Radio History: Oct 10

➦In 1900...actress Helen Hayes was born Helen Brown in Washington DC. After honing her craft on the stage Ms. Hayes began a 55 year big screen career in 1931. She had her own popular radio anthology series in the 1940′s; on  TV she played one of the Snoop Sisters in the 70′s, and Miss Jane Marple in the 80′s.

The First Lady of the American Theater died Mar 17, 1993 at age 92

Orville Gibson

➦In 1902...Mandolin maker Orville Gibson founded the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co, Ltd. in Kalamazoo, MI.   In 1936 it would create the first commercially successful electric guitar.

Gibson began in 1894 in his home workshop in Kalamazoo, Michigan. With no formal training, Gibson created an entirely new style of mandolin and guitar, with tops carved and arched like the top of a violin. His creations were so different that he was granted a patent on his design.  More importantly, they were louder and more durable than contemporary fretted instruments, and musicians soon demanded more than he was able to build in his one-man shop.

On the strength of Gibson's ideas, five Kalamazoo businessmen formed the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co., Ltd., in 1902. Within a short period after the company was started, the board passed a motion that "Orville H. Gibson be paid only for the actual time he works for the Company." After that time, there is no clear indication whether he worked there full-time, or as a consultant. Julius Bellson states in his 1973 publication, The Gibson Story, that "Orville Gibson had visions and dreams that were considered eccentric."

Starting in 1908, Gibson was paid a salary of $500 by Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Manufacturing Co., Limited (equivalent to $20,000 a year in modern terms). He had a number of stays in hospitals between 1907 and 1911. In 1916, he was again hospitalized, and died on August 19, 1918, at 62 years of age, in St. Lawrence State Hospital in Ogdensburg, New York.  Gibson is buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone, New York

➦In 1911...Leo "Zeke" Manners was born (Died - October 14, 2000). He was a country musician and radio performer. While most of his radio work was at local stations in LA & New York, for a time he had a 15-minute network show that allowed him to integrate ‘hillbilly’ recordings with his live accordion, piano & banjo playing ”The One-Man Variety Show.” He died Oct 14 2000, four days after his 89th birthday.

➦In 1932...a syndicated adventure series for juveniles, Chandu the Magician was heard for the first time on KHJ radio Los Angeles.  It would continue with varying casts in various formats and networks until 1950.

➦In 1937...the Mutual Broadcasting System debuted Thirty Minutes in Hollywood. 48 sponsors shared the cost of the program that aired in 72 cities across the US. It was the first Mutual co-op radio show. George Jessel and Norma Talmadge starred, with music by the Tommy Tucker Orchestra.

➦In 1959...Ken Brown decided to leave the Quarrymen, which also consisted of  John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.  The decision came after the group played at the popular Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool, and Brown was unable to perform due to a heavy cold.  McCartney felt that Brown should not get a share of the performance fee since he did not perform.  So Brown quit the group.

➦In 1962...the BBC radio service banned the Halloween novelty song “Monster Mash”by Bobby “Boris” Pickett. Like many other songs, it was banned under a catch-all regulation prohibiting the broadcast of anything deemed “offensive.”

Orson Welles

➦In 1985...Orson Welles suffered a fatal heart attack at age 70.  Welles was a star of early radio; his Mercury Players produced The War of the Worlds in 1938, and dozens of other hour-long dramas.

➦In 2003...Syndicated radio talk host Rush Limbaugh, told his audience that he was addicted to painkillers and would be entering rehab for 30 days.

Jessica Harper is 75

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Peter Coyote is 83. 
• Actor Charles Dance (“Game of Thrones”) is 78. 
• Actor-dancer Ben Vereen is 78. 
• Singer Cyril Neville of The Neville Brothers is 76. 
• Actor Jessica Harper (“Pennies From Heaven,” ″My Favorite Year) is 75. 
• Singer-guitarist Midge Ure of Ultravox is 71. 
• Singer David Lee Roth (Van Halen) is 70. 
• Country singer Tanya Tucker is 66. 
• Actor Julia Sweeney (“Saturday Night Live”) is 65. 
• Actor Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”) is 65. 
• Bassist Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet) is 63. 
• Guitarist Jim Glennie of James is 61. 
• Drummer Mike Malinin of the Goo Goo Dolls is 57. 
• Actor Manu Bennett (“Arrow”) is 55. 
• Actor Joelle Carter (“Justified”) is 55. 
• Actor Wendi McLendon-Covey (“The Goldbergs,” ″Reno 911!”) is 55. 
• Actor Mario Lopez (“The X Factor,” ″Saved by the Bell”) is 51. 
• Actor Jodi Lyn O’Keefe (“She’s All That,” ″Nash Bridges”) is 46. 
• Singer Mya is 45. 
• Actor Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”) is 42. 
• Singer Lzzy Hale of Halestorm is 41. 
• Singer Cherie is 40. 
• Actor Rose McIver (“Ghosts,” “iZombie”) is 36. 
• Actor Aimee Teegarden (“Friday Night Lights”) is 35.

✞REMEMBRANCES

• In 1913..Adolphus Busch, German-born American brewer (Anheuser-Busch), dies at 74
• In 1939..Eleanor Rigby, a real person whose name may have suggested the title to The Beatles song (b. 1895)
• In 1985..Orson Welles, American actor and director (Citizen Kane, War of the Worlds), dies of a heart attack at 70
• In 1985..Yul Brynner, Russian-Swiss Tony and Academy Award-winning stage and screen actor (The King and I; The Ten Commandments), dies of lung cancer at 65
• In 2004..Christopher Reeve, American actor (Superman, Somewhere in Time), dies of an adverse reaction to an antibiotic at 52
• In 2012..Alex Karras, American NFL player, dies from kidney failure at 77
• In 2013..Scott Carpenter, American astronaut (Mercury 7-Aurora 7), dies from complications from a stroke at 88
• In 2022..Anita Kerr [née Grilli], American pop and country singer, composer, and producer (The Anita Kerr Singers), dies at 94

And Your 2024 CMA Broadcast Winners Are...

CMA has revealed the winners of the 2024 Broadcast Awards. The winners were surprised with the news by Brothers Osborne, who made personal, one-on-one phone calls throughout the morning.

The categories are broken out by rket size based on population as ranked by Nielsen. Nominees for Broadcast Personality of the Year and Radio Station of the Year are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement and biographical and impact information.

Any full-time, on-air broadcast personalities and radio stations in the United States and Canada were eligible to submit entries, regardless of CMA membership status. The entries are judged by a panel of distinguished broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions.

CMA Broadcast Awards winners are not eligible to enter the same award category in consecutive years; therefore, those who received trophies in 2023 were not eligible in 2024.

The 58th Annual CMA Awards hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning and Lainey Wilson will air live from Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. CT on ABC.

🎤2024 CMA Broadcast Personality Of The Year Winners:

Weekly National

• Crook & Chase Countdown (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase) – Jim Owens Entertainment

Daily National

• The Bobby Bones Show (Bobby Bones, Amy Brown, “Lunchbox” Dan Chappell, Eddie Garcia, Morgan Huelsman, “SZN Raymundo” Ray Slater, “Mike D” Rodriguez, Abby Anderson, “Kick Off Kevin” O’Connell and Stephen “Scuba Steve” Spradlin) – iHeartMedia

Major Market

• Frito & Katy (Tucker “Frito” Young and Katy Dempsey) – KCYY, San Antonio, Texas

Large Market

• Jesse & Anna (Jesse Tack and Anna Marie) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio

Medium Market

• Steve & Gina In The Morning (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa

Small Market

• The Eddie Foxx Show (Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.

📻2024 CMA Radio Station Of The Year:

• Major Market: WYCD – Detroit, Michigan
• Large Market: WQDR – Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
• Medium Market: WUSY – Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Small Market: WYCT – Pensacola, Florida

Israel Interview Triggers Infighting At CBS News

A CBS morning-show interview about Israel with author Ta-Nehisi Coates has triggered turmoil inside the network, with executives saying it failed to meet their standards. However, The Wall Street Journal reports some staffers saying management came down hard on an anchor who was doing his job.

In the interview, which aired on Sept. 30, anchor Tony Dokoupil opened by stating that the content in Coates’s new book “The Message,” which is critical of Israel, “would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist.” 

Dokoupil deviated from the plan for the interview with his sharp critique of Coates’s book, people familiar with the matter said. The incident is one of several that led management to criticize Dokoupil’s work—without naming him directly—during a staff meeting on Monday, people familiar with the matter said.

While the network planned a tough interview, CBS’s race and culture unit has expressed concern that Dokoupil’s tone and phrasing gave a perception that he was biased, a person close to the matter said.

Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of CBS parent Paramount Global, conveyed to CBS executives that she disagreed with how the situation was handled and that she didn’t believe the interview violated editorial standards, according to a person familiar with the situation. Redstone, who spends time speaking out against antisemitism, has told people that it was insensitive for CBS News to address the matter on Oct. 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.

Other elements of the questioning by Dokoupil, such as when he said Coates failed to include important historical context, also weren’t part of the preplanning for the interview.

“Why leave out that Israel is surrounded by countries that want to eliminate it? Why leave out that Israel deals with terror groups that want to eliminate it?” Dokoupil asked. “Is it because you just don’t believe that Israel in any condition has a right to exist?”

“There is no shortage of that perspective in American media,” Coates replied. 

Dokoupil, whose former wife and children live in Israel, is expected to address the issue with the morning-show team.

Tensions over coverage of the Middle East have been high inside CBS News, current and former staffers said. 

After the interview, several dozen CBS staffers raised questions about Dokoupil’s handling of the segment to CBS News President Wendy McMahon and Adrienne Roark, head of newsgathering and editorial manager, a person familiar with the situation said.

Garth Brooks Names Accuser

Garth Brooks has named his sexual assault accuser and sued her for compensatory and punitive damages after alleging she tried to extort “millions” from him, Page Six reports.

The country singer, 62, filed the complaint on Tuesday with the District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi Northern Division, according to court documents obtained by Page Six Tuesday.

He named his accuser after attempting to keep their identities private with a previous court filing asking a judge to grant them a right to anonymity.

“When Jane Roe threatened to publish lies about him — intending to blackmail Plaintiff into paying her millions of dollars — Plaintiff filed this lawsuit to preserve his reputation, establish the truth, and put a stop to her scheme,” his original filing explained.

“For the sake of his family, and out of respect for Roe’s family as well, Plaintiff titled this action ‘John Doe vs. Jane Roe.'”

Because his accuser allegedly leaked his name, Brooks decided to submit a secondary filing that included both of their names, per the legal documents submitted Tuesday.

In the filing, the “Friends in Low Places” hitmaker asked for “compensatory damages proximately caused by Defendant’s intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy, including incidental and consequential damages” and “punitive damages in an amount sufficient to deter similar future behavior.”

However, Brooks said the monetary damages “cannot adequately compensate” for the injuries to his reputation.

Brooks’ new filing also alleged his accuser sent him a letter on July 17 in which she “threatened” to “publicly file” over the claims against him unless he agreed to pay her “millions of dollars not to file the suit.”

Florida Awakens to Cat 5 Nightmare

Hurricane Milton remains a powerful Category 5 storm, but its wind speed has dropped slightly to 160 mph, according to an 11 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The center of the storm is about 405 miles southwest of Tampa and has accelerated slightly as it moves to the northeast at 12 mph.

CNN  reports the storm is still expected to weaken to a major Category 3 hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Florida. It will bring very heavy rainfall and powerful winds across much of the Florida Peninsula. The storm’s wind field should greatly expand before landfall, meaning its devastating impacts will be felt across a large area.

Including Milton, only 42 hurricanes have gotten this powerful in the Atlantic on record, according to data from NOAA. Before this season, only two Category 5 hurricanes roamed the basin in the 2020s: 2022’s Ian and 2023’s Lee.

Storm position and landfall:

• Milton is about 405 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, with sustained winds of 160 mph and is moving northeast at 12 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 11 p.m. ET update.
• The storm is forecast to make landfall on the central Gulf Coast of Florida Wednesday night or early Thursday and move off the state’s east coast and over the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, the NHC said.
• Though the storm will weaken before landfall, it will expand greatly in size, meaning its dangerous impacts will be felt over a massive area.
• When Milton makes landfall, its tropical storm-force winds will extend about 230 miles outward from its center. That’s far enough to cover the entire width of the state’s peninsula.
• The storm’s trajectory is still uncertain and last-minute shifts could have critical implications on who feels the brunt of the storm.

'60 Minutes' Edits Harris Word Salad

CBS aired two different answers to the same question in its "60 Minutes" interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, replacing a clip from the Democratic nominee that aired on "Face the Nation" Sunday when the interview package aired in a primetime special on Monday.

According to Fox News Digital, Harris was mocked by conservatives when footage of her offering a lengthy "word salad" that was aired by CBS on Sunday’s "Face the Nation" to promote the "60 Minutes" sit-down, when Bill Whitaker asked why it seemed like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t listening to the United States. However, the vice president’s lengthy answer didn’t make the version that aired on Monday night on "60 Minutes" and a shorter, more focused answer to the same question was shown instead. 

"Well Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region," Harris responded in the "Face the Nation" version. 

Sometimes interviews are edited to save time, but when CBS aired the interview on Monday night, Harris had a different answer to the exact same question.

FREE SPEECH allows for you to hear Kamala speak. The propaganda media is lying to you every day. Listen to her actual words compared to how 60 minutes edited her. pic.twitter.com/jQLKyDSi90

— Brian Kennedy (@Brian_Kennedy) October 8, 2024

It is unclear why CBS aired two different answers to the same question. However, CBS has posted both clips on YouTube. CBS News did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Fox’s @greggutfeld calls out CBS for a “breach of ethics” after they edited out Kamala’s “word salad” on Israel from their 60 Minutes interview. #TheFive pic.twitter.com/WfOz34dlbq

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) October 8, 2024

The Trump campaign called for CBS to release the full interview unedited on Tuesday. 

"On Sunday, 60 Minutes teased Kamala's highly-anticipated sit-down interview with one of her worst word salads to date, which received significant criticism on social media. During the full interview on Monday evening, the word salad was deceptively edited to lessen Kamala's idiotic response," Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. "Why did 60 Minutes choose not to air Kamala's full word salad, and what else did they choose not to air? The American people deserve the full, unedited transcript from Kamala's sit-down interview. We call upon 60 Minutes and CBS to release it. What do they, and Kamala, have to hide?"

Harris Makes Media Rounds

Vice President Kamala Harris, in a blitz of interviews on Tuesday, pitched a proposal to help people raising children while also caring for aging parents and denounced former President Donald J. Trump, calling some of his statements “surreal” and saying he was too friendly with Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin.

On “The View,” Ms. Harris said the former president’s willingness to spread false information during the response to Hurricane Helene showed how he “really lacks empathy on a very basic level.” A couple of hours later, on Howard Stern’s satellite radio show, she faulted Mr. Trump over a new report that he had sent Covid tests to Mr. Putin for his personal use at the height of the pandemic. Her interview with Mr. Stern was also one of the most revelatory she has given about herself as a person.

Last night, CBS broadcast her taped appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” where she cracked a beer with the host and again condemned Mr. Trump over his ties to Mr. Putin. She asked the late-night audience to remember the frantic early Covid response: “You remember how many people did not have tests and were trying to scramble to get them?”

The appearances come as a new national Times/Siena poll shows her with a slim lead over Mr. Trump, whose virtual town hall on health with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the former independent presidential candidate and vaccine skeptic, was postponed because of the approach of Hurricane Milton.

Biden, Harris Seem At Odds Over DeSantis

President Joe Biden praised GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for being "cooperative" and doing a "great job" in his response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, despite Vice President Kamala Harris slamming DeSantis for "playing political games" instead of doing his job in response to the storms.

NBC News reported Monday that DeSantis was denying phone calls from Harris' team. "People are in desperate need of support right now and playing political games with this moment, in these crisis situations, these are the height of emergency situations, it's just utterly irresponsible, and it is selfish," Harris told reporters Monday. 

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, President Joe Biden's opinion about the GOP Florida governor's response to Hurricane Helene and his preparation for Milton, diverged substantially from that of his vice president's. 

Kamala blasted DeSantis and lied about calling him ahead of Hurricane Milton.

Biden just said he spoke to DeSantis and the Gov is doing a great job.

Just imagine the fighting going on between these two in the White House behind the scenes.

It appears the “joy” is running out… pic.twitter.com/pt6ZQANsB5

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 8, 2024

"The governor of Florida has been cooperative. He said he’s gotten all that he needs. I talked to him again yesterday, and I said – no – you're doing a great job, it's all being done well and we thank you for it," Biden said at a press conference from the White House Tuesday. "There was a rough start in some places, but every governor, every governor – from Florida to North Carolina – has been fully cooperative and supportive."

FCC Blasts State Threats Against Broadcaster Over Abortion Ad

Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel on Tuesday denounced threats made by a Florida agency against broadcast TV stations for airing advertisements in support of an abortion rights referendum.

"The right of broadcasters to speak freely is rooted in the First Amendment," Rosenworcel said in a statement who overseas the agency that regulates broadcast networks. "Threats against broadcast stations for airing content that conflicts with the government’s views are dangerous and undermine the fundamental principle of free speech."

Rosenworcel cited a media report that said the Florida Department of Health had sent letters to broadcast stations saying the advertisement "is categorically false." The state agency disputed the ad's claim that Florida law does not allow physicians to perform abortions necessary to preserve the health or life of pregnant women.

Fox News Media To Launch Spanish-Language Fox Noticias

FOX News Media will launch a new daily one-hour Spanish-language program entitled FOX Noticias that spotlights issues impacting the Hispanic community beginning October 15th, announced FOX News Senior Vice President John Sylvester. 

FOX & Friends Weekend co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy will helm the program which will air weekdays at 4 PM/ET on the country’s first and longest running Spanish-language sports network, FOX Deportes, and will also be available in podcast form via FOX News Audio.

Ahead of the debut, FOX News Digital will launch a Spanish-language version of the FOXNews.com website beginning today which will be machine translated. The site will feature breaking news reporting and signature commentary for the Hispanic audience which can be found at Noticias.FOXNews.com.

FOX News ranks as the top destination in cable news among Hispanic viewers with the most politically diverse audience in cable news, according to Nielsen Media Research. Notably, FOX News was the number one cable network with Hispanic viewers on a total day 24-hour basis as well as during primetime during the third quarter of 2024. Overall, the network delivers 36% of the Hispanic cable news total viewing share and 45% of the 25-54 demographic. The network also showed the most growth in Hispanic viewership for the most recent quarter, up 65% in total day viewers and 114% in the demographic.

In making the announcement, Sylvester said, “As the leading cable news provider among Hispanic viewers with one of the most diverse audiences in cable news, we are proud to deliver new headline-driven content that focuses on the issues impacting the Hispanic community.”

With Milton Knocking On Florida's Door, BFoA Speeds Up Aid Process

In the wake of the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Helene and the impending severe Hurricane Milton, The Broadcasters Foundation of America has taken immediate steps to make sure every broadcaster who qualifies for emergency aid receives it and receives it quickly.

“We’ve temporarily adjusted our already streamlined Emergency Grant Guidelines and Application Process to make it even easier and faster to get funds into the hands of broadcasters hit hardest by these storms,” explained Tim McCarthy, President of the Broadcasters Foundation. “The situation is catastrophic for many of our colleagues and with insufficient or total lack of internet service, an individual or families cannot even submit an application.”

Under the adjusted guidelines, broadcasters who have suffered catastrophic loss contact their Market or General Manager, who then fills out the Hurricanes Helene and Milton Group Submission Form for all of those within their station who are applying. To access the new temporary application form Market or General Managers may click here.

Funds that are approved will be sent directly to the Market Manager or General Manager for distribution to each qualifying individual.

For more information about the Broadcasters Foundation, including how to apply for aid or make a donation, visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org, or contact 212-373-8250 or info@thebfoa.org.

Radio History: Oct 9

➦In 1890...Aimee Elizabeth Semple McPherson born (Died – September 27, 1944), also known as Sister Aimee or simply Sister, was a Canadian-American Pentecostal evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s, famous for founding the Foursquare Church.

McPherson has been noted as a pioneer in the use of modern media, because she used radio to draw on the growing appeal of popular entertainment in North America and incorporated other forms into her weekly sermons at Angelus Temple, one of the first megachurches.

In her time she was the most publicized Protestant evangelist, surpassing Billy Sunday and her other predecessors. She conducted public faith healing demonstrations before large crowds; testimonies conveyed tens of thousands of people healed.  McPherson's articulation of the United States as a nation founded and sustained by divine inspiration continues to be echoed by many pastors in churches today.

News coverage sensationalized her misfortunes with family and church members; particularly inflaming accusations she had fabricated her reported kidnapping, turning it into a national spectacle. McPherson's preaching style, extensive charity work and ecumenical contributions were a major influence on Charismatic Christianity in the 20th century

➦In 1935...the "Cavalcade of America" first aired on he CBS Radio Network.   It was initially broadcast on radio from 1935 to 1953, and later on television from 1952 to 1957. Originally on CBS, the series pioneered the use of anthology drama for company audio advertising.

Cavalcade of America documented historical events using stories of individual courage, initiative and achievement, often with feel-good dramatizations of the human spirit's triumph against all odds. The series was intended to improve DuPont's public image after World War I. The company's motto, "Maker of better things for better living through chemistry," was read at the beginning of each program, and the dramas emphasized humanitarian progress, particularly improvements in the lives of women, often through technological innovation.

➦In 1937...program director John Rook was born in Chillicothe Ohio. Beginning in the late 1960’s he took first WLS Chicago, then WCFL Chicago and then KFI Los Angeles to dominance in audience share, and consulted dozens of other stations to success. He died March 1 2016 at age 78.

➦In 1940...John Winston Ono Lennon born (murdered December 8, 1980)

➦In 1943...The radio fantasy series "Land of the Lost" began its five-year run, first on ABC Radio Network. It was written and narrated by Isabel Manning Hewson, about the adventures of two children who traveled underwater with the fatherly fish Red Lantern. Each week the show opened with the line, "In that wonderful kingdom at the bottom of the sea...", and then Red Lantern showed Billy and Isabel where different lost objects were stored beneath the waves.

The Land of the Lost radio series aired from 1943 to 1948 on the Mutual Broadcasting System and NBC. Betty Jane Tyler was the voice of the young Isabel, and Ray Ives was the voice of Billy. Several actors voiced Red Lantern, including Art Carney, Junius Matthews and William Keene. The announcer was Michael Fitzmaurice, and Cyril Armbrister directed.

With music by John Winters and lyrics by Barbara Miller, Peggy Marshall did the vocal arrangements. Organist Bob Hamilton provided background music.

➦In 1967...Legendary New York DJ Murray The K was fired from station WOR-FM, where he had moved to when the station switched from a locally programmed free form rock approach to a Drake Top 40 format heavily spiced with oldies. He was fired because of his "inability to live with direction" as the DJs were no longer allowed to pick their music and talk as much.

Tampa Mayor's Dire Warning: If You Stay, You Will Die

The mayor of Tampa Bay, a city that’s in the crosshairs of Hurricane Milton, issued a grave warning to Florida residents who don’t heed calls to evacuate ahead of the monster storm.

“If you choose to stay … you are going to die,” Mayor Jane Castor bluntly said on CNN while talking about the dangers of Milton, a “literally catastrophic” Category 5 hurricane that’s barreling toward the Sunshine State’s coast.

The powerful storm could hit Florida as early as Wednesday and may be more destructive than deadly Hurricane Helene, which ripped through parts of the Sunshine State just last week.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor: “I can say this without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die.” pic.twitter.com/CP0VmK3TUC

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 8, 2024

Castor emphasized that attempting to ride out the storm would – not could – prove fatal. The time to flee is now, she urged residents in evacuation zones.

Hurricane Milton surged Monday into a monster Category 5 storm with 180 mph winds in the Gulf of Mexico, and is forecast to remain a dangerous major hurricane ahead of landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

As of 11 p.m., the NHC said Milton had weakened slightly, with it maximum-sustained winds at 165 mph, which is still a powerful Category 5 hurricane, the highest level in its wind scale. Sitting amid the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and low wind shear, it was located 630 miles southwest of Tampa and 35 miles north-northwest of Progresso, Mexico moving east at 9 mph north of the Yucatan peninsula.

“The [winds] decrease is likely the result of an eyewall replacement reported by the Hurricane Hunters,” the hurricane center said. “Notwithstanding, Milton still remains an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane”

The intensity forecast projects that Milton will maintain its 160-165 mph winds through the next 24 hours before beginning to lose steam as it turns toward Florida.

FCC To Activate Hurricane Milton Disaster Reports

The FCC has announced it will activate the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) in response to Hurricane Milton, which is expected to impact Florida. 

This activation, effective from October 9, 2024, is in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Communications providers in the affected areas are required to submit and update information through DIRS regarding the status of their communications equipment, restoration efforts, and power sources (commercial or backup). This helps ensure that critical communication infrastructure remains operational during and after the hurricane.

Hurricane Milton, now a Category 4, will reach the west coast of Florida late Wednesday or in the predawn darkness of Thursday morning as a major hurricane,

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says there’s still much uncertainty about Hurricane Milton, but the state is preparing to open highway shoulders for mass evacuations to come.

Individual counties make evacuation calls. “Once those orders come down from all the counties, I think it’s going to be a significant number of people,” DeSantis said. 

The Florida Department of Transportation is monitoring traffic, and as soon as travel speeds are down to 40 mph, the state will begin to open shoulders for travel to relieve congestion, according to state Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue.