Monday, January 24, 2022

CBS News Unveils Rebranded New Look


CBS News and Stations today unveiled its reimagined and rebranded streaming news service, it was announced by Neeraj Khemlani and Wendy McMahon, presidents and co-heads of CBS News and Stations. This enhanced direct-to-consumer streaming network brings together national and local live news along with content from CBS News’ iconic programs. The new service will showcase CBS News’ original reporting and exquisite storytelling, featuring some of the most well-known anchors and journalists throughout the organization, new primetime programs, and a new state-of-the-art studio in the CBS Broadcast Center in New York.

The CBS News Streaming Network delivers live national streams, 13 local streams – including a new CBS News Miami Streaming channel launching today – and content from programs like 60 MINUTES, 48 HOURS, CBS SUNDAY MORNING, FACE THE NATION WITH MARGARET BRENNAN, the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH NORAH O’DONNELL, CBS MORNINGS, and CBS SATURDAY MORNING. CBS News Streaming (formerly known as CBSN) is available on more than 30 platforms across mobile, desktop, connected TVs for free.

“We’re unlocking the power of CBS News – streaming the best of our reporting and storytelling on television to viewers everywhere,” said Khemlani. “From up-to-the-minute reporting from our new live news desk, signature interviews by Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell, adventures on CBS SUNDAY MORNING and 60 MINUTES, true crime on 48 HOURS – and reporting out of Washington to Kyiv to Beijing – we’re delivering a 24/7 experience with quality journalism from the best news brands in the business.”




CBS News’ early commitment to streaming has drawn a significant audience across national and local streaming channels, delivering more than 1 billion streams for the second year in a row in 2021. CBS Stations local streams increased a dramatic 37% from 2020, delivering the highest local streams in history.

“CBS News and Stations’ local streaming channels are growing at a rapid pace and will continue this year through the significant expansion of coverage in all of our markets, giving us an additional 15,000 hours of live local news per year by the end of 2022,” said McMahon. “Our commitment reflects the relevance and importance of local news to audiences across the country. We are excited to launch CBS News Miami today and look forward to completing the rollout of our local streaming channels later this year when we debut CBS News Detroit. Unifying our brands and newsgathering resources positions us to deliver the best local-to-national-to global streaming news experience to our consumers however they want to watch.”
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Al Michaels Expected to EXIT NBC Sports

Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth

Sunday’s early game will air on NBC, with Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth making the call could be their second-to-last matchup together, according to The Philly Inquirer.

Bob Tornoe writes New York Post reporter Andrew Marchand has reported that Michaels is likely to jump from NBC to Amazon to call Thursday Night Football on their Amazon Prime streaming service next season. Michaels’ contact expires after the Super Bowl, which he will call for NBC, and the 77-year-old said he doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon.

“As we sit here right now, and we’re eight or nine months away from the next football season … to me, retirement is almost a dirty word,” Michaels said on HBO’s Back On The Record With Bob Costas.

“At this point in my life, I’m just living in the moment and just enjoying the hell out of this season in particular,” Michaels added.

One thing we do know is the Super Bowl will be Michelle Tafoya’s last game for NBC. She hasn’t said what her plans are moving forward, but NBC has made it clear her departure has nothing to do with her guest hosting stint on The View.

“If I wanted to stay in sports television, I wouldn’t be leaving,” Tafoya said during a recent conference call. “This is about opening a new chapter for me, so that’s really all I can say.”

If Michaels departs, NBC is expected to pair Collinsworth with Mike Tirico, whom NBC hired away from ESPN in 2016 to one day replace Michaels in the booth.

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R.I.P.: Don Wilson, Last Surviving Original Member of The Ventures


Don Wilson, co-founder and rhythm guitarist of the influential instrumental group The Ventures, has died at 88, his son Tim Wilson confirmed to KING 5.

Wilson passed peacefully in Tacoma with his family by his side around 5 a.m. Saturday, Tim Wilson said. He died at the age of 88 of natural causes.

Known as "the band that launched a thousand bands," The Ventures formed in Tacoma in 1958. The band recorded 37 albums between 1960 and 1972, including the theme to Hawaii Five-O. They were also known for Walk, Don't Run, which one writer dubbed a "surf rock standard." 

With over 100 million records sold.

Wilson was the sole constant member of the Ventures throughout. He continued to record with the group and also produced a documentary film along with his family, "The Ventures: Stars on Guitars." 

“Our dad was an amazing rhythm guitar player who touched people all over the world with his band, The Ventures,” said Tim Wilson. “He will have his place in history forever and was much loved and appreciated. He will be missed.”


Wilson formed The Ventures in 1968 alongside bassist Bog Bogle, when the pair were both employed as construction workers in Seattle. Two years later, their cover of Johnny Smith’s ‘Walk, Don’t Run’ reached Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100. The band went on to sell over 100million records and inspired the likes of The Beatles, Beach Boys and KISS, with Gene Simmons reportedly an early member of their fan club.

The Ventures are credited with helping to popularize the electric guitar in the USA and across the world, and are the best-selling instrumental band of all time.

The band were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2008. “‘Walk, Don’t Run’ started a whole new movement in rock and roll,” John Fogerty said at the ceremony. “The sound of it became ‘surf music’ and the audacity of it empowered guitarists everywhere.”

Bogle died in 2009 of non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 75 but Wilson was an active member of the Ventures until he retired in 2015. However, he continued to record with the current line-up of the group and produced the 2020 documentary The Ventures: Stars On Guitars with his family.

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iHM Looks To Strengthen CHR Brands With Key Appointments

Top: Mark Adams, Dylan Sprague. Taylor Jukes Cara Hahn 

iHeartMedia appoints Mark Adams and Dylan Sprague as Vice Presidents of CHR.

In addition, Cara Hahn and Taylor Jukes have officially joined the team as CHR Brand Coordinators.

Adams and Sprague will work with iHM's Executive VP/Programming and programmers on CHR station strategic plans, oversee CHR custom and format centers, company-wide tools and resources, as well as working with the music industry.

Adams has been a programmer for more than 25 years across multiple formats in markets including San Diego, Milwaukee, Portland, Houston, and San Francisco. Sprague has had a similar track record in competitive markets like Atlanta, Boston, Kansas City and Denver.

Under Jukes leadership at WHYI (Y100)/Miami over the last 3 years, ratings have flourished and WHYI has grown from a 17th place ranking (A25-54) in early 2019, to a consistent Top 5 position in 2021. 

Over the past few years, Hahn has developed into one of the company's emerging programmers as APD/MD of WHTZ (Z100) in New York. Both will make contributions to the continued growth of the iHeart CHR platform.

(Photo courtesy of  Jockline Daily)
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MRC '21 Music Consumption Report A Concern for CHRs


MRC Data’s 2021 U.S. Year-End Report, presented in collaboration with Billboard, reveals overall consumption grew 11.3% during 2021, due to continued growth in audio streaming, a milestone year for vinyl and a changing of the guard for Catalog vs. Current music consumption.

It was another game-changing year for music consumption in 2021, as behaviors accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic led to several remarkable milestones. 

Overall consumption grew 11.3% year-over-year (YOY) in 2021, thanks to a 12.6% lift in on-demand audio streaming. Part of that lift is due to new albums from Adele, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and the controversial Morgan Wallen – but those releases only tell half the story of music listening in 2021. 

For the first time since MRC Data began tracking streaming music in 2008, the audio streaming of Current music (music released less than 18 months ago) actually declined. This led to a significant increase in Catalog’s share of the audio on-demand streaming universe, with 70% in 2021 vs 65% in 2020, as consumers reconnected with old favorites or discovered them for the first time through platforms like TikTok.

And vintage music formats took on new relevance in 2021 too, as vinyl album sales outpaced CDs for the first time in MRC Data’s history (since 1991). Vinyl album volume increased a whopping 50.4% YOY and finished the year with 41.7 million versus CD album volume at 40.6 million. This included the first week in MRC Data history that saw vinyl sales in excess of 2 million copies, with 2.11 million albums sold the week ending Dec. 23 as consumers stocked up for the holiday season.
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Wake-Up Call: U-S Families Ordered To Leave Ukraine


Amid high tensions over fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. yesterday ordered the families of all U.S. personnel at the American embassy in Ukraine to leave the country, and said non-essential staff could leave as well. The State Department said, however, that the embassy, which is in Kyiv, will remain open and the announcement isn't an evacuation. That came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met in Geneva Friday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov without any apparent easing in tensions, warned strongly Sunday of the consequences if any Russian forces enter Ukraine. Appearing on CNN, Blinken said, "If a single additional Russian force goes into Ukraine in an aggressive way, as I said, that would trigger a swift, a severe and a united response from us and from Europe."


Meanwhile, President Biden is considering increasing U.S. troop levels in Baltic nations and Eastern Europe, with his top military officials presenting him with options at a briefing Saturday, the New York Times first reported. One reported option is to move between 1,000 to 5,000 troops, both to bolster our allies in those countries, and to have them available to help if needed to get U.S. citizens out.

(Reuters photo)
In other developments, Ukraine received a second weapons supply shipment from the U.S. Sunday after a first shipment arrived on Friday, and U.S. special forces continue to assist in training Ukrainian Special Operations Forces inside Ukraine.

➤FAUCI: 'CONFIDENT AS YOU CAN BE' OF U.S. OMICRON PEAK IN MID-FEBRUARY: Dr. Anthony Fauci said yesterday that he's, quote, "confident as you can be" that most U.S. states will reach their peak of omicron Covid-19 cases by mid-February. Appearing on ABC's This Week, the nation's top infectious disease specialist said the pattern of how omicron cases have peaked in other countries suggests that outcome, but added that you, quote, "never want to be overconfident." Although hospitals in some parts of the country are still full or near-full with omicron Covid patients, Fauci said the situation looks like it's, quote, "going in the right direction."

➤AUSCHWITZ MEMORIAL CRITICIZES ROBERT F. KENNDY JR. FOR INVOKING NAZI GERMANY AT ANTI-VACCINE MANDATE RALLY: The Auschwitz Memorial criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after he invoked Nazi Germany at a rally against Covid-19 vaccine mandates in Washington, D.C., yesterday. Kennedy said at the rally, "Even in Hitler Germany, you could, you could cross the Alps into Switzerland. You could hide in an attic, like Anne Frank did. I visited, in 1962, East Germany with my father and met people who had climbed the wall and escaped, so it was possible. Many died, true, but it was possible." The Auschwitz Memorial said, "Exploiting of the tragedy of people who suffered, were humiliated, tortured & murdered by the totalitarian regime of Nazi Germany -- including children like Anne Frank -- in a debate about vaccines & limitations during global pandemic is a sad symptom of moral & intellectual decay."

➤STUDY LINKS DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS WITH BELIEVING COVID-19 VACCINE MISINFORMATION:  A new study reveals people who experience symptoms of depression may be more susceptible to online misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Researchers looked at data from more than 15,000 adults ages 18 and older, and found those who reported symptoms of major depressive disorder were more than twice as likely to endorse at least one vaccine-related statement that included misinformation. Those who endorsed at least one statement of vaccine misinformation were also 60 percent less likely to be vaccinated and nearly three times more likely to describe themselves as resistant to getting vaccinated. Study co-author Dr. Roy Perlis says, “Depression appears to make people more susceptible to absorbing misinformation, at least about the COVID vaccine” and that the findings are “just another reminder that we need to do better in ensuring people can get [depression] treatment if they need it.”

➤FEDERAL TRIAL BEGINS TODAY OF THREE EX-OFFICERS IN GEORGE FLOYD'S CASE: The federal trial begins today of three former Minneapolis police officers who were with Derek Chauvin when the then-officer kneeled on George Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes in May 2020, leading to his death. The three men, J. Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, are charged with depriving Floyd of his civil rights while acting under government authority. They are charged for failing to provide Floyd with medical care, and Thao and Kueng are also charged with failing to stop Chauvin. AP says it's not clear why Lane isn't part of that second count, but notes evidence shows he asked twice whether Floyd should be rolled on his side. The three former officers face a separate state trial later this year on charges of aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter.
 
Chauvin was convicted on state murder and manslaughter charges last April, and later pled guilty to a federal civil rights charge.


🚢CRYSTAL CRUISES SHIP DIVERTS RETURN TO BAHAMAS AFTER JUDGE ORDERS SEIZED: A Crystal Cruises cruise ship that was supposed to return to Miami on Saturday went to the Bahamas instead with all its passengers on board after a U.S. judge granted an order to seize the ship last Thursday as part of a lawsuit over $4 million in unpaid fuel. Some of the passengers who were on the Crystal Symphony ship were taken by ferry to Fort Lauderdale yesterday, according to the cruise line, which also said others were taken to local airports. AP said it wasn't clear how many passengers were on the ship, saying one news outlet reported 300 and another 700. The lawsuit was filed by Peninsula Petroleum Far East against the ship, saying it was chartered or managed by Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises, which are sued for owning the $4.6 million in fuel. Crystal Cruises recently announced it was suspending operations through late April.


➤POLL: 72 PERCENT THINK U-S HEADED IN WRONG DIRECTION: Americans aren't feeling good about the state of things in the U.S. right now, with a large majority of 72 percent saying in a new NBC News poll that the country is headed in the wrong direction, basically unchanged from the 71 percent who said the same in October. That's borne out not only in percentages, but with the top answers given when asked where America is today: "downhill," "divisive," "negative," "struggling," "lost" and "bad." Asked about the economy, 61 percent said their family's income is falling behind the cost of living. On the state of the nation's politics, 70 percent agreed that America has become so polarized it can no longer solve the major issues facing the country, and that those differences will only continue to grow. Addressing the state of democracy, just over three-quarters, 76 percent, believe there is a threat to democracy and majority rule in the U.S. When asked to name the two most important issues facing the country, jobs and the economy came in first at 42 percent, the coronavirus second at 29 percent, following by voting rights and election integrity at 25 percent, the cost of living at 23 percent, and border security and immigration at 22 percent.



🏈NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF RESULTS:

Saturday, January 22nd
  • Cincinnati Bengals 19, Tennessee Titans 16 (AFC)
  • San Francisco 49ers 13, Green Bay Packers 10 (NFC)
Sunday, January 23rd
  • Los Angeles Rams 30, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 (NFC)
  • Kansas City Chiefs 42, Buffalo Bills 36 (OT) (AFC)
Next Sunday's Conference Championship Matchups
  • Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs (AFC)
  • San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (NFC)

🏈RAMS, CHIEFS ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs will be playing in the NFL's conference championships next Sunday after winning their divisional playoffs games yesterday in two hard-fought contests packed with twists and turns. The Rams defeated Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-27, but they almost allowed Brady to pull off one of his patented comebacks, as he rallied the Bucs from a 27-3 third-quarter deficit to tie the game at 27-27 with 42 seconds left. But Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford led the Rams downfield and Matt Gay kicked in a 30-yard field goal as time expired.

The Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills 42-36 in overtime after an instant classic contest, matching each other throughout the game, including in the final two minutes of regulation, when the lead changed hands three times and there were 25 points scored. The Bills scored their final touchdown with just 13 seconds left, going up 36-33, but that was enough time for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to get within field goal range, and Harrison Butker killed in a 49-yard field goal to send it to overtime. Kansas City won the coin toss, and scored a touchdown, winning the game without the Bills and quarterback Josh Allen ever getting the ball in OT. Mahomes and Allen each threw for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns, completed at least 70 percent of their passes without an interception, and led their teams with at least 65 yards rushing, something no other quarterback in NFL history has ever done. Additionally, the Bills' Gabriel Davis had a playoff-record four touchdown passes.

🏈COULD LOSS HAVE BEEN BRADY'S LAST GAME?: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' division round playoff loss to the L.A. Rams yesterday could potentially have been Tom Brady's last game, but the 44-year-old quarterback isn't saying if he'll retire. Asked about it after the game, Brady said, "Truthfully, guys, I’m thinking about this game. I’m not thinking about past five minutes from now." He also said, "I haven’t put a lot of thought into it, taking it day by day." Brady is under contract for 2022 and in late September he said he plans to play at least one more season, but he has indicated several times since then that returning will be a family decision.

🎾MEDVEDEV, BARTY IN QUARTERFINALS: Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev for the men and top-ranked Ash Barty among the women both won their fourth-round matches yesterday to advance to the quarterfinals. The both did it by beating Americans, Medvedev downing Maxime Cressy and Barty defeating Anna Anisimova. Other fourth-round winners include Alize Cornet, who made it to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal by upsetting 14th-seeded Simona Halep, seventh-seeded Matteo Berrettini, and American Danielle Collins.

🏀BUCKS' ALLEN SUSPENDED ONE GAME FOR FOUL THAT LED BULLS' CARUSO TO BREAK WRIST: The NBA suspended the Milwaukee Bucks' Grayson Allen for one game yesterday  for a hard foul on the Chicago Bulls' Alex Caruso on Friday night that led to Caruso breaking his wrist. Caruso was driving to the basket when Allen's foul caused him to land on his right side. He will have to undergo surgery and the Bulls said he'll be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks. The Bucks said in a statement that they "disagree with the suspension."



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Philly Radio: Sportscaster Kevin Frandsen EXITS Phillies' Broadcasts


Kevin Frandsen, a member of the Phillies’ broadcast team for the last four seasons, will take over as the television color analyst for Washington Nationals games on Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, the Nationals and MASN has announced.

Frandsen, 39, played for the Nationals in 2014 after spending the previous two seasons with the Phillies, reports The Philly Inquirer.

“Thrilled is an understatement to describe how I feel right now,” Frandsen said in a statement in which he also thanked the Phillies for his first opportunity in the booth.

Kevin Frandsen
Frandsen called mostly road games alongside radio play-by-play announcer Scott Franzke, who works with popular longtime analyst Larry Andersen at home. Mark DiNardo, the Phillies’ director of broadcasting and video services, said the club is “in the process of evaluating our options” to replace Frandsen.

Franzke, meanwhile, received a one-year extension from the Phillies after his five-year contract expired at the end of last season, a decision that executive vice president David Buck described as “proper timing given everything going on.” Buck said the Phillies hope to discuss a longer-term deal with Franzke later this year. Franzke has been a fixture in the radio booth with Andersen since 2007.

When Andersen chose to reduce his travel schedule in 2018, Frandsen split road games with fellow former infielders Kevin Jordan and Kevin Stocker. Frandsen emerged from among the “three Kevins” and took on a regular role in 2019, developing a strong rapport with Franzke.

Frandsen’s profile within baseball broadcasting circles has risen over the past few years, with hosting gigs on MLB Network Radio. He also hosted a show from the Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa, in August.

In Washington, Frandsen will replace longtime analyst F.P. Santangelo. The Nationals declined to bring him back after last season, when he was accused of sexual misconduct in an anonymous Instagram post. An investigation by Major League Baseball did not find evidence to support the allegations.

The Phillies have not announced their 2022 broadcast teams.

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R.I.P.: Suzanne Goucher, Maine Association of Broadcasters President

Suzanne Goucher
Suzanne Goucher, the president of the Maine Association of Broadcasters, has died.

In her nearly 30 years in that post, Goucher helped develop the emergency alert system that provides vital information to Mainers, and often defended the public's right to know before legislators and the courts, as she did in a legislative committee appearance in 2013.

"Every step our government takes toward confidentiality is a step away from freedom," she said.

A former radio news director in Augusta, Goucher had led the broadcasters group since 1994. Retired Maine Public journalist Mal Leary worked with her at the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition and the state's right-to-know advisory committee.

"She was very cautious in her approach, very thorough in her approach," he said. "It was a delight to work with her on these issues, both at the coalition and at the advisory committee."

Goucher was known nationally as an expert on the nation's Emergency Alert System and served on a federal advisory panel charged with recommending steps to keep the nation's broadcasters secure and reliable. She was also an advocate for independent journalists.

Goucher died Tuesday after being briefly hospitalized with an infection.
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Report: 56% of Consumers Have Either Cut the Cord or Plan To


Cable costs are higher than ever, and consumers are choosing the alternate route of going all digital with streaming services. According to Cord Cutters News citing a new report by Mohu, more than half (56%) of consumers have cut the cord, as in canceled cable TV packages, or plan to within the next six months.

People are always looking for ways to save money, and cutting the cord is a no-brainer these days. The survey also shows that 48% of people say their TV subscription costs have forced them to tighten their budget for other personal spending (e.g., going to restaurants, shopping, traveling, etc.). As a result, the same percentage of people admit to using a friend or family member’s login so they don’t have to pay for their own account. More than half have leveraged free trials to access content and many are cutting the cable cord.

While free trials are a great way to test out a streaming service before committing, consumers view TV subscriptions as a long-term commitment for Americans. In fact, 4 in 5 expect to keep their TV subscriptions for more than year while only 1 in 7 admit to experimenting with shorter-term TV subscriptions.



Of those who do plan to cancel a subscription in the near future, most cited lack of content and price as the main reasons for jumping ship.

Consumers are subscribing to more services than ever, with 3 in 5 saying they currently subscribe to more services than they did last year. That makes sense given this next statistic that more than 1 in 3 viewers spending more than seven hours per week in front of their screens. That’s almost like a full working day spent watching TV each week.

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January 24 Radio History


➦In 1916...longtime Chicago baseball announcer Jack Brickhouse was born in Peoria Illinois.

He started his first job when he was only eleven, delivering the Peoria Journal and Peoria Star, and he began his long broadcasting career when only eighteen, at Peoria radio station WMBD in 1934. Chicago radio station WGN hired him in 1940 to broadcast Cubs and White Sox games, largely on the recommendation of their top announcer, Bob Elson. His was the very first face shown when WGN-TV, Chicago's Channel 9, began broadcasting in 1948.

Brickhrouse served as a U.S. Marine Corps in World War II. and he missed the 1945 Cubs season. He broadcast both Cubs and White Sox games until 1967, which he was able to do because they almost never played at home on the same day. He retired in 1981.

He died at age 82 on Aug 6, 1998 after suffering a heart attack while undergoing surgery.

➦In 1942... “Abie’s Irish Rose” was first heard on NBC radio, replacing “Knickerbocker Playhouse”. The program was a takeoff on the smash Broadway play that ran for nearly 2,000 performances. Among the cast members were a young Clayton ‘Bud’ Collyer and Mercedes McCambridge. The show aired for 2½-years.

➦In 1962...Brian Epstein signed with the Beatles as their manager and began to direct their image away from leather jackets. He led them toward a smarter stage presentation, with matching suits and bows to the audience. Epstein was to receive 25 per cent of the Beatles’ gross earnings, the normal management deal was 10 per cent.


Beatles' Manager Brian Epstein is interviewed in New York City by Murray the K for WOR-FM Radio in 1967.

➦In 1962...the Billboard album chart reflected the current Twist dance craze, with four of the Top Ten LPs belonging to Chubby Checker: “For Twisters Only,” “Let’s Twist Again,” “Your Twist Party,” and “Bobby Rydell/Chubby Checker.”

➦In 1984...Apple started selling the Macintosh 128K. Apple aired a commercial during the third quarter of a Super Bowl broadcast that aired on CBS on January 22, 1984. Sales of the Macintosh were strong from its initial release and reached 70,000 units on May 3, 1984.

➦In 1992...choral director & composer Ken Darby died of heart problems in Sherman Oaks, Calif., at age 82. In 1929 he formed the King’s Men vocal quartet featured for years on the Fibber McGee & Molly radio show. He also won three Oscars, & wrote the Elvis Presley hit “Love Me Tender.”

He also had a choral group, the Ken Darby Singers, who sang backup to Bing Crosby on the original 1942 recording of "White Christmas".

➦In 2001... bandleader Les Brown died at age 88. His “Band of Renown” introduced Doris Day to North American audiences, and played radio, TV & live events for Bob Hope including 18 USO tours, for almost 50 years.

➦In 2015…Pioneering radio-television talk show host Joe Franklin, who hosted his own TV show in New York City for more than 40 years, died of prostate cancer at the age of 88.

At 14, Franklin began writing skits for The Kate Smith Hour and at 16, Franklin officially began his entertainment career as a record picker on radio sensation Martin Block's Make Believe Ballroom where he became known as "The Young Wreck with the Old Records".

Neil Diamond is 81

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

  • Fiddler Doug Kershaw is 86. 
  • Singer Ray Stevens is 83. 
  • Singer Aaron Neville is 81. 
  • Singer Neil Diamond is 81. 
  • Actor Michael Ontkean (“Twin Peaks”) is 76. 
  • Country singer-songwriter Becky Hobbs is 72. 
  • Comedian Yakov Smirnoff is 71. 
  • Actor William Allen Young (“Code Black,” “Moesha”) is 68. 
  • Keyboardist-turned-TV personality Jools Holland (Squeeze) is 64. 
  • Mischa Barton is 36
    Actor Nastassja Kinski is 61. 
  • Drummer Keech Rainwater of Lonestar is 59. 
  • Comedian Phil LaMarr (“Mad TV”) is 55. 
  • Singer Sleepy Brown of Society of Soul is 52. 
  • Actor Matthew Lillard (“Scooby-Doo,” ″She’s All That”) is 52. 
  • Actor Merrilee McCommas (“Friday Night Lights,” ″Family Law”) is 51. 
  • Singer Beth Hart is 50. 
  • Actor Ed Helms (“The Office”) is 48. 
  • Actor Christina Moses (“A Million Little Things”) is 44. 
  • Actor Tatyana Ali (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) is 43. 
  • Guitarist Mitchell Marlow of Fliter is 43. 
  • Actor Carrie Coon (“Leftovers”) is 41. 
  • Actor Daveed Diggs (“black-ish”) is 40. 
  • Actor Justin Baldoni (“Jane The Virgin”) is 38. 
  • Actor Mischa Barton (“The O.C.”) is 36.

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Sunday, January 23, 2022

Atlanta Radio: Public Broadcasting Atlantic Rebrands Portfolio


Public Broadcasting Atlanta has revamped its branding for its radio station, TV station, website and app, using the WABE moniker for everything, according to Atlanta Media Watcher Rodney Ho at ajc.com.

The TV station will now be known as WABE instead of Public Broadcasting Atlanta. In fact, the corporate name will be WABE as well, effectively retiring the name Public Broadcasting Atlanta.

The changes, with help from a local branding company Matchstic, include a fresh logo, updated ID music and a new slogan: “Amplifying Atlanta.” This replaces the five-year-old radio slogan “Where ATL meets NPR.”

The move is in part to combine different brands ― including radio station 90.1/WABE-FM and TV station ATL PBA/Channel 30 ― under a single umbrella. The TV station website www.pba.org will be merged with www.wabe.org starting Wednesday with wabe.org being the primary site.

Focus groups initiated by the organization showed WABE was by far the strongest brand name.

“We know that the simplicity and elegance of WABE will help us be more effective in building awareness about our shows,” said Jennifer Dorian, the CEO and president of WABE. She joined the operation a year ago after a long run at Turner Broadcasting.

In essence, she added, “it’s about strengthening our position in Atlanta and eliminating confusion.”

In metro Atlanta, WABE competes directly with Georgia Public Broadcasting, which relies heavily on government subsidies but also has to serve the entire state with nine TV stations and 19 radio stations. (About 41% of GPB’s annual budget comes from a state appropriation.)

In comparison, a vast majority of WABE’s funding comes from individuals and corporate underwriting.

GPB’s TV station in Atlanta on Channel 8 is the dominant force in town and generates far bigger ratings than WABE’s PBA/Channel 30. On the radio side, eight years ago, GPB took over daytime FM programming from Georgia State University’s 88.5/WRAS-FM, which offers much of the same national programming as WABE. But WRAS has not been able to make much of a dent in WABE’s radio dominance over the years, generating about 15 percent of listening compared to WABE.

Doran is happy that the WABE flagship radio station has a relatively young listenership, with a median age of 44. The station’s demographics also reflect the city of Atlanta as a whole, with 35% of its listeners Black. About 7% of its listening is through streaming and she hopes to grow that to 20% in the coming years.

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