Kagan Radio, TV Outlook Sees 12.9% Revenue Increase In 2022

A newly released S&P Global Market Intelligence Radio & TV Annual Outlook from its Kagan unit, the U.S. broadcast station industry is expected to reach $36.47 billion in total advertising revenue in 2022, up 12.9% from $32.31 billion in 2021. Core ad categories have mostly bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, with the exception of the automotive, retail and travel categories, which are still soft.

The local ad market has been stronger than the national side of the spot ad business for many station owners. The firm's 2022 projection breaks down to $12.32 billion from radio stations, which includes national and local spot and digital, excluding network and off-air.

📻Key highlights from the report include:

• U.S. broadcast station industry is expected to reach $36.47 billion in total advertising revenue in 2022, up 12.9% from $32.31 billion in 2021, returning to pre-pandemic levels
• Over the five-year projection period 2022-2027, political advertising will be spent disproportionately on local stations in swing-state markets
• Spending in the 2022 midterm elections, spurred by the 50/50 split between the two parties in the U.S. Senate and Republicans looking to gain a majority in the House along with major gubernatorial races in swing states, is expected to reach $3.49 billion, up 15.0% from the last midterm elections in 2018
• Radio's lower ad cost, local audience and relatively high return on investment compared to other media will keep it relevant, although digital investments point to future growth opportunities with the spot ad market for radio expected to decline over the forecast period
• Radio station owners are continuing to invest in streaming, podcast and digital marketing initiatives, with digital revenues expected to rise to $1.73 billion by the end of 2027.
• Radio ads are predominantly local and focused on the auto, retail, travel and entertainment categories, which were heavily impacted by the advertising pullback in 2020-21. Some markets were less impacted than others from masking and social distancing orders during the pandemic, and station owners in those areas are expected to fare better based on our market-level forecast.

In addition, Kagan says radio owners must compete with multiple streaming audio and on-demand options for music and talk, such as Spotify Technology and Pandora Media and overall radio listenership has lessened as a result of the new hybrid or permanent work-from-home economy, which has greatly reduced commuting hours during prime in-car radio time.

Radio's core local spot ad market is projected to grow by 5% to $8.83 billion in 2022 and by 3.0% to $9.10 billion in 2023, with growth rates leveling off and then slightly declining over the remaining forecast period to $9.03 billion by 2027. National radio ad revenues boosted by political are forecast to grow 3% to $2.07 billion in 2022 and by 1.5% to $2.11 billion in 2023, level off in 2024 and then start to decline by 1% to 2% over the remaining years in the forecast period to $2.00 billion by 2027.

Kagan reports that radio station owners are continuing to invest in streaming, podcast and digital marketing initiatives, with digital revenues expected to rise to $1.73 billion by the end of 2027. Off-air is forecast to grow 4% in 2022 and 3% in 2023 with the return of live events and should remain a solid segment for the radio industry long term reaching $2.42 billion by the end of 2027.

Total radio revenue, including national and local spot, digital, off-air and network revenue, is expected to be mostly flat at a five-year CAGR of 0.78% from an estimated $15.47 billion in 2022 to $16.09 billion by the end of 2027.

TV Ratings: 'The Five' is Number One in Viewers During August

FOX News Channel (FNC) finished August 2022 as the third most-watched network in all of television during weekday primetime, outpacing ABC and trailing only CBS and NBC. 

According to Nielsen Media Research, FNC remained cable’s highest-rated network in total day and primetime with total viewers and the top rated in total day with the 25-54 demo. FNC surpassed CNN and MSNBC combined with total day and primetime viewers and was number one in all of cable with total day and primetime viewers. 

FNC also ranked number one in cable news in primetime viewers for the 19th month in a row and notched 96 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the month. Notably, FNC was the only cable news network to post double-digit gains versus last month and August marked its most-watched month of the summer with every program gaining viewers month-to-month. In total day, FNC delivered 1.5 million viewers, 211,000 with the 25-54 demo and 128,000 with the 18-49 demo. In primetime, FNC netted 2.3 million viewers, 311,000 in the 25-54 demo, and 189,000 with the 18-49 demo. The network also delivered the top four programs in cable news with viewers and the top 15 of the top 16 cable news programs in the 25-54 demo.

Attracting 53% of cable news viewers across primetime and 52% in total day, FNC continued to deliver over half the genre’s audience share. According to Nielsen MRI Fusion, FNC also remained the most-watched network across the political spectrum with more Independents and Democrats choosing FNC as their preferred network than MSNBC and CNN in total day and primetime viewers as well as the A25-54 demo. FNC remained the number one network among Hispanic and Asian households in total day viewers.

📺Top 20 Prime-Time Show for Aug 22-28 (Total Viewers)

CBS had five of the 11 top-rated programs to finish first in the network race for the second consecutive week, averaging 2.88 million. NBC was second, averaging 2.58 million, and ABC was third, averaging 2.43 million.

1. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 6.43 million.

2. “America’s Got Talent” (Tuesday), NBC, 6.33 million.

3. “America’s Got Talent” (Wednesday), NBC, 5.55 million.

4. “Celebrity Family Feud,” ABC, 4.56 million.

5. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 4.08 million.

6. “Big Brother” (Sunday), CBS, 4.01 million.

7. “Big Brother” (Wednesday), CBS, 3.99 million.

8. “Password,” NBC, 3.97 million.

9. “The ”$100,000 Pyramid,” ABC, 3.89 million.

10. “FBI,” CBS, 3.74 million.

11. “Big Brother” (Thursday), CBS, 3.53 million.

12. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Monday), Fox News, 3.37 million.

13. “Press Your Luck,” ABC, 3.35 million.

14. “The Bachelorette,” ABC, 3.33 million.

15. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Thursday), Fox News, 3.28 million.

16. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Tuesday), Fox News, 3.26 million.

17. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Wednesday), Fox News, 3.15 million.

18. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 3.13 million.

19. “The Neighborhood,” CBS, 3.05 million.

20. “FBI: International,” CBS, 2.98 million.

“60 Minutes” drew its second-largest audience of the summer, 6.427 million viewers, to be the highest-rated prime-time broadcast or cable program for the third time this summer and first since the week of July 4-10, according to live-plus-same-day figures released Tuesday by Nielsen. The CBS newsmagazine’s largest audience of the summer was 6.748 million viewers on June 5.

“60 Minutes” benefited from following the Detroit Lions-Pittsburgh Steelers NFL preseason game. The 40-minute runover of Pittsburgh’s 19-9 victory into prime time in the Eastern and Central time zones, where the bulk of the nation’s population lives, averaged 7.53 million viewers. The runover is not considered a separate program but is included in the weekly average.

The Tuesday episode of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” averaged 6.326 million viewers to finish second after four consecutive first-place finishes. The Wednesday results show was third, averaging 5.548 million viewers, the week’s only other prime-time program to top 5 million viewers.

“Celebrity Family Feud” was ABC’s ratings leader for the ninth time in nine weeks, averaging 4.562 million viewers, fourth for the second consecutive week and the third time in four weeks. Sunday’s first match featured teams led by professional wrestlers Rey Mysterio and The Miz; retired Dodgers pitching star Orel Hershiser and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner led the teams for the second game.

📺BROADCAST NEWS

To sum up the evening news landscape during the week of August 22, 2022 — ABC World News Tonight with David Muir remains No. 1, per usual, while NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell gained back some A25-54 viewers after struggling the previous week.

According to TV Newser citing live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen, World News Tonight averaged 7.23 million total viewers and 1.225 million adults 25-54 for the week of August 22. The 7.23 million figure means World News Tonight is not only the top-rated evening newscast, but it’s also the most-watched show on U.S. TV—excluding sports—for the 20th consecutive week. Additionally, ABC’s evening newscast has now defeated its competition from NBC and CBS 195 of the past 196 weeks in average total viewers—and 124 of the last 126 weeks among adults 25-54.

NBC Nightly News averaged 6.07 million total viewers on the linear network this past week. That’s down less than -1% from the week prior. The 6.07 million figure places the broadcast at No. 3 on U.S. TV, excluding specials, sports and syndication.  As for CBS, The Evening News averaged 4.45 million total viewers—and 6,000 adults 25-54 for the fourth week of August.

📺LATE NIGHT TV

FNC’s Gutfeld! (2,191,000 P2+, 358,000 A25-54) made television history, becoming the first late-night cable program to finish the month as the most-watched late-night show in all of broadcast and cable, outpacing CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2,156,000 P2+, 377,000 A25-54) for the month of August. This is the first time Colbert has been unseated as late-night’s highest-rated host for a full month in more than five years (January 2017). Additionally, August marked the show’s highest-rated month since launching last April. Airing at 11 PM/ET, the program also topped every show on CNN and MSNBC in the younger 25-54 demo. Gutfeld! averaged 2.2 million viewers 358,000 with A25-54 this month, also besting ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1,144,000 P2+, 270,000 A25-54) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1,339,000 P2+, 382,000 A25-54) in total viewers.

Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN

📺CABLE TV

Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN

FNC’s late afternoon offering The Five continued as the top-rated show in viewers for the fifth consecutive month and finishing first in cable news for the last eight out of nine months. 

The roundtable program averaged 3.4 million viewers, 427,000 with 25-54 demo and 270,000 in the 18-49 demo, outpacing every show on CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 8 PM/ET, Tucker Carlson Tonight continued as the highest-rated program in cable news in the younger 25-54 demo, averaging 3.3 million viewers and 486,000 in the demo. Hannity at 9 PM/ET scored 2.9 million viewers, 397,000 in the 25-54 demo and 235,000 among adults 18-49, achieving the third most-watched program in all categories and outpacing the competition on MSNBC and CNN combined. MSNBC’s newly-launched 9 PM/ET program Alex Wagner Tonight delivered a paltry 1.6 million viewers and 157,000 in the 25-54 demo, which Hannity more than doubled. At 10 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle garnered 2.5 million viewers, 358,000 in the 25-54 demo and 218,000 in 18-49. 

Notably, FNC’s The Five and Tucker Carlson Tonight both beat ABC’s The Bachelorette in total viewers.

📺STREAMING:

The limited series “Echoes” was last week’s most popular program on Netflix, with viewers spending 68.49 million hours watching the mystery thriller’s seven episodes between Aug. 22 and Sunday, their first full week of release, according to figures released Tuesday by the streaming service.

Viewership was up 167.2% from the 25.63 million hours watched the previous week, when the limited series was available for three days and was Netflix’s 10th most streamed program.

“Me Time” was Netflix’s most streamed movie, with viewers spending 59.23 million hours watching the Kevin Hart-Mark Wahlberg comedy in its first three days of release.

TV Ratings: U-S Open Victory Breaks Record For ESPN

The U.S. Open’s opening night Monday featured a packed center court match that could have been the last in the legendary career of Serena Williams.

Deadline.com reports ESPN averaged first-day record of 1.7 million viewers for PrimeTime at the U.S. Open (7 p.m. – 12:03 a.m. ET) on Monday, an increase of 279% over last year and up 40% over the previous high in 2019.

After a shaky start, 23-time grand slam title winner Williams found her old form and defeated Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 6-3, 6-3.

The match averaged 2.7 million viewers glued to the drama for the 1:45 match. The audience peaked at 3.2 million in the last quarter-hour (9–9:15 p.m. ET), which saw Williams take the match and then receive a tribute from the 24,000 present.

Tennis’ final Major tournament of the year is expected to be the 40-year-old’s likely farewell U.S. Open appearance. She first played at Flushing Meadows in 1998 and won the tournament a record six times (tied with Chrissie Evert).

Report: Business Stalls, Frustrations Mount At WaPo

In the years after Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post in 2013, business boomed. Droves of readers bought digital subscriptions, and the newsroom roughly doubled in size, adding hundreds more journalists.

But, according to Benjamin Mullin and Katie Robertson at The NY Times,  The Post’s business has stalled in the past year. As the breakneck news pace of the Trump administration faded away, readers have turned elsewhere, and the paper’s push to expand beyond Beltway coverage hasn’t compensated for the loss.

The organization is on track to lose money in 2022, after years of profitability, according to two people with knowledge of the company’s finances. The Post now has fewer than the three million paying digital subscribers it had hailed internally near the end of 2020, according to several people at the organization. Digital ad revenue generated by The Post fell to roughly $70 million during the first half of the year, about 15 percent lower than in the first half of 2021, according to an internal financial document reviewed by The New York Times.

Fred Ryan, the chief executive and publisher, in recent weeks has floated with newsroom leaders the possibility of cutting 100 positions, according to several people with knowledge of the discussions. The cuts, if they happen, could come through hiring freezes for open jobs or other ways. The newsroom now has about 1,000 people.

A spokeswoman for The Post said the organization was not reducing head count, and instead would be adding steadily to the newsroom and “exploring positions that should be repurposed to serve a larger, national and global audience.” She said the document showing ad revenue declines depicted an incomplete picture of The Post’s business, but she declined to detail how.

The Post’s newsroom remains one of the most formidable in the country. This year, it won the coveted Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for reporting on the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The publication has also, in recent years, opened hubs in Seoul and London to enable round-the-clock editing, and it has invested in coverage of topics such as personal technology, climate, and health and wellness.

Many news outlets, in addition to The Post, have experienced declining readership since former President Donald J. Trump left office. But two of The Post’s top competitors — The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal — have added subscriptions since Mr. Trump left office.

The downturn at The Post has set off frustration internally. Some top executives are concerned that Mr. Ryan, picked by Mr. Bezos to be the publication’s top business executive, hasn’t moved decisively enough to expand coverage. Some have also become irritated by the company’s halting marketing efforts, which are guided by Mr. Ryan, and inconclusive talks about acquiring another large news organization.

Late last year, as part of a monthslong review of the company done by an internal group called the Strategic Review Team, Mr. Ryan told executives that The Post could be the definitive source of news and information for the English-speaking world, according to people with knowledge of the meeting. At a subsequent gathering of the executives, he said The Post should be an essential source of news, which at least one person interpreted as a less ambitious goal. Others in attendance, including Ms. Buzbee, said they did not see his comments that way.

The Post’s executives have had extensive internal talks about whether to buy other major news organizations, according to five people familiar with the matter. The outlets discussed have included The Associated Press, The Economist and The Guardian, some of the people said. The Strategic Review Team noted in a multipage memo that an acquisition might make sense to expand The Post’s audience internationally, where it is not as well known

James Van Der Beek Sues SiriusXM After Podcast Deal Falls Through

James Van Der Beek

Actor James Van Der Beek is suing SiriusXM and Stitcher Media for $700,000 after his podcasting deal was scrapped, reports Fox Business. 

The 45-year-old "Dawson’s Creek" alum filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the broadcasting giant and the podcasting company in Los Angeles Superior Court on August 26, according to court documents obtained by FOX Business.  

"In late 2021, (James) began to pursue an opportunity for creating a podcast based on his longstanding acting career, onscreen characters, and life as a husband and father of six," the documents read. 

"He would serve as the podcast’s host, conduct interviews, provide commentary and behind-the-scenes insight on past work, and share the kind of unique perspective as an artist, seeker, and public figure that has become the hallmark of his social media presence." 

According to the suit, Van Der Beek fielded offers from several potential production partners before choosing to work with SiriusXM and Stitcher. The documents allege that an agreement was reached over email.  

"Pursuant to that agreement, the parties agreed that Plaintiff would participate as a "host" in 40 podcast episodes, to be produced on a weekly basis, in exchange for a $700,000 guarantee," the complaint read.  

"The emails reflect a meeting of the minds on every material term and constitute a valid, binding and enforceable written contract." 

The documents stated that the deal was closed in an email on April 28, in which representatives from both companies wrote, "we are ready to call terms officially closed."  

After the agreement was reached, Van Der Beek stopped negotiating with other interested parties and rejected other offers as well as declining acting opportunities, per the complaint. 

However, the documents alleged that on July 8, the companies had "reneged" on the deal after it was green-lit and Van Der Beek had already begun work on the podcast. 

In addition to the $700,000 as a minimum guarantee, Van Der Beek would also receive 50% share of net ad revenue, according to the terms of the deal. The podcast would have a production budget of $153,000 and marketing budget of $50,000, both recouped against value. 

Micky Dolenz Files Lawsuit Against The FBI

The Monkees

The FBI has been issued a lawsuit by The Monkees' only surviving member, Micky Dolenz, for any records that may involve him, his deceased band mates, or the band itself.

Fox News Digital reports Dolenz, whose full name is George Michael Dolenz Jr., filed a civil motion against the Department of Justice, citing the Freedom of Information Act.

The Monkees' were investigated by the FBI twice, once for alleged anti-Vietnam war activities in 1967 and another for which any information has been completely redacted.

Mickey Dolenz

The FBI bureau in Los Angeles investigated the men, Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, Davy Jones and Peter Tork, writing, "subliminal messages were depicted on the screen which, in the opinion of [redacted] constituted 'left wing innovations of a political nature.' These messages and pictures were flashes of riots in Berkeley, anti-US messages on the war in Vietnam, racial riots in Selma, Alabama, and similar messages which had received unfavorable response from the audience."

While it is unclear exactly why Dolenz decided to file suit, in legal documents obtained by Rolling Stone, the plaintiffs' filing is written as, "Mr. Dolenz has the ability to disseminate information on a wide scale and may use information obtained through his request in an original work, particularly an indecent film, documentary or book."

After the passing of Nesmith in December 2021, Dolenz, 77, is the last surviving Monkee. 

The Monkees were nominated for a Grammy Award but never took one home. They did win an Emmy Award for their television show in 1967.

Prosecutors Rest Case At R Kelly’s Federal Trial

Federal prosecutors have rested their case-in-chief against R. Kelly, after calling some two dozen witnesses against the disgraced R&B singer and his two co-defendants, reports The Chicago Tribune.

Their announcement came around 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, during the third week of trial. Judge Harry Leinenweber adjourned the proceedings until Thursday morning, when defense attorneys can begin calling their witnesses.

In a surprising move, prosecutors closed after calling only four of the five Kelly accusers who they said jurors would hear from during the trial.

The fourth woman took the stand Tuesday morning.

“Nia” was 15 when she approached Kelly for an autograph at a mall in Atlanta, she testified. Kelly gave her his signature – and also wrote his phone number on the paper, she said.

They began to have phone conversations, and during one, she told him she was 15, she said. He said he wanted her to come see one of his shows, and arranged for her to travel to Minnesota for a concert, she testified.

A limousine picked her up at her mother’s apartment in Atlanta – and on the way to the airport they stopped at a gas station so she could pick up a single rose to give to Kelly.

She went to the concert in Minnesota, and Kelly came to her hotel room the next day, she said.

Kelly hugged her and kissed her on the lips in greeting, she said. She asked if they could take a photo together, but Kelly declined.

Kelly instructed Nia to take off her clothes, walk around, and then sit next to him on the bed, she testified.

She complied, and Kelly kissed her, asked her if she was a virgin, and began to perform a sex act on himself, she testified.

When he was finished, he left the room in a hurry, she testified.

Nia sat very still as she testified, keeping her gaze on the prosecutor asking her questions. Her testimony began quietly and nervously – she had to be asked to move closer to the microphone – but she seemed to grow more comfortable as the questioning continued.

In 2002, Nia filed a lawsuit against Kelly with the allegations of underage sexual contact, and Kelly agreed to pay $500,000, she testified.

Kelly, 55, is charged with 13 counts of production of child pornography, conspiracy to produce child pornography and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Also on trial are former Kelly associates Derrel McDavid and Milton “June” Brown, who, according to the indictment, schemed to buy back incriminating sex tapes that had been taken from Kelly’s collection and hide years of alleged sexual abuse of underage girls.

August 31 Radio History

➦In 1916...Journalist Daniel Schorr born (Died at 93 – July 23, 2010). He covered world news for more than 60 years. He was most recently a Senior News Analyst for National Public Radio (NPR). Schorr won three Emmy Awards for his television journalism. Born in the Bronx, NY, he began his journalism career at the age of 13, when he came upon a woman who had jumped or fallen from the roof of his apartment building. After calling the police, he phoned the Bronx Home News and was paid $5 for his information.

Following several years as a stringer, in 1953 he joined CBS News as one of the recruits of Edward R. Murrow (becoming part of the later generation of Murrow's Boys).   Schorr died from an apparent "short illness" on July 23, 2010, at a Washington, D.C. hospital. He was 93 years old. Schorr's last broadcast commentary for NPR aired on Saturday, July 10, 2010.

➦In 1920...The first news program to be broadcast on radio was aired. The station was 8MK in Detroit, MI.

Circa 1920

8MK soon became WWJ and was founded by The Detroit News; the mixed letter/number calls were assigned to the station by the United States Department of Commerce Bureau of Navigation, the government bureau responsible for radio regulation at the time. The 8 in the call sign referred to its location in the 8th Radio Inspection District, while the M in the call sign identified that the station operated under an amateur license. It is not clear why the Detroit News applied for an amateur license instead of an experimental license. As an amateur station, it broadcast at 200 meters (the equivalent of 1500 AM).

8MK was initially licensed to Michael DeLisle Lyons, a teenager, and radio pioneer. He assembled the station in the Detroit News Building but the Scripps family asked him to register the station in his name, because they were worried this new technology might only be a fad, and wanted to keep some distance. Later that year, Michael and his brother Frank, also assembled the first radio in a police car in Toledo, Ohio (with Ed Clark who started WJR 760 AM in Detroit). They captured a prowler using the radio, making national headlines. RCA got the contract to install radios in police cars across the country.

➦In 1941... Great Gildersleeve, a spin-off of Fibber McGee & Molly debuted on NBC. The show continued to air to 1957.

➦In 1942...'The Adventures of Superman', the long-running radio serial which started in 1940 on WOR NYC, moved to the  Mutual Broadcast System. It aired as a 15-minute serial, running three or, usually, five times a week. From February 7 to June 24, 1949, it ran as a thrice-weekly half-hour show. The series shifted to ABC Saturday evenings on October 29, 1949, and then returned to afternoons twice a week on June 5, 1950, continuing on ABC until March 1, 1951. In all, 2,088 original episodes of The Adventures of Superman aired on radio.

i➦In 1976...a judge ruled that George Harrison was guilty of “subconcious plagiarism” from the song “He’s So Fine” (a 1963 hit by The Chiffons.) The judge said that the chorus to Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” was identical to “He’s So Fine,” and it eventually (appeals went on for about five years) cost the former Beatle more than half a million dollars.

➦In 1981...WXLO 98.7 FM (now sports WEPN) NYC adopted the “Kiss” brand as  The station completed its  transition to new urban contemporary format. Early on, WRKS played a great deal of R&B and dance music, and became an almost instant hit with listeners, as its ratings skyrocketed from 22nd place to third. Notable Kiss FM Mixmasters at the time were Shep Pettibone and the Latin Rascals, who relied heavily on freestyle music. Longtime urban contemporary leader WBLS was caught off-guard by the sudden rise of the new station.

➦In 1995...The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Cleveland, Ohio with a seven-hour concert featuring dozens of artists.

➦In 2008....CBS News radio/TV reporter Ike Pappas died of heart failure at 75. Pappas was among the throng of reporters present at the Dallas City Jail November 1963 for presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald's transfer to the County Jail.

Jack Ruby shoots Lee Harvey Oswald 11/24/63

Working for WNEW 1130 AM in New York at the time, Pappas began his report as Oswald came into view:

"Now the prisoner, wearing a black sweater, he's changed from his T-shirt, is being moved out toward an armored car. Being led out by Captain Fritz." (car horn sounds) There's the prisoner. (Pappas holds his microphone out towards Oswald) Do you have anything to say in your defense..."

As Pappas asked Oswald the question, Jack Ruby stepped out of the crowd of reporters with a pistol, moved in front of Oswald and fired one shot into Oswald's abdomen.

"There's a shot! Oswald has been shot! Oswald has been shot! A shot rang out. Mass confusion here, all the doors have been locked. Holy mackerel!"

Pappas later testified in Ruby's trial.

➦In 2011...The 1985 Dire Straits’ song “Money For Nothing,” was reinstated on Canadian radio playlists after a public outcry resulted from the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) labelling of the song as “unacceptable”.  That decision was made based on onecomplaint from a radio listener, who objected to the song’s use of the word “faggot.”  Said broadcaster Alan Cross, “it made us look silly in the eyes of the broadcast community around the world.”

➦In 2011...CHUM personality and manager Bob Laine died at age 72.  Laine began his radio career at CFRS in Simcoe, Ont., but quickly moved to CHUM Toronto, signing on as the all-night DJ in May 1958.

He stayed there, with his signature opening, "Good morning world, this is Bob-O. Good morning Bob-O, this is world," for a decade, with one brief interruption.

"The Voice" left CHUM in March 1962 for a very short stint as CFGM's morning man but was back at the overnight show in May of that same year.

Mr. Laine moved to afternoons in 1968 and then into management in the 1970s as program director of CHUM-FM. He retired in 2003 as a corporate vice-president after almost 46 years with the company.

Van Morrison is 77

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS: 

• Singer Van Morrison is 77. 
• Violinist Itzhak Perlman is 77. 

• 

  Debbie Gibson is 52

  Guitarist Rudolf Schenker of Scorpions is 74. 
• Actor Richard Gere is 73. 
• Actor Stephen Henderson (“Fences,” ″Manchester by the Sea”) is 73. 
• Singer Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze is 65. 
• Drummer Gina Schock of The Go-Go’s is 65. 
• Singer Tony DeFranco of The DeFranco Family is 63. 
• Keyboardist Larry Waddell of Mint Condition is 59. 
• Actor Jaime P. Gomez (“Nash Bridges”) is 57. 
• Guitarist Jeff Russo of Tonic is 53. 
• Singer Deborah Gibson is 52. 
• Bassist Greg Richling of The Wallflowers is 52. 
• Actor Zack Ward (“A Christmas Story,” ″Titus”) is 52. 
• Actor Chris Tucker (“Rush Hour”) is 50. 
• Actor Sara Ramirez (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 47. 
• Singer Tamara of Trina and Tamara is 45.

✞DEATH ANNIVERSARIES

• Princess Diana died in a Paris car crash with her companion, Dodi Fayed, 25 years ago on this day in 1997. She was 36 and Fayed was 42. Driver Henri Paul, who also died, was found to have been intoxicated and speeding as he tried to escape the paparazzi. ("Calendar Extra" below.)
• Heavyweight boxer Rocky Marciano, who retired undefeated with 49 wins, died in a plane crash on this day in 1969. He was 45.
• In 2013, famed British-born broadcaster and journalist Sir David Frost suffered a fatal heart attack at age 74.  He was the only man to have interviewed all British prime ministers and all US presidents from the 1960’s to the present day.
• Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, died on this day in 2020. He was 75.

Report: NBC’s Chuck Todd In Jeopardy At 'MTP'

The executive producer of Meet the Press, who NBC announced last week is ”shifting” over to the streaming side, was pushed out amid the Sunday politics show’s ratings woes, two people familiar with the matter told Confider at The Daily Beast.

John Reiss, who had been EP for the last eight years, was officially punted over to the NBC News Now streaming service, and David P. Gelles, a long-time CNN producer who helped develop the now-defunct CNN+ streamer, was parachuted in to help fix the sinking show, which is down 21 percent in total viewership and 24 percent in the key advertising demographic compared to last year—more than any of the other Sunday politics shows.

Gelles’ first order of business, multiple sources said, is deciding what to do about Chuck Todd, who despite recently signing a two-year extension, as Confider has learned, has baffled many at NBC with how long he’s remained atop the struggling show.

Kristen Welker

NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker is being groomed to replace Todd, multiple insiders with knowledge of the matter said, and is expected to take on more hosting duties as the midterm elections approach.

Todd was already demoted once this year when his Meet the Press Daily broadcast on MSNBC was relegated to NBC’s streaming service.

According to 30 Rock insiders, Todd remains unpopular with viewers and critics and that the Meet the Press franchise has been overexposed.

“At what point does anyone have the balls to say ‘Maybe the problem is the face of it’?” one Meet the Press source wondered. The show has thus far been unable to replace its booking producer, who recently left for Meta, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Raleigh Radio: iHM Names Michael Burger Market President

Michael Burger

iHeartMedia announced today that Michael Burger has been elevated to Market President for Raleigh. 

As Market President, Burger will be responsible for developing and managing key partnerships with current and potential clients across all iHeartMedia platforms. Additionally, he will actively build and foster community relationships across the market and region, while providing leadership, guidance, and oversight to the team. Lastly, he will be responsible for fostering a high-performance environment based on trust, inclusivity, and ethics. Burger will report to Tom McConnell, Division Present for iHeartMedia.

“Michael is a strong natural leader with high business acumen,” said McConnell. “He has introduced new strategic changes and created synergies between our content creators and revenue drivers that have helped fuel the overall performance for the market.”

Burger takes the lead in Raleigh after serving as Senior Vice President of Sales for iHeartMedia Raleigh. Prior to that, Burger served as Vice President of Sales for the St. Louis iHeartMedia market and as a Zone Political Point for over 12 markets. He began his media career in the television industry, working for KMIZ/KQFX in Columbia, MO, as well as KTVI FOX 2 in St. Louis, MO, in sales and digital strategy roles. He is a proud University of Missouri alumnus.

“I am beyond appreciative and grateful to be trusted with this opportunity,” said Burger. “As Raleigh continues to grow, expand and flourish, I look to the future with excitement, encouragement and promise. iHeartMedia Raleigh has established itself as a fierce competitor in the market. We have positioned ourselves incredibly to not only be a destination source for entertainment, music, events, social media, and audio, but to help our clients tell their stories in a creative way that helps them achieve new heights.”

TV Ratings: MTV VMAs Broadcast Sees 3% Uptick

MTV’s VMAs are making a bit of a comeback. After struggling in viewership the past two years (like many award shows), Sunday night’s telecast saw a 3% boost in viewership, according to TheWrap citing Nielsen data..

The awards show drew a total of 3.9 million linear viewers, which is up from the 3.7 million who tuned into last year’s telecast. However, this year’s show didn’t move the needle much among the advertiser-friendly 18-49 demographic, with the ratings sitting about roughly the same as 2021 (about a 2.8 in gross ratings).

MTV’s research and PR teams also combine Nielsen’s linear numbers for the VMAs with their own internal digital data into a proprietary metric called “Total Minutes Consumed” (TMC). For the 2022 VMAs, they say that number came out to 1.59 billion, which is a 14% jump from the previous telecast.

According to MTV, the show was a hit on social media, where it generated more than 40 million interactions — beating the Super Bowl and the Oscars. It marked the “most social” VMAs of all time, up 6% in interactions.