Columbus OH: WTVN Launches Morning News, The Boxer Show Moves

Columbus’ Morning News program launches on heritage Talk 610 WTVN-AM Hosted by Mike Elliott, Columbus Morning News will include contributors Matt McCoy (Sports Director), Scott
Jennings (News Reporter), Johnny Hill (Traffic Reporter), and Michael Campana (Producer).

Thirty-year market veteran, Elliot, started at WTVN in 1999 as the producer for Columbus radio legend Bob Conners, will continue to serve as Program Director for 610 WTVN. Columbus’ Morning News will also featurev timely guests and newsmakers to wake up information-hungry listeners with the local and national news they need to start each day in Ohio’s Capital City.

“I’ve done everything on WTVN except host my own show, and now I get that chance” says Elliott. “I’m grateful to be working with most talented team in the business every morning to bring the news to the best audience out there!” The show will be live Monday-Friday, from 5am-9am on WTVN and available both live and on-demand via the iHeartRadio app.

WODC, 93.3 FM, The Bus Welcomes The Boxer Show:

Brandon Boxer will now bring a local, family-friendly morning show to  Classic Hits WODC each weekday morning from 6am- 10am. Listeners can expect Brandon to entertain them on their commute as he provides audience-driven content and flat-out fun. Like many people in Columbus, he balances a lot of responsibilities, with the most important one being his family. 93.3 FM is Columbus’s home to holiday music, where listening doubles every year. In the new year, WODC returns to playing top hits to listen to throughout the workday.

This move also includes a promotion for Boxer, as he will serve as Program Director for 93.3 WODC in addition to continuing his popular afternoon drive show on 92.3 WCOL-FM. “I’m 100% amped to continue waking up and taking our listeners home daily, plus advancing my programming career,” says Brandon. “My deepest gratitude to Kris Foley, Gene Ramono, Michael McCoy, & my iHeartMedia family for this opportunity.”

Josh Markovitz, the current morning host on 93.3 The Bus, will now be heard on Columbus Alternative WXZX 105.7 FM. A long-time rock and alternative music fan, Josh is looking forward to sleeping in while still able to create relationships with listeners daily. “We’re always looking for ways to better serve our listeners,” says Senior Vice President of Programming, Michael McCoy. “I’m confident that these moves will do just that. I’m excited to see the results.”

Nashville Radio: WENO The Flames Adds Talk Programming

The John Fredericks Media Network (JFMN), now the third largest independent News/Talk Radio Network in America, announces the launch of its newest radio affiliate, iconic WENO 760 AM in Nashville.

Rebranded as News/Talk AM 760 The Flame, WENO is operated by the Fredericks Media Network while the final sale of the station and its license application is reviewed by the FCC, a process that normally takes about 90 days.

The Nashville expansion comes on the heels of Fredericks’ pending acquisition of two radio stations in the Pittsburgh, PA market earlier this year, branded as Pittsburgh News/Talk. The new Pittsburgh network includes WCNS AM 1480 and 107.5 FM and WXJX AM 910 and 98.7 FM. Both are managed by JFRN and operate under an LMA while awaiting final FCC approval.

Stephen K. Bannon, who along with Fredericks carries four hours of daily live programming on the network, launched his now number-one show in America – War Room on JFMN in October 2019.

“War Room is honored to launch in Nashville with the John Fredericks Radio Network on WENO 760 “The Flame,” General Andrew Jackson is one of America’s greatest field commanders and Presidents and his spirit lives at The Hermitage and in the hearts of The Volunteers of Tennessee.”

“War Room looks forward to doing its role in igniting a new cultural Renaissance that emanates from this great city’s entertainment industry built upon Christian and American Values,” said Bannon.

John Fredericks, who hosts the 6-10:00 AM EST morning show on his network, issued the following statement: “As our stations in Philadelphia have thrived and shown stunning growth, we thought it was critical to bookend the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with Pittsburgh, giving us robust reach in both dense population centers.”

“We offer listeners in Pittsburgh’s Westmoreland County and now Nashville, Tennessee an exciting news-talk alternative that breaths oxygen into a stale and boring ring of warmed-over RINO syndicated hosts on the conservative news/talk syndication circuit.”

“Our Nashville acquisition gives us a base of operations in the mid-south as we expand along the spine of the Atlantic coast. Nashville is a high-growth city and an important cultural center of our movement. We will be competing there with the biggest talk station conglomerates in the nation, including Cumulus and iHeart. We will offer Nashville listeners a dynamic alternative choice,” added Fredericks. “Our combination of live talk and live major sports have built a very vibrant and loyal audience across our platforms.”

11/20 WAKE-UP CALL: Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter Mourned

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter passed away at the age of 96 on Sunday, and is being remembered not only for her life as a devoted wife and mom, but for her political activism. The first lady with the longest marriage on record - 77 years - was sometimes referred to by her husband's aides as 'co-president,' because of her holistic involvement in President Jimmy Carter's decision making as he led the nation. She is said to have defined the modern role of the First Lady. She viewed herself not just as a figurehead and accessory to her husband, but as an activist with significant influence.

As we remember former first lady Rosalynn Carter, we take a look back at her love story with former President Jimmy Carter and their partnership that spanned more than seven decades. @MitchellReports has the story.https://t.co/jrqtY5m496

— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) November 20, 2023

President Biden and the Obamas join former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton among those celebrating the former first lady. Biden - a longtime friend of the family and an early endorser of Jimmy Carter's 1976 presidential campaign - posted a statement to X Sunday, saying Mrs. Carter 'walked her own path, inspiring a nation and the world along the way.' 'On behalf a grateful nation, we send our love to the entire Carter family and the countless people whose lives are better, fuller, and brighter because of Rosalynn Carter,' he added.

➤REPORT: HOSTAGE DEAL IN THE WORKS: Hostage negotiations aimed at producing a multi-day ceasefire in return for the release of some of the estimated 240 people believed held by militants in Gaza were progressing Sunday but a deal remained uncertain, officials said. "The sticking points, honestly, at this stage are more practical, logistical, not really something to present the call-off of the deal," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who has been involved in the talks, said at a news briefing.

Video emerges showing of the destruction of tunnel system in Gaza.. pic.twitter.com/LAEjKgUjnD

— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) November 19, 2023

Reports of various deals for the release of dozens of women and children have been circulating for weeks, but thus far only four hostages have been released and one rescued. Still, Deputy U.S. National Security Advisor Jon Finer said Sunday the talks had reached a "very sensitive" stage. He said the fate of the hostages remains an "incredibly high priority" for President Joe Biden and his entire administration.

Israel released video they say shows hostages being brought into Gaza’s largest hospital on October 7th, as well as drone video claiming to show a 30-foot deep tunnel they say was found on hospital grounds. @Reevellp reports on the hostage negotiations. https://t.co/5G6V0x8HIk pic.twitter.com/s4WBuR0tL1

— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) November 20, 2023

➤JOURNALISTS DEATH TOLL NOW 48: The head of a prominent media institution in Gaza and two other journalists were killed during the weekend in Israel's offensive in the territory, their relatives said on Sunday, adding to the dozens of reporters who have died in the six-week conflict. The military, who have been carrying out an operation at the medical complex over the last week, said it had found a long passage below the ground of the Gaza City hospital. Israel has long claimed the hospital - which is the largest in the Palestinian enclave - functions as a command complex for Hamas, with a network of tunnels running deep below used for both ammunition storage and planning. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the weekend deaths raised to 48 the number of journalists and media workers it had confirmed killed in the region since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli offensive.

➤MUSK'S STARSHIP EXPLODES: The second launch of SpaceX's uncrewed Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful craft on Earth, went farther than the first attempt in April but exploded after about 12 minutes into flight. The Starship, which lifted off about 8:04 a.m. ET from SpaceX’s private Starbase site in Boca Chica, Texas, near Brownsville on the Gulf of Mexico, had a stage separation and reached space. But ground crew lost communications with the rocketship after nine minutes, CNN.com reported. That's an improvement over the previous Starship test flight, in which several of the spacecraft's engines failed and exploded about four minutes after its launch.

Fan Dies, Swifties and Taylor Struggle With Rio Heat

Taylor Swift is back on her Eras Tour, and her weekend of dates in Rio de Janeiro has been difficult, with an intense heatwave that led to the death of a 23-year-old fan.

Taylor Swift returns to Rio stage after postponing Eras Tour concert, fan death https://t.co/9fZwE47us7

— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 20, 2023

After the tragic passing of a fan named Ana Clara Benevides Machado before the Friday, Nov. 17 show, and with the continuing high temperatures, Swift postponed the Saturday concert. Now, fans are sharing a video from Friday that showed the singer facing issues breathing as well. 

Amazon Plans A Black Friday Filled With Football and Garth

This week, Amazon  in its second year of streaming NFL Thursday Night Football, will be live streaming the first NFL game on Black Friday, the traditional start of the Holiday shopping season. 

The game will feature AFC East rivals, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets and will originate from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Kick-off is at 3 p.m. (ET). Amazon, which pays the NFL about $1 billion per annum over 11 years, is ponying up an additional $75 million to live stream the game.

Forbes reports Amazon plans a list of live events surrounding the game. The kick-off show will begin at 1:30 p.m. (ET). Amazon had previously announced viewers won’t need to subscribe to Amazon Prime to view the Black Friday game, anyone with an Amazon account can stream the game. Hence, the game will be free to anyone with an Amazon account on any device from anywhere. In a press release, Jay Marine, VP, global head of sports, Prime Video said, “We’re thrilled to create a new holiday tradition on the national sports calendar with the NFL’s first-ever Black Friday Football game.” As with NFL Thursday Night Football, the game will also be televised on local broadcast stations in the home markets of the two teams playing.

Fox News Media Lights Up The Holidays

FOX News Media will present its fourth annual “All-American Christmas Tree Lighting” on Monday, November 20 at 5 PM/ET partnering with the First Responders Children’s Foundation. Taking place on FOX Square outside the network’s New York City headquarters, the event will air live on FOX News Channel (FNC) during the last half hour of The Five and the tree will be lit by co-hosts Harold Ford Jr., Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, Judge Jeanine Pirro and Jesse Watters.

FOX’s All-American Christmas tree stands at 50 feet tall and will be decorated with 12,000 ornaments and 340,000 lights. The tree has 500 branches, a star topper that is over six feet tall, and more than four miles of cord wrapped throughout. Made by the iconic holiday lighting and display company American Christmas in Mt. Vernon, NY, the tree will feature a patriotic theme of red, white, and blue decorations.

Kicking off with holiday carolers, the co-hosts will be joined by special guests throughout the hour as they discuss the upcoming holiday season, the importance of giving back, and some of their favorite holiday memories in front of a live audience while Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Rabbi Haskel Lookstein and Rev. Jacques De Graff bestow a blessing of the tree. FOX News Media will also welcome members of the FDNY and NYPD from stations and precincts around New York City to attend the tree lighting ceremony.

This year, FOX News Media is partnering with the First Responders Children’s Foundation (1STRCF), which provides financial support to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty, as well as families enduring significant financial hardships due to tragic circumstances. Earlier this month, FNM set up an internal toy drive for employees to donate gifts which will then be wrapped and placed under the tree by the night of the lighting.

Holiday Season Is Important to U-S Retailers

by Felix Richter, Statista

Conventional wisdom says that the weeks leading up to Christmas are the most important time of the year for retailers in the United States. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are going to spend between $957 and $967 billion during November and December this year, with average spending for gifts and other holiday-related items expected to amount to $875 per consumer.

But how reliant are retailers on a successful holiday season? Can two to three months really make or break an entire year? Well, it depends. According to retail sales figures published by the U.S. Census Bureau, some types of retailers are more reliant on holiday season sales than others.

Paul Azinger Out As NBC Lead Golf Analyst

Paul Azinger

Paul Azinger’s time as the lead analyst for NBC Golf is over.  NBC has elected not to re-sign Azinger, ending a four-year stint as the lead voice of the network’s professional golf coverage. The Associated Press‘ Doug Ferguson first reported the news, which was subsequently confirmed by Azinger himself.

“I have treasured working beside Dan Hicks and the other talented NBC broadcasters, as well as lead producer Tommy Roy and all those behind the scenes,” Azinger said in a statement to Steve Eubanks. “They are a remarkable team, and I will miss them tremendously. My thanks to them and the countless others who have supported me and helped me along the way during my work in television. I have faith in what the future holds for me, for NBC, and for the great game of golf.”

Golf.com reports Azinger stepped into the lead chair in 2019 after a stint in the same role at Fox, where he helped head up the network’s USGA championship coverage. The former Ryder Cup captain was a popular hire among the Fox team, where his work ethic and team-first approach served was welcomed.

He joined NBC as the successor to legendary golf analyst Johnny Miller, who retired upon the completion of the 2018 season after 29 years in the lead chair. At the time, Azinger’s hiring was largely lauded in the sport, and he was viewed as a safe bet to carry the torch forward for the network.

Jennifer Ferro Elected NPR Board Chair

NPR has announced Jennifer Ferro was elected by the NPR board of directors as chair of the board. Ferro joined the board in 2018.

"I am honored to take on the role of Board Chair and to help guide this critical organization to meet and serve the American people along with over 200 community public media organizations," said Ferro.

NPR's 23-member board of directors is comprised of 12 Member Directors who are managers of NPR Member stations and are elected to the board by their fellow Member stations, nine Public Directors who are prominent members of the public selected by the Board and confirmed by NPR Member stations, the NPR Foundation chair, and the NPR president and CEO.

R.I.P.: Rosalyn Carter, Former First Lady

Rosalynn Carter, who as first lady of the U.S. served as a key adviser to her husband, Jimmy, during his turbulent presidency, died at her home in Plains, Ga., on Sunday, according to the Carter Center. She was 96.

“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” former President Carter said in a statement issued Sunday. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”

Radio History: November 20

➦In 1907...actress Fran Allison was born in Iowa. She played the folksy tale-telling Aunt Fanny for decades on ABC radio’s Don McNeill’s Breakfast Club.  On TV she was a co-star (with Burr Tillstrom & his puppets) on Kukla Fran & Ollie.

She died of bone marrow failure June 13 1989 at age 81.

➦In 1928…WGH-AM in Newport News, Virginia began signed-on.  The WGH call letters were not used from 9/1/83 to 12/10/84.

The earliest ancestor of WGH Radio was WPAB, granted a license by the Radio Division, Bureau of Navigation, United States Department of Commerce on December 4, 1926.  The licensee was the Radio Corporation of Virginia in Norfolk.  On December 6, 1926, WPAB signed on the air at 1040 kilocycles with a power of 100 watts.  WPAB later became WRCV and broadcast programming mostly of a religious nature.

In January 1927, the Radio Corporation of Virginia put another station on the air, WSEA, which transmitted on the frequency of 1370 kilocycles with a power of 500 watts.  In April 1927 WSEA began broadcasting from the brand new Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach but was dark by the middle of 1928, the Radio Corporation of Virginia having gone bankrupt.  WSEA, however, had one shining moment on June 10, 1927 when Norfolk Mayor S. Heth Tyler became the first American to extend coast to coast radio congratulations to aviator Charles Lindbergh after his successful solo flight from New York to Paris.  Lindbergh heard the message on WSEA as he was passing over the Cape Henry Lighthouse.

Tom Little moved the WSEA allocation to Newport News and changed the call letters to WNEW (signifying its new city of license, Newport News) on August 8, 1928.  Facilities were in the Tidewater Hotel at 2400 Washington Avenue in Newport News.  The studio was on the ground floor, directly behind the front desk and switchboard for the hotel, and the transmitter and antenna were on the top floor.  Shortly thereafter  a new licensee, Hampton Roads Broadcasting Company, changed the frequency  to 1430, and government authorization came through on October 8, 1928.

The WNEW calls lasted for only a few weeks, when they were changed to WGH ("World's Greatest Harbor").  It was also among the first 100 radio stations on the air in the United States.  By 1928, however, the station was gone and the available WGH call letters were requested by Hampton Roads Broadcasting.  An application to the Federal Radio Commission was approved on November 19 of that year and the station began identifying itself as "WGH" the next day.

In early 1959, a new era was ushered in with a switch to "Top-40" programming under the "Color Radio" banner.  Late 1950's performers included Jim Stanley, Jack Fisher, Lou Nelson, Dick Lamb, Jack Krueger, Frank Drake, Bob Calvert, Dean Collins (who went on to WPGC in Washington as Dean Griffith and later to New York as Dean Anthony, one of the WMCA "Good Guys"), Don Owens, Roger Clark, Bob Calvert's alter ego (and the inspiration for Wolfman Jack) "Baron Bebop", Throckmorton Quiff, and Gene Creasy.  Early newscasters included Ed Meyer, Dick Kidney, Pete Glazer, Bud Buhler and Art Merrill.

By 1960, the station was broadcasting at 5,000 watts from a non-directional daytime tower at the Newport News Small Boat Harbor, switching to the three-tower directional site in Hampton during the evening hours. Today, WGH operates with 20,000 watts by day and 5,000 watts at night.

➦In 1929… The radio program "The Rise of the Goldbergs," first aired with Gertrude Berg as Molly, was heard on the NBC Blue radio network. Later, the title would be shortened to The Goldbergs. Mrs. Berg, incidentally, wrote the first scripts for the 15-minute program and starred in the show — for $75 a week. The program continued until 1945 (it returned for one more radio season in 1949-1950).  The show also aired on TV first on CBS, then NBC, the Dumont Network, and syndication – between 1949 and 1956.

➦In 1940..The iHeartMedia FM station now known as WRVE in Albany NY has a much longer history as one of the nation's pioneering FM radio stations. A by-product of the station being owned by General Electric with similarly pioneering sisters WGY (AM) and WRGB (TV), WRVE traces its history to W2XDA Schenectady and W2XOY New Scotland, New York - two experimental frequency modulation transmitters on 48.5 MHz, which signed on in 1939. The two were merged into one station with the W2XOY call-letters on November 20, 1940 with the station then taking the W57A designation, and finally the long-running WGFM call-letters in the mid-1940s.