Bloomberg reports the world’s second-largest music company plans to release nearly 40 podcasts this year and is developing more than 100 original programs, according to a statement Wednesday. Sony’s slate of upcoming shows includes two new programs from director Adam McKay, as well as a music podcast that analyzes hits from the 1990s.
Through five joint ventures, Sony has already released shows such as “Morally Indefensible,” a companion to FX’s docuseries “A Wilderness of Error,” as well as the true-crime program “Smokescreen: Fake Priest.”
That slate of shows represents the biggest investment in podcasting to-date by a major music label, according to Dennis Kooker, the global head of Sony Music’s digital business. Kooker is eager to cash in on a booming audio business that could siphon away listeners -- and advertisers -- from radio and streaming services.
“We have a broad strategy and we want to be in every genre,” Kooker said. “We feel like we have a great story and want to be attracting advertisers.”
Record labels have seldom strayed from their business of identifying and developing new musicians. But they have grown more interested in podcasting as listenership has soared. More than 100 million people in the U.S. listen to a podcast every month, according to Edison Research. Ad sales grew 48 per cent last year, reaching US$708.1 million, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
Sony Corp.’s music division and its peers have become even more interested as Spotify Technology SA, their biggest partner, has invested hundreds of millions in the industry. Founded as a music streaming service, Spotify now identifies itself as an audio company and has argued that podcasting will grow into a multibillion-dollar advertising business.
In that sense, podcasting poses both a threat and an opportunity. The larger it gets, the less reliant Spotify is on music -- meaning record companies have less leverage. Music companies currently collect more than 70 per cent of Spotify sales.
But if podcasting does grow into a multibillion-dollar industry, Sony may be able to position itself to grab a substantial portion of those sales. “There is a tremendous opportunity for advertising in podcasts,” Kooker said.
Controversial Fox News Channel personality Tucker Carlson had all five of his weeknight programs land in the Nielsen company’s 20 most popular programs last week. Four of them were in the Top 10.
The Associated Press reports Fox’s Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, as well as MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, all had programs in the Top 20 last week, a reflection of interest in the presidential campaign as well as the relative paucity of entertainment options on broadcast television.
Hannity’s program landed in the Top 20 three times, including two nights the host was on vacation.
None of the broadcast networks topped an average of three million viewers in prime time last week. NBC, with 2.82 million, narrowly edged ABC’s 2.81 million viewers. CBS had 2.6 million, Univision had 1.3 million, ION Television had 1.2 million, Fox had 1.17 million and Telemundo had 1.1 million.
Fox News Channel led the way among cable networks, averaging 3.43 million viewers in prime time last week. MSNBC had 2.11 million, TNT had 1.74 million, ESPN had 1.49 million and TLC had 1.28 million.
11. “NCIS,” CBS, 4.31 million.
12. NBA Playoffs: Oklahoma City vs. Houston (Wednesday), ESPN, 4.29 million.
13. “Big Brother” (Thursday), CBS, 4.24 million.
14. “Hannity” (Thursday), Fox News, 4.17 million.
15. “Big Brother (Wednesday), CBS, 4.162 million.
16. “The Ingraham Angle” (Monday), Fox News, 4.16 million.
17. “Transplant,” NBC, 3.96 million.
18. “The Rachel Maddow Show” (Tuesday), MSNBC, 3.873 million.
19. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Friday), Fox News, 3.832 million.
20. “The Ingraham Angle” (Tuesday), Fox News, 3.828 million.
ABC’s “World News Tonight” led the evening news ratings race with an average of 8.2 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 7.3 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 5.3 million.
Fred Toucher has returned to WBZ-FM 98.5 The Sports Hub’s morning show Wednesday, seven weeks after he took leave from the highly rated “Toucher and Rich” program to seek treatment for alcohol dependency.
“I’m back baby!,’’ wrote Toucher on his Instagram account a little past noon on Tuesday, captioning a photo with his wife and two children. “It’s been a crazy few weeks but I survived. I want to thank all of you for the tremendous support. I have read all your messages and they helped me more than you could imagine. I will tell my story starting tomorrow at 6am on Toucher and Rich 98.5 the sports hub.”
The Boston Glube reports Toucher took leave from the show on July 22, a day after an unsettling program in which he shared details of his personal life and the effect they were having on him. Co-host Rich Shertenlieb suggested during the July 21 program that perhaps he should take some time off.
On the 22d, Shertelieb explained Toucher’s absence. “Listen, with everything that’s going on, Fred’s going to take a couple of days off,’’ said Shertenlieb. “And we love the guy, can’t wait until he gets back.”
Toucher announced via Instagram on July 27 that he was going to receive treatment for alcohol addiction and would be leaving for rehabilitation the next day.
“Here is a non sarcastic post. I can’t sleep tonight because I’m going to rehab for my alcohol addiction tomorrow,’’ he wrote. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this scared in my life. I have read all of your posts and they have meant the world to me. You made me feel a lot better about my struggle. I am looking forward to get back to the radio but I need to get well. I hope I can make those of you that like the show still tune in. Once again I have been overwhelmed with your support. Thank you so much.”
The “Toucher and Rich” program has long been one of the most popular radio shows in the Boston market, starting out on now-defunct rock station WBCN before becoming a sports show when the 98.5 launched in August 2009. The show was No. 1 in its day part for the last full ratings period in the spring. The fall ratings period begins Thursday.
CUMULUS MEDIA announces that it has tapped Steve Dent as On-Air Host, Mornings, for WNDX-FM 93.9X, Indy’s Rock Station.
Dent debuts this week on WNDX’s morning show, which airs weekdays from 6:00am-10:00am.
A 20-year Rock radio veteran, Dent was previously Program Director and On-Air Personality for iHeartMedia’s WZDA (Alternative) and WTUE (Classic Rock) in Dayton, OH. Prior to that, he was Program Director and On-Air Personality for Alternative-formatted WXEG-FM in Dayton, OH.
Steven Lewis, Program Director, WNDX, commented: “93.9X has continued to grow and establish its brand since it launched last May. Steve Dent brings years of experience in the format, a passion for the music, strong on-air skills, and the tools to take Mornings to the next level. I couldn't be happier to have him on the station and part of our Cumulus Rock family."
Dent remarked: "I could not be more excited to be joining the amazing team at 93.9X. They are building something special here in Indy and I'm honored that I get to be a part of it. Thanks to Steven Lewis, Dave Milner, Doug Hamand, Chuck Fredrick, Boomer and Troy Hanson for the opportunity to join the Cumulus family and host Mornings for Indy’s Rock station. I can’t wait to get to know the XMOB!”
ESPN has announced that Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster Doris Burke will serve as game analyst for the NBA Finals on ESPN Radio this season.
Doris Burke
The pioneering commentator becomes the first woman to serve as a game analyst for the NBA Finals on any platform. She will provide radio commentary alongside play-by-play voice Marc Kestecher and analyst Jon Barry for the NBA Finals and both Conference Finals series on site at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. – home of the NBA Playoffs.
Burke has broken barriers several times throughout her Hall of Fame broadcasting career, including in 2017 when she became the first woman to serve as a full-time NBA television game analyst on ESPN and ABC – a role she continues to hold. She was also the first woman to serve as a national college basketball game analyst on ESPN. Additionally, Burke was the first woman to receive the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
NBA Countdown, hosted by Maria Taylor, will serve as the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference Finals pregame and halftime show. NBA Countdown will emanate from ESPN’s Seaport Studios in New York, N.Y. throughout the remainder of the postseason. Taylor’shigh-profile ESPN footprint includes roles as college football reporter and NCAA Women’s College Basketball Championship host. Taylor is joined on NBA Countdown by analysts Jalen Rose, Stephen A. Smith, Jay Williams and Paul Pierce as well as ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski reporting from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Taylor begin hosting NBA Countdown on ESPN and ABC at the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. ESPN recently announced Smith had joined the NBA Countdown show.
ESPN host and journalist Rachel Nichols, who has hosted ESPN’s The Jump since 2016, will expand her role to become the sideline reporter for the NBA Finals on ABC and the Eastern Conference Finals on ESPN. Nichols will join the longest-tenured NBA Finals broadcast team of Mike Breen and analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson to call the action. The coveted role includes pregame, in-game and postgame interviews as well as hosting responsibilities for the NBA trophy presentation upon conclusion of the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference Finals. Nichols will continue to host daily editions of The Jump throughout the NBA Playoffs from the NBA Florida Campus. ESPN NBA analyst Richard Jefferson will regularly join Nichols on The Jump from site with ESPN NBA reporters Adrian Wojnarowski, Malika Andrews and Marc Spears also making on-site contributions to the show.
“We’re proud of the tremendous collective effort put forth by our NBA commentators and all of our ESPN personnel – in front of the camera and behind the scenes – who have played vital roles in bringing the NBA back at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The incredible depth of our coverage team and its diverse array of voices has been on full display. We’re looking forward to an exciting remainder of the NBA Playoffs as we continue to work closely with our friends at the NBA to finish the season strong.”
Beasley Media Group announces the following staff promotions at Country WKLB 102.5 FM in Boston:
Dawn
Dawn Santolucito has been promoted to the position of Assistant Program Director and Marketing Director at the station. She has been serving as Music Director and Marketing Director at the station since August 2017. She has been with the station for the past 10 years.
Jim
“I would like to thank the Beasley’s, Justin Chase, Cadillac Jack and Mary Menna for this great opportunity,” said Santolucito. “Country 102.5 is a special station, near and dear to my heart. I am excited to take on this new role, and I am looking forward to all the things our incredible team will accomplish together.”
In addition, Jim Clerkin has been promoted to the position of Music Director and Producer of the Jonathan Weir and Ayla Brown Morning Show heard weekday mornings on the station.
“Having known both Dawn and Jim for years, I can say wholeheartedly that these promotions are extremely well deserved on both fronts, said Beasley Media Group Boston Director of Programming, Cadillac Jack. “Dawn has been an integral part of the fabric of Country 102.5 for over a decade, and both her work ethic and strong leadership speak for themselves! Jim has a well-established track record as an excellent music director for winning brands, which he will continue here! Country 102.5 is lucky to have their many talents with us for years to come!”
SiriusXM has today its comprehensive coverage of the 2020 NFL season, which will deliver live broadcasts of every game as well as new exclusive shows and in-depth 24/7 news and talk on the SiriusXM NFL Radio channel.
The 101st NFL season begins on Thursday, September 10 (8:20 pm ET) when the Houston Texans visit the Super Bowl LIV Champion Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of last season's AFC Divisional Playoff game. Throughout the season all NFL games through Super Bowl LV will air nationwide on SiriusXM radios. Games are also available on the SiriusXM app and at home on connected devices and speakers for authenticated subscribers with the SiriusXM All Access package.
SiriusXM offers play-by-play channels dedicated to the official radio broadcasts of every NFL team, giving its subscribers access to both the home and visiting team broadcasts for every game.
SiriusXM's NFL schedule will also include multiple Spanish-language broadcasts. Schedules can be found at SiriusXM.com/NFLschedule20.
In addition to live play-by-play, subscribers continue to get in-depth and comprehensive NFL talk 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the SiriusXM NFL Radio channel, with new programming for 2020.
The daily programming lineup on SiriusXM NFL Radio features shows hosted by NFL experts and interviews with players, coaches and executives from around the league.
The SiriusXM NFL Radio lineup also adds a new daily show, Airing It Out, hosted by SiriusXM's Bob Papa and former coach Charlie Weis (weekdays, 10:00 am – noon ET).
SiriusXM NFL Radio's team of analysts also includes Hall of Famers Gil Brandt, Derrick Brooks, Tim Brown, James Lofton, Anthony Munoz and Bill Polian, former NFL executives Mark Dominik and Pat Kirwan, and former players Erik Coleman, Charles Davis, David Diehl, Bruce Gradkowski, A.J. Hawk, Torry Holt, Brad Hopkins, Ed McCaffrey, Jim Miller, Kirk Morrison, Brady Quinn, Geoff Schwartz and Max Starks.
SiriusXM NFL Radio voices also include a number of NFL insiders and radio veterans including Howard Balzer, Vic Carucci, Adam Caplan, John Clayton, Brian Custer, Zig Fracassi, Mike Keith, Dan Leberfeld, Bill Lekas, Alex Marvez, Lance Medow, Tom Pelissero, Shae Peppler, Jeff Rickard, Steve Torre, Evan Washburn and Cole Wright.
The New York-based media giant promoted Bonnie Hammer, a 30-year company veteran to the role of vice chairman, a slot left empty following the recent departure of Ron Meyer. Pearlena Igbokwe was promoted to Hammer’s role of chairman of Universal Studio Group, making her one of the highest ranking black executives at the company, reports The NY Post.
Meyer abruptly exited the company behind “Superstore” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” last month after he admitted to settling a lawsuit with Charlotte Kirk, an actress with whom he’d had a brief “consensual affair.” Meyer has also claimed he was being extorted by “parties” close to Kirk.
Meyer’s extortion claims prompted an FBI probe and spurred an investigation at NBCU over the use of company funds in exchange for sex and other misconduct.
Wednesday’s promotions will have NBCU’s Hammer, who recently led the company’s global television business, report to NBCU Chief Executive Officer Jeff Shell and serve as a “key advisor.”
While Meyer has mostly advised NBCU’s film business, Hammer will focus on its television business, an area where she spent her whole career, a source close to the company said. She will also advise on anti-discrimination and other “prosocial” initiatives, the company said.
During her career, Hammer oversaw the creation of Peacock, NBCU’s new streaming platform and she ran the company’s cable entertainment portfolio, which included USA Network, Syfy, Bravo, Oxygen and E! Entertainment, among other things.
Igbokwe, who most recently served as Universal TV president, will grab the reins from Hammer, overseeing Universal Television, Universal Content Productions and NBCUniversal International Studios. During her time at NBCU, Igbokwe helped develop shows like “Russian Doll,” “The Good Place” and Dick Wolf’s “FBI” and “FBI: Most Wanted.” She will also report directly to Shell.
Shell praised both Hammer and Igbokwe, calling the television studios “key growth engines for the company.”
“This is an exciting time for our business, with demand for entertainment content at an all-time high and more distribution platforms available than ever before,” he added.
But behind the scenes, the Comcast-owned NBCU has been cutting costs due to economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. It is currently in the process of broad-scale layoffs that kicked off last month.
The National Association of Broadcasters will hold its annual gathering Oct. 9-13, 2021, in Las Vegas. The show had been planned for April after the 2020 show was called off because of the pandemic.
The decision was announced in an email to NAB members by Gordon H. Smith, president and CEO of the organization.
“As we look ahead to 2021 and beyond, our top priority is to deliver a successful NAB Show,” Smith wrote in an email to members and the media. “We have worked diligently over the last few weeks and months monitoring a range of variables, including health and safety concerns, economic indicators, industry developments and travel restrictions, to gain an understanding of overall trends and future conditions for holding a major event in 2021. We have also reached out extensively to the show community to collect feedback."
This year’s industry-only event, which draws at least 90,000 attendees and more than 1,600 exhibitors, was to take place April 18-22, 2020, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority ranked the NAB Show 2020 as the fourth-largest convention based on attendance with No. 3 being this week’s ConExpo-Con/Ag, also being held at the convention center.
The NAB show’s estimated economic impact last year in Las Vegas was $153.3 million, according to the LVCVA.
Paul Kagan, who built his expertise in the budding cable television business into the longtime media consulting business Kagan and Associates, died Aug. 23 of kidney failure in Carmel, Calif.
Kagan was born and raised in the Bronx and graduated Hunter College. He started out as a sportswriter in Binghampton, N.Y. and worked as a dj and sports announcer. In New York, he did PR for Stan Lee at Marvel Comics and sold radio advertising. While working as a broadcasting securities analyst at E.F. Hutton, he began his fascination with the cable television industry.
He founded Paul Kagan Associates in 1969, publishing the first newsletter on the subject, and becoming the first analyst to publish public company valuations based on multiples of cash flow and computations of the private value of public media companies.
He moved the company to Carmel in 1978 and over nearly 50 years, published more than 38 newsletters and 95 databooks on cable TV, radio, television, movies, internet and broadband media and sports.
Known as “the cable guru,” Kagan conducted hundreds of seminars and conferences around the world, and served as an appraiser of media values as well as managing stock and bond funds and consulting for companies and government agencies.
Fresh out of Hunter College in the early '60s, Kagan worked at then-WBRX 1280 AM Berwick PA as a DJ and sportscaster.
Kagan and Associates launched the website PKBaseline in 1995, the first to offer pay-per-view information.
PKA was sold to Primedia in 2000, and later renamed Kagan Research. It continues to operate as SNL Kagan, a unit of S&P Global Market Intelligence.
He co-founded the Cable Center in Denver, was co-founder of the John Bayliss Broadcast Foundation, was a fellow of the New York Society of Security Analysts, and was a member of the Media Analysts Group of New York. He was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2011.
➦In 1920...KNX Los Angeles began broadcasting as 6ADZ. Although KNX received its first formal broadcasting station license on December 8, 1921, the station has traditionally dated its founding to September 10, 1920, starting with broadcasts conducted by Fred Christian over his amateur station, 6ADZ. Christian was a former shipboard radio operator, who later explained that he began the broadcasts in order to provide something to listen to by customers who had constructed receivers from parts purchased at the store. Christian began making broadcasts with a five-watt vacuum-tube transmitter, operating on the standard amateur wavelength of 200 meters (1500 kHz).
Initially there were no specific standards in the United States for radio stations making transmissions intended for the general public, and numerous stations under various classifications made entertainment broadcasts. However, effective December 1, 1921, the Department of Commerce, regulators of radio at this time, adopted a regulation that formally created a broadcasting station category, and stations were now required to hold a Limited Commercial license authorizing operation on wavelengths of 360 meters for "entertainment" broadcasts or 485 meters for "market and weather reports" (833 and 619 kHz). By the end of 1922 over 500 stations would be authorized nationwide.
On December 8, 1921, the Electric Lighting Supply Company was issued a broadcasting station license with the randomly assigned call letters KGC, authorizing operation on the 360 meter entertainment wavelength. The station's location was listed as Fred Christian's Harold Way home. The shared 360 meter wavelength required times-haring agreements between an increasing number of stations needing exclusive time periods. On May 4th the Los Angeles Times reported that a total of seven local stations were slated to make broadcasts that day, comprising a schedule that ran from noon to 9:00 p.m., with KGC assigned 2:00-2:30 and 7:30-8:00 p.m.
KNX - 1925
On May 4, 1922, the Electric Lighting Supply Company was issued a broadcasting license for a station with the randomly assigned call letters of KNX, also on 360 meters. This was technically considered to be a second station in addition to KGC, however, after KGC was formally deleted on June 20, 1922, the Department of Commerce concluded that KGC and KNX were functionally the same station, and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) records list December 8, 1921 as KNX's "date first licensed".
The new authorization coincided with preparations for a move to the California Theater, with Fred Christian continuing as station manager. On June 12, 1922 the Los Angeles Times reported that "After more than two months of preparation, the new broadcast station at the California Theater had its opening program Saturday evening at 9:15, sending out a wavelength of 510 meters [588 kHz].
Bob Crane KNX - 1960
KNX's power was raised to 100 watts in early August 1922. In the fall of 1924, Guy Earl, Jr., owner of the Los Angeles Evening Express, arranged for the newspaper's purchase of KNX. The Express made significant upgrades, including increasing the power to 500 watts, and began broadcasting from the Paul G. Hoffman Studebaker building in Hollywood. KNX was one of the last stations to have stayed on the original 360 meter wavelength, and the newspaper engineered a move to 890 kHz. It remained on this frequency until November 11, 1928, when the station was reassigned to 1050 kHz, under the provisions of a major reallocation resulting from the Federal Radio Commission's (FRC) General Order 40.
In early 1928 KNX changed owners and was then operated by the Western Broadcast Company. In 1929 the station's transmitter power was upgraded from 500 to 5,000 watts, followed by an increase to 10,000 watts in 1932. In 1933, the station moved its studios to another part of Hollywood, after being granted permission by the FRC on June 7, 1932, to raise its output to 25,000 watts. The following year, KNX's transmitting power was raised to the nationwide maximum of 50,000 watts, which the station continues presently.
CBS purchased KNX in 1936 and began operating it as its West Coast flagship, which ended CBS's eight-year affiliation with KHJ. In 1938, the CBS Columbia Square studios were dedicated for KNX as well as West Coast operations for the entire CBS radio network. That October, the station carried Orson Welles' celebrated version of The War of the Worlds. In March 1941 the station was shifted to 1070 AM as part of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement assignments, where it has been ever since.
In 2009, KNX adopted the slogan "All news, all the time." It was previously used for 40 years by KFWB, KNX's historic rival in the news radio wars before both became sister stations through the 1995 merger of Westinghouse Electric (KFWB's owner) and CBS. KFWB's format change to news-talk in September 2009 (and currently as a Regional Mexican station) now leaves KNX the only all-news outlet in the Los Angeles area, which is now emphasized in its alternate slogan, "Southern California's only 24-hour local news & traffic station".
On February 2, 2017, CBS agreed to merge CBS Radio with Entercom. The merger was approved on November 9, 2017 and consummated 8 days later. ➦In 1933…Early radio entertainer Jimmy Durante first appeared Eddie Cantor's "Chase and Sanborn Hour" with Eddie Cantor.
➦In 1935…The radio program "Popeye, the Sailor," debuted on NBC Red Network as a 15 minute, three-times-a-week feature. But instead of spinach giving him strength (as in the comics and cartoons), it was the sponsor’s breakfast cereal Wheatena. “Wheatena’s me diet / I ax ya to try it / I’m Popeye the Sailor Man”.
➦In 1945...KLS 1310 AM changed its call letters to KWBR and changed its format to focus on an African-American audience. In 1959, it was bought by the owners of Memphis radio station WDIA, and the call letters were changed to KDIA. During the 1960s through the 1980s, the station was the premier soul and funk station in the San Francisco Bay Area. The station helped launch the careers of such musicians as Sly and the Family Stone. Its tagline at that time was "KDIA, Lucky 13."
For twenty-five years, the call letters KDIA were synonymous with soul music in the Bay Area, according to the Bay Area Radio Museum. Descended from the pioneering Oakland station KLS — which itself was born from an early experimental station, 6XAM, in 1921 and became KWBR in 1945 — the 1,000-watt station had begun emphasizing programs that targeted the local African-American audience around the end of World War II.
By the late 1950s, while still known as KWBR, the station was competing with KSAN 1450 AM in San Francisco for black listeners with rhythm-and-blues music and popular disc jockeys, including Big Don Barksdale and Bouncin' Bill Doubleday. In July 1959, KWBR was sold for $550,000 to the Sonderling Stations group, operator of the legendary Memphis station, WDIA. On September 4, 1959, KWBR became KDIA, reflecting its new parentage. (Sonderling also owned KFOX in Los Angeles and WOPA in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park.)
Under Sonderling ownership and the management of Walter Conroy, KDIA directed its full programming effort toward the emerging black audience, keeping Don Barksdale and Bill Doubleday on its staff and adding high-caliber talent over the years that included Bay Area Radio Hall of Famer George Oxford (previously a competitor at KSAN), John Hardy, Belva Davis (later known for her television work at KRON, KPIX and KQED), Rosko (nom de radieux of William Roscoe Mercer), Roland Porter, Bob White, Bill Hall, Johnny Morris and Bob Jones. The station leveraged its dial position — 1310 AM — into its identity as "KDIA Lucky 13."
In 1965, KDIA's power was raised to 5,000 watts from a new transmitter facility near the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza which also housed the station's new studios and offices. The five-fold increase in power made KDIA a veritable powerhouse and helped to hasten the demise of the old KSAN, which had become KSOL in 1964. (Going full circle, it was another KSOL — this time on 107.7 FM — that would eventually end KDIA's supremacy in the late 1970s.)
The station thrived through the 1970s, but was sold by Sonderling to Viacom International in 1980. KDIA continued with an Urban Contemporary music format under Viacom until 1983, when the station was sold again (along with WDIA) to Ragan Henry. In 1984, KDIA changed hands once more, becoming the property of Adam Clayton Powell III, who flipped the station to All News KFYI.
After the failure of KFYI's news format, the station went off the air on April 9, 1985, only to be revived under new ownership as KDIA in October of that year. In subsequent years, the station was owned by future San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, and by James Gabbert, who had also owned KIOI and KOFY. In 1997, Gabbert entered into an agreement to air the syndicated "Radio Disney" programming format on KDIA in advance of selling the station to ABC, Inc. The station's call letters were changed to KMKY on January 20, 1998, and ABC purchased the station for $6.25-million in May 1998.
The KDIA call letters are currently assigned to the religious-formatted station known as "The Light For San Francisco," licensed in the city of Vallejo and operating at 1640 kHz.
➦In 1948…WW2 Nazi radio broadcaster Mildred "Axis Sally" Gillars was indicted for treason. Originally charged with ten counts of treason, the U-S citizen was convicted on March 10, 1949 on just one count of treason. She was sentenced to 10 to 30 years in prison, and a $10,000 fine. She served 12-years.
➦In 1962...The BBC banned "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett finding it in poor taste. The novelty tune eventually went on to be a U-K No.3 pop hit after the ban was lifted in 1973.
➦In 1984...The Federal Communications Commission changed a ownership rule allowing broadcasters to own 12 AM and 12 FM radio stations. The previous limit had been 7 of each.
➦In 2001...Sean Hannity went into radio syndication. Hannity is a conservative political talk show that features Hannity's opinions and ideology related to current issues and politicians. The Sean Hannity Show began national syndication on over 500 stations nationwide. The program was made available via Armed Forces Radio Network in 2006.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
Misty Copeland is 38
Actor Philip Baker Hall (“Bruce Almighty,” ″The Insider”) is 89.
Actor Greg Mullavey (“Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”) is 87.
Jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers is 80.
Actor Tom Ligon (“Oz,” ″Another World”) is 80.
Singer Danny Hutton of Three Dog Night is 78.
Singer Jose Feliciano is 75.
Actor Judy Geeson (“Mad About You”) is 72.
Guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith is 70.
Actor Amy Irving is 67.
Actor Clark Johnson (“Homicide: Life on the Street”) is 66.
Actor Kate Burton (“Scandal”) is 63.
Director Chris Columbus is 62.
Singer Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama is 62.
Actor Colin Firth is 60.
Singer-guitarist David Lowery of Cracker is 60.
Actor Sean O’Bryan (“The Princess Diaries” films) is 57.
Drummer Robin Goodridge of Bush is 55.
Guitarist Stevie D. of Buckcherry is 54.
Singer-guitarist Miles Zuniga of Fastball is 54.
Rapper Big Daddy Kane is 52.
Director Guy Ritchie is 52.
Actor Johnathan Schaech (“To Appomattox,” ″That Thing You Do!”) is 51.
Contemporary Christian singer Sara Groves is 48.
Actor Ryan Phillippe is 46.
Actor Jacob Young (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” ″All My Children”) is 41.
Bassist Mikey Way (My Chemical Romance) is 40.
Ballerina Misty Copeland is 38.
Guitarist Matthew Followill of Kings of Leon is 36.
CUMULUS MEDIA announces that it launched a new Hot AC radio station this week in New Orleans, LA, KKND 106.7 The Krewe.
The station kicked off its new high-energy format on Tuesday, September 8th, at 10:00am Central, with Lizzo’s “Good As Hell”. 106.7 The Krewe plays a variety of today’s hottest hits and favorite throwbacks, including music from Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Maroon 5, among others.
The weekday programming lineup will include “The Bert Show” in Mornings from 5:00am-9:00am, with “The Adam Bomb Show” in Afternoon Drive from 3:00pm-7:00pm. The former Classic Hits station also debuted its new website at: www.1067thekrewe.com.
Pat Galloway, Regional Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus New Orleans, said: “It is always exciting when you have the opportunity to bring the market that you grew up in something that it doesn’t have. New Orleanians will simply love the new Hot AC music and personalities on the new 106.7 The Krewe!”
Brad Steiner, Program Director, 106.7 The Krewe/KKND-FM, commented: “We’re thrilled to bring the MOST VARIETY of today’s biggest hits and your favorite throwbacks to 106.7 The Krewe. We are starting NEW traditions for New Orleans that reflect the unique and vibrant community that we all love so much.”
Orlando Magic radio announcers Dennis Neumann, Richie Adubato and Joey Colon will not be back with the team for the 2020-21 season. The organization decided not to renew their contracts.
Neumann, Adubato and Colon, who had a combined 66 seasons of broadcasting Magic games, were notified of the team’s decision last week. Magic CEO Alex Martins said in a statement the move is related to the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Magic will continue to have a radio presence moving forward. The team will use its television broadcasts on radio and continue to produce its podcasts.
“Our business, as well as many others like us, continue to be impacted by the pandemic,” Martins said in a statement to the Sentinel. “We have had to make some very hard business decisions in these unprecedented times, and we made the difficult decision to reorganize our efforts in regard to radio. Moving forward, we will simulcast our radio and television game broadcasts. To those impacted, we’ve provided fair severance, outplacement services and health and wellness options.”
Neumann completed his 29th season as a member of the Magic’s broadcasting team and 22nd as the team’s play-by-play radio announcer.
Adubato finished his 15th season as the team’s radio color analyst. The New Jersey native is the only coach in history to lead teams to the playoffs in both the the NBA and WNBA.
Colon completed his 22nd season as the Spanish play-by-play announcer for the Magic.
The Magic laid off 31 full-time employees from a staff of about 300 workers in July. Martins said in a statement at the time that the franchise, like many organizations across the country, had to take cost-cutting measures due to the adverse financial impact of the pandemic.
A study of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine candidate that is in Phase 3 of testing, the largest, final stage, has been paused to investigate an unexplained illness in a volunteer who got the vaccine to see if it's related to the shot.
AstraZeneca paused its coronavirus vaccine trial after a participant developed an unexplained illness. The development could potentially delay or derail Covid-19 immunization efforts https://t.co/lGYMMBGP6Npic.twitter.com/sNTjzYgdlF
AstraZeneca said in a statement yesterday evening that its, quote, "standard review process triggered a pause to vaccination to allow review of safety data." The company didn't reveal what illness was being experienced by the volunteer, who health news site STAT said is in the U.K. Temporary pauses of large medical studies aren't unusual and investigating any serious or unexpected reaction is a mandatory part of safety testing. AstraZeneca said, "We are working to expedite the review of the single event to minimize any potential impact on the trial timeline." Two other vaccines are in final-stage testing in the U.S., one from Moderna and the other by Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech.
Drugmakers Make Pledge: The news came on the same day that AstraZeneca and eight other drugmakers released an unprecedented pledge promising to follow the highest ethical and scientific standards in developing their coronavirus vaccines. Their vow comes amid concerns that President Trump may pressure the Food and Drug Administration to approve a vaccine before it's proven to be safe and effective, potentially ahead of the election. The companies want to boost public confidence in eventual approved vaccines, concerned that Americans won't get the vaccine if they don't trust it was rushed to approval before being proven to be safe.
There have been more than 189,600 coronavirus deaths in the U.S. as of early this morning, according to Johns Hopkins University's count, and more than 6,327,000 confirmed cases.
➤FIREFIGHTERS INJURED BATTLING CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES, ONE IN CRITICAL CONDITION: Fourteen firefighters battling the wildfires that are raging in California had to use their emergency shelters after being overtaken by flames yesterday, leaving them with burns and smoke inhalation and three injured seriously enough to be flown to a hospital in Fresno, with one of them in critical condition. The flames destroyed the Nacimiento fire station in the Los Padres National Forest on the state's central coast. Forecasts for continued gusty winds into today could make the wildfires even stronger.
USAToday 9/9/20
Helicopters were being used yesterday and the day before to rescue hundreds of people stranded in the Sierra National Forest, where the Creek Fire has destroyed 365 buildings, including at least 45 homes. Wildfires were also burning in Southern California in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties.
➤ROCHESTER'S TOP POLICE LEADERS RETIRE AMID PROTESTS OVER MAN'S SUFFOCATION DEATH: Rochester, New York's top police leaders announced their retirements yesterday amid ongoing protests over the suffocation death of Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old Black man who was having a mental health crisis, at the hands of police. Police Chief La'Ron Singletary, Deputy Chief Joseph Morabito, and two commanders retired, and two other deputy chiefs and a commander gave up their top leadership positions and returned to lower ranks. Mayor Lovely Warren said she hadn't asked Singletary to resign, but that his decision to retire came after what she said was "new information that was brought to light today that I had not previously seen before," but she didn't describe what it was. Warren has said Singletary originally told her Prude had an apparent drug overdose. Singletary said in a statement yesterday, "The mischaracterization and the politicization of the actions that I took after being informed of Mr. Prude’s death is not based on facts, and is not what I stand for."
JUST IN: Rochester police chief, entire command staff retire suddenly following protests in death of Daniel Prude. https://t.co/H8Kvx517Ym
Meanwhile, Prude's family filed a federal lawsuit yesterday alleging a cover-up by police. Prude's death took place back in March, but the circumstances weren't publicly known until his family released video of the incident last week. It showed police putting a spit hood on a naked, handcuffed Prude and then holding his face down to the pavement for about two minutes until he stopped breathing. Police had found Prude running naked in the street after his brother, with whom he was staying, called 911 early in the morning when he discovered Prude wasn't in the house.
➤13-YEAR-OLD BOY WITH AUTISM SHOT BY SALT LAKE CITY POLICE: A 13-year-old boy with autism was shot by Salt Lake City police Friday night after his mother says she called police and asked for a crisis intervention team for help with her son. Linden Cameron, who is white, is hospitalized with serious injuries. Golda Barton told CNN that Cameron, who has Asperger syndrome, experienced what she called a "mental breakdown" earlier in the day, saying he was having trouble coping on her first day back to work in nearly a year. She said she called for police to help manage the situation and get him treatment, telling station KUTV, "I said, 'Look, he's unarmed. He doesn't have anything. He just gets mad and he starts yelling and screaming.'" Barton said Cameron ran away when police arrived, and then she heard someone yell "get down on the ground" three times, followed by several gunshots. She told the station, "Why didn't they tase him? Why didn't they shoot him with a rubber bullet? He's a small child. Why don't you just tackle him?"
Salt Lake City Police Sergeant Keith Horrocks said Saturday that police had been called because a boy was having a, quote, "psychological episode and had made threats to some folks with the weapon." He said the boy ran and one officer fired as police chased him. Barton has said her son didn't have a weapon, and it's not clear what threats police were responding to. A Salt Lake City police spokesperson told CNN yesterday he couldn't speak specifically about whether Cameron had a weapon or, quote, "what the officers' perceived threats were," and that an investigation will look into those questions.
➤JUSTICE DEPT. ASKS TO TAKE OVER TRUMP DEFENSE IN DEFAMATION LAWSUIT BY RAPE ACCUSER: The Justice Department yesterday asked a court to allow it to take over President Trump's defense in a defamation lawsuit brought against him by writer E. Jean Carroll, who last year accused him of raping her in the mid-1990s. After state courts in New York rejected Trump's request to delay Carroll's lawsuit, the Justice Department is now trying to move the case into federal court and substitute the U.S. for Trump as the defendant. If that happens, the federal government, not Trump, might have to pay damages if Carroll is awarded any. The Justice Department argued Trump was, quote, "acting within the scope of his office" when he denied Carroll's allegations that he raped her in a New York luxury department store.
The attorneys argued, "Numerous courts have recognized that elected officials act within the scope of their office or employment when speaking with the press, including with respect to personal matters." Carroll's suit claims that Trump's denials, including saying she was lying to sell a memoir, defamed her and hurt her career. Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, called the Justice Department's argument "shocking," and said, "It offends me as a lawyer and offends me even more as a citizen." The request comes as Carroll is attempting to get a DNA sample from Trump as well as to have him answer questions under oath, as well as amid concerns that Attorney General William Barr has been intervening in legal cases involving Trump or his allies.
More than $300,000 raised for salon owner accused of "setting up" Nancy Pelosi https://t.co/f3vb9J0lQb
➤HEAT DEFEAT BUCKS TO REACH CONFERENCE FINALS: The Miami Heat topped the Milwaukee Bucks 103-94 last night (September 8th) to win their semifinal series 4 games to 1 and reach the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat got the series-clinching win against a Bucks teams that didn't have Giannis Antetokounmpo on the floor, with the NBA's reigning MVP out with a sprained ankle. Miami will face either Boston or Toronto in the conference finals.
➤NBA PLAYOFFS: Results from Conference Semifinals yesterday:
Miami Heat 103, Milwaukee Bucks 94 -- Miami wins series 4 games to 1 (East)
L.A. Lakers 112, Houston Rockets 102 -- L.A. leads series 2 games to 1 (West)
➤NHL PLAYOFFS: Results from Conference Finals yesterday:
Vegas Golden Knights 3, Dallas Stars 0 -- Series tied at 1-1 (West)
➤OSAKA, ZVEREV ADVANCE TO U.S. OPEN SEMIFINALS: Fourth-seeded Naomi Osaka and fifth-seeded Alexander Zverev won their quarterfinal matches at the U.S. Open yesterday (September 8th) to advance to the semifinals. Japan's Osaka beat 93rd-ranked American Shelby Rogers in straight sets, and Germany's Zverev downed 27th-seeded Borna Coric of Croatia 1-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1), 6-3. In the day's two other quarterfinal matches, 28th-seeded American Jennifer Brady beat Number 23 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, and 20th-seeded Pablo Carreno of Spain defeated Number 12 Denis Shapovalov of Canada. Serena Williams will be among those playing their quarterfinal matches today. ➤POTENTIAL SEASON-ENDING INJURY FOR BRONCOS' MILLER: Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller hurt his ankle at the end of practice yesterday and the tendon injury is expected to need surgery that will likely end his season, according to media reports yesterday (September 8th). ESPN cited two sources as saying the linebacker was injured on the last play of practice. The NFL season will begin Thursday.
➤DONOVAN OUT AS THUNDER COACH: The Oklahoma City Thunder announced last night that Billy Donovan is out as the NBA team's head coach after five seasons. Donovan, who was at the end of his contract, had a 243-157 record with the Thunder. Both Donovan and the Thunder said the decision was mutual.
➤REPORT: NBA TO PUSH BACK START OF NEXT SEASON: The NBA and the Players Association have agreed to push back the start of next season, as well as the NBA draft and the start of free agency, according to The Athletic. The report says the 2020-21 season will begin later than the current December 1st planned date, and the draft, set for October 16th, and the start of free agency, planned for October 18th, are both also being delayed. The new dates haven't been reported, but The Athletic said the draft will still take place in October. The current coronavirus-delayed season is set to end in October.
➤COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER DIES OF COVID COMPLICATIONS: Jamain Stephens, a 20-year-old football player at California University of Pennsylvania, had died of complications of COVID-19, the school announced yesterday. Stephens, a senior defensive lineman, was the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals player Jamain Stephens. The school isn't playing football this fall, as decided by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference because of health concerns related to the coronavirus.
Nick Cannon quietly returned to hosting his syndicated “Nick Cannon Radio” program on Tuesday, nearly two months after he was forced to step away amid a controversy over anti-Semitic comments that spurred him to apologize, reports Variety.
Cannon returned to the microphone on the five-hour daily talk show, which is syndicated by Skyview Networks and Meruelo Media, the parent company of Los Angeles’ Power 106 station. Cannon is expected to resume his morning berth on Power 106 (which is separate from the syndicated program) within a few weeks, a source close to the situation said.
Cannon opened Tuesday’s show by thanking fans for reaching out during his seven-week break. The host of “Masked Singer” and creator-star of MTV’s “Wild ‘N Out” franchise fueled outrage in late June after an airing of his podcast “Cannon’s Class,” which featured former Public Enemy member Professor Griff. At one point in the episode, Cannon said Black people are the “true Hebrews” and talked about anti-Semitic conspiracy theories involving the Rothschild family.
Cannon has since apologized and vowed to meet with Jewish religious and community leaders to better understand the history of anti-Semitism. In recent weeks, Cannon has held meetings and interviews with such figures as Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; Anti Defamation league CEO Jonathan Greenblatt; Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of Foundation for Ethnic Understanding; and Rabbi Noam Marans of advocacy org AJC, among others.
“Tough times don’t last, tough people do,” Cannon said in the opening minutes of Tuesday’s syndicated program. “I’ve been going through it and I’ve been growing through it. As we’ve been saying — we atoning, y’all. We making the right decisions for 2020.”
After the controversy flared in late June, ViacomCBS cut ties with Cannon on “Wild ‘N Out.” There have been rumblings that the parent company of MTV and Cannon’s camp are working out some kind of rapprochement.
For now, the radio show is a trial balloon to test the response to Cannon emerging from a hastily imposed hiatus from his many media ventures. Plans for Cannon to launch a daytime syndicated talk show this month with Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury were put on ice until next year at the earliest, pending the success of his image rehab campaign.
Cannon is also set to return as host of Fox’s reality hit “Masked Singer” on Sept. 23.
“We are so appreciative of Nick Cannon’s affiliates for their commitment to Nick during his period of reflection,” said Steve Jones, president and chief operating officer of Skyview Networks. “We recognize that he is an incredible entertainer with a powerful voice that will continue to command the interest and attention of radio listeners during this volatile time in America.”
