Tuesday, November 27, 2018

NBC To Reduce Ad Load


NBCUniversal plans further commercial load cuts and less reliance on “legacy” measurement, reports MediaPost.

“Our industry faces an exciting inflection point, we must go even further,” says Linda Yaccarino, chairman of advertising and client partnerships, NBCUniversal, in an end-of-year memo sent to staffers.

In March, NBC said it would reduce its prime-time commercial ad loads by 10% across its networks and its average length of commercial breaks by 20%.

Linda Yaccarino
“People love our premium content and trust our family of networks. We must honor their experience as we design better ways to engage with brands. That’s why we’ll continue to reduce time and clutter and expand Prime Pods across the portfolio.”

This season, NBC started one-minute Prime Pods, which began airing in the 50 top shows on NBCU’s broadcast and cable networks this season.

Also, Yaccarino says: “We’re going to lessen our reliance on legacy measurement. Instead, we’ll continue to invest in measurement that focuses on audiences and business outcomes, including scaling CFlight across our entire portfolio.”

CFlight was introduced last season. It expands NBC’s guarantees in covering advertisers’ entire campaigns on its platforms -- beyond standard industry metrics of C3 or C7, the average minute commercial ratings plus three or seven days of time-shifted viewing.

NBC will continue to build advertiser platforms for “mass reach and targeted audiences,” part of its effort in starting ROI programs for direct-to-consumer businesses.

Bay Area Radio: Former KGO Host Missing After Driving Off In Rental

Former KGO-810 radio broadcaster Ray Taliaferro, who remains missing after last being seen Nov. 10 in Paducah, Kentucky, drove away from his wife in a rental car, a new report says.

According to mercurynews.com, Taliaferro and his wife of six months were in Kentucky looking at property she had inherited, KRON-4 reported. His wife told police that at one point she turned around and Taliaferro had driven off in their rental car. Various reports said he was last seen six hours later and 12 miles away in Paducah, talking to the manager of the Mellow Mushroom pizza restaurant, part of an Atlanta-based chain.

Both the Massac County Sheriff’s Department in Illinois, which is leading the missing-person investigation, and the Paducah City Police Department told this news organization that they are continuing to search for the longtime San Francisco resident.



Here are some things to know about Taliaferro and the search for him:
  • A family spokesperson confirmed that Taliaferro still has a residence in San Francisco but is currently living in Illinois.
  • As of Sunday, Taliaferro’s son, Raphael, told this news outlet that he had been in touch with authorities but had no updates by the end of the weekend.
  • Former KGO colleague Brian Copeland tweeted that “Ray has been battling dementia for a while so he may not be certain where he is.”
  • He had served as president of the San Francisco Arts Commission, Leukemia Society and the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP.
  • KGO colleague John Rothman told this newspaper that “millions of people spent the night with Ray Taliaferro Monday through Friday 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. You couldn’t miss Ray Taliaferro. His wonderful commitment to human rights, his wonderful commitment to San Francisco and his wonderful commitment to people.”
  • KRON-4 called him a “legend,” and KGO Radio host Pat Thursday said that Taliaferro had “a heart of gold.”
  • In 1967, he became the nation’s first black talk-show host for a major market radio station, at KNEW AM 910.
  • He was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame in 2011.
  • Taliaferro joined KGO Radio in 1977 and co-hosted KGO-TV’s AM Weekend program.

Charleston Radio: Z93 Jamz D-J Found Dead


UPDATE 11/28/18 9:00: Charleston Radio: Z93.3 FM Host Apparent Murder Victim. Click Here for updated posting.


Original Posting...

Deputies in Beaufort County, SC  are investigating the discovery of a body was found in Sunday morning.

Nathaniel Scott Jr.
Emergency services responded to a report of a man shot in a wooded area shortly after 4:00 a.m.

When deputies arrived, they located the gunshot victim, secured the area and checked on the condition of the gunshot victim and confirmed he was dead.

The Beaufort County Coroner's Office later identified the gunshot victim as 28-year-old Nathaniel Scott Jr., who is known to DJ for North Charleston radio station WWWZ Z93 Jamz.

Otherwise known as “DJ Tough Love”, he hosted a Saturday night mix on the station.

An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday

November 27 Radio History


➦In 1901...early radio sportscaster Ted Husing was born in the Bronx NY.

For CBS he covered events as diverse as boxing, horse racing, track and field, regattas, seven World Series, tennis, golf, four Olympic Games, Indianapolis 500 motor racing, and especially college football, where he laid down much of the structure of football play-by-play that is still used today.

Husing died of a brain tumour Aug. 10 1962 at age 60.


➦In 1926...radio station KXL in Portland, Oregon began broadcasts with a licensed power of 50 watts. Today, the calls are KXTG and airs sports talk at 750 AM.  KXL-FM airs news/talk on 101.9 FM.


➦In 1930...Broadcasting from “…a little theatre off Times Square,” according to the show’s introduction, “First Nighter” was first heard on NBC. The 30-minute anthology series, which actually originated from Chicago, then beginning in 1946 from Hollywood, aired for an impressive 23 years, featuring both dramas and comedies complete in each show.


➦In 1960...the CBS Radio Network canceled "Have Gun Will Travel".


➦In 1962...In London, the Beatles recorded their first BBC radio session, performing "Twist and Shout," "Love Me Do," and "P.S. I Love You." The tracks aired later on the BBC program "Talent Spot."


➦In 1975...Bill Winters WCBS 101.1 FM personality passed.

Bill Winters
Winters worked in Tampa Bay in the early to mid 1960’s, first at WALT (mid-days) in 1963-64, and then WLCY. He also went on to work at Miami’s WQAM. During his short career, he held down shifts at some pretty impressive stations, including wakeup duty beginning in early 1968 at WPOP Hartford. There, he achieved the station’s highest Pulse ratings ever and, as a pivotal member of its “BOSS”ketball team, once broke two toes during a benefit game.

During a year out to serve with Uncle Sam, Bill worked part-time at WFBS in Spring Lake, NC, and then returned to mornings at WPOP. This time, he was billed as “The Big Kahuna – World Champion Surfer and 14th Degree Black Belt with Red Strikers.”

Early in his career, Bill worked at some fairly small stations, paying his dues at WCEC, WFMA-FM, and WEED AM/FM, all in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina, WGAI Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and WHAP Hopewell, Virginia. Later stops (and bigger stations) included WKYC Cleveland, CKLW Detroit, WCAO Baltimore, WBZ Boston, WCBS-FM New York (mid-days), and WIBG Philadelphia.

Bill’s career was cut short when he died in 1975 at the age of 35.





➦In 1979...Chuck Leonard did his last show at WABC.


➦In 1981...The British Phonographic Industry, with support from musicians including Elton John, 10cc, Gary Numan, Cliff Richard, and the Boomtown Rats, placed ads in British newspapers claiming "Home taping is wiping out music."


➦In 1984...long time St. Louis Radio personality, Jack Carney, died. He is best remembered for his stints at WIL and KMOX.



Jack Carney
Carney took his first radio job in New Mexico and moved from job to job at small stations throughout the southwest early in his career. Carney then became a rock n’ roll disc jockey serving up the hits to teens in Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Boston.

Carney’s first job in St. Louis came on WIL Radio from 1958-1960. While at WIL, Carney came up with his alter ego character “Pookie Snackenburg.” Carney was lured away from WIL to work for a short time at WABC Radio/New York.

Carney’s second stint in St. Louis was at KMOX where he established a following and his place in the community. Taking over the morning spot from Jack Buck in 1971, Carney was an instant hit.

During his KMOX years, virtually every celebrity that passed through St. Louis stopped by to say hello to Jack Carney.Carney’s show on KMOX was a fixture in St. Louis for 13 years. Jack Carney died of a sudden heart attack at age 52.

Jack Carney was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2001.


➦In 2006...Sportscaster (Cleveland Browns, WJW-TV)/radio sports talk host (WTAM, WERE) Kenneth "Casey" Coleman, Jr., son of play-by-play announcer Ken Coleman and a broadcaster in Cleveland for almost 30 years, died of pancreatic cancer at 55.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Fox Aims For Younger Demos With Streaming Service


Fox is ready to launch its new subscription streaming service.

Fox Nation, which goes live Tuesday, will offer a trove of exclusive on-demand programming including original daily opinion shows with Fox personalities including Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, new TV series and documentaries, as well as audio streams of Fox News Channel TV shows such as "Hannity" and "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

New programs created especially for Fox Nation include daily "First Thoughts" and "Final Thoughts" from Tomi Lahren, talk show Un-PC hosted by Britt McHenry and Tyrus, and the nightly live Fox Nation Quiz Show, hosted by Tom Shillue, in which the audience can play along with and against other Fox News talent in the studio.

According to USAToday, Fox is positioning Fox Nation as an online party that its most engaged viewers won't want to miss out on. The party atmosphere was played up in a Fox Nation promotional video (see below) that featured much of the network's onscreen talent including Sean Hannity, "The Five" co-host Jesse Watters and Shillue among those playing pool, while "The Daily Briefing" host Dana Perino threw darts.

Cost for the service is $5.99 monthly, but Fox has several limited-time offers for those who want to be among the service's founding partners program including a $60 one-year subscription with a commemorative Fox Nation Founder Challenge coin, and a $1,200 three-year subscription with a Fox Nation Founder tactical watch, set of Fox Nation cocktail glasses, hat, medal and coin.

Founders membership will only be available only until Monday at 11:55 p.m. After that, subscribers can pay the monthly fee or $64.99 for one year. There's a seven-day free trial, too. Fox Nation will be available on Android and iOS, Apple TV, Google Chromecast and Roku devices. Amazon Fire TV devices will get the service after it launches.


According to Bloomberg, the seed for Fox Nation was planted in June 2017 when 21st Century Fox Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch asked his executives to develop a streaming version of the popular cable news network that his father, Rupert, launched in 1996. The 47-year-old will be chief executive officer of the new Fox when the Disney deal is completed, and the growth of FoxNews.com suggested there was an appetite for such a service.

With 21st Century Fox selling its entertainment assets, the Fox News brand will account for an estimated two-thirds of future earnings, according to Brian Wieser, analyst at Pivotal Research Group LLC. Sports and broadcasting, including the flagship Fox network, will generate the rest. The new company will have earnings of about $2.5 billion annually, Lachlan Murdoch said recently.

Wieser said the rollout of Fox Nation will ensure Fox News’ presence in the lineup of apps on TV devices like Roku. Many media companies have launched services for superfans and have drawn hundreds of thousands of subscribers, he said.

Fox News has the largest audience in the key demographic group that advertisers seek in news programming, the 25-to-54 set, and has gained viewers in the category, according to Nielsen data provided by the company.

How Liberty Media Warmed-Up To Pandora


In June 2017, the streaming music service Pandora was in a jam. While it was still the most-listened to free streaming music service, Spotify and Apple Music were on the rise, stealing listeners and building out premium paid business models.

According to Alex Weprin at MediaPost, the company needed to pivot, and it needed cash. So it turned to John Malone. Malone, whose Liberty Media holds large or controlling stakes in firms like SiriusXM, Discovery, Lionsgate, Formula 1 and the Atlanta Braves, is no stranger to turning companies around.

SiriusXM ended up buying 19% of Pandora that year in a deal valued at around $480 million. In September of this year, SiriusXM struck a deal to buy the company outright for $3.5 billion.

While the pair may seem like a natural fit, with SiriusXM’s successful subscription model and in-car distribution platform, and Pandora’s streaming know-how and proprietary algorithms, Malone says he was unsure of the deal when he first learned of Pandora.

“I was skeptical of Pandora,” Malone told investors and analysts at Liberty Media’s investor day.  What changed Malone’s mind?  “In that one, there is a lot of synergy.”  He refers to the harmonious business models between the satellite radio giant and the streaming service.

After the 2017 investment, Pandora brought on former SlingTV president Roger Lynch on board as its new CEO. Lynch’s refocusing of the company was cited as a big part of why Liberty encouraged SiriusXM to make a bid to acquire Pandora.

“It was an easy decision at the right price, with the right focused management team that was synergistic with where Sirius wants to go,” Liberty CEO Greg Maffei said at the investor day.

“We have always been attracted to the strength of Pandora, its brand, its audience, what it has done in mobile, but we had questions on the business model. They were trying to be a me-too player in subscriptions, and they lost some of the strength and momentum they had in the ad market,” Maffei added.

The company isn’t giving up on subscriptions just yet, but is focused on its ad-supported streaming business. Pandora acquired AdsWizz earlier this year and is rolling out programmatic audio ads, alongside other new ad formats.

SiriusXM’s acquisition of Pandora is scheduled to be completed in early 2019.

More Shoppers Are Going Mobile


Traffic might appear lighter at some malls this holiday season, but that’s because people are shopping on their smartphones, according to a report by CNBC.

Mobile spending during the holidays is expected to continue to climb this year, as retailers have been investing to improve their apps, and shoppers are growing more comfortable with ringing purchases up in just a few clicks. A large fraction of the pressure on retailers to improve the mobile shopping experience has been driven by Amazon, which has roped in more than 100 million people in the U.S. to pay for a Prime membership that includes perks within Amazon’s own app.

“That phone is in everyone’s hand all the time,” Adam Sand, CEO of shopping rewards app Shopkick, told CNBC. “Even around the dinner table. You try to stop to put it away, but it’s an ever-present thing now.”

With online holiday sales forecast to hit nearly $125 billion in 2018, smartphones are expected to drive nearly half of shopper traffic on the web, more than desktop computers, according to Adobe Analytics, which measures transactions for 80 of the top 100 internet retailers.

Smartphones will make up 48.3 percent of visits to retailers’ websites and apps, compared with 42.9 percent for desktop computers and 8.8 percent for tablets, Adobe said. But smartphones will still just account for 27.2 percent of revenue (up 11.6 percent from a year ago), compared with a whopping 63.1 percent for desktop computers and 9.6 percent for tablets. Although more and more people are browsing retailers’ websites during the holidays, not everyone completes a purchase there. Many shoppers say they use it more for browsing deals — at least for now.

In fact, that statistic implies there’s still a big opportunity for retailers to improve the mobile shopping experience with better apps.

Is It Fake News Or Poor Journalism?

Sparked by reports uncovering the systematic spreading of false information on the internet to influence elections and fueled by U.S. president Trump’s distrust and hatred of the media, the debate over “fake news” and misinformation has been one of the most important issues of the past year. reports Statista.

According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2018, 54 percent of global news consumers are very or extremely concerned about what is real and what is fake on the internet when it comes to news and only 44 percent of the more than 70,000 respondents think that most news is trustworthy.

However, it may not be what is often referred to as “fake news”, i.e. completely fabricated stories spread for commercial or political reasons, that hurts trust in the news media the most. According to Reuters’ findings, poor journalism, e.g. factual mistakes, dumbed down stories or clickbait, are the most commonly perceived form of misinformation. 42 percent of all respondents reported having been exposed to examples of poor journalism in the past week, while only 26 percent had come across stories completely made up for political or commercial gain.

Still No Answers After Year-Long Charlie Rose Investigation

Charlie Rose
CBS News staffers are furious that an investigation into sexual harassment at the network is still ongoing, a year after Charlie Rose’s firing, reports Page Six at The NYPost.

Rose was sacked from “CBS This Morning” after it was reported that eight women had accused him of sexual harassment, spanning decades — and multiple networks: PBS also fired him.

However, what was initially an investigation at CBS News is now companywide, following the dismissal of CBS CEO Les Moonves in September amid claims against him. This was followed by the firing of Jeff Fager, the longtime executive producer of “60 Minutes,” for violating company policy.

“It’s safe to say that everyone within the news division is upset. It’s been a very long year and we want to know what’s going on. No one’s telling us anything,” said a source.

The CBS board hired lawyers to conduct an investigation into the overall culture of the company, and they’ve reportedly spoken to more than 250 people. Because the investigation is being run outside the company, no staffers, no matter how senior, are privy to any details, staffers told us.

Investigators at two law firms are expected to complete their report by year’s end, and the CBS board is to decide on any action no later than Jan. 31.

Imus Ranch Has New Owner, Purpose

A northern New Mexico ranch once owned by radio talk show host Don Imus will be used by Rural Media Group as a television production base for The Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV.

TAccording to The Associated Press, the New Mexico Film Office made the announcement last week, saying the state could get exposure because the company's programming is distributed to more than 92 million homes worldwide.

"We are very happy that Rural Media Group sees our landscape, culture and vibrant film industry as an inspirational home for their unique programming worldwide," said Nick Maniatis, head of the state film office.

Rural cable TV mogul Patrick Gottsch bought the ranch outside Santa Fe earlier this year.

The property includes a 10-bedroom hacienda with a Western-style town. While the purchase price was never disclosed, the ranch was last listed at $19 million.



Productions that will be produced in New Mexico include "Best of America by Horseback," ''Debbie Duning's Dude Ranch Round-Up" and "Gentle Giants." Production work will begin in the spring.

Gottsch, founder and president of Rural Media Group, said the ranch is set up perfectly for producing a variety of new programs and television series. He pointed to the existing Western town, indoor and outdoor arenas, and miles of trails on the property, which spans 5 square miles (14 square kilometers).

Former S-F Radio Host Reported Missing In Kentucky

Ray Taliaferro
Legendary Bay Area radio broadcaster Ray Taliaferro has been reported missing in Kentucky.

According to a KFVS report, the Massac County Sheriff’s Department says Taliaferro — now a resident of that Illinois county — was last seen Nov. 10 in nearby Paducah, Kentucky.

According to the missing person flier, “Ray was last seen talking with the manager of the Mellow Mushroom pizza restaurant in Paducah. He may be experiencing disorientation and signs of dementia.”

San Francisco native Taliaferro, 79, became the nation’s first black talk-show host for a major market radio KNEW 910 AM in 1976. According to Bay Area News Group archives, his long résumé also includes heading the city’s chapter of the NAACP and being named the city’s first black member of the arts commission.

For years, starting in 1986, the liberal Taliaferro commanded the Bay Area’s overnight airwaves, hosting the Newstalk KGO 810 AM show from 1 to 5 a.m. In a 2011 interview, colleague Ronn Owens called Taliaferro a “total pro” who “knows how to stir things up in the overnight hours to create a superb listening experience.”

Owens added: “What his listeners don’t know is he is a total gentleman, a patron of the arts, an unbelievably giving person.”

TN Radio: Longtime Talk Host Bill Way In Hospice Care

Bill Way
Jackson, TN talk radio legend Bill Way has apparently broadcast his final show, according to The Jackson Sun citing a Facebook post by his daughter Kristen Mason.

She cited Nov. 16 as the day of his final show. Since then, The 74-year-old Way been diagnosed with a mass on his pancreas and spots on his liver.

Way has been released into hospice care after spending the past week at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

Way had just returned to local radio waves with his new Bill Way Show on WTJS 93.1 FM after hosting various shows on WNWS 101.5 FM and local television stations.

R.I.P.: Sean Hall, Longtime Radio Newsman


Veteran broadcast journalist Sean Hall has died.  According to police, Hall was killed in a head-on crash in Richmond, NH Saturday night.

Sean Hall
Hall was a five decade radio vet with stints with  NBC, CNN, WTOP, Mutual, B104 Baltimore, WBIG and others.

Hall had been in semi-retirement but still kept his hand in it by working weekends at CBS radio affiliate News/Talk WKBK in Keene NH. , owned by Saga Communications

Police said a sedan driven by the 63-year-old Hall was traveling south when it crossed the center line into the path of a pickup truck, whose driver suffered minor injuries. Hall was pinned inside his vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Richmond, NH Police Department.

Hall belonged to a family rooted in journalism.

Hall’s parents were also journalists. His dad anchored at Mutual; his mom worked the City Desk at several major newspapers.  Sean’s grandfather was a newspaper reporter for 50 years.

As a reporter, Hall could skillfully “write for the ear,” translating news from written sources — police reports, newspaper articles — into quick, engaging audio, WKBK News Director Mike Daniele told sentinelsource.com.

He delivered both news stories and features in his compelling on-air voice, Daniele said.

“It was deep, it was resonant, but it was also pleasant to listen to, so when he did a story, he wrote as if he were conversing with another person,” Daniele said.

Hall’s last on-air shift was Saturday morning.

“Even though he was part time,” Daniele said, “his voice was heard just about every day.”

November 26 Radio History



Eric Sevareid
➦In 1912...CBS newsman & commentator Eric Sevareid was born in Velva, North Dakota.

At the age of 18, Sevareid entered journalism as a reporter for the Minneapolis Journal, while a student at the University of Minnesota in political science. He continued his studies abroad, first in London and later in Paris at the Sorbonne, where he also worked as an editor for United Press. He then became city editor of the Paris Herald Tribune. He left that post to join CBS as a foreign correspondent, based in Paris; he broadcast the fall of Paris, and followed the French government from there to Bordeaux and then Vichy, before leaving France for London and finally Washington.

He was one of a group of elite war correspondents dubbed “Murrow’s boys” because they were hired by pioneering broadcast newsman Edward R. Murrow. Sevareid was with CBS for 38 years.

He died of stomach cancer July 9, 1992 at age 79.


➦In 1913...actor/announcer Bill Baldwin was born in Pueblo Colorado. He became the radio and television voice of hundreds of products, and was a war correspondent for the NBC Blue network in WWII.   He served as national president of the American Federation of Radio & TV Artists (AFTRA) in the early 70’s. As an actor he appeared in a number of TV series, including ‘Hawaii Five-O,’ ‘Ironside,’ ‘The Beverly Hillbillies,’ and ‘Marcus Welby, M.D.’  He succumbed to cancer Nov. 17 1982, nine days short of his 69th birthday.


➦In 1933...singer Robert Goulet was born Stanley Applebaum  in Lawrence, Mass,  but within months his family moved to Northern Alberta.

He worked as disk jockey on Edmonton’s CKUA for two years and was a semi-finalist on CBC TV’s “Pick the Stars” in 1952.  He spent a summer at Vancouver’s Theatre Under the Stars.  In 1955 he became a regular on CBC TV’s Cross Canada Hit Parade. He was awarded a Grammy as the best new artist of 1962.  His best-selling album was the million-selling 1964 release “My Love Forgive Me,” which reached No. 5.

Goulet died awaiting a lung transplant Oct. 30 2007 at age 73.

➦In 1945...the daily radio program, “Bride and Groom”, debuted on the NBC Blue network. It is estimated that 1,000 newly-wed couples were interviewed on the program before it left the airwaves in 1950.



➦In 1962…At EMI's Abbey Road studios in London, the Beatles recorded "Please Please Me" and "Ask Me Why." "Please Please Me" was a re-recording of the song in a more uptempo style after producer George Martin told the band that their original ballad version was "too bloody boring for words."  Also on this day in 1994, the first Beatles record ever to be played on radio fetched more than $23K at an auction in London. It was a world record price for a commercially produced record. The recording of “Love Me Do” was played by Radio Luxembourg in 1963.

➦In 1969…At EMI's Abbey Road studios in London, John Lennon spent the afternoon mixing the Beatles songs "What's The New Mary Jane" and "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" with the intention of releasing them as the two sides of a Plastic Ono Band single. When this plan fell through, "Number" was released as the b-side of the Beatles' "Let It Be" single, making this the last time John Lennon was in the studio working on a Beatles song.


➦In 1970...George Harrison became the first Beatle to earn a #1 solo hit as "My Sweet Lord" climbed to the top.  The 5th Dimension was second with "One Less Bell to Answer".  The previous #1 "The Tears of a Clown" from Smokey Robinson & the Miracles was third, followed by Dawn's "Knock Three Times" and "Black Magic Woman" from Santana.

The rest of the Top 10:  The former #1 "I Think I Love You" from the Partridge Family, the Supremes remained at #7 with "Stoned Love", Chicago wouldn't budge with "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", Brian Hyland was still at #9 after 17 weeks with "Gypsy Woman" and Badfinger finished the list with "No Matter What".

➦In 1973…Elton John released the single "Step Into Christmas."

➦In 1979...Dan Ingram did his first morning show at 77 WABC after many years as the afternoon drive personality.

➦In 2003...longtime Washington, D.C. Radio broadcaster, Eddie Gallaher, died at age 89. He worked at stations including WTOP-AM, WASH-FM, and WWDC-AM.

Gallaher (dcrtv photo)
Gallaher's career in Washington began on WTOP-AM in 1947. Gallaher stayed on the air in one market for 53 years, working at two other stations before retiring in 2000.

"Eddie Gallaher was certainly one of the premier, if not the premier disc jockey, here in Washington," said Ed Walker. Walker and "Today"show weatherman Willard Scott were the "Joy Boys" on a rival morning program that ran on WRC-AM in Washington from 1955-1972.

Gallaher spent 21 years at WTOP, where celebrities passing through the  nation's capital made sure to stop by his studio.

When WTOP switched to a news and talk format in 1968, Gallaher moved to WASH-FM, then, in 1982, to WWDC-AM where he stayed until retiring in December 2000.

➦In 2009…Paul McCartney told a BBC interviewer that his concerts are a way of helping him "revisit" other members of the Beatles and his late wife Linda. "If I'm doing songs by the Beatles, I obviously remember the sessions when we recorded. Similarly with John and Linda - in a way you're kind of in contact with them again and it's sad, it's emotional."

Jian Ghomeshi
➦In 2014…After surrendering to Toronto police, former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi was charged with four counts of sexual assault and one of choking in a sexual assault investigation. The CBC had fired the 47-year-old broadcaster a month earlier amid sexual misconduct allegations against him and what the company termed  "graphic evidence" that he had physically injured a woman.

After a trial in February 2016, the judge acquitted Ghomeshi of all charges saying there was insufficient evidence to establish proof beyond a reasonable doubt.