September 6 Radio History

Morgan Beatty

➦In 1902...radio newsman Morgan Beatty was born in Little Rock Arkansas.  He achieved fame as a correspondent for the National Broadcasting Company radio network for 25 years. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and worked for The Associated Press before and after his years with N.B.C.

For many years in the 1940′s & 50′s in particular, he was a senior news broadcaster for NBC Radio based in New York. “This is Morgan Beatty speaking for Alka Seltzer bringing you news of the world! and the news tonight is…”

When TV arrived he became news anchor for the short-lived Dumont Network.  A great radio presence with natural gravitas in his voice, he died July 4 1975 at age 72.

➦In 1920...WWJ Detroit became the first station to air a professional boxing match. The station is believed to be the first to broadcast news reports regularly, and the first to present regularly scheduled religious broadcasts and play-by-play sports reports.The bout was won by Jack Dempsey.

➦In 1942...The radio comedy the Mayor of the Town made its debut. It starred Lionel Barrymore and aired until July 3, 1949 on ABC, CBS, Mutual and NBC at various times.

➦In 1954...1010 WINS NYC begins playing rock n roll with Alan Freed Show

➦In 1959...the hit radio sitcom “Fibber McGee and Molly” ended after almost 25 years. The situation comedy, a staple of the NBC Red Network for the show's entire run and one of the most popular and enduring radio series of its time. The show ran as a stand-alone series from 1935 to 1956, and then continued as a short-form series as part of the weekend Monitor from 1957 to 1959. The title characters were created and portrayed by Jim and Marian Jordan, a real-life husband and wife team that had been working in radio since the 1920s.

➦In 1965...Chuck Leonard started at WABC 770 AM.

From 1968...

Chuck Leonard

His deep voice and smoothness resonated across 38 states for 14 years at ABC. During his over 40-year career in broadcasting, Leonard worked virtually every shift and played all styles of music at stations including WWRL, WABC, WXLO, WRKS, WBLS, WQEW, WNSW-AM and WJUX. He has been inducted in the Museum of Television & Radio and is known as the first African-American disc jockey to work on a mainstream radio station.

On WABC, Leonard began in the 11 p.m. to midnight slot, and continued working late nights and Sundays at the station until November 27, 1979. He did the 10:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. shift following “Cousin” Bruce Morrow and later George Michael. He also gladly handled weekend and fill-in work.

Leonard was the host of "Sneak Preview," a five-minute Monday-through-Saturday evening program on ABC's American Contemporary Radio Network, which featured newly released songs. He stayed at WABC until 1979, before moving to WXLO and WRKS.


➦In 1987...Pat St. John left WPLJ NYC, and returned to his rock roots on WNEW 102.7 FM, which had been WPLJ's rival during its AOR years. He became the station's program director in the early 1990s while continuing his mid-day show until moving to morning-drive from 1994 through 1996. and then moved to afternoons. St. John remained with the station until it switched to a hot talk format in 1998.

From 1984...



St. John is one of the U.S.'s preeminent and longest serving radio personalities and voice-over artists.

Pat St. John

Known as The Dee-Jay’s DJ, he began his radio career on Windsor, Ontario's CKLW 800 AM in 1969 and '70, followed by WKNR 1300 AM in late 1970 to early '72, followed by WRIF 101.1 FM to April 1973.

Pat is best known for his work in the New York City market on WPLJ 95.5 FM , WNEW 102.7 FM, WAXQ and WCBS 101.1 FM.  Pat has done extensive television voiceover work, including announcing for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve from 2000 to 2010.

St. John was known for his conversational on-air style with interspersed bits of music trivia, along with "Collectible Cuts" from his extensive record library.

Today, Pat can be heard on SiriusXM's '60s on 6 Channel weekdays 3 to 7 pm (Eastern)

➦In 2013…Don Wade, a pillar of Chicago radio, has died of a brain tumor, about a year after the condition forced the morning show host off the air. He was 72.

Wade spent 55 years in broadcasting, 27 of them at WLS 890 AM. From 1989 to 2012, he worked mornings co-hosting "The Don Wade & Roma Show" with his wife.

Colleagues said Mr. Wade was a relentless researcher who would wake up in the middle of the night to get ready for his 5 a.m. show. The "lovable curmudgeon" became a Chicago institution by knowing the topics he covered inside and out.

During his career he also worked in Seattle, Denver, Hartford, New Orleans, Buffalo, Boston, Dallas and Philadelphia.

➦In 2017...WFAN NYC sports radio talk show host Craig Carton and another man were arrested on charges of bilking millions of dollars from investors in a concert-ticket selling scheme.

Chicago Radio: WKQX HD2 To Air The Bob & Tom Show

Cumulus Media announces that beginning Monday, September 9th, the iconic morning radio program The BOB & TOM Show will launch in Chicago, IL, on 101.1 WKQX-HD2, the HD2 side channel for alternative rock radio station, 101 WKQX.

A favorite of millions and one of the funniest, longest-running and highest-rated radio programs in America, The BOB & TOM Show will air live on Chicago’s 101.1 WKQX-HD2 weekday mornings from 5am-10am. The popular show will broadcast with limited commercial interruption via a full metro market signal broadcasting from the top of the John Hancock Building. The nearly 1.8 million HD Radio-equipped cars in the Chicago DMA will make The BOB & TOM Show accessible for scores of people in the Chicagoland area who grew up listening to the legendary morning comedy show in markets across the Midwest and beyond. 

Inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, The BOB & TOM Show airs live weekday mornings on more than 100 stations across the U.S. and on the American Forces Network worldwide. The BOB & TOM Show is exclusively distributed by Westwood One. 

Marv Nyren, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Chicago, said: “We are thrilled to bring The BOB & TOM Show to Chicago radio listeners through our 101.1 WKQX-HD2 station. 22.2% of the cars in the Chicago DMA are equipped with HD Radio – That means almost 5.9 million hours per week of in-car listening to stations using HD Radio side channels for programming that complements their primary signals. 101.1 WKQX-HD2 and The BOB & TOM Show add up to a lot more fun in the morning for Chicago comedy fans.” 

Troy Hanson, Vice President, Operations, Cumulus Chicago, and 101 WKQX Program Director, said: “We are pleased to give a platform to one the most successful morning shows in radio history with The Bob & Tom Show on our HD2 signal at WKQX. Host Tom Griswold has put a remarkable on-air team together over the years to deliver some of the best content available on-air and online. A tip of the cap to Westwood One, who has made the access to the entire cast of B&T characters set to hit Chicago incredibly smooth.” 

John Kesler, Chief Operating Officer, The BOB & TOM Show, said: “It is a big step forward for us to have a full market signal in Chicago. There are potentially hundreds of thousands of BOB & TOM fans in the Chicago area. Many of these fans were transplanted from markets where The BOB & TOM Show has been in syndication for years… places like Peoria, Madison, Rockford, Quad Cities, Indianapolis, Green Bay, and South Bend. We’re so pleased to be able to bring the show to them through our partnership with Cumulus Chicago and their innovative use of HD Radio technology, which is quickly reaching critical mass in cars.” 

Tom Griswold, Host, The BOB & TOM Show, said: “American radio has always been led by what’s on the air in Chicago. We’re thrilled to be part of the mix.”

New Study Reveals Rising Skepticism of Radio Contests

NuVoodoo Media Services, a data-driven media marketing, programming and content intelligence provider, presents the second installment of the NuVoodoo Fall webinar series, The NuVoodoo Fall 2019 Contesting and Marketing Guide, based on its new Ratings Prospects Study 14.

The second session of the webinar series will take a deep dive into all things related to contests, promotions, and marketing, and kicks off on Wednesday, September 11, 2019. Interested radio professionals can reserve their spot for one of three sessions at: www.nuvoodoo.com/webinars. The new study was fielded in June and represents the opinions of over 3,000 respondents ages 14-54 from across all PPM markets.

NuVoodoo’s Ratings Prospects Study 14 uncovered a rising skepticism of radio contests among listeners. Compared to NuVoodoo’s January 2019 study, the skeptics crept up four points, now at 29% of the sample – and ballooned up to 41% and 45% among those within the sample who profile as likely PPM or Diary participants.

When NuVoodoo asked those who believe station contests are rigged why they feel that way, nearly half say stations are trying to trick people into listening more. The next three answers all point to a lack of transparency in contest procedures and practices.

Leigh Jacobs, Executive Vice President, Research Insights, NuVoodoo Media Services, explained: “We’ve been tracking skepticism in radio station contests for a number of years now. We were saddened to see the numbers who believe “most radio stations contests are rigged” creep up a little bit in Ratings Prospects Study 14 this June.” Jacobs noted: “You can pick the right prize, the right entry method, create killer promos and use cost-effective external media to support your game, but none of those things has an impact on listeners who don’t think they have a shot at winning. If listeners don’t believe the game is legitimate, it’s doubtful their behavior will be influenced by your contest tactics.”

Mike O’Connor, Executive Vice President, Marketing, NuVoodoo Media Services, added: “These are aggregated numbers from our samples of over 3,000 respondents per study across all PPM markets. We know that perceptions about contest legitimacy vary widely from our work conducting perceptual studies for client stations. While there are always a few skeptics out there, some stations are viewed with far more suspicion than others. You hate being one of those stations, but you love it when you’re competing with them.”

NuVoodoo further asked respondents what stations can do to prove their contests aren’t rigged. Given the wide range of digital tools available today, there are lots of possibilities. The 45-minute NuVoodoo Fall 2019 Contesting and Marketing Guide webinar will show all the responses and take questions from attendees. Areas covered in the webinar include:

• A review of contesting best practices from the NuVoodoo playbook.
• What the key advantages of FM are among different format constituencies.
• If Smart Speakers are really THAT important (including our initial experiences with Echo Auto).
• The Social Media platforms that your station needs for organic reach and paid reach.
• Who skips pre-roll video ads … and who doesn’t.
• What the best contest packaging opportunities are.

Carolyn Gilbert, President and Chief Executive Officer, NuVoodoo Media Services, noted: “Our Ratings Prospects Study 14 revealed that listener skepticism around contesting continues to grow, particularly among those most likely to participate as ratings respondents. There are ways to shore up listener relationships and build loyalty, while building excitement for station contests. We invite all radio professionals to learn more about the opportunities and insights uncovered by our new Ratings Prospects Study beginning Wednesday, September 11th, at Noon Eastern.”

The NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study is conducted twice a year to learn more about those who are most likely to say “yes” to the opportunity to wear a meter or fill out a diary in order to provide NuVoodoo clients with competitive insights and advantages that they can exploit to capture higher ratings. This is the 14th Ratings Prospects Study that NuVoodoo has completed since 2011. The company shares the top-level findings of its studies with its radio broadcasting clients to develop winning next-generation marketing and programming strategies for stations of all formats in PPM markets.

Leigh Jacobs and PJ Kling, Vice President, Product & Business Development, NuVoodoo Media Services, will reveal the latest insights into all things related to contests and marketing, divvied up by ratings likelies, demos and format constituencies (including thirteen slices of music P1’s and four types of talk P1’s) in the NuVoodoo Fall 2019 Contesting and Marketing Guide.

The opportunity is bigger than ever (and so is the competition). NuVoodoo will share the best practices from its playbook to help programming professionals maximize their stations. Secure a slot at the NuVoodoo Fall 2019 Contesting and Marketing Guide by registering today at nuvoodoo.com/webinars.

Day 2: Nielsen Releases August 2019 PPMs For 12 More Markets

Nielsen on Wednesday, Sept 4, 2019 released the first batch of August 2019 PPM data for the following markets:

    7  Washington DC

   10  Boston

   11  Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood

   12  Seattle-Tacoma

   13  Detroit

   14  Phoenix

   15  Minneapolis-St. Paul

   16  San Diego

   18  Tampa-St.Petersburg-Clearwater

   19  Denver-Boulder

   21  Baltimore

   24  St. Louis

Click Here to see topline numbers for subscribing Nielsen stations.

'Catalog' Music Is Growing Genre On Music Streams

Older music is the biggest growth area in music streaming, according to Nielsen.

The Wall Street Journal reports labels are looking to cash in on “catalog” tunes—officially, songs released more than 18 months ago—both from veteran artists and more recent acts whose earlier hits still have traction, while the streaming services are tapping nostalgia to broaden their subscriber bases to include people more interested in Led Zeppelin than in Billie Eilish.

Over the past 10 months, major services including Spotify Technologym Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube and Amazon have created “head of catalog” executive roles, charged with promoting older music in ways that engage listeners of all ages. Apple Music has had such a position for several years, as has Sirius XM Holdings’s Pandora, which has been expanding its catalog team.

Music companies say they are now able to pitch older music for some of Spotify’s popular mood and genre playlists. The “Summer Road Trip” list, for instance, recently included songs from 1970s-born bands the Cure and the Doobie Brothers alongside more recent hits from Lil Nas X and Meduza. “The Cookout” list mingles recent hits by Childish Gambino and Drake with oldies from Bill Withers and Kool & the Gang.

Streaming is more tilted toward catalog than sales have ever been, according to Nielsen Music analyst David Bakula. Retailers—both online and physical—have tended to display new material front and center, and sales of tracks and albums historically have been around half catalog and half new music.

Read More Now

Charleston SC Radio: Eric Mastel Named to Manage Cumulus Cluster

Eric Mastel

Cumulus Media has announced that it has appointed 30-year radio broadcasting executive Eric Mastel as Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus Charleston, SC.

Mastel moves to Charleston from Savannah, GA, where he was Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus Savannah for the past eight years. He succeeds Sherry Dollar in the position, who passed away in July. 

Prior to joining Cumulus in 2011, Mastel was President of Max Media for 12 years and was also Vice President/Market Manager for Entercom Communications in Virginia Beach, VA. Mastel was named one of the Best Managers in Radio by Radio Ink magazine in 2019. 

Bob Walker, Executive Vice President, CUMULUS MEDIA, said: “We are thrilled that Eric will be moving to Charleston to lead our team and our great brands. He is an accomplished leader and will compliment the strong team in Charleston nicely.” 

Mastel said: “I would like to thank Mary Berner and Bob Walker for affording me this fantastic opportunity. There is a great team in place that knows nothing but success in Charleston. We had a great 8-year run at Cumulus Savannah, achieving many milestones. While I am saddened to be leaving the team, which is more like family, I know that Gigi South is the right person to help that business continue to surpass its goals and raise their ceilings. I am looking forward to this exciting new chapter in my career.” 

Cumulus Media owns and operates five radio stations in Charleston, SC, including: 95SX/WSSX-FM (Top 40); Magic 107.3/WMGL-FM (Urban AC); 96.9 The Wolf/WIWF-FM (Classic Hits); 1250 WTMA-AM (News/Talk); and Z93 Jamz/WWWZ-FM (Mainstream Urban).

Savannah Radio: Gigi South To Manage Cumulus Cluster

Gigi South

Cumulus Media has announced that it has appointed 25-year broadcasting executive Gigi South as Vice President/Market Manager for the company’s six radio stations in Savannah, GA.

South replaces Eric Mastel, who heads to Cumulus Charleston as Vice President/Market Manager.

South joins Cumulus from the Mississippi Broadcasters, where she was General Manager. Prior to that, she was Vice President of WSCG-TV34 in Beaufort, SC, and was formerly Vice President and General Manager for Alpha Media’s radio station group in Savannah, GA.

Bob Walker, Executive Vice President, Operations, Cumulus Media, said: “We are excited to welcome Gigi back home to Savannah. She demonstrated her competitive spirit and passion for this market when she was here before so the opportunity to have her come home was a win for all of us.”

South commented: “To say that I am overjoyed to return to the Savannah-Hilton Head market with Cumulus would be an understatement. A thriving market, a results focused team, the support and tools available from Cumulus and our dominant signals are enough to get anyone excited. Many thanks to Mary Berner, Bob Walker and Eric Mastel for this awesome opportunity.”

Cumulus Media owns and operates six stations serving the Savannah market, including: KIX 96/WJCL-FM (Country); The Ticket AM900/WJLG-AM (Sports); E93/WEAS-FM (Mainstream Urban); Magic 103.9/WTYB-FM (Urban AC); I-95/WIXV-FM (Classic Rock); and News/Talk 630 WBMQ-AM (News/Talk).

Connoisseur Promotes Keith Dakin To VP/Programming

Connoisseur Media/Connecticut Regional Operations Manager Keith Dakin has been promoted to the new corporate level position of VP/Programming for the company.

Keith Dakin

Dakin has been with the Connecticut stations since 2010, and had previously programmed WFNX-99.9 FM Athol, MA.

"I am beyond honored to be given a chance to oversee the programming for Connoisseur Media. Our CEO Jeff Warshaw has assembled a collection of legendary radio stations that I can't wait to work with. These are huge brands that really connect on a local level and bring unique, interesting and compelling content to our listeners," said Dakin.

Connoisseur CEO Jeff Warshaw added, "Keith has done a terrific job with our CT stations, and has been an extremely valuable resource for Connoisseur. His ability to work with talent is particularly prized within our company."

Connoisseur recently added heritage stations WEBE-FM and WICC in Bridgeport, CT and WFRE/WFMD in Frederick, MD to a group that includes WPLR/New Haven, WALK-FM/Nassau-Suffolk and Star 99.9/Bridgeport.

TV Ratings: 'AGT', Football Score

The opening of college football’s season was welcome news for ABC in an otherwise quiet week for television, according to The Associated Press citing Nielsen data.

The network won the weekly ratings competition on the strength of games that took over the network’s schedule on Saturday night (Oregon vs. Auburn) and Sunday (Oklahoma vs. Houston), the Nielsen company said.

As it approaches its end for the season, NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” otherwise dominated the prime-time landscape, with the week’s two most popular programs.

ABC averaged 3.7 million viewers in prime time for the week. NBC was second with 3.43 million viewers, CBS had 3.35 million, Fox had 1.5 million, ION Television had 1.3 million, Univision had 1.03 million, Telemundo had 1.01 million and the CW had 580,000.

⏩ Broadcast Network Primetime For week of Aug. 26-Sept. 1:

1. “America’s Got Talent” (Tuesday), NBC, 8.99 million
2. “America’s Got Talent” (Wednesday), NBC, 8 million 
3. College Football: Oregon vs. Auburn, ABC, 6.86 million 
4. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 6.24 million
5. College Football: Oklahoma vs. Houston, ABC, 5.44 million
6. “NCIS,” CBS, 5.11 million
7. “American Ninja Warrior,” NBC, 4.87 million
8. “Bachelor in Paradise” (Monday), ABC, 4.59 million
9. “FBI,” CBS, 4.47 million
10.  “Big Brother” (Wednesday), CBS, 4.29 million

ABC’s “World News Tonight” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 8.2 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” was second with 7.3 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 5.1 million.

Fox News Channel was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 2.29 million viewers in prime time. MSNBC had 1.53 million, ESPN had 1.39 million, HGTV had 1.21 million and USA had 1.12 million.

As is traditionally the case during extreme weather events, The Weather Channel had a strong week on the ratings front, particular in the latter stages of the week, reports TVNewser.

For the week of Aug. 26, The Weather Channel averaged 675,000 total viewers during prime time (No. 16 across basic cable), and 569,000  total viewers across the 24-hour total day (No. 8 overall).

Basic cable ranker: Week of... by TVNewser on Scribd

Westwood One Launches Pat McAfee Podcast

Cumulus Media’s Westwood One has partnered with former NFL punter, standup comedian, and social media star Pat McAfee to bring his popular podcast, The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 to Westwood One Podcast Network starting September 9, 2019. 

McAfee will expand his distribution from two podcasts a week to three, all featuring the former Indianapolis Colts punter delivering unique observations and provocative and entertaining interviews with friends, former and current players, coaches, and other personalities. The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 podcast generates more than 225,000 downloads per episode.

Pat McAfee

But wait, there’s more!

McAfee will also make an entrance in the broadcast space with the launch of an exciting new weekday morning sports talk show that also launches September 9th and will feature McAfee’s intelligent, witty, and personal take on sports news and newsmakers. The Pat McAfee Show will air live Monday through Friday from 10 am – 12 noon ET and will feature a video simulcast on DAZN, the leading global sports streaming platform.

McAfee, who played in two Pro Bowls during his eight-year NFL career, brings a fresh take on sports and entertainment to listeners and fans. He is known for having zero filter and is both relatable and refreshing. His player’s insight, electric storytelling, and robust sense of humor have helped him build a huge and loyal fan base with more than two million social media followers. During his playing days in the NFL, McAfee was a frequent guest and fan favorite on the Westwood One-syndicated Bob & Tom Show. Earlier this year, McAfee launched his own stand-up comedy tour, playing to sold out crowds at every venue.

“Pat McAfee is exactly what sports media needs right now,” says Suzanne Grimes, EVP Marketing, Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One. “He’s played at the highest level with power and passion. He exudes energy. He can relate to the greatest athletes, but he also truly connects to the everyday fan. He puts you right by his side so you can vicariously enjoy what he experiences.”

McAfee was recently signed by ESPN to be its Thursday night prime time college football analyst. He earned a scholarship to kick at West Virginia University after winning a national kicking competition. He was drafted by the Colts in 2009.

For information on The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 podcast, contact Suzy Schultz at sschultz@westwoodone.com or (212) 419-2905.  For information on how you can bring The Pat McAfee Show to your station, contact Rich Burg at rburg@westwoodone.com or (212) 824-2994.

Detroit Radio: Sports WXYT Brews Special Edition Of Beer

Entercom announced Wednesday its station WXYT 97.1 FM The Ticket will launch its own special edition beer in partnership with Ellison Brewing and Spirits.

“97.1 The Ticket American Lager” and “97.1 The Ticket DDH Hazy Pale Ale” beer is brewed and packaged by Ellison Brewing and Spirits and will be available on tap and in limited edition cans throughout Michigan, beginning September 9. 

“97.1 The Ticket is thrilled to launch its very own lager and pale ale,” said Debbie Kenyon, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Detroit. “It’s been a fun venture working with Ellison, a veteran owned and operated business from East Lansing. Like 97.1 The Ticket, Ellison is committed to excellence both in its quality and community relationships. We think our listeners, over 21 years of age, will enjoy these new creations.”

“We are really excited to have the opportunity and privilege to work with 97.1 The Ticket to bring these world-class beers to Michigan beer drinkers,” said Aaron Hanson, Founder and Owner, Ellison Brewing and Spirits. “Our hope is that everyone enjoys the beers as much as we enjoy making them.”

SiriusXM Radio Extends Fox News Broadcasts

SiriusXM Radio and FOX News Media have announced a new long-term agreement to continue to carry FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN) and FOX News Headlines 24/7.

As part of the new agreement, FOX News On-Demand Audio will now be distributed via SiriusXM’s On-Demand platform and on Pandora as podcasts, making FNC’s top rated weekday primetime programs (5PM-12AM/ET) available to their more than 100 million subscribers and listeners.

In making the announcement, Jay Wallace, President and Executive Editor of FOX News and FOX Business Network said, “SiriusXM has been a valuable partner to FOX News Media and we are excited to extend our relationship beyond streaming, providing on-demand access of our powerful primetime lineup to millions of listeners across the country.”

The new agreement ensures all FOX News Media properties will continue to appear on SiriusXM designated channels, with FNC airing on Channel 114, FBN on Channel 113 and FOX News Headlines 24/7 on Channel 115. In addition, the audio of FNC’s top rated primetime lineup featuring The Five, Special Report with Bret Baier, The Story with Martha MacCallum, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Hannity, The Ingraham Angle and FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream, will be made available on-demand to SiriusXM subscribers and as podcasts to Pandora’s listeners starting in September.

SiriusXM subscribers will continue to have access to FNC programming through the SiriusXM App on smart phones and other connected devices. Additionally, FOX News will continue to produce FOX News Headlines 24/7 channel exclusively for SiriusXM, available on satellite and streaming platforms.

YouTube Fined Over Children's Privacy

Google will pay $170 million to settle charges that YouTube made millions of dollars over the years from violating children's privacy laws, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and New York's attorney general announced on Wednesday.

The Hill reports the fine is by far the largest ever imposed on a website for violations of the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires companies to obtain parental consent before collecting data on children under the age of 13. But the settlement also exposed a sharp partisan divide among regulators over how far to go in policing Silicon Valley.

The FTC alleged that YouTube, which is owned by Google, violated COPPA by collecting the personal information of users who watched videos that were clearly directed toward children and then used that data to serve up targeted advertising.

Who gets what: Google and YouTube will pay $136 million to the FTC and the remaining $34 million will go to the New York attorney general's office.

Lester Holt 'Jailed' for Report On Criminal Justice

Lester Holt reports on criminal justice

Lester Holt, anchor of NBC's Nightly News, recently spent three days locked up and embedded in Louisiana State Penitentiary for an NBC News report on criminal justice reform.  The prison is called Angola and Holt stayed in a cell block reserved for high-risk offenders and spoke with guards and prisoners about what life is like inside the prison.

For two nights, he slept in a cell in Angola’s death row, alongside prisoners who were locked inside except for an hour a day of recreation in the prison yard. The man in the cell next to him hadn’t been outside in four years, reports The Associated Press.


“The only time I did feel perfectly safe was inside my cell with the door locked,” Holt said.