Radio has remained popular despite the increasing availability of on-demand alternatives such as personal and portable music collections, streaming music service and podcasts.

Online has made radio easier to listen to wherever connectivity it available.  U.S ad revenue from online radio alone are forecast to rise to $2B, a significant rise from $1.4B in 2016.

Share of platform time spent by age 2017

CNN Suggests Fox Engaging In Cover-Up

An anti-Robert Mueller, anti-FBI fervor is intensifying among Trump supporters -- partly thanks to a campaign by Fox News and other conservative media sources, reports Brian Stelter at CNN.

The right-wing commentary and President Trump's criticism of the FBI are part of a vicious circle, according to Stelter.  The TV hosts encourage Trump, then Trump supplies sound bites for their shows, and then the hosts are even more emboldened.

With Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election reaching closer to Trump's inner circle, Fox hosts like Sean Hannity continue to demand Mueller's firing. Every night, Hannity tells millions of viewers that Mueller's probe is a corrupt plot to take down Trump and reverse the outcome of the election. Trump is a big fan of Hannity's show, and the two men speak on a regular basis.

"The anti-Mueller rhetoric in conservative media right now is part of a feedback loop," Nicole Hemmer, the author of a book about conservative media, "Messengers of the Right," told CNNMoney.

"Conservative media personalities know Trump hates the investigation and wants it shut down," she said in an email. "They bash the investigation and Mueller, and when Trump sees that happening (say, on 'Fox & Friends') it reinforces his belief that the investigation is illegitimate and that he should do something to end it. The likely consequence is that this increases the odds of Trump attempting to fire Mueller."

For several months, news sources favored by conservatives have been heavily covering every perceived conflict of interest involving the special counsel and every alleged scandal involving the leadership of the FBI, reports CNN.


According to Stelter, many of the storylines revolve around Trump opponents like Hillary Clinton. But some members of Trump's own administration, like Attorney General Jeff Sessions, also come in for scathing criticism. That's why this was a notable comment by Sessions on Friday: "Things that might appear to be bad in the press have more innocent explanations," he told reporters.

Stelter writes, he should tell that to TV and radio commentators like Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Mark Levin, all of whom have devoted hours of airtime to anti-Clinton, anti-Mueller and anti-FBI conversations.

Media Matters for America, a liberal media monitoring group that has urged an ad boycott of Hannity's show, recently estimated that "Hannity and his guests have questioned Mueller's legitimacy or called for Mueller to remove himself or be fired 79 times since the special counsel was appointed."

Stelter added, Hannity sometimes uses propagandistic terms like "head of the snake" and "cesspool" to demean Mueller.  He portrays himself as an investigator out to get the truth about an anti-Trump plot.  Fox's on-screen banners, social media feeds and web site repeat these messages every day.

FNC's Watters: Anti-Trumpers Engaging In A Coup

On Fox News last night, Jesse Watters suggested that there may be an anti-Trump “coup” going on.

According to Mediaite, Watters brought up the anti-Trump texts from Peter Strzok and another FBI agent, including the “insurance policy” wording, and concluded this is “smoking gun evidence” that agents investigating Trump believed it was their duty to protect the country from him:

“The investigation into Donald Trump’s campaign has been crooked from the jump. But the scary part is we may now have proof the investigation was weaponized to destroy his presidency for partisan political purposes and to disenfranchise millions of American voters. Now, if that’s true, we have a coup on our hands in America.”

🌊🌎@WattersWorld w/ @jessebwatters (watch the 11pm ET replay)!@KellyannePolls : Anti-trump bias clear at highest levels of FBI
The senior counselor to the president weighs in on 'Watters' World.'https://t.co/C9DTjXMOHp

— Fox News Fan (@FNC_Ladies_Rule) December 17, 2017

Meanwhile The AP reports Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian contacts with President Donald Trump’s campaign has gained access to thousands of emails sent and received by Trump officials before the start of his administration, according to several people familiar with Trump’s transition organization.

But the investigators did not directly request the records from Trump’s still-existing transition group, Trump for America, and instead obtained them from the General Services Administration, a separate federal agency that stored the material, according to those familiar with the Trump transition organization.

On Saturday, Kory Langhofer, general counsel for the transition group, sent a letter to two congressional committees arguing that the GSA had improperly provided the transition records to Mueller’s investigators. In the letter to the Republican chairmen of the House Oversight and the Senate Homeland Security committees, Langhofer contends that the disclosure by GSA was “unauthorized,” and it considers the documents private and privileged and not government property.

Pope Warns Journalists About 'Fake News'

Pope Francis has warned journalists not to push sensationalized news stories that are incomplete, biased, or untruthful for the sake of quickness or profit.

"We must not fall prey to the 'sins of communication:' disinformation – that is, giving just one side of the argument – slander, which is sensationalistic, or defamation, looking for outdated and old things, and bringing them to light today; they are very grave sins, which damage the heart of the journalist and harm people," Francis told representatives from Catholic media outlets at a meeting in the Vatican on Saturday.

According to Newsweek, Francis went on celebrate the work of journalists as essential to democracies across the world and called on media outlets to deliver the world from misinformation.

"There is an urgent need for news communicated with serenity, precision, and completeness, with a calm language, so as to favor a fruitful reflection; carefully weighted and clear words, which reject the inflation of allusive, strident and ambiguous speech. It is important that, methodically and with patience, criteria of judgment and information be offered so that the public is able to understand and discern, and is not stunned and disoriented," Francis said.

The pontiff's comments reflect a growing concern over the influence inaccurate reporting incurs across the world.

In the United States, "fake news" is credited with helping Donald Trump win last year's presidential election.