Denver Radio: iHM Launches The Bull On 106.7 FM

iHeartMedia’s Denver Region announced Monday their launch of KYWY 106.7 FM The Bull, Colorado’s New Country station. The station will launch with 10,000 commercial-free songs in a row.

106.7 The Bull will broadcast a variety of Country music from top artists including Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan and Miranda Lambert. The station will kick off Denver’s mornings with The Bobby Bones Show. Bobby Bones recently joined the National Radio Hall of Fame as the youngest-ever inductee and was named by Forbes as “the most powerful man in Country music.” Bones is the self-deprecating host of iHeartCountry’s marquee Country morning program, The Bobby Bones Show, and Country Top 30 with Bobby Bones, a weekend countdown show. Throughout the day, local personalities will keep listeners entertained with fresh music and content including local news topics, community events and regional concerts.

“We’re proud to be home of Colorado’s New Country,” said JoJo Turnbeaugh, Regional Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Denver and Program Director of 106.7 The Bull. After launching with ‘two miles’ of continuous music – over 10,000 songs in-a-row – we’ll welcome The Bobby Bones Show in the mornings followed by local personalities, who will provide listeners with the best Country music and content you won’t hear anywhere else.”

“Today marks the dawn of a new day for Denver’s Country fans,” said Tim Hager, President of iHeartMedia Denver. “No other company embraces the Country lifestyle better than iHeartMedia. Our unparalleled resources – including The Bobby Bones Show, unique on-air and digital content, and strong industry partnerships – are the foundation upon which 106.7 The Bull is built. Add local programming, community involvement and the unmatched reach of iHeartMedia Denver, and it’s clear that 106.7 The Bull will quickly become the destination for Country listeners.”

KYWY 106.7 FM (100 Kw)

Although he isn't ready to divulge the identities of any jocks set to join the project, he hints that they're likely to turn heads among country radio listeners in Denver, reports Westword.com.

Hager adds out that iHeartMedia "owns 256 country stations across America. The industry power we have by owning that many country stations — and the premieres and exclusives we get makes our content second to none — affords us a tremendous amount of research into what the country listener wants, and that includes the best-testing names. We know about that, too."

Hager doesn't expect a huge amount of confusion over the change. "This past week, we've been doing nothing but promoting BPI's shift over to 107.9, and we also have a marketing plan with TV, billboards and a pretty big social-media presence to ensure that everyone knows where to go. And at the beginning of the year, we'll launch a pretty significant marketing plan for 106.7 The Bull."

Until then, Hager is looking forward to seeing where the (cow) chips will fall. In his view, "This will shake the radio community in Denver in a really big way."

Chicago Radio: Dave Fogel Joins WLS-FM Morning Show

Dave Fogel

Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed popular Chicago radio personality Dave Fogel as Morning Co-Host on The WLS Wake Up Call weekdays from 5AM-10AM on WLS 94.7 FM, Chicago’s Classic Hits station.

Fogel joins Co-Host Kim Berk and will debut on 94.7 WLS on January 2, 2018. Berk’s former morning Co-Host Brant Miller, a local TV weatherman, will anchor weather on WLS-FM and WLS-AM.

This marks a return to WLS-FM for Fogel, a Chicago radio fixture since 1996 and Morning Co-Host on the station from 2010 through 2013. He joins Cumulus and 94.7 WLS-FM from WJMK-FM in Chicago, where he was Morning Co-Host for the past five years. Fogel started his radio career in Kansas City and has held on-air positions in markets including: San Diego, Washington, D.C., and Detroit.

Fogel, who grew up in Hollywood, CA, as the son of television actor Jerry Fogel (who starred in the TV series "The Mothers-in-Law" and "The White Shadow") was exposed to celebrities and the entertainment world at a young age. In fact, Super Bowl MVP John Elway was his team quarterback in high school and actress Valerie Bertinelli was in his algebra class!

Though Fogel moved with his family to the Midwest and attended the University of Missouri, he couldn't escape show business, as he shared a house with Brad Pitt in college (and fellow student Sheryl Crow gave the guys singing lessons of “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” song!).

Marv Nyren, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Chicago, said: “We welcome Dave to our Cumulus-Chicago team and know that he and co-host Kim Berk will kick off the New Year in a big way on 94.7 WLS. We couldn’t be more excited about the energy and fun this dynamic duo will bring to Mornings on 94.7 WLS, and know our listeners and advertisers will actually look forward to their morning ‘Wake Up Call’ in 2018!”

WLS 94.7 FM (4.4 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Brian Thomas, 94.7 WLS-FM Program Director and Vice President, Classic Hits Programming, Cumulus Media, said: “Dave has a great history of Classic Hits success in Chicago and will be an incredible addition to The WLS Wake Up Call. I look forward to the great pleasure of working with him again and think our listeners will love what they hear!”

D-C Radio: Tony Perkins To Join WMMJ's Donnie Simpson Show

WMMJ-FM, MAJIC 102.3 & 92.7 FM has nnounced the reunion of Tony Perkins with radio and television icon Donnie Simpson. Effective Tuesday, January 16, 2018, The Donnie Simpson Show, featuring the dynamic duo can be heard on MAJIC 102.3 and 92.7 FM Monday through Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Tony Perkins has been a part of the Washington D.C. media scene for over thirty years and is best known for his most recent twenty years at Fox 5 as an evening and morning news anchor, as well as the morning weatherman; and for his stint as the weatherman for nearly seven years on ABC’s “Good Morning America”. Many also remember Tony for his partnership with Donnie on WKYS-FM from 1985 to 1992. Tony was Donnie’s producer and on-air co-host, and together they kept the city jammin’, laughing and informed for over seven years. All these years later, reunited to make MAJIC.

Perkins said, “Getting back together with Donnie is literally a dream come true. We’ve talked about the possibility many times over the years, but the timing was just never right. But every time I’ve joined Donnie on the air during these recent years, we’ve always had a blast. Even more importantly, my son is growing up fast and as it stands now, I don’t get home before midnight. I missed a lot of dinners, homework and ball games. This move allows me to continue to anchor at Fox, join Donnie on the radio and be part of my son’s school and activities. I couldn’t be more blessed.”

Perkin’s career started as a stand-up comedian in what was then D.C.’s thriving comedy club circuit. His time doing stand-up led to Donnie Simpson hiring him to join his morning show. His spark on radio led to him hosting the TV show “DC20 Breakaway”, for which Perkins won an Emmy award. And that, in turn, led him to be asked to join Fox 5 as the morning weatherman and feature reporter for “Fox Morning News”.

WMMJ 102.3 FM (2.9 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Jeffrey Wilson, Senior Regional Vice President and General Manager, Radio One D.C. said, “We are honored to deliver “The Real Sound of the DMV”, and that’s not better defined than the historic pairing of Donnie Simpson and Tony Perkins. So for the great people of this region, we made it happen. Donnie and Tony are back together for the New Year. And with that new partnership, comes new opportunities to serve our communities with Donnie, Tony, and our friends at Fox 5 in the months and years to come.”

WDCJ 92.7 FM (2.85 Kw)

Kashon Powell, Operations Manager, Radio One D.C. adds, “I’m excited to welcome Tony to our team and I’m even more excited to continue making history with media icons such as Donnie Simpson and Tony Perkins. Their commitment to serving the needs of the listeners, the community and our advertisers is unparalleled.”

Perkins will continue his current shift on Fox until January 12, 2018 and will change his schedule on January 19th to hosting Friday and Saturday mornings.

Philly Radio: WRNB Makes Morning, Afternoon Changes

WRNB 100.3 FM has announced new hosts for its morning and evening drive-time shows, premiering on Jan. 4. The 6-10 a.m. time slot will mark the debut of “The Quincy Harris Morning Show with K-Fox.”

According to The Philadelphia Tribune, Harris, the popular radio personality formerly known as “Q Deezy,” is host of “The Q,” a weekday talk and variety show airing at noon on Fox 29. Prior to beginning his current hosting stint on “The Q,” Harris, who grew up in Germantown and graduated from Temple University, appeared locally on Hot 107.9’s “The Q Deezy Show” and in guest spots on Fox 29’s “Good Day Philadelphia.”

“This has been a dream!” Harris said during the announcement, which took place Monday during Karen Vaughn’s mid-day broadcast on 100.3 WRNB. “I wanted to do radio, I wanted to do TV, and I wanted to do it at the same time, and for this to happen, I’m like — ‘This is crazy!’

“I’ve done radio in the past, and I was missing it. A lot of times in the past, I felt like it was about... not my agenda, but it was a little more ego involved than it should have been. I went through things, and then I got to TV, and it was like, ‘Man! This ain’t about me! I have a lot of mentors and I was like ‘Yo! We’re here to serve the community! We’re here to ask the questions you want to know about — we’re here to be in the community.

“I know a lot of people here, they just mail it in...we’re not here to mail it in! We’re here to really touch the community and be out in Philly, Norristown, South Jersey — We’re here to be part of the community. “I’m beyond ecstatic!”

“The Quincy Harris Morning Show with K-Fox,” which will broadcast from the Fox 29 studios, replaces the syndicated “Tom Joyner Morning Show.”

“We are very excited for Quincy as he expands his reach in our market,” Fox 29 Vice President and News Director, Jim Driscoll, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with WRNB on this new venture, as Quincy will be broadcasting his radio show from the Fox 29 studios. Quincy will continue to host his show ‘The Q’ on Fox weekdays at 12 noon and 12:30 a.m. He will also continue his appearances on ‘Good Day Philadelphia.’”

WRNB 100.3 FM (17 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area 

100.3 WRNB also announced Monday that as of Jan.4, 2018 the coveted 2-7 p.m. drive-time slot, hosted since 2013 by the recently released Wendy “Lady B” Clark, will be the new home of “The DL Hughley Show.

Iowa Radio: Russ Mottla To Program KFMW Cedar Rapids

NRG Media’s KFMW 107.9 FM Rock 108 (Cedar Rapids-Waterloo) welcomes veteran rock programmer Russ Mottla as Program Director.

Mottla’s career includes the VP/Programming position at Envisage Radio Group in Escondido, CA as well as programming venerable rock stations including WHEB/WGIR Manchester NH, WDRE Long Island NY, WIYY Baltimore MD, KTYD Santa Barbara CA, and WFNX Boston MA.

Mottla said: “Rock 108 is a heritage, mid-western blowtorch and I’ve been an online fan of the station for a long time. Joining GM Jack Taddeo and the great NRG Media staff at such a heritage, rock and roll beast has me eating roofing nails in anticipation!”

Taddeo commented: “Rock 108 has weathered many attacks over 20 years in the format and we plan to remain the #1 rock station in both of our metro markets. We are fortunate to recruit someone of Russ’s caliber to our team and we look forward to continued growth in the future. Here’s a Fun Fact: F ans of the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise will recognize Russ as the voice of DJ Michael Hunt. I anticipate this may lead to some creative voicemail greetings around the station.”

KFMW 107.9 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Mottla joins NRG from his current Ops/Programming position with Cumulus New London, CT.

Lexington KY Radio: WLXX Adds Roger McCoy As PD/Host

Roger McCoy

Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed radio programming professional Roger McCoy as Program Director for Country radio station NASH FM 92.9/WLXX-FM in Lexington, KY. McCoy will also be on-air host on NASH FM 92.9 weekdays from 3PM-7PM.

McCoy was most recently Evening Personality for iHeartMedia station 92.5 WESC-FM in Greenville, SC, following three years as Assistant Program Director, Music Director and Afternoon Drive Host for iHeartMedia’s 99 Kiss Country/WKSF-FM in Asheville, NC. Prior to that, he was Operations Manager, Program Director, and Morning Drive Host for 98.3 The BULL/WYBL-FM for Media One Group in Ashtabula, OH. McCoy is a graduate of the Ohio Center of Broadcasting in Independence, OH.

WLXX 92.9 FM (100 Kw)

Scott Frazier, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Lexington, said: “Roger will be an excellent addition to our programming staff and to NASH FM 92.9. Country music isn’t just a job for him; it’s a lifestyle and I hope that many in our listening community will identify with that.”

Anthony “Twitch” Longo, Operations Manager and Morning Host, Cumulus Media-Lexington, said: “I’m very excited to welcome Roger to the Cumulus Lexington family. He brings an incredible programming skill set to the table, as well as a passion and  enthusiasm that is infectious! (It’s rare that I get to use the word infectious as a positive!). This move will help us take NASH FM 92.9 to the NEXT LEVEL!”

McCoy said: “I am excited to be taking over the reins of NASH FM 92.9 in the heart of horse country. I grew up listening to Country music while working in horse stables, so Lexington combined with WLXX and Cumulus’ great staff are the perfect fit for me.” 

Disney Scrambles To Replace John Skipper At ESPN

John Skipper

John Skipper’s abrupt exit at ESPN on Monday set off a search by parent Disney to find a new leader for the struggling sport programmer, reports The NYPost.

The Bristol, Conn., media giant has a deep bench of talented senior executives, including Connor Schell, executive VP of content, and Justin Connolly, executive VP of affiliate sales and marketing — who sources fingered as the most likely in-house candidates for the top job.

Schell oversaw ESPN’s film division until put in charge of all programming in June — overseeing “O.J.: Made in America,” which won ESPN’s first Academy Award.

Connolly’s most recent promotion, also in June, made the executive the go-to guy for all pay-TV and digital platforms, with responsibilities to price and distribute all of ESPN’s content. He also knows the parent company well, having worked in its corporate finance group before jumping to ESPN in 2003.

Outsiders who might get the once-over include Michael Paull, who in February was installed as chief executive of BAMTech Media, sources said. As ESPN eyes a 2018 launch of an over-the-top product, Paull has great experience in that area.

Before joining BAMTech, Paull served as VP of digital video at Amazon.

Disney considers BAMTech so critical to its over-the-top future that it paid $1.6 billion in August to more than double its stake in the company, to 75 percent.

Kevin Mayer may seem too high- ranking as Disney’s senior executive VP and chief strategy officer, but may still end up on a short list, sources said.

The Tavis Smiley, PBS Dust-Up Could Get Nasty

Tavis Smiley took to Tucker Carlson’s show Monday to warn PBS if it does not “fix this,” and he sues over network’s decision to suspend distribution of his program, “millions of taxpayer dollars are going to be spent by PBS defending itself.”

“And I don’t think taxpayers want their money spent that way,” Smiley said pointedly to Fox News Channel viewers.

According to Deadline.Hollywood, Smiley told Carlson he does not know what are the exact allegations made against him by former staffers on his show. PBS announced it has suspended distribution of his program indefinitely after looking into allegations of sexual misconduct against its host.

Carlson understandably wondered then what Smiley talked about during that three-hour meeting with PBS reps. Making the media rounds as he argued his side of the situation, Smiley has said PBS reps met with him for that length of time, only after his reps threatened to sue if they did not. That, Smiley said, after weeks of being put off by PBS when he asked to meet with them to discuss the allegations. Smiley said he contacted PBS after hearing through the grapevine about the investigation.


What did you talk about?” Carlson asked of the meeting.

“Vague questions,” Smiley explained – “Might you ever have done this?” stuff.

“They’ve done a sloppy investigation and something needs to be done to fix this,” he added.

He has acknowledged he’s had romantic relations with employees over 30 years in the business but insisted they were consensual and that he’s guilty, at worst, of bad judgement.

Mary Louise Kelly To CoHost NPR's 'All Things Considered'

Mary Louise Kelly

NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly will become a co-host of All Things Considered, the organization announced Monday, about six weeks after she confronted NPR’s president for his handling of sexual harassment allegations in a nationally broadcast interview.

Kelly, previously a national security reporter, will succeed Robert Siegel, who co-hosted NPR’s flagship afternoon program for 30 years.

Her Nov. 1 back-and-forth with NPR CEO and President Jarl Mohn came just hours after the organization’s top editor, Michael Oreskes, resigned in the wake of sexual harassment accusations by several women. While The Washington Post broke that initial story, NPR’s subsequent reporting on its leadership’s lethargic response has been pointed to as an example for other outlets seeking to hold themselves accountable.

Without veering from classical NPR understatement, Kelly’s interview with Mohn captured the sense of disappointment, if not betrayal, of many journalists whose bosses have shied away from responsibility for toxic workplace culture.

Kelly will co-host alongside Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro. After two years as a co-host of both All Things Considered and the Embedded podcast, Kelly McEvers will step down at the end of January, but will continue her work as host and executive producer of Embedded, which will increase its output in 2018.

"Mary Louise Kelly is an immensely talented reporter and her deep command of the issues make her a formidable interviewer. After a lengthy search, we found precisely what we were looking for close to home. We are thrilled to have her on air every afternoon," said Chris Turpin, acting senior vice president of news. "Mary Louise combines rigorous thinking with the ability to put herself in the listeners' shoes. She will help us usher in a new era of the program."

"Kelly McEvers brings the same excellence and commitment to each new project she undertakes. She has been a wonderful All Things Considered host, but her passion is being out of the studio and in the world reporting," said Anya Grundmann, vice president of programming and audience development. "Embedded has been so successful, we want Kelly to devote herself full-time to this kind of in-depth storytelling and dig deeper into even more topics."

D-C Radio: WRQX-FM Unveils Holiday Choir Winner

Cumulus Media announces that its Washington, D.C. radio WRQX Mix 107.3 FM and The Shops at Wisconsin Place in Chevy Chase, MD, have selected the Richard Montgomery High School Madrigals Choir as the winner of the First Annual mix107.3 High School Holiday Choir Competition.

The choir received the grand prize of $5,000 for their school’s music program at the mix107.3 Holiday Event on Saturday, December 16, when they performed live from 2-4pm at The Shops at Wisconsin Place.

Thirty-nine local high schools submitted a holiday song into the competition via the mix1073.com website and listeners voted online for their favorite. Thousands of votes later, the Richard Montgomery High School Madrigals Choir received the most votes and captured the title of the First Annual mix107.3 High School Holiday Choir Competition for their rendition of “Holly Jolly Christmas”.

Jack Diamond, Host of the Jack Diamond Morning Show said: “There are so many talented kids in Washington area high schools and we wanted to do something to support their music programs, so we created the “High School Holiday Choir Competition”! We are so excited to award the winning school $5,000 toward the support of their school’s music programs.”

Rob Roberts, Program Director, mix107.3, said: “We’re excited to really energize a school’s music program with this cash award. Rewarding great kids working hard… This is what the holiday season is all about.”

Luke Bryan Shoots To No. 1 on Billboard 200

Luke Bryan’s “What Makes You Country” album debuted in the top spot this week on the Billboard 200 chart, giving the country singer his fourth No. 1 album.

According to Nielsen Music data released on Monday, Bryan sold more than 107,000 units of the album during a week in which Irish band U2 plummeted from last week’s top spot to 13th place with “Songs Of Experience.”

In a week of few new releases, chart favorites Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran moved up to second and third places, respectively, on the Billboard 200. Swift’s “Reputation,” released in November, added another 99,000 in sales, while British singer Sheeran’s March release “Divide” sold more than 69,000 copies for the week.

The Billboard 200 chart tallies units from album sales, song sales (10 songs equal one album) and streaming activity (1,500 streams equal one album).

Reuters reports Sheeran’s love song “Perfect” again dominated the digital songs chart, which measures online single sales, thanks to a newly released collaboration with Beyonce. “Perfect” sold another 97,000 units to keep the No. 1 spot.

Among other new album releases, the “Double or Nothing” collaboration between rappers Big Sean and Metro Boomin debuted at No. 5, while the rap compilation album “Quality Control: Control the Streets, Vol. 1,” featuring various artists, arrived at No. 6.