SF Radio: Angela Corral News Director At KGO

Angela Corral

Cumulus Media has announced that it has promoted Angela Corral to News Director for San Francisco News Talk radio station KGO 810 AM. Corral joined KGO as Assignment Editor in October 2013. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Corral has held virtually every position in the newsroom in her 17 years in Bay Area news radio. She started her news career in 1998 as a production assistant at KCBS, where she became a producer, an editor, a writer and an assignment editor.

Justin Wittmayer, Vice President and Market Manager for Cumulus San Francisco said: “Angela’s leadership in the newsroom and plan to advance KGO’s news delivery has afforded her this well-deserved promotion. We look forward to her guiding KGO to new heights.”

Corral said: “It’s a true honor to be selected as news director of this legendary station.  I’m looking forward to working with an amazing staff of dedicated journalists as we move KGO forward.”

SiriusXM Unveils NFL Coverage Plans

SiriusXM will offer fans the most comprehensive coverage of the NFL available on any audio platform throughout the 2015 season, featuring live broadcasts of every game plus daily NFL talk on the SiriusXM NFL Radio channel.

The NFL kicked off its 96th season  last night when the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-21.

Throughout the season all NFL games through Super Bowl 50 air on satellite radios.  Subscribers to the SiriusXM All Access package – which includes satellite radio and internet listening – can also listen to every game via the SiriusXM app and at SiriusXM.com.  SiriusXM's schedule also includes multiple Spanish-language NFL broadcasts each week.  Weekly NFL schedules with SiriusXM channel assignments can be found at www.siriusxm.com/nflschedule.

SiriusXM NFL Radio (channel 88), the only 24/7 radio channel dedicated to the NFL, enters its 12th season on the air and continues to offer the most comprehensive and in-depth audio coverage of the league.

SiriusXM NFL Radio's daily programming lineup features shows hosted by NFL experts and interviews with players, coaches and executives from around the league.  The channel showcases an unparalleled roster of hosts that includes former players, coaches and front office executives.  These include Gil Brandt, Tim Brown, Mark Dominik, Rich Gannon, Brad Hopkins, Maurice Jones-Drew, Pat Kirwan, James Lofton, Anthony "Booger" McFarland, Jim Miller, Bill Polian, Phil Savage, Takeo Spikes, Amani Toomer, Ross Tucker and Solomon Wilcots.

Joining the roster this year will be former Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, a three-time First Team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl selection, and Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, who previously hosted on SiriusXM NFL Radio in 2009.

SiriusXM NFL Radio voices also include a number of NFL insiders and radio veterans including Bob Papa, Bruce Murray, Alex Marvez, Howard David, Vic Carucci, Dan Leberfeld, Bill Lekas, Zig Fracassi, Steve Torre, Casey Stern, Howard Balzer, Jeff Rickard, Lance Medow, Mike Keith and Tom Pelissero.

R.I.P.: DC Radio Legend Bobby Bennett Passes

Bobby Bennett

Bobby Bennett, a D.C. radio legend better known as “The Mighty Burner”, has passed away at the age of 72.

Sources close to his family say that while the cause of death is not official, it's believed that Bennett died from complications from a stroke that he suffered several weeks ago.

Bennett's nickname came from his days at D.C. Soul music AM station WOL 1450 AM.

In 1967, Bennett worked as a news reporter for Pittsburgh's WAMO-AM and WZUM radio stations. One year later, in 1968, he moved to WOL-AM in Washington, D.C., where he became known to radio fans as “The Mighty Burner” and hosted a show until 1980. Bennett then hosted a sports talk show on WTOP in the early 1980s, and served as program director for WHUR-FM from 1987 to 1992. After his time at WHUR, Bennett was hired as a morning talk show host at WXTR; and, in 1997, he became the host of an R&B radio show on WPFW-FM. In 2000, Bennett created the “Soul Street” channel for XM Satellite Radio, and served as its program director until 2010. During his career, he also was employed as a record executive and as a voice over narrator.

Bennett is the co-author of The Ultimate Soul Music Trivia Book: 501 Questions and Answers About Motown, Rhythym & Blues, and More, which was published in 1997.

September 11 Radio History

In 1945...At WSM Radio's Studio B in Nashville, Ernest Tubb recorded "It's Been So Long Darling," at what is believed to have been just the second recording session ever to take place in Music City.


In 1965...the Beatles' "Help!" album went #1 on American radio and stayed there for for 9 weeks.


In 1995..."Runaway" by Janet Jackson became the first single by a woman to make its debut in the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100.


In 2000...John R. Gambling does the last “Rambling With Gambling” show on WOR 710 AM


In 2001...Terrorist attack on New York City silenced four FM and nine TV stations.

Video produced by Art Vuolo Jr:



Since three of the major television broadcast network owned-and-operated stations had their transmission towers atop the North Tower (One World Trade Center), coverage was limited after the collapse of the tower. The FM transmitter of National Public Radio station WNYC was also destroyed in the collapse of the North Tower and its offices evacuated. For an interim period, it continued broadcasting on its AM frequency and used NPR's New York offices to produce its programming.

The satellite feed of one television station, WPIX, froze on the last image received from the WTC mast; the image (a remote-camera shot of the burning towers), viewable across North America (as WPIX is available on cable TV in many areas), remained on the screen for much of the day until WPIX was able to set up alternate transmission facilities. It shows the WTC at the moment power cut off to the WPIX transmitter, prior to the towers' collapse.

During the September 11, 2001 attacks, WCBS-TV channel 2 and WXTV-TV channel 41 stayed on the air. Unlike most other major New York television stations, WCBS-TV maintained a full-powered backup transmitter at the Empire State Building after moving its main transmitter to the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The station was also simulcasted nationally on Viacom (which at the time owned CBS) cable network VH1 that day. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the station lent transmission time to the other stations who had lost their transmitters, until they found suitable backup equipment and locations.

The Emergency Alert System was never activated in the terrorist attacks, as the extensive media coverage made it unnecessary.

9/11 Simultaneous Broadcast from Six Networks of the first fifteen minutes



Television coverage of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and their aftermath was the longest uninterrupted news event in the history of U.S. television. The major U.S. broadcast and cable networks were on the air for days with uninterrupted coverage from the moment news first came that the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Millions of shocked television viewers watching live pictures of the World Trade Center saw the second plane hit and both buildings come down. In order to keep up with the constant flood of information, at 10:49 a.m. EDT, Fox News Channel began running continuous updates in the form of a news ticker that crawled along the bottom of the screen. This was so well received by viewers that it became a permanent feature on the channel and was adopted by many other news channels.


In 2005…Radio/Television sportscaster (CBS, ABC, NFL Films) Chris Schenkel, who covered professional bowling for 35 years along with various other sports, died of emphysema at the age of 82.

BMI Reports Record-Breaking Revenue, Payouts

BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) today announced record-breaking revenue and royalty distributions for its fiscal year ended June 30. BMI generated total revenues of $1.013 billion, the highest in the company's history and the most public performance revenue generated for songwriters, composers and publishers by any music rights organization in the world.

In addition, BMI distributed and administered $877 million to its affiliated songwriters, composers and music publishers, a nearly 4.5% increase over last year and the company's largest distribution ever.

BMI operates on a non-profit-making basis and returns approximately 87% of all revenue to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.

"These are phenomenal results for BMI and underscore the value we bring to our community of songwriters, composers and publishers," said Mike O'Neill, President and CEO, BMI. "They're even more impressive when you consider the negative impact to our international revenues brought on by the strengthening dollar," he added.

Mike O''Neill

"We will continue to work hard on behalf of the more than 700,000 affiliates we have the privilege to represent, not only to make sure they can continue to earn a living doing what they love, but also through our ongoing efforts with Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice to rewrite the rules so they make sense for today's digital world."

BMI's digital revenue exceeded $100 million, the first U.S. PRO to achieve this important milestone. Digital revenue increased 65% over last year, which was the largest category increase for the company. Revenue sources included Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Pandora, Spotify and YouTube, among many others.

Revenue from all media licensing, including radio, television and cable and satellite entertainment, also saw record levels at $484 million, with cable and satellite entertainment accounting for the largest portion of BMI's domestic revenue for the second consecutive year. Additionally, general licensing revenue, including license fees from bars, hotels, fitness facilities and restaurants, along with other income, achieved a record high $137 million. General licensing added more than 14,000 new businesses to its already vast portfolio.

And The 2015 CMA Radio Nominees Are...

Kelsea Ballerini

CMA and Country artist Kelsea Ballerini joined forces with ABC Radio to announce the 2015 CMA Broadcast Awards finalists for Radio Personality and Station of the Year Wednesday during a media tour in New York City.

The finalists were surprised by the two-time CMA Awards finalist when she called under the pretense of talking about the nominations and then turned the tables.

"Radio has played such an important part in this amazing year that I jumped at the opportunity to call the stations to tell them they were nominated for a CMA Broadcast Award," said Ballerini. "It has been an amazing day and I was really happy to share it with people who have contributed so much to my career."

The CMA Broadcast Award winners will be notified in mid-October and will be acknowledged at "The 49th Annual CMA Awards," to be held Wednesday, Nov. 4 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) and broadcast live by the ABC Television Network from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return to host Country Music's Biggest Night™ for the eighth time.

Sarah Trahern

"Country radio stations and personalities reinforce what makes our format so powerful," said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. "They play a crucial part in establishing those common bonds between Country artists and listeners. We are thrilled to recognize these individuals who are exemplary advocates of our format."

"ABC Radio is proud to be associated with the CMA Awards and excited to offer a special two-hour CMA preview hosted by Good Morning America's Robin Roberts as part of six-weeks of CMA Awards preview radio programming starting September 28," said Steve Jones, ABC Radio Vice President & General Manager.

Five finalists are selected for CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year in four categories: Small, Medium, Large, and Major Market. This year, however, there was a tie in the Medium Market Radio Station of the Year category, resulting in six nominees.

The categories are established by market size based on population as ranked by Arbitron. Entries for Broadcast Personality of the Year are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement, and biographical information. Candidates for Station of the Year are judged on aircheck, ratings history, community involvement, and format leadership.

Three finalists are selected for National Broadcast Personality of the Year. To be eligible, candidates must be syndicated, short-form, hub voice-tracking, and satellite personalities heard in at least three markets with a minimum of 40 shows per year.

CMA members who are full-time, on-air personalities and CMA member radio stations in the United States and Canada were eligible to enter. The entries are judged by a panel of distinguished broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions.

An aggregate score of the first round of judging and the second round, which is done by a different panel of judges, determines the winners. The international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP tabulates scoring by the judges. CMA Broadcast Award winners are not eligible to enter in consecutive years; therefore, those who received trophies in 2014 were not eligible in 2015.

CMA BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR:

National

• "The Big D and Bubba Show" (Derek Haskins, Sean Powell, and Patrick Thomas) – Compass Media Networks
• "The Crook and Chase Countdown" (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase) – iHeartMedia
• "The Lia Show" (Lia Knight) – Westwood One

Major Market

• "Barrel Boy @ Night" (Eric Gruneisen) – KNIX, Phoenix, Ariz.
• "Ben and Matt in the Morning" (Ben Campbell and Matt McAllister) – KNIX, Phoenix, Ariz.
• "The Michael J Show" (Michael J. Stuehler) – WPOC, Baltimore, Md.
• "Paul Schadt and Meg in the Morning Show" (Paul Schadt, Meg Butterly, and Geof Knight) – WKKT, Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C./Rock Hill, S.C.
• "The Q Morning Zoo" (Tim Tuttle, Kevin Kline, and Erica Rico) – KKBQ, Houston-Galveston, Texas

Large Market

• "The Big Dave Show" (David Chandler, Chelsie Shinkle, and Jason Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
• "Karen, Scott & Radar" (Karen Dalessandro, Scott Dolphin, and Tony "Radar" Hess) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
• "Mornings with Dave O'Brien" (Dave O'Brien) – WLHK, Indianapolis, Ind.
• "Q Morning Crew" (Mike Wheless, Marty Young, and Janie Carothers) – WQDR, Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
• "Randy and Jamie" (Randy Carroll and Jamie Martin) – KAJA, San Antonio, Texas

Medium Market

• "The 97 Country Breakfast Club" (Roger Todd, Melissa Moran and Dale Sellers) – WPCV, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
• "Andy & Allison and The Morning Crew" (Andy Ritchie, Alison Mencer, and Jimmy Holt) – WIVK, Knoxville, Tenn.
• "DJ Walker In The Morning" (Dennis Walker and Jim Wells) – KATM, Stockton, Calif.
• "Maverick & Lulu" (Maverick Johnson and Luanne Kyrsz) – WCTQ, Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.
• "Tom and Becky" (Tom Owens and Becky Palmer) – WBBS, Syracuse, N.Y.

Small Market

• "Barrett, Fox & Berry" (Bill Barrett, Tim Fox, and Tracy Berry) – KKNU, Eugene-Springfield, Ore.
• "Bobby and Steve Show" (Bobby Cook and Steve Schwetman) – WKYQ, Paducah, Ky.
• "The Dex & Mo Show" (Bill "Dex" Poindexter and Melissa "Mo" Turner) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
• "Ken and Daniel" (Ken Hicks and Daniel Wyatt) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
• "Scotty & Cara in the Morning" (Scotty Cox and Cara Denis) – KCLR, Columbia, Mo.

CMA RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR

Major Market
KNIX – Phoenix, Ariz.
WKKT – Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C./Rock Hill, S.C.
WKLB – Boston, Mass.
WPOC – Baltimore, Md.
WSOC – Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C./Rock Hill, S.C.

Large Market
WCOL – Columbus, Ohio
WLHK – Indianapolis, Ind.
WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
WQIK – Jacksonville, Fla.
WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio

Medium Market
CKRY – Calgary, Alta.
KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.
WBBS – Syracuse, N.Y.
WCTQ – Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.
WHKO – Dayton, OH
WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn.

Small Market
KCLR – Columbia, Mo.
KFDI – Wichita, Kan.
KTTS – Springfield, Mo.
WGSQ – Cookeville, Tenn.
WHWY – Ft. Walton Beach/Destin, Fla.

Ballerini recorded personal messages for those radio stations and nominated personalities who weren't able to participate in the calls. ABC Radio is making that audio in addition to audio from "The 49th Annual CMA Awards" nominee announcements on ABCnews.com available via FTP.

Milwaukee Radio: WRIT Rebrands As Big 95.7 FM

Why now?  With their best-ever market leading ratings 6+, one would wonder why iHeartMedia has decided to rebrand Classic Hits WRIT 95.7 FM.

Branding as Oldies 95.7 FM, the station went from a 10.1 share (6+ AQH Total Person, Total Week) rating in June to a 10.5 rating in August. The next station is nearly four share points behind.

According to Program Director Brett Andrews, "Yes, we’ve re-branded Oldies 95.7 as 95-7 BIG FM. We’ve become the BIGGEST radio station the Milwaukee market, and simply needed a name that better represented the evolution of the station. The music, line-up of local personalities, and overall format remain the same, we’ve simply gotten BIGGER.

We remain Milwaukee’s only station to get the Biggest hits you’ll never forget and the exclusive FM Home of Wisconsin Badgers sports!"

He reiterated that music and format will remain the same.

The station posted a video by the morning team of Murphy and Meg  explaining the changes on its new Facebook page.

NYC Radio: Francesa Pulls Plug on TV Simulcast

Mike Francesa is parting ways with Fox Sports Network as of Friday, in what he called an “amicable” split with no hard feelings.

Francesa said he had reached an agreement to terminate the Fox Sports television simulcast of his long-running and ratings-leading afternoon sports talk radio show on New York City’s WFAN 660 AM / 101/9 FM weekdays afternoons.

He acknowledged that negotiations are underway with another unnamed cable outlet, but added that his show could be radio-only for several months in the meantime before a new simulcast deal is struck.

Fox Sports viewers and/or Francesa fans are well aware that the Francesa simulcast was often bumped in favor of auto racing, soccer, and other content, which didn’t go over well with the opinionated broadcaster that the New York media has nicknamed the “sports Pope” for his self-important, know-it-all image.

The radio show has been on Fox Sports for almost two years, after simulcasting on the YES Network (the New York Yankees cable outlet) for 12 years. YES currently simulcasts the Michael Kay Show from ESPN radio in Francesa’s former time slot.

Nielsen Crowns Classic Hits As Format of Summer

The annual race to crown the “format of the summer” is now in its fifth year, and for the first time, NielsenAudio has a repeat winner: Classic Hits takes home the title in 2015 and becomes the first format to win the race twice and the first to win in back-to-back years.

This year, Classic Hits faced some stiff competition from a number of other formats, including Hot Adult Contemporary (AC) and Country, both of which also had strong showings. But in the end, the audience share for Classic Hits jumped by nearly 10% (9.7%) this summer, the most of any major format.

Increase In Summer Listening Share By Format

Nielsen also analyzed four years’ worth of Nielsen BDS Radio airplay data to get a handle on how more than 30 major-market Classic Hits stations have updated their playlists.

Not only have the last two summers been the best summers on record for the format, they’ve brought in more listeners.

In fact, summer shares among 18-to-34 listeners have risen nearly 10% since 2012. This is a noteworthy trend for a format that is not generally associated with Millennials or younger audiences. The tables below also reveal a noticeable shift in the decade of music at the top of the playlist on Classic Hits radio since 2012.

Most Played Classic Hits - Summer of 2012

Most Played Classic Hits - Summer of 2015

This summer, more than half of the top 20 most-played songs by Classic Hits were from the 1980s. Three years ago, no songs in the top 20 came from that decade. And since then, the average release year among those songs has shifted by seven years from 1973 to 1980.

Chicago Radio: News Vet Sherman Kaplan Retiring

After nearly 54 years in radio, over 46 of which have been in Chicago with WBBM 780 AM / 105.9 FM, newsman Sherman Kaplan announced his departure.

Final day on the air for the 74-year-old Kaplan will be September 22nd.

Ron Gleason, WBBM-AM Director of News and Programming, said in a staff memo announcing Kaplan's retirement: "One of the true WBBM Newsradio originals is calling it a career. Sherman Kaplan has decided to retire after more than 46 years covering the news in and around Chicago."

 Kaplan himself announced his upcoming exit on his personal Facebook page, saying:

"To all my FB friends, personal and virtual, in case you have not heard, I am leaving WBBM. My last day on the air will be September 22. I want to stress, and I genuinely mean this, I do not think of this as a retirement, but rather as a Commencement. 

I began working at WBBM in 1969, and except for an occasional medical situation and as many vacation days I could grab, it has been full steam ahead all the way.

According to CR&M, After starting out as a music DJ in 1961 in Cincinnati, Kaplan was working as a newsman at a Columbus, OH radio station, when he and his wife vacationed in downtown Chicago in the summer of 1968. When told that WBBM-AM was converting to all-news and looking to expand its staff, he visited the station while on his vacation, inquiring about a job. A few months later, Kaplan started working at the station, where he has basically remained ever since.

Report: Pat Fili-Krushel OUT at NBC

Pat Fili-Krushel

Six months after being replaced as the head of NBC News by Andy Lack, Pat Fili-Krushel  executive will exit the company on Nov. 1, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Fili-Krushel was brought to NBCUniversal by CEO Steve Burke, with whom she worked closely with at ABC, where she was president of ABC Television Network from 1998 to 2000. Burke appointed her to run the company's news assets in 2011. It was shortly after Ann Curry's infamous departure from Today, and Burke was looking toward Fili-Krushel to impose some stability. Fili-Krushel ousted longtime NBC News president Steve Capus, who is now at CBS News, and hired Deborah Turness to run the company's flagship news division.

Several current and former NBC News sources blamed Fili-Krushel for the NBC news division's overall decline, citing her lack of experience in news.  The news division continued to generate headlines for a series of personnel conflagrations. There was the highly public ousting of Meet the Press moderator David Gregory and more recently, the news division has been rocked by the fall of Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, who was found to have embellished multiple accounts of his time reporting from the field.

And in March, Burke named Lack chairman of NBC News and MSNBC.

An NBCUniversal spokesman declined comment.

Moonves: NFL On CBS Access Possible

The CBS All Access streaming service could get NFL football one day in what would be a "game changer" for the fledgling offering, CEO Les Moonves says.

The service has been used as catch-up on library content by subscribers since its launch last October, though it also features live content from many TV stations.

But, according to Seeking Alpha: “Obviously the big thing that is missing from All Access is the NFL,” Moonves said at Wednesday's Bank of America/Merrill Lynch investor conference.

CBS will be pushing a record amount of streaming this year, and Moonves thinks a more open approach may be a matter of time for the league. “Clearly they are looking for an answer for their digital needs,” Moonves said. “They are exploring it along with us."

CBS launched All Access in October 2014, with live local content from its owned and operated and other certain TV stations as well as a library of about 6,500 network shows. But the offering – which costs $5.99 per month, hasn’t been able to carry NFL games like its linear broadcast network.