The Woody Show Added To 3 Cumulus Stations

Cumulus Media has announced that it will bring the popular morning radio program The Woody Show to three Cumulus markets.

The Woody Show will debut on Monday, May 21st on Cumulus stations:

• KHTB 101.9 FM in Salt Lake City, UT 
• KCJK X105.1 FM in Kansas City, KS
• WZRH Alt 92.3 FM in New Orleans, LA 

The same-day launch of these three new affiliates follows the widely hailed return of The Woody Show to Cumulus Media-San Francisco’s iconic Rock radio station, KFOG 104.5 FM / 97.7 FM on April 30th. The Woody Show airs weekdays from 5AM-10AM and is nationally syndicated by Premiere Networks.

Woody Fife

Woody and his co-hosts Ravey, Greg, Menace and Sebas have been described by listeners as “authentic,” “raw," “unapologetic,” and “recess/happy hour on the radio”.

Troy Hanson, Vice President, Programming-Rock, Cumulus Media, said: “We are delighted to continue to grow our relationship with The Woody Show in three key markets in our Alternative portfolio. The Woody Show is the destination for what people are talking about and the New Orleans, Kansas City and Salt Lake City communities will be well served by their funny slice of life.”   

Woody Fife, Host of The Woody Show, said: “Thank you to Mike McVay, Troy Hanson, and the programming teams in Kansas City, New Orleans and Salt Lake City for ignoring common sense and deciding to go #ALLIN with The Woody Show. We appreciate the opportunity to mark our territory in these three great cities.”

Sun Broadcast Group Teams With The Woody & Wilcox Show

Sun Broadcast Group announced today that they have entered into a sales and affiliate partnership that brings The Woody & Wilcox Show to the network lineup beginning June 1st.

Syndicated morning show, The Woody & Wilcox Show, brings listeners the latest in entertainment and laughs which they attribute to a lack of personal privacy and a lack of sleep.

This winning combination can be heard across the country on stations including:

• iHeartMedia’s 106.5 The End -Charlotte, NC

• 100.7 WRDU- Raleigh, NC 
• 98.9 KKZX – Spokane, WA 
• Big Dog 106 – Beaumont, TX 
• Rock 107 – Myrtle Beach, SC 
• 100.5 The Fox – Anchorage, AK
• Alt 104.7 – Fairbanks, AK.

“It’s days like today that make me glad I took my high school guidance counsellor’s advice and became a part of a mediocre radio show,” said Co-Host, Greg Wood.

Co-Host, Chris Wilcox added, “Huge thanks to Paul Anderson at Workhouse Media who surprisingly hasn’t given up on us yet and to Jason Bailey at SBG for truly believing in our show.”

“I was a morning show producer for the first few years of my career, and I would love to go back and work on this show,” said Jason Bailey, CEO, Sun Broadcast Group. “These guys have FUN—imagine that, fun on the radio?! I am so excited to be a part of it, and watch it grow together.”

Report: Shari Redstone Surprised By CBS Lawsuit

CBS Corp filed a lawsuit on Monday to reduce the voting power of controlling shareholder National Amusements Inc, the movie theater company owned by Sumner and Shari Redstone, in an act of defiance aimed at thwarting the Redstones’ plan to merge CBS with Viacom Inc.

According to Reuters, CBS said in its lawsuit it is seeking to prevent the Redstones from ousting any directors or changing the company’s bylaws before its full board meets on Thursday to consider issuing a dividend that would curb National Amusements’ voting power.

If the dividend is approved, National Amusements’ voting rights in CBS would shrink to about 17 percent from about 80 percent, more in line with National Amusements’ economic stake in CBS of 10.3 percent, according to CBS’s lawsuit, filed with the Court of Chancery in Delaware.

The CBS special committee, tasked with evaluating the possible recombination with Viacom, decided over the weekend the merger wouldn’t be in the best interests of all CBS investors, according to The Wall Street Street Journal.

CBS said it is seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent Ms. Redstone, president of National Amusements and vice chairman of both CBS and Viacom, from replacing CBS board members and forcing through a merger.

Lawyers for CBS Corporation and the Redstone run National Amusements will meet in front of Chancellor Andre Bouchard in Delaware’s Court of Chancery on May 16 at 2 PM to argue over the media corporation’s desire for a temporary restraining order.

Legal experts said the lawsuit was a rare example of a company attempting to use a “nuclear option” to free itself from its controlling shareholder, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal battle over the future of one of the biggest U.S. entertainment companies.

National Amusements denied it had any plan to oust CBS’s board.

“National Amusements had absolutely no intention of replacing the CBS board or forcing a deal that was not supported by both companies,” it said in a statement. “National Amusements’ conduct throughout supports this, and reflects its commitment to a well-governed process.”

Wall Street Journal graphic

Shari Redstone was surprised by the lawsuit, particularly since CBS and Viacom had informally agreed on a stock exchange ratio for a deal of 0.6135 CBS shares for every Viacom class B share, according to people familiar with the situation. CNBC first reported the exact ratio earlier on Monday.

Fox-Disney Deal Could Face Shareholder Pushback

Twenty-First Century Fox Inc Executive Chairman Rupert Murdoch is used to getting his way at the company he built into a media empire. But a challenge to a $52 billion deal he put together six months ago could test his sway with shareholders.

Several Fox investors told Reuters they would be open to terminating the company’s agreement, inked in December, to sell most of its media assets to Walt Disney Co if Comcast Corp follows through on its plan, to launch a rival all-cash bid for as much as $60 billion.

Murdoch, Fox’s largest shareholder, will be tough to win over, however. His family trust holds a 17 percent stake in the U.S. TV and movie giant and would face a multi-billion dollar capital gains tax bill if he accepted an all-cash offer from Comcast, tax experts told Reuters.

Rupert Murdoch

The exact tax hit for 87-year-old Murdoch cannot be ascertained because details of his trust are not public. A Fox spokesman declined to comment on behalf of Murdoch on his tax affairs and how they would influence deal considerations.

However, sources close to the deal between Disney and Fox said the financial impact on Murdoch would be big enough for him to prefer an all-stock transaction, which would be non-taxable for all Fox shareholders.

That potentially puts Murdoch, who remains the most powerful voice inside the company, at odds with some Fox shareholders who would be open to abandoning the Disney deal if Comcast’s cash offer was high enough.

Other Fox investors said their decision would be based on the price that Comcast offered. “I would have to look at the tax dynamic and what it would mean for my taxable clients,” said Mario Gabelli, chairman and CEO of Gamco Investors, whose firm owns 9.6 million shares of Fox.

'Jazz Pods' At Fox Getting A Lot Of Interest

After years of jamming more advertisements into every hour of the day, TV networks say they’re adopting a new philosophy: Less is more.

Viewership of live TV is in free fall, which contributed to a decline in ad sales in 2017, according to data from research firm Magna Global. Making matters worse, the revenue is projected to keep falling for years to come.

According to philly.com, the question is whether networks will follow through on their pledge to reduce ad time. They’ve been threatening to do so for years, but Bruce Lefkowitz, Fox’s executive vice president of advertising salessays this time Fox is serious.

Fox is mounting its big experiment on Sunday nights, when it will reduce the number of commercials by 40 percent some weeks. The network will run just two national advertisements in each commercial break, which it’s calling a “jazz pod” (as in just A and Z). Every advertisement will immediately precede or follow a TV show.

Fox is charging as much as a 40 percent increase for the jazz pods, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who declined to be identified discussing ongoing negotiations. Fox declined to comment on the pricing, though it did say advertisers have expressed a lot of interest.

“We’ve gotten more incoming calls about our jazz pods than any product I can remember in my last 17 years,” Lefkowitz said. Fox will also benefit from the addition of “Thursday Night Football” to a schedule that is the least-watched among the four major broadcast networks.

The cost of a TV ad is expected to climb by 5 percent to 9 percent in the upfront marketplace, while advertisers are projecting a 15 percent decline in ratings next season, according to David Cohen, president of North America at Magna Global.

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Report: Newsmax Courting Bill O'Reilly

Bill O’Reilly is in talks to head back to cable news in his old 8 p.m. slot, but this time at Newsmax TV, sources exclusively tell Page Six at The NYPost.

A year after O’Reilly’s abrupt exit from Fox News, where he was the top-rated host in cable news, the controversial anchor — who was forced out after the disclosure of sexual-harassment allegations and settlements paid to alleged victims — is in advanced discussions with Newsmax about developing a new show.

Newsmax is also chasing other former Fox News talent — Greta Van Susteren and Eric Bolling have been approached to join as hosts of hourlong shows in prime time. Bolling already has a deal with CRTV for a digital show.

Adding to the Newsmax mix could be former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who we’re told is set to star on a politically focused late-night panel show.

An insider told Page Six, “The deals are not done yet, but talks are in the advanced stages, certainly with O’Reilly. The thinking is, following a 6 p.m. news show, Greta would anchor the 7 p.m. hour, O’Reilly would be back at 8 p.m., and Bolling could smoothly continue on at 9 p.m. Spicer and his cohorts would go on at 10 p.m., with the later slot allowing the show to be looser. But the deals are not yet signed and sealed.”

The O’Reilly talks progressed as veteran news exec Michael Clemente, Fox News’ former executive vice president of news, joined Newsmax Broadcasting as CEO in April.

Report: Radio Could Use Another Round of Deregulation

Washington seems set on yet a new round of media deregulation, allowing further consolidation in radio.

And, according to Gene Ely writing for Forbes,  that raises an intriguing question. If indeed 1996 consolidation was a disaster, can Washington be expected to do any better this time

Why deregulation now? Ed Levine, CEO of Galaxy Media, which owns stations in Syracuse and Utica NY, answers with two words: “Google and Facebook.”

Levine argues that radio needs to be set loose to compete with the two digital giants, which, being unregulated, have an unfair advantage that’s allowed them to siphon off radio’s ad dollars.

Ed Levine

Just how the new round of deregulation might play out has yet to be worked out, but there’s little doubt it will happen, and possibly as early as this fall, with the FCC now under the control of Republicans and led by Trump appointee Ajit Pai, a vocal deregulation advocate.

And radio is just a part of the changes taking place. Relaxed rules are also in the works for TV. The FCC has already abolished a media cross-ownership ban barring broadcasters from owning newspapers in their markets.

Here’s how deregulation could play out for radio.

Under current FCC rules, in the name of competition, no one station group can be the dominant voice in a market. So in your typical radio market, even in small markets, you might have four or five groups competing for listeners and advertisers.

Many in radio want the rules changed to reduce competition. So instead of five competitors in a market, there might be just three or two, maybe even just one.

The rationale: With digital players like Google and Facebook sopping up over half of all local ad dollars, and each enjoying 100% audience penetration, it no longer makes sense to limit radio’s share of audience. Easing the rules to allow any single radio group to gain 40-50% percent share of audience would help it to better compete.

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SiriusXM Offers Free Streaming, Satellite Radio

SiriusXM announced Monday it will make its wide array of content available for free for the first time on both its satellite and streaming platform as part of the introduction of a new SiriusXM app, which delivers a wholly new streaming experience that includes expanded programming, greater discovery, more intuitive recommendations and the introduction of SiriusXM Video.

SiriusXM content will be available for free for a limited time from May 14th to May 29th for anyone with an inactive satellite radio, or who has an internet connected mobile device and/or web access. Any non-subscriber in the United States and Canada can tune in to sample SiriusXM seamlessly, without any registration requirements.

That means access to The Beatles Channel, Eminem's Shade 45, Kevin Hart's new comedy channel, LL COOL J's new classic hip-hop channel, Bruce Springsteen's E Street Radio, Kenny Chesney's No Shoes Radio, Diplo's Revolution, Mad Dog Sports Radio, SiriusXM POTUS, and Doctor Radio plus hundreds more channels, all easily available during this free listening period.

This is the first time Howard Stern's two full time audio channels, which include his Howard Stern Show, will be streamed free to anyone, with no subscription or login required.

The two-week free listening period coincides with the launch of SiriusXM's all-new and totally re-designed app for iOS and Android devices. During the free tune-in period listeners can also sample SiriusXM by using the re-designed streaming web player at SiriusXM.com, or by turning on any previously inactive satellite radio.

"We offer such an incredible array of music, sports, comedy, news and entertainment in the car and through our new streaming app, and we wanted to be able to give anyone the chance to check it out," said Jim Meyer, CEO of SiriusXM. "Not only will listeners get great channels in the car, they will be able to take our entire channel and On Demand offering with them anywhere they go as part of our improved streaming experience on the new app."

The new app gives SiriusXM a foundation to add and update more video content, new channels and services, and more ways to discover and enjoy SiriusXM's exclusive programming.

Features of the new SiriusXM app include:

• The SiriusXM app features a brand-new look and capabilities that help users find more of what they like across SiriusXM's 200+ channels. By making it easier to navigate through categories, find shows, and access On Demand programming, users will discover programming that they previously may not have known SiriusXM offered.
• SiriusXM has made it easier to learn about all of the amazing programs and channels available. Using personalized preferences and listening history, "ForYou" recommendations pull from SiriusXM's huge catalogue of live and On Demand programming to make the next great piece of music, talk, news, entertainment or sports programming easier to learn about and access.
• SiriusXM's library of recorded On Demand content features more than 5,000 hours of programming, which grows every day. The new SiriusXM app makes it much easier to access shows, interviews, specials, and performances whenever it is most convenient for you.
• SiriusXM Video will be available on the new SiriusXM app with a "sneak peek" of video from Howard Stern, arranged and presented in an easy to view way, with more video coming soon.

Westwood One News Covers The Royal Wedding

Karin Caifa

Westwood One News announces that veteran reporter Karin Caifa will cover the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19 in London exclusively for the network and its affiliates.

Caifa will travel to London from her base in Washington, D.C. for coverage of all the pre-wedding festivities and the Saturday wedding ceremony at Windsor Castle. Afterwards, the newlyweds will greet guests outside the chapel, then travel in a two mile procession around the town of Windsor. Then the couple will attend a reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II on the castle grounds.

Caifa will remain in London to provide live reports on Monday on the post-wedding events. Westwood One News will provide live coverage of the wedding and twice per hour special reports.

In addition to the reports Caifa will provide for Westwood One newscasts and its 892 affiliates, she will appear live on the Westwood One News programs America in the Morning, First Light, The Jim Bohannon Show, and other Westwood One programs. Caifa will also provide dozens of direct live, custom reports and Q&As for Westwood One News affiliates.

Karin Caifa has covered a range of topics from politics to pop culture. In addition to following developments in the nation’s capital, she frequently travels to breaking news events across the country and around the world. Her assignments have included extensive coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign, the historic visit of Pope Francis to Cuba, and the Paris terror attacks of November 2015.

For more information about Westwood One News, contact Jim Jones at jimjones@westwoodone.com or (202) 840-7933.

➤Click Here: Here’s How TV News Is Covering the Royal Wedding

CBS, Nielsen Team For Dynamic Ad Insertion

CBS and Nielsen are working on a collaboration that will deliver “dynamic ad insertion” during live, linear national broadcast television, according to thedrum.com.

This means advertisers will be able to better target individual viewers with relevant ads instead of serving all of them the same campaign.

Gracenote, an entertainment data and technology company acquired by Nielsen in 2016, will use its automatic content recognition software to power DAI.

The partnership will allow CBS to offer impressions segmented by behavioral attributes, beyond age and gender, within a live national television program to advertisers.

"CBS has been at the forefront of using Nielsen data and measurement to prove the value of television, and now we are working on taking the next step with Nielsen to go beyond age and gender by bringing targeted dynamic ad insertion to national live TV inventory," said Jo Ann Ross, president and chief advertising revenue officer of CBS Corporation, in a statement. ”This will create a more relevant ad experience for our viewers and better outcomes for our clients.”

Peter Bradbury, executive vice president and managing director of national client solutions at Nielsen, added: ”As TV becomes more digitally delivered, Nielsen is on the forefront of innovation in bringing our clients unique capabilities that will continue to drive the value of advertising on television. Nielsen, through its acquisition of Gracenote, will leverage patented technology to replace linear ad spots on individual Smart TV sets to offer more advanced advertising capabilities to brands."

Baltimore Radio: Non-Com WEAA Accused Of Padding Funding

Fired last year from Morgan State University, the school’s former director of broadcast operations claims in court that the school has been misreporting its operating expenses for years to pad its funding.

Accord got the Courthouse News Service, Michele Williams filed the April 26 complaint in Baltimore City Circuit Court with help from attorneys Daniel Kenney and Morris Fischer. She says Morgan State hired her in 2014, and that one of her duties as director of broadcast operations included investigating and certifying the audited financial statements
that Morgan State submitted to the federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Michelle Williams

“If Morgan State University shows a certain levels of operating expenditures to CPB – then Morgan State becomes eligible for a certain level of federal funds through CPB’s grant program,” the complaint states.

Williams says trouble arose in late 2016, however, when she noticed the university had since 2014 been telling state officials and the CPB that the school’s radio station “WEAA had operating expenses of around $1,000,000 more than its actual expenses.”

Williams says she made repeated complaints about her findings and refused to sign off on what she believed was a $1 million variance in the 2016 numbers.

Williams emphasizes that her “termination coincided with the university’s 2016 fiscal year financial statement deadlines so as to exclude plaintiff from the process of creating and submitting financial statements to the state of Maryland and to CPB.”

Williams paired her wrongful-termination allegations with one count of defamation, saying the dean “falsely and publicly accused plaintiff of making expenditures within the radio station that were not actually made – which led plaintiff to ultimately be terminated.”

The complaint seeks punitive damages, lost wages and an injunction, among other relief.