Beyonce Has Super Bowl Date

After word got out on Tuesday, the singer confirmed the news with a website post titled "Countdown to Touchdown," featuring a photo of her face, along with the text "Feb. 13 2013," the date of the upcoming Super Bowl. Earlier, a source told The Associated Press the Grammy-winning singer will take the stage at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

The 31-year-old sang the national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 in her hometown of Houston when the New England Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers.

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Moderator Crowley Kept Debaters On Their Toes

Nobody puts Candy in a corner, writes USA Today.

TV Screenshot

The candidates tried. Before Tuesday's town hall presidential debate, the campaigns voiced complaints in USA Today and elsewhere about moderator Candy Crowley's stated intention to ask follow-up questions and prod for better answers, saying it violated their agreement as to how the debate would work. In their view, Crowley's job was to call on the questioners in the audience and say "next" when time ran out.

They wanted a silent time-keeper. Instead, they got a moderator who was determined to allow the people gathered at the town hall meeting to get all their questions asked and answered fully and honestly — and was willing to assert herself to get it done.

Some will say she over-asserted herself. At one point already much-discussed in social media, she told Governor Romney he was wrong when he disagreed with one of President Obama's statements on Libya. Almost from the moment she fact-checked herself into the conversation, she tried to pull back out, but by that point she had probably already infuriated Romney supporters and debate purists.

Read More Here.

Also Must Read:

• Could debate moderator Candy Crowley see her performance defined by one exchange? Click Here
• Candy Crowley’s Debate Moderation Exemplifies Why Americans Do Not Trust Their Media  Click Here
• Conservatives assail debate moderator Candy Crowley. ClickHere.

Dan Patrick TV Simulcast Ends On Fox Sport Net

New TV Partner To Be Named Soon

For months, speculation has run rampant that The Dan Patrick Show would eventually wind up nationally syndicated on NBC Sports Network weekday mornings.  The connections are obvious, according to the website awfulannouncing.com.

Patrick works for NBC on Football Night in America and took on a big role at this year's London Olympics.  Behind Bob Costas and Al Michaels, Patrick is one of the elite sportscasters at the network.  Bringing his radio show on board to boost the startup cable channel would only further cement that reality.

For NBC, Patrick's radio show fills an enormous chasm on weekday mornings currently filled with various hunting and fishing shows.  …NBC Sports Network desperately needs a flagship studio show that can reach a broader audience.  With DP on board, NBC knows it could have a reliable option to go against SportsCenter, The Herd, Mike & Mike, and First Take on a daily basis and do quite well.  For a large chunk of sports fans, having The Dan Patrick Show would give them a reason to go to NBCSN consistently for the first time.

Read More Here.

Bubba Does A Reverse; Bashes Hulk Hogan

Radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge Clem took to the airwaves Tuesday morning, bashing Hulk Hogan a day after he announced two lawsuits over a sex tape scandal involving the once-best friends.

Though Clem's attorney said Monday he would not be commenting on the lawsuit, the talk show host went on his radio show and harshly criticized Hogan.  He called him a liar and said Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, is using the situation to try and make money.

 "He's a one way piece of crap who doesn't care about anyone but himself … You're the ultimate, lying showman," Clem said Tuesday morning, according to myfoxtampbay.com.

Both suits are in response to a recently released tape allegedly showing Hogan having sex with Clem's wife, Heather. Bubba said he was "brainwashed" into giving the blessing to the illicit encounter.

"I'm guilty of letting Hogan talk me into something," he said.

Hogan says he didn't know about a secret camera taping the whole thing. Bubba and Heather are named defendants in the first suit because Hogan believes they knowingly taped him and released the video.

On his radio show, Bubba said that's a lie. He says Hogan was in on the stunt and knew about the tape.

"Tell the truth. Tell the truth, buddy," he said on his radio show.

"You can't play the victim card like that," he later said. 

"The actions of the defendants were illegal, it was outrageous and it exceeded the bounds of human decency," Hogan's attorney, Charles Harder, said Monday at a press conference.

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More Videos Believed To Exist

Not only are there more Hulk Hogan sex tapes floating around, but the woman he was filmed having sex with also made X-rated videos with other men, say sources familiar with the videos.

Heather

On Monday, Hogan filed suit against his longtime best friend, radio host Bubba "The Love Sponge" Clem, his ex-wife Heather Clem and website Gawker, which posted a clip from one encounter between Hogan and Heather, taped in the formerly married couple's bedroom.

Hogan confirmed on the Howard Stern show on SiriusXM Satellite Radio that it was Heather Clem, now Heather Cole, a freelance writer and animal activist, in the videos and that he had sex with her on multiple occasions while she was married to Bubba. Hogan said Bubba encouraged him to have sex with his wife. Stern also said Bubba offered him sex with Heather.

Tuesday, Dan Gross at philly.com  spoke with someone who has seen multiple videos of Hogan and Clem together, and says there are more videos of Heather with other "B and C list celebrities" that are coming out now.

Another source says he saw footage on one of the surreptitious recordings of Hogan, all of which seem to have been taped in the Florida home of the Clems.

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12.65 Million Watched Jump and Free Fall

4.2 million people watched daredevil Felix Baumgartner jump from space on Discovery Channel Sunday afternoon according to data from Nielsen, with an astonishing eight million people watching the jump live on YouTube (shattering a record for the site).

Alex Weprin at TV Newser reports all told 12.65 million people watched the jump live at the same time starting around 1:30 Sunday afternoon. For comparison, that is almost twice as many people than any of the MLB playoff games on TBS.

Discovery Channel and sister network Velocity had exclusive live TV rights, though other channels, such as CNN, played video from the jump leading up to and immediately after the jump.

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RIP: WRBR South Bend’s “Reverend Ryno”

South Bend. IN radio DJ Ryan Haukaas, whose on-air name was Reverend Ryno, passed away Tuesday morning.

According to the South Bend Tribune, the 31-year-old died of a heart attack and stroke.  WRBR “The Bear” ran an audio montage in honor of Ryno through the day.

Their jocks were off the air for the day, but returned Wednesday.

WRBR posted a memorial to Haukaas. Click Here.

Gloomy Forecast At The Weather Channel

Report: Massive Layoffs...

The Weather Channel laid off dozens of employees today as part of a mass restructuring of the company. TVNewser hears that as many as 75-80 people were affected by the changes, with Weather’s Atlanta headquarters hit hardest, according to Alex Weprin at mediabristro.com.

In a statement, a spokesperson for The Weather Channel confirmed that it was eliminating positions across the company, and that approximately 7% of the workforce would be affected.

“In late September we began an effort to reorganize of our company into business units based around our customers and the products and services we create and deliver to them,” the statement says. “This effort was recently concluded and has resulted in the elimination of positions in several divisions of the company. With these organizational changes and our new structure, we are better positioned for future growth. Employees who are directly affected by this position elimination or reorganization are being informed and we are working closely with them through this period of transition.”

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Cumulus Radio Buys WFME, NYC Market

Cumulus is expanding its footprint in the nation's largest market.

Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey announced Tuesday his company is buying WFME 94.7 FM in Newark/NYC and expects to close late in 4^th quarter 2012.

Seller is evangelist Harold Camping’s Family Stations. Price was not disclosed. 

WFME (with 23,500 watts) becomes Cumulus' third station in NYC.  It also owns Hot AC WPLJ and Talk WABC.

As for format:  WABC on FM? Country? Alternative? Let the speculation begin!

Long-time market observer and radio media writer, VinceSantarelli weighed-in on a possible format:  “For my money, though, I see this as the perfect landing spot for the new CBS Sports Radio network set for launch on January 2, 2013. This would put the new network in the nation's number one market. It would also allow CBS to keep the WFAN AM and FM simulcast going.”

UPDATE 10/16 8pm:  As for the possibility of a country format. Consultant Mike O’Malley (former WYNY PD) offers:  “It's interesting how many times over the years country has been proposed as a format in the New York metro.   Certainly New Jersey has a good number of country fans. Townsquare's WPUR/Cat Country in Atlantic City generally does very well as does the Press' Thunder 106 in Monmouth-Ocean. The current-to-gold ratios and number of currents are somewhat different for these stations, though each occupies a good position in their respective markets.”

Meanwhile, Crainsnewyork.com is  reporting an industry executive familiar with the terms of Tuesday's transaction says Cumulus is paying $40 million for the station—a bargain compared to some recent deals in the market. Radio observers are speculating that Cumulus will either flip WFME to a rock station to fill the gap left by 101.9, or turn it into a country station—something the city hasn't had in years.

This NYC Cumulus buy could be just the tip of the iceberg of what’s to come. Media expert Jerry Del Colliano says he’s hearing Cumulus is considering buying what could be a significant number of CBS clusters.  Jerry adds CBS and Cumulus are already in bed with the CBS Radio Sports Network and now it appears CBS is considering unloading some markets to Cumulus. (Read more from Jerry at http://insidemusicmedia.com/ (paid subscription).

The NYC RADIO DISCUSSION message board is active, Click Here.

Tom's Take: Super signal just waiting for someone to come along.  As for format, I believe there's at least one that can be ruled out:  All-News!

What's Next For 94.7 FM in NYC? Our Bob Gale explores, plus he wonders if WLS-FM in Chicago is missing an opportunity, Click Here.

Glenn Beck Launches New Brand Of Jeans

Talker Glenn Beck is known for his fiery and controversial opinions, not his fashion sense, but his political views have launched him into the world of apparel. 

Beck has launched a brand of jeans produced by his company 1791, which was named for the year when the Bill of Rights was ratified. 

Beck was inspired to produce his own jeans when he learned that other companies, such as Levis, have their jeans made overseas. 

In a press release sent along with the ad for the 1791 jeans, Beck says, "How could something so inherent to the spirit and the history of this country NOT be made in the USA anymore." The 1791 jeans, which are made in North Carolina and Kentucky, don't come cheap, however, retailing for $129.99.

Opinion: Can Clear Channel Be Cool?

CEO Bob Pittman promises to reinvent radio. Closing down his own company would be a good start, accordin to Leonard.

From Andrew Leonard, staff writer at salon.com:

Bob Pittman co-founded MTV, worked at AOL when it was relevant, if not cool, and now, reports Melissa Marr breathlessly in the Wall Street Journal, is back for an ambitious third act: he’s going to “reinvent” radio as the CEO of Clear Chanel, the giant radio station conglomerate. 

Exciting news, because if there’s one thing that the citizens of this great nation can agree on, it’s that radio generally sucks… 

But a close reading of Marr’s story suggests that to Pittman, “cool” actually means “a larger share of total ad spending.” And “reinvention” translates into little more than the company “using its scale to pitch for national business.” 

Which is precisely the problem. Because the most obvious reason why radio isn’t cool is the era of media consolidation in the radio business epitomized by Clear Channel — a fact not even whispered at in the Wall Street Journal. 

Clear Channel owns over 850 radio stations in the United States… 

Want to make radio cool again Bob? Break up Clear Channel.

Read More Here.

Tom's Take:  While I certainly empathize will with Leonard.  Pittman's job is to make money.

WQAM Miami’s Unique Farewell To TV Meterologist

Miami sports radio station, WQAM  chose a unique and slightly tuneful way to say goodbye to former WSVN meteorologist Julie Durda, who left the Miami FOX affiliate two weeks ago Friday.

According to mediabistro.com, the tribute is sung/spoken by “Joe Rose Show” producer Zach Krantz and is loosely based on Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind”.  The song chronicles the sports talk radio show’s relationship struggles with the former WSVN meteorologist.  Joe Rose is both the host of the show on WQAM and a sports anchor at Miami’s NBC owned station WTVJ.

The song references a spat between Rose and Durda which caused the erstwhile meteorologist to delete her twitter account.  A string of tweets showing what appears to be Durda’s frustration with the sports radio hosts attention to her clothing is posted on sfltv.com.

Tom's Take:  Is this a case of bullying?  What do you think?

Report: Brands Leverage Radio’s Unique Listener Loyalty

From Stuart Feil, at adweek.com:

In a time when advertisers are looking to engage with consumers more deeply via social channels, radio is leveraging its legions of fans to remain a vital part of the media mix. National networks and local stations are using this bond to provide brands with ways to reach their listeners that go beyond the 30- or 60-second spot. Instead, they are using the kinship listeners feel for their stations and radio personalities to create content-rich programs that can be shared online and via social and mobile. 

Taking advantage of the strong followings stations have with their local audiences is nothing new. It’s long been the central point of differentiation for radio. What’s different today is how they are broadening that value into a multiplatform environment that puts AM/FM broadcast at the center of programs that can also include a station’s website, its Facebook and Twitter feeds, live events and even naming rights. 

“Our research shows how insanely pervasive radio is,” says media analyst Alice K. Sylvester, COO of Media Behavior Institute. “People identify with the station and its local identity and they stick with it. It becomes a bit of a badge for them. They become part of a community that shares the enjoyment.” 

To expand its presence in its hometown Chicago market, Allstate has gone far beyond simply running its “Mayhem” spots. Instead, it has set itself up to own different parts of local broadcasts, aligning its brand with relevant content. Traffic reports are branded with the “Good Hands” name on local CBS outlets. And the renovated street-level studio for WGN, the flagship Tribune Company station, in September was renamed the Allstate Showcase Studio, a deal that includes on-air naming recognition as well as an interior studio wrap featuring Allstate graphics.

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New Talker Starts Up In Atlantic City

Local and syndicated talk hit the airwaves Monday when WENJ-AM 1450 gets a new format and new call letters, according to the Press ofAtlantic City.

Hurley

The schedule of WPG Talk Radio 1450 will feature local talk radio host Harry Hurley being joined on the airwaves by national talk radio broadcasters Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, among others. The station had been broadcasting sports programming as ESPN-1450, both owned by Townsquare Media LLC.

"The idea is that we are going to have a healthy blend of live and local (programming) that people enjoy and some of the biggest names in the country," said Hurley, who was named senior programming consultant for WPG. "Glenn Beck is not in this market. Sean Hannity is not in this market. People are going to notice."

The change brings an all-talk format back to 1450 AM  and returns classic radio call letters to the Atlantic City area. The WPG call letters were originally used by a municipal radio station operated by Atlantic City out of Boardwalk Hall in the 1920s and 1930s. The letters stand for "The World's Playground."

The new schedule includes "Hurley in the Morning" talk show from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. The rest of the weekday schedule includes Beck from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hannity from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., conservative commentator Mark Levin from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., John Batchelor's news magazine from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and "Red Eye Radio" from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. "Red Eye Radio" is hosted by Eric Harley and Garry McNamara.

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Unique Morning Show on NPR Thrives as Others Slip

From Brian Stetler, NYTimes:

J.EmilionFlores photo for NYTimes

NPR’s “Morning Edition” has one of the most peculiar formats of any morning show on radio or television: it’s split between the East Coast, with the co-host Steve Inskeep in Washington, and the West, with Ms. Montagne. The director cues Ms. Montagne through a videoconferencing system, and the co-hosts routinely add what they call “splits” to their scripts, so that they share the responsibility for introductions and interviews. “We are functionally sitting next to one another,” Ms. Montagne said, yet by staying on separate coasts, they are reflecting the audience’s geographic diversity.

The format is working for “Morning Edition,” the highest-rated news program on radio, which is holding onto its audience at a time when declines are the norm across the fractionalized media landscape. The program is adapting to the Web by letting listeners download episodes to music players and by taking photographers and videographers along on reporting trips.

“We want to replicate ‘Morning Edition’ in all the other spheres that our audience is likely to reach us,” said Madhulika Sikka, the program’s executive producer, who was promoted last week to oversee all of the NPR news division’s reporters and editors and help set its news agenda. The public radio organization will start a search for a replacement producer soon.

All this might surprise people who still associate “Morning Edition” with Bob Edwards, who hosted the program since its inception in 1979 and was pushed out by NPR in 2004, months shy of his 25th anniversary. The decision was widely criticized, and some claimed that the program would fail without him. But it has actually thrived, thanks in part to the co-host arrangement, which split up some of the work and freed Ms. Montagne and Mr. Inskeep to occasionally take the show on the road.

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WPGC’s Pablo Scores Interview With First Lady

Michelle Obama, the first lady of the United States, said last week that the United States is in the “midst of a huge recovery” because of what “this president has done.”

In an interview, Pablo Sato, co-host of Pablo & Free on WPGC 95.5, a D.C.- metropolitan area hip-hop radio station, asked the first lady,  “Mrs. Obama, you know what, in your words, tell us what you think the state of the union is in right now?”

Mrs. Obama said, “I mean, we are seeing right now that we are in the midst of a huge recovery. Right?  Because of what this president has done.”

Report: Hulk Hogan Sues Bubba the Love Sponge

UPDATE Tuesday 6am: During a press conference in Tampa, Fla., lawyers for Hulk Hogan discussed the wrestling star's decision to sue a couple who allegedly filmed him having sex and the web site Gawker which posted the video.

A publicity firm which says it represents wrestling star Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea has called a press conference late Monday, saying the wrestler and two of his lawyers will speak on his decision to file lawsuits connected to the release of a video of him having sex with the onetime wife of his best friend, Tampa-based radio star Bubba the Love Sponge Clem.

Eric Deggans at the Tampa Bay Times reports the release says Bollea will file a federal lawsuit against the parent company of the gossip website Gawker, which posted clips of the video. Clem and his former wife Heather Cole would be the subject of a state court action. A representative from the firm said both lawsuits will seek damages for the video, which he says was made and released without his knowledge.

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