Denver Radio: Peter Boyles Still Off KHOW

Peter Boyles

Longtime Denver radio talk show host Peter Boyles is still off the air after last week's suspension following a "heated physical exchange" with his producer.

Jon Caldera has been filling in on Boyles' morning talk show on KHOW radio since the May 23 incident. Caldera will be on the air again Wednesday morning. Sources tell 9News they have fill-in guests for Boyle's show through Friday.

Last week, 9News reported how coworkers of Boyle observed red marks on producer Greg Hollenback's neck within the minutes of the argument, which happened during Thursday morning's broadcast of the Peter Boyles Show. (See original postking, Click Here). Hollenback is known on-air as the "Sheik of Cherry Creek".

Boyles and Hollenback have worked together for about two decades. The sources wished to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.

ClearChannel issued the following statement Thursday: "This is a personnel matter. Out of respect for our employees, we are not commenting at this time."

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Survey: We Prefer To Keep Computers Over Gadgets

A new Clear Channel Media & Entertainment survey upends some commonly held misconceptions about the use and ownership of electronic devices, including the fact that respondents would rather keep their computer and give up their TV, smartphone and tablet if they could only use one device for a year.

Western states love their smartphones: In what will likely come as a surprise to the fast-paced, connected population on the East Coast, respondents from Western states were more likely to have a smartphone (56%) than those in the Northeast (46%) and the Midwest (42%).

Women have more electronics: When it comes to smartphones and tablets, women are actually more likely than men to own these gadgets — 52% of women have smartphones vs. 43% of men; and 31% of women have a tablet or e-reader compared to 25% of men.

Multitasking: Media multitasking is now mainstream across all media channels. 65% of respondents have been online while watching TV at the same time; 59% have been online while listening to music; and even 25% of respondents watch TV and listen to music at the same time.

Consumers want their gadgets close by — day and night: Only one in ten consumers (11%) think it is “no big deal” if they accidentally leave their smartphone at home for the day. A large majority (78%) keep their smartphones in the bedroom at night, with 60% keeping their phones within arm’s reach on the nightstand.

Does constant connection come with a price? Though almost 70% of smartphone owners feel “connected” most or all of the time, they are split on the benefits, with 51% saying they “love it” and 49% saying it “has its pluses and minuses.”

Music is the ultimate “mood-enhancer”: Two out of three consumers choose to turn on music (59%) rather than TV (39%) when they are looking to change their mood.

Canadian Radio: CBC Gets Okay to Air Commercials

The CRTC, Canada’s broadcast regulator, on Tuesday approved plans to put national commercials on the network’s English language CBC Radio Two signal, and on its Radio-Canada equivalent, Espace Musique.

The green light to sell up to four minutes of ads per hour came as the CBC looks to make up for lost revenue after deep chops to its annual public subsidy, according to THR.

The CRTC, which ignored opposition from private radio stations to allowing commercial airtime, also renewed various CBC broadcast licenses for another five years.

The CBC will now be able to double-dip as it collects advertising revenue for CBC Radio Two and Espace Musique, while also drawing taxpayer subsidies.

The new revenue will only partially replace $115 million in government financing cut from the CBC’s budget over three years.

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Fort Wayne Radio: WGL A/F To Flip to Oldies

Summit City Radio Group will switch two of its stations — WGL, 1250-AM, The River, and WGL, Variety 102.9-FM — to a “Good-time Oldies” music format beginning June 3, according to the News-Sentinel.

The stations will play music from the 1960s and 1970s, with the same programming airing on both stations at the same time, said Dave Riethmiller, co-general manager of Summit City Radio stations. WGL-AM currently plays adult standards music mainly from the 1950s, while WGL-FM plays light rock.

Beginning June 3, station staff will select the music, drawing in part from the large collection of new morning show host Rick Hughes, Riethmiller said.

Hughes was one of the original disc jockeys when former rock station WLYV, 1450-AM, became a hit in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Fort Wayne. He later moved on local country radio station WQHK, now at 105.1-FM and known as K-105.

With the oldies music on WGL AM and FM, Summit City Radio said it will target adults ages 25-54, with a secondary focus on ages 35-64. The stations will play songs from the Beach Boys, early The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Motown and more, Riethmiller said.

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Allentown Radio: Former Part-Timer Now PD At WAEB-FM

"JoJo"

CCM+E has named Kyle “JoJo” Due at PD for its  CHR WAEB-FM B104 Allentown.  He starts June 17^th and moves to Allentown after serving as PD of WMKS 105.7 NOW in Greensboro, NC.

Jojo grew up in nearby Bangor, PA, started his career dubbing music at nearby WSBG at age 15 and one of his earliest part-time positions was at B104.  Prior to his current Greensboro gig, Jojo programmed CCM&E Top 40 WKXJ 103.7 Kiss FM and Hot AC WLND My 98.1 Chattanooga, TN and was APD of WIBT (96.1 The Beat)/Charlotte. On-air stops also include WBHT/Wilkes-Barre, WIOQ Q102Philadelphia and WIHT Hot 99.5 Washington.

"Honored is the first word that comes to mind when I think about this new role. Being able to lead the talented team of this heritage radio station, which helped launch my career, is just an honor," said Jojo.

"I definitely need to thank Clear Channel's senior programming team for their coaching and mentoring over the years which led me to this opportunity.  I'm excited to jump in and work with the B104 team continue this station's dominance in the market."

"Jojo’s track record of success makes him the perfect person for this position," said Jeff Hurley, CCM+E Regional Programming Manager for Harrisburg, Lancaster/Reading, Williamsport and Allentown. "He’ll bring a new energy and drive to our market-leading brand.  He’s one of our company’s rising young programming stars and we’re thrilled to add him to our superstar team."

Utica-Rome Radio: Bill Keeler Says WIBX Show Is Progressing

Bill Keeler

Arguably the most famous radio personality in the history of the Utica-Rome, NY market, Bill Keeler gives a glimpse into his thoughts on how his three decade-plus career at local radio stations continues to be a work in progress, according to  Don Laible of the Utica Observer-Dispatch.

Through hard work and talent, over the years Keeler hosted morning radio programs have always been in the top one, two, or three rated positions.  When many residents in the Mohawk Valley have awakened weekday mornings through the years, chances are they were joined by Keeler -  the morning rock jock. 

Quite the opposite can be said today as host of Keeler In The Morning. The Mohawk native addresses more serious, timely news issues having far lasting ramifications than Oneida and Herkimer counties.  Keeler will always be fighting off the reputation of being nothing more than a prankster.  Fortunately for him, Keeler's talk time on N/T WIBX 950 AM will no doubt put a crack in the outdated tag.

"I tried to get with WIBX for the past  three, maybe four years", Keeler said.  "Not being taken seriously bothered me".

Keeler believes, and no doubt there were former radio programmers as well as occasional listeners who thought when going to WIBX  that he would make a mockery of  the show. 

“The show is progressing as I knew it would", says Keeler.

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Williamsport Radio: Iconic Ken Sawyer Ready To Sign-Off

Ken Sawyer

A Williamsport treasure broadcaster Ken Sawyer has announced his retirement.  Sawyer will hang-up his day-to-day headphones on the Clear Channel-owned WRAK on May 31.  Although, he will continue to broadcast play-by-play of the Little League World Series this August as he has since the early ‘70s.

Except for his start at a small station in Warrenton, VA before military service, Sawyer’s entire radio career has kept him in Williamsport for 43-years, where he’s worked for two stations and three owners.  He’s hosted on WRAK 1400 AM and WRKK 1200 AM since 1988, then-owned by Dame Media, and also served as program director for the stations.  Previously, he was PD for the Ott family’s WPPA “The Twin” 1340 AM.   Sawyer spent 18-years at WWPA before crossing the street.

In the Williamsport community, Sawyer has served more than 25 years as a Red Cross volunteer, including as county chairman in 1991-1993. He has served on the board of directors of North Central Sight Services, Lycoming County-Brotherhood County USA, the West Branch Sports Hall of Fame and Junior Achievement.

Sawyer has received several honors including being inducted to the West Branch Valley Chapter Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.  Ken was named winner of the Douglas Dickey Award as Humanitarian of the Year for 2002 by Lycoming County United Way. In 2004 Ken was named the winner of the Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcasters Association annual Roy Morgan Award for broadcast excellence.

Accolades for Sawyer:

• Williamsport radio news anchor John Finn Jr calls Sawyer professional broadcaster and a great man. “Ken deserves the absolute best on his retirement”.

• Tom Scott, PD of Clear Channel’s B107.5 FM  worked for several years with Sawyer and calls him a gentleman, a kind soul, a good teacher, a great father, a good friend and a damn good broadcaster with a love of sports and his community.

• Bill Rehkopf, PM Drive Host at KDKA Pittsburgh, says Sawyer taught him patience and the value of knowing the community you serve.

• Scott Masteller, Sr. Director of ESPN Radio Content, calls Sawyer a tremendous teacher. “Many of the lessons he taught me have served me well in the business as well as in life!”

• Former WKSB 1027 KISS-FM radio personality Lou Kolb recalls when he came to town in 1974, “one of the first voices I heard on the radio was Ken Sawyer's. This morning in 2013, I turned on the radio and there he still was.”

Toledo Radio Reunion Voices Gratitude To Exec

Toledo Blade photo

Tuesday night’s gathering of longtime local disc jockeys was to be an “informal Toledo radio reunion” of friends, former colleagues, and casual acquaintances of Peter Cavanaugh.

It’s only fitting, reports The Toledo Blade, the reunion turned into a celebration of this former Toledo radio broadcasting executive, the one who brought them together this night at Manhattan’s Restaurant in Uptown, and for many, the man who gave them their first big industry opportunity.

Mark Benson, a radio veteran of more than three decades who handles mornings on classic rock station WXKR-FM, 94.5, said it was Mr. Cavanaugh’s appearance at a radio conference for college students in 1985 that got him “fired up about doing radio.”

Five years later, it was Mr. Cavanaugh, then-executive vice president and chief operating officer of Reams Broadcasting when it owned WIOT-FM, 104.7, and WCWA-AM, 1230, who paired Mr. Benson with a Flint radio talent he’d never met, Jeff Lamb.

The duo successfully anchored WIOT’s mornings as Jeff and Mark, “The Dawnbusters,” in the early 1990s. “He saw [the chemistry] . It was just one of those things that worked,” Mr. Benson said. “I don’t think I’d be doing mornings without him.

Mr. Cavanaugh started in radio in 1957 at the age of 16 in his hometown of Syracuse, N.Y., where he met his wife of 49 years, Eileen. He worked in Utica, N.Y.; Des Moines, and Flint before settling in Toledo. He’s been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Now 71, Mr. Cavanaugh is a private broadcast consultant and writer for McClatchy Newspapers and lives in Oakhurst, Calif.

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NFLer Tries To Confront Justin Bieber Over His Driving

Several neighbors called police over the weekend to complain about Justin Bieber's driving habits this weekend. One was Keyshawn Johnson, who jumped in his Prius to chase down the Biebs.

NYC Radio: Nicki Minaj Ends Feud With Hot 97

Last year it hit the fan at Summer Jam 2012 when Nicki Minaj did not go on stage to perform due to WQHT HOT 97 radio personality Peter Rosenberg's comments right before the concert in the Festival Village.

The rapper agreed to be a guest on New York City's Hot 97 morning radio show Tuesday, in an effort to clear the air and squash her almost year-long beef with DJ Peter Rosenberg, and it looked like the duo made some good progress.

“Relentess” Cuts Coming To News Corp Papers

Robert Thomson, chief executive of the new News Corp, said there will be "relentless" cost cuts in store for the newspaper business as it prepares to separate from Rupert Murdoch's entertainment empire.

The new News Corp, as it will be known on June 28, will be "relentless" in cost cutting, said Thomson, who remained bullish about the business, according to a Reuters story.

"Let me be clear, print is still a particularly powerful platform," Thomson said.

The new News Corp will include The Wall Street Journal and The Times in London, Australian pay-TV services, book publisher HarperCollins and fledgling education division Amplify.

The Fox network, the movie studio and a set of lucrative cable properties will become a separately traded company called 21st Century Fox.

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