November 28 Radio History

➦In 1917...Elliott Lewis was born in New York City.  He was extremely active during the Golden Age of Radio as an actor, producer and director, proficient in both comedy and drama. These talents earned him the nickname “Mr Radio,” while his first wife Cathy Lewis, was dubbed “Mrs. Radio.”  Elliott’s most famous role was that of the hard-living, trouble-making left-handed guitar player Frankie Remley on NBC‘s The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show.  He suffered cardiac arrest and died May 23 1990 at age 72.

George Hay

➦In 1925..."The Grand Ole Opry" debuted on WSM, Nashville under the name "Barn Dance". The first artist to perform on the show was fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson.

It didn't settle on a name until June 1928. The Opry got its name by an unusual coincidence: Soon after Program Director George D. Hay started his show, WSM radio joined the NBC radio network. Since the program followed a performance on the network called the Metropolitan Grand Opera. So, Hay decided to call his program the Grand Ole Opry.

Hay was born in Attica, Indiana. In Memphis, Tennessee, after World War I, he was a reporter for the Commercial Appeal, and when the newspaper launched its own radio station, WMC, in January 1923, he became a late-night announcer at the station. His popularity increased and in May 1924 he left for WLS in Chicago, where he served as the announcer on a program that became National Barn Dance.

On November 9, 1925 he moved on to WSM in Nashville. Getting a strong listener reaction to 78-year-old fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson, Hay announced the following month that WSM would feature "an hour or two" of old-time music every Saturday night. He promoted the music and formed a booking agency.

In the 1930s the show began hiring professionals and expanded to four hours; and WSM, broadcasting by then with 50,000 watts, made the program a Saturday night musical tradition in nearly 30 states. In 1939, it debuted nationally on NBC Radio. The Opry moved to a permanent home, the Ryman Auditorium, in 1943. As it developed in importance, so did the city of Nashville, which became America's "country music capital". The Grand Ole Opry holds such significance in Nashville that its name is included on the city/county line signs on all major roadways. The signs read "Music City | Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County | Home of the Grand Ole Opry".

Membership in the Opry remains one of country music's crowning achievements. Such country music legends as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Roy Acuff, the Carter family, Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb, Kitty Wells and Minnie Pearl became regulars on the Opry's stage. In recent decades, the Opry has hosted such contemporary country stars as Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Dierks Bentley, Blake Shelton and the Dixie Chicks. Since 1974, the show has been broadcast from the Grand Ole Opry House east of downtown Nashville, with an annual three-month winter foray back to the Ryman since 1999.

The Grand Ole Opry is broadcast live on WSM-AM at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday nights.

The Opry can also be heard live on Willie's Roadhouse on channel 59 on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. A condensed radio program, America's Opry Weekend, is syndicated to stations around the United States. The program is also streamed on WSM's website.

ABC broadcast the Grand Old Opry as a monthly series from 1955–56. PBS televised annual live performances from 1978 to 1981.  In 1985, The Nashville Network began airing an edited half-hour version of the program as Grand Ole Opry Live; the show moved to Country Music Television (expanding to an hour in the process), and then to the Great American Country (GAC) cable network with its Opry Live show currently on hiatus.


➦In 1932...Groucho Marx performed on radio for the first time.


➦In 1960...The CBS Radio Network expanded its hourly news coverage from 5 to 10 minutes.


➦In 1960..."Are You Lonesome Tonight" by Elvis Presley peaked at number one on the pop singles chart.




➦In 1987...Pat St. John debuted on WNEW-FM, New York City. He was previously at WPLJ.


➦In 1993...radio & TV host Garry Moore died of emphysema at age 78.  He successfully combined genial humor with a pleasant personality and relaxed style that made him a favorite with audiences, both radio & TV, whether in a variety format or on panel shows. (I’ve Got a Secret, To Tell the Truth.)


➦In 2011...Comedian/Radio personality (Opie and Anthony) Patrice O'Neal died of complications from a stroke suffered the previous month at the age of 41.

Westwood One Nat'l Sales Makes Strategic Changes

Westwood One has announced important strategic changes to the leadership and structure of the national sales team, effective immediately. These organizational changes are designed to capitalize on Westwood One’s strong sales momentum, as well as to propel the organization to new heights in 2018 and beyond.

Bryan Forbes

Bryan Forbes is appointed President, Sales at Westwood One, responsible for leading the network and national spot sales organizations and reporting to Westwood One President Suzanne Grimes. Bryan joins Westwood One from the Katz Radio Group, where he most recently served as SVP and General Manager of Westwood One National Sales. Bryan has nearly 20 years of sales leadership experience in the radio industry, a unique understanding of the Westwood One organization, strong relationships with the advertising agency community, and a proven track record of leading teams and delivering results. Bryan replaces Steve Shaw, who is retiring to pursue his life passions in Vermont.

Mark Wildman

Mark Wildman, EVP Strategic Partnerships at Westwood One, is tapped to launch the Audio Active Group, a newly established, dedicated business development team responsible for creating integrated, brand-focused solutions that leverage the vast portfolio of assets across the company’s 446 radio stations and network platforms. Mark’s 15 + years of success creating integrated marketing and content strategies on behalf of national brands across audio, video, digital, social, mobile, print and event platforms make him uniquely qualified to spearhead this group.

Pierre Bouvard, will continue in his role as Chief Insights Officer at Cumulus|Westwood One, with a vigorous commitment to reinforcing and growing Westwood One’s position as an industry leader in audio data and insights innovation, including building on the Westwood One ROI Guarantee and developing new data attribution solutions for our agency and brand partners. In this enhanced role, Pierre will report directly to Suzanne Grimes.

Ari Molovinsky

Ari Molovinsky joins Westwood One as VP Strategic Planning & Analysis, responsible for supporting the leadership team with revenue-focused and general management initiatives, reporting directly to Suzanne Grimes. Ari brings strong relevant experience from SiriusXM Radio, where he held roles in subscriber acquisition, retail promotions and operations, and streaming services and products. In addition, he has held strategy and operations roles at Viacom, Bristol Myers, and Interpublic Group.

“Westwood One has a top-notch sales organization in place, as demonstrated by our performance this year, “ said Suzanne Grimes, EVP, Corporate Marketing, Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One, “and I am thrilled to welcome both Bryan and Ari to the team. With these new hires, as well as the exciting launch of the Audio Active Group and expansion of our actionable data and thought-leadership platform, Westwood One is poised to deliver significant growth as we continue to champion radio as the  #1 mass reach medium that delivers exceptional results.“

D-C Radio: James Howard Gets More To Do At iHM

James Howard

iHeartMedia announced today that James Howard has been named VP/Programming for Washington, D.C., a newly created position.

He’ll also Program Alternative WWDC DC101 and Classic Rock  WBIG BIG100.3 FM and report to Jeff Kapugi, Senior VP of Programming for iHeartMedia’s Washington, D.C. Region. "James has been a rock star for years," said Kapugi. "Now he gets to be an AC star, a Country star and a Top 40 star. This is a well-deserved promotion for one of the most creative programmers I've had the opportunity to work with."

iHeartMedia Washington, D.C. includes Top4 WIHT HOT 99.5, AC WASH 97.1 FM, DC101, Country WMZQ 98.7 FM, BIG 100 and Translator W284CQ Kiss104.7 FM.

Howard began his radio career with iHeartMedia in 2001 and since then has held programming positions in Orlando, Albany, Atlanta and Tampa. Howard joined the Washington, D.C./Baltimore market in 2010 and most recently programmed WWDC and WBIG.

CBS Denies Discrimination Allegations Made By Ex-Producer

Erin Gee

UPDATE 11/27/17 12n:  "Ms. Gee is a former employee who voluntarily resigned from CBS to pursue another opportunity. Her allegations are wholly without merit, including those directed toward Mr. Klug, and CBS will vigorously defend itself. Contrary to those allegations, Ms. Gee was treated in a non-discriminatory and non-retaliatory manner, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has previously dismissed her claims. CBS is firmly committed to equal employment opportunities and maintaining a positive work environment for all of its employees," a CBS News spokesperson told Fox News.

Earlier Posting...

A week after CBS host Charlie Rose was outed as an alleged serial sex harasser, one of the network’s former producers says she was told by a boss that she would have to sleep with coworkers to get anywhere in the company.

“I was in a state of shock,” said Erin Gee, 44, who worked for CBS for 17 years and recently filed a Manhattan federal suit alleging rampant sex discrimination at the network.

Gee said one of the most offensive incidents occurred in 2011, when she was talking with her boss at “CBS Evening News,” Robert Klug, about a workplace dispute.

Klug, now 58, said “she should ‘have sex’ with [the] video editor who had been difficult to work with to ‘break the ice,’ ” according to court papers.

“I couldn’t believe that was his advice,” Gee said. “I was looking for help, and he looked at me like, ‘You don’t matter, and this is what you should do to make this guy like you.’ ”

Rob Klug

Gee reported the incident to a senior producer on the program, “who told her at the time that he let the executive producer know about it,’’ said her lawyer, Kevin Mintzer. “But nothing was done.’’

Klug was eventually promoted to executive director for CBS News.

Fed up with the network’s “boys’ club,” Gee filed a formal complaint with CBS in 2015, again reporting Klug’s comments, as well as other instances of alleged sexism.

“All I wanted was the same opportunities that were being given to the men. In my nearly 20 years at CBS, I never saw a female director direct the evening news,” she said.

But after she filed the complaint, Gee was demoted to the weekend newscast, according to court papers. She was told she was being disciplined for “behavioral problems,” but Gee says was never alerted to any issues. She eventually quit and took another job in the industry.

Atlanta Radio: WALR Drops Tom Joyner, Makes Adjustments

Cox Media Group's WALR KISS 104.1 FM today launched programming changes at Atlanta’s top R&B station.

“The changes we’re making represent a new day dawning in Atlanta R&B music,” said CMG Atlanta VP of Programming Tony Kidd. “This new programming line-up reflects what Atlanta’s African-American listeners want most from their favorite R&B station.”

Kidd says that the programming changes, which begin Nov. 27, include:

• More of today’s R&B and Throwbacks music from today’s R&B stars and superstars and timeless music from the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s.
• Monday – Friday, 5 -9 a.m.: “Morning Groove” with Art Terrell and Roy Wood Jr. with news and information from Condace Pressley. In addition, the show will include commentary, opinions and humor from trusted voices like Clark Howard, Corey “Zooman” Miller, Aaron Paxton Arnold and more. “The Morning Groove” will play the best of Today’s R & B Music and Throwbacks.
• Monday – Friday, 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Sasha the Diva takes over the afternoon drive to entertain and guide listeners through their ride home in Atlanta’s busy traffic.

WALR 104.1 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

The new KISS 104.1 aims to entertain and inform Atlantans with a focus on local, relatable topics, a good bit of humor, and the best of Today’s R&B and Throwbacks.

Golic and Wingo Debuts with Adam Silver as First Guest

ESPN Radio’s new morning drive show Golic and Wingo debuted today and featured NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the show’s first guest.

Hosted by longtime friends and veteran voices Mike Golic and Trey Wingo, and with Mike Golic Jr. joining for the first hour each day, Golic and Wingo airs weekdays, 6 – 10 a.m. ET on ESPN Radio and is simulcast on ESPN2.


Golic and Wingo Open - 11-27-17 from ESPNMediaZone on Vimeo.


The show is also available on the ESPN app and ESPNRadio.com, and via SiriusXM Channel 80, Apple Music, Slacker Radio and TuneIn.

Golic and Wingo_Adam Silver Interview_112717 from ESPNMediaZone on Vimeo.

Meredith To Buy Publisher Time

Media company Meredith Corp said on Sunday it will buy Time Inc, the publisher of People, Sports Illustrated and Fortune magazines, in a $1.84 billion all-cash deal backed by conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

Reuters reports the deal is a coup for Meredith, which held unsuccessful talks to buy Time earlier this year and in 2013.

It will give news, business and sports brands to the Des Moines, Iowa-based publisher and broadcaster, which owns lifestyle magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens and Family Circle. Analysts have said that bulking up on publishing assets could give Meredith the scale required to spin off its broadcasting arm into a standalone company.

When combined, the Meredith and Time brands will have a readership of 135 million people and paid circulation of nearly 60 million. The deal also will expand Meredith’s reach with internet-savvy millenials, creating a digital media business with 170 million monthly unique visitors in the United States and more than 10 billion annual video views.

The Koch brothers are two of the world’s richest men through their ownership of Koch Industries, a sprawling industrial empire that manufactures such products as Brawny paper towels, Dixie Cups and Lycra.

Koch Equity Development, the private equity arm of the Koch brothers, agreed to offer Meredith $650 million in preferred equity to fund the Time acquisition. The companies said the Koch unit will not have a seat on Meredith’s board and will have no influence on Meredith’s editorial or managerial operations.

Charles, David Koch

The Kochs, known for their advocacy of conservative policies and influence on some quarters of the Republican Party, had previously expressed interest in buying media properties such as the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune in 2013.

Their involvement in the Time deal “underscores a strong belief in Meredith’s strength as a business operator, its strategies, and its ability to unlock significant value from the Time acquisition,” according to the companies’ statement announcing the deal.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Stephen Lacy, Meredith’s chairman and chief executive, said the combined company will be able to reach almost 200 million consumers across all platforms, including digital.

“The vision is the absolute premiere media company in the country with premium branded content on every platform,” Lacy said in an interview. “We’re very excited to bring these businesses together.”

Lacy said the combined company will have more than 10 billion annual video views and nearly $700 million in digital advertising revenue. “This is also a digital play for Meredith, one that transforms the company into a top 10 digital media company in the U.S.”

He expects the acquisition to close in about 60 days.

Time Sold

"We are creating a premier media company serving nearly 200 million American consumers across industry-leading digital, television, print, video, mobile, and social platforms positioned for growth," said Meredith Corporation Chairman and CEO Stephen M. Lacy.

"We are adding the rich content-creation capabilities of some of the media industry's strongest national brands to a powerful local television business that is generating record earnings, offering advertisers and marketers unparalleled reach to American adults. We are also creating a powerful digital media business with 170 million monthly unique visitors in the U.S. and over 10 billion annual video views, enhancing Meredith's leadership position in reaching Millennials."

Stephen M Lacy

The transaction will create a diversified media and marketing company with calendar 2016 combined revenues of $4.8 billion – including $2.7 billion of total advertising revenues with nearly $700 million of digital advertising revenues – and adjusted EBITDA of $800 million. Additionally, Meredith anticipates generating cost synergies of $400 million to $500 million in the first full two years of operation.

"This is a transformative transaction for Meredith Corporation, and follows a fiscal 2017 in which we posted the highest revenues, profit and earnings per share in our 115-year history," said Meredith President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Harty.  "When you combine our strong local television business – which has grown operating profit 15 percent annually over the last five years – with the trusted, premium multiplatform content creation of Meredith and Time Inc., it creates a powerful media company serving consumers and advertisers alike. We look forward to completing the transaction; welcoming the Time Inc. employees to Meredith; delivering on our pledge to achieve identified synergies; and growing shareholder value."

According to a press release from Meredith, Key Strategic and Financial Benefits of the Transaction:

• Creates unparalleled portfolio of national media brands with greater scale and efficiency – Combined, Meredith's brands will have a readership of 135 million and paid circulation of nearly 60 million, with leading positions in celebrity, food, lifestyle, news and sports, parenting, and home content creation, as well as enhanced positions in the beauty, fashion and luxury advertising categories.
• Continues the strong and growing contribution from local media – Meredith's portfolio of 17 high-performing television stations in 12 markets is a consistent generator of strong cash flow. Meredith's stations – which reach more than 11 percent of U.S. television households – are primarily Big 4 network affiliates located in fast-growing markets. In fiscal 2017, Meredith's broadcasting business delivered the best year in its 60-year history, generating record revenues and profit – including more than $60 million of political ad revenues – and an EBITDA margin of 40 percent. Looking ahead, Meredith anticipates another strong political advertising year in fiscal 2019.
• Accelerates Meredith's digital position by adding significant scale – Meredith will be transformed into a Top 10 digital media company with 170 million unique monthly visitors in the U.S., over 10 billion annual video views, and nearly $700 million in digital advertising revenues. It will operate the No. 1 premium digital network for American consumers with unmatched reach to Millennials. Additionally, Meredith will be a top-tier data player with a database of more than 250 million email addresses/device IDs, paired with leading advertising technology platforms and shopper marketing capabilities.
• Provides advertising and consumer revenue diversification and growth – Meredith will be well-positioned to benefit from fast-growing digital advertising platforms, including native, video, shopper marketing, programmatic and social. Also, Meredith expects to increase consumer revenue from diversified streams, including bundled circulation activities, brand licensing, ecommerce, events, video creation, content management, and marketing services.
• Enhances financial strength and flexibility – Meredith expects the transaction will be accretive to free cash flow in the first full year of operations. Meredith has demonstrated a strong track record of achieving cost synergies with prior acquisitions, and is confident in its ability to optimize the cost structure of the combined business. The increased scale and free cash flow – coupled with cost synergy achievement – positions Meredith to aggressively pay down debt and achieve a leverage ratio of approximately 2x by 2020, and take advantage of future acquisition opportunities in the media space.
• Increases Total Shareholder Return – Meredith remains committed to delivering top-third Total Shareholder Return. Meredith will continue to pay its current annual dividend of $2.08 per share, and expects ongoing annual dividend increases. Meredith has paid a dividend for 70 consecutive years and has increased it for 24 straight years.

"To summarize, we believe this acquisition represents a transformative and financially compelling growth opportunity for Meredith Corporation and will increase shareholder value over time," Lacy said. "We are acquiring an impressive portfolio of leading brands and a digital business of scale with tremendous growth potential, complemented by our growing television broadcasting business that produces strong cash flow, fueled by growing political advertising and retransmission revenues. And the company will be led by Meredith's executive management team with expertise in integrating acquisitions and operating multiplatform media businesses."

Westwood One News Announces Big Market Renewals

Westwood One News has signed renewals from top stations WINS-AM/New York, KYW-AM/Philadelphia, WBZ-AM/Boston, and WWJ-AM/Detroit. The news network is also expanding its reach across America with more than 70 new stations coming on board, including KKOB-AM/Albuquerque, WWJB-AM/Tampa, KMJ-AM/FM Fresno, KOKC-AM/Oklahoma City, and WECK-AM/Buffalo.

Westwood One News’ comprehensive and dependable coverage can be branded locally and is now airing on 830 stations nationwide, also including KABC-AM/Los Angeles, WBAP-AM/Dallas, KUFO-AM/Portland, WLS-AM/Chicago, and KFYI-AM/Phoenix.

Many significant milestones were hit this year, including the network’s first-ever Edward R. Murrow Award, a Golden Mike Award, and two New York Radio Festival international awards, Westwood One News has been deep in the trenches covering the top news stories of the year, including President Trump’s inauguration and the first year of the Administration -- from tweets to taxes, Russian collusion charges, staff shakeups, and attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act; the sexual harassment charges against major personalities in politics, entertainment, and media; the Charlottesville demonstrations; hurricanes Harvey, Nate, and Irma; the Barcelona terror attack; North Korea provocations; the Las Vegas shooting; the New York terror attack; the Texas church shooting; the Bill Cosby and Sen. Bob Menendez trials; and much more.

Suzanne Grimes

“Westwood One News is on the map as a leading network news provider that constantly innovates,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP Corporate Marketing, Cumulus Media and President of Westwood One. “Our award-winning news team delivers timely, precise, and trustworthy coverage of breaking stories as they unfold. This year alone, Westwood One News covered everything from the Trump administration to the country’s reckoning with sexual harassment, with thousands of custom reports for our affiliate partners who enjoy best-in-class content, seamless operations, and the flexibility to locally brand our news content. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive.”

The Westwood One News team is expanding to keep pace with its rapid growth, adding respected broadcast journalist Clayton Neville as Texas and the Southeast correspondent. Neville comes to Westwood One News from the acclaimed news departments at WBAP and KLIF radio in Dallas. During his career as a radio news director, reporter, and anchor, Neville has received several industry awards and was acknowledged by the Texas Association of Broadcasters for his coverage of the deadly tornadoes in 2015.

Westwood One News, launched in January 2015, was created to offer radio stations greater flexibility and local branding opportunities, enabling them to integrate network news into their local operation. In addition to 830 broadcast radio stations, Westwood One News can also be heard anywhere in the U.S. on Bloomberg Radio and the SiriusXM POTUS and Progress channels.

Stations interested in learning more about Westwood One News can contact Jim Jones at jimjones@westwoodone.com or (202) 840-7933.

Report: Morning Joe Fakes 'Live' Friday MSNBC Show

The hosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” did the usual day-after Thanksgiving kibitzing on the air on Friday morning, telling viewers about their turkey dinners and mentioning the big football game the night before.

However, The Washington Post reports one problem: None of those things had actually happened at the time Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Co. started talking about them. The program that aired Friday morning was taped Wednesday, but made to look and sound as if it was airing live.

“Morning Joe” airs live on MSNBC five days a week. It features discussions of breaking or very recent news events.

Friday’s program had all the earmarks of a typical “Morning Joe” and few viewers seemed to notice that it wasn’t happening in real time. MSNBC offered no announcement or statement to viewers that it was a taped program. The only indirect clue was at the bottom of the screen: The “Live” graphic that normally appears was removed.

The rest was cooked up to appear as if it was happening in real time.

Brezinski opened the program by saying, “Day after Thanksgiving! Hoo! I’m stuffed.”


The illusion that the discussion was live was fostered by the news crawl at the bottom of the screen, which was added over the taped discussion, and a clock showing the time in various time zones.

The hosts never got around to talking about Friday’s morning’s biggest story, the deadly terrorist attack on a mosque in Egypt — because it hadn’t happened yet when they taped. The crawl mentioned it.

A longtime viewer of the program noticed that Friday’s edition had none of the usual discussion of breaking news and contacted The Washington Post to inquire if “Morning Joe” was presenting “fake news.” He said he was surprised to see Scarborough and Brzezinski appearing in a New York studio on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

“I was quite flabbergasted by the way they were so deceptive about this . . . especially when they are always so quick to castigate lying [or] deception they attribute to others,” said the viewer, who asked not to be identified.

Ohio State Coach Believes Cameraman Caused QB Injury

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said that quarterback J.T. Barrett's third quarter knee injury in the Buckeyes' 31-20 win against rival Michigan was a "non-football injury" and came as a result of a cameraman clashing with Barrett's knee on the sideline prior to kickoff.

USAToday reports Meyer told reporters after the game that there were "too many damn people on the sideline" and that an "investigation is underway" to find the person who caused the injury. "I'm gonna find out who," Meyer said.

According to ESPN, Ohio State's sidelines were filled with VIPs, former players, reporters, photographers, cameramen, security and team support staffs.

Barrett demonstrated to reporters how the injury happened, saying his knee twisted when someone tried to squeeze by him and it aggravated a problem he has been playing with. It did not keep him from starting, but after a run in the third quarter he stayed down on the field and grabbed his right knee. He limped off the field and toward the locker room. Barrett said that the person who led to the injury was someone "wearing gray."

Meyer and Barrett talk about the incident pic.twitter.com/IfHAb1bW7G

— Joe Fleming (@ByJoeFleming) November 25, 2017

FCC Member Begs Public to 'Stop Us' From Killing Net Neutrality

Jessica Rosenworcel

A Democratic member of the FCC has written an op-ed that Americans must resist the agency's plans to end net neutrality rules adopted under the Obama administrationreports The Hill.

Jessica Rosenworcel wrote in the LATimes that the FCC's plan to gut net neutrality provisions is "lousy" and urged Americans to make their voices heard before a Dec. 14 vote.

"They have proposed to end net neutrality, and they are trying to force a vote on their plan on Dec. 14," Rosenworcel writes. "It’s a lousy idea. And it deserves a heated response from the millions of Americans who work and create online every day."

Net neutrality rules passed in 2015 prohibit internet service providers from providing faster speeds to companies that pay them larger amounts, meaning that larger and smaller companies are treated the same. Proponents of net neutrality say it prohibits larger tech companies from throttling the competition's internet traffic.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced last week that the FCC would overturn those rules in December after a vote.

“Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the internet,” Pai said in a statement. “Instead, the FCC would simply require internet service providers to be transparent about their practices so that consumers can buy the service plan that’s best for them.”

“Reach out to the rest of the FCC now,” Rosenworcel adds. “Tell them they can’t take away internet openness without a fight.”

'Reputation' Album Spends Second Week at No. 1

Taylor Swift’s Reputation album racks up a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, as the set earned 256,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Nov. 23, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 232,000 were in traditional album sales. The set debuted atop the list a week ago with 1.238 million units, of which 1.216 million were in album sales.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Dec. 9-dated chart (where Reputation holds at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard's websites on Tuesday (Nov. 28).

Reputation is the first album by a woman to rack up more than a single week at No. 1 in more than a year-and-a-half. Rihanna’s ANTI was the last to do so, with two nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Feb. 20 and April 2, 2016-dated charts. And Swift is the first woman to notch her first two weeks at No. 1 on the chart since Adele’s 25 ruled for its first seven frames (of 10 total nonconsecutive weeks) between Dec. 12, 2015 and Jan. 23, 2016.

At No. 2 on the Billboard 200, superstar country couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill debut with their first collaborative effort, The Rest of Our Life.

Sam Smith’s former No. 1, The Thrill of It All, dips one spot to No. 3 with 58,000 units (down 11 percent).

Garth Brooks’ new box set, The Anthology: Part I, The First Five Years, opens at No. 4 with 53,000 units — all from traditional album sales. (The album was released on Nov. 14, and only available on CD and withheld from streaming services.) The five-CD archival effort was bundled with Brooks’ new book about the first five years of his recording career.

R.I.P.: Miracles Singer Pete Moore Dead At 78

Pete Moore

Warren "Pete" Moore, an original member of the legendary Motown singing group the Miracles, has died,

He was 78-years-oif-age, according to Rolling Stone.

Motown founder Berry Gordy confirmed Moore's death in a statement. No cause of death was provided.

"I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Warren 'Pete' Moore, a fine human being and valued member of the Motown family," Gordy said. "Pete was an original member of my very first group, the Miracles. He was a quiet spirit with a wonderful Bass voice behind Smokey Robinson’s soft, distinctive lead vocals and was co-writer on several of the Miracles hits."

A childhood friend of Robinson's while growing up in Detroit, Moore and Robinson formed a singing group while they were both in high school. With Moore as the bass singer, the group was known as the Five Chimes and the Matadors before signing with Gordy's Motown offshoot Tamla in 1959. They changed their name to the Miracles soon after.



Moore served as co-writer on many of the Miracles' singles, including their classic "The Tracks of My Tears", "Ooo Baby Baby", "My Girl Has Gone" and "Love Machine," as well as hits by Motown artists like Marvin Gaye ("Ain't That Peculiar," "I'll Be Doggone") and the Temptations' ("Since I Lost My Baby") Moore also produced the Miracles' "Here I Go Again" and "Baby Baby Don't Cry."

After Robinson left the Miracles in 1971, Moore remained with the group until their dissolution in 1978. In 2012, Moore was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside the Miracles.

November 27 Radio History

➦In 1901...early radio sportscaster Ted Husing was born in the Bronx NY.

For CBS he covered events as diverse as boxing, horse racing, track and field, regattas, seven World Series, tennis, golf, four Olympic Games, Indianapolis 500 motor racing, and especially college football, where he laid down much of the structure of football play-by-play that is still used today.

Husing died of a brain tumour Aug. 10 1962 at age 60.


➦In 1926...radio station KXL in Portland, Oregon began broadcasts with a licensed power of 50 watts. Today, the calls are KXTG and airs sports talk at 750 AM.  KXL-FM airs news/talk on 101.9 FM.


➦In 1960...the CBS Radio Network canceled "Have Gun Will Travel".


➦In 1962...In London, the Beatles recorded their first BBC radio session, performing "Twist and Shout," "Love Me Do," and "P.S. I Love You." The tracks aired later on the BBC program "Talent Spot."


➦In 1975...Bill Winters WCBS 101.1 FM personality passed.

Bill Winters

Winters worked in Tampa Bay in the early to mid 1960’s, first at WALT (mid-days) in 1963-64, and then WLCY. He also went on to work at Miami’s WQAM. During his short career, he held down shifts at some pretty impressive stations, including wakeup duty beginning in early 1968 at WPOP Hartford. There, he achieved the station’s highest Pulse ratings ever and, as a pivotal member of its “BOSS”ketball team, once broke two toes during a benefit game.

During a year out to serve with Uncle Sam, Bill worked part-time at WFBS in Spring Lake, NC, and then returned to mornings at WPOP. This time, he was billed as “The Big Kahuna – World Champion Surfer and 14th Degree Black Belt with Red Strikers.”

Early in his career, Bill worked at some fairly small stations, paying his dues at WCEC, WFMA-FM, and WEED AM/FM, all in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina, WGAI Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and WHAP Hopewell, Virginia. Later stops (and bigger stations) included WKYC Cleveland, CKLW Detroit, WCAO Baltimore, WBZ Boston, WCBS-FM New York (mid-days), and WIBG Philadelphia.

Bill’s career was cut short when he died in 1975 at the age of 35.





➦In 1979...Chuck Leonard did his last show at WABC.


➦In 1981...The British Phonographic Industry, with support from musicians including Elton John, 10cc, Gary Numan, Cliff Richard, and the Boomtown Rats, placed ads in British newspapers claiming "Home taping is wiping out music."


➦In 1984...long time St. Louis Radio personality, Jack Carney, died. He is best remembered for his stints at WIL and KMOX.

Jack Carney

Carney took his first radio job in New Mexico and moved from job to job at small stations throughout the southwest early in his career. Carney then became a rock n’ roll disc jockey serving up the hits to teens in Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Boston.

Carney’s first job in St. Louis came on WIL Radio from 1958-1960. While at WIL, Carney came up with his alter ego character “Pookie Snackenburg.” Carney was lured away from WIL to work for a short time at WABC Radio/New York.

Carney’s second stint in St. Louis was at KMOX where he established a following and his place in the community. Taking over the morning spot from Jack Buck in 1971, Carney was an instant hit.

During his KMOX years, virtually every celebrity that passed through St. Louis stopped by to say hello to Jack Carney.Carney’s show on KMOX was a fixture in St. Louis for 13 years. Jack Carney died of a sudden heart attack at age 52.

Jack Carney was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2001.


➦In 2006...Sportscaster (Cleveland Browns, WJW-TV)/radio sports talk host (WTAM, WERE) Kenneth "Casey" Coleman, Jr., son of play-by-play announcer Ken Coleman and a broadcaster in Cleveland for almost 30 years, died of pancreatic cancer at 55.

CNN Fires Back At Trump Over Weekend Tweet

CNN fired back at President Trump after he attacked the network in a tweet Saturday for representing the U.S. “very poorly” to the world.

.@FoxNews is MUCH more important in the United States than CNN, but outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2017

It's not CNN's job to represent the U.S to the world. That's yours. Our job is to report the news. #FactsFirst 🍎

— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 25, 2017

Trump has repeatedly criticized CNN throughout his campaign and presidency, labeling them “fake news.” In contrast, he has appeared on Fox News several times and praised anchors like Sean Hannity for their coverage and ratings.

Saturday’s comments come as the Justice Department’s attempts to block a potential merger between AT&T and Time Warner are under scrutiny. The Justice Department has reportedly told AT&T to sell CNN's parent company, though AT&T denied that it offered to do so.