Spotify has had enough of ad blockers, updating its terms of service to expressly forbid them as it tries to ramp up its advertising business, reports AdAge.
On Friday, Spotify notified users that its new policies include a ban on ad blocking technology. "The following is not permitted for any reason whatsoever: circumventing or blocking advertisements in the Spotify Service, or creating or distributing tools designed to block advertisements in the Spotify Service," the new terms say.
With its tougher stance, Spotify says it has the right to suspend any accounts that use ad blockers.
When Spotify went public last year, selling its shares on Wall Street for the first time, it disclosed to investors that about 2 million users deployed technology designed to "suppress advertisements."
Apollo Global Management LLC is nearing a roughly $3 billion agreement to acquire Cox's TV stations, the biggest in a series of deals the private equity firm is lining up to become a force in U.S. broadcasting, according to sources familiar with the matter.
According to Reuters, Cox Media Group and Apollo are also discussing some joint venture agreements for Coxs broadcast station in Atlanta, where Cox is headquartered and also has radio stations, the sources said.
There may be other cities where the companies decide to have joint ventures, the sources added.
An agreement between Apollo and Cox could be announced later this week, the sources said, asking not to be identified because the matter is confidential. As with any negotiations, talks could always fall apart at the last minute, the people cautioned.
Apollo is also a bidder for a portfolio of stations that Nexstar Media Group Inc plans to shed following its $4.1 billion takeover of Tribune Media Co, the sources added. That process is expected to wrap up later this year. Should Apollo prevail in that auction, it would combine the assets with the Cox TV stations, the people said.
Apollo also has an agreement to acquire the assets of Northwest Broadcasting, which owns more than a dozen TV stations in mostly rural markets in the Pacific Northwest, and combine them with the Cox assets, the sources said.
Cox, a privately held family company based in Atlanta, said last July it was exploring options for its 14-station portfolio. The stations were in markets such as Orlando, Florida, Atlanta, Seattle and Jacksonville, Florida.
Apollo would also be able to cut costs at Cox's TV stations, which have been family-controlled for many years.
A private equity consortium led by Blackstone Group LP and Hellman & Friedman LLC and a group that includes Advent International and Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s buyout arm have advanced to the second round of bidding for Nielsen Holdings Plc, according to Reuters citing people familiar with the matter.
Nielsen said in September it would expand a review of strategic alternatives to include a sale of the entire television ratings company after coming under pressure to do so from hedge fund Elliott Management Corp, which in August reported it owned up to 8.4 percent of the company’s shares.
Private equity firms Apollo Global Management LLC and Bain Capital LP also went to the next round of bidding in the Nielsen auction, which is expected to be completed by March, the sources said.
No deal is certain, cautioned the sources, who asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential.
“The Nielsen strategic review includes a broad range of options, including continuing to operate as a public, independent company, a separation of either Nielsen’s buy or watch segment, or a sale of the company,” a spokeswoman said in a statement.
“There can be no assurance that this review will result in a specific transaction or other alternative. The company will provide updates on the review when it determines that further disclosure is appropriate or required.”
Nielsen, which has a debt pile of about $8.6 billion, almost as much as its market value, faces competition from start-ups using automated content recognition (ACR) to track viewing habits via mobile devices and smart TVs. It acquired Gracenote in 2017 in a bid to bolster its ACR capabilities.
The biggest night in music, the Grammy Awards, celebrated its 61st anniversary last night live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. Hosted by Alicia Keys, the evening consisted of warmth, performances, awards and more.
Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour took home Album of the Year. Musgraves also won the awards for Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance (“Butterflies”), and Best Country Song (“Space Cowboy”).
Childish Gambino won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Rap/Sung Performance for “This is America,” marking the first time a rap song to win either of the major awards, Song of the Year and Record of the Year, and achieving both firsts for hip-hop in the same year with the same track.
Cardi B won Best Rap Album for Invasion of Privacy, becoming the first solo female performer to win in that category. Dua Lipa was named Best New Artist, and Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Shallow” from A Star is Born.
Other big winners included Ariana Grande for Best Pop Vocal Album for Sweetener; Drake for Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan”; Greta Van Fleet for Best Rock Album for From the Fires; and Brandi Carlile, who took home multiple awards: Best Americana Album for By The Way, I Forgive You and Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance for “The Joke.”
Host Alicia Keys’ kicked off the show by introducing “some of [her] sisters” to the stage: Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez and Michelle Obama – who was met with wild applause. The women took turns extolling the value of music. “Music helps us share ourselves, our dignity and sorrows, our hopes and joys,” Obama said as the five women end the opening in a embrace.
The unlikely duo of Bob Newhart and Alessia Cara presented the Best New Artist award to Dua Lipa. Newhart won Best New Artist for a 1961 comedy album, while Cara won the award last year. She told the comedian that her great-grandmother had all his albums, with Newhart feigning outrage as she kept upping the age of her relatives who enjoyed his work.
Other Notables From The Night:
Ariana Grande skipped this year's ceremony but won her first Grammy Award in her career. The 25-year-old singer won the award for best pop vocals for her album “Sweetener.”
The late Chris Cornell won the Best Rock Performance award for “When Bad Does Good.” His daughter Toni and son Christopher accepted the award for their father. Cornell, 52, died in May 2017.
Drake made an unexpected appearance to accept the award for Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan.”
Hugh Jackman, an Emmy and Tony winner, won his first Grammy, picking up Best Compilation Soundtrack for visual media for The Greatest Showman.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé, as The Carters, won for Best Urban Contemporary Album for Everything Is Love. This was Hov’s 22nd Grammy, breaking a tie with Kanye West to become the rap artist with the most Grammy Awards in history. They were not there to accept.
THE WINNERS ARE:
Album Of The Year: “Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Record Of The Year (goes to artist, engineers, mixers): “This Is America” – Childish Gambino
Song Of The Year (goes to writers): “This Is America” – Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
Best New Artist: Dua Lipa
⏩POP CATEGORIES
Pop Solo Performance: “Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)” – Lady Gaga
Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Shallow” – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Pop Vocal Album: “Sweetener” – Ariana Grande
⏩COUNTRY CATEGORIES
Country Solo Performance: “Butterflies” – Kacey Musgraves
Country Duo/Group Performance: “Tequila” – Dan + Shay
Country Album: Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Country Song (goes to songwriters): “Space Cowboy” – Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
⏩ROCK CATEGORIES
Rock Album: “The Fires” – Greta Van Fleet
Alternative Music Album: Colors – Beck
Rock Performance (single or track): “When Bad Does Good” – Chris Cornell
Metal Performance: “Electric Messiah” – High On Fire
Rock Song (goes to songwriters): “Masseduction” – Jack Antonoff & Annie Clark, songwriters (St. Vincent)
⏩RAP CATEGORIES
Rap Performance (single or track): (Tie) “King’s Dead” – Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future & James Blake ; “Bubblin” – Anderson .Paak
Rap Album: Invasion Of Privacy – Cardi B
Rap Song (goes to songwriters): “God’s Plan” – Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)
⏩R&B CATEGORIES
R&B Album: H.E.R. – H.E.R.
Urban Contemporary Album: Everything Is Love – The Carters
R&B Performance: “Best Part” – H.E.R. Featuring Daniel Caesar
Traditional R&B Performance: (Tie) “Bet Ain’t Worth The Hand” – Leon Bridges; “How Deep Is Your Love” – PJ Morton Featuring Yebba
R&B Song (goes to songwriters): “Boo’d Up” – Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai & Dijon McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)
⏩AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC CATEGORIES
American Roots Performance: “The Joke” – Brandi Carlile
American Roots Song: “The Joke” – Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
Americana Album: By The Way, I Forgive You - Brandi Carlile
⏩OTHER CATEGORIES
Song Written For Visual Media: “Shallow” – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, written by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt (Track from: “A Star Is Born”)
Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: The Greatest Showman.
Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: Black Panther
Comedy Album: Equanimity & The Bird Revelation – Dave Chappelle
Musical Theater Album: “The Band’s Visit”
Spoken Word Album: “Faith - A Journey For All” – Jimmy Carter
Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: Squeeze Box: The Complete Works Of ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic - “Weird Al” Yankovic
Best Music Video: Childish Gambino – “This Is America”
Best Remixed Recording: “Walking Away (Mura Masa Remix),” Alex Crossan, remixer (Haim)
Producer Of The Year: Pharrell Williams
Best Recording Package: Masseduction – St. Vincent)
Camila Cabello Opened with “Havana” with special guests Ricky Martin, Arturo Sandoval, J Balvin, Young Thug and her real-life family for a dazzling tribute to Latin music.
Shawn Mendes and Miley Cyrus performed Mendes’ hit “In My Blood.” Shawn was playing the piano as he belted his Grammy-nominated track. He stood up and continued to play the song on his guitar before being joined by Cyrus. The two closed the performance with a hug.
Kacey Musgraves performed her Golden Hour track “Rainbow.” Musgraves was accompanied by a pianist as she performed the touching ballad. The steps behind her were illuminated with various colors to showcase the song's title.
Janelle Monae performed “Make Me Feel.” The performance highlighted her characteristically neo-futurist flare. It featured a slew of dancers, some wearing the pants that were in the “Pynk” music video, and a triangular stage. Monáe ended the performance in the middle of the audience, with trumpeters surrounding her.
Post Malone and the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed a medley of “Stay,” “Rockstar” and the Red Hot Chili Peppers song “Dark Necessities.” Malone started his set with an emotional acoustic performance of “Stay.” He then lightened the mood with a rendition of “Rockstar” before transitioning into his collab with the Chili Peppers. Malone played guitar with the band for “Dark Necessities” and sang backing vocals. Sadly, 21 Savage, who is featured on “Rockstar,” couldn’t make it to the award show this year because of his deportation case.
Dolly Parton, an eight-time Grammy winner, was serenaded by her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, Little Big Town, Katy Perry, Maren Morris and Kacey Musgraves. During the opening with Musgraves and Perry, Parton joined the duo to sing her hit, ”Here You Come Again.”
Next up was a duet between Parton and Cyrus who sang her 1984 song,” Jolene.” Dolly then sang “Red Shoes” from her 2018 album, Dumplin’ – white wearing a pair of killer red stilettos.
At the end of the moving tribute, the artists joined Parton to sing her hit “9 to 5,” written for the 1980 film of the same name that starred Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
H.E.R performed her hit song “Hard Place.” The rendition started simply, focusing on H.E.R.’s vocals and guitar strumming, before a handful of backup singers and violin players took to the stage to join her for the big finish.
Cardi B rocked her hit “Money” in a short flapper-style wig and bejeweled, leopard print bodysuit, bringing the crowd to their feet and eliciting ecstatic cheers from her estranged husband, Offset.
Alicia Keys paid tribute to some of her favorite artists during a musical interlude, showing off her Hazel Scott-inspired keyboard skills by playing two pianos at once, before singing “Killin’ Me Softly” and “Doo-Wop (That Thing)” as a birthday tribute to Lauryn Hill.
Keys then covered Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams” and Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable,” and played a Coldplay lick from “Clocks,” noting “Who doesn’t wish they wrote this song?” She then sang a bit of Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” crooned “In My Feelings” to hubby Swizz Beatz and brought Ella Mai to tears when she covered “Boo’d Up.”
Dan & Shay performed a stripped-down version of “Tequila” with Dan on the guitar and Shay on piano, the latter only leaving his keys to belt one the final note of the song.
Introduced by her adorable 9-year-old grandson, Raif-Henok, Diana Ross brought the crowd to their feet and to tears with her performance of “The Best Years of My Life,” which she crooned in a flowing red gown as her family sang along in the front row. She then got the entire crowd singing and swaying to “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand),” thanking everyone for helping celebrate her milestone 75th birthday, “Happy birthday to me!” On Ross’ actual 75th birthday, March 26th, nearly 700 theaters will show Diana Ross Live in Central Park, a concert film documenting her stormy two nights of performing at Central Park’s Great Lawn in 1983.
Lady Gaga channeled “Hair Body Face”-era Ally for a performance of the Grammy-winning anthem, “Shallow.” Covered head-to-toe in jewels, with a jewel-covered microphone and sky-high boots, Gaga threw herself around the stage, whipping her hair wildly, but sounded flawless. Mark Ronson stepped in as Gaga’s stage partner, but left the vocals to her while he accompanied on guitar.
Travis Scott’s performance kicked off with an low-key rendition of “Mile High” with James Blake and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey, before Scott jumped in a cage surrounded by rowdy fans to perform “No Bystanders.”
During a Motown tribute, Jennifer Lopez donned feathers and went back in time for a retro glam medley of “Dancing in the Streets” and “Please Mr. Postman,” then revealed a bejeweled leotard for lively renditions of “Money (That's What I Want),” dueted with Smokey Robertson on “My Girl,” and pulled off one last quick-change to end atop a piano as Ne-Yo played.
In her first-ever Grammy Performance, Brandi Carlile performed her Grammy-winning song, “The Joke,” following a glowing introduction by Kelsea Ballerini. She gave a stirring rendition of the song with a full band, a shiny jacket, and gold filigreed lyrics on the big screen behind her,
Beyoncé protégées Chloe X Halle wowed with a soulful, mesmerizing cover of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway’s “Where Is the Love.”
St. Vincent and Dua Lipa performed together for the first time, delivering a medley of “MASSEDUCTION,” “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” and “One Kiss.”
Following an “In Memoriam” segment which included tributes to Carol Channing, Joe Jackson, Avicii, Mac Miller, and more members of the recording industry who passed over the last year, Yolanda Adams, Fantasia and Andra Day took the stage to show off their vocals with a rendition of “Natural Woman” in celebration of Aretha Franklin, who died last August.
Another successful Westwood One Backstage at the GRAMMYs® event went down on Friday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Several of Westwood One’s national radio shows -- including The Adam Bomb Show, Zach Sang Show, Rick and Sasha, NASH Nights Live, Jayde and The Bert Show -- plus select radio groups were on site curating exclusive audio and video content for listeners and fans in celebration of Music’s Biggest Night®.
This year Westwood One introduced a Podcast Alley at their backstage event; podcasters Screwed-Up Stories and Babes and Babies were there collecting audio and video content for their on-demand listeners.
Columbia Records’ Lauren Juaregui kicked off the Westwood One Backstage Radio Row event and First Access/AWAL’s Madison Beer closed out the day with exclusive, intimate performances for onsite staff and guests. Westwood One is the official radio broadcast partner of the Recording Academy™ and the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards®.
Westwood One’s Adam Bomb, host of The Adam Bomb Show, pals around with superstar DJ, producer, and musician Mark Ronson.
Warner Nashville Country duo Dan + Shay stop by Westwood One Backstage at the GRAMMYs®.
It was a Dancing with the Stars reunion at Westwood One Backstage at the GRAMMYs®. Derek Hough posed with indie duo Alexander Jean, featuring Mark Ballas and BC Jean.
First Access/AWAL’s Madison Beer closed out the Westwood One Backstage at the GRAMMYs® radio row event.
Westwood One’s new Urban AC radio hosts Rick and Sasha figured out who to call – Ray Parker, Jr.
Podcasters Babes with Babies interview actor/dancer/singer and Dancing with the Stars alum Derek Hough at Westwood One Backstage at the GRAMMYs®.
After 50 years on the road with Parliament-Funkadelics, we’re pretty sure George Clinton had many screwed up stories to share with Screwed-Up Stories podcasters Christine Blackburn and Rachael O'Brien at Westwood One Backstage at the GRAMMYs®.
The audience at Clive Davis' white-hot gala included Barbra Streisand, Joni Mitchell and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, but it was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who got the most requests to take a selfie, reports The Associated Press.
Pelosi received rock star treatment Saturday night from attendees at the annual pre-Grammy event, which also featured a stunning tribute to the late Aretha Franklin, an artist Davis worked closely with for decades.
Pelosi's sarcastic handclap and smirk to President Donald Trump at his State of the Union address went viral last week and launched hundreds of memes. So when Davis announced that she was in the audience — Pelosi has attended in the past — she received a standing ovation, while some people even imitated her now-famous handclap.
At the top of the event and as she tried to exit, people asked to take selfies, almost creating a line as Pelosi smiled through them all.
Magnum.Media station WVTY 92.1 VTY Country has rounded out its personality line-up with Bill Mitchell accepting the 10 a.m. – Noon slot beginning February 11, 2019.
Mitchell said, “I'm mighty glad Dave Magnum asked me to join the 92.1 VTY Country air staff. A lot of Country music lovin' listeners in South-East Wisconsin and North-East Illinois have quickly set a pre-set for 92.1 VTY Country. In addition to my North-Milwaukee metro duties, just two clicks up the dial on 92.5 Buzz Country, I look forward to an even wider array of cheese and sausage at even more summer fairs and festivals. I just hope I don't get any ketchup or mustard on my new 92.1 VTY Country embroidered polo shirt!"
Bill Mitchell
Mitchell, a 40-year radio veteran, has handled Mornings on Magnum’s 92.5 Buzz Country WMBZ-FM West Bend-Milwaukee for 7 years. Starting Monday, after his 5:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. shift on Buzz, he’ll also cover 10 a.m. – Noon on 92.1 VTY Country WVTY-FM Racine-Milwaukee.
Dave Magnum stated, “Factoring in market-wide remote broadcasts and promotions, we wanted some personality cross pollination between Buzz Country and VTY Country. With Mitch Morgan and Bill Mitchell on both stations, we’ve achieved that objective.” Magnum continued, “Bill is one of those special individuals who sets out each morning with the goal of having a positive outlook and brightening the day of everyone he comes in contact with both in person and on the radio. It’s hard not to smile the moment your ears are greeted by his big voice and hearty personality.”
The VTY Country website address is vtycountry.com and is at facebook.com/vtycountry. Besides its over-the-air signal on 92.1 FM, the station can also be heard by downloading the free TuneIn app and searching WVTY.
Major League Baseball’s commissioner confirmed Friday that the organization is planning to make a play for 21 regional sports networks being sold by Disney — with a focus on the 14 networks that carry MLB team games.
According to The NY Post, commissioner Rob Manfred announced at the baseball owners’ meeting Friday that he has the support of owners in pursuing the 21st Century Fox RSNs, which Disney is selling as a condition of its $71.3 billion purchase of Fox’s entertainment assets.
“I think I would characterize the discussions among ownership as very supportive of the effort to determine whether we can be a successful bidder,” Manfred said.
“I think that ownership sees it as an opportunity for us to take additional control over our content. I think that we recognize that the media landscape is changing quickly and if somebody’s going to manage that changing landscape, we’d just soon that it be us,” Manfred said, referring to the likelihood of more games being streamed.
MLB has teamed up with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board to buy the RSNs, which sell sports programming to distributors, including cable television. MLB is also reaching out to other potential partners, including big cable companies.
Disney is looking to offload a total of 22 RSNs but one of them — the YES Network — is expected to be picked up by the Yankees separately.
“We’re continuing to talk, continuing to make progress, but nothing’s been done yet,” Yankees Principal Owner Hal Steinbrenner said on buying YES at the same meeting.
MLB could face competition, however, including from billionaire media mogul John Malone — who is also seeking support from MLB team owners for his consolidated bid.
Malone’s Liberty Media already has the support of the Atlanta Braves, which it owns, as well as of the Minnesota Twins and the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.
The Fox RSNs broadcast games for 15 of the 30 MLB teams.
Curtis Media Group/Raleigh has named industry veteran Chris Ganoudis as General Manager of News/Talk WPTF 680 AM, Oldies WPTK 850 AM / 104.7 FM (Just Right Radio) and the Triangle Traffic Network.
He most recently served as General Manager of JVC Broadcasting's stations in Orlando. Prior to that role, Ganoudis was General Sales Manager with Cox Media Group in Orlando.
Curtis Media Group President/COO Trip Savery commented, "I am very pleased to welcome Chris to North Carolina and Curtis Media Group. Chris brings a proven track record of success, and is a great addition to our Raleigh management team. I am confident he will lead these brands to even greater success."
Ganoudis added, "I'm excited to join Curtis Media Group, the phenomenal team and these legendary properties. North Carolina is a great place to live and my family and I couldn't be happier to relocate to the Triangle."
Earlier this year—after 40 years of sports broadcasts, Olympics coverage, veteran sports commentator Bob Costas announced that he was stepping down from his post at NBC Sports.
Now, reports AVNews.com, Costas talks publicly with ESPN's Outside the Lines about one of the most controversial moments of the latter portion of his career: Getting unofficially fired from the network’s 2018 Super Bowl coverage, specifically for bringing up the concussion crisis that’s been quietly endangering the brains of NFL players for years.
Costas was originally supposed to co-host NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl LII, his eighth time helming NBC’s take on The Very Large Game.
However, just a few days before the game was set to be played, the network quietly replaced him with fellow anchor Liam McHugh.
At the time, Costas played his replacement off as a case of schedules meshing and professional courtesy, but even back then, people speculated that it had a lot more to do with comments he’d made about the “declining” state of modern football the year before.
In a conversation at the University Of Maryland, he’d told a crowd of people that he’d never let his kids play a sport that’s been repeatedly linked to traumatic brain injuries in the people who play it. Or, to put it more bluntly (as he did): “The reality is that this game destroys people’s brains.”
The San Diego Fleet and iHeartMedia San Diego have announced a broadcast partnership, with undisclosed terms, that establishes KLSD XTRA 1360 Fox Sports San Diego as the flagship radio station for the inaugural 2019 season of The Alliance of American Football. In addition, the Fleet revealed its broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Jon Schaeffer and color analyst Rich Ohrnberger.
All 10 regular season Fleet games will be broadcast live in their entirety by iHeartMedia San Diego and nationwide on iHeartRadio, a live streaming radio service. The broadcasts will include extensive pregame, halftime and postgame coverage. XTRA 1360 AM will be the primary home for Fleet football, carrying seven regular season games, while KOGO 600 AM will air the other three games.
“We are thrilled that iHeartMedia has come aboard as the Official Radio Partner of the San Diego Fleet,” said Fleet President Jeff Garner. “With XTRA 1360 being the Home of Football in the market, the affiliation was a natural fit for the Fleet, our broadcast partner and our fans. Together, we are excited to bring The Alliance to San Diego sports fans in just two days.”
Veteran play-by-play broadcaster Jon Schaeffer becomes the first-ever radio “Voice of the Fleet.” Schaeffer, who currently handles on-air work at XTRA 1360 for San Diego State University football, basketball and baseball, has been broadcasting professionally for 16 years and recently called national play-by-play for the 2018 Holiday Bowl. The 38-year-old has appeared nationally on CBS Sports Network, Fox College Sports, ESPN GamePlan and ESPN3 and regionally on SNY, Root Sports Pittsburgh, MASN and CSN Mid-Atlantic.
Color analyst Rich Ohrnberger brings a wealth of both broadcasting and playing experience to the Fleet radio team. Ohrnberger is currently the co-host of both Mark & Rich – which airs weekdays on XTRA 1360 Fox Sports San Diego – and Red Zone Radio Sundays on national Fox Sports Radio. The 32-year-old also serves as color analyst for San Diego State University football (2017-present) as well as for NFL and college football on NBC 7 San Diego. Selected by New England in the 2009 draft, Ohrnberger enjoyed a six-year NFL playing career as an offensive lineman for the Patriots, Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers and was a participant in Super Bowl XLVI.
Longtime Orioles radio broadcaster Joe Angel is retiring.
Angel, 71, had a one year left on his contract that the team has apparently decided not to fulfill. In an interview last year , Angel seemed to not know what lied in the future for him and admitted, "I’m 71 years old. I don’t feel like I’m 71, but I’m at the point where it may be soon time to kind of step aside and give a young guy a chance to do a what I’ve done for 41 years."
Angel is a native of Bogota, Colombia. He emigrated with his family to the US as a teenager.
In the 1970s Angel broadcast for the San Francisco Giants (1977–78), as well as Stanford University football and University of San Francisco basketball. Stints with the Minnesota Twins (1984–86), Baltimore Orioles (1988–90, 1992) and New York Yankees (1991) followed. In 1993, he left the Orioles to become the Florida Marlins' first radio voice, and was behind the microphone for the Marlins' first world championship in 1997. After that, he broke into baseball, working for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and became the first radio voice for the newly established Florida Marlins in 1993. He had been with the Orioles since 2004.
“I’m 71 years old. I don’t feel like I’m 71, but I’m at the point where it may be soon time to kind of step aside and give a young guy a chance to do a what I’ve done for 41 years.”
Angel’s departure will force the Orioles to make changes in their broadcast booths.
Angel has most recently worked with Jim Hunter on radio broadcasts. Hunter has filled in on MASN telecasts when Gary Thorne, who is returning this season, is away.
The Orioles will need to hire at least one new broadcaster. Hunter could stay in his present role or shift to be the Orioles’ new radio voice.
Other longtime Orioles radio announcer Fred Manfra retired in 2017 after 25 years in the booth. Other announcers who have shared duties with Angel last year were Jim Hunter, Brian Roberts, Ben McDonald, Dave Johnson, and Gregg Olson.
Talk host and radio storyteller Bruce Williams, whose syndicated show ran for more than 29 years, died Saturday, February 9, at his home near Tampa after a brief illness at age 86.
Bruce Williams
Spanning a career that lasted more than three decades, Williams created a loyal listenership hundreds of thousands of people strong with his informative and entertaining program, delivered in his signature deep, warm, welcoming voice.
One of the most unusual and remarkable facts surrounding Williams' Hall of Fame radio career is that it did not begin until he was well into his forties. Born February 18, 1932, Williams grew up in East Orange, NJ. Born with a sense of business, at age 11, he devised a way to address one of the many shortages common at the end of World War II by melting down lead pipes and casting them into toy soldiers.
He spent time driving an ice cream truck in New York City. He was also a taxi driver and drove a beer truck. For seventy years of his life, he spent the holiday season selling Christmas trees in New Jersey. On the white-collar side, Williams sold insurance, owned a flower shop, a car rental agency, a barber shop and he owned and operated several nightclubs.
His career began in 1975 at Talk WCTC 1450 in Brunswick, New Jersey, where Williams hosted a show called "At Your Service." After some time, his success took him to WMCA 570 AM in NYC and his momentum and audience continued to build. Williams growing popularity brought him to the attention of radio executives at NBC who were searching for a host of a national nightly advice-oriented talk show. Williams was chosen and his program launched in November, 1981. It was from this platform, his reputation as a broadcaster blossomed.
Over the next three decades, Williams' voice was heard coast-to-coast as he became one of the most listened to talk show hosts in radio history. In 1999 when he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago.
Radio broadcaster Dick Gleason died Friday night at the age of 71.
Gleason was the president and owner of Gleason Media Services, which owned seven radio stations that from Kennebunk to Rangeley, including WOXO-FM in Norway, Maine.
In 2008, the Auburn Business Association named Gleason its Citizen of the Year, an award that honors volunteerism, good business practices and dedication to Lewiston and Auburn.
He also received the Business Leadership Award from the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce, the President’s Cornerstone Award for Business from the Maine Senate and the Legion of Honor from Kiwanis International.
➦1938…"The Big Broadcast of 1938" opened in theaters and introduced 'Thanks For The Memory' which would become the theme song for Bob Hope. Hope co-starred with W.C. Fields, Martha Raye and Dorothy Lamour. Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin won the 1939 Oscar for Best Song for the song.
In the movie they song was performed by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross. ➦In 1940... The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street is a musical variety radio program began on the Blue Network in 1940. The magazine Radio Life described it as "one of radio's strangest offsprings... a wacky, strictly hep tongue-in-cheek burlesque of opera and symphony." The series made an unknown regular vocalist named Dinah Shore a national recording and radio star. The host was Milton Cross.
Milton Cross
He would say things like, “A Bostonian looks like he’s smelling something. A New Yorker looks like he’s found it.” The show combined satire, blues and jazz and was built around what were called the three Bs of music: Barrelhouse, Boogie Woogie and Blues.
➦In 1941...Glenn Miller's 'Chattanooga Choo Choo' was released on RCA Records. It was originally recorded as a big band/swing tune and featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade. It was the first song to receive a gold record for sales of 1.2 million copies.
➦In 1949...The detective radio drawm 'Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar' aired on CBS Radio. It aired until September 30, 1962 surviving five changes in the lead actor during its 13 year run.
➥In 1960...The Payola scandal reached a new level of public prominence and legal gravity, when President Eisenhower called it an issue of public morality and the FCC proposed a new law making involvement in Payola a criminal act, according to History.
What exactly was Payola? During the hearings conducted by Congressman Oren Harris (D-Arkansas) and his powerful Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight—fresh off its inquiry into quiz-show rigging—the term was sometimes used as a blanket reference to a range of corrupt practices in the radio and recording industries. But within the music business, Payola referred specifically to a practice that was nearly as old as the industry itself: manufacturing a popular hit by paying for radio play.
As the Payola hearings got under way in February 1960, the public was treated to tales of a lavish disk-jockey convention in Miami bought and paid for by various record companies. One disk jockey, Wesley Hopkins of KYW in Cleveland, admitted to receiving over the course of 1958 and 1959 $12,000 in “listening fees” from record companies for “evaluating the commercial possibilities” of records. Another DJ named Stan Richard, from station WILD in Boston, also admitted to receiving thousands of dollars from various record promoters, and though like Hopkins he denied letting such fees affect his choice of which records to play on the air, he also offered a vigorous defense of Payola, comparing it to “going to school and giving the teacher a better gift than the fellow at the next desk.” He practically likened it to Motherhood and Apple Pie: “This seems to be the American way of life, which is a wonderful way of life. It’s primarily built on romance—I’ll do for you, what will you do for me?” It was this comment that prompted President Eisenhower to weigh in on February 11, 1960, with his condemnation of Payola.
Dick Clark Testifies
But what explains the involvement of Congress in this issue? Technically, the concern of the Harris Committee was abuse of public trust, since the airwaves over which radio stations broadcast their signals are property of the people of the United States. However, 1960 was also an election year, and Rep. Harris and his colleagues on the Subcommittee were eager to be seen on the right side of a highly visible “moral” issue. Though it is widely agreed that the famous 1960 hearings on Payola merely reorganized the practice rather than eradicating it, those hearings did accomplish two very concrete things that year: they threatened the career of American Bandstand‘s Dick Clark and they destroyed the man who gave rock and roll its name, the legendary Cleveland disk jockey Alan Freed.
The Beatles in Concert, Washington DC
➦In 1964...The Beatles' first US live concert was watched by a crowd of 8,092 fans at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, DC.
The band had traveled from New York to Washington, DC early in the day by rail, as an East Coast snowstorm had caused all flights to be cancelled. Upon arrival at Washington's Union Station The Beatles were greeted by 2,000 fans who braved the eight inches of snow on the ground. They gave a press conference before visiting WWDC, which had been the first US radio station to play a Beatles record.
Also on the bill at the Coliseum were The Chiffons and Tommy Roe. However, The Chiffons were unable to make it due to the previous day's snowstorm. Instead, the opening acts were Jay & The Americans, The Righteous Brothers and Tommy Roe.
The Beatles took to the stage at 8.31pm, and performed 12 songs: Roll Over Beethoven, From Me To You, I Saw Her Standing There, This Boy, All My Loving, I Wanna Be Your Man, Please Please Me, Till There Was You, She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Twist And Shout and Long Tall Sally.
The group were performing in the round, and Ringo Starr's drum riser was turned 180 degrees after the third song by Mal Evans, to allow the audience behind them to watch the performance. This was repeated again after I Wanna Be Your Man, and following She Loves You they turned 45 degrees.
➦In 1994…Radio, TV, film Actor William Conrad died at age 73.
Conrad estimated that he played more than 7,500 roles during his radio career, including providing the voice of Marshal Matt Dillon in the radio version of 'Gunsmoke'. At KMPC L-A, the 22-year-old Conrad produced and acted in The Hermit's Cave (circa 1940–44), the Los Angeles incarnation of a popular syndicated horror anthology series created at WJR Detroit
In January 1956, Conrad was the announcer on the debut broadcast of The CBS Radio Workshop, a two-part adaptation of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World which Huxley himself narrated.
➦In 2012…Singer, Actress Whitney Houston died at the age of 48. She has been cited as the most awarded female artist of all time by Guinness World Records and remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time with 200 million records sold worldwide. An L-A Coroner's report concluded Houston drowned accidentally and autopsy results revealed heart disease. Chronic cocaine use was a contributing factor.
➦In 2013…Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Rick Huxley died at the age of 72, after suffering from emphysema for some years. He was a founding member (1958-1970) of the Dave Clark Five.
Bob Simon - 2010
➦In 2015…Radio, TV CBS News correspondent Bob Simon died at age 73. He suffered critical injuries in a car crash on the West Side Highway of Manhattan, NYC.
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