Boston Radio: Dennis & Callahan Drama Reported At WEEI

John Dennis, Kirk Minihane, Gerry Callahan

John Dennis, who along with Gerry Callahan has cohosted the successful morning-drive Dennis and Callahan program since 1997 on Sports WEEI 93.7 FM, has had a deteriorating relationship with his colleagues, in particular Kirk Minihane, who joined the show as a third host in 2013 and immediately became a compelling voice in the market.

According to The Boston Globe, that contentiousness culminated over the last couple of days, apparently to the breaking point. According to multiple sources, Dennis told WEEI management Thursday night that he intended to quit.

Entercom Boston vice president/market manager Phil Zachary, who met with Dennis Friday afternoon, denied that the host, whose contract is up in 13 months, will leave the station immediately.

But two sources said that it’s unlikely that Dennis returns to the D&C program when he returns in two weeks from what Zachary said is his last vacation time of the year.

Both sources said that WEEI does not want to acknowledge Dennis’s status primarily because they intend to keep using his voice in advertisements for a client endorsements.

The Globe notes Sometimes the Dennis and Callahan show exaggerates its interoffice feuds for effect and entertainment; it’s a time-tested standard from the Howard Stern playbook.

But the issues between the D&C cohosts are genuine — while Callahan and Minihane are friends, they barely interact with Dennis during commercial breaks.

Report: Hogan-Gawker Talking Settlement

Nick Denton, Hulk Hogan

(Reuters) -- Gawker Media Group is engaged in preliminary talks with the former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan to reach a settlement over a $140 million court judgment that led the company to file for bankruptcy protection, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The settlement talks come a week ahead of a court-administered auction that will see Gawker Chief Executive Nick Denton lose control of the company, the Journal said.

Similar discussions had taken place throughout the legal process, but it was not clear if the new talks would lead to a settlement, the WSJ said, citing two unnamed sources it said were familiar with the matter.

Hogan's lawsuit accused Gawker, Denton and former Gawker editor A.J. Daulerio of violating his privacy by publishing a 1 minute, 41-second edited video clip featuring Hogan having sex with the wife of his then-best friend, the WBRN radio shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge Clem.

In June, Gawker Media LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and put itself up for sale after Hogan won the judgment, while Denton filed for personal bankruptcy protection last week, naming Hogan as his largest creditor.

The bankruptcy filing followed revelations that billionaire investor Peter Thiel was bankrolling Hogan's lawsuit, along with several others against Gawker.

Thiel's involvement raised alarm bells in U.S. media circles over whether wealthy individuals are trying to muzzle the press.

Young Internet Users Addicted to Their Devices

By and large, internet users can’t get enough of their digital devices. According to July 2016 research, more than half of internet users are addicted to them—and it’s most common among younger users.

In fact, reports eMarkter, the survey from CivicScience uncovered that more than three-quarters of 13- to 24-year-olds said they were “addicted” to their digital devices, which included computers and smartphones. To compare, self-declared device addiction among this age group was more than double that of users ages 55 and older.

Furthermore, internet users ages 25 to 34 were also almost as likely to be addicted to their devices as 13- to 24-year-olds. Indeed, two-thirds said they were.

Younger users’ smartphone additions may not be surprising: Ownership of smartphones among teens has surged in recent years. eMarketer estimates that 84.0% of 12- to 17-year-olds will own and use a smartphone on a monthly basis this year.

And a February 2016 survey for Adestra by Flagship Research found that internet users between the ages of 14 to 34 are more likely to own smartphones and laptops than users ages 56 to 67.

Separate research from Coupofy, which looked at how frequently US millennials check their smartphones, discovered that 20% of respondents checked their smartphones at least 10 times per hour, and a quarter of them said they did so at least once every 15 minutes.

L-A Radio: NFL Rams Unveil Radio Broadcast Crews

As Los Angeles gets back to football, the Rams, KSPN ESPNLA 710 AM and KWKW ESPN Deportes 1330 AM have announced the English and Spanish radio broadcast teams that will bring games to fans all season.

J.B. LONG (play-by-play announcer), MAURICE JONES-DREW (color analyst) and D’MARCO FARR (sideline reporter) will broadcast every Rams game live on ESPNLA 710, the Rams’ official home and flagship English radio partner. Entercom’s KSWD The Sound 100.3 FM, the Rams’ official FM home, will simulcast the broadcasts.

On gamedays, ESPNLA 710 will broadcast a three-hour pregame show featuring STEVE MASON, KIRK MORRISON and ERIC DAVIS and a two-hour postgame show with TRAVIS RODGERS, Morrison and Davis.  JEFF BIGGS will report during halftime.  

MARIO SOLIS and TROY SANTIAGO will serve as play-by-play announcers on KWKW 1330 AM/ESPN Deportes, the Rams’ official Spanish language flagship radio station.  

“We are excited for these two dynamic teams – J.B., Maurice and D’Marco on ESPNLA and Mario and Troy on ESPN Deportes – to bring our games to fans across the region in our first season back in Los Angeles,” said Rams COO Kevin Demoff.  “All of these announcers combine unique experience, passion for the game and ties to Southern California, which will help connect our fans to Rams football during this historic year.”

“We could not be more thrilled about the broadcast team who will be bringing Rams games to life for listeners in Southern California and beyond,” said Scott McCarthy, vice president and general manager, ESPNLA . “J.B., Maurice, and D’Marco are experienced and outstanding play-by-play broadcasters, and they are the perfect on-air team to help welcome the Rams back to Los Angeles.  We look forward to hearing them on ESPNLA 710, during Rams games and also during the week.”

"To be invited to join the Rams at this moment in their history is a privilege I wasn't capable of imagining,” said Long. “My family and I are honored and humbled by this opportunity to be a part of their homecoming in Los Angeles. The Rams are building something special in Los Angeles: the NFL's preeminent stadium, an organization of talented and motivated people, plus one of the league's youngest and most promising rosters. I cannot wait to be a conduit between all the Rams future success and a community of fans that will soon be recognized as the best in the NFL."  

In addition to the KSWD/100.3FM simulcast, ESPNLA’s broadcast of Rams games will air on the following affiliates:

•    KKBZ 105.1 FM - Fresno, CA
•    KHTY 970 AM - Bakersfield, CA
•    KBAD 920 AM - Las Vegas, NV
•    KPLY 630 AM - Reno, NV
•    ESPN 103.9 FM - Palm Springs, CA
•    KTIE 590 AM - Riverside/San Bernadino, CA
•    KWDJ 1360 AM - Ridgecrest, CA
•    KSMA 1240 AM - Santa Maria, CA
•    KMET 1490 AM - Banning, CA

ESPN Deportes’ game broadcasts will air on the following affiliates:

•    KWKW 1330 AM - Los Angeles
•    KTMZ 1220 AM - Pomona
•    KWAC 1490 AM - Bakersfield
•    KGST 1600 AM - Fresno
•    KMJE 980 AM - Sacramento
•    KENO 1450 AM - Las Vegas
•    KCAL 1410 AM - Riverside/San Bernardino
•    KXLM 102.9 FM / KOXR 910 AM - Oxnard/Ventura

Black, Hispanic Journalists Applaud Hillary Clinton

Applause from members of the media was heard throughout Hillary Clinton's address Friday to a joint convention of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in Washington, D.C.

According to The Hill, the event, attended by more than 1,500 journalists, discourages applause from journalists during speeches by political candidates. Before Clinton's appearance, conference staffers went around the room reminding people that it's inappropriate for journalists to give politicians standing ovations.

CNBC reports during a question and answer session following her speech, the White House contender was tripped up once again by the lingering controversy over the private email server she used while at the State Department.

During her speech, Clinton said she wants to expand economic opportunities for Latinos and African Americans. "When the economy catches a cold, communities of color get pneumonia," Clinton said during her speech.

There were Hil Hugs, Selfies Everywhere

Clinton has granted numerous individual interviews to broadcast and print publications around the country. However, by many accounts her appearance at the convention marked the first time all year that she's fielded questions from more than one media outlet at a time.

Although most of the questions were friendly, the former Secretary of State was pressed by NBC News on her recent contention that FBI Director James Comey characterized her remarks on her email server as truthful.

Clinton defended her public statements about the issue, saying that her answers were truthful even though she acknowledged using a private server was "a mistake" in hindsight.

"That's really the bottom line here and I have said, during the interview and in many other occasions over the past months, that what I told the FBI, which he said was truthful, is consistent with what I have said publicly," Clinton told reporters.

"So I may have short-circuited it and for that, I will, you know, try to clarify," she added.

The latter part of her comment touched off a furor on social media, with the hashtag "What Makes Hillary Short Circuit" trending for hours on Twitter.

As Clinton Dodges Questions, eMail Controversy Remains

A scandal that should be disappearing in Hillary Clinton's rearview mirror has become a constant source of criticism as the former secretary of state continues to make inaccurate statements about her private email use whenever she is asked about it, according to The Washington Examiner.

Friday, On the one-month anniversary of the FBI's decision to close its investigation of Clinton's emails without recommending charges, the Democratic nominee struggled through a question about her honesty by claiming she had "short-circuited" several recent answers to email-related questions.

An MSNBC reporter forced Clinton to confront the email investigation Friday in response to answers she had given Fox News' Chris Wallace five days earlier. A deluge of fact-checks and op-eds took Clinton to task this week for telling Wallace that FBI Director James Comey had affirmed the truthfulness of her email statements.

The Washington Post gave her "four Pinnochios," Politifact rated her claim "Pants on Fire," (the highest available rating from either fact-checker) and the New York Times slammed her in an editorial for misrepresenting Comey's testimony.

The FBI director said in a hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last month that Clinton's public statements matched what she told investigators, but admitted the evidence uncovered during the year-long probe contradicted those statements.

Clinton has shied away from the media in the month since the FBI issued a scathing indictment of her "extremely careless" handling of classified material, granting few interviews and continuing a hiatus on press conferences that has lasted since December.

But in the handful of interviews she has given, Clinton has shifted her defense of the controversial email server in ways that leave enough lingering questions to keep the controversy alive.

The revival of the controversy each time she has provided a deceptive answer has underscored the deep trust deficit that plagues her campaign. Most voters continue to rate her as dishonest, although her low favorable numbers are still higher than her Republican opponent's.

Las Cruces Radio: KWML Drops Sports For Oldies

Less than two years after 24-hours-a-day sports talk radio debuted  in Las Cruces, NM it's become a part of the city's radio history.

Replacing it is a return to the past for longtime Las Crucens as KWML 570 AM now has an oldies music format. With the Rolling Stones song "Start Me Up," the switch was made Friday evening from Fox Sports Radio to "Kool Oldies." KWML can also be heard at K283CG 104.5 FM.

"It's going to be a big thing," said Aaron Criswell, vice president and general manager of Adams Radio Group of Las Cruces, owners of station, told The Las Cruces Sun-News. "We're extremely excited about that."

Adams Radio Group of Las Cruces also owns three other FM stations: KGRT, which plays country music; KHQT, a contemporary hits format; and KSNM, a classic hits station.

KWML 570 AM (5 Kw-D, 155 Watts-N) Red=Local Coverage Area

In addition to the Rolling Stones, KWML's new music format includes artists such as the Animals, Aretha Franklin, Barry White, the Beach Boys, and Doobie Brothers. The oldies format will feature entertainers mostly from the 1960s and 1970s, with a smattering of hits from the 1980s.

Many of the artists now heard on AM 570 were also played — as original hits — on AM 570 from 1955 through the mid 1970s when the station was KGRT-AM.

Since going on the air in 1955, AM 570 has gone through numerous changes in broadcast formats and several changes in the station's call sign.Through its early years, KGRT-AM played a "Top 40" format of hit music.

K283CG 104.5 FM (215 watts)

Adams Radio Group purchased the AM 570 and its three FM stations from Sunrise Broadcasting Inc. in late 2014.

WWOne Renews Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Westwood One today announced it has signed a new multi-year agreement with Dr. Sanjay Gupta to continue hosting the nationally-recognized daily feature, A Better Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The 60-second weekday feature – which promotes better living through better health, wellness, and lifestyle – airs 400 stations nationwide, including nine of the top 10 markets.

Dr. Gupta, a respected neurosurgeon, is one of the best known media personalities in the world and a winner of multiple Emmy awards for his work as chief medical correspondent and host for CNN. In addition to his broadcast work, Gupta is a best-selling author and recipient of numerous awards and honors. Personable and relatable, he's reported on the biggest health issues around the world.

Dr. Gupta said, "I am tremendously excited about the opportunity to share the secrets of a happier and healthier life that I have learned as a doctor and as a roving reporter who has traveled the world for the last 15 years. Every day there are little things we can do to live a better life, and I will teach you how to make them a part of your life."

Charles Steinhauer, Westwood One’s COO, added, “Dr. Gupta is one of the most trusted voices on health issues. We’re delighted to extend our relationship so that we can continue to meet the demand of listeners who want to live better lives.”

Orlando Radio: Personality Scott McKenzie Remembered

The first anniversary of Scott McKenzie's death is Thursday. But his family and friends on Saturday unveiled a permanent tribute to the WOMX 105.1 FM Mix 105.1 radio host -- a park bench -- in downtown Orlando's Lake Eola Park, reports The Orlando Sentinel.

"Come out and sit down with your buddy Scott. Take a break and enjoy this beautiful city," urged Jay Edwards, McKenzie's colleague on "The Morning Mix."

Nearly 60 attended the event that celebrated McKenzie's quick wit, steady enthusiasm and love of Beatles music.

"It's bittersweet," said Erica Lee, McKenzie's former on-air partner at Mix. "I love the outpouring of love that always surrounds Scott, always will surround Scott. As Jay said, now we have a place to sit and remember him by. I think Scott would get perverse pleasure to know we come and sit on him."

McKenzie's three siblings wanted a place where people could remember him, Edwards said, and one of the late host's favorite events, the Downtown Food & Wine Fest, happens nearby.

McKenzie’s widow, Dr. Fran Lesser Friedman, selected the scenic spot for the bench near Robinson Street and Hillman Avenue. A plaque salutes McKenzie’s "waking up Orlando" for 24 years. (He was born Scott Alan Friedman and chose Scott McKenzie as a radio name.)

“The Morning Mix” current team -- Edwards, Dana Taylor and Adam Alexander -- will discuss the bench on Monday’s show. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has taped an interview for that day.

On Thursday, “The Morning Mix” will replay McKenzie clips through the years, talk about his contributions to the community and ask listeners to share their memories. Beyond radio, McKenzie won admirers for his charitable work for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Children's Miracle Network and Florida Easter Seals.

McKenzie died at 59 on Aug. 11, 2015, after a seven-year fight against cancer. He had told listeners about his three battles against non-Hodgkin lymphoma. His family on Saturday asked people to keep up the fight against cancer.

R.I.P.: NOLA'S Pete Fountain Dies At 86

(Reuters) -- Clarinetist Pete Fountain, one of the faces of New Orleans jazz during his six-decade career, died on Saturday at the age of 86, local media reported.

Fountain gained fame as a featured player on the musical variety TV program "The Lawrence Welk Show" in the 1950s and made dozens of appearances on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.

Fountain later opened his own jazz club on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and over the years performed for four U.S. presidents and a pope.

Up until his retirement from public performances at age 83, Fountain paraded each year for Mardi Gras with his "Half-Fast Marching Club."

Fountain was born Pierre Dewey La Fountaine Jr. in New Orleans in 1930 and began playing the clarinet as a way of fighting chronic respiratory problems. By the time he was a teenager, he was already performing in the city's clubs as a professional musician.

He appeared as a recording artist on more than 100 albums.

R.I.P.: Former WNTQ Syracuse Personality Rob Cunningham

Rob Cunningham

Robert D. "Rob" Cunningham of Syracuse, passed away unexpectedly at home on Tuesday, August 2, 2016.

He was 72-years-of-age.

Cunningham  was best known in Syracuse as WNTQ 93.1 FM 93Q radio's personality with the rich baritone voice during the 1980s-90s.

Born in 1942 in East Orange, NJ, he started his career on early Top-40 radio stations in Reading, Pottstown, and Allentown, PA and Albany, NY. He came to 93Q in Syracuse after rising to radio fame at Rochester Top40 mega-station WPXY 97.9 FM 98PXY.

At 93Q he joined such Syracuse legends as George Plavocos, Jim O'Brien, Fran McGrath, Dave Laird, and Bob Brown, who later welcomed Ted Long and Amy Robbins to the team. All through his radio career, he met and kept friends who now remember and miss his friendly ways, generous spirit, and good humor-always.

August 8 Radio History

In 1952...Robin Quivers, famous sidekick to Howard Stern, was born.

Robin Quivers

In 1979 after military service, Quivers returned to Baltimore where she studied at the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland and worked in a hospital.  She landed her first job in the radio industry with a newscasting position at WIOO 1000 AM in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, followed by WCMB 1460 AM in nearby Harrisburg. She then moved back to Baltimore for a consumer reporter role at WFBR, where she also read newscasts with morning disc jockey Johnny Walker.

In March 1981, radio personality Howard Stern started his new morning program at WWDC in Washington, D.C.. He wished for an on-air newscaster to riff with him in the studio on the news and current affairs.   That was when station program director Denise Oliver played Quivers a tape of Stern interviewing a prostitute on the air.  She "had never heard anything like it...I just said, 'where do I sign? I’ll do anything just to meet this guy!'"

In 1952..WMCA 570 AM NYC banned Rosemary Clooney's latest hit 'Botch-A-Me. As noted in Billboard.





In 1963..."Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen was released and Radio stations quickly labeled it obscene.


In 1966...WABC moved to 1330 Avenue of the Americas


In 1982...WNBC-AM, New York City began broadcasting in AM Stereo.


In 1986...legendary DJs, Bobby Ocean and Dr. Don Rose did their last shows on KFRC, San Francisco, California.









In 2002...New York's WNNY 1380 AM changes call letters to WLXE