Radio History: May 31

➦In 1898...Author, Columnist and radio minister Dr. Norman Vincent Peale was born in Bowersville Ohio. For 54 years (from 1935 to 1989), Peale hosted the weekly radio program The Art of Living.  He was best known for the best selling book The Power of Positive Thinking.  He served as mentor to televangelist Robert Schuller. He died Dec 24, 1993 at age 95.

➦In 1908...Entertainer Don Ameche was born Dominic Felix Amici (Died at age 85 from cancer – December 6, 1993), He was an Actor, voice artist and comedian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which led to the offer of a movie contract from 20th Century Fox in 1935.

As a handsome, debonair leading man in 40 films over the next 14 years, he was a popular star in comedies, dramas, and musicals. In the 1950s he worked on Broadway and in television, and was the host of NBC's International Showtime from 1961 to 1965. Returning to film work in his later years, Ameche enjoyed a fruitful revival of his career beginning with his role as a villain in Trading Places (1983) and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Cocoon (1985).

➦In 1924..the Chicago Tribune announced a significant shift for its radio station, WGN, marking a new era in broadcasting. The station, previously known as WDAP, was relocated to the Drake Hotel in Chicago after the Tribune acquired its equipment from Zenith Radio Corporation. This move aimed to reduce interference and improve broadcast quality, reflecting early efforts to refine radio’s technical infrastructure. The announcement highlighted the station’s new call letters, WGN, and its goal to enhance service for listeners, a pivotal moment in establishing WGN as a major player in American radio.

➦In 1943...The comic strip Archie Andrews came to radio on the Blue Network for the first time. Archie, Veronica and the gang remained on network radio for some nine years.

➦In 194?..Longtime Philadelphia and NYC Radio Personality Ross Brittain was born.

R.I.P. Loretta Swit, Portrayed 'Hot Lips' Houlihan

Loretta Swit, beloved by MASH* fans as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, has passed away at 87, her publicist Harlan Boll confirmed to Entertainment Weekly. She died early Friday.

Swit rose to fame as the spirited head nurse in the CBS comedy’s Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, earning two Emmys from 10 nominations over the show’s 11-year run. Her character’s beauty and allure were central to the scripts, notably in her humorous, long-running affair with Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville). Swit, however, pushed for depth, eventually urging writers to end the affair, citing its demeaning nature.

“They were making her smarter and him sillier,” she once said. “I told them, ‘She’d break it off with Frank—it’s going nowhere, and she has no respect for his skills as a doctor.’”

Swit took pride in Houlihan’s evolution into a strong feminist figure. “She was ambitious, caring, and wanted to be the best nurse in Korea,” Swit noted. “She was a trailblazer.”

Born in New Jersey, Swit honed her acting and singing at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her early career included theater roles, like a Pigeon sister in a Los Angeles production of The Odd Couple with Don Rickles and Ernest Borgnine. She appeared on TV in Ironside, Love, American Style, and Hawaii Five-0, and originated Det. Christine Cagney in the Cagney & Lacey TV movie before Sharon Gless took over in the series.

Connoisseur CEO Sues Soros Management Fund

Jeff Warshaw, CEO of Connoisseur Media, is suing Soros Fund Management, alleging they breached an agreement related to plans to acquire Cox Radio and Audacy. 

Jeff Warshaw

Warshaw claims he played a significant role in orchestrating these deals but was excluded by Soros Fund Management, who denied any formal agreement existed and refused to compensate him for his contributions. This legal action follows Warshaw's recent acquisition of Alpha Media, which expanded Connoisseur Media's portfolio to 218 stations across 47 markets. 

In 2022, Jeff Warshaw, CEO of Connoisseur Media, began collaborating with Soros Fund Management’s Del Nin to acquire Cox Media Group’s radio division, signing a non-disclosure agreement in July 2023.

 The deal fell apart in September 2023 due to unspecified issues. 

Around the same time, Warshaw identified an opportunity to acquire Audacy’s debt from another investment firm, with Cumulus Media as a potential buyer. Warshaw alleges he shared this opportunity with Del Nin only after Del Nin agreed to appoint him as Audacy’s CEO or provide 5% of the fund’s profits from the deal. 

George Soros

According to Warshaw, Del Nin, representing Soros Fund Management, accepted these terms, prompting Warshaw to disclose Audacy as the target and refrain from pitching it to other investors.

After Soros Fund Management became Audacy’s largest shareholder following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring, Warshaw claims he emailed Del Nin to confirm their agreement and seek compensation. 

The lawsuit states Del Nin called Warshaw, denying their partnership, claiming no business relationship existed, and dismissing any contract as “fabricated.” Warshaw’s plan involved merging his Connecticut stations into the new venture, with Connoisseur’s Long Island, NY stations placed in a divestment trust to comply with market ownership limits.

iHM's Bob Pittman On 50-Years In Media

The Wrap has published an in-depth story and interview with iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman, titled "Bob Pittman on 50 Years in Media and What He's Not Saying About the Future." 

The article explores Pittman's extensive career, the current state of iHeartMedia, and his perspectives on the media industry's future. Below is a detailed summary of the story and interview based on available information.

The article highlights Pittman's journey from a teenage DJ in Mississippi to a media titan who co-founded MTV and now leads iHeartMedia, the largest radio company in the U.S. with nearly 900 stations across 151 markets and $3.8 billion in annual revenue. It emphasizes the resilience of radio, noting that iHeartRadio has more listeners today than a decade ago, despite predictions that TV, satellite radio, and podcasts would diminish its relevance. 

CEO Pittman

Pittman asserts radio's unique role as a trusted companion, reaching 90% of Americans monthly through broadcast and streaming platforms, and contrasts this with the declining reach of TV and other media like Spotify (43% monthly reach among adults 18-34), YouTube Music (35%), and Pandora/Apple Music (18% each).

The story also addresses iHeartMedia's financial challenges, including a $5 billion debt and a stock price drop to $1.40, down 30% in 2025. Pittman avoids commenting directly on the stock price but emphasizes operational efficiency and leveraging new technologies to strengthen the company's position. He discusses iHeartMedia's multi-platform strategy, encompassing broadcast radio, digital streaming, podcasts, and live events, positioning it as a leader in audio media.

May TV Ratings: Growth For FNC, Double Digits Loses For MSNBC, CNN

In May, Fox News maintained strong ratings growth, outpacing cable news competitors MSNBC and CNN, both of which experienced year-over-year declines. 

MSNBC debuted a new nighttime lineup, with The Weeknight at 7 p.m. ET, Rachel Maddow hosting once weekly at 9 p.m. ET, and Jen Psaki anchoring Tuesday through Thursday in that slot. Despite some recovery from post-election viewership drops, MSNBC and CNN saw double-digit declines compared to 2024, a presidential election year when viewership typically spikes.

In primetime, Fox News averaged 2.46 million viewers (up 23%), MSNBC had 877,000 (down 24%), and CNN had 426,000 (down 18%). In the 25-54 demographic, Fox News drew 262,000 viewers (up 32%), CNN had 76,000 (down 21%), and MSNBC had 73,000 (down 34%). For total day viewership, Fox News averaged 1.56 million (up 21%), MSNBC had 545,000 (down 33%), and CNN had 353,000 (down 24%). In the 25-54 demo, Fox News averaged 180,000 (up 22%), CNN had 59,000 (down 27%), and MSNBC had 49,000 (down 41%).

MSNBC’s top show, The Rachel Maddow Show, averaged 1.89 million viewers, while The Briefing with Jen Psaki drew 950,000, down from Alex Wagner Tonight’s 1.3 million in the same Tuesday-Friday slot from 2022 to 2025. 

Psaki’s show outperformed its lead-in, All In with Chris Hayes, which averaged 912,000. The Weeknight, hosted by Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez, averaged 772,000 viewers, compared to ReidOut’s 955,000 in its final month.

Fox News’ The Five led cable news with 3.77 million viewers, followed by Jesse Watters Primetime (3.23 million), Gutfeld! (2.92 million), Special Report (2.81 million), and Hannity (2.73 million). In the 25-54 demo, The Five had 368,000 viewers, followed by Jesse Watters Primetime (363,000), Gutfeld! (328,000), Hannity (299,000), and The Ingraham Angle (297,000). Nielsen provided these figures through May 23, as reported by Fox News.

NewsNation saw growth, with primetime viewership up 15% to 113,000 from May 2024 and total day viewership at 52,000 (up from 43,000). Its top show, Cuomo, averaged 175,000 viewers, a 48% increase year-over-year.

MSNBC Struggles With New Line-Up

MSNBC’s viewership has plummeted just weeks after launching a new primetime lineup to reverse declining ratings. Leaked Nielsen figures show a 41% drop in the primetime 25-54 demographic and a 34% decline in total day viewership for May compared to May 2024.

Jen Psaki, who replaced Rachel Maddow in the 9 p.m. ET slot from Tuesday to Friday starting May 5, has struggled to gain traction. Maddow, MSNBC’s long-time top host, expressed confidence in Psaki, Biden’s former press secretary, but Psaki’s The Briefing with Jen Psaki drew only 973,000 total viewers on May 22, missing the 1 million mark, compared to Fox News’ Hannity at 2.3 million in the same slot. In the 25-54 demo, Psaki’s show had 55,000 viewers, while Hannity attracted 210,000.

Maddow, who briefly hosted five nights a week to cover Trump’s first 100 days, now anchors only Mondays. Her show averaged 1.8 million viewers since the lineup change, down 24% from last year’s 2.4 million. Psaki’s viewership is down 46% from Maddow’s 1.82 million during the Trump coverage and 20% lower than Alex Wagner’s average in the same slot last year.

The Weeknight

MSNBC’s new 7 p.m. show, The Weeknight, hosted by Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez, replaced Joy Reid’s ReidOut, canceled in February due to poor ratings and Reid’s controversial social media posts. On May 22, The Weeknight drew 707,000 total viewers, with only 56,000 in the 25-54 demo. Its average of 770,000 viewers is 36% below the 1.2 million who watched MSNBC’s 7 p.m. slot a year ago.

CNN trails Fox News but outperforms MSNBC in the 25-54 demo across most shows, except for Abby Phillip’s 10 p.m. program. Fox News continues to dominate cable news ratings.

ESPN's Stephen A Smith Claims Democrats Are Tone Deaf

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith appeared on Fox News’ Hannity Thursday night, where he made headlines by claiming that President-elect Donald Trump is gaining traction among Democratic voters and criticized the Democratic Party for being “tone deaf.”

The segment focused on the political fallout following the 2024 presidential election, particularly in light of the release of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book, Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. Below is a detailed summary of Smith’s appearance, his claims, and the context surrounding the discussion, based on available information from X posts and related sources.

🚨 NEW: “Trump is gaining traction within the Democratic Party” — Stephen A Smith tells Sean Hannity, adding they are “tone deaf” pic.twitter.com/UqaMIcLvK2

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) May 30, 2025

Key Points from Stephen A. Smith’s Appearance

Claim Trump Gaining Traction with Democrats: Smith asserted that Trump is gaining support among traditionally Democratic voter groups, specifically mentioning Black and young voters. He stated, “Trump is gaining traction within the Democratic Party. Black voters, young voters.” This claim was framed as a reflection of growing dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party’s approach, particularly in the wake of Trump’s decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Smith suggested that Trump’s appeal is resonating with these demographics due to the Democrats’ failure to address key voter concerns effectively.

Criticism of Democrats as “Tone Deaf” Smith described the Democratic Party as “tone deaf” for its disconnect with voters, particularly on issues like the economy and border security. He argued that the party’s messaging and candidate selection have failed to resonate, pointing to their loss in the 2024 election as a “referendum” on their approach. He emphasized the need for candidates with “sizzle” who can influence hearts and minds, criticizing the Democrats for anointing candidates who lack broad appeal.

Criticism of Democratic Hypocrisy on Biden’s Decline Smith went “scorched earth” on the Democrats for labeling Trump an “existential threat” for years while allegedly covering up President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, a central theme of Tapper’s book. He argued that this hypocrisy undermined the party’s credibility, stating, “To me, when you’ve walked around as a party labeling Donald Trump an existential threat for years, for years — and then a book comes [out]…” (referring to Original Sin). This critique tied into the broader narrative of the interview, which highlighted public and media discussions around Biden’s fitness for office.

TV Ratings: Yankees-Dodgers Rivalry Reignites

The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers will renew their storied rivalry this weekend at Dodger Stadium in their only regular-season series of 2025, running Friday through Sunday. Following last year’s thrilling World Series, which the Dodgers won in five games, the matchup is generating significant buzz among fans and broadcasters, fueled by the star power of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.

Both teams feature MVP frontrunners, with Judge and Ohtani off to strong starts and favored to claim the 2025 Most Valuable Player awards. The series, a highlight of a season already marked by a surge in MLB attendance and drama surrounding stars like the Mets’ Juan Soto and Pirates’ Paul Skenes, will be nationally televised. Apple TV+ will stream Friday’s opener, Fox will broadcast Saturday’s game, and ESPN will air the finale on Sunday Night Baseball. 

Front Office Sports reports the Sunday game is expected to rival or exceed the 2.54 million viewers who watched the Mets-Yankees Subway Series finale on May 18.

The Dodgers, perennial leaders in MLB attendance with an average of 50,231 fans per game, are seeing ticket resale prices for the series start at nearly $100, double the get-in prices for their upcoming home series against the Mets. Last year’s World Series, the most-watched since 2017, continues to drive interest in this matchup.

Aaron Judge returns to Dodger Stadium, where a 2023 collision with the outfield wall injured his toe, derailing a promising season. Now primarily a right fielder after playing center last year, Judge anchors a red-hot Yankees team that has won 16 of its last 20 games, boasting the American League’s second-best record after a roster overhaul following Soto’s departure. 

Meanwhile, the Dodgers, tied for the National League’s third-best record, have struggled with a 13-12 May and over $102 million in payroll sidelined by injuries—more than the total payrolls of six MLB teams. Ohtani, while excelling at the plate, is also working toward a return to starting pitching post-All-Star break.

Jake Tapper’s CNN Show Hits Ratings Low

In May 2025, CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper recorded its lowest-rated month in nearly a decade, despite Jake Tapper’s high-profile promotional tour for his new book. Co-authored with Axios reporter Alex Thompson, Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again was released amid significant media attention. 

The book, which alleges a Biden White House cover-up regarding the former president’s fitness for office, fueled intense news coverage.

Tapper’s extensive book tour included appearances on podcasts, talk shows, and cable news, with heavy promotion across CNN’s platforms. However, the increased visibility failed to translate into viewership gains for The Lead. From April 28 to May 25, the show averaged just 525,000 total viewers, a 25% drop from the same period in 2024, marking Tapper’s worst performance since August 2015.

In contrast, Fox News’ The Five and Special Report with Bret Baier dominated the timeslot with 3.3 million viewers, capturing 68% of the cable news audience share. MSNBC also outperformed Tapper, averaging slightly over 1 million viewers and securing a 21% share, while The Lead managed only 11%. 

The stark ratings gap underscores a challenging period for Tapper and CNN, despite the book’s role in shaping recent political discourse.

Network Broadcast Newscasts Enjoy Spike

In the week before Memorial Day, the flagship evening newscasts of the three major broadcast networks saw viewership increases. "NBC Nightly News" and "CBS Evening News" reported double-digit growth in the 25-54 age demographic (A25-54), the key group for linear TV advertisers.

ABC’s "World News Tonight" led with an average of 7.2 million viewers over the four-day week, followed by "NBC Nightly News" with 5.8 million and "CBS Evening News" with 3.9 million. In the A25-54 demographic, ABC had 969,000 viewers, NBC had 872,000, and CBS had 555,500.

Friday’s ratings were excluded as the networks rebranded their programs, anticipating lower viewership due to the holiday weekend. NBC Universal noted that "NBC Nightly News" has been closing the gap with ABC in the A25-54 demographic since September and in total viewers since November.

Post-election ratings for network and cable news typically decline, but renewed interest in geopolitical and economic issues has driven a resurgence in viewership.

NYTimes, Amazon Reach Licensing Agreement

The New York Times Company announced on Thursday a multiyear agreement to license its editorial content to Amazon for use in the company’s AI platforms. 

The deal includes news articles, as well as content from NYT Cooking and The Athletic, integrating Times material into various Amazon customer experiences.

This marks The Times’s first licensing deal centered on generative AI technology. In 2023, The Times filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement for using millions of its articles to train chatbots without compensation, claims both companies denied. 

Financial details of the Amazon agreement were not disclosed.

Media companies are increasingly licensing content to AI firms like OpenAI, Microsoft, and ProRata to train models or enhance AI search and chatbot functionalities. These deals often include attribution, traffic referrals, and access to AI tools for product development, reflecting a strategic shift toward integrating AI while protecting revenue streams.

Legal Tensions: While some publishers embrace licensing, others, like The New York Times, Raw Story, The Intercept, and News Corp (in a separate lawsuit against Perplexity), pursue legal action against AI companies for alleged copyright infringement, highlighting a divide in the industry.

Revenue and Attribution Focus: Recent deals emphasize attribution, traffic referrals, and revenue-sharing models over traditional training data licenses, as publishers aim to maintain visibility and monetize content in AI-driven ecosystems.

Music and Social Media: Music licensing deals, such as those with Meta and YouTube, underscore the growing influence of social media platforms on content consumption, with negotiations focusing on fair artist compensation and AI usage rights.