The Washington Post announced Thursday a major expansion of its investigative journalism, building on the sharp increase in staff it has dedicated to accountability work over the past several years. Overall, the initiative will add 10 staff positions to The Post’s newsroom.
“The Post has a long and distinguished history of groundbreaking investigative journalism,” said Martin Baron, executive editor of The Post. “This expansion is very much in that tradition, and it accentuates one of our newsroom’s greatest assets. Our goal is to further strengthen an already robust Investigative Unit and to continue distributing investigative firepower throughout the newsroom.”
The Post is supplementing its Investigative Unit with five staffers, including a reporter and additional editor for fast-turnaround work, a reporter to pursue longer-term projects, a researcher and a FOIA specialist who will partner with all newsroom departments to pursue journalistic opportunities in federal, state and local public records. Most recently, The Post added a data reporting specialist to the team.
In January 2017, The Post doubled the size of the Investigative Unit by creating an eight-person “rapid-response” team that collaborates with all newsroom departments on accountability journalism that demands greater speed. In the team’s first year, it partnered on Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore in Alabama.
The current initiative calls for The Post to also add investigative reporters to several newsroom teams, including Sports, Climate and Environment, and Foreign. The investigative reporter on the Foreign staff likely will be based in Europe. Sports, which already had one investigative reporter, also will gain an editor to focus on investigations and major projects. These positions supplement existing full-time reporter roles assigned to investigative journalism in departments including Business, Local and National. Many other reporters also conduct investigations as a natural and essential element of their regular beats.
(L-R): The 2019 inductees: Gregg Lindahl, Ron Morton and Charlotte Wise appearing on behalf of Bobby Denton, Charlie Monk, Kyle Cantrell, Mac Daniels, and Jeff Garrison / Photo Credit: Kayla Schoen Photography
The 2019 Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Awards ceremony was held Wednesday evening, at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University.
With over 300 people in attendance, the night served as a celebration for six men inducted into the revered Country Radio Hall of Fame, including radio category honorees Mac Daniels, Jeff Garrison, Gregg Lindahl and Bobby Denton, who was awarded posthumously, and air personalities Charlie Monk and Kyle Cantrell.
(L-R): CRB/CRS Board President, Kurt Johnson, 2019 CRB President’s Award recipient Bill Mayne, and CRB/CRS Executive Director, RJ Curtis.
Founded in 1974, the Country Radio Hall of Fame, now 173 members strong, recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the radio industry. Inductees must have worked in radio for at least 20 years, 15 of which must be in the country format. The 2019 class joins an esteemed roster of 167 other honorees.
The national median age rose to 38.2 years last year, according to newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That suggests half of the U.S. population is more than 38-years-old and half is younger. By gender, the median for woman is 39.5 while for men its 36.9 years.
Bloomberg reports the aging of America is widespread with 49 of 50 states showing an uptick in older residents. North Dakota was the only state to see a decline in its median age, from 37 years in 2010 to 35.2 in 2018.
“This aging (phenomenon) is driven in large part by baby boomers crossing over the 65-year-old mark,” said Luke Rogers, the Chief of the Population Estimates Branch at the Census Bureau.
A decline in birth rates is another reason. The number of U.S. births fell to lowest level in 32 years in 2018.
There were less than 3.9 million babies under age 1 as of July 1, 2018. This represents the smallest age cohort until age 64. The largest age cohort is 27-year-olds, making up 4.8 million of the population.
The number of Americans age 80 and older reached a record 12.7 million last year -- up from 11.2 million from the 2010 Census. The 1.4 million growth is roughly equivalent to the population of Phoenix.
Maine is the oldest state at 44.9 years -- almost 10 years older than North Dakota. The median age crossed the 40-year-old threshold in New Jersey, Rhode Island and Delaware for the first time last year. Utah is the youngest state with a 31 year-old median age.
Narrowing in on smaller pockets of population, Florida’s Sumter County has the highest median age of 67.8. The county is home to a popular retirement community known as The Villages.
Despite an increase in the overall population of 18.4 million since the 2010 Census, some age cohorts shrunk, particularly 40-year-olds as a group.
➦In 1900...Edward Samuel "Ted" Rogers born (Died – May 6, 1939). He was a Canadian pioneer in the radio industry and the founder of the Rogers Vacuum Tube Company and CFRB radio station.
He is regarded as the founder of Rogers Communications, although it was established in 1967, almost three decades after his death.
Rogers first became interested in radio when he saw a receiver at age 11. By 1913, he was noted in local newspapers for his skill at operating a radio station, which at the time was an impressive technical accomplishment. Rogers worked as a radio officer on Great Lakes passenger ships during the summers of 1916-1919 inclusive. In 1921, Rogers operated the only Canadian (and only spark-gap) station to successfully compete in the first amateur trans-Atlantic radio competition. Rogers held the amateur radio call sign 3BP, and joined the Canadian chapter of the American Radio Relay League in 1921.
In the early 1920s, radio transmitters and receivers ran on large and expensive batteries to provide the high voltages needed for the vacuum tubes used. Early attempts at producing a radio receiver to operate on household alternating current were unsuccessful, since tubes designed for the low current supply from batteries were unsatisfactory when operated on 25- or 60-hertz alternating current. The batteries were also extremely large and bulky.
In April 1924, Rogers traveled to the United States and saw experimental AC receiving tubes at the laboratories of Westinghouse in Pittsburgh. He purchased the patent rights to the experimental alternating current tubes of Frederick S. McCullough. After further development, Rogers produced a design of vacuum tube that would operate on alternating current.
By 1925, Rogers had introduced not only a complete radio receiver using the new tubes, but had also produced a "battery eliminator" (power supply) that could be used with other manufacturers' receivers to eliminate the expensive batteries. By August 1925, the Rogers batteryless radio was in commercial sales, the first radio receiver in the world to operate from household current. At a time when a schoolteacher might earn $1,000 per year, the top-of-the-line Rogers radio sold for $370. Rogers formed the company "Standard Radio Manufacturing" (later Rogers Vacuum Tube Company) to produce radio receivers using the new design of vacuum tubes.
In 1927, Rogers founded CFRB (Canada’s First Rogers Batteryless) radio station. The station is owned today by Bell Media.
He later started Canada’s first FM station, simulcasting CFRB-AM on the original 42 MHz FM band with 50 watts.
➦In 1948...CBS-TV debuts its new variety show, entitled Toast Of The Town, hosted by an New York Daily News entertainment columnist and critic named Ed Sullivan.
From 1948 until its cancellation in 1971, the show ran on CBS every Sunday night from 8–9 p.m. E.T., and is one of the few entertainment shows to have run in the same weekly time slot on the same network for more than two decades (during its first season, it ran from 9 to 10 p.m. E.T.). Virtually every type of entertainment appeared on the show; classical musicians, opera singers, popular recording artists, songwriters, comedians, ballet dancers, dramatic actors performing monologues from plays, and circus acts were regularly featured. The format was essentially the same as vaudeville and, although vaudeville had undergone a slow demise for a generation, Sullivan presented many ex-vaudevillians on his show.
The show was first titled Toast of the Town, but was widely referred to as The Ed Sullivan Show for years before September 25, 1955, when that became its official name. In the show's June 20, 1948 debut, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis performed along with singer Monica Lewis and Broadway composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II previewing the score to their then-new show South Pacific, which opened on Broadway in 1949.
The Ed Sullivan Show was originally broadcast via live television from CBS-TV studio 51, the Maxine Elliott Theatre, at Broadway and 39th St. before moving to its permanent home at CBS-TV Studio 50 in New York City (1697 Broadway, at 53rd Street), which was renamed the Ed Sullivan Theater on the occasion of the program's 20th anniversary in June 1968. The last original Sullivan show telecast (#1068) was on March 28, 1971, with guests Melanie, Joanna Simon, Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass and Sandler & Young.
➦In 1948...Edward Wallerstein, the president of Columbia Records, demonstrated a long-playing record developed by Peter Goldmark of CBS Laboratories. The microgroove record played at 33-and-a-third revolutions per minute, in contrast to the standard 78 RPM, and could contain a maximum of 23 minutes of music a side, versus the approximately three minutes that could be squeezed onto a 78.
Columbia offered to share its technology with its main competitor, RCA Victor, but RCA opted to market its own version of the microgroove record — one that played at 45 R-P-M. But the battle of the speeds ended in 1950, when RCA announced it also would produce 33-and-a-third rpm long-playing records. Soon all major record companies were producing both 45’s and 33’s, spelling the end of the 78 RPM record.
➦In 1981…Lee Arnold departed Country WHN 1050 AM to capitalize on TV and radio syndication opportunities.
Lee Arnold
Arnold, born in Scranton, PA, was the best known air personality at WHN, New York, the most listened to Country radio station of all time.
After working at WSCR in his hometown of Scranton, he continued his broadcasting career at WAVY radio and TV and WNTA AM/FM/TV, both in Norfolk. Lee became Music Director and Air Personality at Country formatted WJRZ, Hackensack New Jersey, (1965-1971) which served the New York City metropolitan area. He joined WHN radio (1971-1981), and was there when it changed from an Adult Contemporary to a Country format in 1973.
While at WHN, Lee hosted the weekly nationally syndicated shows "Country Cookin'" and "Country Line" (1972-1976). Later, he hosted the Mutual Broadcasting System's "On A Country Road" (1981-1991) and was the voice of "Country In The Air", an in-flight airline Country Music channel.
He was honored by both Billboard Magazine, The Country Music Association (1976) and The Academy of Country Music (1983) as Major Market Country Disc Jockey of the Year. Lee Arnold appears as announcer on two landmark live Country albums "Buck Owens and The Buckeroos' Carnegie Hall Concert " and "Country Comes To Carnegie Hall". He then joined Country formatted WYNY New York (1991-1993).
Lee Arnold was inducted into The Country Music D J Hall of Fame in 2002. He joined the Sirius Satellite Network in 2001. He is also co-anchor analyst for ESPN's dog show series in addition to Animal Planet's dog show series. July of 2002, he debuted a new syndicated weekly show as host of "Country CloseUP" on Triumph Radio Network.
➦In 1981… WXLO-FM changed its call letters to WRKS Kiss 98.7 in 1994, Emmis bought WRKS, and changed the format to a Gold-Based Urban format. By 1999, WRKS had evolved into a Hot Urban AC. On April 26, 2012 it was announced that "Kiss FM" was ending its 30 year run on 98.7 and moving to 107.5 WBLS. Today 98.7 FM is home to WEPN-FM, ESPN Sports.
Dan Daniel
➦In 2016…Retired radio personality "Dandy" Dan Daniel died one day after a fall in his home at age 82.
Daniel was one of the 'Good Guys' while working for the New York radio station WMCA 570 AM during its heyday as a Top 40 station.
He started as a disc jockey at age seventeen on Armed Forces Radio with the US Navy. His first commercial job was at KXYZ in Houston in 1955 and he then worked at WDGY in Minneapolis before moving to WMCA in 1961.
His first broadcast at WMCA was on August 18, 1961. He started on the graveyard shift overnight but from 1962 to 1968 he played the top 40 hits from 4 pm to 7 pm — the evening drive home slot.
The station produced a survey of the current sales in New York record stores and Dandy Dan gave the countdown of the week's best sellers every Wednesday in this late afternoon slot. In 1966, he participated in a tour of Africa to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Peace Corps. Then, from 1968 to 1970, he did the early morning drive-to-work slot before leaving WMCA after nearly nine years; his final broadcast was on 11 July 1970.
Dan was also heard coast-to-coast on NBC Radio's "Monitor" in the summer of 1973.
He subsequently worked on WYNY-FM where he hosted the mid-day slot and later morning and afternoon drives. He then did a stint at WHN playing country music before returning to WYNY-FM. Finally, he moved to WCBS-FM in 1996. He retired from WCBS on December 31, 2002.
Millennial audio consumption in the U.S. is booming, with the demographic listening to audio of more types, at more times, and in more places than any other generation, according to AdAge citing a newly released Ipsos study conducted for iHeartRadio.
Format preferences by demo (Nielsen)
While iHeartRadio, an internet-based radio aggregator that claims to reach nine out of 10 Americans every month, is naturally likely to emphasize the importance of radio to consumers, many of the findings from its latest study corroborate recent trends shown in other reports conducted independently.
Across the board, the Ipsos-iHeartRadio survey found that radio reaches more consumers than any other audio channel, with 85 percent of consumers listening to a radio broadcast at least once per week, outpacing social media at 68 percent and live television at 56 percent. On a daily basis, radio has more than twice the listenership of audio streaming services, with 69 percent of consumers tuning in to the radio at least once a day compared to streaming’s 34 percent.
“Radio has long been a trusted companion for people of all ages,” said iHeartRadio’s chief marketing officer Gayle Troberman in a statement. “The only difference now versus decades ago is that today people can enjoy that connection anywhere they are across a variety of platforms.”
While radio still reigns supreme, other forms of audio are steadily gaining traction in both listenership and revenue. This year, 51 percent of American consumers reported listening to a podcast at some point in their lives, compared to just 22 percent in 2009, according to the Edison Infinite Dial media survey, a separate study that was conducted earlier this year.
While millennials were found to be the largest demographic for audio consumption, they weren’t alone in their enjoyment of radio, podcasts and music streaming services. According to the Ipsos-iHeartRadio study, Americans of all ages listen to an average of 17.2 hours of audio per week, with millennials topping the list at 18.8 hours per week each and baby boomers coming in last at 15 hours per week.
The Ipsos-IHeartRadio report credits the rise of smart speakers with bolstering radio’s continued popularity, finding that homes with smart speakers spend 47 percent more time listening to radio during prime hours (defined by the study as 8-10 p.m.) than homes without them.
The study, which was conducted digitally by Ipsos in March 2019, surveyed more than 6,000 consumers between the ages of 13 and 64 across the U.S. who listen to at least one audio platform weekly.
Quibi, the short-form streaming service led by former Hewlett-Packard Co. Chief Executive Meg Whitman has booked $100 million in advertising revenue months ahead of Quibi’s launch, she said in an interview, adding that amounts to two-thirds of the company’s available inventory for the first year, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Quibi—short for “quick bites”—is due to launch in the first half of next year with shows and films broken up into increments shorter than 10 minutes meant to be watched primarily on smartphones.
The company, which was founded by longtime Hollywood executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, has said its programming slate will include productions from A-list directors such as Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro. Mr. Spielberg is developing a horror series for the service that users can only watch when it is dark outside, and Mr. del Toro is producing a zombie series. The full programming slate hasn’t been announced, but the service also will include daily news programming.
Ms. Whitman said the ads were bought by major advertisers including Procter & Gamble Co. , PepsiCo Inc., Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, Walmart Inc., Progressive Corp. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. They will be the only companies in their respective sectors to run ads on Quibi during the first year.
The service still has $50 million of unsold ad inventory for its first year, Ms. Whitman said.
Quibi will launch with two pricing levels: An ad-free tier that costs $7.99 a month and a $4.99-a-month option with ads. Ms. Whitman said she thinks about 75% of Quibi’s customers will choose the option with ads, based on research into similar streaming services, giving marketers a chance to target binge watchers that are difficult to reach on services like Netflix .
Los Angeles Sound That BRANDS, the Los Angeles-based podcasting studio specializing in branded audio content for national advertisers, announced today that Emmis Communications would provide a round of funding that will allow rapid expansion.
At Sound That BRANDS, our motto is Be the content, not the interruption, said Dave Beasing, CEO of Sound That BRANDS and a veteran media consultant. With Emmis support, well grow quickly, producing audio that is not only entertaining and informative, but builds brand loyalty.
We’ve monitored the early stages of global brands telling audio stories through branded podcasts that dramatically enhances loyalty and preference, said Emmis Chairman and CEO Jeff Smulyan.Sound that BRANDS has already become a leader in branded podcasting and is uniquely positioned to work with marquee brands to build episodes that make you laugh, feel and think in a way that reinforces the brand. Dave is a great audio storyteller, and we look forward to helping him accelerate Sound that BRANDS growth.”
Major brands like Trader Joes, Facebook, Smead, Tindr, General Electric and McAfee have recently produced branded podcasts.
Fast Company has called branded podcasts, the ads that people actually want to listen to. According to survey data released by Edison Research (April 4, 2019), podcast listenership is booming. 32% of Americans aged 12 and older say they have listened to a podcast in the past month. Of those, 54% say they are more likely to consider the brands they hear advertised on podcasts.
Sound That BRANDS is seeking motivated talent for several key roles, including VP/Revenue and Brand Partnerships. Former KPWR-FM Los Angeles SVP/GM Val Maki is heading the search. Interested parties should apply confidentially on the companys website, SoundThatBRANDS.com.
Sound That BRANDS is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes inquiries from all locations.
iHeartMedia announced Wednesday that Don Pollnow has been named Market President.
As Market President, Pollnow will be responsible for leveraging iHeartMedia Wichita’s radio station brands and assets to provide quality programming as well as creating new revenue opportunities. In addition, he will lead all aspects of the market’s operations including sales, programming, digital, events and promotion initiatives. Pollnow will report to Taylor Walet, Region President for iHeartMedia Omaha.
Donn Pollnow
“We are very fortunate to have the leadership of such an accomplished industry veteran,” said Walet. “Don has such an extensive track record and we look forward to his superb leadership and influence that he will bring to the table as iHeartMedia Wichita builds on its many past successes.”
Pollnow joins iHeartMedia Wichita from Cumulus Media, where he most recently served as Vice President and Market Manager in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He also previously held successful general management positions for leading markets in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Little Rock, Arkansas; Topeka, Kansas and Stevens Point in Wausau, Wisconsin. Pollnow began his radio career as an account executive for KMGA in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is a graduate of Columbia College in Missouri.
“I am thrilled to return to the great state of Kansas,” said Pollnow. “I would like to thank iHeartMedia for this amazing opportunity and I am fired up and look forward to motivating and leading the passionate and experienced sales and programming professionals in Wichita.”
Veteran Operations Manager, Program Director and Air Personality Andy Meadows has joined Tracy Johnson Media Group, Inc.
Andy Meadows
Meadows most recently served as Operations Manager for LKCM Radio Group, also serving as midday Air Personality on KFWR 95.9 The Ranch/Fort Worth. Meadows has a long, solid history of developing talent, with a particular gift of coaching young, emerging talent.
Johnson is excited about his company’s growth and the addition of Meadows, saying, “2019 has been an exciting year for us. In March, we added Mike Shepard and now Andy! Many broadcasters may not have heard of him, but Andy is one of the best I’ve seen in identifying exactly how personalities can improve quickly. He’s a great addition to the group!”
Meadows is equally excited with the new gig. He said, “I’m so thrilled to be a part of Tracy Johnson Media Group. I’m humbled and grateful for this opportunity to work with talent on a full time basis. We have a lot of fresh new ideas in the pipeline, and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come.”
Seasoned 24/7 music format executive Patrick (Pat) Crocker is the latest in a stream of senior managers to join Local Radio Networks (LRN) following their depature from Westwood One.
Crocker, who has been in radio and the 24/7 music format business for more than 30 years, joins LRN as Executive Vice President and will work closely with Chief Executive Officer Steve Swick.
Crocker will concentrate on super-serving the needs of local radio owners and operators, help develop new revenue-generating products, and support LRN’s relationships with Skyview Networks and ABC Radio. LRN is known for providing small- and medium-market broadcasters with superior 24/7 music programming and technology that features maximum local control and localization.
Pat Crocker
”In the past year and a half, we have collectively amassed over 135 years of treasured time and talent along with critical expertise in 24/7 music formats,” observed Swick. ”With the addition of Pat to our growing team, we can further expand our services and are well on our way to attaining the leadership position within the 24/7 music format space. I am delighted to welcome Pat and enthusiastic about what lies ahead for LRN and our affiliated radio station partners.”
"LRN offers local broadcasters an exciting combination of strategic benefits that attracted me to the company,” said Crocker. “The opportunity to focus 100 percent on the small and medium market radio community, without other corporate and Wall Street distractions, is appealing and will allow me to deliver the products and services that local broadcasters need to compete and thrive in today’s environment. The association with Skyview Networks and ABC Radio is a powerhouse combination that makes it all-the-more enticing. I’m looking forward to rejoining my former colleagues who have migrated to Local Radio Networks.”
Crocker is the sixth in a series of executives to exit Westwood One to join LRN in the past two years. Others who have made the move are: Matt Caldaronello, Chris Reeves, Chris Hatton, Jonathon Steele, and Chad Seng,
Crocker has 31+ years of experience in radio sales and management across local, national, network, and syndication. He has spurred the growth of 24/7 music format affiliations at Jones Radio Networks, Dial Global, and Westwood One and overseen the consolidation of affiliate sales departments during several network mergers. Crocker began his career in media in St. Louis as a national ad sales representative and moved into local and national sales management at St. Louis iconic stations WIL-FM and KSHE-FM, as well as KALC-FM and KIMN-FM in Denver.
Salem Media Group has announced that Atlanta VP/General Manager Mike Moran is retiring effective the end of July.
Val Carolin
In addition to his role in Atlanta, Mike serves as a Regional VP for the company’s Cleveland, OH; Miami, FL; Orlando, FL; and Tampa, FL markets.
In light of Mike’s retirement, Salem Media is appointing Val Carolin as GM in Atlanta and as RVP, overseeing Salem’s stations in Greenville, SC; Orlando, FL; Miami, FL; and Tampa, FL. Val currently serves as General Manager of Salem’s Greenville-Spartanburg, SC cluster, and spent many years in leadership roles in Atlanta radio prior to that position. Recruitment is underway for Val’s replacement in Greenville.
Mike Moran
Mike’s media career began in 1978 at Kenyon and Eckhart Advertising in Detroit, and included fifteen years in sales and management for KATZ Radio (Detroit, Houston, Atlanta, New York). He joined Salem Media Group in 2004 and was promoted to the RVP role in 2010.
Salem Media President of Radio Dave Santrella commented, “Mike has been an important part of Salem’s leadership team, and we wish him well as he moves into retirement. We are pleased with the depth of leadership within our company, which allows us to quickly fill his role and provide the opportunity for others to advance within Salem Media Group.”
Salem Media SVP Allen Power said, “In 2004 when I was asked to move full-time into a corporate role, Mike was my choice to take the reins in Atlanta. Under his leadership the Atlanta cluster has flourished in revenue, audience growth, and most importantly in IMPACT!” Recently, The Fish Atlanta in April and May had its best Nielsen PPM ratings ever.
The Post is supplementing its Investigative Unit with five staffers, including a reporter and additional editor for fast-turnaround work, a reporter to pursue longer-term projects, a researcher and a FOIA specialist who will partner with all newsroom departments to pursue journalistic opportunities in federal, state and local public records. Most recently, The Post added a data reporting specialist to the team.
