Alpha Media Emerges From Bankruptcy

Alpha Media Thursday announced that it successfully completed its financial restructuring and emerged from Chapter 11 with a significantly improved capital structure. In addition to substantially reducing its debt, the Company raised incremental capital to pursue growth opportunities and further enhance its position as a leading mid-market broadcaster across 44 local markets in the United States.

“This is an important achievement for Alpha Media as we strengthen our Company’s ability to grow,” said Alpha Media Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Proffitt. “Today Alpha Media begins its next chapter, with an improved financial foundation, new capital and enhanced competitive positioning. We have greater financial resources and flexibility, and we will continue to invest in new digital capabilities to better serve our advertisers and communities across our local markets.”

Mr. Proffitt continued, “I am so proud of all that our teams at each of our radio stations have accomplished during this period. Our unique culture continues to be key to Alpha Media’s success, and I thank the entire Alpha Media family for their dedication and hard work. We are thrilled to continue our mission to deliver dynamic, diverse and exciting content to our communities.”

Alpha Media’s plan has received all necessary court and regulatory, including FCC, approvals, and all customary conditions have been satisfied. With its financial restructuring complete, Alpha Media is positioned to continue serving each of the communities in which it operates across the United States.

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP served as Alpha Media’s lead restructuring counsel, and Kutak Rock LLP served as Virginia counsel. Wiley Rein LLP served as the Company’s FCC counsel. EY Turnaround Management Services LLC and Moelis & Co. served as the Company’s financial advisors. Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP served as legal counsel to certain of the new equity holders and GLC Advisors & Co. served as financial advisor.

Denver Radio: The Party Is Over At 95.7 FM

iHeartMedia Denver announced Thursday the debut of the new KPTT HITS 95.7, The Home of Commercial Free Weekends.

HITS 95.7 will broadcast contemporary hit music, including songs from artists like Billie Eilish, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran and Rihanna. The station will also feature a roster of top-on-air personalities and hosts, such as Chelsea, Frankie V., Drew, plus around-the-clock, nonstop music on weekends.

“The launch of HITS 95.7 marks the dawn of a new era in Denver radio,” said JoJo Turnbeaugh, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia’s Denver Region. “Our passion for hit music — including non-stop, uninterrupted music on the weekends— along with top-notch personalities will propel HITS 95.7 to new heights in the Mile High City.”

Full Programming Lineup:

• Chelsea 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Frankie V. 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
• Drew 7 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Toronto Radio: Jeremy White Joins CING Engergy 95.3 FM

CING Energy 95.3 has announced the addition of radio personality Jeremy White to its on-air lineup. White can be heard on the station weekdays from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET.

A born and raised Mohawk, White grew up on Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, an Indigenous Reservation on Montreal’s South Shore. With experience in media spanning a decade-plus, White began his broadcasting career in rock and country radio at 15 years old. He has been a fixture on the airwaves throughout the country and consistently produces #1 shows in his daypart.

Experienced in several FM formats, White is also a musician, has a YouTube channel, hosts The Jeremy White Podcast and was recently honoured at Broadcast Dialogue’s 2020 Canadian Radio Awards for his podcast that interviews heavy weights such as Ed Sheeran, Shania Twain, Def Leppard, Dua Lipa, KISS and Luke Bryan.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the star studded team at Energy 95.3,” said Jeremy White. “It truly is a highlight of my career to be on the air in the GTA and as a proud Mohawk, it fills me with pride to be representing the Indigenous community on the air in these great cities.”

“Jeremy is a dynamic, talented, multi-format broadcaster,” said Tammy Cole, Regional FM Program Director, Corus Radio Toronto/Hamilton “He is also is one of the hardest-working personalities I have seen in radio. I’m proud to welcome him to Corus and Energy 95.3.”

D/FW Radio: Dallas Exploring WRR-FM LMA Options

The city of Dallas is inviting proposals to take over management of city-owned classical-music radio station WRR 101.1 FM. The Dallas Morning News reports KERA, the local public radio and TV operation, and the Dallas Symphony Association have expressed interest.

A request for proposals went out June 17, initially with a July 5 deadline for questions and a proposal submission deadline of July 15. The deadlines have been extended to, respectively, July 9 and July 29.

A July 2 statement from the city’s Office of Arts and Culture, which oversees WRR, says: “WRR 101.FM has operated at a deficit for eight years in a row, with a declining fund balance in operating reserves of $5.1 million since 2012. The station’s operating results have ranged from nearly breakeven to losses of over $1.2 million, not including capital obligations.

“As a responsible steward, the City of Dallas is exploring new management for WRR 101.1 FM to ensure it remains a City-owned classical music format radio station. All RFP [request for proposal] respondents must operate as a nonprofit. If the station’s operating and capital reserves were exhausted, the City would not be able to require it remain a classical station.”

According to DMN, that last sentence, added to the rather hurried RFP deadlines, alarms members of the Friends of WRR, which for more than 40 years has helped support the station. The Friends of WRR have asked supporters to email members of the Dallas City Council, requesting delay and reconsideration of the RFP process and timeline.

In addition to being unusual as a city-owned radio station, WRR is unusual as a commercial classical radio station. It depends on revenue from on-air advertising, a challenge for a station with a relatively small share of the area radio audience.

WRR 101.1 FM (100 KW)

Jennifer Scripps, the city’s director of arts and culture, says WRR’s ongoing deficits, plus growing competition from alternate classical music sources online, prompted reconsideration of the city’s relationship to WRR.

“The economics continue to be a challenge, with the rise of streaming and such,” she says. “What are the options for a strategic partner? Most radio stations don’t have the [city-owned] station’s pension burden.

“We are very interested in exploring a new model, because it’s not sustainable to continue dipping into reserves.”

Nico Leone, KERA’s president and CEO, acknowledges Friends of WRR concerns that potential outsourcing of WRR management is being rushed. But he adds, “A big chunk of our business is radio. We’ve been involved with groups involved with non-commercial classical stations, and we’ve got a pretty good sense of what the current practices are — growing audiences, building younger audiences. When you look at the public media, classical is thriving.

SiriusXM Radio to Air Billboard's Top 500 Summer Hits

SiriusXM's new limited engagement channel Billboard Top 500 Summer Hits will highlight the biggest all-time songs of the summer.

The channel will celebrate the hottest summer hits from 1958 through 2020 based on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, featuring artists such as The Beatles, Mariah Carey, Bee Gees, Drake, Elton John, Madonna, Katy Perry, Elvis Presley, Rihanna, Rolling Stones, Usher and Donna Summer.

Starting today through July 30, SiriusXM channel 104 and the SiriusXM app will count down the songs that made the warm weather worth it over the past six decades and will eventually announce the most popular song of the summer over the last 62 years of the Hot 100 chart's history. The countdown will be available on demand in the SiriusXM app from July 30 to Aug. 13, with the full charts being posted via Billboard.com on Aug. 16.

Hosts from multiple SiriusXM decade channels will moderate Billboard Top 500 Summer Hits, which will also highlight new songs from the summer of 2021.

Billboard recently brought back its Songs of the Summer chart, where BTS' "Butter" is continuing its hot streak for a fourth consecutive week. The 20-position summery summary tracks the most popular titles based on cumulative performance on the weekly streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot 100 chart from Memorial Day through Labor Day (this year encompassing charts dated June 12 through Sept. 11). At the end of the season, the top song of the summer will be revealed.

Billboard Top 500 Summer Hits will premiere on a limited-run SiriusXM channel, which can be accessed here.

TWH 'Flagging' Posts For Facebook To Censor

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday the Biden administration is identifying “problematic” posts for Facebook to censor because they contain “misinformation” about COVID-19.

The Ny Post reports Psaki disclosed the government’s role in policing social media during her daily press briefing after Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on companies to purge more pandemic posts.

The demand for censorship — and Psaki’s admission of government involvement — follows a series of flip-flops from health officials who contradicted themselves throughout the pandemic on issues such as mask efficacy, as well as censorship of claims that later gained credibility, such as the theory that COVID-19 leaked from a Chinese lab.

“We are in regular touch with the social media platforms and those engagements typically happen through members of our senior staff and also members of our COVID-19 team — given as Dr. Murthy conveyed, this is a big issue, of misinformation, specifically on the pandemic,” Psaki said.

She added: “We’ve increased disinformation research and tracking within the Surgeon General’s Office. We are flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation.”

Psaki added, “it’s important to take faster action against harmful posts … and Facebook needs to move more quickly to remove harmful violative posts.”

Psaki and Murthy, who also spoke at the press briefing, specifically said they are concerned about “misinformation” about COVID-19 vaccines. About 68 percent of US adults have had at least one vaccine shot, according to CDC data, dramatically lowering infection rates in most parts of the country.

Report: 85 Percent Of Super Bowl Ads Sold By NBC

Advertisers are clamoring for next year’s Super Bowl TV spots, reports The NY Post.

NBC said Thursday that it has already sold out 85 percent of its inventory for the Big Game, which is slated to air on Feb. 13, 2022, at SoFI Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

The news comes as NBC has set a sky-high price for Super Bowl LVI ads, asking for between $5.8 million and $6.2 million for a 30-second spot.

Citing an unnamed media buyer, the publication said all commercials for the first half of the game “have been spoken for in advanced discussions.” The report said NBC has pressed advertisers that want to air Super Bowl ads to fork over a similar amount of money for its upcoming 2022 broadcast of the Winter Olympics, which will run from Feb. 4 to 20.

The fact that the bulk of Super Bowl LVI’s ad inventory is already sold isn’t surprising. While NBC is a bit ahead of schedule, networks typically sell as much as 60 percent by summer and the rest in the fall. Usually, networks are able to make the sale early by pitching advertisers that bought spots in the previous year’s game.

But last year’s Super Bowl LV faced the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, which scared some big-name advertisers away over striking the right tone. CBS, which broadcast the game, sought $5.5 million for a 30-second spot and it didn’t reach sell-out levels until January, just a month before the game aired.

Capital Gazette Gunman Found Criminally Responsible

WTOP Website Screenshot

After Jarrod Ramos was found criminally responsible for killing five people in the newsroom of the Capital Gazette, in Annapolis, Maryland, three years ago, the prosecutor who made the case to the jury said the case still hurts the community.

WTOP News reports Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess called the case “the most egregious case that our county has ever seen, and probably one of the worst in the state of Maryland,” adding, “I had police officers and first responders who I did not call in this case because they still suffer to this day.”

The jury’s decision will help the community, Leitess said: “I think having him held responsible here in our community means everything to the city of Annapolis and our county.”

Ramos admitted years ago that he shot up the newsroom in June 2018, but argued that he wasn’t criminally responsible — Maryland’s version of the insanity plea — and should be sent to a mental health facility rather than prison. The jury took less than two hours to disagree.

Instead, he’s facing five sentences of up to life without parole for the murders, Leitess said, adding, “I fully expect” he’ll be sentenced to those. He also faces a life sentence for attempted murder and multiple sentences of 20 to 25 years on related charges.

Leitess said the jury saw through Ramos’ attempts to turn the trial into “a media circus” centered on his grievances against the newspaper, and instead focused on his behavior and actions. “He wanted this trial for his amusement,” she said, “and he didn’t get it.”

She added, “A lot of people hear of this crime and think, ‘He must have been crazy; you must be crazy to commit this kind of crime.’ But he wasn’t. It was all about revenge. So I was extremely relieved and pleased with the jury’s verdict.”

Ramos’ defense attorneys left the courthouse without comment, WJZ reported.

July 16 Radio History

➦In 1934...the NBC Red radio network premiered the musical drama, 'Dreams Come True'. The show concerned the lives of baritone singer Barry McKinley and his novelist sweetheart.

➦In 1981...Harry Forster Chapin died in a traffic accident on the Log Island Expressway after suffering a heart attack (Born -  December 7, 1942).  He was a singer-songwriter, humanitarian, and producer best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs, who achieved worldwide success in the 1970s and became one of the most popular artists and highest paid performers. Chapin is also one of the best charting musical artists in the United States. Chapin, a Grammy Award winning artist and Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, has sold over 16 million records worldwide and has been described as one of the most beloved performers in music history.

Chapin recorded a total of 11 albums from 1972 until his death in 1981. All 14 singles that he released became hit singles on at least one national music chart.  Chapin was best known for “Taxi,” a top-20 hit in 1972, and “Cat’s in the Cradle,” which hit number-one in ’74.

As a dedicated humanitarian, Chapin fought to end world hunger; he was a key participant in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977. Chapin is credited with being the most politically and socially active American performer of the 1970s. In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work.




➦In 1990..DJ Rick Dees debuted his TV show "Into The Night" on ABC-TV.




➦In 1991…Radio announcer Dwight Weist died of a heart attack at age 81.  He announced on radio shows such as Inner Sanctum Mysteries), Mr. District Attorney, The Shadow and March of Time.  He was known as the "Man of 1,000 Voices." He also narrated countless film documentaries from the 1930s through the 1950s.




➦In 2003…Baltimore radio, TV personality Buddy Dean died from the effects of a stoke at age 78.

The Buddy Deane Show aired on WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Maryland from 1957 until 1964. It was similar to Philadelphia's American Bandstand.

Many top acts of the day appeared on The Buddy Deane Show. Acts that appeared on the show first were reportedly barred from appearing on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, but if they had been on Bandstand first they could still be on The Buddy Deane Show. The rivalry with Dick Clark meant that Deane urged all his performers not to mention American Bandstand or visits to Clark in Philadelphia.

Although WJZ-TV, owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting (now CBS), was an ABC affiliate, the station "blacked out" the network broadcast of American Bandstand in Baltimore and broadcast the Deane program instead, reportedly because Bandstand showed black teenagers dancing on the show (although black and white teenagers were not allowed to dance together until the show was moved to California in 1964). The Deane program set aside every other Friday for a show featuring only black teenagers. For the rest of the time, the show's participants were all white.

Phoebe Cates is 58

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Singer William Bell is 82. 
• Actor-singer Ruben Blades is 73. 
• Drummer Stewart Copeland of The Police is 69. 

• 

  AnnaLynne McCord is 34

  Actor Faye Grant (“Affairs of State”) is 64. 
• Dancer Michael Flatley (“Lord of the Dance”) is 63. 
• Actor Phoebe Cates is 58. 
• Actor Paul Hipp is 58. 
• Actor Daryl “Chill” Mitchell (“Ed”) is 56. 
• Actor Jonathan Adams (“Last Man Standing”) is 54. 
• Actor Will Ferrell is 54. 
• Actor Rain Pryor (“Head of the Class”) is 52. 
• Actor Corey Feldman is 50. 
• Singer-guitarist Ed Kowalczyk (Live) is 50. 
• Singer Ryan McCombs (Drowning Pool) is 47. 
• Actor Jayma Mays (“The Millers,” ″Glee”) is 42. 
• Actor AnnaLynne McCord (“Nip/Tuck”) is 34. 
• Actor-singer James Maslow (“Big Time Rush”) is 31. 
• Actor Mark Indelicato (“Ugly Betty”) is 27. 
• Singer-guitarist Luke Hemmings of 5 Seconds of Summer is 25.

Nielsen: Radio AQH Jumps 20-Percent Y2Y

Nielsen has released the findings of its latest Nielsen Audio Consumer Sentiment survey, an ongoing study series addressing current American sentiment around COVID-19. 

The sixth study in the series was conducted June 22 -25, 2021 and reflects responses from 1,000 respondents across the U.S. The study includes insights about activities consumers engage in, including health, schooling, employment, and transportation during the pandemic as well as new data about vaccines, and people’s purchasing habits.

According to the Nielsen Audio Consumer Sentiment survey, consumers eighteen and older now show high optimism as the COVID crisis abates. The survey looked at three segments reflecting attitudes about the pandemic: People who are “Ready To Go,” those who “Proceed With Caution,” and consumers who “Wait And See” when it comes to resuming normal activities. In April of last year, during the peak of the lock-down, consumers were roughly equally divided among these groups. Now in June 2021, the Ready To Go segment reached a new high of 90%, of American consumers reflecting rising optimism.

There were big gains in each of key indicators on consumer attitudes about COVID-19 in the latest study. For example, in June 2021 nearly all (95%) say people are starting to resume more normal activities. Ninety percent or more say their town is emerging from the crisis, stores that were closed are beginning to open again and they will resume normal activities. There was a 21 percentage point gain in those who say it is safer than it was a month ago jumping from 64% in March 2021 to 85% in June 2021. There was a 59 point jump in those who say things feel more normal now in June 2021 (84%) compared with April 2020 (25%). Nearly twice as many say they will resume most normal activities in June 2021 (81%) compared with April 2020 (42%). In addition, more than two thirds (68%) say they are less concerned about the virus.

The study showed that 26% of consumers are spending more than an hour in their vehicles in June 2021 compared with 14% in April 2020. Heavy radio listeners are far more likely to spend more than an hour in their vehicle (40%) compared with total consumers (26%).

“With easing restrictions, America is getting out on the open road and time spent in vehicles continues to climb,” said Brad Kelly, Managing Director, Nielsen Audio. “More road trips, commuting to work, visits to family and friends and trips to stores means more listening to broadcast radio and an opportunity for advertisers to capitalize on America’s increasing consumer confidence as we emerge from the pandemic.”

Among the other findings from the study:

• Vaccines: Two thirds of consumers have gotten the vaccine or plan to get it. Uncertainty with regard to vaccines in June 2021 is now half (13%) of what it was in March (26%) 2021. Among those who have gotten the vaccine or plan to get it, 73% expect to resume MOST normal activities and 72% say they expect to resume ALL normal activities.
• Economic Outlook: With fewer restrictions and the rollout of the vaccines, half (48%) of consumers anticipate an improved economy in the months ahead, which is two thirds greater than the 29% who say it will remain unchanged and twice as many as those who expect it to get worse (23%). Consumer expectation about the economy often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, which bodes well for the recovery.
• Employment: Two thirds of employed (67%) people now work outside the home vs. four in ten (39%) in April 2020. This is a leading indicator of audience growth, since consumers spend more time with radio when they travel in vehicles to get to work.
• Schooling: In October 2020, when we first asked questions about how children attend classes, there were more children attending virtual only classes than those who attended in-person. In June 2021, that pattern reversed itself. Now 38% of kids attend in-person classes compared with 14% who go to virtual only classes. In October 2020, nearly as many kids were getting to school on a bus as those who were getting rides from a family member or in a carpool. This changed significantly in June 2021, with twice as many kids driven to school (65%) versus those who took the bus (32%). With more kids attending class in person and more getting to school in vehicles, there are more opportunities to listen to radio on the way to school. Nearly nine in ten consumers that the radio is sometimes or always on during the drive to school.
• Top weekly activities:  The study looked at the top 10 activities consumers engaged in during the past week in June and compared it to April 2020. There were big gains in activities that were restricted a year ago such as shopping for groceries at the store (84% in June 21 vs. 70% in April 20), getting together with friends and family (59% in June 21 vs. 18% in April 20), dining out (43% in June 21 vs. 2% in April 20), shopping for clothes (30% in June 21 vs. 6% in April 20), going to coffee shops (25% in June 21 vs. 7% in April 20) and planning vacations (15% in June 21 vs. 3% in April 20). Plus, there was a ten point jump in driving in vehicles (77% in June 21 vs. 67% in April 20) as people have returned to the road.
• Listening to AM/FM Radio:  Radio reached 122.1 million consumers in PPM markets during an average week in May 2021 which was an 8% Year-over-Year increase vs. May 2020. Radio’s average quarter-hour (AQH) audience peaked at 7.8 million people in PPM markets in May 2021 which was a 20% Year-over-Year gain vs. May 2020.

Report: NBC Trying To Poach ESPN's Maria Taylor For Olympics

Maria Taylor

NBC is trying to sign ESPN’s Maria Taylor so she can be part of its Olympic coverage that begins in a little more than a week on July 23, The NY Post reports.

Taylor is hosting the NBA Finals for ESPN, but her contract runs out on July 20. Game 6 is Tuesday, July 20, while a potential Game 7 is scheduled for next Thursday, July 22.

If Taylor were to leave, ESPN would have the unorthodox scenario of potentially having a different host to end a marquee event than the one who started it.

ESPN could try to see if Taylor would stay through the Finals, even if she decided to go with NBC.

No final decision has been made by Taylor, but one is expected soon.

ESPN has offered Taylor a contract in the neighborhood of $3 million per year, according to sources.

The Post reported a week ago that NBC and Amazon had interest in Taylor and that Taylor could succeed Mike Tirico as the host of “Football Night in America” after this season. Tirico is expected to replace Al Michaels as the main play-by-player on “Sunday Night Football” in 2022-23.

Taylor’s negotiations have yet to heat up with Amazon, however NBC is expected to produce its exclusive Thursday night package that will begin in 2022-23. Sources said the Amazon-NBC contract is likely to be a three-year deal with Amazon having the option to extend it to five.

This would bring over “Sunday Night Football” producer, Fred Gaudelli. The idea is for Michaels, who is in the final year of his NBC contract, to be wooed to be the Amazon play-by-player with a potential run at Peyton Manning as analyst. Taylor could be the sideline reporter, if all goes to plan.

The drama over Taylor’s contract comes on the heels of The New York Times’ story that contained a year-old video of fellow ESPN NBA host/reporter Rachel Nichols saying in a private conversation that she was going to lose her job as host of the NBA Finals because ESPN wanted to rectify its poor record on diversity.