WaPo Burns Owner Bezos On charitable Giving

All the money in the world apparently can’t buy you favorable press in your own paper, according to Mediaite.

On Thursday, the Washington Post took a shot at its owner, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, by calling attention to his charitable giving — or relative lack thereof.

In a feature for the Post’s style section examining the charitable contributions of 50 of the richest Americans, writers Roxanne Roberts and Will Hobson reported that their publicly announced donations since the Covid-19 outbreak add up to less than .001 percent of their combined worth.

Using the figure of $97,300 as the median net worth of the average American household, the Post’s study found that Bezos has given the equivalent of less than a hundred bucks.

Union Files Harassment Complaint Against NBC

Gabrielle Union has filed a harassment complaint against NBC and Simon Cowell on Thursday after claiming NBC’s entertainment chief Paul Telegdy tried to silence her reports of racism. She has previously accused NBC and “AGT” producers Syco and Freemantle of axing her as a judge on the TV hit after she made complaints of racism on set.

Gabrielle Union

In documents filed by Union’s attorneys with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, exclusively obtained by Page Six, Union’s legal team drew in some of the network’s biggest stars into the complaint, calling the network “a snake pit of racial offenses.”

The filing accused NBC of hiring Hough as a judge alongside Union despite her “widely publicized scandal for personally appearing in blackface.” It stated: “Combining someone who so openly wore blackface (Hough) with someone who is black and regularly advocates on behalf of minorities (Union) should have at least alerted Telegdy that this could cause Union to experience some trepidation or concern about being unprotected from racially insensitive individuals while working as a judge on AGT… Telegdy’s decision to hire Hough has since proven to be a reflection of NBC’s true feelings about the African American community and blackface.”

It also claimed that failing to stop Cowell from smoking cigarettes inside after she complained meant that NBC had “different rules for white males.” We reported that Cowell started smoking outside after Union complained.

Page Six is told that the findings of the external report concluded that Union’s complaints were not a factor in the decision to let her go.

Indeed, the investigators are believed to have cited a decrease in ratings, lack of chemistry between the judges and Union’s performance as the reason for her departure.

However, the documents filed by Union claimed that the steps NBC and “AGT” producers took to silence the star — and to cover up racial discrimination on the set — “[stand] in stark contrast to the current worldwide efforts to eradicate racism through the Black Lives Matter protests and movement.”

In a statement, NBC Universal said: “The allegation that anyone involved in this process threatened Ms. Union is categorically untrue. We took Ms. Union‘s concerns seriously and engaged an outside investigator who found an overarching culture of diversity on the show. NBCUniversal remains committed to creating an inclusive and supportive working environment where people of all backgrounds are treated with respect. ”

MN Radio: Twin Cities 'Night of Light' Set For Friday

The Minnesota Broadcasters Association announces that on Friday, June 5, 2020, all Twin Cities commercial radio stations will join broadcast outlets from across the state to lead the people of the Twin Cities region in showing their support for each other through “Twin Cities Night of Light”.

The Minnesota Broadcasters Association and local broadcasters encourage all Twin Cities residents to participate in the “Twin Cities Night of Light” on Friday night by simultaneously turning on their home porch lights and car headlights parked in driveways from 10:00pm to 11:00pm.

“Twin Cities Night of Light” is a community-wide effort to shine a light on the region’s wish for unity, healing and hope, by showing neighbors and the world-at-large that Minnesotans care about one another and seek to move forward in a positive and united way.

Wendy Paulson, President of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association, said: “Minnesota’s broadcasters proudly serve our communities. The Twin Cities Night of Light is a symbol, a unifying way for our communities to show support for one another and get one step closer to healing.”

R.I.P.: Steve Priest, Co-Founder of The Sweet

Steve Priest 1948-2020

Steve Priest, the bassist and co-founder of the U.K. band Sweet, died Thursday at the age of 72, a bandmate confirmed on Facebook. No cause of death was revealed.

Priest, who was born in England and lived in Los Angeles, had been performing with his own edition of Sweet in recent years. The earlier and most-remembered version, also known as The Sweet, had its greatest success during Britain's glam rock wave in the 1970s, recording such hits as "Ballroom Blitz," "Little Willy" and "Love Is Like Oxygen."

Andy Scott, guitarist and now the last surviving member of the core quartet from the ’70s, confirmed the news Thursday on The Sweet band's Facebook page in a statement that included high praise for Priest's musical skills.

R.I.P.: George Hamberger, Former Buffalo Radio Personality

Former Buffalo radio personality George C. Hamberger died May 29 after a three-year struggle with multiple myeloma.  He was 74.

George Hamberger 1946-2020

The Buffalo News reports Hamberger first took to the air in 1968 on WYSL-FM and was a full-time deejay for more than 20 years. In recent years, he continued to be heard as a regular guest on WBEN’s Morning Show, providing his perspective on real estate and development.

Returning to Buffalo after college , he was doing marketing with WYSL-AM and its simulcast FM station, which then had studios on the top floor of the Statler Hotel, when one of the FM disc jockeys called in sick.

“The station manager said, ‘You have a nice voice. Why don’t you fill in on the FM?’ ” he recalled recently. “I was on from 6 to 9 that night. Back then, FM was really not a factor, but to keep the license straight with the FCC, they had to separate the programming three hours a day and they needed somebody to come in and play the songs.”

Hamberger said that he and other deejays soon convinced the general manager to give them free rein on FM. One of his claims to fame was that he was the first to spin Led Zeppelin on the radio in Buffalo.

The station became popular, started broadcasting in stereo and was renamed WPHD-FM. He was host of the afternoon drive show.

He was lured to WGR in 1971 and hosted the morning drive show on its FM station before it became 97 Rock. Three years later, WBEN, wanting to attract younger listeners, offered him its afternoon drive program. He had built up ratings when, in 1976, a radio consultant offered him a morning drive program on the West Coast. He turned it down.

Hamberger took over an afternoon shift at WKBW radio, which at that time shared its studios on Main Street with WKBW-TV.

His stint at WKBW ended in a highly publicized flap over a double entendre. It was a comment he made after a commercial for the Dodge Aspen.

“I said, ‘I’ve always appreciated a good-looking As ... pen,’ ” he said. “When I got fired, it made all the papers. People thought it was just a promotional stunt.”

He soon was back on the air at WBEN, which was under new ownership, and was featured after broadcasts of Buffalo Bills football games. He then went to Toronto, where he did the afternoon drive show on CFTR and bought a house there.

In 1983, he came back to Buffalo to be morning host on WGR-AM and turned down a chance in the mid-1980s to replace shock jock Howard Stern on WNBC in New York City. He left WGR in 1987, but returned for a second stint from 1989 to 1991.

After launching a career in real estate, he continued to do radio. In the late 1990s, he hosted Saturday mornings on WHTT-FM.

June 5 Radio History

➦In 1910...Radio, TV character actor Herb Vigran was born in Cincinnati.

He moved to Los Angeles in 1939, and with his unique voice was frequently cast in scores of network radio dramas and variety shows, performing with the likes of Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball and Jimmy Durante.

He appeared in more than 350 TV shows and bigscreen films, most notably in Dragnet, Gunsmoke and I Love Lucy.

He died of complications from cancer Nov. 29 1986 at age 76.

➦In 1956...Elvis Presley appeared on The Milton Berle Show, causing a national uproar with his hip-swiveling performance of "Hound Dog. When Presley appeared next on Ed Sullivan’s show on CBS TV, he was pictured only from the waist up.

➦In 1973…following news that the American Red Cross had run out of money as a result of aid efforts for recent natural disasters, Gordon Sinclair of CFRB in Toronto recorded what would become his most famous radio editorial, "The Americans." While paying tribute to American success, ingenuity, and generosity to people in need abroad, Sinclair decried that when America faced crisis itself, it often seemed to face that crisis alone.

At the time, Sinclair considered the piece to be nothing more than one of his usual items. But when U.S. News & World Report published a full transcript, the magazine was flooded with requests for copies. Radio station WWDC-AM in Washington, D.C., started playing a recording of Sinclair's commentary with "Bridge Over Troubled Water" playing in the background. Sinclair told the Star in November 1973 that he had received 8,000 letters about his commentary.

With the strong response generated by the editorial, a recording of Sinclair's commentary was sold as a single with all profits going to the American Red Cross. "The Americans (A Canadian's Opinion)" went to No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100, making the 73-year-old Sinclair the second-oldest living person ever to have a Billboard U.S. Top 40 hit.

A transcript of the commentary was also recorded by Byron MacGregor, news director of Windsor, Ontario, radio station CKLW-AM Windsor-Detroit, and it became an even bigger hit in the U.S., climbing to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Sinclair was said to be annoyed by MacGregor's recording, which was released as a single before Sinclair's authorized version. 

➦In 1977…DJ Charlie Van Dyke did his last show on 93KHJ, Los Angeles.

➦In 1982…DJ Cousin Brucie returned to New York City Radio on WCBS 101.1 FM.

➦In 1998...actress Jeanette Nolan died following a stroke at age 86.  During the golden age of radio she played a variety of characters on such programs as “The March of Time”, “Cavalcade of America“, “The Court of Missing Heirs”, “The Adventures of Mister Meek”, “Life Begins” and “Manhattan at Midnight”.  She appeared in more than 300 television shows, including “Perry Mason” (1957), “I Spy” (1965), “MacGyver” (1985), “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” (1955), and as a regular on “The Richard Boone Show” (1963) and “The Virginian” (1962).

Ronald Reagan

➦In 2004...Ronald Reagan died of Alzheimer's disease at age 93.  In the '30s, Reagan held jobs as a radio announcer at several radio stations. While at  WHO radio in Des Moines he was  an announcer for Chicago Cubs baseball games. His specialty was creating play-by-play accounts of games using only basic descriptions that the station received by wire as the games were in progress.

While traveling with the Cubs in California in 1937, Reagan took a screen test that led to a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers studios. He spent the first few years of his Hollywood career acting in B-grade movies, in the '50s and early '60s, he hosted Death Valley Days & GE Theatre on TV, and who 1n 1980 was elected the 40th President of the U-S.

➦In 2013…Radio personality Don Bowman died at age 75.  He was original host of the syndicated American Country Countdown from 1973 to 1978, During his career, he was a personality at  KDEO-San Diego, KEWB-Oakland-San Francisco, KDWB-Minneapolis-St. Paul, WKDA-Nashville, KRZK-Branson.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Amanda Crew is 34

• Actor-singer Bill Hayes (“Days of Our Lives,” “Your Show of Shows”) is 95. 
• News correspondent Bill Moyers is 86. 
• Country singer Don Reid of the Statler Brothers is 75. 
• Guitarist Fred Stone of Sly and the Family Stone is 73. 
• Singer Laurie Anderson is 73. 
• Country singer Gail Davies is 72. 
• Financial expert Suze Orman (“The Suze Orman Show”) is 69. 
• Drummer Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden is 68. 
• Jazz drummer Peter Erskine (Steps Ahead, Weather Report) is 66. 
• Saxophonist Kenny G is 64. 
• Singer Richard Butler of Psychedelic Furs is 64. 
• Actress Beth Hall (“Mom,” ″Mad Men”) is 62. 
• Actor Jeff Garlin (“The Goldbergs,” ″Curb Your Enthusiasm”) is 58. 
• Actor Ron Livingston (“Sex and the City,” ″The Practice”) is 53. 
• Singer Brian McKnight is 51. 
• Musician Claus Norreen (Aqua) is 50. 
• Actor-singer Mark Wahlberg is 49. 
• Actor Chad Allen (“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”) is 46. 
• Bassist P-Nut of 311 is 46. 
• Actress Navi Rawat (“Numb3rs”) is 43. 
• Actress Liza Weil (“How To Get Away With Murder,” ″Gilmore Girls”) is 43. 
• Bassist Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy is 41. 
• Guitarist Seb Lefebvre of Simple Plan is 39. 
• Actress Chelsey Crisp (“Fresh Off The Boat”) is 37. 
• Actress Amanda Crew (“Silicon Valley”) is 34. 
• Musician Harrison Mills of Odesza is 31. 
• Musician DJ Mustard is 30. 
• Actress Sophie Lowe (“Once Upon A Time In Wonderland”) is 30. 
• Actor Hank Greenspan (“The Neighborhood”) is 10.

SiriusXM CEO Expects Self-Pay Subscriber Gains

Jim Meyer

SiriusXM expects to grow its self-pay subscriber base in the current second quarter despite headwinds from the novel coronavirus pandemic, CEO Jim Meyer said on Thursday during the audio entertainment giant's virtual annual shareholder meeting.

According The Hollywood Reporter, Meyer expects self-pay subscriber additions for the quarter to be "positive," while analysts have recently estimated self-pay subscriber losses of around 200,000 for the period. B. Riley FBR analyst Zack Silver in a Thursday report, which was published before the meeting, forecast SiriusXM would lose 148,000 self-pay subscribers in the second quarters and 458,000 paid promotional subscribers.

In the first quarter of the year, with the second half of March hit by the pandemic, SiriusXM added 69,000 self-pay customers, down from 131,000 in the year-ago period, while losing 212,000 promotional subs. That meant it ended March with more than 34.8 million subscribers, including more than 30 million self-pay users.

Meyer in his prepared remarks said the company has "maintained a very strong" level of liquidity, "and I have no concerns here." He cited SiriusXM's strong free cash flow and reductions on spending in such areas as hiring, highlighting that the firm plans to continue paying its dividend and restarted stock buybacks after its first-quarter earnings call.

Hit hardest and earliest by the pandemic was digital audio advertising, Meyer said, calling April "difficult," while May was "certainly better than April" thanks to "some more stability." While his team was encouraged by how June is looking, he said visibility remains limited and ad cancellations higher than usual. "Every media company has been hit in the ad sales area," he said. "We were no exception."

Miami Radio: Line-Up Unveiled For Hits 97.3 FM

Cox Media Group’s WFLC HITS 97.3 announced today its relaunch with a new station line-up and director of branding and programming for Miami’s Top 40 radio station.

The relaunch includes “The SoFlo Morning Show” hosted by veteran afternoon drive host, Kimmy B, along with resident DJ and night show host, Al P, and weekend warrior Kelbin Live. The dynamic trio represents all facets of South Florida, bringing new swag and sass to the South Florida morning commute.

Afternoons will now be anchored by South Florida native and WFLC’s Music Director, Dia Ryan, who will get listeners through their afternoon with a music soundtrack full of hits while keeping them updated on what’s happening in pop culture. Nights become extra spicy with the newest member of the HITS 97.3 on-air team, Carolina Calix, a Miami native who grew up in Little Havana.

“The entire HITS 97.3 on-air team represents the passion, culture and soul of South Florida,” said Jill Strada, Director of Operations, who launched the station in 2014. “HITS 97.3 will continue to serve our community while staying on the cutting edge of everything pop culture. HITS 97.3 had its South Florida facelift and is now ready to show off its new glow!”

HITS 97.3 temporarily changed its name to “Quarantine Radio” while on-air talent broadcasted live from home during the COVID-19 crisis. The station hosted several viral events including Happy Hour, Brunch, and Bootcamp Workouts with their listeners before taking a pause before the relaunch. HITS 97.3 will continue to serve as the pop culture voice of South Florida, and to showcase local talent connecting with listeners through traditional airwaves, on their smart speakers, and via social media.

Ian Richards, who is relocating from Michigan, will begin as the new Director of Branding and Programming for WFLC starting in July.

“Ian is a smart, passionate and competitive programmer,” added Strada. “I feel confident he is going to tackle Miami’s competitive Top 40 market and lead HITS 97.3’s talented on-air team to number one!”

“I’m grateful for this opportunity in Miami and want to thank Ralph Renzi, Jill Strada, Tim Clarke, Steve Smith and Jeremy Rice,” said Richards. “I can’t wait to work with this amazing Cox Media Group team and help take HITS 97.3 to the next level.”

Forbes: Kylie Jenner Tops Highest Paid Celeb List

Oprah Winfrey returned to the Forbes list of top-earning celebrities this year landing at No. 91 with estimated earnings of $37 million before taxes and fees, thanks mostly to a lucrative Apple TV+ deal.

Winfrey’s return to the small screen landed her back on the Celebrity 100, which tracks annual earnings for performers, athletes and other front-of-the-camera stars. The nine-figure deal with Apple—the actual number has never been revealed—put her back in the mix as a performer and brought her an estimated $10 million this year, with a much larger payout coming later in the deal. The rest of her earnings are mostly made up of profits from television network OWN—she owns a 25% stake—payments from WW WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and her deal with Hearst to produce O, The Oprah Magazine. Winfrey has a net worth of $2.6 billion.

Since Winfrey ended her eponymous talk show in 2011, she has largely stayed away from major on-screen projects, in part due to limitations set by a contract with Discovery, the majority owner of OWN. There was her OWN interview show Super Soul Sunday, a stint on 60 Minutes, and roles in films The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and A Wrinkle in Time, but she worked mostly as an executive for her investments—including WW and OWN—and her philanthropy.

Winfrey signaled things were changing in June 2018, when she signed a multiyear deal with Apple TV+ to both create and appear in content, returning to a camera-ready role with Oprah’s Book Club. The Apple streaming service has aired four episodes of the show, an extension of her popular book club, including interviews with authors like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Jeanine Cummins, whose novel American Dirt has been criticized by the Latinx community. In March she debuted Oprah Talks, a 12-episode interview series about the coronavirus, hosting guests like Idris Elba and frontline doctors to help explain the virus and its effects.

Check out The Top 20:

#1 Kylie Jenner – $590 million
#2 Kanye West – $170 million
#3 Roger Federer – $106.3 million
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo – $105 million
#5 Lionel Messi – $104 million
#6 Tyler Perry – $97 million
#7 Neymar – $95.5 million
#8 Howard Stern – $90 million
#9 LeBron James – $88.2 million
#10 Dwayne Johnson – $87.5 million

#11 Rush Limbaugh – $85 million
#12 Ellen DeGeneres – $84 million
#13 Bill Simmons – $82.5 million
#14 Elton John – $81 million
#15 James Patterson – $80 million-
#16 Stephen Curry – $74.4 million
#17 Ariana Grande – $72 million
#18 Ryan Reynolds – $71.5 million
#19 Gordon Ramsay – $70 million
#20 Jonas Brothers – $68.5 million

Click Here for the full list.

The Rundown: Four Cops Now Charged In Floyd's Murder

The three other police officers who were with Officer Derek Chauvin when he kneeled on George Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes were charged yesterday, and the charge against Chauvin was upgraded. Chauvin, who was charged last week with third-degree murder, has now been charged with second-degree murder. He'd also been charged with second-degree manslaughter. The three other officers -- Thomas Lane, J. Kueng, and Tou Thao -- were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. All were fired from the Minneapolis Police Department the day after Floyd's death. 

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office released Floyd's full autopsy report yesterday, which noted he'd tested positive for the coronavirus on April 3rd, but was apparently asymptomatic. A summary released Monday said he'd died of a heart attack while being restrained by officers on May 25th. The first of three memorial services for Floyd will be held this afternoon at North Central University in Minneapolis. Floyd's body will then be brought to Raeford, North Carolina, where he was born, for a two-hour public viewing and private service for the family on Saturday. Finally, a public viewing will be held Monday in Houston, where Floyd was raised and lived most of his life. A service will be held on Tuesday at The Fountain of Praise church, followed by a private burial.

Protests Largely Peaceful: Peaceful protests continued in many cities yesterday and last night, and there didn't appear to be signs of major clashes between protesters and police in New York City, where there had been looting earlier in the week, or in Washington, D.C. A large force that included officers from the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, the Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Prisons, and National Guard soldiers were out in the nation's capital yesterday. But the protests and marches by demonstrators were peaceful. There continued to be some protests overseas in support of those in the U.S., including in London, Finland, the Netherlands, Colombia, and in Athens, Greece, where police fired tear gas after protesters outside the U.S. Embassy attacked them near the end of the demonstration.

Esper Against Using U.S. Military: Defense Secretary Mark Esper broke with President Trump yesterday, saying that he is against deploying U.S. military forces to subdue protests that turn violent, which Trump had threatened on Monday. He said the 1807 Insurrection Act, which Trump warned he could invoke, should be used, quote, "only in the most urgent and dire of situations," adding, "We are not in one of those situations now."

President Trump, General Jim Mattis

Mattis Criticizes Trump: Trump's first defense secretary, retired General Jim Mattis, spoke out against the military force threat yesterday n rare public criticism of the president he served before quitting in December 2018. In an essay in The Atlantic, Mattis said, "I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled," and blasted both Trump and Esper for considering the use of active-duty forces, as well as for the use of the National Guard to clear out peaceful protesters at Lafayette Park Monday evening before Trump walked to a church and posed for photos while holding a Bible. Mattis called that an "abuse of executive authority." He said, "Militarizing our response, as we witnessed in Washington, D.C., sets up a conflict -- a false conflict -- between the military and civilian society." He also charged of Trump: "Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people -- does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us." Trump tweeted in response that Mattis is, quote, "the world's most overrated General," and said, "Glad he is gone!"

'Boogaloo' Members Charged: Three men alleged to be members of the far-right extremist "Boogaloo" movement were charged by federal prosecutors in Las Vegas with conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism during protests in the city over Floyd's death, as well as with possession of Molotov cocktails. The men, one 23, one 35 and one 40, were arrested Saturday. The Boogaloo movement, whose followers want a second civil war, has been linked to some online posts and protests, and members have reportedly been seen at protests in places including Minnesota, Texas and Philadelphia.

➤STUDY SHOWS HOW MUCH MASK USE, DISTANCING REDUCE CORONAVIRUS TRANSMISSION: A study that used data from 16 countries found how much using a mask and distancing from others reduces the risk of transmitting the coronavirus, providing evidence that the measures really do work. Researchers at Canada's McMaster University found that the risk of transmitting the virus without preventive measures was 17.4 percent, but it fell to 3.1 percent while wearing a face mask or respirator. The risk of transmission in standing less than a meter -- a little over three feet -- from someone without other forms of protection was 12.8 percent, but at more than one meter it was down to 2.6 percent.

There have been more than 107,100 deaths from the coronavirus in the U.S. as of early this morning, and more than 1,851,000 confirmed cases.

ESPN.com Screenshot

➤BREES FACES BACKLASH FROM OTHER ATHLETES OVER ANTHEM KNEELING PROTESTS: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees faced backlash from other athletes yesterday after he said he was opposed to Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protests during the national anthem against police brutality and racial injustice.

Asked during a Yahoo interview amid the current protests following George Floyd's death to revisit Kaepernick's protests, Brees said, "I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States." Brees has said he supports the anti-police brutality protests, but doesn't see the anthem as the proper forum for it. 

 Among those posting on social media were an emotional Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins, who said in an Instagram video: "Our communities are under siege, and we need help. And what you're telling us is don't ask for help that way. Ask for it a different way. I can't listen to it when you ask that way. We're done asking, Drew. And people who share your sentiments, who express those and push them throughout the world, the airwaves, are the problem." San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman tweeted, "He's beyond lost." The L.A. Lakers' LeBron James tweeted: "You literally still don’t understand why Kap was kneeling on one knee?? Has absolute nothing to do with the disrespect of and our soldiers(men and women) who keep our land free."

➤NBA BOARD OF GOVERNORS TO APPROVE 22-TEAM FORMAT: The NBA Board of Governors intends to approve a league proposal today for a 22-team format to restart the season in Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort, ESPN reported. The NBA's plan includes 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference teams, eight regular-season games, a possible play-in tournament for the eighth seed, and playoffs. The top 16 teams in the Eastern and Western conferences will be joined by teams currently within six games of eighth place in the two conferences. Teams will begin training in July at team facilities and advance to full training camps in Orlando later that month.

➤MLB REJECTS PLAYERS' 114-GAME PROPOSAL, SAYS MAY JUST BE 50: With Major League Baseball and its players sparring over the plan for a coronavirus-delayed season, MLB yesterday rejected the players' proposal for a 114-game regular season with no additional salary cuts other than prorated salaries they agreed to, and said there may be just 50 games or even less. The owners had last week proposed an 82-game schedule with a sliding scale of player salary cuts. A 50-game schedule would result in players receiving about 30 percent of their full salaries under the prorated deal.

➤AMC DECLARES MASSIVE Q1 LOSSES: AMC Entertainment said it expects to report ever-high losses of between $2.1 billion and $2.4 billion for the first quarter ending in March. “We believe, but cannot guarantee, that the exhibition industry will ultimately rebound and benefit from pent-up social demand for out-of-home entertainment, as government restrictions are lifted and home sheltering subsides. However, the ultimate significance of the pandemic, including the extent of the adverse impact on our financial and operational results, will be dictated by the currently unknowable duration and the effect on the overall economy and of responsive governmental regulations, including shelter-in-place orders of the pandemic and mandated suspension of operations,” the company said in an SEC filing announcing its preliminary earnings and complicated outlook, Deadline reports.

Las Vegas Radio: KYMT to Import The Woody Show For Mornings

KYMT 93.1 The Mountain, World Class Rock, has announced the debut of “The Woody Show,” effective June 8. The top-rated morning show will broadcast weekdays from 5 – 10 a.m. PT.
iHeartMedia’s

“The Woody Show” is highly-interactive, socially-engaging appointment radio. Featuring Woody, along with co-hosts Ravey, Greg Gory, Menace and Sebas, “The Woody Show” is described by listeners as “authentic,” “raw,” “unapologetic” and “recess/happy hour on the radio.” In 2016, the popular program was a NAB Marconi Radio Award finalist for “Major Market Personality of the Year,” and it was launched into national syndication by Premiere Networks in 2017. Fans can follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

93.1 The Mountain also announced today that weekday host AD Rowntree will launch a drive time show in the 3 – 7 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday timeslot, effective June 8. The popular Las Vegas personality, who also serves as Assistant Program Director for the station, will continue his recently expanded on-air role in other iHeartMedia markets, including Houston, San Diego, Cincinnati and Tulsa, Okla.

“Joining 93.1 The Mountain is an incredible opportunity for ‘The Woody Show,’” said Woody. “We’ve had a long-distance relationship with Vegas for a long time. It’s consistently one of the Top 5 cities consuming our daily podcast, and as a neighbor market with Los Angeles, we are there A LOT for both business and personal adventures. We owe a great deal of gratitude to Tony Matteo, Glynn Alan, Gene Romano and Kevin LeGrett for going ALL IN with ‘The Woody Show.’”

“We’re seeing incredible growth on 93.1 The Mountain and Woody is a perfect fit for this station and for this city,” said Tony Matteo, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Las Vegas. “We’re excited to bring ‘The Woody Show’ to the ‘Entertainment Capital of The World.’

“AD’s done an outstanding job for us at 93.1 The Mountain in mornings. He brings a fresh rock perspective and unique voice to the format. We’re proud to see his nationwide reach continue to grow and we’re happy that Las Vegas will continue to be his home market.”

WI Radio: LaCrosse Media Sells Off Stations

Mississippi Valley Broadcasters, LLC, d/b/a La Crosse Media Group, has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission to sell WQCC-FM, KQEG-FM, and WLFN-AM to Magnum Communications, Inc., d/b/a Magnum.Media.

Dave Magnum

Dave Magnum stated, “A dedicated bunch of folks really stuck together over 14 months to put this puzzle of transactions together. I’ve known Pat Smith for a long time; he’s a multi-talented broadcaster who forged and sustained a very impressive Radio career. Pat and his business partner, Kelly Ramsey, achieved many successes.”

Reid Magnum added, “My late Mom, Lynn, and my Dad started from scratch with a Tomah licensed Construction Permit in the La Crosse market in 1991. My Brother, Ty, and I were both born in La Crosse. My wife, Chelsey, graduated from UW-La Crosse. The region known as ‘God’s Country’ is special to our family in several ways.” 

Pat Smith

Pat Smith, Managing Member of La Crosse Media Group, has been in La Crosse his entire career. He began in 1974 as a part-time deejay while earning his Mass Communications degree at UW-La Crosse. He went on to work as a Program Director, Farm Director, News Reporter/Anchor, Operations Manager, Salesperson, Sales Manager, General Manager, and now minority ownership as Managing Member.

Smith said, “La Crosse has been a great place to raise a family. My wife, Joanie, also works at the stations. Together we learned from Joe Rohrer and Wisconsin Broadcasting Hall of Famer Jean Gitz Bassett how broadcasters can serve their community."  Smith says he will retire after assisting with the transition, focus on his health, and try to keep up with his grandkids.

La Crosse Media Group reported is spinning off Classic Rock WKBH 100.1 FM West Salem/La Crosse WI goes to Educational Media Foundation. And HotAC WLXR 104.9 FM will go to The Salvation Poem Foundation, which operates the regional Christian “Prayz Network” based at 89.3 WEQS Sparta WI.