Philly Radio: At WPHT..'We Are Penn State'

Audacy and Penn State University have extended their longtime broadcast partnership. As part of the multi-platform partnership, Talk Radio 1210 WPHT in Philadelphia will continue to serve as the flagship home for all Penn State football and men’s basketball play-by-play broadcasts.

“Penn State has been a longtime valued partner of Audacy Philadelphia and Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, and we are delighted to continue this long-standing relationship,” said David Yadgaroff, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Philadelphia. “Philadelphia is home to many Penn State sports fans, and we are proud that Talk Radio 1210 WPHT will provide tremendous reach for fans and alums over the air, on their smart speakers, or the free Audacy app.”

“Penn State and Playfly are thrilled to continue our long-term relationship with Audacy Philadelphia,” said Daniel Solomon, Vice President, Corporate Partnerships, Playfly Penn State Sports Enterprises. “Broadcasting our football and men’s basketball games in a city with a large amount of fans and alumni such as Philadelphia is very important to our statewide footprint and we look forward to another successful athletic year with our partners in Philadelphia.”

🎧Listeners can tune in to Talk Radio 1210 WPHT (WPHT-AM) in Philadelphia and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station via X, Facebook and Instagram.  

Premiere To Syndicate Michael DelGiorno Morning Show

Premiere Networks has  announced the addition of “Your Morning Show with Michael DelGiorno” to its nationally-syndicated radio lineup. 

Effective October 14, the popular talk radio program will be available to stations nationwide as a three-hour weekday morning show in the 6 - 9 a.m. ET timeslot.  Currently heard on 25 affiliates across the U.S., “Your Morning Show with Michael DelGiorno” will continue to originate from iHeartMedia Nashville.

“I’m honored to join Premiere Networks and look forward to working with their amazing team to provide the nation with the highest level of information and entertainment,” said DelGiorno. 

“I’m humbled to join Glenn Beck, Clay & Buck, Sean Hannity and the rest of Premiere’s talk lineup, serving as a lead-in to their programs and a place for listeners to start the day right! I want to thank the iHeart and Premiere leadership team, including Julie Talbott, Chris Berry and Brian Gann. I was already in radio heaven, so I have no words for where I am now except to say I’m grateful and determined to succeed!”

“Over the course of his career in the talk radio format, Michael DelGiorno has built a. loyal following who enjoy his compelling and entertaining approach to making complex issues easy to understand,” said Julie Talbott, President of Premiere Networks. “We couldn’t be happier to welcome Michael to the Premiere Networks family and look forward to expanding his show to many more stations across the country!”

Stations interested in “Your Morning Show with Michael DelGiorno” should contact Premiere Networks affiliate sales at affiliates@premierenetworks.com.

Charlotte Radio: WKQC Drops Reboot of 'Ace & TJ'

The sudden departure of David “Ace” Cannon after more than 25 years on left many Charlotte listeners in shock. The new TJ & Riggins Show was set to debut on Monday, but the Charlotte flagship station K104.7 (WKQC) decided to drop the program, leaving fans with only music instead of the expected show.

The sudden departure of David “Ace” Cannon from the popular syndicated program was announced on its social-media platforms over the weekend: “The new TJ & Riggins Show begins Monday, September 23. Expect much of the same content and products with some new additions to be announced soon. Ace is no longer associated with the show.”

Still, no reason has been given for Cannon’s exit, which is reportedly covered by a nondisclosure agreement. The new iteration of the show was to include Bryan “Riggins” Weber as a full co-host. Weber has been a part of the program since 2009. Ace & TJ had been broadcast partners since 1998.

Cannon and  Ritchie “TJ” Beams had been an on-air duo since 1993, when the Louisiana natives were paired up for the first time on a Top 40 station in Alexandria, near their hometowns of Pineville and Winnfield. They moved from nights to mornings, then on to Baton Rouge, then to stations in Huntsville and Birmingham in Alabama, before being hired to do Kiss 95.1’s morning show in Charlotte in 1998.

In Charlotte, “Ace & TJ” had moved up and down the dial, including to “Channel 96.1” WHQC in 2012; back to WNKS in 2022; then to “K104.7” WKQC in May. The show was syndicated to several stations in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic, and spawned a podcast. 

FOX & Friends’ Air First Lady Melania Trump Interview

FOX News Channel’s (FNC) FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) will present an exclusive interview with former First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday, September 26th. 

This marks the first television interview Mrs. Trump has done in more than two years. Conducted by co-host Ainsley Earhardt, the former first lady will discuss her new book, the Trump campaign’s strategy in the remaining six weeks until the election, the two assassination attempts on her husband and other news of the day. FOX Nation will present an extended version of the interview available the same day.

Earhardt is the co-host of FNC’s top rated morning show FOX & Friends alongside Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade and Lawrence Jones. The popular program has averaged 1.2 million viewers through the 3rd Quarter of 2024 to date and is on pace to mark its 23rd consecutive year as the number one morning show in cable news.

Ainsley Earhardt

Earhardt was named co-host of FOX & Friends in 2016. She has conducted exclusive interviews with former President Donald Trump, then Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence. Earhardt co-hosted the network’s coverage of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 and covered The Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II live from London.

She is the author of four New York Times bestsellers, including three number one children’s picture books, Take Heart, My Child: A Mother's Dream, Through Your Eyes: My Child's Gift to Me and I'm So Glad You Were Born: Celebrating Who You Are as well as her 2019 memoir, The Light Within Me. In May 2024, the University of South Carolina, Earhardt’s alma mater, awarded her with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree for her professional achievements in the broadcast news entertainment news industry and as an author. Additionally, Earhardt was presented with the University of South Carolina's honorary degree and was also inducted into the South Carolina Entertainment & Music Hall of Fame.

WaPo To Lay-off 54 More Staffers

The Washington Post is laying off a quarter of its workforce from Arc XP, the publisher’s stand-alone software unit, the latest change as the company aims to turn its business around under new leadership.

The Wall Street Journal reports Arc XP, which began as an in-house publishing tool, has expanded in recent years to service non-Post businesses, such as Reuters, Gray Media and France’s Le Parisien. The unit, which a couple of years ago had considered a spinoff or sale, also has serviced non-publishing businesses, such as the National Basketball Association’s Golden State Warriors and energy company BP. 

The Post said Monday that the publisher is committed to Arc XP. The company said it has plans to update its software product with artificial intelligence and analytics capabilities. 

The layoffs affect about 54 full-time staffers at Arc XP, and come nearly a year after the publisher announced voluntary buyouts to reduce its Post workforce by 240.   

“To continue this leadership amidst a new wave of change within our industry requires us to act with urgency and think differently,” said Matt Monahan, president of Arc XP, in an internal note obtained by The Wall Street Journal. “This decision will help us align to a plan for the future that is both ambitious and achievable,” he added, referring to the cuts.  

The Post is undergoing a host of changes amid pressure to reverse its fortunes and generate a profit.   

The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos, who has told the newsroom that he wants the company to return to profitability, tapped William Lewis as publisher in late 2023. 

The news publisher had faced business challenges including declining traffic and subscriptions following a surge during the Trump presidency. It lost $77 million in 2023 and had faced a digital audience decline of around 50% since 2020. 

The Post has since announced a number of leadership changes and made some strides to improve its business, according to people familiar with the matter. 

Atlanta Radio: V-103’s Winterfest Returns on December 20

Audacy’s V-103 (WVEE-FM) is excited to announce the return of its annual holiday concert, WINTERFEST. Hip-Hop and R&B stars Xscape, Bell Biv DeVoe, 112’s Q Parker and Friends featuring Next’s R.L., Carl Thomas, and Soul4Real’s Jase4Real, and Silk will take over State Farm Arena on Friday, December 20, for “The All White Affair Vol. 2,” where concert-goers are asked to wear their most stylish all-white outfits. More artists will be announced over the coming weeks.

“WINTERFEST is a staple holiday event in Atlanta and we’re excited to bring it back with another fantastic lineup,” said Reggie Rouse, Vice President of Programming and Brand Manager, V-103. “These artists have mega hits spanning multiple decades. It’s going to be a party!”

The concert presale begins Wednesday, September 25, at 10:00 a.m. ET until 11:59 p.m. ET, or while supplies last. To get the presale link and code, download the free Audacy app and follow V-103 or visit V-103.com. Tickets for V-103’s WINTERFEST concert go on sale Friday, September 27, at 10:00 a.m. ET and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

Listeners can tune in to V-103 (WVEE-FM) in Atlanta on-air and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station via X, Facebook and Instagram.

For more information on WINTERFEST, visit V-103.com.

FCC Commissioner Claims Dems Cut Broadband, Soros Backroom Deal

The FCC quietly decided Friday to delay a buildout that would bring internet to rural communities.

That decision has been slammed by Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr as “the worst abuse of agency process I have seen in my twelve years of working at the FCC.”

Dish Chairperson and longtime Democrat donor Charlie Ergen was given up to three more years to bring service to the most remote communities in the US by the FCC last week — without giving the public or internal FCC officials any input.

“I have never heard of the FCC granting relief like this with no process, no public input, and no heads up,” Carr told The NY Post.

“The Democrats in FCC leadership cut a secret, backroom deal—one that kept the Republican FCC Commissioners and perhaps others completely in the dark—and then hustled it out the door on a Friday afternoon.”

Brendan Carr

The move comes just two days after the FCC approved a controversial deal that fast-tracked left-leaning billionaire George Soros’ acquisition of radio stations that reach more than 165 million Americans, The Post has learned — a move that insiders have also slammed as political.

On Wednesday, The FCC adopted an order to approve Soros’ purchase of more than 200 radio stations in 40 markets just weeks before the presidential election, sources told The Post. 

The FCC decision came after a partisan vote with the commission’s three democrats voting for the move while the two republicans voted against it, sources added.

Under existing FCC rules, foreign company ownership of US radio stations is not supposed to exceed 25%. Soros took foreign investment to make his bid and then made a filing asking the commission to make an exception to the usual review process, according to public documents.

The FCC decision to fast-track his deal is the first time in modern history such a deal has been approved by the full Commission without first running the national security review process—a process that could take up to a year or more.

The Soros group says they will come back to the FCC at some point in the future to run that process.

Soros, 93, pumped $400 million into Audacy in February to take control of the network, which includes a handful of conservative shows from hosts including Sean Hannity, Dana Loesch, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck and Erick Erickson.

Hearing Concludes To Determine Fate of Murdoch Media Empire

A hearing to determine control of Rupert Murdoch’s global television and publishing empire concluded Monday in a Reno, Nevada, courtroom, though the outcome remained unclear, reports Reuters.

Murdoch, 93, is attempting to change the terms of the family’s trust -- which holds significant stakes in Fox News parent Fox and Wall Street Journal owner News Corp. The billionaire is looking to ensure that, upon his death, the media companies remain under control of his eldest son, Lachlan Murdoch, according to the New York Times, which obtained a sealed court document detailing the succession drama.

A hearing to determine whether Murdoch is acting in good faith took place over the past week in probate court, where the proceedings were closed to the public.

A Nevada judge rejected an appeal by Reuters and other news organizations to open the hearings to the public.

The group appealed the ruling to the Nevada Supreme Court, and sought to halt the proceeding until the issues could be resolved. One of the family members, identified as Doe 9, countered that stopping the hearings midstream would be harmful to the dozens of people who upended their lives to come to Reno to participative.

The news organizations also asked the court to unseal all the documents in the case.

The state supreme court allowed the hearing to proceed, but on Friday issued an order giving the Murdoch family 28 days to address the news organizations' arguments that the court documents should be unsealed, with sensitive information redacted.

The Murdoch trust was formed around the time of Rupert Murdoch's divorce from his second wife, Anna, in 1999. The trust is the vehicle through which the elder Murdoch controls News Corp and Fox, with roughly a 40% stake in voting shares of each company.

Upon Rupert Murdoch’s death, News Corp and Fox voting shares will be transferred to his four oldest children – Prudence, Elisabeth, Lachlan and James. Potentially, three of the heirs could out-vote a fourth, setting up a battle over the future of the companies, even as Lachlan Murdoch runs Fox and is sole chair of News Corp.

Rupert Murdoch’s proposed amendment would block any interference by three of Lachlan’s siblings, who are more politically moderate, the Times reported, citing a sealed court document.

Pennsylvania Shaping Up As Biggest Battleground State

Pennsylvanians watching television at all for the next two months can expect to be bombarded by political ads. The Keystone state has several exciting elections to watch, ranging from State House races all the way up to the Presidential contest.

According to AdImpact,  Pennsylvania markets make up four out of the top ten national markets for future reservations through Election Day. Philadelphia rests comfortably atop all U.S. markets with $124.6M, while Pittsburgh ($66.1M), Wilkes Barre-Scranton ($46.3M), and the Harrisburg market ($44.7M) sit at 6th, 9th, and 10th, respectively.

In the PA Presidential election, Philadelphia is the leading market in future reservations with Democrats spending $28.4M to Republicans’ $22.5M. Pittsburgh places second with Democrats narrowly outspending Republicans $15.5M to $11.0M. Next, the Harrisburg market sees Democrats leading Republicans $9.4M to $7.2M.

Democrats ($59.7M) have reserved almost $9M more than Republican advertisers ($50.8M) in the PA Presidential contest. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are aware the Keystone State likely holds the key to winning the Presidency, which is reflected in their campaign expenditures. 

As one article put it, they “appear to be treating Pennsylvania as their second home until election day.” Even though Pennsylvania lost one electoral seat during reapportionment, it still possesses more electoral votes (19) than all of the other swing states, making the Presidential outcome dependent on the Keystone State

TV Ratings: 'Matlock' Reboot Has Strong Premiere

Matlock, starring Oscar-winner Kathy Bates, previewed on CBS in the Sunday 8p ET hour on September 22 with a hefty 7.73 million viewers (based on the live+Same Day adjusted Fast National Ratings, according to Nielsen). Comparably, this was the Eye net’s largest non-post-Super Bowl series premiere since drama The Code (following NCIS) on April 9, 2019.

Described as a gender-flipping reboot of the original Matlock with Andy Griffith, Kathy Bates plays Madeline Matlock, who claims to be a widowed, inexperienced ex-lawyer raising her grandson and in need of money, who takes a job at Olympia’s law firm. 

The first episode of Matlock is currently streaming on Paramount+ with encore broadcasts scheduled on CBS on Tuesday, October 8 and Thursday, October 10, both at 9p ET.

Matlock debuts in its regularly scheduled Thursday, 9 p.m. ET time period on October 17. Airing out of returning sitcom Ghosts and into the sophomore season of legal-themed Elsbeth, the expectation of success is likely for this Matlock reboot, according to Forbes.

NewsNation Anchor Chris Cuomo Calls Out AOC

TV anchor Chris Cuomo slammed progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for denouncing Israel over its use of exploding pagers to kill Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon.

The NY Post reports Cuomo, the host of his primetime news talk show on the NewsNation cable channel, called out the “Squad” member after the New York Democrat accused Israel of “clearly and unequivocally violat[ing] international humanitarian law.”

“Why don’t you mention the pagers were on members of a terrorist organization that is committed to destroying Israel?” Cuomo shot back.

Why don't you mention the pagers were on members of a terrorist organization that is committed to destroying Israel? Would you have been defending al qaeda when America was lighting them up in Iraq? https://t.co/WFxv8EJdYk

— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) September 19, 2024

“Would you have been defending al Qaeda when America was lighting them up in Iraq?”

Ocasio-Cortez responded to Cuomo, noting that a 9-year-old Lebanese girl was one of two children killed in the pager attacks.

“What did the 9 year old girl who was killed do to deserve that, Chris?” she wrote.

On his Friday show on NewsNation, Cuomo said Ocasio-Cortez was “dead wrong” about her criticisms of Israel — particularly over whether planting explosives inside pagers is a violation of US regulations.

“One, Israel is not one of the United States, so they don’t follow our laws or rules,” Cuomo said.

“Second, if the representative was suggesting by that comparison that the United States should therefore not support Israel, good luck with that.”

Cuomo said the Pentagon’s Law of War Manual prohibited the “indiscriminate” use of booby traps.

MediaCo Makes Executive Compensation Changes

MediaCo Holding Inc. has disclosed updates to its executive compensation arrangements, as per the latest 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Board of Directors, following the Compensation Committee's recommendations, has approved new compensation terms for several key officers.

Brian Kei, the new Chief Operating Officer, is to receive an equity grant valued at $1 million, with half vesting over three years and the remainder based on performance criteria. This grant is contingent on shareholder approval of a new equity incentive plan.

The Chief Revenue Officer and President of MediaCo Audio, Alberto Rodriguez, has a new employment agreement effective September 16, 2024. He will have an annual base salary of $700,000, potential cash incentives of $525,000, and a similar equity grant to that of Brian Kei. Additionally, if Rodriguez's employment is terminated without cause, he is entitled to five months of severance pay.

Andrew Carington, set to become the Chief Legal Officer starting October 1, 2024, under an employee lease agreement with Standard Media, will have a $300,000 base salary and up to 50% of that in cash incentives. His equity grant is also valued at $1 million, with vesting terms to be determined.

In other recent news, Mediaco Holding Inc. has secured an additional $7.5 million credit facility, amending its existing agreements. The new financial arrangements are part of the company's efforts to strengthen its financial position, with the additional financing coming from an increase to the existing delayed draw facility.

MediaCo Holding Inc. operates in two segments, Radio and Outdoor Advertising. The Radio segment engages in the operation of WQHT-FM and WBLS-FM radio stations in the New York City area. The Outdoor Advertising segment operates advertising displays, such as bulletins, posters, and digital billboards primarily in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio. The company also offers digital advertising and event sponsorship services. As of December 31, 2021, it owned and operated approximately 3,500 outdoor advertising displays. MediaCo Holding Inc. was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in New York, New York. MediaCo Holding Inc. is a subsidiary of Emmis Communications Corporation.

In a strategic move, Mediaco has expanded its portfolio with the acquisition of Estrella Media's network and digital operations. This acquisition enhances Mediaco's Spanish-language content offerings and positions the company as a significant multicultural media platform in the United States.

Additionally, Jacqueline Hernández, known for her extensive experience in Hispanic media, has been appointed as the Interim CEO of Mediaco.