KOMO-TV, Aviation Contractor To Pay $40M For 2014 Chopper Crash

KOMO-TV Seattle, its aviation contractor and the estate of the station’s late pilot will pay $40 million to two men who were injured when a news helicopter nose-dived off the station’s rooftop near Seattle’s Space Needle four years ago and crashed into their cars.

According to The Seattle Times, the settlement, read in open court Monday, came after testimony and new records emerged in the final stages of the weeks­long civil trial bolstering contentions by surviving crash victims Guillermo Sanchez and Richard Newman that Sinclair Broadcast-owned KOMO and its contractor, Helicopters Inc., ignored long-standing safety concerns about landing on the station’s rooftop helipad.

In depositions leading up to the case, officials for the contractor had “already admitted they and KOMO were liable for this accident” — by violating safety terms in their contract and conceding the pilot had made a mistake, said David Beninger, the Seattle attorney who represented Newman.

“Then, they spent a lot of time during this trial trying to walk that admission back,” Beninger added. “At the end of the day, the evidence was pretty overwhelming — this was the wrong pilot with the wrong helicopter landing in the wrong place.”

Under the settlement, neither KOMO nor Helicopters Inc. admitted wrongdoing for the fiery crash on March 18, 2014, that killed veteran pilot Gary Pfitzner and photojournalist Bill Strothman, and injured Sanchez and Newman as they sat in their vehicles on a street next to the news station.

During an April 2017 deposition, Helicopter Inc.’s vice president of operations, Jeffrey Lieber, testified his firm felt pressured by KOMO to land at the rooftop helipad instead of Renton Municipal Airport because KOMO wanted to save money on fuel by using its own fuel tank on the helipad.

Keep Reading

And The New Leader of Radio's Influential Talkers Is...

Sean Hannity has supplanted Rush Limbaugh on Talkers Magazine’s annual Heavy Hundred list of influential radio talkers.

This is only the second time time this has ever happened in the 24 years the magazine has compiled the list. The only other time Limbaugh was not at top was in 2006 when Howard Stern held the top spot during the period he was transitioned from terrestrial to satellite radio.

Hannity’s influence and friendship with Pres. Donald Trump made this a call they had to make said Michael Harrison, Talkers magazine editor. The pair talk nightly, according to a recent New York magazine piece

“Sean has had an unprecedented year in talk radio,” Harrison told Rodney Ho at ajc.com. “Even last year we had a very intense discussion among our editors whether Sean should have been on top. We held out another year out of our respect for what Rush Limbaugh means to the industry and to the format.”

Indeed, Limbaugh basically invented talk radio as we know it in the late 1980s and remains the most popular host in America.

Harrison said he is willing to take the heat for the change in the rankings though he said his audience is inside the radio business, not consumers.

Check out the full Heavy Hundred list here.

The list is compiled with the following factors in mind: revenue, courage, effort, impact, longevity, potential, recognition, service, talent, and uniqueness.

Here is the top 5:

1. Sean Hannity
2. Rush Limbaugh
3. Dave Ramsey
4. Mark Levin
5. Howard Stern

Raleigh Radio: Alan Kirshbom To Manage iHM Cluster

iHeartMedia announced Monday that Alan Kirshbom has been named Market President for Raleigh.

As Market President, Kirshbom will be responsible for leveraging iHeartMedia Raleigh’s radio station brands and assets to provide quality programming and create new revenue opportunities. He will spearhead all aspects of the market’s operations including sales, programming, digital, events and promotion initiatives. Kirshbom will report to Dave Carwile, President of iHeartMedia’s Virginia/Carolina Region.

Alan Kirshbom

“We are thrilled to have Alan leading our team in Raleigh and are confident he’ll have an immediate and positive impact in the market,” said Carwile. “Alan combines a proven track record of sales leadership, creating culture and driving revenue growth. He will provide a great compliment to our outstanding sales and programming leadership for our stations.”

Kirshbom joins iHeartMedia Raleigh after previously serving as the Vice President and Market Manager for Cumulus in Memphis, Tennessee. He also served as Vice President and Market Manager for Entercom in Austin, Texas and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Kirshbom began his career at WRNO in New Orleans and is a graduate of the University of New Orleans.

“iHeartMedia’s Virginia/Carolina Region has assembled a world class winning team armed with all the innovative tools iHeartMedia has to offer,” said Kirshbom. “I am proud and thrilled to call Raleigh my new home. Together, we will continue to raise the bar on delivering successful marketing solutions for our clients and serving our community.”

S-F Radio: Rosalie Howarth EXITS KFOG

Rosalie Howarth, last of the longtime KFOG DJs, abruptly announced Sunday morning, May 20, at the end of her popular show “Acoustic Sunrise,” that she was leaving the station after 34 years.

Howarth, the senior announcer at the San Francisco station and only holdover from any number of staff purges, has finally been purged herself.

Howarth, who has been involved in the Bay Area music scene since she ran away to Haight-Ashbury for the Summer of Love, was most grateful that she was the rare DJ who was allowed to give a farewell show.

Rosalie Howarth (Mercury News photo)

Her two-year contract expired on Monday, May 21, and when she drove in from her Walnut Creek home Friday to start work on her Sunday show, she was told that her contract would not be renewed and she could take the weekend off while syndicated programming took her 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday slot.

But according to the S-F Chronicle,  her program director, Mat Bates, stood up to management and Howarth was granted a farewell show.

“Every song was loaded,” she said of her final show. “Every song was an all-time favorite or had a wistful farewell message.”

During her last break, she gave a shout-out to all the beloved former KFOG voices, and where they can be heard, either on the Internet, at pop-up stations or out on the street — Dave Morey, Dred Scott, Annalisa, Renee, Irish Greg and Webster.

Then she played “It’s My Life,” by the Beatles, and finally closed with “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” from Monty Python.

Her final words: “You guys have been the best, and we were the luckiest ones.”

KFOG was bought in 2005 by Cumulus Media Inc. of Atlanta.

At its peak, around 2007, KFOG rated seventh out of up to 40 stations, both AM and FM, a 2.7 share, according to Nielsen. But then Morey, who commanded the morning drive, suddenly quit in 2008 to move to the Michigan wilderness, and the long slow slide began.

By 2016, KFOG’s listenership had declined dramatically, which brought about the “March Massacre,” when four of the station’s six full-time voices were laid off at once, along with part-timer Howarth. The format was shifted toward a younger demographic, and New York morning man Matt Pinfield was brought in.

Two months later, “Acoustic Sunrise” was resurrected following a revolt by the “Fogheads,” as KFOG loyalists are known.

Her new show outlasted Pinfield, the former host of MTV’s “120 Minutes” who went into rehab before departing KFOG in June 2017. The station now runs syndicated shows out of Atlanta and Los Angeles and did not make the top 20 in the March ratings. Its listener share has dropped to 1.5, and Cumulus Media filed for bankruptcy in November.

NEPA Radio: Sue Henry OUT At Entercom's N/T WILK

Sue Henry

Talk show host Sue Henry is out at Newsradio WILK 980 AM  / 103.1 FM.

The Times-Tribune reports the circumstances behind Henry’s departure were not immediately clear, but she did confirm Monday was her last show with the station.

Henry has been a WILK broadcaster for 16 years, serving in the 9 a.m. to noon time slot as a lead-in to the nationally syndicated Rush Limbaugh Show.

Henry broke the news of her break-up with WILK on Facebook late Monday afternoon.

“I am no longer employed by WILK. I wish myself well in future endeavors,” the post said.

A short biography about Henry was still on WILK’s website Monday evening.

The biography said Henry specializes “in witty banter, politics, oddball music and a little bit of baseball chatter.”

Henry is a graduate of King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, where she serves as an adjunct faculty member and moderator of the school’s radio station.

Prior to joining WILK, Henry worked at The Citizens’ Voice.

Efforts to reach Ryan Flynn, general manager for the Entercom Communications stations in the region, were not immediately successful.

Tuscon Radio: Nick Wize Named APD For 3 iHM Stations

Nick Wize

iHeartMedia announced today that Nick Wize has been named Assistant Program Director for CHR KRQQ 93.7 FM, HipHop KOHT 98.3 FM & Adult Hits KMIY 92.9 FM effective June 11.

Wize will also take over afternoon drive on KRQQ from 3p-7p.

As Assistant Program Director, Wize will be responsible for supporting the Program Directors of KRQQ, KOHT & KMIY. He will report to David Adams, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Tucson. In addition, KRQQ/KOHT Program Director, D-Wayne Chavez, will move to afternoon drive on KOHT and Suzette Rodriguez, shifts to the midday slot from 10a-3p.

“Adding someone of Nick’s caliber to the already strong KRQ lineup is like winning the lottery! Nick will be an extremely valuable addition to the team; both on and off the air,” said David Adams, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Tucson “At the same time, D- Wayne’s return to afternoon drive on KOHT is a game-changer for the station! Born & raised in Tucson, D-Wayne knows his city, his station and the Hot 98.3 audience, which makes him the ideal person for this key role. Finally, moving Suzette to middays brings her star power and charisma to this important daypart as well as enhances our local connection with our listeners.”

“I’m looking forward to Nick joining iHeartmedia Tucson, with his knowledge and background he is the perfect fit to help take our team to the next level,” said D-Wayne Chavez, Program Director for KRQQ/KOHT. “I am also excited to return to afternoons on KOHT for a second time and eager to bring back a live and local show to the station.”

KRQQ 93.7 FM (93 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Wize was mostly recently with iHeartMedia Detroit, where his roles included Assistant Program Director & On-Air Talent for WKQI. His background also includes working for stations in New York and Florida. Wize began his career at iHeartMedia Detroit.

“I’m excited to sell my snow blower and join the amazing team at iHeartMedia Tucson!” said Wize. “Special thanks to David Adams, Paul Kelley, D-Wayne Chavez and Mike Saffer for trusting me behind the mic of the legendary 93.7 KRQ.”

NYC Radio: Craig Carton Rips Ponzi Charges, Evidence

Sports radio personality Craig Carton stepped up his legal strategy this past Friday, when his attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the securities fraud count against Carton stemming from the explosive federal indictment that accuses him and co-defendant Michael Wright of orchestrating a Ponzi scheme.

"Mr. Carton never intended or defrauded anyone at any time," reads a statement to the Daily News from the law firm Gottlieb & Janey, which is representing Carton.

Last Sept. 6, Carton, the former co-host of WFAN's "Boomer and Carton" show with ex-Jets quarterback Boomer Esaison, was arrested at his Tribeca home and was later charged with three felony counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, wire fraud and securities fraud. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York.

Carton, 49, and Wright allegedly carried out a ticket resale business and are accused of soliciting investments from a hedge fund and other individuals in order to buy concert tickets and resell them in the secondary market. Instead, the indictment claims, the two men used the money to pay off personal debts — in Carton's case, gambling debts — and to pay other individuals who had made earlier investments.

But Friday's filing argues that the government "has failed to include specific factual allegations as to how Mr. Carton possessed the requisite intent" to commit securities fraud when Carton entered into an agreement with a hedge fund in Dec. 2016 to secure financing for the purchase of concert tickets. Carton's lawyers present case law to support their argument.

Norfolk Radio: Nick Cattles Returning to Sports WVSP

WVSP and  Max Media announced the return of Nick Cattles, to ESPN Radio 94.1.

Rick Cattles

Cattles previously hosted afternoons from 2012-16 and will return as host of “The Nick Cattles Show” from 3-6pm weekdays starting on Monday, June 4th.

Listeners can expect a strongly opinionated, interactive show covering the local Hampton Roads sports scene, as well as a unique, local voice on the biggest national sports stories and topics of the day.

“I’m ecstatic to be returning to ESPN Radio 94.1. During my previous run, I feel like I developed a deep a and important connection with the sports fans of the 757, and I look forward to reestablishing and growing it even stronger.” says, Nick Cattles.

WVSP 94.1 FM (40 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

“A special thanks to the ownership and management team of Max Media for allowing me this opportunity. I can’t wait to get started on Monday, June 4th.”

Tampa Bay Radio: Russell Robertson Named SVP/Sales For iHM

Russell Robertson

iHeartMedia announced Monday that Russell Robertson has been named Senior Vice President of Sales for iHM stations in Tampa Bay.

Russell will report to Chris Soechtig, Market President for iHeartMedia Tampa Bay.

“I’m thrilled to have Russell join our team”, said Soechtig. “His 10+ years of experience in iHeartMedia’s Pacific Northwest & San Diego Regions coupled with his passion for helping clients grow their business makes him the ideal choice for SVPS in Tampa Bay.”

Russell comes to Tampa from iHeartMedia Seattle, where he most recently served as the SVPS. He also served as the General Sales Manager for KOZ, KGB, KLSD, and Chargers Radio Broadcast for iHeartMedia San Diego.

“I am very thankful for the opportunity I had in Seattle and working with some amazing broadcasters. The opportunity to be in my home state working with the Tampa iHeartMedia team was an opportunity I had to pursue,” said Robertson. “The last 17 years with iHeartMedia has allowed me the chance to work in amazing markets like San Diego, Seattle and now Tampa.  My wife Amanda, my kids Tori and Zack and I are looking forward to settling in and making Tampa home.” 

Seattle Radio: Mark Glynn Named SVP/Sales For iHM

Mark Glynn

iHeartMedia announced Monday that Mark Glynn has been named Senior Vice President of Sales for iHM's stations in the Seattle market.

As Senior Vice President of Sales, Glynn will be responsible for iHeartMedia Seattle’s revenue platform. He will report to Robert Dove, President, Pacific Northwest Region for iHeartMedia.

“Mark has a successful track record in the Seattle market with strong established relationships,” said Dove. “I look forward to working with him as we continue to leverage iHeartMedia Seattle’s iconic station brands and unmatched market reach to build a robust sales strategy.”

Glynn most recently served as a Vice President of Sales for TTWN, KBKS and KUBE in Seattle. He began his career at iHeartMedia Minneapolis and is a graduate of St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

“I’m honored to be given the opportunity to lead the sales organization for iHeartMedia Seattle,” said Glynn. “Audio is booming, and iHeartMedia Seattle is in a fantastic position to help advertisers get their messages heard by leveraging their eight iconic radio stations and lineup of superstar influencer talent.”

SiriusXM Radio: Here Comes Summer's Good Vibrations

SiriusXM announced Monday that The Beach Boys, the groundbreaking and GRAMMY Award®-winning American rock band, will launch an exclusive full-time summer-long SiriusXM channel, Good Vibrations: The Beach Boys Channel, on Thursday, May 24.

Good Vibrations: The Beach Boys Channel gives SiriusXM listeners a channel that, for an entire summer, will evoke sunshine, surf, cool cars, and good times. The channel will feature not only the band's hits and rarities, it will also include guest DJs and stories from original band members Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine, along with longtime keyboardist and vocalist Bruce Johnston, guitarist David Marks, and percussionist John Stamos, all discussing song inspiration, their careers and lives on the road, memories of founding members Carl and Dennis Wilson, and, of course, a whole lot of fun, fun, fun.

Subscribers will also hear alternative and live versions of their favorite songs, studio chatter, rarely heard rehearsal takes, and anecdotes about The Beach Boys from other musicians and celebrities. Listener requests will be take on 833-FUNFUNFUN.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of The Beach Boys' induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And the band has just announced the June 8 release of 'The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra' (Capitol/UMe), an album that pairs The Beach Boys' original vocal performances with new symphonic arrangements, recently recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios.

"The Beach Boys' music is one of the bedrocks of American popular music and is still present in our lives today. We are excited to follow the band from their California roots in the early 1960s through to today, so we can launch The Beach Boys ultimate exclusive channel for SiriusXM listeners," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer of SiriusXM. "It's been a thrill working with the whole band in bringing their body of work, in all its joy and phenomenal range, to our subscribers.  Without The Beach Boys, music, and summer, wouldn't be the same."

 Singer, songwriter, producer, arranger and co-founder Brian Wilson underscores the importance of the channel. "People need to be sung to," he said. "Hearing our music on the radio for the first time was quite a moving experience. We hope that with this SirusXM channel, The Beach Boys have yet another way to sing to the people."

"It's a blessing that as kids from Southern California we were able to document our lives and share that experience with our music. We're excited that Good Vibrations: The Beach Boys Channel allows everyone to continue to share that experience," said Mike Love, singer, songwriter, and co-founder.

Al Jardine, The Beach Boys' rhythm guitarist, vocalist and co-founder spoke to SiriusXM about the channel, "We've always said the magic musical serum is joy, and we all need more joy in our lives.  SiriusXM helps us bring that joy to all of our fans - past, present, and future."

SiriusXM's Good Vibrations: The Beach Boys Channel will launch on Thursday, May 24 at 12:00 pm ET and will run through the summer, via satellite on channel 4, and through the SiriusXM app on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online.

Sony to Buy EMI Music Publishing

Sony Corp said on Tuesday it would pay about $2.3 billion to gain control of EMI, becoming the world’s biggest music publisher in an industry that has found new life in streaming services.

According to Reuters, the acquisition, which gives Sony a catalogue of more than 2 million songs from artists such as Kanye West, Sam Smith and Sia, is the biggest so far by new CEO Kenichiro Yoshida.

Kenichiro Yoshida

The deal seeks to take advantage of the rapid growth in streaming music services like Spotify and Apple Music which has driven a recovery in the music industry.

It also fits in with Yoshida’s mission to make revenue streams more stable after his predecessor engineered a major turnaround that shifted the firm’s focus away from low-margin consumer electronics to entertainment content and image sensors.

EMI currently commands 15 percent of the music publishing industry which with the current Sony ATV business would make the Japanese entertainment and electronics giant the industry leader with market share of 26 percent, a company spokesman said.

Other major players include Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group although their market share figures were not immediately available.

“The rise in digital streaming is also expanding songwriter royalty revenues, with Sony capturing value as manager of the copyrights backed by direct deals with the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, SoundCloud and YouTube,” Macquarie analyst Damian Thong said in a report.

Yoshida, who took the helm in April, said his strategy was to prioritize stable cash flow while minimizing the impact of volatile sales cycles of game consoles and other electronics gadgets.

Radio Takes Its BMI Royalty Dispute To Rate Court

The Radio Music License Committee, which represents many US broadcasters, has been in long-drawn out negotiations with one of the big American song right collecting societies – BMI – over a new licence, with neither side being able to agree on rates.

An interim deal was done in early 2017 on what royalties RMLC-affiliated stations should pay while negotiations were ongoing, but no agreement has been reached on long-term rates. With that in mind, the radio grouping filed papers with the federal rate court on Thursday evening, requesting that a judge now intervene.

According to Complete Music Update, most attention given to the current incarnation of the Music Modernization Act has focused on its efforts to fix the way streaming services are licensed by publishers and songwriters, and the bid to end the pre-1972 quirk on the sound recordings side.

But the legislation also has something to say about the way the rate courts set royalties on BMI and ASCAP licences. One of the proposed kickbacks to the songwriter community for making the licensing process easier for streaming services, is that the criteria employed by the rates courts when hearing disputes on ASCAP or BMI licences are changed so to more accurately reflect market rates.

In the meantime, it remains to be seen how this rate court battle plays out. BMI argues that the royalty rates proposed by the RMLC are based on “flawed market data”.

The society’s Executive VP Of Licensing & Creative, Mike Steinberg, said on Friday: “BMI has spent more than two years attempting to negotiate a new rate with the Radio Music License Committee that fairly and accurately reflects the scope and quality of the music we represent”.

NBC Vet To Head Amazon Studios

Vernon Sanders

Veteran TV exec Vernon Sanders has joined Amazon Studios as co-head of television. He will oversee creative and production units for Amazon Prime Video.

Variety reports Sanders will work alongside Albert Cheng, who was named co-head of TV in a reorganization of Amazon’s entertainment division under new top executive Jennifer Salke in April. At the time, sources told Variety that Salke was in the process of looking for another executive with a creative background to lead the digital company’s television efforts with Cheng, who also serves as Amazon Studios COO.

“I’m thrilled to announce Vernon Sanders’ appointment to Co-Head of Television for Amazon Studios,” said Salke. “Vernon’s undeniable expertise in nurturing talent and creative material will be a huge asset to our studio. Having worked side-by-side with him for seven years at NBC Entertainment, I can speak first-hand to his talents as a leader and creative force. I know Vernon and Albert Cheng will be a formidable team as we continue to build Amazon Studios.”

Like Salke, Sanders is a veteran of NBC, where he held posts as executive vice president of current programming and executive vice president of comedy. He also has experience in drama-series development, having been senior VP of drama at the network and sister studio Universal Television.

“I am tremendously excited to be joining Jennifer Salke, Albert Cheng and the forward-thinking team at Amazon Studios as they build an incredible destination for high-quality, compelling content,” Sanders said. “My time as a producer has reaffirmed my passion for working closely with creators to champion shows which delight and surprise our audiences. I’m grateful to my family at NBCU for their support as I jump into this new challenge.”

Among the series Sanders worked on while at NBC are “30 Rock,” “The Office,” “Friday Night Lights,” “This is Us,” “The Blacklist,” “The Good Place,” and the revival of “Will and Grace.” He left his post as head of current programming at NBC in November and signed a production deal with Universal TV.

U-K Paves Way For Comcast's Sky Bid

Britain’s culture secretary said on Monday that he was unlikely to block the American cable giant Comcast’s proposed takeover of the British satellite broadcaster Sky, the latest twist in a merger battle between Comcast and Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox.

In a statement, the culture secretary, Matt Hancock, said he was not inclined to intervene in Comcast’s $30.7 billion bid for Sky because “the proposed merger does not raise concerns in relation to public interest considerations which would meet the threshold for intervention.”

The NYTimes reportsHancock’s remarks came amid a protracted effort by Fox to win full control of Sky, a company in which Mr. Murdoch’s company already holds a 39 percent stake. Fox submitted its current bid for Sky in December 2016, but the company has faced a series of regulatory roadblocks since then. Mr. Hancock is still considering that bid and is expected to make a final decision about it by sometime in June.

Comcast and Fox are in something of a bidding war for the satellite broadcaster. Under the terms of its offer, Comcast would pay 12.50 pounds, or about $16.83, in cash for each Sky share. Fox has offered £10.75 a share. Sky had originally supported the Fox bid, but in April withdrew that recommendation after the Comcast proposal was submitted.

The competing offers by Fox and Comcast highlight the appeal of Sky, which has 23 million subscribers spread across multiple European countries, owns lucrative rights to broadcast English Premier League soccer games and other professional sports matches and has an online streaming service.