R.I.P.: British Singer, TV Host Cilla Black

Cilla Black, born May 27 1943-died August 2 2015

UPDATE 8/4/15:  Cilla Black died after falling and hitting her head, the Spanish coroner confirmed today. The 72-year-old TV personality lost her balance and fell, hitting her head while sunbathing on the private terrace of her villa in Estepona on Saturday. The accident knocked her unconscious, and she subsequently died of a stroke.

Original Posting....

British singer/TVpersonality Cilla Black has died at the age of 72 in Spain, according to The Guardian.

Spanish police said on Sunday that British national Priscilla White her real name – had died.

“We are still awaiting autopsy results but everything at this stage is pointing towards her death being the result of natural causes,” a police spokesperson said.

She had been staying at her holiday home near the Spanish resort of Marbella.

The Liverpool-born entertainer had been suffering from arthritis and deafness and told the Daily Mail last December she was “falling apart”.

Black said she no longer felt able to work despite getting a series of offers following the ITV drama Cilla.

The singer began her career, which spanned five decades, in 1963 with two number one singles: Anyone Who Had a Heart and You’re My World.



She was managed by Brian Epstein, who also managed the Beatles, after being introduced by family friend Richard Starkey – better known as Ringo Starr.

Black’s presenting career began in 1984 with Surprise, Surprise, which ran until 2001. However, she is best known for Blind Date on ITV, which ran for 18 years from 1985.

R.I.P. Country Singer Lynn Anderson

Lynn Anderson

Country singer Lynn Anderson, best known for her classic recording “(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden,” died Thursday night (july 30, 2015) of a heart attack at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The Tenneassean reports she had been hospitalized for pneumonia following a trip to Italy. She was 67 years old.

Lynn Rene Anderson was born Sept. 26, 1947 in Grand Forks, N.D., and raised in California. She came from a musical family: Her parents Casey and Liz Anderson were both songwriters; the latter penned the Merle Haggard hits “(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers” and “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive.”

For two years during the late 1960s, Ms. Anderson was a regular on the popular “Lawrence Welk Show,” an outlet which exposed her to a nationwide audience. "It was appointment viewing," said WSM DJ and Grand Ole Opry announcer Eddie Stubbs. "Lynn Anderson really helped expand the boundaries of country music because there wasn't a lot of (it) on network television at that time."

Ms. Anderson wed producer/songwriter Glenn Sutton in 1968 — but the couple would divorce in 1977.

In 1970, Ms. Anderson moved from California to Nashville, and signed with Columbia Records. In October of that year, she released what would become her signature song, and one of country music’s classics. The lilting “(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden,” penned by Joe South, became a worldwide hit with its immediately recognizable intro and catchy lyrics. In the U.S., it spent five weeks atop the country music charts and crossed over to the pop charts as well.


The recording also netted Ms. Anderson a Best Female Country Vocal Performance Grammy Award, and in 1971, the Country Music Association named her Female Vocalist of the Year.

ESPN Radio Offers Mid-Days Medley During August

During the month of August, ESPN Radio will offer listeners three engaging teams between 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET, featuring commentators who currently host shows on ESPN’s owned and operated stations in Los Angeles and Chicago.

“ESPN Radio has an extensive pool of talent from our national network, local stations and ESPN television,” said David Roberts, vice president, network audio content.

“We’re excited to take advantage of this opportunity to give national radio exposure to our local hosts.”

• Max & Marcellus of ESPN LA 710 will host from ESPN Radio’s Los Angeles studios the week of August 3.  Max Kellerman and Marcellus Wiley host a daily radio show in Los Angeles from 3-7 p.m. PT.  They also offer their opinions and viewpoints weekdays on ESPN2’s SportsNation.
• Michelle Beadle, host of ESPN2’s SportsNation, and Ben Lyons of ESPNLA and The Players Tribune will host from the Los Angeles studios the weeks of August 10 and 17.
• ESPN Chicago 1000’s Waddle & Silvy will host the week of August 24.  Former Bears receiver Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman host a daily show in Chicago from 2 – 6 p.m. CT.

iHM Makes Two MM Appointments

Jeff McCausland

iHeartMedia last week announced management appointments in two markets.

25-year industry vet Jeff McCausland is the new Market President of its Wichita market, overseeing KZCH-FM, KRBB-FM, KZSN-FM and KTHR-FM.

He began his career at iHM/Wichita's KRBB-FM in 1990 as part of the sales team and went on to join KSAS-TV as a LSM and then took on roles as National Sales Manager, GSM and Director of Sales.

McCausland most recently served as the General Manager of KSAS-TV and KMTW-TV for Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Matt Saunders

"Jeff McCausland is a well-respected media leader in the Wichita community," said Regional Market President Beth Davis. "His knowledge of the media landscape and relationships with clients and businesses in Wichita will add to the market's current track record of success."

In Springfield MO, iHM has named Matt Saunders as Market President.

Saunders is a 25-year radio industry vet and has been with iHeartMedia for more than three years, most recently serving as the VP of Sales in St. Louis. During his time in St. Louis he also held management positions at CBS Radio, Sinclair and Emmis.

"Matt Saunders many years of building successful sales teams and client relationships make him the ideal leader for our iHeartRadio Springfield cluster," said Regional Market President Beth Davis.

Pandora Denied FM Radio Rate In BMI Royalty Row

A New York federal judge on Wednesday refused to lower the royalty rate he previously ordered Pandora Media Inc. to pay Broadcast Music Inc., rejecting Pandora's argument that purchasing a South Dakota radio station entitled it to pay a smaller amount.

Without explanation, U.S. District Court Judge Louis L. Stanton denied Pandora's motion to alter his decision ordering the music-streaming company to pay a 2.5 percent royalty rate to BMI.

Pandora argued in June that because it had purchased KXMZ 102.7 FM in Rapid City, SD entitled it to pay the lower rate for over the air broadcasters who also offer streams.

U.S. District Court Judge Louis L. Stanton made the ruling quickly and "without explanation."

Under the judgement Pandora is required to continue to pay BMI a royalty of 2.5%.

Detroit Radio: Morning CoHost Allyson OUT At WDVD

Allyson Martinek

The latter half of “Blaine & Allyson in the Morning” on Detroit’s HotAC WDVD 96.3 FM morning drive show is no more.

Allyson Martinek is no longer with the show, according to Crains Detroit Business.

The circumstances of her departure from WDVD are unclear. There has been no formal announcement by the station or owner Cumulus Media Inc.

Blaine Fowler welcomed listeners to "The Blaine Fowler Morning Show" Wednesday and the station's website promotes the new show as the "Blaine Fowler Morning Show" without mention Martinek's departure. The "Blaine & Allyson in the Morning" Facebook and Twitter pages have been removed.

A new co-host will be hired to replace her, according to an internal memo issued by Cumulus Media, the Detroit News reported.

Martinek and Blaine Fowler have co-hosted the weekday 5:30-10 a.m. slot since 2006. She recently celebrated 20 years with the station.

The duo were part of the original “Dish Nation” nightly television show that premiered on the Fox network in 2011, until being dropped in 2012. The show featured comedic radio personalities from different markets.

Milwaukee Radio: No Badmouthing For Carole Caine

Carole Caine

Carole Caine is looking for a job — and a new career adventure — and is not badmouthing her employer of 30 years at WKLH 96.5 FM.

Caine told the Milwaukee Business Journal she is free of a no-compete clause she had with WKLH owner Saga Communications Inc.’s Milwaukee Radio Group. However, so far no Milwaukee radio executives have contacted her with offers to hire one of the most popular on-air personalities in southeast Wisconsin.

Caine’s departure from WKLH-FM June 29 led to one of the biggest audience outcries in recent decades in the Milwaukee media business.

When Rich Kirchen at the Milwaukee Business Journal asked Caine whether executives with other stations might view her as too expensive for their budgets, she said: “I know that the radio industry has changed quite a bit. Revenues have been down for everybody. That’s just a fact. The economy is starting to come back a little bit, but I’m not as expensive as you may think.”

Dave & Carole

Her co-host Dave Luczak remains at WKLH anchoring the morning show. The station July 6 added Dorene Michaels as a news reader on the show. She previously worked at sister station WHQG-FM (“The Hog”/102.9) reading news and as a fill-in announcer.

“Carole is well aware of the reasons that led to the decision over the last year not to renew her contract,” Milwaukee Radio Group vice president Annmarie Topel said via email Wednesday. “At her request, we even provided a letter to her that went into great detail. We will continue, however, to keep those matters confidential out of respect for Carole.”

Caine said she had no inkling the station was going to let her go. WKLH, which has been known for nearly three decades as Milwaukee’s classic-rock station, rebranded itself “Hometown Rock” in April with an increased emphasis on 1980's music from rock artists.

“I knew that they were changing things up,” she said. “I didn’t know how big the change was going to be."

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Talker Michael Smerconish Duped By Fake Photo

Philadelphia-based talk radio personality and ex-Beasley Firm LLC attorney Michael Smerconish said Monday that he was duped by an art dealer into dropping $5,000 on an autographed portrait of Winston Churchill by renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh that he recently determined was a fake.

Smerconish, who hosts programs on both SiriusXM satellite radio and CNN, said in a complaint that he’d purchased the item for $5K from W. Graham Arader III Framing Services Inc. some 15 years ago and that he’d been provided with a document certifying its authenticity.

This was long before Smerconish had his own show on CNN or even radio station WPHT 1210 AM.

Fast forward to 2015, when Smerconish noticed that the Churchill autograph had begun to fade, and, like any good collector, he wanted to get it restored.

In April, Smerconish brought the photograph to the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia. Much to Smerconish's shock and dismay, the conservator there had serious doubts about the authenticity of the item, so further investigation ensued.

According to the suit, the conservator discovered that the image was not a photograph at all but a "two-tone halftone reproduction with an AM (amplitude modified) repeating screen pattern" and, further, that the image was not printed directly from any of Karsh's negatives.

Smerconish enlisted an expert in Karsh's photography, who indicated that the image is merely a reproduction from a book that was printed in or after 1980. Churchill died in 1965. Ergo, if the expert is correct, the signature must be a fake.

Twitter Lacking User Growth

Twitter’s first quarterly earnings report July 29, 2015 since former CEO Dick Costolo stepped down looks like a mixed bag. Though revenue is up 61 percent year-over-year, user growth is slowing. (SocialTimes)

The San Francisco tech company released Q2 earnings Tuesday, including ad sales that were up 63 percent year over year for the quarter, hitting $452 million. Overall, revenue reached $502 million. Still, Dorsey expressed deep dissatisfaction with the pace of growth, and promised that a better user experience is in development. Also, for the first time, Twitter is planning a full marketing blitz to drive more mass adoption of the service. (Adweek)

The company reported that average monthly active users (MAU) were up 15 percent year-over-year to 316 million. That represents only 14 million new MAUs since the end of the first quarter. Most of the sequential growth, about 12 million, comes from SMS fast followers, a metric that Twitter has recently introduced to break out people who receive Twitter updates via text message without going through the normal sign-up process. (THR)

Without these SMS fast followers, Twitter would have had only 304 million monthly active users, compared to 302 million active users with accounts during Q1. That differentiation matters a lot: Users who follow only certain accounts via SMS messaging aren’t using the Twitter app or website, and thus also aren’t seeing most of the company’s ad formats. In other words: These users are good on paper, but add little value to the company. On the domestic front, excluding SMS fast followers leads to an even bleaker picture, with growth flatlined at 65 million MAU for Q1 and Q2. (Variety)

H/T: MorningMedia

Facebook in Q2: Mobile Accounts for 76% of Total Ad Revenue

Not surprisingly, it’s full speed ahead for Facebook’s transition to a mobile company, as mobile advertising revenue accounted for 76 percent of the company’s total ad revenue for the second quarter of 2015, up from 62 percent in the year-ago period. (SocialTimes)

Facebook now counts more than 1.3 billion mobile users, putting its smartphone-based audience at a billion more people than Twitter attracts as a whole. That is one of the most revealing numbers showing why Facebook is dominating the mobile-ad market while Twitter continues to struggle. (Adweek)

Advertising revenue also beat Wall Street's expectations and was up 43 percent to $3.8 billion. It was predicted to grow by 41 percent during the quarter. Facebook reported adjusted earnings of 50 cents per share on revenue of $4.04 billion, a 39 percent gain over the $2.9 billion in revenue that the company reported for the same period last year. (THR)

Facebook's mobile growth is going to increase, most likely. Facebook's expenses grew 82 percent year-over-year to nearly $2.8 billion for the quarter as the company is said to be in "investment mode." Unlike Twitter, which was hammered by investors this week for stalled user growth, Facebook continues to grow its already staggering user base. Facebook reported having 1.49 billion monthly active users for the quarter and is now closing in on 1 billion daily active users. (Mashable)

ATT To Activate NextRadio Chip In Android Phones

The radio industry posted a big win in its campaign to get carriers to activate the FM radio chip built into most mobile phones.

KatyOnTheHill reports AT&T agreed Tuesday, July 28, 2015, to specify that the FM chip be activated in Android phones manufactured in 2016 and beyond, according to NextRadio and TagStation, the Emmis-owned entities that promote an FM listening app and station support infrastructure.

AT&T is the second major carrier to back the FM chip. In 2013, Sprint agreed to enable its customers to listen to local FM radio stations from a broad spectrum of radio companies and aggregators on select Android and Windows smartphones. The FM radio capability is delivered through the NextRadio tuner application or other radio apps or services.

An email signed by  The NextRadio + TagStation Team, which developed the app that allows users t
o listen to stations on an activated FM chip, stated: “This is a big milestone for the radio industry and shows working together and supporting this initiative is paying off.”

“The change is made by the OEMs (smartphone makers), and by having the support of carriers like Sprint and AT&T putting it in their specifications it increases the probability of getting the FM chip turned on,” said the email. “We already have experienced handset makers activating it across all carriers (for example, new models of HTC One and Moto phones) and AT&T’s request fuels the support and progress being made.”

Report: Apple, Google To Dominate Dashboard

Click To Enlarge

Apple and Google will soon battle for platform share in yet another major hardware category — the car. The two companies have developed operating-system extensions for the dashboard: Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto.

Apple and Google announced the new platforms last year, and rollouts of cars that use these systems have already begun.

By 2020, nearly 40 million cars will be using Android Auto and 37.1 million will be using CarPlay, according to IHS, and that will cover nearly all cars launching connected car services, according to BI Intelligence estimates.

In a new report, BI Intelligence analyzed the two tech companies first plays in the connected car market. The in-depth analysis outlines the capabilities of each system, analyzes the market potential for both Google and Apple, and looks at why connected cars are offering such a big opportunity to mobile platforms and apps.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• The connected car is one of the most important new digital platforms, and it's becoming a critical battleground for Google and Apple. Of the 220 million total connected cars on the road globally in 2020, we estimate consumers will activate connected services in 88 million of these vehicles.
• Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto enable drivers to run a selection of their smartphone apps on the car's infotainment center. For now CarPlay is in the lead, but that will shift over time.
• CarPlay and Android Auto have very different interfaces but provide similar capabilities. They allow users to control a selection of apps via voice command and make other features available on the infotainment screen.
• Both systems connect to the smartphone's native apps and offer an additional selection of third-party apps. CarPlay and Android Auto will be especially useful for expanding the reach of each platform's music streaming and mapping apps.
• There are a number of benefits to Apple and Google in creating these in-car operating-system extensions. The two companies can deepen brand loyalty, earn additional revenues from digital goods and ads, and acquire more information on consumer behavior in the car.

Emmis Makes Executive Promotions

In a series of promotions, Emmis Communications Corporation has elevated Patrick Walsh to President and Chief Operating Officer and Ryan Hornaday has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Jeff Smulyan, founder of the company, remains Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.

Walsh joined Emmis in 2006 as Chief Financial Officer and most recently served as Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer. Walsh also serves on the Emmis Board of Directors.

Hornaday, who joined Emmis in 1999 and most recently served as Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasurer, has been promoted to Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer.

“We have an outstanding team of senior leaders at Emmis. These moves are a natural evolution in our leadership process, allowing Ryan to take on additional responsibility for leading our finance team thereby enabling Pat to build on his impressive track record operating our business,” said Jeff Smulyan. “We’re blessed to have a great team that makes such a difference in our performance and ability to innovate on behalf of Emmis and our industries.”

“Ryan is one of the most talented finance executives I’ve encountered in my career and I’m thrilled to see him take on the CFO role,” Walsh said. “In my new role, I look forward to working with my colleagues at Emmis and throughout the radio industry to find innovative ways to deliver growth in the coming years.”

“Throughout my sixteen years at Emmis, I have been impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit that permeates all levels of this organization,” said Hornaday. “I am excited about the opportunity to join the executive ranks at Emmis and help deliver long-term value for our shareholders and employees.”

Emmis also announced that Christopher Rickenbach has been promoted to Vice President of Finance/Assistant Treasurer.

The promotions were effective August 1, 2015.

Tampa Radio: 'Roger & JP’ Added to 102.5 The Bone FM

Cox Media Group (CMG) Tampa has added talk show Roger & JP to WHPT 102.5 FM The Bone.

The show will air on The Bone weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Roger & JP are a great fit for the BONE and the Tampa Market,” said Director of Branding and Programming John Brennan. “The team is excited to have them, and we’re looking forward to a fresh sound in Tampa Bay.”

Prior to joining the Bone lineup, Roger (Luce) and John “JP” Parise have entertained listeners in the morning on WBAB with male-driven, aggressive hot-talk.

"We've wanted to work in Tampa and at THE BONE for a long time,” said Roger and JP. “Joining THE BONE family with Mike Calta and Drew Garabo, we feel it's a great team and can't wait to start.  Our goal is to become Tampa radio fixtures for many years to come.  By the way, we both canceled trips to Hawaii for this gig, so it better be awesome!"

WHPT 102.5 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

“Roger & JP are a Rock morning show franchise,” said CMG’s VP of Programming Steve Smith.

“They offer tremendous content and are a perfect fit for the raw unique format of The Bone.”

The Shannon burke Show no longer airs on The Bone.

Chicago Radio: Brian Thomas New PD At WLS-FM

Brian Thomas

Cumulus Media announced July 28, 2015 that it has named programming executive Brian Thomas as Program Director for Chicago’s Classic Hits WLS 94.7 FM. Thomas will continue to serve Cumulus as Corporate Program Director for the Country format, and will now also oversee Classic Hits for the company.

Thomas moves to Chicago from Cumulus New York, where he joined Cumulus last year as Corporate Program Director and Program Director for NASH FM 94.7/WNSH-FM. Prior to joining Cumulus, he was with CBS Radio as National Vice President of Classic Hits programming. He was also Program Director of Country WQYK-FM and Classic Hits WRBQ-FM, and Vice President, Programming for CBS Radio in Tampa.

Mike McVay, Senior Vice President, Content and Programming for Cumulus said: "Brian's performance with Cumulus, and his prior experience, makes us confident that this is the right move for this station. He knows this format and how to maximize its potential."

WLS 94.7 FM (4.4 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Thomas said: “Every kid from Chicago who grew up listening to WLS-FM, as I did, dreams of working there. I’m proud that NASH-FM weekly audience hit an all-time high of almost 1.2 million and sales pacing +20% in a down market…and I’m excited to continue to work with a handful of our Country stations, too.”