FOX News Channel (FNC) has named Shannon Bream to helm FOX News Sunday beginning September 11th, announced Suzanne Scott, CEO of FOX News Media.
Bream is the first woman to anchor the program in its 26-year history. In addition to this new role, she will also continue as the network’s chief legal correspondent. A rotation of journalists will guest anchor FOX News @ Night until a permanent replacement is named.
In making the announcement, Scott said, “Shannon is an outstanding journalist, reporter and anchor who has cultivated a strong and enduring relationship with the FOX News Media audience.”
Bream added, “It has been an honor to cover major news throughout Washington over the last 15 years at FOX News. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to host a Sunday show and look forward to this new role.”
In this new capacity, Bream will preside over FOX News Media’s signature Sunday morning political talk show which airs on FOX Broadcast, with encore presentations running on FNC.
Notably, each time Bream has guest-hosted FOX News Sunday over the last several months she has overdelivered the 2021 average of the show by 20%. In January, she netted double digit increases across the board on FNS, up 32% in total viewers (1.35 million) and 45% over the previous in the advertiser friendly 25-54 demo (343,000), marking the highest-rated FOX News Sunday episode of 2022. In June, she ushered in week-to-week gains of 37% in the 25-54 demo, a 53% increase in the 18-49 demo along with 8% growth in total viewers. Bream also notched a 10% increase in the 25-54 demo compared to the same show last year, and the FNC airings outpaced every single CNN and MSNBC Sunday program in total viewers.
Since 2017 Bream has served as the anchor of FOX News @ Night (12-1 AM/ET), FNC’s nightly newscast which airs in primetime in the Mountain and Western time zones. The program regularly outpaces its cable news competition across the board, averaging more than 1.1 million viewers and 218,000 in the demo this past quarter. She has also conducted news-making interviews throughout her tenure, including an exclusive sit-down with Justice Neil Gorsuch after he was confirmed, and wide-ranging interviews with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. In February and March of this year, Bream led the network’s late-night coverage of the war in Ukraine, providing viewers with real-time reports as Russian forces invaded the country in an expanded breaking newscast.
In addition to her role as anchor, Bream has served as FNC’s chief legal correspondent where she has covered every landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court since joining the network in 2007.
Before joining FNC, Bream worked as a weekend anchor for WRC-TV (NBC) in Washington, D.C. Previously, she anchored the evening and late-night news for WBTV (CBS) in Charlotte, NC and held writing and reporting positions at WFTS-TV (ABC) in Tampa, FL. Prior to her work as a journalist, Bream practiced corporate law specializing in race discrimination and sexual harassment cases. She is an honors graduate of the Florida State University College of Law and obtained her B.S. in Business Management magna cum laude from Liberty University.
Faced with slowing subscriber growth in their core domestic markets, some streaming services are shifting their focus from adding users to increasing their bottom line. The result is that streamers such as Walt Disney Co., Netflix Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. are each doing some combination of reducing costs, raising prices and creating new ad-supported tiers that offer content at lower prices to consumers but also establish a new revenue stream for the companies, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The price increases come as growth has stalled domestically, usually the most-profitable market for streamers. Just 100,000 of the 14.4 million net new subscriptions to its flagship Disney+ service in the most recent quarter came from the U.S. and Canada. Of the rest, about eight million came from India, while about six million came from other countries, including 52 new markets where Disney+ has launched since May.
“Domestically, Disney+ is tapped out,” said analyst Rich Greenfield of LightShed Partners. “Disney is operating under the belief that, just as in their theme parks, they can raise prices dramatically and count on customers not dropping the service.”
Disney said that in early December it will raise the price of its ad-free, stand-alone Disney+ service in the U.S., to $10.99 a month from $7.99, and the company will begin offering an ad-supported tier for Disney+, starting at $7.99. The company also announced increases to one of its bundle packages.
In addition, the company scaled back its projections for total global subscribers to Disney+, largely in response to lower anticipated growth in India, where Disney recently was outbid for the right to stream matches from a popular cricket league.
Investors and analysts expect higher subscription costs and the introduction of ads to Disney+ to result in higher profits from the streaming segment, but add that price increases risk alienating some customers and increasing the platform’s churn rate, or the percentage of users who cancel the service each month. The U.S. churn rate for Disney+ is already on the rise, increasing to 4% in the second quarter from 3.1% a year earlier, according to the media analytics firm Antenna.
Other companies that focus on streaming video are making similar moves. Warner Bros. Discovery, the newly formed media giant that owns the premium television service HBO and the streaming services HBO Max and Discovery+, reported last week that it had added 1.7 million new subscriptions. As with Disney, about all of Warner Bros. Discovery’s subscription growth came from overseas—its direct-to-consumer segment lost 300,000 domestic subscribers in the quarter.
The Bears will leave WBBM 780 AM / 105.9 FM after this season, according to The Sun-Times citing industry sources. The team’s games are expected to move to either WMVP ESPN 1000 or WCHI 95.5 FM.
The decision came down to cost. Audacy-owned WBBM has been losing money with the Bears, who have aired on the station since 2000.
“We are focused on having a great 2022 season with WBBM and Audacy,” said Scott Hagel, Bears senior vice president of marketing and communications.
Play-by-play voice Jeff Joniak, who’s entering his 22nd season in the booth, and analyst Tom Thayer, who’s beginning his 26th, are expected to keep their roles. Joniak also is the sports director at WBBM.
Good Karma Brands’ ESPN 1000 got back into local sports rights with the White Sox starting in 2021. WCHI, owned by iHeartMedia, had been country music station WEBG until changing its format to rock music in September 2020.
Marquee Sports Network this Saturday is airing The MVP Game, a game show hosted by media couple Kenzie & Roman in partnership with executive producer Steve Mandell. Airing Saturday at 4 PM CT, The MVP Game features three Cubs superfans and their partners competing as teams to win exclusive Cubs prizes, including tickets to Wrigley Field’s 1914 Club.
Standing for “Most Valuable Partner,” The MVP Game tests each couple’s knowledge of their partner’s Cubs fandom as well as general Cubs trivia across three rounds of game show action.
Popular media couple Kenzie & Roman co-created the game and serve as hosts for the show, bringing together their passion for the Cubs and the entertainment industry.
“The Cubs have played a major role in our relationship,” said Kenzie. “One of our favorite things to do together is spend a day at Wrigley Field. Sports truly can bring people together and we wanted to highlight that in The MVP Game.”
“As a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan, this is a DREAM opportunity to host this game show,” said Roman, who has been a Cubs season ticket holder since 2004. “There is no fanbase in sports like the Chicago Cubs and Kenzie and I are beyond excited to highlight some of the most passionate fans.”
“We’re always looking to showcase the many aspects of Cubs fandom, and we’re looking forward to airing this show featuring some of the biggest Cubs superfans,” said Marquee Sports Network General Manager, Mike McCarthy.
“Kenzie & Roman are dynamic together. The show is fun for couples to connect and compete for coveted sports tickets, and have a great time in the process,” said Mandell.
The MVP Game was shot at Old Crow Smokehouse in Wrigleyville and directed by David Hunter of GreenRoom Productions Inc., DJ Flipside serves as the show’s music director and in-house DJ, and the show also features original music by Jump Smokers.
The MVP Game premieres on Marquee Sports Network on Saturday, August 13 at 4 PM CT.
Kenzie K is an on-air radio personality for Audacy in Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami and Sacramento. Justin Roman is a 15 year Chicago radio veteran (B96, US99) and former Chicago Bulls and NBA All-Star Entertainment Host.
A study has found an imbalance between partisan TV news channels and the broader TV news environment.
The Nieman Lab reports observations revealed that Americans are turning away from national TV news generally in substantial numbers — and crucially, this exodus is more from centrist news buckets than from left- or right-leaning ones. Within the remaining TV news audience, we found movement from broadcast news to cable news, trending toward MSNBC and Fox News.
The study measured just how politically siloed American news consumers really are across TV and the web. Averaging over the four years of our observations, we found that roughly 17% of Americans are politically polarized — 8.7% to the left and 8.4% to the right — based on their TV news consumption. That’s three to four times higher than the average percentage of Americans polarized by online news.
Trends reveal a counterintuitive finding: Although the overall TV news audience is shrinking, the partisan TV news audience is growing. This means that the audience as a whole is in the process of being “distilled” — remaining TV viewers are growing increasingly partisan, and the partisan proportion of TV news consumers is on the rise.
Melissa Goodwin was sentenced to four years in prison for embezzling more than $3.7 million from the T.J. Martel Foundation for Cancer Research, U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin announced Thursday.
The Tennessean reports Goodwin worked as the executive vice president and general manager of the foundation. She was charged with wire fraud earlier this year and pleaded guilty to devising and operating a scheme to defraud the foundation.
District Judge William Campbell Jr. also ordered Goodwin to pay more than $3.9 million in restitution.
Melissa Goodwin
The 56-year-old used the foundation's money to purchase expensive and rare alcohols, plane tickets and hotel stays as part of a multimillion-dollar ticketing scheme, according to the Department of Justice.
The alleged fraud was initially discovered in 2020, when TJ Martell’s then-CEO Laura Heatherly asked the organization’s accountants to copy her on all correspondence with Goodwin, after the long-term employee had become delinquent in filing financial statements and expense reports. Lynn-Anne Huck, who has been acting as TJ Martell’s interim CEO since late 2020, oversaw the review that unearthed the extent Goodwin’s activities.
Goodwin allegedly turned some items over to the founder/owner an auction company, listed in the filing as Individual One, to resell for profit for themselves, misappropriating more than $4.2 million of foundation funds. TJ Martell, which makes a portion of its money from auctioning items, had previously legitimately used Individual One’s business to provide items to auction. Individual One has since been named as Darran Brown, the founder/owner of auction companies Executive Sports Group (ESG) and Go Charity.
A new three-art Radio Experience at the NAB Show New York will feature a special Radio Insights Executive Seminar presented by Bloomberg. Exclusively for NAB members, the limited capacity executive program will take place in New York on October 19 at the Javits Center in the morning and continue in the afternoon at Bloomberg’s headquarters.
The program offers in-depth insights into the trends and strategies shaping success at America’s top radio companies as well as opportunities to network with C-suite executives. It also includes a luncheon and tour of Bloomberg’s state-of-the-art building with shuttle access to/from the Javits Center, where NAB Show New York will take place October 17-20, 2022 (exhibits October 19-20).
A special executive session, titled “One-on-One With Radio Trailblazers” features Urban One, Inc. Founder and Chairperson Cathy Hughes and Beasley Media Group President and CEO Caroline Beasley in a candid conversation about their roles in shaping today’s radio landscape and why they believe radio is poised to flourish in the years to come. Additional speakers and sessions will be announced soon.
“We thank Bloomberg and look forward to offering NAB members this exclusive opportunity with access to executive-level content designed to fuel success in the radio business,” said April Carty-Sipp, executive vice president of Industry Affairs at NAB.
Additionally, NAB Show New York’s Ultimate Radio Experience offers various packages through which radio professionals can maximize their conference experience, including a new Radio Reimagined - Charting Radio’s Future program taking place October 20 at the Javits Center. The winners of the NAB Marconi Radio Awards will also be announced during a special dinner event on October 19. Registration package information is available here.
➦In 1877...Thomas A Edison gave the first public demonstration of his invention: the phonograph.
The phonograph, also called gramophone, is a device introduced in 1877 for the recording and reproduction of sound recordings. The sound vibration waveforms are preserved in the form of a groove engraved into the surface of a rotating cylinder or disc. As the recorded surface rotates, a playback stylus traces the waveforms and vibrates to reproduce the recorded sound waves.
While other inventors had produced devices that could record sounds, Edison's phonograph was the first to be able to reproduce the recorded sound. His phonograph originally recorded sound onto a tinfoil sheet phonograph cylinder, and could both record and reproduce sounds. Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratory made several improvements in the 1880s, including the use of wax-coated cardboard cylinders, and a cutting stylus that moved from side to side in a "zig zag" pattern across the record.
In the 1890s, Emile Berliner initiated the transition from phonograph cylinders to flat discs with a spiral groove running from the periphery to near the center. Other improvements were made throughout the years, including modifications to the turntable and its drive system, the stylus or needle, and the sound and equalization systems.
The disc phonograph record was the dominant audio recording format throughout most of the 20th century. From the mid-1980s, phonograph use declined sharply because of the rise of the compact disc and other digital recording formats. While no longer mass-market items, modest numbers of phonographs and phonograph records continue to be produced in the second decade of the 21st century.
➦In 1925...KMA-AM in Shenandoah IA begins radio transmissions
The station was founded by seed salesman Earl May. May and Henry A. Field of Shenandoah were rivals in the seed business. In 1925 Field of Field's Nursery founded radio station KFNF while May founded KMA. While both stations offered farm news; the two were to become most competitive by offering live productions of hillbilly music. According to KMA's website more than a million people traveled to small town Shenandoah to hear the music.
May built the station headquarters and Mayfair Auditorium (demolished in 1964 due to its being declared structurally unsafe by the Iowa State Fire Marshal) across the street from the nursery business. Between music sets, May would pitch his seeds and tell nostalgic stories. In 1926 May won the third annual Radio Digest Gold Cup Award, after being voted the "World's Most Popular Radio Announcer" by over 452,000 people throughout the United States.
The KMA shows which were broadcast in the afternoons were called the "KMA Country School" and according to the format emanated from the fictional KMA District No. 9 school with the shows beginning with the ringing of a school bell.
The most famous celebrities in KMA's history were the Everly Brothers, Don and Phil. In their early teen years, the brothers and their parents would appear on KMA to sing as "The Everly Family", but by 1952, they were discovered by a talent agent, and made their way to fame in Hollywood with such hit songs as "Wake Up, Little Susie".
With the high visibility KMA operated on a slogan of "Keep Millions Advised", which was adopted in early 1926, after sorting through a reported 4,000 suggestions. KFNF was to operate on "Keep Friendly, Never Frown."
The county school shows were discontinued in the 1950s and the station continued to offer its farm show and farm housewife shows until the late 1990s; the current format revolves around ABC Radio news at the top of each hour, with some agricultural news, regional high school sports and their "Elephant Shop" where listeners can buy, sell, trade or give away personal property on the air.
➤READ MORE: About KMA from radio veteran Marlin R Taylor: Click Here
The 920 AM frequency formerly occupied by KFNF is now KYFR, a Christian radio station owned by Family Radio.
➦In 1937…Comedian Red Skelton made his radio debut on NBC Radio Network's "Rudy Vallee Show."
➦In 1977...Cousin Brucie Morrow did last show at WNBC 660 AM NYC (now WFAN).
➦In 2001..XM Satellite Radio began broadcasting program content.
➦In 2003...longtime Richmond, Virginia radio personality, Eric E. Stanley, died after a 3-year battle with cancer. He was 53. He was known for his program, "The Bebop, Boogie, and Blues Revue" heard first on WRXL, then WVGO and later on WJMO.
➦In 2004...Charles Wesley Leonard died from lung cancer at age 67 (Born - March 30, 1937). He was a radio personality at WABC 770 AM in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s. 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.
Chuck Leonard
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.
Leonard began at ABC's flagship New York radio station, Musicradio 77 WABC, under program director Rick Sklar in 1965. He broke the color barrier for all who followed — the first African-American to cross over from black R&B radio to (then-mostly white) mass-appeal radio.
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 2005...Newsradio KNX 1070 Newsradio in Los Angeles, left its studios at the CBS Columbia Square broadcast center and moved to 5670 Wilshire Blvd to join other locally owned Infinity radio stations.
KNX-AM had been housed at the CBS Columbia Square building for 67 years, in the heart of Hollywood.
Merv Griffin 1945
➦In 2007...Media Mogul (including several radio stations in the 60s/70s) Merv Griffin, creator of the TV game shows “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy,” and the host of his own popular long-running syndicated TV show, died of prostate cancer at age 82.
➦In 2009...Rock WBCN 104.1 FM in Boston closed its doors after 41 years on the air. Today, 104.1 is occupied by Audacy's Hot AC WWBX.
➦In 2011...WEMP 101.9 FM ended an Adult Contemporary stunt and went full-time all-news as "FM News 101.9," following in the footsteps of its Chicago sister station WWWN (the former and current WKQX), which flipped to all-news on July 29.
As conceived by Merlin's then-COO, Walter Sabo, "FM News" was what Sabo considered a "redefining" of the all-news format; the on-air presentation was generally looser and conversational in tone, while an emphasis was placed on lifestyle, health, and entertainment features.The initial news staff at WEMP included those with experience in New York radio, including WINS alums Catherine Smith, Alice Stockton-Rossini, and Brett Larson, as well as former WCBS anchor Therese Crowley and WRXP holdover Paul Cavalconte.
Over time, the "FM News" approach on WEMP would be adjusted. The reliance on lifestyle and entertainment features was decreased; the station turned towards a tighter on-air presentation and hard news format. Several new features were added, including "10 minutes of non-stop news" at :00, :20 and :40 past the hour (similar to the fact that WINS delivers news headlines at these intervals), the "top 5 trending stories" leading off every hour, and hourly sports and business updates.
Coinciding with the on-air changes was a major promotional push, including TV ads and promotions that tweaked WINS' longtime "22 minutes" slogan, with WEMP proclaiming "Give us 10 minutes, we'll give you the world." (After WINS owner CBS Radio sent a cease-and-desist letter to Merlin Media, WEMP dropped the slogan, and replaced it by "non-stop news".)
In the time FM News was in operation, it was plagued by a variety of technical issues after management in Chicago decided to automate the news, much like some music stations automate music formats. The controversial approach led to a number of on-air gaffes, including wrong time checks and news stories misplaced. The only live elements on the air were traffic reports.
WEMP and its all-news format struggled to make gains in Arbitron ratings. Today the station is WFAN 101.9 FM airing sports talk.
Kenny Gamble is 79
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
Actor-TV personality Arlene Dahl (“What’s My Line?”) is 97.
Songwriter Kenny Gamble of Gamble and Huff is 79.
Bassist Jim Kale of the Guess Who is 79.
Country singer John Conlee is 76.
Wrestler-actor Hulk Hogan is 69.
Singer Joe Jackson is 68.
Actor Viola Davis (“How To Get Away With Murder,” ″The Help”) is 57.
Alyson Stoner is 29
Actor-podcaster Joe Rogan (“Fear Factor,” ″NewsRadio”) is 55.
Actor Anna Gunn (“Breaking Bad”) is 54.
Actor Ashley Jensen (“Ugly Betty”) is 54.
Actor Sophie Okonedo (“Hotel Rwanda”) is 54.
Guitarist Charlie Sexton is 54.
Hip-hop artist Ali Shaheed Muhammad is 52.
Actor Nigel Harman (“Downton Abbey”) is 49.
Actor Will Friedle (“Boy Meets World”) is 46.
Singer Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie is 46.
Actor Rob Kerkovich (“NCIS: New Orleans”) is 43.
Actor Merritt Wever (“Nurse Jackie”) is 42.
Actor Chris Hemsworth (“Tron,” ″The Avengers”) is 39.
Guitarist Heath Fogg of Alabama Shakes is 38.
Singer J-Boog (B2K) is 37. Rapper Asher Roth is 37.
Actor Alyson Stoner (“Cheaper by the Dozen,” ″Camp Rock”) is 29.
✞DEATH ANNIVERSARIES
Actress Lauren Bacall died on this day in 2014. She was 89.
Author Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, died on this day in 1964. He was 56.
Actor Henry Fonda died on this day in 1982. He was 77.
TV talk show host Merv Griffin died on this day in 2007. He was 82.
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., the oldest son of Joseph and Rose Kennedy and brother to future president John F. Kennedy and future senators Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy, was killed on this day in 1944 when his Navy plane blew up over England during World War Two. He was 29.
The Radio Television Digital News Association today announced the national winners of the 2022 Edward R. Murrow Awards. These awards recognize more than 100 outlets for outstanding work in digital, radio and television journalism in technical and editorial categories.
“The Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious in journalism,” said RTDNA President and CEO Dan Shelley. “More than 750 Regional Murrow winners advanced to the national competition, and over the past few months, an expert panel of journalists has meticulously reviewed and deliberated over every entry. That’s why I’m confident in saying today’s winners represent the absolute best of the best. So let me be the first to say congratulations to our newest National Edward R. Murrow Award winners.”
There were more than 5,200 entries this year. In May, RTDNA recognized winners of the Regional Murrow Awards, which automatically advanced to the national competition.
This year’s winners covered a challenging year of events: the January 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol to the end of the war in Afghanistan, the continuing devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate-fueled natural disasters and so much more.
“Thank you to every journalist who played a role in the pieces that were submitted,” said RTDNA Chair Allison McGinley. “Not everyone can be a Murrow Award winner, but all of you make a difference in your communities. Thank you for the work you do.”
Eight organizations received national awards for Overall Excellence in their categories.
Those winners are:
Small Digital News Organization: Grist
Large Digital News Organization: The Texas Tribune
Small Market Radio: WVTF/Radio IQ, Roanoke, VA
Large Market Radio: Texas Public Radio, San Antonio, TX
In addition to the National Winners, eight student organizations from seven universities were winners of National Student Murrow awards this year. View those winners here.
Among the most prestigious awards in news, the Murrow Awards recognize local and national news stories that uphold the RTDNA Code of Ethics, demonstrate technical expertise and exemplify the importance and impact of journalism as a service to the community. Murrow Award-winning work demonstrates the excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession.
RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with these awards since 1971.
Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed Matt Longhenry (known on-air as Matt Malone) as the new Music Director and Afternoon Drive host for Indianapolis Country WFMS 95.5 FM.
Matt will debut in Afternoons on WFMS on Monday, August 22nd, and will be heard Monday through Friday from 3:00pm-7:00pm.
Matt Malone
Longhenry, who worked part-time for Cumulus Grand Rapids from 2019-2020, was most recently Content/Program Director and Morning Show host for Mid-West Family Southwest Michigan at Country station WYTZ-FM in St. Joseph, MI. Previous stops in Longhenry’s radio career include stations in Eau Claire and Madison, WI.
Christopher “Boomer” Layfield, Operations Manager, Cumulus Indianapolis, and WFMS Program Director, said: “Matt’s a self-described ‘country boy’ who loves living the lifestyle – a perfect fit for WFMS! Throughout the talent search and interview process, Matt stood out from the pack for his ability AND his authenticity. Not only does he possess the skills to take command of the Music Director role and the passion to make great radio on-air, online, onsite and on social media, but he’s also a genuinely good human that wants utilize his platform to entertain, engage, inform and assist. He will be a welcomed addition to WFMS and Cumulus Indy.”
Longhenry said: “The opportunity to join a heritage station like WFMS with such a huge impact in the community and within the industry itself is a dream come true. Thanks to Boomer, Chuck Fredrick and everyone involved at Cumulus for believing in me and providing this incredible and exciting next step in this career that I love. I'm proud to be able to wear the legendary WFMS call letters and can’t wait to join the family and get to work!”
Audacy has promoted DJ Squintz, (RJ Buendia,) to assistant brand manager of 102 Jams KRBQ-FM in San Francisco and 102.5 KSFM in Sacramento.
DJ Squintz
In this role, DJ Squintz will support both stations’ programming leadership with the air talent, music, operations and promotions, and will report to brand leadership in both markets. He will continue to host nights on 102.5 KSFM, weeknights from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. PT.
“If you know Squintz, you know this is well earned,” said Stacey Kauffman, Regional Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy San Francisco and Sacramento. “Squintz has been a key member of the KSFM team, both on air and more recently as Music Director. He is a leader by example and always amongst the first to offer help, support and solutions, whether or not something is directly related to him or his brand. We are excited for his elevated leadership with both brands.”
Cumulus Media announces that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Learfield and Air Force Sports Properties to broadcast Air Force Academy athletic events on Cumulus Colorado Springs’ radio stations KVOR 740 AM and KCSF XTRA Sports 1300 AM. The new agreement renews a successful partnership with the Air Force Academy that has been in place for 40 years and increases the number of women’s basketball games that will air on XTRA Sports 1300 AM each year.
Air Force football and men’s basketball games will continue to be heard on KVOR-AM, while hockey games and women’s basketball games will be heard on XTRA Sports 1300. The stations will also broadcast coaches’ shows for football, men’s basketball, and hockey. KVOR’s Jim Arthur will continue to be the play-by-play voice for football and men’s basketball, and XTRA Sports 1300’s Ryan Kaufman will call the broadcasts of the women’s basketball games.
Scott Jones, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Colorado Springs, said: “It’s an honor, once again, to extend our partnership with Air Force Athletics and Learfield. These broadcasts of Falcons’ sports are extremely important to us at Cumulus, to our listeners and to the entire community. We’re committed to putting a first-class broadcast on the air to match the product the Falcons put on the field, court and ice.”
Ryan Kaufman, On-Air Host, XTRA Sports 1300, said: "I have been so impressed with the improvement of the program over Coach Chris Gobrecht's time at Air Force. She has done a remarkable job building the Falcons into a team that can beat anyone in the Mountain West on any given night. I am ecstatic we can expand our coverage because the people of Colorado Springs need to hear what this team has been doing. On top of that, to be able to have a courtside seat for the next chapter in this program's history is one of the great honors of my broadcasting career. I cannot wait for this season."
Nathan Pine, Air Force Director of Athletics, said: “We are proud to announce the extension of our long-standing partnership with Cumulus for Air Force Athletics radio broadcasts. Cumulus is a leader in the industry, and they have played an important role in helping to extend the Air Force brand and bring Falcon athletic events to homes in our community. With this extension we will continue to broadcast Air Force football, men’s basketball, and ice hockey, while also now adding women’s basketball to our offerings.”
Mitch Mann, General Manager, Air Force Sports Properties, said: “We look forward to not only continuing our partnership with Cumulus Media but expanding upon it. This partnership will continue to provide our community with quality coverage of our cadet-athletes and their accomplishments on the field, rink and court in the coming years.”
Former President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination as he testified in a deposition yesterday in a civil investigation into his business dealings by New York Attorney General Letitia James, he said in a statement. Trump stated, "I once asked, 'If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?' Now I know the answer to that question. When your family, your company, and all the people in your orbit have become the targets of an unfounded politically motivated Witch Hunt supported by lawyers, prosecutors and the Fake News Media, you have no choice." James has said in court filings that her office has found "significant" evidence that Trump's company misled lenders and tax authorities about the value of assets including his golf courses, high-rise buildings, and even his penthouse at Trump Tower in New York. Trump has denied the allegations. James could potentially bring a lawsuit seeking financial penalties against Trump or his company, or a ban on them being involved in certain types of businesses.
TRUMP INVOKES THE FIFTH: Former Pres. Trump cited his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination while under oath as part of the New York Attorney General’s civil investigation into his family business dealings. @jonkarl reports. https://t.co/6Mvy34Mtf0pic.twitter.com/UF7tqDLlNr
➤INFLATION COOLS, BUT STILL AT HIGH LEVELS: Inflation cooled more than expected in July, with prices up 8.5 percent compared to a year earlier, down from 9.1 percent year-over-year in June, although still at a high level, according to a government report out yesterday. Prices were also unchanged from June to July, the first time that's happened after 25 months of monthly increases. Driving much of the decline in inflation were falling prices for gas, which has dropped from $5.00 a gallon on average in mid-June to $4.20 by the end of last month and to $4.01 yesterday, according to AAA, as well as dropping prices for travel-related costs like airfare, hotel rooms, and rental cars. The news led Wall Street to rally to three-month highs, with investors speculating the Federal Reserve may not have to remain as aggressive in raising interest rates to try to combat inflation, which raises the risk of causing a recession.
➤BIDEN SIGNS BURN PITS LEGISLATION: President Biden on Wednesday signed legislation that expands federal health care services for veterans suffering from chronic illnesses that they blame on exposure to toxic smoke from burn pits at military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. The burn pits were used to dispose of all kinds of waste, including chemicals, tires, plastics, medical equipment and human waste. The legislation was passed after years of struggle, and Biden said during the emotional White House ceremony attended by affected military families, "I was going to get this done, come hell or high water." Biden, whose son Beau Biden died of brain cancer years after being deployed to Iraq, has suggested a link to burn pits, and made the most direct connection he has publicly yesterday. While addressing Brielle Robinson, the young daughter of Sergeant 1st Class Heath Robinson, who died of cancer and after whom the legislation is named, Biden pointed out that she was sitting next to his grandson, Beau's son, and said, "His daddy lost to the same burn pits. He knows what you’re going through."
White House blasted for claiming ‘zero’ inflation after latest CPI report: ‘Lying to everyone’ https://t.co/E5Fm5YNcaZ
➤JUSTICE DEPT. CHARGES IRANIAN OPERATIVE IN MURDER PLOT AGAINST EX-NSA BOLTON: The Justice Department said yesterday that it had charged an Iranian operative in a plot to murder John Bolton, who was U.S. national security adviser during former President Donald Trump's administration, in presumed retaliation for a January 2020 U.S. airstrike that killed Iran's most powerful general, saying $300,000 was offered to kill Bolton. Shahram Poursafi was identified as a member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and is now wanted by the FBI. Prosecutors say the plot developed in the fall of 2021, more than a year after Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force, was killed in a targeted airstrike. Bolton, who was no longer NSA at that point, tweeted after the strike, "Hope this is the first step to regime change in Tehran." Poursafi’s current location is unknown.
FBI Director Wray calls violent rhetoric and threats that have circulated online against federal agents and the Justice Dept. in the wake of his agency's search of Mar-a-Lago "deplorable and dangerous." https://t.co/BAoZHNQrTF
➤SUSPECT IN NEW MEXICO MUSLM KILLINGS DENIES INVOLVEMENT: A 51-year-old Afghan immigrant who was arrested Monday for the killings of two Muslim men in Albuquerque and is suspected in the murders of two others in the New Mexico city yesterday denied involvement. Muhammad Syed, who is himself Muslim and has been in the U.S. for five years, instead told police he was so concerned by the killings that he was driving to Houston when he was stopped by police to find a new home for his family, according to court documents. But the criminal complaint says bullet casings found in Syed’s vehicle matched the caliber of the weapons believed to have been used in two of the killings and that casings found at the crime scenes were linked to guns found at Syed’s home and in his vehicle. Authorities said Syed knew the victims and, quote, "an interpersonal conflict may have led to the shootings."
➤THREE KILLED IN INDIANA HOUSE EXPLOSION: Three people were killed Wednesday when a house exploded in Evansville, Indiana, around 1 p.m. At least one other injury was reported. Evansville Fire Department Chief Mike Connelly said 39 houses were damaged by the explosion, but they hadn't confirmed how many of the houses were occupied at the time because some were "too unstable" to enter. The cause of the explosion hadn't been determined, but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was investigating.
➤BUT WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? The Inflation Reduction Act that is expected to be finalized this week has gotten plenty of attention for its historic commitment to clean energy, focus on reducing the price of prescription drugs, and new taxes on big corporations. NBC News focused on its impact on real people. Among the potential benefits:
Buyers of electric vehicles can earn a tax credit of up to $7,500, depending on the model and sticker price.
Seniors on Medicare will pay no more than $2,000 a year for prescriptions beginning in 2025. (There’s no cap now.)
The credit for installing clean energy products at home will increase from 10% to 30%. The tax break will cover Energy Star products as well as a number of solar, wind energy and geothermal heat products.
Insulin products needed by Medicare beneficiaries will cost no more than $35 per month beginning next year.
For at least three more years, people who get their health insurance through the national healthcare marketplace will continue to receive the higher levels of subsidies available through special legislation during the pandemic.
Texas buses taking migrants to NYC sets off firestorm from Dems, Abbott tells them to take it up with Biden https://t.co/jJSy4oQQHM
➤FEWER ARE GOING TO COLLEGE: There has been a “significant and steady drop” nationwide in the percentage of high school graduates going on to college, according to the Hechinger Report, published by a nonprofit news organization focused on education. The number of high school graduates going on to higher education has dropped from a high of 70% in 2016 to 63% in 2020, the most recent year studied. The pandemic is partly to blame but the report says the causes are deeper and longer-lived. It suggests that Americans are increasingly doubtful that college is worth the high cost.
➤LONDON CHILDREN OFFERED A POLIO BOOSTER: Every child in London, England, is eligible to receive a free booster shot of the polio vaccine, the government health service announced yesterday. The polio virus has been found in samples from the city’s sewage system. About one million children live in London. In New York State, health officials are urging people who have never been vaccinated to get the shot now. The polio virus has been found in wastewater in Rockland County and Orange County, both just north of New York City. One young man who had never been vaccinated has contracted the disease in Rockland.
Before a polio vaccine was introduced in the 1950s, polio killed thousands of Americans and left tens of thousands paralyzed.
➤HERE ARE THE WORST BREAKFASTS FOR BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS: If you're looking to keep your blood sugar under control, don't make these breakfast mistakes! Dietitian Melissa Rifkin says to make sure you get enough fiber. Low fiber breakfasts, like white toast with jam, can cause a spike in sugar. Swap white toast for whole grain, and add real fruit for a fiber boost. Adding protein to breakfast, like yogurt or eggs, can also slow the release of carbs in your bloodstream. Skipping breakfast altogether is another no-no, as it has been linked to developing type 2 diabetes.
➤STEVE MARTIN MAY BE NEARING RETIREMENT: Only Murders In The Building may be Steve Martin’s last acting job. The 76-year-old told The Hollywood Reporter Tuesday, “When this television show is done, I’m not going to seek others. I’m not going to seek other movies. I don’t want to do cameos. This is, weirdly, it.” However he backtracked a bit, adding, “I’m really not interested in retiring. I’m not. I would just like to work a little less. Maybe.”
🛫AIRFARES SHOULD DROP IN THE FALL: If you’re shocked at the summer increase in air fares, just wait a while. Ticket prices should drop as much as 40% this fall, according to travel site Hopper. Domestic roundtrip flights will cost an average $238, down $142 from this summer’s prices and 3% less than in pre-pandemic times, according to the travel site. International roundtrip prices will average $754, down $179 but still 17% than before the pandemic. Hotel prices also typically drop after the summer vacation season.
🍕ITALIANS SPURN DOMINO’S PIZZA: Domino’s Pizza has given up trying to sell pizza to Italians. Its Italian subsidiary has filed for bankruptcy and all of the Domino’s outlets in Italy have been shut down. The American pizza chain has been trying to sell pizza in Italy since 2015, in the belief that its home delivery service would win over customers. Home delivery by local restaurants was then rare in Italy but the pandemic changed all that.
🏈BROWNS QB WATSON TO START PRESEASON OPENER: The Cleveland Browns announced Wednesday that quarterback Deshaun Watson is expected to start Friday's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That news came as the Browns are waiting to see whether Watson will be suspended longer than the six games he was given by NFL disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson last week. The NFL has appealed the ruling, with Commissioner Roger Goodell saying they are seeking a season-long suspension. Some two dozen women have accused Watson of sexual assault, misconduct or harassment during massage sessions, and Goodell this week called his behavior "egregious" and "predatory."
⚾REDS, CUBS TO FACE OFF IN 'FIELD OF DREAMS' GAME TONIGHT: The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox will be playing each other in MLB's Field of Dreams game tonight in Dyersville, Iowa, near the field where the 1989 movie was filmed. The teams will wear uniforms inspired by how their franchises looked in the early 20th century as they play in the throwback ballpark that seats only about 8,000 people, with the game to be broadcast on Fox. The first Field of Dreams game was held at the ballpark last year between the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox, with Chicago winning 9-8. That game drew nearly six million viewers, that most-watched regular season MLB game on any network since 1998.
🏈REPORT: NFL ADDING BLACK FRIDAY GAME: The NFL will be adding a Black Friday game to its schedule, the Sports Business Journal reported yesterday, most likely starting with the 2023 season. Amazon, which won an exclusive Thursday Night Football package for its Prime streaming service, will stream the game that will be taking place on the day after Thanksgiving, according to the report. The NFL already has three Thanksgiving Day games.
🏈BROWNS' GRANT OUT FOR SEASON WITH TORN ACHILLES: Cleveland Browns wide receiver and kick returner Jakeem Grant Sr. was placed on injured reserve Wednesday (August 10th) and will miss the entire 2022 season with a torn Achilles that he suffered during practice Tuesday. Grant was a Pro Bowl returner for the Chicago Bears last season, and the Browns signed him to a three-year deal in the offseason. Browns special team coordinator Mike Priefer saId earlier this week that he thought Grant would, quote, "transform" Cleveland's return game.
⚾TIGERS FIRE GM AVILA: The Detroit Tigers fired longtime general manager Al Avila on Wednesday after more than two decades with the franchise, including the past seven years as GM. While he's been GM, the Tigers finished in last place in the American League Central Division four times and currently are in last place with a 43-68 record. Avila said in a statement released by the team, "To Tigers fans, you're the best and you deserve a winner. I wish the results could have been better this season but know there is a lot to look forward to in the coming years."
A lot of people view the Chinese app TikTok as a platform for sharing funny videos, but it poses a data security risk, according to Brendan Carr, a commissioner of the FCC.
“They just see TikTok for what it appears to be on the surface, but that’s just the sheep’s clothing,” Carr recently told Epoch TV’s “China Insider.”
“If you look beneath it, there’s an awful lot of data that’s being pulled from your device, and apparently sent back to China. Underneath that, it’s pulling biometrics, including face prints and voice prints, keystroke patterns and rhythms, search and browsing history, location information.”
Carr referred to a June BuzzFeed report based on leaked audio from 80 TikTok internal meetings that revealed that engineers in China had repeatedly accessed U.S. data. U.S. user data flowing back to the Chinese regime is concerning, according to the commissioner.
“Once data hits China, they have a national security law there that compels all of those entities there to assist them in espionage activity,” he said.
TikTok has repeatedly denied that the Chinese regime can access users’ data.
Brendan Carr
Carr said China runs the world’s most sophisticated data analytics operation, meaning that “all sorts of nefarious conduct” could take place should the communist country get its hands on the sensitive data of millions of app users.
“They have a history of business and industrial espionage, blackmail. And so the concern is really when you’re taking that much data on that many international users … that’s really where the threat vector begins,” he said.
Carr also raised concerns about the content transmitted on the Chinese video app.
“Engineers in Beijing are working on the algorithms very actively … deciding what is displayed to users in the U.S. and globally,” he said. “Whether it’s a foreign influence campaign or other content, it’s noteworthy that China does not allow Tik Tok inside of China, but yet they allow these types of influence campaigns to take place globally.”
Given that the Chinese app poses an espionage risk, Carr called for a concerted effort to counter this threat.
“We need to go to all fronts there,” he said, referring to a recent request by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to the Federal Trade Commission, urging it to formally investigate the relationship between the Chinese regime and ByteDance, TikTok’s Beijing-based owner.
Since 2017 Bream has served as the anchor of FOX News @ Night (12-1 AM/ET), FNC’s nightly newscast which airs in primetime in the Mountain and Western time zones. The program regularly outpaces its cable news competition across the board, averaging more than 1.1 million viewers and 218,000 in the demo this past quarter. She has also conducted news-making interviews throughout her tenure, including an exclusive sit-down with Justice Neil Gorsuch after he was confirmed, and wide-ranging interviews with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. In February and March of this year, Bream led the network’s late-night coverage of the war in Ukraine, providing viewers with real-time reports as Russian forces invaded the country in an expanded breaking newscast.
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