Red Apple Audio Network Reaches Over 100 Affiliates

Red Apple Audio Networks, the syndication arm of John Catsimatidis’s Red Apple Media, owners of WABC-AM/NY, announced Wednesday that the Red Apple Audio Network, launched in February of 2022, has surpassed 100 affiliates across the country.

Red Apple Audio Networks syndicates several programs from its flagship studios at WABC-AM/NY, a steady ratings leader in New York, the #1 Market in the country. The talent and programs currently offered include The Cats Roundtable with John Catsimatidis, The Larry Kudlow Show, The Larry Kudlow “Riff”, The Rita Cosby Show, The Judge Jeanine Pirro Show and daily feature, The Greg Kelly Show, The Rudy Giuliani Show, and The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano. New programming will be announced in the coming months.

Bill O’Reilly Releases New Book 'Killing The Legends'

Trail-blazing TV journalist Bill O’Reilly, the best-selling author of the Killing series, adds KILLING THE LEGENDS: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity to the roster of record-breaking books that he co-writes with Martin Dugard. This will be the 12th book in the series—following the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestseller Killing the Killers—nearly all of which became #1 New York Times and national bestsellers. 

Sales of the series approach 19 million copies worldwide, and have spent more than 340 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Publication date for KILLING THE LEGENDS is set for September 27, 2022.

KILLING THE LEGENDS explores the lives, legacies, and tragic deaths of three of the most famous people of the 20th century: Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and Muhammad Ali. These three icons changed the worlds of music, film, and sports. Their influence, though, far exceeded the entertainment and athletic fields. These three changed society and culture. They were known and inspired people across the globe. They each became larger-than-life figures. They were on top of the world until their lives spiraled out of control. Immense success led to failure, addiction, or unhappiness that forced them to reinvent themselves and their talents. In industries that celebrated youth, they faced down growing older and found ways to renew themselves. But in the end, they were all three isolated by their fame —and sadly, it was their inner circles, those they trusted the most, that contributed to their downfall.

R.I.P.: Bill Plante, CBS News Journalist

Bill Plant - 1989

William "Bill" Plante, one of the longest-serving White House broadcast journalists in history, died of respiratory failure on Wednesday, according to his family. The award-winning CBS correspondent was 84 years old and lived in Washington, D.C., according to CBSNews.

Plante retired from CBS News as senior White House correspondent in 2016 after 52 years with the news division. He served four tours in Vietnam – with award-winning reporting on the fall of Saigon and Cambodia – covered the civil rights movement, all the presidential elections from 1968 to 2016, and was the anchor of the "CBS Sunday Night News" from 1988 to 1995.

"He was brilliant, as a reporter and as a human being," said 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl, who covered the White House with Plante for 10 years. "There wasn't anything Bill didn't excel at in our profession: he was a gifted writer, a first-class deadline maker and a breaker of major stories. He'll be remembered for his reports from the White House lawn, his booming voice that presidents always answered and his kind heart."

Plante was a CBS News White House correspondent for 35 years during the administrations of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama and covered the State Department during the administration of George H.W. Bush.  He was known for his baritone voice, which he used to launch questions from afar.

R.I.P.: Coolio, Rapper Known for ‘Gangsta’s Paradise'

          August 1, 1963 – September 28, 2022

Coolio, the West Coast rapper whose gritty music and anthemic hits like “Gangsta’s Paradise” helped define hip-hop in the 1990s, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 59.

According to The NY Times, his longtime manager, Jarez Posey, confirmed his death.

Mr. Posey, who worked with the rapper for more than 20 years, said he was told that Coolio died at about 5 p.m. at a friend’s house. No cause was given.

At a time when rappers were derided by some as garish outlaws, Coolio, whose legal name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., achieved mainstream superstardom and critical success with “Gangsta’s Paradise,” Billboard’s top song of 1995 and the Grammy winner for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1996.

The song, later certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, outshone the movie it was featured in, “Dangerous Minds.” Its music video won Best Rap Video and Best Video From a Film at the MTV Video Music Awards.

R.I.P.: Ira Fistell, Retired L-A Radio Talk Host

Ira Fistell 

Former KABC Talk Radio Host Ira Fistell has died.  He was 81 years-of-age reports the Santa Monica Observer.

Fistell was at KABC radio from 1977-95; KKGO/KNNS, 1996-98; KRLA, 1999-2000; KABC, 2000-06.

He was at times, a newspaper editor, adult education educator, newswriter, radio and tv personality, lecturer and writer. Fistell grew up fascinated by the radio industry and as a child enjoyed pretending to be on the radio. Coupled with his affinity for reading, he found that in college he could combine his interests and hone them in the field of broadcasting.

September 29 Radio History

➦In 1907...Gene Autry born (Died at age 91  – October 2, 1998). He was nicknamed The Singing Cowboy. Autry was the owner of a television station, several radio stations in Southern California, and the Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels Major League Baseball team from 1961 to 1997.

Autry was the owner of a television station, several radio stations in Southern California, and the Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels Major League Baseball team from 1961 to 1997.

From 1934 to 1953, Autry appeared in 93 films, and between 1950 and 1956 hosted The Gene Autry Show television series. During the 1930s and 1940s, he personified the straight-shooting hero—honest, brave, and true—and profoundly touched the lives of millions of Americans. Autry was also one of the most important pioneering figures in the history of country music, considered the second major influential artist of the genre's development after Jimmie Rodgers. 

Gene Autry

His singing cowboy films were the first vehicle to carry country music to a national audience.  In addition to his signature song, "Back in the Saddle Again", and his hit "At Mail Call Today", Autry is still remembered for his Christmas holiday songs, most especially his biggest hit "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" as well as "Frosty the Snowman", "Here Comes Santa Claus", and "Up on the House Top".

Autry is a member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and is the only person to be awarded stars in all five categories on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for film, television, music, radio, and live performance.

From 1940 to 1956, Autry had a huge hit with a weekly show on CBS Radio, Gene Autry's Melody Ranch. His horse, Champion, also had a CBS-TV and Mutual radio series, The Adventures of Champion. In response to his many young radio listeners aspiring to emulate him, Autry created the Cowboy Code, or Ten Cowboy Commandments. These tenets promoting an ethical, moral, and patriotic lifestyle that appealed to youth organizations such as the Boy Scouts, which developed similar doctrines. The Cowboy Code consisted of rules that were "a natural progression of Gene's philosophies going back to his first Melody Ranch programs—and early pictures."

He also sold several radio stations he owned, including KSFO in San Francisco, KMPC in Los Angeles, KOGO in San Diego, and other stations in the Golden West radio network.

Detroit Radio: Julia Lepidi Gets Wake-Up Duty at Alt 98.7 FM

Audacy has announced a new weekday programming lineup for WDZH ALT 98.7 in Detroit. The station will air “The Julia Show” starring Detroit native Julia Lepidi from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET. The new lineup will also include Ian Camfield in middays and Brady in afternoons.

📻Full weekday lineup is below.

• 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET: “The Julia Show”
• 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET:  Ian Camfield
• 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. ET:  Brady
• 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. ET: Kevan Kenney

“I'm so excited to be writing the next chapter of ALT 98.7 in Detroit alongside Julia and all of our passionate air talent, and I'm grateful to Dave Richards, Debbie Kenyon and Tim Roberts for the leadership and support,” said Christine Malovetz, Vice President of Regional Programming, Audacy.

TV Ratings: NBC Wins The Week, Fox News Wins The 3rd Quarter

Besides live sports, the one thing broadcast networks can be counted on for these days is franchise procedural dramas.

That was evident on opening week of a new television season, when the 10 most-watched scripted programs all fit this tried-and-true formula, according to AP News citing data from the  Nielsen company.

There were three programs each in CBS’ “FBI” series and NBC’s “Chicago” shows, and two each of CBS’ “NCIS” shows and NBC’s “Law & Order” franchise.

Buoyed by “Sunday Night Football,” NBC won the week in prime time with an average of 6 million viewers. ABC had 4.5 million, Fox had 4 million, CBS had 3.9 million, Univision had 1.2 million, Ion Television had 960,000 and Telemundo had 850,000.

📺TOP 20 PRIME-TIME FOR THE WEEK SEP 19-025 (TOTAL VIEWERS)

1. NFL Football: San Francisco at Denver, NBC, 17.8 million.

2. NFL Football: Minnesota at Philadelphia, ABC, 12.86 million.

3. “NFL Pregame,” NBC, 12.85 million.

4. “The OT,” Fox, 12.13 million.

5. “Football Night in America,” NBC, 9.11 million.

6. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 7.14 million.

7. “FBI,” CBS, 6.81 million.

8. “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 6.75 million.

9. “Chicago Med,” NBC, 6.59 million.

10. NFL Football: Tennessee at Buffalo, ESPN, 6.57 million.

11. “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 6.19 million.

12. “NFL Pregame,” ABC, 6.16 million.

13. “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 6.12 million.

14. “NCIS,” CBS, 5.82 million.

15. “Chicago PD,” NBC, 5.48 million.

16. “Law & Order: SVU,” NBC, 5.47 million.

17. “FBI: International,” CBS, 5.44 million.

18. “NCIS: Hawai’i,” CBS, 5.31 million.

19. “FBI: Most Wanted,” CBS, 5.27 million.

20. “Survivor,” CBS, 5.05 million.

Report: Baseball Voices On The Quest To Set A Home Run Record

Aaron Judge

Michael Kay readily acknowledges it: He is nervous about calling Aaron Judge’s historic home runs, if and whenever they come, according to Richard Deitsch, writing for the Athletic. Kay has been the television voice of the Yankees since 2002 — and called the team on radio for 10 years before that — but this feels different for him, and he’s trying to process the reasons for it.

“I’m honestly more anxious about this than other calls, and I’m not quite sure why,” Kay said. “I’ve had the privilege of other big calls having done the Yanks for 31 years, but there is something about the historical significance of this that has ramped up the butterflies. As for pressure, yes, you feel it. With the increased presence of social media, you have an entire planet of media critics, and it just seems people would pounce if there is a misstep, but it is what it is and you deal with it.”

Brian Anderson says he has thought about calling a potential record home run by Judge but only in passing. Anderson is the television voice of the Brewers but also works nationally for TBS. He will call Tuesday’s game in Toronto between the Yankees and Blue Jays for Turner as Judge stands one homer shy of the American League record of 61 set by Roger Maris in 1961.

Wake-Up Call: Hurricane Ian Forecast To Strike Florida as Category 4

Hurricane Ian bore down on southwest Florida Tuesday after pummeling Cuba, with a swath of the state’s Gulf Coast in harm’s way, including the vulnerable Tampa Bay area.

Orlando Sentinel 9/28/22

The Wall Street Journal reports the storm’s center is forecast to approach the west coast of Florida on Wednesday afternoon and into Wednesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center. Rain from the storm began drenching parts of the state Tuesday. Hurricane conditions are expected along the state’s Gulf Coast by Wednesday morning.

Tracking Ian

The Tampa Bay metropolitan region of 3.2 million people—which includes St. Petersburg—hasn’t been tested by a direct hit from a powerful storm like Ian for more than a century. The hurricane center said Tuesday the latest forecasts have shifted the storm’s track south along the coast, but a hurricane warning still covered the Tampa Bay area while stretching south of Fort Myers to the Everglades.

“It is really imperative that people start taking this seriously and start heeding evacuation orders,” said Jamie Rhome, the hurricane center’s acting director.

More than 2.5 million people in Florida are under some kind of evacuation order, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday. Schools and colleges across the state canceled classes and closed campuses ahead of the storm. Orange-juice futures surged. Hotels secured properties and prepared to shelter employees and emergency workers.

“It is always a nervous feeling when you know a storm is coming,” Yolandra Gibbons, a St. Petersburg, Fla., resident, said as she waited in her car to pick up sandbags in the Tampa Bay-area city. She said she was hopeful the storm would take a turn.

Gov. Ron DeSantis urges Floridians to take Hurricane Ian seriously as the powerful storm heads to the state: "This thing is the real deal.” https://t.co/fIcyJxB4ld pic.twitter.com/Ifod8pXDSh

— ABC News (@ABC) September 27, 2022

IAN TO BE COSTLY:  Hurricane Ian, projected to be one of the costliest storms in US history, prompted mass evacuations, school shutdowns and thousands of flight cancellations across the third-largest state.  Local media broadcast video of interstate highways jammed with cars and trucks attempting to flee vulnerable cities and towns along Florida’s western coast. Damages and economic losses in the area could exceed $45 billion if the current forecast comes to pass, said Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler with Enki Research. That would rank Ian as the eighth-costliest US hurricane, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Earlier estimates were higher when it appeared Ian was going to make a direct hit on Tampa.

National Media Zooms In: The national news media is getting into place as Ian inches closer to Florida's shores. Norah O'Donnell on Tuesday broadcast the "CBS Evening News" from Tampa, the only of the big three networks to be live on-scene. But the other networks are gearing up for coverage as well. NBC News and ABC News have both deployed sizable teams to the area. On cable, CNN will have John Berman on the ground to accompany network correspondents. MSNBC will be live at 10am with José Díaz-Balart anchoring on-scene and Ali Velshi contributing. And Fox News will draw on reporting from correspondents on the ground.

Disney World announced that it is closing its Florida theme parks and water parks on Wednesday and Thursday as it braces for Hurricane Ian. https://t.co/lCDcHFIvQ3

— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 28, 2022

L-A TV: Former KTLA Anchor Lynette Romero Lands At KNBC

Lynette Romero 

After a tumultuous exit from KTLA-TV Channel 5, news anchor Lynette Romero has landed at crosstown rival KNBC-TV Channel 4, reports The L-A Times..

The NBCUniversal-owned station announced Tuesday that Romero would become the new co-anchor of “Today in L.A.,” its early morning show, beginning Oct. 10. The position has been open since the departure late last year of Daniella Guzman, who moved to an NBC affiliate in her native Houston.

“This is good news .... I have a new family. I have a new home,” Romero said in a video message to fans, many of whom were outraged by her departure from KTLA, which was abruptly announced on air Sept. 14 by KTLA anchor Sam Rubin.

The station’s 37-second send-off, during its morning newscast, startled and upset Romero’s fans. Three days later, Romero’s former co-anchor, Mark Mester, gave her an emotional farewell while blasting the station’s management, alleging it mishandled the situation because Romero didn’t personally say goodbye to viewers.  Mester was fired last week.

Romero worked at the independent KTLA for nearly 24 years.

Labor Fight Demoralizing NYTimes Newsroom

Staffers at the New York Times are openly discussing the possibility of a work stoppage as talks with management have reportedly hit an impasse over the union’s demands for a salary hike.

The NY Post reports the guild representing journalists at the newspaper also wants management to commit to an 8% annual salary increase year-over-year for a period of four years.  But management has countered with a significantly smaller hike — a 4% increase for the first year followed by a 2% boost for the following two years, according to Insider.  Management has also offered an additional 1% merit-based pay hike.

The labor strife is exacerbating tensions between rank-and-file Times staffers and management, who have been at loggerheads over the newspaper’s return-to-office demands.

The Post reported earlier this month that more than 1,300 newsroom staffers signed a pledge vowing to defy management’s edict to return to their Midtown Manhattan cubicles for a minimum of three days a week.