Chicago Radio: WMVP's Waddle&Silvy Celebrate In Mexico

WMVP ESPN Chicago 1000’s Waddle & Silvy will celebrate its 10th anniversary with two live shows from El Dorado Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico, Memorial Day, Monday, and Tuesday, May 30, from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET. Former Chicago Bears receiver Tom Waddle and Marc “Silvy” Silverman will host and reminisce about some of their favorite moments alongside fans on Chicago’s number one-ranked Sports Show.

Silverman reflected on the 10th anniversary and stated, “Wow. A decade already?!  In the spring of 2007, I was young, single, and in a championship drought. In the ten years we have spent together, I have gotten married, have two wonderful young sons, and got to watch in person, my favorite team, the Cubs, win their first championship in 108 years. Talk about milestones! While Waddle and I will not be together for 108 years, he will be a lifelong friend. He's not only a former mediocre Bear and pretty good talk show host, he's like a brother I never had. It's truly a dream come true to laugh and have fun with him every day on the radio"!

Waddle also reflected on their time together and stated, “Happy is the man who finds a true friend, and happier is he who finds that true friend in his radio partner. I am not that man. Just kidding. I couldn’t ask for a better radio partner, and more importantly, a better friend.”

The two-day anniversary celebration will feature Waddle & Silvy  with several on-site guests, longtime Waddle & Silvy friends, along with ESPN peers. Waddle & Silvy will reminisce about various milestones from the last 10 years on air. Attendees to this special broadcast include family, special guests, three winners and their guest from the recent Waddle & Silvy trivia contest and listeners who received the chance to purchase a “come-along” trip for a special rate.

AZ Radio: Furor Continues Over KAVV Kiddie Porn PSA

Furor over a public service announcement aired by KAVV  CAVE 97.7 FM in Benson, AZ  continues to draw ire.

At issue is an announcement which had been aired for about two years during the midnight to 4 a.m. hours. The announcement, created by station manager Paul Lotsof and which has since been pulled from the airwaves, stated in part, “Never keep paper pictures, tapes or films of naked juveniles where anyone else can find them.” The message goes on to state that owners of such images should put them on an external hard drive and hide it where it cannot be found, thereby saving taxpayers’ dollars for the impending jail sentences that would await culprits.

Lotsof has since pulled the announcement from the airwaves. The incident has drawn attention from area media outlets and those throughout the region, nationally and internationally, with the British Broadcasting Corporation [BBC] in the United Kingdom also airing reports.

Lotsof, and CAVE Radio, continue to feel the ramifications of the announcement unknown to on-air radio, according to willcoxrangenews.com.

“I would like to emphasize that this announcement was on the air for about two years,” said Lotsof.

“I don’t know why it’s getting such a big fuss now, but I’ve taken it off the air, and it does not advocate child pornography, it does not advocate the production of child pornography, it doesn’t advocate the possession of it. All it does is it says two things: No. 1, that the penalty for possession of this stuff is crazy. It’s 10 years for every image found, and the other thing is it suggests that if a person for any reason in the world does have this stuff in their possession that they try to avoid being caught by not putting these items in places where they’re likely to be found. It doesn’t advocate perversion of any kind. It just says the penalty is terrible, know what the penalty is and it says if for some reason you have this stuff try not to spend the rest of your life in prison. That’s all it does, nothing more, nothing less. I don’t know why this is such a big deal.”

Lotsof, who has managed the station in Benson since 1983, said he does not plan to step down and likened the current situation to that of a wildfire that will eventually burn itself out.

Sheriff Mark Dannels

Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels on Thursday morning reiterated the Sheriff’s Office stance on the situation. Dannels said while fully supporting one’s rights to free speech, the announcement crossed the line.

Dannels went on to say the sheriff’s office is in the process of conferring with Cochise County Attorney’s Office. Asked about the sheriff’s comments,Lotsof implied the sheriff is merely being a “politician.”

May 27 Radio History

➦In 1933...Future media mogul Ted Rogers Jr. was born in Toronto.  He founded his company in 1960 with Toronto radio station CHFI and built it into Canada’s largest wireless, cable and media company. He died from congestive heart failure Dec. 2 2008 at age 75.


➦In 1951…"Wild Bill Hickock" began on the Mutual Radio network. Guy Madison and Andy Devine starred on both the radio and syndicated TV versions of the western series.


➦In 1957...1050 CHUM-AM became Canada's first Top 40 formatted radio station.

The CHUM at 1331 Yonge St., Toronto was the home of 1050 CHUM from 1959 until 2009

Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" was the first song played. "1050 CHUM" pioneered rock and roll radio in Toronto, and was noteworthy for hosting many noteworthy rock concerts including, among others, visits to Maple Leaf Gardens by Elvis Presley (1957) and The Beatles (1964, '65, and '66).

In the late 1950s, CHUM was calling itself "Radio One", as its ratings continued to increase. An important part of CHUM's success was the station's unpredictable morning man Al Boliska, who joined CHUM in October 1957, after working at station CKLC in Kingston, Ontario.

By 1959, Boliska had made a name for himself as a disc jockey who got listeners talking. He also made them laugh, and became known for telling what he called the "World's Worst Jokes".
Boliska also did a number of stunts, such as taking part in a professional wrestling match with Whipper Billy Watson. When he lost, that led to another stunt, where Boliska stayed away from his show for several days, saying he was now too discouraged by the loss to do his show. A hypnotist was called in, and Boliska's self-esteem was restored.

Boliska left CHUM in late 1963 to go 'across the street' to CKEY. He was replaced by WKBW Buffalo radio & TV personality Jay Nelson, popularly known as "Jungle Jay" from his role as host of a children's show on Buffalo's Channel 7 which was also popular among Toronto youngsters. He would be followed by housewives' jock John Spragge; singer/DJ Mike Darow; Pete Nordheimer, replaced in 1961 by Bob McAdorey, teen DJ Dave Johnson, and all night DJ Bob Laine. Later additions to the CHUM DJ lineup included Duff Roman and Brian Skinner, both of whom came from rival Toronto rocker CKEY (then owned by Jack Kent Cooke).

(Courtesy of the Rock Radio Scrapbook, Click Here for  an early aircheck of 1050 CHUM from July 17, 1957.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, CHUM DJs included Duke Roberts (also known as Gary Duke for a time), Johnny Mitchell (better known today as Sonny Fox), J. Michael Wilson, Tom Rivers, Scott Carpenter, Jim Van Horne, John Rode, Don Reagan, John Majhor, Mike Cooper, Daryl B, Terry Steele, Mike Holland and Roger Ashby. Among their later night-time hosts was J. D. Roberts, who joined CHUM for a time in 1977, eventually becoming known across North America as White House correspondent for CBS News, then the co-anchor of CNN's morning program American Morning. Rick Moranis, later famous for his work on SCTV and Ghostbusters, was briefly a late-night CHUM DJ in the mid-seventies under the name "Rick Allan".

CHUM became well known for its zany contests. In the 1950's and '60's, it was contests such as 'The Walking Man', where listeners had to spot CHUM's mystery walking man using only clues given out on the air. The 1970s' "I Listen to CHUM" promotion had DJs dialing phone numbers at random and awarding $1,000 to anyone who answered the phone with that phrase. In 1976, there was the CHUM Starsign promotion. Listeners wore a button featuring their astrological sign. If CHUM's 'Starsign spotter' saw you wearing your Starsign, you won prizes such as money or concert tickets to major events.

The CHUM Chart was, for many years, the most influential weekly Top 40 chart in Canada and has been hailed as the longest-running continuously published radio station record survey in North America. The first CHUM Chart was released on May 27, 1957, with Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" the first Number 1 song.

1050 CHUM aired Top 40 from 1957 to 1986.  Today, 1050 CHUM airs Sports Talk.


➦In 1994...famed talk-show host, Larry King, did his last Westwood One show, leaving radio to concentrate on his nightly CNN hour.


➦In 1994...Radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, married Marta Fitzgerald. He was 43, she was 35. They divorced in 2004.

Ariana Grande To Give Benefit Concert In Manchester

(Reuters) -- Ariana Grande said on Friday that she will hold a benefit concert in Manchester for the victims of Monday's suicide bombing at her show in the English city.

Grande, 23, said in a message on her Instagram account that a date for the concert had not yet been worked out.

Monday's suicide bombing, which killed 22 people and injured more than 100, many of them young people, took place just after Grande had finished performing a concert in the northern English city. She later cancelled several future concerts scheduled in London and Europe.

"I'll be returning to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend time with my fans and to have a benefit concert in honor of and to raise money for the victims and their families. ... I will have details to share with you as soon as everything is confirmed," Grande wrote in an emotional message.

Grande has a large young female fan base, many of whom were caught up in Monday's attack by British-born Salman Abedi.

She said that her "Dangerous Woman" concert tour was intended to be a "space for my fans, a place for them to escape, to celebrate, to heal, to feel safe and to be themselves."

She said the victims would be "on my mind and in my heart everyday ... for the rest of my life."

But she added defiantly; "We will not quit or operate in fear. We won't let this divide us. We won't let hate win."

St. Louis Radio: iHM Returns Majic Brand On 103.7 FM

iHeartMedia St. Louis announced today the debut of UrbanAC Majic 103.7, W279AQ via KLOU 103.3 FM HD2 St. Louis. The station will kicked with 10,000 songs in a row commercial-free from the biggest names in R&B.

Majic 103.7 will broadcast hit music from artists such as Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Maxwell and Janet Jackson. A full programming line- up will be announced at a later date.

“The Majic brand is no stranger to St. Louis and has been iconic in the market since 1979,” said A.J., Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia St. Louis. “With the launch of the new Majic 103.7, we are resurrecting over 35 years of enriching lives and serving the St. Louis community.”

W279AQ 103.7 FM (250 watts)

“The heritage of the Majic 103.7 radio brand is like no other and I am honored to be a part of bringing it back to the St. Louis community,” said Derrick Martin, Region President for iHeartMedia St. Louis. “It’s also a privilege to welcome back Majic’s core group of fans and advertisers, and we look forward to engaging new ones as well.”

Miami Radio: 'PK's Throwback' Debuts On iHM's 105.5 FM

iHeartMedia/Miami has debuted “PK’s Throwback 105.5,” a new classic hip-hop outlet in Miami.

The station is airing commercial free for 105 days and playing “Old Skool” music from Bel Biv DeVoe, Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Luke, Jay Z, Lauryn Hill and more.

The driving force behind the new station is Papa Keith - the PK in the station’s moniker. Keith is afternoon host at urban contemporary  WMIB 103.5 The Beat,  who has strong ties to the South Florida hip-hop and R&B communities. He first honed his skills in hip-hop and reggae clubs and built up his name on the streets, eventually landing at Miami’s notorious underground station “Mixx 96,” which set off his career in radio.

“I’m so excited to share my music memories on this new station,” Keith said. “My listeners will get to hear another side of me.”

“PK’s Throwback 105.5” originates on the WMIB 103.5 FM HD3 and broadcasts on translator W288DD at 105.5, licensed to Tamarac FL

W288DD 105.5 FM ( 85 watts)

“We’re excited to launch PK’s Throwback 105.5 and throw it back in the now with Papa Keith,” senior vice president of programming Alex Tear added. “Get ready for the ultimate Old Skool playlist!”

iHeartMedia’s Troubles Worsen

iHeartMedia Inc.’s financial troubles deepened as the company extended the deadline — for a fifth time — on a $14.6 billion distressed debt exchange offer after few investors showed interest and those who did started backing out of the deal.

According to The Express-News, the deadline, which was scheduled to expire Friday, was extended to June 9 at 4 p.m.

The company said it needs more time to negotiate with investors and lenders on a debt restructuring plan. If executives cannot get an agreement, the company will likely have to file for bankruptcy, the company has previously said. iHeartMedia had $20.4 billion in outstanding debt as of March 31.

“People who tendered backed out,” said Patrice Cucinello, an analyst for Fitch Ratings in New York. “The noteholders are not receptive to the offer.”

The loss of investor interest “doesn’t give much comfort” to the possibility of a successful debt exchange, she said.

iHeartMedia recently hired Goldmans Sachs Group Inc., joining two other advisers, Moelis & Co. and Kirkland & Ellis, to help mediate negotiations, corporate debt research firm Debtwire reported.

The addition of Goldman Sachs “may help with negotiations,” said Cucinello. Fitch said in an April 25 report that iHeartMedia probably will have to file for bankrutcy.

The radio and billboard giant is trying to refinance about $8.3 billion in bonds and about $6 billion in loans. The debt-exchange terms call for various discounts on the debt and pushes out maturities by two years.

Philly Radio: CBS Radio Promotes Shelly Easton, Bobby Smith

CBS RADIO Philadelphia’s Senior Vice President and Market Manager David Yadgaroff Thursday announced the promotion of Shelly Easton to VP of Music Programming for Country WXTU-92.5 FM, HotAC WTDY Today’s 96.5 FM and Classic Hits WOGL 98.1 FM, and the promotion of Bobby Smith to Program Director of  98.1 WOGL.

Easton will remain the Program Director of WXTU in addition to her new responsibilities at WTDY and WOGL. Smith, current Program Director and on-air personality of Today’s 96.5 WTDY, will take on Program Director duties of WOGL. Both promotions are effective immediately.

“Shelly’s leadership at WXTU and across our industry makes her the ideal choice to lead the strategy and evolution of our music stations.  In his expanded role, Bobby will be managing two of Philadelphia’s top-5 cuming radio stations. These are very well deserved promotions for two of Philadelphia radio's finest,“ said Yadgaroff.

“This is an exciting opportunity and I am thrilled to work with such legendary brands and top notch talent on a daily basis,“ added Easton.

“I am elated to now be a part of the legendary brand at WOGL and excited to be joining this incredibly skilled staff,” said Smith.

In her new role, Easton will continue to program WXTU and now direct the digital, marketing and promotional strategies across WXTU, WOGL and WTDY.  Bobby will continue in his role as Program Director and morning drive host at WTDY and assume the Program Director role at 98.1 WOGL.

The appointments follow Monday’s departure of Gress from WOGL after 14 years of programming the top-rated station.  WOGL ranked first in Nielsen’s April PPM survey with a 6.9 share in persons 6+.

L-A Radio: Rodney On The ROQ Show Ends June 4

After 40 years of discovering new bands on KROQ 106.7 FM “Rodney on the Roq,” Rodney Bingenheimer announced on Facebook that he will be doing his last show from midnight to 3 a.m. PT on Monday, June 5.

“It has been an amazing run, and I will be thanking all of you when I say goodbye to KROQ next week,” the trendsetting DJ wrote in a post Thursday. “I am planning on some special callers and special music as I say a proper goodbye.”

According to Variety, the rock radio show — occasionally dropping in other genres as well — has been known for playing eclectic tracks since it started in August 1976. “Rodney on the Roq” was among the first to spin music from a number of now-famous talent including Katy Perry, the Sex Pistols, Blondie, Duran Duran, Sublime, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

“I may be done with KROQ, but I am not retiring,” the 69-year-old said. “I hope you continue to join me on that journey. I have the greatest fans of all time and you’ve made my time at KROQ a fantastic one.”

He ended the post optimistically saying, “Here’s to rock and roll. More to come.”

SWFL Radio: Sports Vet Pete Sheppard Joins WWCN

Pete Sheppard

Beasley Media Group has named Pete Sheppard as the new afternoon drive co-host with Craig Shemon on WWCN 99.3 FM in  Fort Myers-Naples, Florida. He began his new position on May 22, 2017.

“I am so excited to be part of the ESPN SWFL 99.3FM family and to be working afternoon drive from 2-6pm with Craig Shemon,” said Sheppard. “Our show will be highly energetic, informative and entertaining!”

“Pete Sheppard lacing up with Craig Shemon has just turned a great afternoon show into a major market heavy weight afternoon show overnight,” said Operations Manager Adam Star. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this new show was syndicated a year from now. Sherman and Sheppard are the real deal!”

Celebrating his 29th year in broadcasting, Sheppard most recently worked at WEEI in Boston, where he served as a part time fill-in on air personality for various day-parts on the station. In addition, he hosted NFL Sunday’s 4 hour pre-game show for the New England Patriots, as well as provided an in depth look at the rest of the NFL.

WWCN 99.3 FM (50 Kw) Red=Local Coverage

Previous to that, the radio sports veteran was part of the highly rated “The Big Show” in afternoon drive at WEEI and also hosted “The Real Post Game Show” with former NFL players Fred Smerlas and Steve DeOssie for 11 years.

Asheville Radio: Brian Hall Named SVP/Programming At iHM

Brian Hall

iHeartMedia has announced that Brian Hall has been named SVP/Programming for its Asheville cluster.

The Asheville cluster includes: Country WKSF 99.5 FM, Top40 WQNQ Star 104.3 FM, Rock WQNS 105.1 FM. 97.7 The Brew, N/T WWNX 570 AM and Progressive Talk WPEK 880 AM.

“Brian's vast experience in Asheville will really help us continue to dominate the market in every format,” said Area Pres. Bill McMartin. “We have an experienced team in Asheville who all have great respect for Brian and his ability to lead our programming efforts.”

“Brian’s expert leadership skills and market knowledge make him the perfect choice to lead the Asheville team,” said EVP/Programming-Northeast Division Meg Stevens. “We’re extremely excited to have him take the reins as our new Senior Vice President of Programming.”

"I am both honored and excited about this promotion,” said Hall. “We are one big family here at iHeartMedia/Asheville. I've been blessed to have been with the company for twenty-two years and am looking forward to our continued growth in ratings and revenue."

M-C Hot Links: What Others Are Saying..Friday

➤Is Fox News Cleaning Up Its Act? Or Just Trying to Make the Murdochs Richer?

➤Fox News’ Dueling Narratives: Journalism That Clashes With Fury

➤How Radio Can Survive in an Era of Podcasts and Streamers

➤How To Make Your Database a High Leverage Weapon

Gianforte Wins, Apologizes To Reporter

(Reuters photos)

(Reuters) -- Republican Greg Gianforte defeated a political novice to win Montana's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, barely 24 hours after he was charged with assaulting a reporter who asked him about the Republican healthcare bill.

A race that was expected to be a test of President Donald Trump's political influence ahead of next year's U.S. congressional elections was jolted by the charge against Gianforte, a wealthy technology executive who had urged voters to send him to Congress to help Trump.

Speaking to cheering supporters in Bozeman after his win, Gianforte apologized for the incident and said he was not proud of his actions.

"I should not have responded the way I did, and for that I'm sorry," Gianforte said. "I should not have treated that reporter that way."

Gianforte beat Democrat Rob Quist, a banjo player and first-time candidate who had focused his campaign on criticism of the Republican effort to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's healthcare law. CNN projected Gianforte would win. With 96 percent of the vote counted, he led Quist by 51 percent to 43 percent.

Gianforte prevailed despite being charged on Wednesday night with misdemeanor assault on Ben Jacobs, a political correspondent for the U.S. edition of the Guardian newspaper, who said the candidate "body-slammed" him during a campaign event in Bozeman.

Rob Quist

Gianforte's victory is a boost for Republicans, who are worried Trump's political stumbles and the unpopularity of the healthcare bill passed by the House will hurt their chances of holding on to a 24-seat House majority in next year's elections.

But the relatively close margin of the race in Republican-leaning Montana was encouraging to Democrats, who are already focused on next month's hotly contested special House election in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.

Gianforte had been favored to win in Montana, where Republicans have held the lone House seat for two decades and where Trump won by more than 20 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election.

The race had grown closer in the last week, however, as Quist focused on criticism of the House healthcare bill.

Quist, wearing his signature cowboy hat, told supporters in Missoula, Montana, that the grassroots energy of his campaign would continue.

"I know that Montanans will hold Mr Gianforte accountable," Quist said.

NBC Megyn Kelly Promos Start Airing

NBC has began tonight to run promos for its new Megyn Kelly newsmag, on Nightly News with Lester Holt.

Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly debuts Sunday, June 4 at 7 PM. Sundays at 7  is, not coincidentally, longtime berth for 60 Minutes. But, according to Deadline.com,  the CBS juggernaut usually airs repeats between May and September, which NBC News hopes means all those Sunday newsmag junkies looking for new material will turn to Kelly.



Sunday Night With Megyn Kelly will have a limited run this summer, returning after Sunday Night Football and the Winter Olympics conclude, in early 2018.

Fox News Pokes Sleeping Advertising Bear

(Reuters) -- For the second time this year, one of the entertainment conglomerate's popular prime-time programs faces a branding boycott. Twenty-First Century Fox isn't alone, though. YouTube, the web-video site operated by Alphabet's Google, has recently been in the crosshairs, too. Madison Avenue may be slowly transforming from a passive investor to a more activist one.

Cars.com, Peloton and others pulled their commercials from the Fox News show hosted by Sean Hannity, the President Donald Trump supporter who has been pushing a fake conspiracy theory involving the death of a Democratic National Committee staffer. The network retracted an online article it had published on the subject, but Hannity – who attracts an average 2.6 million watchers – stuck to his guns, claiming Fox News doesn’t speak for him. Several advertisers revolted this week.

A similar uprising occurred when more than 70 companies including Mercedes-Benz and T. Rowe Price abandoned Fox News host Bill O’Reilly after he faced a number of sexual-harassment allegations. He was soon booted from the Murdoch empire. YouTube also invited ire when ads were discovered next to objectionable videos. Agency group Havas and the likes of L'Oreal withheld budgets and demanded Google better police placement.

This tactic is relatively new. There has been little outcry from the mostly supine advertising community, for example, with regard to the National Football League and its concussion and spousal-abuse controversies. Likewise, the world soccer organization FIFA, mostly smoothed things over with sponsors amid a damaging bribery scandal.

The recent pushiness could partly be down to consumers swiftly mobilizing on social media to register their dissent. And it always helps to follow the money. Fox News last week experienced a drop in its prime-time ratings for the first time in 17 years. Google’s dominance also has been making advertisers increasingly nervous. They may have just handed advertisers easy excuses to fight back.