CNN Lags Behind Fox News, MSNBC With Female Hosts

CNN has significantly fewer women serving in visible on-air roles than either Fox News or MSNBC, according to an analysis of weekday programming by TheWrap.

In fact, the Time Warner-owned network has half as many female solo anchors on weekdays as its cable news competitors — three compared to six each for Fox News and MSNBC — and none during the highly visible primetime hours from 8 p.m to 11 p.m.

This contrasts sharply with MSNBC, which boasts primetime powerhouse Rachel Maddow, and Fox News, where conservative fire-breather Laura Ingraham basically replaced Megyn Kelly in Fox News’ lineup last fall.

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People Under 45 Watch Digital Video More Than Traditional TV

Watching digital – downloaded or streaming – video is now a more popular weekly activity for people under the ages of 45 than watching traditional TV, according to MarketingCharts’ 4th Annual US Media Audience Demographics report.

The report indicates that digital video surpassed traditional TV among 35-44-year-olds for the first time last year.

The findings are supported by a recent PwC study that found a surge in popularity for streaming video services among Gen Xers.

Older adults remain firmly in traditional TV’s corner, however. Among those ages 65 and older, for example, 93% use a TV set at least once a week to watch live, recorded, on-demand or pay-per-view TV (traditional TV), almost double the share (49%) who watch downloaded or streaming video.

There are some keen differences in video preferences when examining races and ethnicities, too. Non-Hispanic Black adults are considerably more likely to watch traditional TV (85%) than digital video (69%) on a weekly basis, as are non-Hispanic Whites (87% and 73%, respectively). But Hispanic adults are just as likely to watch digital video as traditional TV.

AI Is Changing The Consumers, Computer Relationship

Advancements in a bevy of industries are helping intelligent digital voice assistants like Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa become more sophisticated and useful pieces of technology.

Increasingly sophisticated voice assistants and the growing potential use cases they can assist in are driving consumers to adopt them in greater droves — 65% of US smartphone owners were employing voice assistants in 2015, up significantly from 30% just two years prior. Consumers are also eagerly adopting speaker-based voice assistants, with shipments of Google Home and Amazon Echo speakers expected to climb more than threefold to 24.5 million in 2017, according to a report from VoiceLabs.

However, there are still numerous barriers that need to be overcome before this product platform will see mass adoption, as both technological challenges and societal hurdles persist.

In a new report, BI Intelligence explains what's driving the recent upsurge in adoption of digital voice assistants. It explores the recent technology advancements that have catalyzed this growth, while presenting the technological shortcomings preventing voice assistants from hitting their true potential. This report also examines the voice assistant landscape, and discusses the leading voice assistants and the devices through which consumers interact with them. Finally, it identifies the major barriers to mass adoption, and the impact voice assistants could have in numerous industries once they cross that threshold.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• Voice assistants are software programs that respond to voice commands in order to perform a range of tasks. They can find an opening in a consumer’s calendar to schedule an appointment, place an online order for tangible goods, and act as a hands-free facilitator for texting, among many, many other tasks.
• Technological advances are making voice assistants more capable. These improvements fall into two categories: improvements in AI, specifically natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning; and gains in computing and telecommunications infrastructure, like more powerful smartphones, better cellular networks, and faster cloud computing.
• Changes in consumer behavior and habits are also leading to greater adoption. Chief among these are increased overall awareness and a higher level of comfort demonstrated by younger consumers.
• The voice assistant landscape is divided between smartphone- and speaker-based assistants. These distinctions, while important now, will lose relevance in the long run as more assistants can be used on both kinds of devices. The primary players in the space are Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana, Google Assistant, Amazon's Alexa, and Samsung's Viv. 
• Stakes in the competition for dominance in the voice assistant market are high. As each assistant becomes more interconnected with an ecosystem of devices that it can control, more popular platforms will have a sizable advantage. 

Trump Turns Down NBC 'Super Bowl' Interview

President and former NBC reality-TV star Donald Trump will not sit down with his former network for the traditional pre-Super Bowl Presidential Interview.

According to Deadline-Hollywood, NBC has extended an open invitation to Trump in case he changes his mind.

It’s unclear why Trump has turned down the invitation for what has become a pre-Big Game tradition. Obama did the interview every year of his presidency. Deadline speculate it might be that he doesn’t want a repeat of last year’s interview – the first of Trump’s administration, in which he was interviewed on Fox by his friend and Fox News Channel star Bill O’Reilly; that chat clocked 12.2 million viewers, fewer than Obama’s interviews.

And, of course, Trump is the leader of the anti-NFL movement, having launched an attack in September against players who kneeled in protest during the national anthem.

Dan Rather Launching Show On The Young Turks Network

Dan Rather

Former "CBS Evening News" anchor Dan Rather wasn't too familiar with The Young Turks Network when he took a meeting with the online progressive news network's founder and chief executive officer, Cenk Uygur.

"I was only vaguely aware, I'm sorry to say," Rather confessed to CNN in a phone interview Sunday.

But, as Rather said, "something clicked" between him and Uygur. So when Uygur offered Rather a show with the network, he "jumped" at the opportunity.

On Monday, Rather will premiere "The News With Dan Rather," a 30-minute show that The Young Turks Network is billing as an "untraditional evening newscast," made available weekly at 5:30 p.m. ET. The program will focus on original reporting, stories that Rather believes are not receiving the amount of attention they deserve, and analysis of the hot topics of the day.

His jump to the provocative progressive outlet, which distributes its programming on politics and pop culture through digital platforms like Facebook and YouTube, is a bit out of step with the rest of his storied career, Rather acknowledged. For decades, Rather hosted the "CBS Evening News," a newscast filmed in a traditional elaborate studio, produced with the help of a large team, and backed by the finances of a well-established network. And there, Rather aimed to provide viewers the news of the day without bias or favor. Now he's joining an outlet with a clear ideological bent.

The 86-year-old veteran newsman told CNN that President Trump's attacks on the press and political norms helped motivate him to launch the new show.

Camila Tops The Billboard 200 List

Camila Cabello debuts atop the Billboard 200 chart with her first solo effort, Camila, earning 119,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Jan. 18, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 65,000 were in traditional album sales. Cabello is the first woman in three years to hit No. 1 with her debut full-length album.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Jan. 27-dated chart (where Camila debuts at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard’s websites on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

Camila’s launch of 119,000 is larger than expected, as some industry forecasters projected the set would begin with around 90,000 units, and was in a race for No. 1 with the soundtrack to The Greatest Showman. As it turns out, The Greatest Showman — which had spent the past two weeks at No. 1 — falls to No. 2 with 104,000 units (increasing by 1 percent compared to the previous week). The Greatest Showman actually beats Camila in traditional album sales (70,000 vs. 65,000) and is the top-selling album of the week. Camila was able to come out on top on the Billboard 200 over The Greatest Showman thanks to TEA units and SEA units. Camila earned 16,000 TEA units (vs. 8,000 for Showman) and 38,000 SEA units (vs. 26,000 for Showman).

Cabello is the first woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with her debut full-length album in three years – since Meghan Trainor’s Title (also on Epic) opened atop the list dated Jan. 31, 2015.

At No. 3 on the new Billboard 200, Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) slips one rung (47,000 units; down 10 percent). Post Malone’s Stoney climbs 5-4 (35,000 units; down 5 percent) and Taylor Swift’s Reputation is up 6-5 (just over 33,000 units; down 9 percent).

Shutdown Impacts American Forces Network

American Forces Network viewers in Europe woke up to this message on their televisions on Saturday

Defense Department personnel and their families overseas woke up Saturday to much confusion, uncertainty and some anger about how their lives would be affected by the U.S. government shutdown, according to Stars&Stripes.

The shutdown became official at midnight Friday in Washington, D.C., after Democrats and Republicans in Congress failed to agree on a last-minute spending bill to fund government operations.

It didn’t take long for some DOD operations to grind to a halt: American Forces Network, which provides entertainment and command information to U.S. servicemembers worldwide through its television and radio services, was dark early Saturday morning in Europe.

Classical music was playing on its radio and television stations and the network posted a message online that said AFN services were not available due to the government shutdown.

The loss of AFN programming means U.S. military personnel overseas would have to find another way to watch the NFL’s NFC and AFC football championship games. The network received some angry comments on Facebook from viewers about the timing, though some of the ire was directed at members of Congress.

It wasn’t immediately known Saturday why AFN went off the air completely. In October 2013, the last time the federal government shut down, AFN maintained news and some radio services.

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What other programs or services on military bases overseas might be affected is still not clear. Most of the limited guidance that’s been put out on official social media channels indicate government organizations are still trying to sort out the way ahead.

Government civilians should report to work as scheduled on Monday, according to several Defense Department websites.

In Japan, AFN programming and social media stopped at 2 p.m. Saturday, according to a post on U.S. Naval Forces Japan’s official Facebook page.

Like in Europe, the network’s TV and radio stations played classical music. On Sunday afternoon, AFN Tokyo broadcast a radio documentary about controversies surrounding President Donald Trump’s administration.

A message posted Sunday afternoon to the official Facebook page for Camp Humphreys, South Korea, said some TV services had been restored.

“AFN TV has resumed limited service and is now broadcasting one sports channel and some news,” it said. “AFN 360 is back up on the internet. No broadcast radio is available yet, sorry.”

R.I.P.: Former VA Radio Personality, Station Owner Pete Bluhm

Pete Bluhm

Former Virginia radio owner Pete Bluhm died last week in Kinston NC.

He was 89-years-of-age, according to the Martinsville Bulletin.

In 1943 at the age of 15, he served in the Merchant Marines. Later he met and married the love of his life, Cathleen Yeatts, moved to Martinsville, became a well known radio personality, and through the years became owner of WMVA 1450 AM.

He was well known for his quick wit on the Chatter Box and Swap-Shop call-in radio programs, reviewing matters and solving problems with his friend Ms. Calabash and best friend, the late Dr. Bing.

During his radio career he broadcast over 1,000 football, basketball, and baseball games for local high schools. At one point he was named Virginia Sportscaster of the Year.

WMVA 1450 AM (1 Kw)

Barry Michaels, morning host at WIND 95.5 FM  in Gainesville-Ocala, Florida recemembers Bluhm.
"He meant quite a bit to those of us who depended on him to get us the school info! And so well rounded!

R.I.P.: Meteorologist John Coleman, Founded The Weather Channel

John Coleman, the jovial and energetic meteorologist who delighted San Diego television viewers for two decades and angered scientists for insisting that climate change is a hoax, died Saturday.

He was 83, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Coleman died at his home in Las Vegas, while surrounded by family, according to KUSI-TV, where he served as a forecaster from 1994 to 2014, when he retired.

His retirement capped a 60-year career during which Coleman co-founded the Weather Channel, which began as a little seen offering in the early days of cable television to a popular source of coverage of everything from blizzards and hurricanes to California’s wind-driven wildfires.

Alex Tardy, a forecaster at the National Weather Service, said Sunday, “‘This is a big loss for the weather community. He brought a lot of energy and color and enthusiasm to forecasting. My kids loved watching him on TV.”

Tardy also said Coleman never tried to push his skepticism about climate change being man made.

“We had good talks,” Tardy said. “I enjoyed it.’

Coleman was honored by the American Meteorological Society as Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year in 1983.   The organization credited Coleman for “his pioneering efforts in establishing a national cable weather channel,” according to the AMS website.

Coleman started his career in 1953 at WCIA in Champaign, Illinois, doing the early evening weather forecast and a local bandstand show called At The Hop while he was a student at University of Illinois. After receiving his journalism degree in 1957, he became the weather anchor for WCIA's sister station WMBD-TV in Peoria, Illinois. Coleman was also a weather anchor for KETV in Omaha, WISN-TV in Milwaukee and then WBBM-TV and WLS-TV in Chicago.

In 1972, Coleman and his craftsmen stage crew at WLS-TV created the first Chroma key weather map ever in use.

Coleman became the original weathercaster on what was then the brand-new ABC network morning program, Good Morning America. He stayed seven years with this top-rated program anchored by David Hartman and Joan Lunden.

In 1981, he persuaded communications entrepreneur Frank Batten to help establish The Weather Channel, serving as TWC's CEO and President during the start-up and its first year of operation.

After being forced out of TWC, Coleman became weather anchor at WCBS-TV in New York and then at WMAQ-TV in Chicago, before moving to Southern California to join the independent television station, KUSI-TV in San Diego, in what Coleman fondly calls "his retirement job." Coleman abruptly left KUSI while on vacation in April 2014, with no on-air farewell.



Coleman says he became an "outspoken skeptic" of global warming in 2007 after watching NBC's 'Green is Universal' week, where the studio lights were cut for portions of Sunday Night Football's pre-game and half-time shows. He has called climate change the "greatest scam in history," and has claimed that "the polar ice is increasing, not melting away. Polar bears are increasing in number."

R.I.P.: Jim Corby, WTVN Columbus Radio Personality

With deep shock and sadness WTVN reported over the weekend the loss of afternoon host John Corby on News Radio 610 WTVN died unexpectedly Saturday morning, January 20th, 2018. He was 61.

Corby was a staple of Columbus radio for over 30 years over two runs on 610 WTVN.

He started as WNCI’s News Director and morning show co-host and then was a personality on 610 WTVN from 1984-1994 before he left for KDKA in Pittsburgh.

He returned to 610 WTVN in 1997 in his current position as afternoon host.

“Corby”, as most people called him, was famous for his ‘regular guy’ approach, dry wit, and popular bits like The Big Bass Brothers and Billy Ray Vulgar.

iHeartMedia Columbus President Brian Dytko said, “We are beyond saddened with the sudden passing of John Corby.  John was a special talent and a one of a kind broadcaster. He touched the lives of so many WTVN listeners in Central Ohio. John was not only a great broadcaster, but a great friend to many of us. His familiar voice, charm, and companionship every afternoon will be missed.”

In addition to the thousands of loyal WTVN listeners, John leaves behind his wife, daughter, sister and his mother and father.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been determined. We kindly request the public respect the privacy of the Corby family.

Corby, a graduate of Ohio State University and a baseball player there back in his day, started as news director at WNCI 97.9 FM and morning show co-host, then moved to WTVN from 1984 to 1994. He left for a stint at KDKA in Pittsburgh before returning to Columbus and 610.

R.I.P.: Jim Rodford, Bassist For The Zombies, Kinks, Argent

The Zombies bassist Jim Rodford has died aged 76 just days after his final performance.

The musician, whose career spanned six decades and included 18 years with The Kinks, died on Saturday after a fall on the stairs, his cousin and the band's frontman Rod Argent confirmed.

According to The Indepedent, Rodford had just returned home to England after completing a short tour in Florida with The Zombies with his final on-stage appearance coming on 14 January.

Argent paid tribute to his “dear cousin and lifelong friend”, writing on the band's Facebook page: “It is with deep sadness that I learned this morning that my dear cousin and lifelong friend, Jim Rodford, died this morning after a fall on the stairs.

“Jim was not only a magnificent bass player, but also from the first inextricably bound to the story of The Zombies.”

Rodford had been working on his autobiography at the time of his death and is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jean and three generations of Rodfords.

The Kinks' Dave Davies paid tribute on Twitter, writing: “I'm devastated Jim's sudden loss I'm too broken up to put words together it's such a shock."

RIP JIM RODFORD: Very sad today w the passing of #JimRodford. He played w several amazing groups including #Argent and @TheZombiesMusic. Always loved seeing him w @DaveDaviesKinks #RayDavies and @TheKinks, too. Thanks for all, Jim. Farewell from one of the kids in the back row. pic.twitter.com/eJpS7VkUAb

— Lou Brutus (@LouBrutus) January 20, 2018

Walter James “Jim” Rodford was born 7 July 1941 and began playing bass in the late Fifties with St Albans' skiffle band The Bluetones.

He helped Argent form The Zombies in 1961, declining an invitation to join the group but coached them through their first rehearsals.

Following the break-up of The Zombies in 1968, he joined Argent's new band - the eponymously named Argent - with gold records and chart success following as they released "Hold Your Head Up" and "God Gave Rock & Roll To You".



When Argent split in 1976 Rodford joined The Kinks during their later years and remained until their dissolution in 1996 when he came full circle by eventually joining The Zombies - along with his son Steve on drums - as they were resurrected by Argent and Colin Blunstone in 1999.

He spent the next 18 years recording and touring with The Zombies until his last performance six days ago at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Miramar Beach, Florida.

January 22 Radio History

➦In 1889...The Columbia Phonograph Company began selling Edison phonograph cylinders and players in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Delaware. It derived its name from the District of Columbia, which was its headquarters.

➦In 1956..."Fort Laramie" debuted on the CBS Radio Network starring Raymond Burr as Captain Lee Quince.

➦In 1940...“The Right to Happiness” written by radio soap diva Irna Phillips was first aired on the CBS Radio Network.  The daytime serial had begun on NBC Blue three months earlier.  And it would switch between CBS & NBC two more times during its 21 year run.

➦In 2011...Radio Pioneer Ruth Ann Myer WMCA (PD), WMGM, WHN (PD), WNEW (PD) NYC died at age 80.

In 1960, WMCA began promoting itself by stressing its on-air personalities, who were collectively known as the Good Guys. Led by program director Ruth Meyer, the first woman to hold the position in New York City radio,  this was the era of the high-profile Top 40 disc jockey with an exuberant personality aimed at a certain audience segment. With the advent of the Good Guys format, WMCA became more "on top" of new music and started to become known for "playing the hits."

In the early 1960s, the top 40 format was still young, and the field was crowded in New York City. Two major 50,000-watt stations, WMGM (frequency now occupied by WEPN) and WINS, had battled each other, playing pop music for years. Then in 1960, WABC joined the fray and started featuring top 40 music. Ultimately, it was WMCA's earnest competition with rival WABC that forced WMGM (in early 1962) and then WINS (in spring 1965) to abandon the top-40 format. There was so much attention on the high-profile WMCA-WABC battle that WMGM and WINS were each summarily forced to find a new niche.


➦In 2012...Sportscaster Andy Musser, voice of the Philadelphia Phillies for 26 years, died at age 74.

He was part of a team, with Richie Ashburn and Harry Kalas, which broadcast Phillies games on both radio and television for 21 consecutive seasons from 1976 to 1997. He retired after the 2001 season.

Musser worked for WCAU radio and television in Philadelphia from 1965 to 1971. During this time, he served as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Eagles football as well as 76ers and Villanova Wildcats basketball. One of the youngest lead broadcasters in the National Football League at the time, he covered the Eagles games with Charlie Gauer for four years until the station lost the broadcast rights to WIP-AM in 1969.  Musser also called various events for CBS Radio, including Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl VIII.

Musser was the lead voice for Chicago Bulls telecasts on WSNS from 1973 through 1976, pairing with Dick Gonski in the first two seasons and Lorn Brown in the third.   Musser would call New York Knicks games with Cal Ramsey on WOR-TV (away) and Manhattan Cable Television (home) for the next four seasons from 1976 to 1980. He handled all the matches in the first three years, but only the home ones in the fourth.

➦In 2012...40-year voice of Milwaukee sports Jim Irwin succumbed to kidney cancer at age 87.


➦In 2016…Longtime Chicago news anchor and program host (WBBM-AM, WBBM-TV, WMAQ-TV, WLS-TV WGN-TV) Jim Conway, whose career in the Windy City began in the early 1940s and spanned four decades, died at age 94.

Pittsburgh Newspaper Editorial Irks Union

Journalists at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, along with former employees and some city luminaries, are expressing outrage over a pro-Trump editorial ordered up by the paper’s publisher that they view as endorsing racism.

Politico report the editorial, titled “Reason as racism,” argued that calling someone a racist is “the new McCarthyism” and defended the sentiment behind President Donald Trump’s reported suggestion that the United States take immigrants from an overwhelmingly white country such as Norway rather than “shithole countries” like Haiti or in Africa.

“It is not racist to say that this country cannot take only the worst people from the worst places and that we want some of the best people from the best places, many of which are inhabited by people of color,” the editorial read. “That’s not racism, it is reason.”

The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, which represents 150 employees at the paper, said in a letter to the editor that it was “collectively appalled and crestfallen by the repugnant editorial.”

“As a matter of course, the Guild does not weigh in on editorial positions, but this piece is so extraordinary in its mindless, sycophantic embrace of racist values and outright bigotry espoused by this country’s president that we would be morally, journalistically, and humanly remiss not to speak out against it,” wrote the Guild’s executive committee.

The Post-Gazette didn’t run the letter to the editor, which later circulated online, or another letter denouncing the editorial and signed by 28 former employees of the paper. “This is not the Post-Gazette we knew,” the former employees wrote.

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Radio Mercury Awards Announces 2018 Final Round Judging Panel

The Radio Mercury Awards has announced the final round judging panel for the 27th Annual Radio Mercury Awards. This year's panel of top-level agency creative leaders represents radio's top advertising categories including automotive, communications, financial services, packaged goods, OTC, retail, spirits, and quick serve restaurants. 

The jury, drawn together with the help of Chief Judge Sean Bryan, Co-Chief Creative Officer at McCann NY, comprises thought leaders from across the country, representing all size markets and diverse audiences for some of radio's top spending advertising clients.

Listed below is the 2018 Radio Mercury Awards Final Round Judging Panel:

•    Chief Judge Sean Bryan, Co-Chief Creative Officer, McCann New York; clients include: Microsoft, Verizon and Cigna
•    Chris Beresford-Hill, Chief Creative Officer, TBWAChiatDay NY; clients include: Accenture, adidas, eos, McDonald's, Michelin, Nissan, PepsiCo, TD Bank, Thomson Reuters, Tic-Tac and Travelers Insurance
•    Mitch Bennett, Exec. Creative Director, Fitzco, Atlanta; clients include:  Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Odwalla, Checkers & Rally's, Synovus Bank, Quikrete, and Pergo.
•    Brad Emmett, Exec. Creative Director, Doner, Detroit; clients include: JBL, AutoTrader, Golfsmith, Duralast, Pet Supplies Plus and co-ECD Fiat automotive
•    Robin Fitzgerald, Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Atlanta; clients include:  Gatorade, Energizer, and Nissan
•    Mauricio Galvan, Creative Director, Anomaly; clients include: McDonald’s, Heineken, Nissan, Mastercard
•    Josh Gross, SVP/Executive  Creative Director, Energy BBDO Chicago; clients include: AT&T, Miller Lite, Hershey’s, Goya Foods, Dallas Pets Alive
•    Ciro Sarmiento, Chief Creative Officer, Dieste, Dallas; clients include:  Cricket Wireless, Miller Lite, Goya,  and  AT&T
•    Leslie Sims, Chief Creative Officer, Y&R NY; clients include: Dell, Campbell’s Soup, Merck, and Xerox

To learn more about this year's judges click here.