ESPN Talking Expanded Role For Chris Berman

ESPN is in talks with Chris Berman about an expanded role for this NFL season, sources have told The NYPost.

There is a hope that Berman could work a quarter of the NFL season, according to sources. ESPN would want Berman for more, but in semi-retirement, Berman already has made plans for some weekends, and so that is likely unfeasible — at least for this year.

In addition to appearing on “SportsCenter” this season, Berman could do more features and interviews to aid “Sunday NFL Countdown,” whose ratings dropped by double digits in his first year away from the program.

Berman, arguably the most significant on-air personality in ESPN’s history, accepted a lesser role with the company at the conclusion of the 2016-17 football season. The reduction of Berman’s role was spearheaded by ex-ESPN president John Skipper.

Though Skipper jettisoned Berman, he did keep Berman on the payroll, but in a very limited role that included no Sunday regular-season gig. Berman does do a weekly spot centered around history for “Monday NFL Countdown.”

After the NFL conference championship games and the Super Bowl, Berman is scheduled to host “NFL Primetime.” He also does the radio call of an MLB divisional playoff series.

With Berman gone last year, the “Sunday NFL Countdown” ratings suffered. Without Berman as the familiar face leading “Countdown,” the show’s numbers were down 12 percent. Sam Ponder replaced Berman as the host.

Smart Speakers: Google Gains On Amazon

According to the latest quarterly research from Strategy Analytics, Amazon’s global smart speaker share of shipments fell to 41% in Q2 2018 from 44% in Q1 and 76% in Q2 2017. By contrast Google has increased its share to 28% in Q2 2018, up from 16% during the same period last year.

Alibaba finished third with Apple and JD.com rounding out the top five. Strategy Analytics’ latest smart speaker report “Smart Speaker Vendor & OS Shipment and Installed Base Market Share by Region: Q2 2018” provides detailed quarterly metrics for the top twenty smart speaker vendors and leading fourteen voice operating systems worldwide.

David Watkins, Director at Strategy Analytics commented that, “Amazon and Google accounted for a 69% share of global smart speaker shipments in Q2 2018 down from over 90% in Q2 2017.

The drop is not only a reflection of growing competition in the smart speaker market but also Amazon and Google’s inability to break into the fast growing Chinese market that is dominated by local powerhouse brands such as Alibaba, JD.com and Baidu. China has the potential to be a hugely lucrative market for smart speakers and the voice assistant platforms that power them and Google’s recent $500 million strategic partnership with Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com is a sign that it is deadly serious about not missing the opportunity.”

David Mercer, Vice President at Strategy Analytics added, “Google and Amazon’s pursuit of volume over margin is making life very difficult for vendors entering the market with products that offer similar features. However, the more premium end of the market does offer opportunity to vendors who can entice consumers with superior build and audio quality.

"Early adopters of low-cost smart speakers such as the Echo Dot or Google Home Mini and who are now looking to buy a second device will be a key target demographic for such vendors. Apple has established an early lead in the premium smart speaker market, benefiting from a fiercely loyal fan base and strong momentum behind its Apple Music service. However, we expect the higher end smart speaker market to grow and become much more competitive moving forwards as vendors such as Samsung with its Galaxy Home speaker look to capitalize on the growing acceptance of voice as an established control mechanism.”

Users Blocking Ads On Twitter Over Alex Jones

Tens of thousands of Twitter users this morning blocked hundreds of accounts associated with major brands like Nike, Pepsi and Uber in an effort to pressure the embattled social media platform into permanently banning controversial far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, according to AdWeek.

Shannon Coulter, who in 2016 co-founded the consumer boycott organization #GrabYourWallet, told Adweek that more than 71,000 Twitter users have automatically blocked accounts associated with nearly 500 major companies, along with more than 200 of those companies’ consumer-facing brands.

The mass blocking of the brands is intended to limit the reach of the companies’ advertising, which is often through promoted tweets that appear on users’ timelines. Some of the brands affected by the blocking effort include McDonald’s, Red Bull, Starbucks, IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Visa and Capital One.

“What makes Twitter so valuable is that it can monetize its users’ time and attention,” Coulter said. “The idea is for us to take that away until Twitter enforces their terms of service.”

Coulter said she hopes the mass blocking effort applies enough pressure on the social media platform that it will permanently remove Jones’ account.

“The goal is to get Twitter to show Alex Jones the door,” she said.

Facebook Sued Over Ad Metrics

Facebook has been hit with a lawsuit accusing it of bilking advertisers by inflating the number of people its ads could reach, reports MediaPost.

"Based on publicly available research and plaintiffs’ own analysis, Facebook overstates the potential reach of its advertisements," business owner Danielle Singer alleges in a class-action complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Danielle Singer

Singer, who owns the Kansas-based business Therapy Threads -- which sells aromatherapy-related products -- says she spent more than $14,000 on Facebook ads between October of 2013 and April of this year.

She alleges that Facebook induced advertisers like herself to purchase ads -- and to pay higher prices for them -- by "vastly" inflating the number of active users the ads could reach. The complaint claims that Facebook violated a California business law.

The complaint draws on reports by outside groups, including the industry organization Video Advertising Bureau, as well as a survey commissioned by the plaintiffs. The Video Advertising Bureau reported last year that Facebook's estimates of audience reach in every U.S. state were higher than the states' populations according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Singer specifically refers to Chicago in the complaint. She alleges that Facebook claimed in 2017 that its ads could potentially 1.9 million people in Chicago between the ages 18 and 34, but that Census data showed a population of only 808,785 people in that age range in Chicago.

Singer adds that a survey she commissioned shows that 59% of 18- to-34 year-olds in Chicago have Facebook accounts. The upshot, she alleges, is that Facebook ads potentially reach only 500,000 18-34 year-olds in Chicago.

August 17 Radio History

➦In 1900...a noted commentator from network radio’s golden age Quincy Howe was born in Boston. He was best known for his daily CBS broadcasts during WWII.  He left for ABC in 1947, and retired from broadcasting in 1974, three years before his death from cancer of the larynx at age 76.

➦In 1943...writer Norman Corwin’s first success debuted on CBS radio. It was Passport for Adams, starring Robert Young who played a small town newspaper editor. Corwin would have many other radio successes. He wrote and produced such radio classics as This is War, An American in England and We Hold These Truths.

➦In 1963...writer/actor Ed Gardner succumbed to a diseased liver at age 62.  He was best known as the heavily Brooklyn-accented star of network radio’s widely popular “Duffy’s Tavern” (CBS, then Blue, then NBC) from 1941 to 1952, in which he portrayed Archie, the tavern manager.

➦In 1969…On the final day of the three-day Woodstock festival in Bethel, New York, there were performances by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Ten Years After, John Sebastian, Sha Na Na, Joe Cocker, Country Joe and the Fish, the Band, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. More than 186,000 tickets were sold but flimsy fences and ticket barriers came down on the first day and the organizers announced the concert would be a free event, allowing thousands more to attend.

➦In 1982...First audio CDs are manufactured (a recording of Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony)

➦In 2011...Longtime Milwaukee radio host (WZUU-FM, WISN-AM) Larry "The Legend" Johnson, who also spent time on the air in Chicago (WIND-AM), Chattanooga and Nashville, died of pneumonia at 78. 

Marge Thrasher

➦In 2012…Longtime Memphis TV and radio personality Marge Thrasher died at the age of 78. Born into a musical family, Marge began her lifetime love of music as a two-year old singing on KRNT in Des Moines and then performing for War Bond rallies during WWII. She regularly sang duets at church with her mother and choral groups including the Sweet Adelines in Memphis. Known best for her decades long radio and television career in Memphis, Marge was host of such shows as WHER’s Open Mike, WWEE Radio’s afternoon talk radio show and WHBQ’s Straight Talk with Marge Thrasher and AM Memphis as well as being their noon news anchor. She especially enjoyed her interviews with such notables as Elvis Presley, Julia Child, Dolly Parton, Nancy Reagan, and Billy Graham

➦In 2012…Longtime Denver KHOW personality Charley Martin died of liver failure at 67.

Charley Martin

He was half of "Hal and Charley," the dominant morning team on Denver's KHOW, launched in 1976 and lasting for decades. The two started in radio in Des Moines, Iowa, when Martin was in high school, working weekends with Moore at KSO, a top-40 station.

Martin holds a key place in Denver radio history.  "When humorous deejays were the big thing on AM radio, he and Hal Moore were among the best," said Dusty Saunders, the longtime media critic for the Rocky Mountain News and a current contributor to The Denver Post. "Morning drive time belonged to them," and they regularly scored "enormous ratings," he said.

The duo holds a claim to broader pop-culture history as well: in the 1980 Stanley Kubrick film "The Shining," Hal and Charley's KHOW show can be heard on the car radio on the approach to the hotel.

"Hal and Charley, they were the brand, like Huntley and Brinkley. They shaped Denver media in the '70s and '80s," said Chuck Lontine, a longtime radio executive who worked with the pair early in their career.

Martin joined KHOW in 1969 and was paired with various morning co-hosts, including Rosemary Barnwell (on "The Charley and Barney Show") and Marti Martin. The "Charley and Barney Show," with beauty queen Barnwell, scored "phenomenal" ratings, the trade magazine Billboard reported at the time. But Martin would go on to even greater ratings success when paired with Moore.

KHOW dropped the show in 1995 when it switched to a more issue-oriented all-talk format.

After retiring from broadcasting, Martin taught radio and television at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona.

R.I.P.: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, Dies at 76

Aretha Franklin, the sensational songbird whose voice was sweeter than honey to millions, making her an inspirational American icon and one of the most admired vocalists of all time, died on Thursday at her home in Detroit, her publicist confirmed to the Associated Press.

She was 76, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  The cause was advanced pancreatic cancer, her publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn, said.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, but raised in the Motor City, Franklin was firmly rooted in gospel but also excelled in the worlds of jazz, R&B and pop. She collected 20 Grammys — including a lifetime achievement award — covering a span of four decades; was the first woman enshrined into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (in 1987); and, befitting a queen, was named No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

She sold more than 75 million records worldwide, according to one estimate, and had 10 Top Ten hits in a roughly 18-month stretch beginning in early 1967. A tireless road warrior, Franklin also sold millions of concert tickets, almost always arriving to shows in her custom bus (she had a fear of flying).

Franklin’s signature song, the 1967 smash “Respect” for her first album for Atlantic Records, became a battle cry for the feminist and civil rights movements. Recorded two years earlier by Otis Redding from a man’s point of view, her righteous reworking pushed “Groovin’ ” by The Young Rascals from the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.



A list of her other musical gems seems to go on forever: the bopping “Think” (which she memorably performed in The Blues Brothers film); “Chain of Fools,” “Baby, I Love You,” “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You),” “(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman,” “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” “Spanish Harlem,” “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do),” “Freeway of Love” and “I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me),” her other No. 1 hit, performed with George Michael.

Newspaper Editorials Rebuke Trump For Attacks On Media

(Reuters) - More than 300 U.S. newspapers have pledged to run editorials on Thursday defending freedom of the press in response to President Donald Trump calling some media organizations enemies of the American people.

The Boston Globe organized the editorial push, which was joined by the New York Times and a number of smaller newspapers, including some in states that Trump won during the 2016 presidential election.

The Boston Globe editorial board, in a piece posted online on Wednesday, accused Trump of carrying out a “sustained assault on the free press.”

“The greatness of America is dependent on the role of a free press to speak the truth to the powerful,” the Globe piece said. “To label the press ‘the enemy of the people’ is as un-American as it is dangerous to the civic compact we have shared for more than two centuries.”

Trump, in treating the media at times like an opposition party, has responded to unflattering reports as “fake news.”

For instance, in February 2017 the president tweeted that “The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American people!”

At conservative website Townhall.com, an opinion piece from Tom Tradup accused newspapers taking part in the editorial push of “collusion.”

“Unlike the mastodons at The Boston Globe, I would not presume to tell anyone else what to think or what to do,” Tradup wrote. “But as for me - and I suspect many others - I won’t be putting any coins in any newspaper box August 16th.”

Editorial Assault On Trump Will Not Impress

In a self-defeating act of journalistic group think, America's editorial pages launched a coordinated protest against President Trump on Thursday, all running negative editorials attacking the president over his #FakeNews rhetoric.

The Boston Globe, who organized the effort, calls it "educating readers" about "an attack on the First Amendment." But to the average American, seeing an editorial in their local paper trashing Trump is called "A day that ends in 'y.'"

In a commentary on CBS News website, columist and radio host Michael Graham wonders "Who's going to be persuaded by this effort, or be impressed that a few hundred newspapers can hum the same tune? Who's even going to notice?"

Michael Graham

Well, the newspapers will notice, of course, writes Graham.

"There's a run on pain pills from all the muscle injuries inflicted by self-indulgent media back-patting. "A Free Press Needs You," a New York Times editorial headline blared on Wednesday, praising themselves for "answering the call" of the Boston Globe and courageously facing the threat that is Donald Trump. 

"#FakeNews? That phrase is "dangerous to the lifeblood of democracy," the Times intoned. "And calling journalists the 'enemy of the people' is dangerous, period."   

"And to prove we aren't the enemy, we in the media are going to band together and go after the guy who keeps saying we are! The same guy we attack every day, seemingly no matter what he does, and in ways we've never attacked a politician before! 

That might be an unfair characterization, but it's easy to understand why Trump supporters would see it that way. They remember the Obama administration spying on reporters. They remember Obama White House attempts to have Fox News de-legitimized and removed from traditional media opportunities over its viewpoint. 

President Obama called out the network by name repeatedly. 

"How many "Days Of Editorial Rage" did that inspire?

San Antonio Radio: KTFM Adding The Dana Cortez Show

Starting Monday August 20, Alpha Media's KTFM Energy 94.1 FM San Antonio is adding The Dana Cortez Show to PM drive.

The Dana Cortez Show, the #1 rated morning show in San Antonio, was previously affiliated with Univision. This past Friday, it was announced that the team has partnered with ABC Radio and Skyview Networks, making Cortez one of radio’s first Latinas to host a nationally syndicated show. The show is led by a truly dynamic and relatable casts–Dana Cortez leads, alongside her executive producer DJ Automatic and comedian Anthony Almanzar. The show will specialize in content relevant to San Antonio listeners, in keeping with Alpha Media’s live & local philosophy.

“I am beyond excited. It’s like you open your eyes and it’s like ‘Oh my god, my dreams are still happening,’” Cortez told local outlet My San Antonio. “It’s something I’ve thought about for many years and it’s finally happening.”

“From previously competing against them, we know that listeners in San Antonio are passionate about Dana and Auto. We are thrilled to have them joining the KTFM team,” commented Phil Becker, VP of Content for Alpha Media.

Lance Hawkins, SVP/Market Manager for Alpha Media San Antonio, remarked “Listeners in San Antonio are already used to engaging with Dana and her team, and we’re thrilled to offer them a new and energized radio home. Along with the recently upgraded signal, the launch of the Dana Cortez show marks a new and exciting chapter for Energy 94.1.”

KTFM 94.1 FM (10.5 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Pat Cerullo, Content Director for KTFM, commented “Dana and her team’s skill set are a perfect match for Alpha Media. They have a proven ability to engage with their audience by creating meaningful content across multiple platforms. Dana, Anthony and Auto have already built several years of brand equity in San Antonio, and I’m thrilled to have them on the Energy 94.1 team!”

Austin Radio: Pirate Flagship for Alex Jones, Faces $15K Fine

A pirate radio station that serves as controversial host Alex Jones’ Austin flagship has been knocked off the Austin’s airwaves – at least temporarily – and the FCC has levied a $15,000 penalty that the station’s operators are refusing to pay.

According to The American-Statesman, a lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District Court in Austin accuses Liberty Radio of operating at 90.1 FM without federal consent since at least 2013. Religious programming was airing on that frequency Wednesday, in place of Liberty Radio.

A check of the Liberty Radio website indicated the station stopped being transmitted over the air in December, but has been streaming online.

According to court documents, FCC enforcement agents from Houston were called to the Austin area to investigate 90.1 FM after the agency received a complaint. Using high-tech equipment, those agents were able to trace the signal to apartments in East Austin.

The agents reported that Liberty Radio was being operated out of some sort of maintenance or utility room at the complex. Travis Central Appraisal District records indicate that up until late last year, the complex – subject of numerous well-publicized city nuisance violations – had been owned by an entity linked to Walter Olenick and M. Rae Nadler-Olenick, who are listed as the two defendants in the federal lawsuit over Liberty Radio.

Court documents show the FCC had tracked the transmissions to a 50-foot tower at an Austin apartment complex owned by an entity linked to the Olenicks.

Entercom Launching Traffic, Weather Network

Lee Davis

Entercom announced Wednesday the appointment of Lee Davis to the role of Senior Vice President of Sales for Entercom’s Traffic Weather and Information Network (TWIN).

In this new role, Davis will oversee TWIN revenue throughout the country on a national, local and network scale.

“With a premier collection of leading radio brands across the country, Entercom has the scale and reach to provide advertisers with compelling solutions,” said Bob Philips, Chief Revenue Officer, Entercom. “We welcome Lee to the team and look forward to growing TWIN under his guidance and expertise.”

“I am thrilled to join Entercom and work with our teams to drive revenue to our robust TWIN sales channel,” said Davis. “By leveraging our vast collection of radio and digital properties, we will untap the vast potential we have in this space.”

Davis is a 28-year veteran of the media industry. He joins Entercom from MediaCrossing, where he was Executive Vice President for the programmatic digital media agency. Davis previously held the role of Executive Vice President of Sales for Univision Communication’s Local Media division. During his tenure there, he spearheaded significant growth for the company’s local media Radio, TV and Digital properties.

Davis established his career at WFAN where he rose to the position of Vice President and General Manager. During his tenure, WFAN became the number one billing station in the United Sates. Davis also held other leadership roles at CBS and Cox Radio.