June 10 Radio History

Hattie McDaniel

➦In 1895...actress/singer Hattie McDaniel was born in Wichita Kansas.

In the 1910s she was a band vocalist, then began playing increasingly assertive maid roles on the big screen, culminating in the supporting-actress Oscar for her ‘Mammy’ in Gone With The Wind (1939), the first African-American to be so honored.  She played on the “Amos and Andy” and Eddie Cantor radio shows in the ’30s and ’40s, and had the title role in her own radio show “Beulah” (1947-51), which she also played on TV (1950-’52) until her death from  breast cancer Oct 2, 1952 at age 57.

➦In 1924…WTAM was the first radio station to broadcast coverage of a political convention when it covered the 1924 Republican National Convention at Cleveland's Public Auditorium from June 10–12, 1924. Graham McNamee provided coverage of the Republican National Convention from Cleveland. HE was also  one of the great sports broadcasters of radio’s early years.

➦In 1985...Bob Prince died of cancer at age 68 (Born - July 1, 1916). He was a radio and television sportscaster and commentator best known for his 28-year stint as the voice of the MLB Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he earned the nickname "The Gunner" and became a cultural icon in Pittsburgh.

Bob Prince

Prince was one of the most distinct and popular voices in sports broadcast history, known for his gravel voice, unabashed style and clever nicknames and phrases, which came to be known as "Gunnerisms." His unique manner influenced a number of broadcasters after him, including Pittsburgh Penguins voice Mike Lange and Pittsburgh Steelers color analyst Myron Cope.

Prince called Pirates games from 1948 to 1975, including the World Series championship years of 1960 and 1971. Nationally, Prince broadcast the 1960, 1966, and 1971 World Series and the 1965 All-Star Game for NBC, as well as the first year (1976) of ABC's Monday Night Baseball. He also broadcast at different times for other Pittsburgh-area sports teams, including Steelers football and Penguins hockey.

An Army brat, he attended many schools in Pittsburgh. An athlete himself, he lettered in swimming at the University of Pittsburgh. Prince worked for radio station WJAS, then landed a sports show on KDKA-TV. Prince joined Rosey Rowswell in the Pirates' broadcast booth as a commentator in 1948, and he was promoted to the top spot shortly after Rowswell's death in February 1955. He also broadcast Pittsburgh Steelers and Penn State football and once a Duquesne basketball game in the 1950s.

As a result of his distinct voice, knowledge of baseball, and high-profile persona, Prince was very popular among Pirates supporters. Prince was a fixture on team broadcasts for three decades on KDKA-AM, a clear channel radio station that could be heard throughout the eastern United States after sundown.

➦In 1995…Radio/TV Sportscaster Lindsey Nelson died of Parkinson's disease at age 86.

Lindsey Nelson

He spent 17 years with the New York Mets and three years with the San Francisco Giants. For 33 years Nelson covered college football, including 26 Cotton Bowls, five Sugar Bowls, four Rose Bowls, and 14 years announcing Notre Dame games. He is in 13 separate Halls of Fame. Fans remember a talented broadcaster, an expert storyteller, and a true sports enthusiast.

Nelson began his national baseball broadcast career as one of Gordon McLendon's radio announcers for the Liberty Broadcasting System, which primarily did recreations of games. After a stretch as an administrator with NBC Sports, he began doing the network's baseball broadcasts in 1957. He also broadcast college football, NBA and college basketball, and professional golf and tennis during his NBC tenure.

In 1962, he was hired as the lead broadcaster by the expansion New York Mets, and for the next 17 seasons did both radio and television with Ralph Kiner and Bob Murphy. All three were eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

➦In 2000...Radio, TV journalist Judd Rose died from a brain tumor at age 44. He rose to prominence as an investigative reporter for ABC News, where Rose spent 16 years working on shows such as Prime Time Live and Good Morning America. His first Emmy came in 1987 for covering the fall of Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, and he would go on to receive a total of four Emmy awards. He ended his career as co-anchor of the CNN program Newsstand.

His father was radio talk show host Hilly Rose. His mother was a 1940s radio actress turned award-winning NPR broadcaster, the host of Midday with Sondra Gair.

Is 81

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Alexandra Stewart (“Under the Cherry Moon”) is 83. 
• Singer Shirley Alston Reeves of The Shirelles is 81. 
• Actor Jurgen Prochnow (“The English Patient,” “Das Boot”) is 81. 
• Actor Frankie Faison (“The Village,” “The Wire”) is 73. 
• Actor Andrew Stevens (“Dallas”) is 67. 
• Bassist Kim Deal of The Pixies and The Breeders is 61. 
• Singer Maxi Priest is 61. 
• Actor Gina Gershon is 60. 
• Actor Jeanne Tripplehorn is 59. 
• Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin of Smashing Pumpkins is 58. 
• Actor Kate Flannery (“The Office”) is 58. 

• 

  Eden McCoy is 19

  Model-actor Elizabeth Hurley is 57. 
• Guitarist Joey Santiago of The Pixies is 57. 
• Actor Doug McKeon (“On Golden Pond”) is 56. 
• Guitarist Emma Anderson (Lush) is 55. 
• Country guitarist Brian Hofeldt of The Derailers is 55. 
• Rapper The D.O.C. is 54. 
• Singer Mike Doughty (Soul Coughing) is 52. 
• Singer JoJo of K-Ci and JoJo is 51. 
• Singer Faith Evans is 49. 
• Actor Hugh Dancy is 47. 
• Singer Lemisha Grinstead of 702 is 44. 
• Actor DJ Qualls (“Memphis Beat,” ″Hustle and Flow”) is 44. 
• Actor Shane West (“ER,” ″Now and Again”) is 44. 
• Country singer Lee Brice is 43. 
• Singer Hoku is 41. 
• Actor Leelee Sobieski is 40. 
• Bassist Bridget Kearney of Lake Street Dive is 37. 
• Actor Titus Makin (TV’s “The Rookie”) is 33. 
• Actor Tristin Mays (2018′s “MacGyver,” ″The Vampire Diaries”) is 32. 
• Actor Eden McCoy (“General Hospital”) is 19.

🕇DEATH ANNIVERSARIES 

• Legendary singer and musician Ray Charles died on this day in 2004. He was 73.
• Mafia boss John Gotti died of cancer on this day in 2002 while serving a life term in federal prison. He was 61.
• Hall of Fame hockey great Gordie Howe died on this day in 2016. He was 88.
• Hall of Fame boxer Jack Johnson, the first Black heavyweight champ, died on this day in 1946. He was 68.

Gov. DeSantis To WaPo: ‘We don’t care what you think anymore’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis condemned the Washington Post and "the legacy media" during a press conference on Wednesday in which he told them, "We don’t care what you think anymore."

At an appearance in West Palm Beach, Fox News Digital reports DeSantis was asked about a recent piece from the Washington Post that accused his press secretary Christina Pushaw of potentially violating the Foreign Agents Registration (FARA) Act by belatedly registering herself as a foreign agent for the former president of the country of Georgia.

DeSantis called the article a "smear piece" and said he was "not deterred" by the attempt.

"I am not deterred by any smear piece by these legacy media outlets. The only reason they’re attacking her is because she does a great job and she’s very effective at calling out their lies and their phony narratives," he said.

He continued, "Whenever they’re smearing somebody, you know that person is over the target and they’re scared of them. I would be much more concerned with my press secretary if the Washington Post was writing puff pieces about her. Then I would think something was wrong."

Christina Pushaw

Pushaw’s attorney Michael Sherwin said in a statement obtained by Fox News, "Ms. Pushaw did volunteer work helping to advocate for former Georgian President Miikheil Saakashvili, a close ally of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the need for free elections and democratic institutions in Georgia where she was living at the time.

"The work ended in 2020. Ms. Pushaw was notified recently by the DOJ that her work on behalf of Mr. Saakashvili likely required FARA registration. Ms. Pushaw filed for the registration retroactively as soon as she was made aware," the statement concluded.

DeSantis also called out media for continuing to push hit pieces against his administration.

"I think what we need to understand is that these legacy D.C. and New York outlets – we don’t care what you think anymore. We know you peddle narratives. We know you lie. We know you don’t care about the facts. And so you can try to smear me or anyone in my administration all you want to. All that’s going to do is embolden us to continue moving forward for the people in Florida," DeSantis said. 

Miami Radio: Listeners, Staffers Fume Over Latino Media Network Plans

Promising boycotts, protests and strikes, Cuban exile leaders expressed their fear that two Miami stations, Radio Mambí and WQBA — which have traditionally advocated for Cuba’s freedom — would be silenced after being bought by Latino Media Network, a media company run by “social activists with a left-wing progressive political agenda,” reports The Miami Herald. 

TelevisaUnivision, Inc. reached an agreement to sell 18 stations, including Radio Mambí and WQBA, in different cities, to Latino Media Network (LMN), founded by Stephanie Valencia, who worked in the White House as a special assistant to the president and as director of public engagement under the Barack Obama administration, and Jess Morales Rocketto, who worked in the Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns. 

The newly created LMN, which has managed to raise $80 million for its startup, also has funds from the investment firm Lakestar Finance LLC, associated with liberal-leaning billionaire George Soros. 

The Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, on behalf of 35 exile organizations, called a meeting in Little Havana, to express its concern about the “silencing and the marginalization of radio stations that have historically been the voices of support for Cuba’s freedom,” according to a letter delivered to the media.

 The group of exiled leaders that included Sylvia Iriondo, from M.A.R. for Cuba, Rafael Montalvo, president of Brigade 2506, and businesswoman Irina Vilariño, who ran for a congressional seat, expressed their rejection of any form of censorship against the radio stations and the conservative views.  

“We remain united to defend and safeguard the rights of the Cuban people and to express their suffering in public spaces,” said Iriondo, reading the letter from the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, which indicates that they will resort to “legal and legitimate resources available in this nation, including boycotts, strikes, and protests.” 

The event featured speeches by Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez, state Sen. Ileana García, state Rep. Tom Fabricio and Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo, who recalled the community service provided by the stations and the updated information on the situation of political prisoners, the Ladies in White and opponents on the island. 

George Soros

In her speech, Núñez said that she grew up listening to Radio Mambí, which became a benchmark in her political education. 

 “Since I was a little girl, my dad insisted on turning on the radio every morning on the way to school. I used to tell him, ‘Daddy, why do I have to listen to this again?’ and he ignored me, and it’s good that he didn’t because today my 23-year-old daughter, since she was a child, has also been listening to those radio programs,” she said. For Núñez, the sale of the radio stations could have an impact on the access that young people have to historical information on the human rights violations committed in Cuba.

The lieutenant governor assured that George Soros would be financing LMN and the purchase of the radio stations and criticized the origin of the funds. “We cannot let a harmful activist billionaire, who has a history of financing radical causes and candidates, buy our stations, which have been the voice of our exile,” said Núñez. 

Bovo pointed out that Radio Mambí has opened the doors to Democrats, independents and Republicans, “as long as they carry the freedom of Cuba on their agenda.” 

Meanwhile, Breitbart is reporting TelevisaUnivisión, which owns Radio Mambí, is reportedly facing so much employee disgust from the sale that the conglomerate is offering key Radio Mambí personalities $120,000 bonuses (half paid once the Federal Communications Commission approves the sale, half once the leftist group takes over) to stay at the network.

Radio Ad Spend Projected To Grow Nearly 7% In 2022

 Zenith has rowed back slightly on expectations for 2022 global ad spend growth, projecting an 8% jump in expenditure – down from 9.1% growth anticipated last December.

That is the headline figure contained in the latest Advertising Expenditure Forecasts report, which singles out North America as the lynchpin of worldwide demand where ad spend growth could hit 12%.

Radio's share of total major media ad spend – which also includes internet, television, out-of-home, magazines, newspapers and cinema – is expected to be 4.6% in 2022, according to Zenith. That's good for third-most in ad spend behind internet's 67.1% and TV's 20.3%, and ahead of out-of-home's 2.9%. Looking in the crystal ball at Presidential election year 2024, radio is expected to grow another 4.6% to $15.5 billion, good for 4.3% of major media ad spend.

Major events including the Winter Olympics, the mid-term US elections and the soccer World Cup will serve to underpin spending through to Christmas. Thereafter growth will moderate to 5.4% in 2023 before picking up a head of steam in 2024 on the back of the summer Olympics and the looming US presidential election in 2024 – when growth of 7.6% is forecast.

Rampant cost inflation will further underpin growth, with television advertising witnessing double-digit cost increases of between 11-13%, helping to accelerate the shift toward digital. Online video prices are rising at a more sedate 7%, ensuring the cost-benefit equation is tilting ever more favorably in one direction.

Jonathan Barnard, head of forecasting at Zenith, said: “Online video is growing by creating new opportunities for building brand awareness, complemented by social media’s capacity for cost-effective targeting with low barriers to entry. Online video is steadily narrowing the spending gap with television, and will be half as large as television by 2024.”

Other digital channels will also keep their feet on the ground with social media and other digital displays rising by just 3% this year, while out-of-home and radio increase by 4%. As a result, Zenith expects 62% of ad budgets to be directed toward digital media in 2022 (up from 60% projected in December), rising to 65% by 2024.

The upshot of this reallocation of resources is that online video should overtake social media as the fastest-growing ad segment over the next three years, with recurring annual growth of around 15.4% expected through to 2024. This is attributed to the rise of connected TV, which now enjoys a higher rate of penetration than cable in the US, with expected ad funded-tiers on Netflix and Disney+ propelling online video ad spend up from $62bn in 2021 to $95bn in 2024.

Social media has been the fastest-growing channel for the past nine years and will continue to grow at a healthy clip, averaging out at 15.1% per year. Meta will continue to hoover up the bulk of this capital, but rising competition from TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn and Pinterest has eroded its market share from 89% in 2019 to 85% in 2021. Zenith now forecasts that social media ad spending will reach $187bn in 2022, up from $153bn in 2021.

Sports Wagering TV Ad Spend Grows 281% Over 9 Months

The growing sports TV ad category of sports wagering has seen national TV ad spending rise nearly threefold over the most recent nine-month period to $282 million, according to Mediapost citing figures from iSpot.tv.

From September 2021 through May 2022, there was a 281% rise in estimated national TV ad spend versus the same period a year ago -- with total TV ad impressions up 48% to 18.2 billion versus the same period the year before.

Of those 18.2 billion TV advertising impressions, 60% were on national linear TV networks, while 37% came via local TV media deals and 2.7% were streaming. Currently there are 30 states that have live/legal operations, and five states have passed legislation, but sports betting is not yet operational.

The biggest players in terms of total TV ad impressions are FanDuel with a 34.0% share, Caesars Entertainment with 21.7%, DraftKings with 18.6%, BetMGM with 13.4%, and Fox Bet at 7.5%.

FanDuel's big lead was largely driven by TV media airing during the NFL games.

Top programs for TV ad impressions for sports-betting operations for in-game/in-play TV commercials include the NFL with a 42.5% share; NBA (7.9%); Major League Baseball (5.0%); college football (3.3%); NHL (1.3%); and PGA (1.2%).

For the previous nine-month period -- September 2020 through May 2021 -- national TV ad spend was $74 million, from a total of 12.23 billion TV advertising impressions -- 57% for national linear TV; 40% of which came from local TV media buys, and 3.4% on streaming platforms.

A year ago, FanDuel was at a 40.6% share, followed by DraftKings (36.3%); FOX Bet (12.2%); BetMGM (9.5%); PointsBet (0.9%); Unibet (0.2%); WynnBet (0.1%); and Caesars Entertainment (0.01%).

MD Radio: Carrie Evans New PD For AAA WTMD Towson

Public service broadcaster Your Public Radio announced that it has promoted Carrie Evans to the position of program director of the Adult Album Alternative music discovery station WTMD 89.7 FM. Evans has served as the interim program director since the sale of WTMD to Your Public Radio was finalized in November 2021. With this promotion, Evans becomes one of only a handful of female program directors at the more than 50 AAA stations across the country.

Carrie Evans

As program director, Evans is responsible for the overall sound and quality of WTMD’s non-commercial radio and digital services. This includes supervising the on-air hosts and music programming staff, ensuring the format is successfully implemented and audience-focused and collaborating with other departments to help achieve audience, revenue and organizational goals. One of the first priorities for Evans is to work with Paragon Media Strategies to target and focus the WTMD music playlist to super-serve audiences in the Greater Baltimore area.

“We could not have found a bigger fan of the format and champion for local Baltimore musicians and artists. Carrie has been a stabilizing force for the station during a protracted period of transition and is the right person to lead WTMD’s talented hosts and programming team to new heights,” said Your Public Radio’s President LaFontaine E. Oliver.

In keeping with WTMD’s mission to be more than a radio station, Evans is one of the primary faces of WTMD in the community; and she will lead efforts to create opportunities for audiences to deepen their connection to local music and the arts – online, on the air and in neighborhoods throughout Baltimore and Central Maryland.

Prior to serving as interim program director, Evans served as WTMD’s assistant program director and afternoon drivetime host—a role which she will continue. Previously, Evans was the midday host and music director at WRNR in Annapolis.

Jax Radio: DeDe In the Morning Added At CMG's Power 106.1 FM

Compass Media Networks announces the addition of Cox Media Group W291CI/WJGL 96.9 FM-HD2 “Power 106.1” in Jacksonville FL to the “DeDe in the Morning” family from 5AM -10AM weekdays and Saturday mornings with DeDe’s Weekend Kickback.

Elroy Smith, CMG Director of Branding and Programming for Orlando & Jacksonville, states “I have followed DeDe’s career since her days in Chicago at Windy 100.3 and her riveting co-anchoring of the syndicated show with the late Doug Banks. To see her evolution brings me so much joy. She is charismatic, relatable to her core audience, sassy, honest, vulnerable, fun, and the epitome of a professional. Power 106.1 is excited to be one of the many affiliates airing such a great morning show.”

DeDe McGuire, host of DeDe in the Morning, says “It has been a dream of mine to be back in Jacksonville and here we are. Thank you, Elroy Smith and CMG, for your belief in our show. We can’t wait to join the Power 106.1 family and are ready to make Jacksonville laugh out loud every morning.”

Compass Media Networks officially launched DeDe in the Morning in partnership with Service Broadcasting K104/Dallas, TX in July 2018. The show is now heard in over 60 markets including Dallas, Chicago, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, New Haven, Austin, Oklahoma City, and Toledo. This is the first CMG station to welcome the program to its line-up.

To find out how to get DeDe in the Morning in your market, contact Compass Media Networks (914) 707-9963 or email nabramson@compassmedianetworks.com

Wake-Up Call: House Approves Gun Bill

The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill that would ban the sale of semiautomatic weapons to people under age 21 and ban the sale of large-capacity magazines. The bill passed by a vote of 223 to 204 with only five Republicans in support. The measure is believed to have no chance of passage in the Senate, where a 60-40 vote would be required to get it passed.

The vote was preceded by the testimony of victims and the parents of victims of the Uvalde school shooting and the Buffalo supermarket shooting. Both shooters were 18-year-olds armed with assault weapons.

Pediatrician who treated Uvalde patients pleads with lawmakers to act on gun control: "In this case, you are the doctors and our country is the patient ... We are bleeding out and you are not there." https://t.co/C0CrY7Eyx8 pic.twitter.com/qeqifmp7tg

— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 8, 2022

Dr. Roy Guerrero, Uvalde’s only pediatrician, lost five of his young patients in the shooting. He said he believes in the Constitutional right to bear arms. “But my question is,” he said, “Does anyone have the right to bear this type of arm? Assault weapons?”

"I had heard from some of the nurses that there were two dead children who had been moved to the surgical area of the hospital. What I did find was something no prayer will ever relieve: Two children, whose bodies had been so pulverized by bullets fired at them, decapitated, whose flesh had been ripped apart, that the only clue as to their identities was blood-spattered cartoon clothes still clinging to them. Clinging for life and finding none."

Texas Republican Representative Pat Fallon blamed mass shootings on a breakdown of the family, an erosion of faith, and “these dang smartphones.”

“The truth is that guns have always been readily available in this country. But mass shootings and in particular mass shootings at schools were nonexistent or at least extremely rare until they became a grisly recent phenomenon. So, what’s changed in the last 50 years? There’s been a noticeable breakdown of the family. There’s been an erosion of faith and there’s been a seismic drop in social interaction in large measure due to the overuse of these dang smartphones and the proliferation of social media which is probably better described as antisocial media. Senseless shootings are not committed by well-adjusted, successful, socially-polished people."

Former ABC News President Hired To Promote Jan. 6 Hearings Was In Charge When Network Allegedly Buried Epstein Story https://t.co/NEPs0skuwu pic.twitter.com/1IbGZWddvf

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) June 7, 2022

➤JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE PRESENTS FINDINGS: The House Select Committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, begins its televised public hearings tonight at 8 p,m. Eastern time. Few details have been released by the committee, but it is expected that testimony will be heard today from Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards, who was injured in the attack, and Nick Quested, a documentary filmmaker who was at the scene. Previously unseen video also is expected to be presented.

Kavanaugh incident shows Schumer should be impeached under Democrats' standards: @JesseBWatters https://t.co/mgY7oLPh2b

— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 9, 2022

➤CALIFORNIA MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER OF JUSTICE: A California resident has been charged with attempting or threatening to murder or kidnap Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The suspect, Nicholas John Roske, was armed with a firearm and a knife when he was arrested near Kavanaugh’s home. According to CNN, he had called a suicide helpline to say that he thought his life would have purpose if he killed a justice who opposed gun control.

Pro-life group says Kavanaugh's alleged would-be assassin 'acted' on Schumer's words https://t.co/sTRwqfK1fG

— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 8, 2022

Daily Mail Graphics 6/9/22

➤HUNTER BIDEN'S EX-WIFE MAKES RELEVATIONS IN NEW BOOK: They'd been married for 22 years when Kathleen Buhle made the appalling discovery in 2015 that her husband, the father of her three daughters, was hopelessly addicted to drink, drugs and sex. While this sort of tale of sordid excess certainly has a familiar ring to it, Kathleen wasn't married to yet another troubled Hollywood star but to Hunter Biden, the son of the U.S. President. Kathleen would later learn that Hunter - whom she'd met when they were serving together in their 20s in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps - frequently hired prostitutes, obsessively trawled through internet porn and had such a serious drug problem that she found a crack cocaine pipe in their ashtray. Worst of all, he had an affair with his own brother's widow - a shocking development even for someone as depraved as Hunter, 52, and a discovery that Kathleen reveals was only made after their children saw incriminating text messages on his phone.

➤PROCTER & GAMBLE BLAMES AMY SCHUMER FOR TAMPON SHORTAGE: Apparently, there’s a national tampon shortage—and Procter & Gamble is blaming comedian Amy Schumer. The 2022 Oscars host appeared in commercials for Tampax in 2020, and a spokesperson for the company told Time Magazine recently that “retail sales growth has exploded,” ever since.

Tampax boxes are flying off the shelves and demand has gone up by 7.7%. The spokesperson also said, “Amazon sellers [are] taking advantage of the shortage.”

In January, one box of 18 tampons was “listed for $114, about $6 more more — per tampon — than women usually pay.”

Many are skeptical that this is due to Schumer appearing in the advertisements, especially since Playtex tampons are also in short supply.

🏀BOSTON CELTICS TAKE THE LEAD: The Boston Celtics retook the lead last night with a 116-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The Celtics took over in the fourth quarter with a combined 77 points by Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Marcus Smart..Game 4 is set for Friday night in Boston.

Celtics Block Warriors’ Third-Quarter Surge To Win Game 3, 116-100; Boston Up 2-1 In Finals
https://t.co/wnhy33Jky0

— OutKick (@Outkick) June 9, 2022

🏈ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER $75 MILLION: The Los Angeles Rams are spending a lot of money this week. The team is keeping Super Bowl champ Cooper Kupp for the next three years for another $75 million. That brings his five-season total pay to $110 million. Kupp is an All-Pro, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and a Super Bowl MVP. Earlier this week, Aaron Donald accepted a $95 million three-year extension that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

🏈HOUSTON TEXANS TO BE ADDED TO WILSON SUIT: The Houston Texans will be added as defendants to a suit by 24 women who are accusing former quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct, ESPN reports. Attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing the women, said in a statement: “What has become clear is that the Houston Texans organization and their contracting massage therapy company facilitated Deshaun Watson’s conduct.” He said they “knew or certainly should have known” what was going on. The women accuse Watson of harassing or assaulting them during supposedly therapeutic massages. He has signed with the Cleveland Browns in a five-year, $230 million contract.

🏈WALMART HEIRS BUY DENVER BRONCOS: The heirs to the Walmart family fortune have signed an agreement to buy the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion, according to KUSA-TV in Denver. The price is by far the biggest ever for a sports team. The new ownership group, called Walton-Penner, consists of Rob Walton, his daughter, Carrie Walton Penner, and her husband Greg Penner. Rob Walton is a son of the company founder, Sam Walton.

🏌TWO BIG NAMES JOIN RIVAL GOLF CIRCUIT: Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed have agreed to play in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit that is trying to challenge the established PGA tour. DeChambeau is the 2020 U.S. Open champion and Reed won the Masters in 2018. The rival circuit has its first event today near London.

🌞HEAT WAVE COMING THROUGH: A “dangerous and deadly heat wave” is headed for the Southwest through this weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Phoenix. About 25 million people live in the area that is under an alert. High temperatures in the upper nineties to more than 110 degrees are forecast for parts of California, Texas, Nevada and Arizona. Death Valley could reach 121 degrees, breaking a record.

Sacramento Radio: iHM Relaunches KSTE As The New Kiss 107.9 FM

iHeartMedia Sacramento has brought back one of Northern California’s largest radio stations with the debut of  KSTE The New KISS 107.9, The Best Variety From The ‘90s and 2000s.

KISS 107.9 will restore all the musical memories of Sacramento’s diverse music lovers who ever attended live concerts at the old Arco Arena or Raley Field, or went to Outdoor Amphitheater events in Wheatland. The music from the ‘90s and 2000s launched some of the most iconic artists over the past 30 years, and whether you heard them on the radio, saw them on-stage for your first concert, or watched their MTV videos, there is no denying the incredible excitement for this era of music and pop culture. Listeners of Northern California will now find these iconic artists on the New KISS 107.9.

KISS 107.9 will play pop, rock and rhythm of the ‘90s and 2000s, including artists like Lady Gaga, 2Pac, Black Eyed Peas, Fun., The Weeknd, Eminem, P!nk, Usher, Coldplay, Britney Spears, No Doubt, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, and many more. all week long and others. 

Plus, the station will have commercial free weekends and a weekday air talent line-up:

• Chino 6-10 a.m.
• Wendy Wild 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Strawberry & Lizette 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
• Frankie V 7 p.m. – Midnight

“It’s been such an honor to help build, launch, and now lead Sacramento’s New KISS 107.9,” said Eric Rosado, KISS 107.9 Program Director. “A brand just like Northern California that is different, inclusive, a total vibe, and looks and sounds like Sacramento. We’ve seen it the past few years that the strength of the ‘90s/2000s nostalgia is alive and well from music to fashion, so this will be a very fun station! Also, this Northern Cali product is extremely excited to be back home to familiar territory.”

“The music and the artists from the ‘90s and the ‘00s are iconic, while the inherent diversity in both aligns perfectly with Sacramento’s demographic makeup,” said Sara McClure, Market President of iHeartMedia Sacramento. “And that’s why we are so excited to launch the new KISS 107.9 — It’ll rekindle the fun and great memories of the music that has meant so much to Sacramento listeners!”

KISS 107.9 (KSTE-FM) will broadcast on 107.9 FM over 50,000 Watts and heard throughout the greater Sacramento Valley area and nationwide on the free iHeartRadio App.

D/FW Radio: KERA To Manage Classical WRR

The Dallas City Council unanimously approved on Wednesday, June 8 an agreement between KERA and the City of Dallas’ Office of Arts and Culture to manage Dallas-based classical music station WRR 101.1 FM.

“We are so thrilled with the outcome of today’s vote,” says Nico Leone, KERA’s President & CEO. “Throughout the procurement process, KERA’s highest priority has been to ensure North Texas has equitable access to classical music and the arts. We now look forward to working with WRR on that shared goal, and expanding on their incredible 101-year history.”

“The Office of Arts and Culture is excited about this new partnership to continue free classical music to thousands of listeners each week and to create new resources for Dallas-based artists and arts organizations,” said Benjamin Espino, interim Director of the Office of Arts and Culture for the City of Dallas. “This kind of sustainable partnership with KERA to advance equity and communications was a key goal of the 2018 Dallas Cultural Plan. We are proud to continue growing the presence of the arts in Dallas through partnerships like this.”

KERA’s management agreement ensures WRR remains a locally programmed classical station, operated by KERA and owned by the City of Dallas. Keeping WRR a classical station is not only a requirement of the City’s RFP — it is KERA’s explicit goal. The agreement also ensures WRR will continue to operate out of its Fair Park studios in South Dallas for the next seven years.

WRR 101.1 FM (100 Kw)

KERA is an ideal management partner to help WRR grow its audience, keep up with industry and technology trends, and ensure audiences receive the highest-quality classical music programming possible. For more than 60 years, KERA has served the people of North Texas with the best in public broadcasting programming. And like WRR, KERA has a longstanding legacy of supporting the arts in North Texas — from in-depth arts reporting on 90.1 KERA News and Art&Seek, to inspiring performances on KERA TV and 91.7 KXT. Additionally, KERA reaches more than 2.6 million people each week through its public service platforms and broadcast channels. That coverage is also shared statewide through The Texas Newsroom, and nationally on NPR.

KERA is expected to assume management of WRR by the end of the calendar year.

Bay Area Radio: Bret Burkhart Joins KCBS As News Anchor

Audacy welcomes veteran news anchor and reporter Bret Burkhart to KCBS All News in San Francisco. Burkhart will serve as a news anchor for the station.

“We are incredibly fortunate that Bret is continuing his already illustrious career as an anchor for his hometown KCBS,” said Stacey Kauffman, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy San Francisco. “He brings to KCBS a comprehensive and complex skill set that we will all benefit from. Bret knows politics, the Bay Area, what makes a good story and how to tell it, and we look forward to welcoming him aboard.”

Bret Burkhart

“KCBS is the gold standard for news around the Bay Area and beyond and I feel so fortunate to be joining an amazing group of broadcasters and storytellers,” said Burkhart.

Burkhart joins the station after spending the last 23 years for KGO Radio in San Francisco. He most recently delivered the news during the station’s morning and midday shows. Over the years, Burkhart has served as an eyewitness to history for countless listeners, from presidential conventions to the downfall of one of America’s first homegrown terrorists, the Unabomber. Along the way, his sound-rich stories have gained national attention that garnered him an Edward R. Murrow Award. He has since gone on to win ten more and was named the Associated Press “Reporter of the Year” eight times, including five consecutively. Other previous experience includes Newstalk 1060 KPAY in Chico, CA and KFBK Radio in Sacramento.

Spotify Expects To Reach $100B In Revenue In 10 Years

Spotify Technology SA on Wednesday said it expects to reach $100 billion revenue annually in the next 10 years and promised high-margin returns from its costly expansion into podcasts and audiobook, reports Reuters.

The audio streaming company hosted its first investor day since going public in 2018, hoping to stoke Wall Street's enthusiasm despite the slowing global economy.

To reach its ambitious goal, Spotify would need to make its revenue grow nearly 10-fold from 2021 revenue of $11.4 billion, and Chief Executive Daniel Ek also forecast gross margins to jump to 40% and operating margin to 20% in the same time.

"Spotify will put out these pretty audacious targets and we are going after these because that's how we see the world and we are going to invest behind that," Ek said.

Daniel Ek

Shares of the company rose 6.5% on Wednesday after losing 53% of its market value so far in 2022, worse than the 24% drop in the S&P 500 communication services sector index (.SPLRCL), which includes Spotify and other media and social network companies.

Ek began the nearly four-hour investor presentation trying to reset Wall Street's perceptions of the company, saying some may think "we’re a bad business or at least a business with bad margins for the foreseeable future."

One of the reasons for not reaching its long-term goals was its aggressive spending to build up its podcast and audiobooks platforms. Though Ek said its investments are already performing "better than you probably expect," with gross margins of 28.5%, well on its way to reaching the company's 30%-35% long-term goal.

Spotify's chief content officer, Dawn Ostroff, said the company has committed more than $1 billion to podcasting, and expects podcast revenue to increase materially this year from the $215 million (200 million euros) it made last year. She said the company was still in investment mode, but it believes podcasting to be a $20 billion opportunity.

Ek expects the podcast business to have the potential to generate margins between 40% to 50% and audiobooks to also have margins over 40%. He did not specify how long it would take for the company to hit those numbers.

Apart from music, podcasts and audiobooks, Spotify is also planning to enter new types of content over the next 10 years that would boost its average revenue per user, engineering manager Alexander Nordstrom said. He said Spotify was on track to hit its goal of 1 billion users by 2030.

Embarrassing WaPo Social Media Feud Continues

The newspaper that broke Watergate continues to be broken by tweet-gate as a fed-up reporter begged her whistleblower colleague to mute her attacks on bosses and co-workers after they described the newsroom as “collegial,” according to The NY Post.

“Please stop,” tweeted Washington Post reporter Lisa Rein at fellow staffer Felicia Sonmez, who continued her social media onslaught Tuesday despite the suspension of politicss writer David Weigel  for retweeting a joke she deemed sexist.

Rein, Weigel, Sonmez (NY Post graphic)

Sonmez’s tweetstorm came after Sally Buzbee, the Washington Post’s executive editor, circulated a stern memo warning reporters to stop “attacking colleagues either face to face or online.”

It followed a missive she issued over the weekend as the Twitter storm brewed in which Buzbee wrote: “We are a collegial and creative newsroom doing an astonishing amount of important and groundbreaking journalism. One of the great strengths of our newsroom is our collaborative spirit.”

After the second memo, some of the paper’s most prominent journalists chimed in to calm the boiling tempers at the Jeff Bezos-owned broadsheet. Their tweets included nearly identical language professing how “proud” they are to work at the newspaper and the “collegial” attitude in the newsroom.

Ashley Parker, the White House bureau chief, tweeted: “The Post is not perfect. No institution is. But I’m proud to work here. I love coming to work (almost) every single day, and knowing that my colleagues are collegial, collaborative and the fun humans — not to mention talented journalists — who are always striving to do better.”

Investigative political reporter Josh Dawsey tweeted, “no institution is perfect, including the post. but the place is filled with many terrific people who are smart and collegial. i’m proud to work here.”

And Amy Gardner, a political reporter, wrote: “The Washington Post newsroom is filled with collegial, collaborative and respectful journalists who do critically important work every day. I’m immensely proud to work here.”

Sonmez quickly mocked the idea that her place of work was “collegial.”

These tweets falsely accusing me of “clout chasing,” “bullying,” “cruelty” and directing an “eager mob” to carry out “a barrage online abuse” are still up … even after I repeatedly raised them to management and noted that I’ve been receiving threats and abuse.

Collegial! pic.twitter.com/uZpoGEyEGh

— Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) June 8, 2022

U.S.'s Blinken Warns Of Threats To Media Freedom

Secretary Blinken

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has criticized efforts to suppress press freedom in several Latin American countries and said the United States seeks to increase media protection in the region with the most murders of journalists, reports Reuters.

Speaking at a press freedom event Tuesday ahead of the Summit of the Americas, a regional gathering aiming to address economic problems and migration, Blinken said governments in the region were using sweeping legislation and surveillance to quash freedom of press and intimidate journalists.

He has singled out Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, the three countries President Joe Biden excluded from the Summit of Americas because they were not democratic, saying the act of independent journalism constituted a crime there.

"No region in the world is more dangerous for journalists," Blinken said, adding that at least 17 media workers have been killed this year in the Western Hemisphere, citing the UNESCO observatory for killed journalists.

Last weekend, British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira went missing in Brazil while reporting in a remote and lawless part of the Amazon rainforest near the border with Peru. Read More

"Crimes like these persist in no small part because the people who order them and carry them out are so rarely held accountable. That sends a message that these attacks can continue with impunity," Blinken said.

He also criticized El Salvador.

"Governments are using sweeping legislation to quash free expression, as we saw in the recent slate of amendments adopted by El Salvador in March and April of this year," Blinken said.In March, El Salvador registered 62 murders in a single day, the bloodiest since the end of its civil war in 1992. In response, the Legislative Assembly dominated by President Nayib Bukele's right-leaning populist party declared a state of emergency, suspending citizens' constitutional rights.

Judge Tosses Lawsuit Accusing Top GMA Producer of Sexual Assault

Michael Corn

A New York State Supreme Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit against former ABC News executive Michael Corn by a producer at the network who accused him of creating a hostile work environment, sexual harassment and improper sexual contact, reports The Wall Street Journal.

In a ruling released Wednesday, Judge Barbara Jaffe said the statute of limitations for the alleged improper touching in 2015 had expired.

In addition, the judge ruled that the plaintiff—Kirstyn Crawford—failed to prove Mr. Corn fostered a hostile work environment since the alleged 2015 incident. That was a key component of the plaintiff’s case as it would have allowed the alleged assault to be considered during trial despite the timetable. The judge ruled that the incidents cited by Ms. Crawford didn’t measure up to sexual harassment or fostering a hostile work environment. The judge said that some of Mr. Corn’s alleged remarks, “while boorish, ill-advised, and inappropriate, do not create a hostile work environment, much less a continuing violation.”

Meredith Cavallaro, Mr. Corn’s lawyer, said: “We are very pleased the Court recognized the complete lack of merit to the claims brought against Mr. Corn.”

The suit was filed last year by Ms. Crawford, who was a producer on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” where Mr. Corn served as executive producer. She alleged Mr. Corn assaulted her during a 2015 business trip to Los Angeles and subsequently created a hostile work environment and stalled her professional career.

Mr. Corn, who left ABC News in April 2021 as a result of an internal investigation into Ms. Crawford’s allegations, has denied the claims. He is now the head of programming for the cable news channel NewsNation, owned by Nexstar Media Group Inc.

In a filing to dismiss Ms. Crawford’s suit in October, ABC News said it terminated Mr. Corn after an “investigation determined that it was more likely than not that Corn violated ABC’s policies.”

An ABC News spokeswoman declined to comment.