Today, iHeartMedia announced Uta Knablein as the company’s new Chief Product Officer for iHeartRadio. Knablein steps into the position with more than two decades of work in user experience and product innovation, most recently as iHeartMedia’s Executive Vice President of iHeartRadio’s Flagship Products and User Experience.
In her new role, Knablein will report directly to Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group.
“At iHeartMedia, we’re committed to innovation and being on the forefront of this fast paced industry,” said Byrne. “Since joining the team, Uta has played a critical role in elevating the user experience through groundbreaking products and features. With her decades of experience and shared values, there is no doubt she is the right leader for our product team. As we look toward the future, we’re thrilled to have Uta’s depth of industry knowledge to keep us on the cutting edge.”
Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek said the ESPN sports networks are critical to his overall vision of the company, one that involves more direct connections to consumers, including wagering on sports.
“Sports betting is a part of what our younger, say, under-35 sports audience is telling us they want as part of their sports lifestyle,” Chapek said in an interview at Disney’s D23 fan event in Anaheim, California. Asked if the company was developing an ESPN sports-betting app, Chapek said: “We’re working very hard on that.”
Bloomberg reports ESPN has been a focus of investors in recent weeks after activist Dan Loeb wrote to Chapek suggesting he spin the sports channels off to shareholders to better highlight their value. Chapek said he’s received as many as 100 inquiries from parties interested in the business, which to him, underscores its worth.
“If you have a house that you’re gonna put up for sale and you have a hundred buyers, you probably got a pretty cool house,” he said.
Cumulus Media announces that it has named Eddie Haskell as On-Air Host, Middays, for Albuquerque KRST 92.3 Country. Haskell will be heard on KRST weekdays from 10:00am-3:00pm, beginning September 12, 2022. This is a return to the station for Haskell, who was with KRST from 2004-2013.
Eddie Haskell
Haskell heads to Cumulus Albuquerque from Max Media in Norfolk, VA, where he previously served as VP of Operations and Programming. He has held various programming roles for iHeartMedia in Fort Collins, CO; KYGO-FM in Denver; KKAT-AM in Salt Lake City; and WYCD-FM in the Detroit area.
Bev Rainey, Program Director, KRST-FM, said: “Eddie’s love for Albuquerque and heritage in the market will shine on KRST’s airwaves.”
Kris Abrams, Operations Manager, KRST-FM, commented: “Eddie just has fun on the radio - and he certainly knows KRST and Albuquerque.”
Eddie Haskell remarked: “I could not be more excited to be coming home to KRST. I was dying to get back to Albuquerque and thank Bev Rainey, Kris Abrams, and VP/Market Manager Jeff Berry for making it happen.”
Russian troops retreated in northeastern Ukraine Sunday as Ukrainian forces continued their counteroffensive, reclaiming what had been Russian-occupied areas in the Kharkiv region. Ukraine's military chief, General Valerii Zaluzhnyy, said they'd recaptured about 1,160 square miles since the counteroffensive began early this month, and that Ukrainian troops are only 30 miles from the Russian border. The Russian retreat is the biggest success on the battlefield for Ukraine since fighting off a Russian attempt to take the capital city, Kyiv, near the start of the war. Russia struck back at Ukraine's infrastructure, with Ukrainian officials saying the country's second-biggest heat and power plant was hit. There were widespread power outages last night, with complete blackouts in the Khakiv and Donetsk regions, but some power had been restored by later in the evening.
The dynamics of Ukraine's counter-offensive in Kharkiv Oblast in the last couple of days.
The video taken from the Telegram channel of Andriy Tsaplienko, Ukrainian military journalist pic.twitter.com/Y2oSndDwN7
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been the focus of fears of a radioactive disaster as it has been in the middle of shelling, was completely shut down. Ukraine’s nuclear energy operator said the plant was reconnected to Ukraine’s electricity grid, allowing engineers to shut down its last operational reactor as protection against a disaster. But the head of U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi, said he is, quote, "gravely concerned about the situation at the plant, which remains in danger as long as any shelling continues." The plant has been occupied by Russian forces since soon after the invasion, but is being operated by Ukrainian staff.
Crowds of mourners were out in full force today to bid a final farewell to Queen Elizabeth as her coffin travelled from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh
It’s been more than three months since Mike Missanelli abruptly signed-off the the air from his popular afternoon drive show on Beasley Media's WPEN-FM 97.5 The Fanatic and the veteran sports talker says he still doesn’t understand fully what happened and why. He’s just trying to look forward with two new jobs and a recently completed children’s book.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Philadelphia Business Journal last week, Missanelli expressed excitement about signing a deal with Chicago-based gaming and betting company Rush Street Interactive, parent of Fishtown’s Rivers Casino, to serve as a podcaster and brand ambassador for its BetRivers Network, as well as his role co-hosting an NFL Eagles postgame show for JAKIB Media.
Since his surprising final show at The Fanatic on May 31, Missanelli has had time to reflect on his departure and spent the summer considering his next career move.
Missanelli had served as afternoon drive host and ratings kingpin since joining the station in 2010. The former Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer, who also has a law degree, had previously served two stints at rival SportsRadio 94 WIP-FM. His afternoon drive show on The Fanatic took off and Missanelli usurped WIP in his time slot and fended off challengers for almost a decade before losing ground to the team of Jon Marks and Ike Reese.
He felt that history, and his role in the station’s launch and growth, should have been taken into consideration.
Major League Baseball adopted its first pitch clock, limits on defensive shifts and larger bases for next season in an effort to shorten games and increase offense in a tradition-bound sport, according to AP News.
The decision on the clock and shift restrictions by the sport’s 11-man competition committee was made Friday over the unanimous opposition of the panel’s players, who approved the larger bases. The changes had long been pushed by baseball commissioner Rob Manfred in an effort to combat the increase in dead time over four decades and suffocation of offense in the age of analytics.
“Throughout the extensive testing of recent years, minor league personnel and a wide range of fans – from the most loyal to casual observers – have recognized the collective impact of these changes in making the game even better and more enjoyable,” Manfred said in a statement.
The pitch clock will be set at 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners
A catcher will be required to be in the catcher’s box with nine seconds left on the clock and a hitter in the batter’s box and focused on the pitcher with eight seconds remaining. Penalties for violations will be a ball called against a pitcher and a strike called against a batter.
A batter can ask an umpire for time once per plate appearance, and after that it would be granted only at the umpire’s discretion if the request is made while in the batter’s box.
Three veteran Long Island radio personalities were dropped by Farmingdale-based Classic Hits WBZO/103.1 MAX FM Thursday, as part of a cost-cutting move to automate the Connoisseur Media station.
Newsday reports those let go included morning host Jim Douglas, 64, who has been a DJ almost continuously for 43 years, with stints at WGLI, WGBB, WKJY ("KJOY"), and on New York's WMXV ("Mix 105") and WWFS ("Fresh 102.7"), where he was the other half of the "Jim and Kim" Berk team, which wrapped a two-decade run in 2014.
Disney Bob Chapek is said to have rejected activist investor Third Point's suggestion that the entertainment behemoth spin off sports network ESPN, according to Joshua Fineman, News Editor at Seeking Alpha.
Chapek he has been "deluged" with interest from companies interesting in buying ESPN this year on speculation the company may be considering selling the sports network, the Disney CEO told the Financial Times in an interview. Chapek said the interest showed showed him about the potential for the network.
CNN’s Scott McLean, Prince and Princess of Wales as “the other two royals.” (Gettys Image)
CNN is facing fierce backlash after its London-based international correspondent dismissed Prince William and Kate Middleton as “the other two royals” — while referring to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by name.
The NY Post reports Scott McLean made the blunder Saturday as the brothers and their wives reunited Saturday outside Windsor Castle to thank the crowds that had gathered to offer sympathy and to view the mounds of bouquets and balloons left by well-wishers.
“You can see Harry get out first and then you saw Meghan and then the other two royals as well,” he said.
Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch are hardly going hungry as the leaders of Fox Corp., though the pair did see their pay packages reduced this year, reports TheWrap.
Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch took home $18.4 million in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, a 40% decrease from the $31.1 million he earned the previous year.
Meanwhile, Fox executive chairman and CEO Lachlan Murdoch earned $21.7 million, according to an SEC filing, down 27.6% from his 2021 pay of $27.7 million. Also revealed in the SEC filing Friday was that Lachlan signed a contract extension last year that will see him continue to lead Fox Corp. through at least June 2026.
Chris Cuomo recently admitted he “drinks too much” in an effort to settle his mind and deal with his emotions following his unceremonious departure from CNN, RadarOnline.com reports.
The startling admission came last Thursday during an episode of the 52-year-old disgraced ex-CNN host’s struggling new podcast, The Chris Cuomo Project.
While speaking about his working out, his exercise routine and daily diet, Cuomo revealed he believes he drinks too much – although he does not believe he is an alcoholic.
“I drink too much,” Cuomo said while also discussing mental health, the stigma surrounding anti-depressants and therapy. “I'm thinking about that — mostly in terms of why I drink too much.”
“And I'm probably what people in the sobriety community would call a 'normie' but a hard drinker,” he continued. “I drink, often. And I definitely think it's not always for the right reason.”
Burger King on Friday said it plans to spend $400 million over the next two years on advertising and renovating its restaurants as part of a broader strategy to revive lagging U.S. sales.
CNBC reports the Restaurant Brands International chain unveiled a turnaround plan for its U.S. business in Las Vegas at its annual franchisee convention. The investments are expected to weigh on its adjusted earnings per share for 2022 and 2023 by 10 to 12 cents annually. The company expects the investments to start paying off by 2025.
In the second quarter, Burger King reported flat U.S. same-store sales growth, trailing behind rivals McDonald’s and Wendy’s. The burger chain has been reporting lackluster U.S. sales over the last year, causing concern for Restaurant Brands CEO Jose Cil. In his tenure as chief executive, Cil has also spearheaded efforts to revive Canadian demand for Tim Hortons, Burger King’s sister chain.
Country artist John Michael Montgomery, 57, has stated, via Facebook, that he is "recovering" alongside passengers on his bus that overturned in Jellico, TN on the way to a concert appearance in North Carolina, reports The Tennessean.
The vocalist behind songs including 1995's "I Can Love You Like That" and "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" noted, “despite some cuts and broken ribs, I am doing well. I will take some time over the next couple of weeks to heal and be back on the road soon. I am grateful to the medics and highway patrol for their quick response to this difficult situation. Thanks to everyone for their concerns."
➦In 1932...Edgar Rice Burroughs’ 'Tarzan of the Apes' began as a 15-minute show on WOR NYC and several other stations. The series had Burroughs' daughter, Joan, in the role of Jane.
H.V. Kaltenborn
➦In 1938...While with CBS Radio, commentator H.V. Kaltenborn made broadcasting history on this day. Kaltenborn was one of the first news readers to provide analysis and insight into current news stories. His vast knowledge of foreign affairs and international politics amply equipped him for covering crises in Europe and the Far East in the 1930s.
His vivid reporting of the Spanish Civil War and the Czech crisis of 1938 helped establish the credibility of radio news in the public mind. Kaltenborn reported on the Spanish Civil War "while hiding in a haystack between the two armies. Listeners in America could hear bullets hitting the hay above him while he spoke." He was so devoted to his work that he slept in the studio for 18 days while bringing broadcasting updates.
➦ In 1958...electrical engineer Jack S. Kilby was a newly employed engineer at Texas Instruments (TI). Lacking vacation time off, he spent the summer working on the problem in circuit design that was commonly called the "tyranny of numbers", and he finally came to the conclusion that the manufacturing of circuit components en masse in a single piece of semiconductor material could provide a solution.
On September 12, he presented his findings to company's management. He showed them a piece of germanium with an oscilloscope attached, pressed a switch, and the oscilloscope showed a continuous sine wave, proving that his integrated circuit worked, and hence he had solved the problem. U.S. Patent 3,138,743 was granted for a"Miniaturized Electronic Circuits", the first integrated micro-chip circuit, was granted the next year. Along with Robert Noyce (who independently made a similar circuit a few months later), Kilby is generally credited as co-inventor of the integrated circuit.
➦In 2001... XM Satellite Radio was scheduled to start service on this date. But because of the terrorist attacks of the previous day XM’s debut was postponed to Sept. 25th.
The company had its origins in the 1988 formation of the American Mobile Satellite Corporation (AMSC), a consortium of several organizations originally dedicated to satellite broadcasting of telephone, fax, and data signals. In 1992, AMSC established a unit called the American Mobile Radio Corporation dedicated to developing a satellite-based digital radio service; this was spun off as XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc. in 1999.
On July 29, 2008, XM and former competitor Sirius Satellite Radio formally completed their merger, following FCC approval, forming SiriusXM Radio, Inc. with XM Satellite Radio, Inc. as its subsidiary. On November 12, 2008, Sirius and XM began broadcasting with their new, combined channel lineups. On January 13, 2011, XM Satellite Radio, Inc. was dissolved as a separate entity and merged into Sirius XM Radio, Inc. Prior to its merger with Sirius, XM was the largest satellite radio company in the United States.
➦In 2013…Inventor Ray Dolby, who took the hiss out of the soundtrack of our lives, died in San Francisco. He was 80 and had been living with Alzheimer's disease, compounded by a diagnosis of leukemia in July.
The name Dolby first became common decades ago when the sound wizard developed a system for eliminating the static noise on cassette tapes used for copying music from vinyl albums. The "Dolby" button on a cassette deck was a requirement for every college stereo. His influence also extended to film, where he helped bring "Star Wars" to life and created an entire industry devoted to the sound experience.
➦In 2014...CBS CEO Les Moonves stated they might "trim down radio". He added, "We still believe in radio. It is a slow growth radio. We like it." CBS Eventually 'merged' with Entercom in 2017.
Gerry Beckley is 70
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
Actor Linda Gray (“Dallas”) is 82.
Singer Maria Muldaur is 80.
Actor Joe Pantoliano (“The Sopranos”) is 71.
Singer-guitarist Gerry Beckley of America is 70.
Original MTV VJ Nina Blackwood is 70.
Actor Rachel Ward is 65.
Actor Amy Yasbeck (“Wings,” ″Life on a Stick”) is 60.
Bassist Norwood Fisher of Fishbone is 57.
Kelsea Ballerini is 29
Actor Darren E. Burrows (“Northern Exposure”) is 56.
Singer Ben Folds (Ben Folds Five) is 56.
Comedian Louis C.K. is 55.
Guitarist Larry LaLonde of Primus is 54.
Actor Will Chase (“Nashville”) is 52.
Country singer Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland is 48.
Actor Lauren Stamile (“Complications,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) is 46.
Rapper 2 Chainz is 45.
Actor Kelly Jenrette (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) is 44.
Actor Ben McKenzie (“The O.C.”) is 44.
Singer Ruben Studdard (“American Idol”) is 44.
Singer-actor Jennifer Hudson is 41.
Actor Alfie Allen (“Game of Thrones”) is 36.
Actor Emmy Rossum (“Phantom of the Opera”) is 36.
Country singer Kelsea Ballerini is 29.
Actor Colin Ford (“Under the Dome”) is 26.
✞DEATH ANNIVERSARIES
Actor Raymond Burr, who starred in the Perry Mason and Ironside TV shows, died on this day in 1993. He was 76.
Singer Johnny Cash died on this day in 2003. He was 71.
Psycho actor Anthony Perkins died on this day in 1992. He was 60.
