Canadian regulators approved Rogers Communications Inc.’s purchase of the cable assets of Shaw Communications Inc., removing another hurdle to the companies’ $16 billion deal, reports Bloomberg.
The decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is the first of three government approvals needed for Rogers to complete its takeover of Shaw. The deal still needs to be cleared by the country’s antitrust body and by the federal government, which has the final say on deals involving wireless spectrum.
The regulator attached a number of conditions to the cable deal, including that Rogers contribute C$27.2 million ($21.7 million) to several media funds and that it employ a higher number of journalists at its Citytv stations across the country and produce additional news specials.
The antitrust review is expected to be the most difficult, and Rogers has already opened a data room and begun talks with potential buyers of Shaw’s wireless division in the expectation that it won’t be allowed to keep it. The companies have said they want to close the deal by June 30.
In separate statements Thursday evening Rogers and Shaw welcomed the CRTC approval.
“This approval is an important milestone and brings us one step closer to completing our transformational transaction with Shaw,” said Tony Staffieri, Rogers’ president and chief executive, in a statement.
“Together, Rogers and Shaw will accelerate investment in 5G and cable networks across Canada, offer consumers and businesses more choice and competition, and connect rural and remote communities faster than either company could alone,” Staffieri said.
Commenting on the ruling, Brad Shaw, Executive Chair and CEO of Shaw said, “We appreciate the CRTC’s thoughtful inquiry and remain committed to working with government and regulators to achieve a successful completion of our proposed transaction with Rogers.”
“Together, with Rogers, we all look forward to bringing to Canadians the important benefits of the combined company – including access to high-quality, next-generation networks, increased competition, and greater connectivity to rural, remote and Indigenous communities throughout Western Canada,” he added.
iHeartMedia Los Angeles’ KBIG 104.3 MYFM has announced that Raphael Opida (aka “Raph”) is returning to Los Angeles as Assistant Program Director and Afternoon Drive Host, beginning March 28. Raph will broadcast weekdays from 3 – 7 p.m.
Raph joins 104.3 MYFM after a short hiatus from the radio business. He spent two years on the air at iHeartMedia’s KIIS FM from 2019 – 2021, then took some time to pursue active-duty opportunities in the New York Army National Guard. Prior to KIIS, Raph worked at iHeartMedia’s WIOQ in Philadelphia, serving as the Assistant Program Director and Music Director and hosted nights. He began his radio career in 2007 as a morning show intern at WPXY in Rochester, New York. Raph wore many hats during his tenure there including serving as the Promotions Director and on-air personality for nights, PM drive and mid-days.
As Assistant Program Director, Raph will help curate 104.3 MYFM’s sound and execution across multiple platforms to ensure MYFM continues to be one of LA’s top performers. He will report to John Peake, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Los Angeles, and Program Director for 104.3 MYFM.
“We are thrilled to have Raph back with iHeart LA and our new afternoon host on MYFM,” said Peake. “He is talented and motivated and knows how to connect on any platform. He will add great depth to our programming bench as he steps in as Assistant Program Director. I am looking forward to working with Raph in both roles.”
“After a short walk outside the radio world, I’m back and ready to take on the LA market, this time with 104.3 MYFM,” said Raph. “It’s going to be a blast working with Valentine and the rest of the MYFM crew. Many thanks to iHeartMedia for affording me this great opportunity to utilize my programming chops. Plus, the Dodgers are hosting the MLB All-Star game this summer, nothing’s better than being in LA!”
Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed Steve Dent as Program Director for Cincinnati Rock station WFTK-FM/96Rock. Dent has been on the air in Afternoon drive on WFTK since he joined Cumulus Cincinnati last September and will maintain his Program Director position for WOFX-FM/92.5 The Fox, Cincinnati’s Classic Rock.
Steve Dent
Dent, a native Cincinnatian and 20-year Rock radio veteran, previously programmed WTUE-FM (Classic Rock), WZDA-FM (Alternative) and WXEG-FM (Alternative) in Dayton, OH.
Jon Laing, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Cincinnati, said: “Since coming on board last September, Steve has proven himself as a strong leader with drive, passion, and accountability.”
Dent commented: “I am very thankful for the opportunity to lead these Rock brands in my hometown. I’m looking forward to working with this talented team at Cumulus Cincinnati to build upon the Rock traditions of 92.5 The Fox and 96Rock. I’d like to thank John Dimick, Jon Laing, Troy Hanson, Wade Linder, and Keith Mitchell for their support.”
Joe Rogan took aim at woke “activist” employees of large Silicon Valley tech firms, calling them “mentally ill” and “lunatics who are running the asylum to a certain extent.”
The NY Post reports Rogan made the comments on his Spotify podcast during an interview Wednesday with Antonio García Martínez, an ex-engineer at Apple and Facebook who parted ways with the iPhone maker after employees complained of “misogynistic” writings in his book.
During the segment, Rogan asked Martínez what it was like to work for a large tech firm.
“For someone from the outside, we look at it and say: ‘How are those f–king places run?'” Rogan said.
The stand-up comedian then said he had a conversation with a “good friend” who was in a management position at Google before leaving the firm for another “large tech company.”
“The way she described it to me was, ‘It is utter madness,'” Rogan said.
“The lunatics are running the asylum to a certain extent because there’s a lot of people working inside the company now that legitimately are mentally ill and they consider themselves activists,” according to Rogan.
He added that tech bosses at these companies “have to placate” the workers “because they’re a certain percentage of the population that works for the company, and they’re the loudest, and they oftentimes don’t get work done.”
Rogan said that when these workers are “confronted” over not getting work done, “they talk about their activism.”
He said his friend was forced to reprimand tech workers by telling them: “You are here for X amount of hours per day. This is your f—–g job. You’re not an activist.”
Martínez told Rogan that the companies are partly to blame because workers are encouraged by human resources departments to “bring the real self to work.”
He described big tech firms like Facebook as “kind of like a cult” since employees are brought to a “campus lifestyle” where “they do your laundry for you” and “feed you.”
“Facebook was a cult, and I joined it, and I was a happy member of it,” Martínez said. “It was very powerful. Everyone sacrificed themselves for the sake of the empire and its emperor.”
Rogan has been a frequent critic of tech firms for censoring and de-platforming those with viewpoints deemed outside the mainstream.
Audacy will launch “Baltimore Baseball Tonight,” a new show on WJZ 105.7 The Fan focused on Baltimore’s professional baseball team. Hosted by station midday show host Bob Haynie, Orioles legends Bill Ripken and Mike Bordick, former Orioles Vice President of Baseball Operations Jim Duquette, and 105.7 The Fan’s Orioles beat reporter Cordell Woodland, the show will preview that night’s upcoming game, while diving into the latest news and storylines surrounding the team.
The effort follows the the recent loss of Orioles broadcasts to Hearts stations.
Beginning Opening Day on April 7, the show will air at 6:00 p.m. ET on game nights and broadcast live from Pickles Pub across the street from the stadium when the team is home. When the team is on the road, the show will be live from various locations, including the 105.7 The Fan studios.
“‘Baltimore Baseball Tonight’ will give fans an in-depth preview of the Baltimore professional baseball team throughout the season and bring them closer to the game than ever before,” said Tracy Brandys, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Baltimore. “We’re also extremely excited to get back out with the fans at Pickles Pub and share our collective passion for the team alongside Bob, Bill, Mike, Jim and Cordell – five individuals who have decades of insight on the team.”
Bob Haynie has been with 105.7 The Fan for over a decade. Since 2016, Haynie has served as the co-host of “Vinny & Haynie,” weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET. A native of Baltimore, Haynie hosted “Orioles Baseball Tonight” on 105.7 The Fan with former Orioles players Ross Grimsley and Joe Orsulak from 2012 to 2020.
Bill Ripken played 12 seasons in the major leagues, including seven with the Orioles where he played alongside his father Cal Sr. and brother Cal Jr. in 1987 and 1988. Ripken is currently a studio analyst for MLB Network.
Mike Bordick played 14 major league seasons, including six with the Orioles. He set records for most consecutive error-less games (110) and chances (543) by a shortstop. He was elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2011.
Jim Duquette was hired by the Orioles in 2005 as the team’s Vice President of Baseball Operations. Prior to working with the team, Duquette was the General Manager for the New York Mets. He is currently a host on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio.
Cordell Woodland returns to 105.7 The Fan after previously serving as afternoon drive producer from 2020 to 2021. He departed that role to join his alma mater, Morgan State University’s, WEAA, as Ravens beat reporter.
➦In 1918...Sports personality Howard Cosell born (died at age 77 - April 23, 1995). He was prominent and influential on radio, television and print media from the early 1960s into the mid 1980s. Cosell was widely known for his blustery, confident personality said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. There's no question that I'm all of those things."
In 1993, TV Guide named Howard Cosell The All-Time Best Sportscaster in its issue celebrating 40 years of television. In 1996, he was ranked #47 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time
After the WW2, Cosell began practicing law in Manhattan, primarily union law. Some of his clients were actors, and some were athletes, including Willie Mays. Cosell's own hero in athletics was Jackie Robinson, who served as a personal and professional inspiration to him in his career. Cosell also represented the Little League of New York, when in 1953 an ABC Radio manager asked him to host a show on New York flagship WABC featuring Little League participants. The show marked the beginning of a relationship with WABC and ABC Radio that would last his entire broadcasting career.
Cosell hosted the Little League show for three years without pay, and then decided to leave the law field to become a full-time broadcaster. He approached Robert Pauley, President of ABC Radio, with a proposal for a weekly show. Pauley told him the network could not afford to develop untried talent, but he would be put on the air if he would get a sponsor. To Pauley's surprise, Cosell came back with a relative's shirt company as a sponsor, and "Speaking of Sports" was born.
Cosell took his "tell it like it is" approach when he teamed with the ex-Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher "Big Numba Thirteen" Ralph Branca on WABC's pre- and post-game radio shows of the New York Mets in their nascent years beginning in 1962. He pulled no punches in taking members of the hapless expansion team to task.
Otherwise on radio, Cosell did his show, Speaking of Sports, as well as sports reports and updates for affiliated radio stations around the country; he continued his radio duties even after he became prominent on television. Cosell then became a sports anchor at WABC-TV in New York, where he served in that role from 1961 to 1974. He expanded his commentary beyond sports to a radio show entitled "Speaking of Everything".
Cosell rose to prominence covering boxer Muhammad Ali, starting when he still fought under his birth name, Cassius Clay. The two seemed to have an affinity despite their different personalities, and complemented each other in broadcasts. Cosell was one of the first sportscasters to refer to the boxer as Muhammad Ali after he changed his name and supported him when he refused to be inducted into the military. Cosell was also an outspoken supporter of Olympic sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith after they raised their fists in a "black power" salute during their 1968 medal ceremony. In a time when many sports broadcasters avoided touching social, racial, or other controversial issues, and kept a certain level of collegiality towards the sports figures they commented on, Cosell did not, and indeed built a reputation around his catchphrase, "I'm just telling it like it is."
Cosell's style of reporting very much transformed sports broadcasting. Whereas previous sportscasters had mostly been known for color commentary and lively play-by-play, Cosell had an intellectual approach. His use of analysis and context arguably brought television sports reporting very close to the kind of in-depth reporting one expected from "hard" news reporters. At the same time, however, his distinctive staccato voice, accent, syntax, and cadence were a form of color commentary all their own.
➦In 1943...Comedian Jimmy Durante teamed with radio personality Garry Moore for The Durante-Moore Show. Durante's comic chemistry with the young, brushcut Moore brought Durante an even larger audience. The pair replaced the popular Abbott and Costello following Lou Costello’s heart attack.
"Dat's my boy dat said dat!" became an instant catchphrase. The duo became one of the nation's favorites for the rest of the decade, including a well-reviewed Armed Forces Radio Network command performance with Frank Sinatra that remains a favorite of radio collectors today.
Moore left in mid-1947, and the program returned October 1, 1947 as The Jimmy Durante Show. Durante worked in radio for three years after Moore's 1947 departure.
➦In 1958…Elvis Presley had his famous hair cut short by Army barber James Peterson. The pop icon was assigned to the Second Medium Tank Battalion of the 2nd Armored Division, the "Hell On Wheels" division once led by General George Patton, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
➦In 1968...Former KFI L-A announcer turned-actor Douglas Evans died at age 65. He was at KFI in the 30’s, and also appeared in more than 100 movies.
➦In 1971…66 WNBC NYC banned Brewer and Shipley's hit "One Toke Over The Line" because of alleged marijuana references in the song's lyrics.
➦In 1979...Joe Montione started at 93KHJ in L-A. Known as Banana Joe, he grew up in Pittston, PA, near Wilkes-Barre. Joe first worked as a DJ at WILK 980 AM and at Famous 56 WFIL in Pilly. He died at age 67 of natural causes on September 11, 2021 in Los Angles.
➦In 1982…Goodman Ace died at age 83 (Born - 15 January 1899). He was a humorist, radio writer and comedian, television writer, and magazine columnist.
Goodman Ace and wife Jane
"Goody" (as he was known to friends) is not always the most recognizable writer/performer of his era by today's reader or listener, but his low-key, literate drollery and softly tart way of tweaking trends and pretenses made him one of the most sought after writers in radio and television during the 1930s through '60s.
In 1930, Ace took on a second job reading the Sunday comics on radio station KMBC in Kansas City and hosting a Friday night film review and gossip program called Ace Goes to the Movies. An editor at the K-C Journal-Post had the idea that having an employee read the newspaper's comics on the air for children would increase circulation for the paper. Taking the job meant an extra $10 per week in one's paycheck, but none of the newsroom staff was interested. The editor, reasoning that since Ace's current assignment was covering local theater, insisted he would be the perfect man for the job. Ace suggested a second radio show, this one dealing with films, thus collecting an additional $10 per week.
One night the recorded fifteen-minute show scheduled to air after Ace's time-slot failed to feed. With an immediate need to fill fifteen minutes' more airtime and his wife having accompanied him to the station that night, Ace slipped into an impromptu chat about a bridge game the couple played the previous weekend and invited Jane to join the chat which soon enough included discussion of a local murder case in which a wife murdered her husband over an argument about bridge.
Loaded with Goodman's wry wit and Jane's knack for malaprops ("Would you care to shoot a game of bridge, dear?"), the couple's surprise improvisation provoked a response enthusiastic enough to convince KMBC to hand them a regular fifteen-minute slot, creating and performing a "domestic comedy" of their own.
At first, the show that became known as Easy Aces centered around the couple's bridge playing, according to John Dunning in On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998): "Ace was not wild about Jane's bridge game, on the air or off, and he kept picking at her until she lost her temper and threatened to quit. The show settled into a new niche, a more universally based domestic comedy revolving around Jane's improbable situations and her impossible turns of phrase."
➦In 1998...Bernard Meltzer died (Born - May 2, 1916). He was radio host for several decades. His advice call-in show, "What's Your Problem?," aired from 1967 until the mid-1990s on stations WCAU 1210 AM and WPEN 950 AM in Philadelphia, WOR 710 AM and WEVD-AM in New York and in national syndication on NBC Talknet.
Bernard Meltzer
A city planner by training, with a civil engineering degree from City College of New York and a master's degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Meltzer moved from a career as a Philadelphia expert in urban problems to a radio host on WCAU. In 1973 his show moved to WOR in New York.
Meltzer's show provided counsel on a wide range of quandaries, ranging from financial to personal: callers were as likely to ask about family crises, parenting issues and romantic problems as they were to ask about plumbing, home improvement or investment problems.
Segments were often bracketed by Meltzer delivering aphorisms or reciting moralizing poetry ("What shall we do with grandma, now that she's old and gray?") in his distinctive smooth, soothing, quiet voice. His show at one time held the highest ratings among adults in his time slot. Thanks to a doctoral degree earned by correspondence from an unaccredited university, listeners usually referred to him as "Doctor Meltzer."
Meltzer learned he had Parkinson's Disease around 1985, continuing on WOR until a brief final stint on WEVD in the 1990s.
His favorite saying was: "Courts are made for judges and lawyers". Another favorite, used to provide some comfort to callers and listeners, was: "The good people in this world far outnumber the bad."
Buck Owens
➦In 2006…Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens Jr. died at age 76 (Born - August 12, 1929). Owens, was a musician, singer, songwriter and band leader who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band the Buckaroos. They pioneered what came to be called the Bakersfield sound, named after Bakersfield, California, the city Owens called home and from which he drew inspiration for what he preferred to call American music.
From 1969 to 1986 Owens co-hosted the popular CBS television variety show Hee Haw with Roy Clark. Owens is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Before the 1960s were done, Owens — with the help of manager Jack McFadden — began to concentrate on his financial future. He bought several radio stations, including KNIX-AM (later KCWW) and KNIX-FM in Phoenix and KUZZ-FM in Bakersfield. During the 1990s, Owens was co-owner of the country music network Real Country, which Owens owned station KCWW was the flagship station of. In 1998, Owens sold KCWW to ABC/Disney for $8,850,000 and sold KNIX-FM to Clear Channel Communications, but he maintained ownership of KUZZ until his death.
In 2015…Birmingham radio veteran John Ed Willoughby died at age 80. His career spanned parts of five decades. Popular for his folksy wisdom and his quick-on-his-feet humor, Willoughby got started in radio as Tommy Charles' sidekick on Birmingham Top 40 WSGN-AM in 1975. He "retired" 30 years to the day later, on April 15, 2005, but continued to host a Saturday morning sport-talk show with Doug Layton until 2012.
John Ed Willoughby
Long before he teamed with Charles, Willoughby discovering he had a knack for radio while working for his father's furniture business, Willoughby Furniture, for which he did live commercials spots on Charles and Layton's radio show on Birmingham's WAQY-AM in the mid-1960s. He often stuck around to banter with the hosts.
Nearly a decade later, at the urging of a friend, Willoughby started calling into Charles' show on WSGN. He became so popular that Charles asked station manager Ben McKinnon to hire him full-time.
Charles andWilloughby later moved to news station WERC-AM, where they were among the pioneers of talk radio in Birmingham.
Elton John is 75
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
Film critic Gene Shalit is 96.
Singer Anita Bryant is 82.
Actor Paul Michael Glaser (TV’s “Starsky and Hutch”) is 79.
Musician Elton John is 75.
Actor Bonnie Bedelia is 74.
Katherine McPhee is 38
Actor-comedian Mary Gross is 69.
Actor James McDaniel (“NYPD Blue”) is 64.
Saxophonist Steve Norman of Spandau Ballet is 62.
Actor Brenda Strong (“Desperate Housewives”) is 62.
Actor Marcia Cross (“Desperate Housewives”) is 60.
Actor Lisa Gay Hamilton (“The Practice”) is 58.
Actor Sarah Jessica Parker is 57.
Turner Classics Movies host Ben Mankiewicz is 55.
Actor Laz Alonso (“Avatar,” “Fast and Furious”) is 51.
Singer Melanie Blatt of All Saints is 47.
Actor Domenick Lombardozzi (“Boardwalk Empire”) is 46.
Actor Lee Pace (film’s “The Hobbit,” TV’s “Pushing Daisies”) is 43.
Comedian Alex Moffat (“Saturday Night Live”) is 40.
Singer-actor Katharine McPhee (“Smash,” ″American Idol”) is 38.
Comedian Chris Redd (“Saturday Night Live”) is 37.
Rapper Big Sean is 34.
Music producer Ryan Lewis of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis is 34.
Actor Matthew Beard (“The Imitation Game”) is 33.
Singer-actor Aly Michalka of Aly and AJ (“Hellcats”) is 33.
Podcast Habits Reflect a Return to Work and School
Online audio consumption in the U.S. showed significant gains year-over-year, according to The Infinite Dial® 2022 from Edison Research, sponsored by Wondery and ART19. The study also finds the number of monthly podcast listeners declined slightly year-over-year as the U.S. population returns to pre-pandemic routines.
The Infinite Dial is America’s longest-running survey of digital media consumer behavior in America, tracked annually since 1998, and unveils the latest research in digital audio, social media, mobile, smart speakers, and podcast consumption. Edison Research SVP Tom Webster and Wondery CEO Jen Sargent presented the findings onstage at Podcast Movement: Evolutions in Los Angeles Wednesday.
Seventy-three percent of the U.S. 12+ population (an estimated 209 million people) have listened to online audio in the last month, up from 68% in 2021. This jump was primarily driven by listeners age 35+, as the number of those age 35+ who listen to online audio monthly increased by 13% year over year. Weekly online audio listening also rose to 67% of the U.S. 12+ population, up from 62% in 2021.
Podcasting’s reach is wider than ever, but listening behaviors have shifted a bit as Americans return to pre-pandemic routines.
62% of those age 12+ in the U.S. (an estimated 177 million people) have ever listened to a podcast, up from 57% last year
In-car podcast listening also showed growth: 32% of those age 18+ who have ridden in or driven a car in the last month now listen to podcasts in-car, compared to 30% last year
38% of those age 12+ in the U.S. are monthly podcast listeners in the current study, down from 41% in the Infinite Dial 2021, but still higher than 2020 (37%)
Monthly podcast listening saw growth year-over-year among those age 35-54, as 43% are now monthly podcast listeners, up from 39% in 2021.
“Clearly, Americans went back to work and back to school last year, which brought podcasting numbers back in line with pre-pandemic figures. However, the trend line continues to go up, particularly with 35-54 year olds,” noted Webster.
“The podcast industry has grown and changed immensely in the past two years as people’s daily lives changed,” said Jen Sargent, CEO of Wondery. “The Infinite Dial and the Edison Research team are a great resource in helping Wondery dive deep as we continue to innovate on behalf of our listeners, advertisers, and creators.”
Other highlights from the study:
TikTok usage has soared, with 36% percent of those in the U.S. age 12+ currently using the social media service. This is a 57% increase over last year, placing it third for overall social media reach behind Instagram (46%) and Facebook (63%). Among those age 12-34, 61% use TikTok, second only to Instagram (72%). Among those age 35-54, TikTok now surpasses Pinterest, Twitter, Snapchat, and LinkedIn with 34% of those in the U.S. age 35-54 using TikTok.
Thirty-five percent of those in the U.S. 12+, an estimated 100 million people, now own a smart speaker. Amazon remains the dominant brand as 23% of Americans own an Amazon Alexa, 11% own a Google Nest, and 2% own an Apple HomePod, (consumers may own multiple brands)
Audio-based social media platforms are beginning to become more well-known, with 12% of those in the U.S. age 12+ aware of Twitter Spaces, 10% aware of Clubhouse, and 9% aware of Greenroom
Audiobook listening stayed flat as 45% of those age 12+ in the U.S. have ever listened to an audiobook
39% of Americans 12+ have no radios in their household, and 57% of those age 12-34 have no radios in their household, a sharp contrast with 14 years ago when 4% of the U.S 12+ population had no radios
73% of those in the U.S. age 18+ who have ridden in or driven a car in the last month use AM/FM radio as an audio source in-car, far outpacing the next-closest audio source, owned digital music (used by 53%)
The decades-long dominance of Nielsen Holdings Plc as the go-to provider of television ratings services has stifled innovation for the media and advertising industries, warns media mogul Byron Allen, according to Bloomberg.
“In my humble opinion, this is a monopoly,” Allen, chief executive officer of Allen Media Group, a parent company of The Weather Channel and dozens of network-affiliated stations, said Wednesday in an interview on Bloomberg TV. “We need different platforms. This isn’t working.”
Allen filed a civil lawsuit this month against the company alleging that a repeated undercount of viewers has cost the industry billions of dollars in ad revenue. Nielsen’s measurement tools are only embraced by ad agencies because it’s “comfortable” for their business, according to Allen.
A spokesperson for Nielsen said the case “has no substance to it.”
“Nielsen has filed numerous lawsuits that has shut down other innovation, competitors, and it’s a monopoly,” Allen said. “When you get a monopoly these are the results. You get, what we believe, is an inferior service, an inferior product and pricing that’s not competitive.”
Allen said more media businesses have come forward since his lawsuit became public knowledge. “This is going to be a very, very large class-action lawsuit, and probably one of the biggest in corporate history,” he said.
Allen was among final bidders for regional broadcaster Tegna Inc. Bloomberg News reported last month that he was preparing a bid to purchase the Denver Broncos, a move that would make him the first Black majority owner of a National Football League team.
WIP 94.1 FM has found its successor for the late Big Daddy Graham, who hosted the station’s overnight show for more than two decades.
The Philly Inquirer reports Jon Johnson, a versatile host who has appeared across practically all timeslots since he was hired in 2005, announced he would take over the overnight show made popular by Graham.
Jon Johnson
“It’s an honor to take over for a legend like Big Daddy Graham. His unique, unorthodox approach was appointment radio for 25 years. From “Snack of the Night” to Hollywood Boulevard, his staple segments were a must listen,” Johnson told the Inquirer. “Though I could never replicate, I plan on bringing my own unique points and style to keep third shifters and night owls entertained into the morning hours.”
Johnson has sports chops from covering the Sixers and Phillies for WIP sister-station KYW Newsradio, but isn’t afraid to deviate into cultural subjects that have nothing to do with sports — especially movies.
Johnson has worked just about every radio job at the station, from producer to update anchor to fill-in host, and used to host the overnight shift on the weekend.
Most recently, Johnson has been filling in for retiring WIP morning show host Angelo Cataldi, who isn’t working Wednesdays during his final year at the station. Johnson said he will continue to appear on the popular morning show, which will overlap with his overnight gig.
Graham, whose real name was Edward Gudonis, had been a fan favorite since he joined WIP in 1997. He spent two decades as an overnight host, mixing his quirky sense of humor with eccentric callers. One recurring segment involved him including eating snacks on air and describing the experience in depth.
Graham died in September after having spent two years recovering from a burst blood vessel in his spine that left him paralyzed from the waist down. The injury also forced him off the air, but he continued to host a podcast that counted down the 100 greatest albums of all time. The podcast’s final episode — featuring The Who’s Who’s Next — aired in July.
Casey Daniels, whose radio career includes a stint at Indianapolis station WZPL-FM 99.5, is joining the staff of WIBC 93.1 FM as co-host of a morning talk show, reports The Indy Business Journal.
Daniels will succeed “Chicks on the Right” co-founder Miriam “Mock” Weaver as the on-air partner of Rob Kendall on a show that airs 9 a.m. to noon. Previously known as “The Mock ’N Rob Show,” the new “Kendall and Casey Show” will debut on April 4.
Casey Daniels
Weaver exited WIBC in January, citing her opposition to COVID-19 vaccination requirements for Emmis Communications employees as one of the reasons for her departure. Weaver co-founded conservative media duo “Chicks on the Right” with Amy Jo “Daisy” Clark in 2009.
Daniels will return to Indianapolis from Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she served as program director for classic rock station WFGR-FM.
From 2005 to 2008, Daniels worked as a weekend on-air personality at WZPL. She also has worked for radio and TV stations in South Bend.
“Casey is a storyteller with great curiosity and creativity,” Emmis-Indianapolis vice president of programming David Wood said in a written statement. “Pairing her with Rob Kendall and his deep knowledge of how local and state government works (or doesn’t work) will create a very entertaining and informative show.”
Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed Jimmy Steele as Program Director for Indianapolis Top 40 station, WZPL-FM 99.5 ZPL.
Steele joins Cumulus Indianapolis from Cumulus Mobile, AL, where he has been Operations Manager for the five-station cluster, Program Director of Cumulus Mobile’s Top 40 station WABD-FM and News/Talk station WXQW-AM since 2017. Steele makes the move to Indianapolis and WZPL-FM on Monday, April 18th.
Prior to joining Cumulus Media, Steele held Operations Manager positions for iHeartMedia clusters in Ocean City, MD, Columbus, OH, and San Diego, CA, and has programmed Top 40 stations in multiple markets, including Nashville, TN, Buffalo, NY, and Madison, WI.
Christopher “Boomer” Layfield, Operations Manager, Cumulus Indianapolis, said: “There was huge interest in this position, and I spoke with a number of qualified programmers, but Jimmy stood out from the start. His programming portfolio of experience is loaded with wins and a successful history of working with top-tier talent across the country. His reverence for ZPL’s iconic standing in the market, combined with his passion for making great radio and his distinct vision of how to elevate and amplify the ZPL brand on-air, online, in the community and across social media, make him the ideal choice to become our next Program Director.”
Steele commented: “I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the Cumulus Indianapolis family and to work alongside the highly committed and talented team at 99.5 ZPL. Thank you to Boomer, Chuck Fredrick, Doug Hamand, Louie Diaz and John Dimick for the amazing opportunity.”
