Former Boston Red Sox pitcher and ESPN baseball analyst Curt Schilling hurled some high, hard ones at his former employer and some of his colleagues Wednesday in an appearance at “Breitbart News Patriot Forum” on Sirius XM (SoundCloud below).
Alex Marlow, host of the satellite radio program, asked Schilling about what it was like to move from professional sports, “the ultimate meritocracy,” to ESPN where he was “told what to say and how to say it.” Schilling responded, “I think it was much more a matter of being told what I can’t say.
“It was apparent to me early on that if you wanted to go off topic as a sportsperson, you had to go off topic left or you were going to get into trouble,” Schilling said.
According to Hot Air, he then went on to describe the climate behind the scenes at the sports network for anyone who may be right of center, politically:
“One of the things I got early on, people would walk up to me… We had the green room in ESPN, which I kind of turned it into a locker room where everything was on the table, you could make fun of anybody’s mom and all the things that go with that, like in a baseball locker room. But I had people come up to me and go [whispering] ‘Hey, I’m with ya. I’m a Republican, too.’ It was like a deadly serious thing, like, we didn’t talk… like religion on the table was a much easier discussion than who you voted for.”
Schilling also claimed that when the discussions at ESPN turn to racial matters, he’s heard comments that would make David Duke blush.
First Quarter Revenue Climbs 11% to $1.2 Billion, a Quarterly Record
Net Income Rises 62% to $171 Million in the First Quarter
First Quarter Adjusted EBITDA Grows 11% to $441 Million
1Q Revenue CkFree Cash Flow Per Diluted Share of 6.4 Cents in the First Quarter, Up 31%
SiriusXM today announced first quarter 2016 operating and financial results, including record high quarterly revenue of $1.2 billion, up 11% from the first quarter of 2015.
Net income totaled $171 million in the first quarter of 2016, up 62% from $106 million in the first quarter of 2015. Net income per diluted common share was $0.03 in the first quarter of 2016 compared to $0.02 in the first quarter of 2015. Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2016 was $441 million, an 11% increase from $399 million in the first quarter of 2015.
"SiriusXM's results exceeded our expectations in the first quarter, and I'm especially pleased we were able to add 465,000 net new subscribers, leading to an 8% increase in subscribers over the prior year. With excellent subscriber growth so early in the year, we are raising our guidance for full year net subscriber additions to 1.6 million. We set first quarter records for revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow, and we are on track to achieve all of our financial goals this year," noted Jim Meyer, Chief Executive Officer, SiriusXM.
Jim Meyer
"With a new full time music channel from Kenny Chesney, live broadcasts from major music festivals, special popup channels for David Bowie and Billy Joel, as well as new talk shows, and unmatched coverage of the presidential primaries, SiriusXM continues to be the leader in audio entertainment. We are always looking to deliver new, compelling content to our subscribers," added Meyer.
SiriusXM Subscribers Exceed 30 Million. The company added 465,000 net new subscribers to end the first quarter of 2016 with nearly 30.1 million subscribers, an increase of 8% from 27.7 million subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2015. Self-pay net additions were 348,000 during the first quarter, resulting in self-pay subscribers of 24.6 million, up 8% versus the prior year period.
Double-Digit Revenue Growth. Revenue climbed 11% to $1.2 billion, a record high for a first quarter. The increase was driven by an 8% increase in subscribers and a 3% increase in average revenue per user (ARPU) to $12.66.
The company now expects to add 1.6 million net new total subscribers in 2016, an increase from prior guidance of 1.4 million. SiriusXM's 2016 guidance for continued growth in self-pay subscribers, revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow remains unchanged.
Cumulus Media announces that it has named broadcasting professional Julie Kansy as Program Director of Top 40 station, KQHN 97.3 FM i97.3, Shreveport’s #1 Hit Music Station.
Kansy joined Cumulus Media-Shreveport in 2014 as On-Air Host, Afternoon Drive, and Assistant Program Director at KRMD/NASH FM 101.1, and in 2015 was named Operations Manager of Cumulus Media-Shreveport. She has also served as Program Director of Sports KRMD 100.7 FM / 1340AM The Ticket.
Brandon Beard, Vice President/Market Manager of Cumulus Media-Shreveport, said: “Since joining Cumulus in October of 2014 to host an afternoon show on KRMD, Jules has done an incredible job of going above and beyond for our cluster. In 2015, Jules was elevated to Operations Manager and has shined in that role. Jules shows the type of passion that every GM across America would love to have. We are proud to announce that Jules will now lead our CHR station KQHN I97.3 as the PD and also begin the search for a local morning show. Jules will continue in her role as the OM and will continue to host her afternoon show on KRMD. We are proud to call Jules part of the Cumulus family in Shreveport.”
KQHN 97.3 FM (41 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Kansy said: “Cumulus has given me the opportunity of a lifetime. I have put a lot of blood, sweat and tears (don't believe me - check out my Facebook page) into radio and I wouldn't want it any other way. This is my first love and passion. I look forward to collaborating further with Cat Thomas and Brandon Beard to take i97.3 to the top."
(Reuters) -- Facebook Inc's quarterly revenue rose more than 50 percent, handily beating Wall Street expectations as its wildly popular mobile app and a push into live video lured new advertisers and encouraged existing ones to boost spending.
The company's shares rose 9.5 percent in after-hours trading on Wednesday to $118.39, setting it on track to open at a new high on Thursday, at nearly triple its initial public offering four years ago.
Facebook also announced it will create a new class of non-voting shares in a move aimed at letting Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg give away his wealth without relinquishing control of the social media juggernaut he founded.
Mark Zuckerberg
The company plans to create a new class of non-voting shares, which would be given as a dividend to existing shareholders. That would allow Zuckerberg, who wants to give away 99 percent of his wealth, to sell non-voting stock to fund philanthropy and keep the voting stock that assures his control.
Alphabet Inc passed a similar proposal in 2014 that ensured its founders' control by creating new non-voting shares.
Some 1.65 billion people used Facebook monthly as of March 31, up from 1.44 billion a year earlier. Zuckerberg said users were spending more than 50 minutes per day on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, a huge amount of time given the millions of apps available to users.
Advertisers are shifting money from television to web and mobile platforms, and Facebook is one of the biggest beneficiaries. It faces fierce competition in the mobile video market, where rivals Snapchat and YouTube also garner billions of video views every day.
Facebook recently expanded its live video product, rolling out several new features and making it more prominent on the app to encourage users to create videos and share them. The quarterly results showed success attracting advertisers with the move, and the company was able to expand its operating profit margin to 55 percent from 52 percent a year earlier.
"The company consistently 'warns' about higher spending, but they consistently manage their spending to deliver earnings upside. They're an impressive company, and they leave very little room for criticism," said Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, who called the operating margin a good surprise.
Facebook did not offer details on sales of its Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, but emphasized that it was early days and said that sales would not significantly impact 2016 revenue.
The results come after disappointments for investors from several major Silicon Valley firms.
"After Intel and IBM last week, and then Twitter and Apple yesterday, this is by far the best number I’ve seen in technology," said Daniel Morgan, senior portfolio manager at Synovus Trust Company which owns about $40 million worth of Facebook shares, commenting specifically about Facebook ad revenue.
Facebook has not begun advertising on some of its most popular apps. "They haven't yet turned on the monetization spigot for Messenger or WhatsApp, so there should be significant headroom still," said Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research.
The company's net income attributable to common shareholders nearly tripled to $1.51 billion, or 52 cents per share, in the first quarter from $509 million, or 18 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding items, the company earned 77 cents per share, beating Wall Street's 62-cent consensus.
Total revenue rose to $5.38 billion from $3.54 billion, with ad revenue increasing 56.8 percent to $5.20 billion. Mobile ad revenue accounted for about 82 percent of total ad revenue, compared with about 73 percent a year earlier.
Analysts on average had expected revenue of $5.26 billion.
If the stock proposal is approved - and Zuckerberg has a majority of voting stock - the company will effectively carry out a 3-for-1 stock split, issuing two shares of non-voting Class C capital stock as a one-time stock dividend for each share of Class A and Class B common stock.
Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced last year that they would give away 99 percent of their Facebook shares to fund charitable endeavors.
Investors said they were not concerned that Zuckerberg would have increasing control, pointing to the company's consistent ability to grow and exceed expectations.
"I honestly don't think anyone cares if he has more power, since he's done everything right since they went public," said Pachter.
Cumulus Media has announced that it has named Blaire Galaton-Kelleher as Executive Morning Show Producer of “The Jack Diamond Morning Show” on WRQX Mix 107.3 FM in Washington, D.C.
Her extensive morning show history includes her most recent four-year run as Executive Producer of the morning show at Jerry Lee's WBEB 101.1 More FM in Philadelphia. Before that, she spent many years across the street as Executive Producer/On-Air talent for Top 40 WIOQ Q102 -- half of that time with The Booker Show and the other half with Chio In The Morning. She also was producer and cohost at WNOU Indianapolis' The Billy and Marco Show.
Galaton-Kelleher also served as On-Air Traffic Reporter for Westwood One in Philadelphia. She holds a B.A. degree in Broadcast Communications from Elon University.
Jack Diamond, Host of “The Jack Diamond Morning Show”, said: “When you add someone to an already established morning show, you want to choose carefully. When you finally make your decision, and let some industry people know, and their universal response is: "Great choice!", "Couldn't do better", "Perfect addition to your cast", you know you've made a great choice. Until we hear that, we're going with Blaire. No, no! We've heard all that and more about Blaire and welcome her to the Jack Diamond Morning Show with open arms! (Is she still smiling?)”
Galaton-Kelleher said: “I'm SOOOO happy to join this amazing morning show family and am beyond thrilled to be joining a station with people who love radio as much as I do.”
Cumulus Media has announced that News Talk WPRO 630 AM 99.7 FM in Providence will debut a new live and local on-air line-up on Monday, May 2, 2016, continuing WPRO’s legacy of compelling live and local programming as the #1 rated News Talk station in Southern New England.
Veteran talk host Dan Yorke returns to the Afternoon Drive anchor chair at WPRO, the position held by former Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci for over seven years until his untimely passing earlier this year.
Yorke previously hosted the 12PM Noon-3PM show on WPRO, and also hosts his own daily television show on the local FOX affiliate. Matt Allen, on air with WPRO since 2000, moves into the 12PM Noon to 3PM slot. Former TV reporter, Buddy Cianci’s producer, and on-air talent Tara Granahan, will now host early evenings from 6PM to 9PM on WPRO. The new WPRO line-up kicks off Monday morning with the News with Gene Valicenti in Morning Drive. Valicenti is also a top-rated anchorman on NBC10 in Providence. Nationally recognized broadcaster John Depetro continues in his 9AM to Noon slot.
John Sutherland, Vice President and Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Providence said: “These are well deserved opportunities for our local team. Keeping the heritage of our News Talk programming live and local on WPRO in Southern New England will continue to be a vital part of our success in the future.“
Yorke said: “Notwithstanding and respecting the loss of an iconic Buddy Cianci, it feels great to be back in the saddle where I spent nine of my 16 years here hosting afternoon drive. I appreciate the confidence the company continues to show in me and I look forward to revisiting our loyal listeners at a later time of day and growing the profits of our incredible sponsors.”
Radio Milwaukee has announced that Triple A non-comm WYMS 88.9 FM has named digital media and broadcast veteran Glenn Kleiman Executive Director.
Radio Milwaukee Board President Danae Davis said in selecting Kleiman, the board succeeded in finding a “special gem in a leader, especially when tasked with replacing an awesome leader. Glenn brings huge talents, an inspiring leadership profile and a love for our business that is unquestionably exciting. Our board of directors is thrilled that Glenn will be our executive director, taking us to the next level of mission and in ways so very fitting of our brand and place in community.”
“In this age when authenticity is so important, Radio Milwaukee’s soul is on display on the air, every day, and that’s why our listeners are so passionate about 88Nine,” Kleiman said. “Radio Milwaukee holds an important place in this city’s culture. It will be fun, interesting, challenging – and a privilege – to lead it.” Kleiman starts in his new position Monday.
Kleiman began his career in broadcast journalism as a reporter and then as managing editor at WTMJ-TV, winning four Emmys and a Peabody. He was founder and CEO of a Milwaukee digital marketing agency Fullhouse. For the past 18 months, Kleiman has been working as a digital content consultant for Radio Milwaukee, helping the organization grow its audiences on its website and social media channels.
Cumulus Media announces that for the third consecutive year, the Illinois Associated Press Broadcasters Association has named WLS 890 AM as Best Newscast in the Large Market category.
WLS-AM took top honors from a field of Illinois LargeMarket radio stations, including: WBBM, WBEZ, Rivet Radio and WGN. Winners of the IllinoisAssociated Press Broadcasters Association contest were announced Saturday, April 23, 2016, in Springfield, IL.
Peter Bowen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Chicago, said: “Continuing to provide great local news is a key part of our growth plan for the Big 89. I credit PD/OM Peter Bolger and News Director John Dempsey and his excellent news team for their ongoing commitment to excellence in providing our community with the very best news programming that they can count on, day after day and year after year.”
Peter Bolger, WLS-AM Program Director/Operations Manager, said: “I’ve been associated with the news business for many years, and I can tell you it is very difficult to win this honor three years in a row – especially in a market as competitive and as rich with talent as Chicago. Although it’s a team effort, our winning entry was anchored by Jennifer Keiper—andthis is the second year in a row that she has anchored the award winner.”
Bolger continued: “Also, a tip of the green eyeshade to reporter/anchor Nick Gale, whose coverage of the Fox Lake shooting earned second place in Best Spot News competition. Thisis the third year in a row that Nick has won in the Spot or Hard News categories.” The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing 1,400 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States.
iHeartMedia/Omaha has announced Jim Rose as the new Program Director for N/T KFAB 1110 AM.
He takes over programming duties from industry veteran and long-time NewsRadio 1110 KFAB on-air host Gary Sadlemyer. Both Sadlemyer and Rose will continue as air personalities for the station's "Gary Sadlemyer and the Good Morning Show."
"When Gary made the decision to step down as Program Director for KFAB, we knew we had big shoes to fill," said iHeartMedia Omaha Senior VP/Programming Erik Johnson. "Jim's tremendous background in news radio and his intimate knowledge of both Omaha and KFAB all make him the perfect candidate to take over for Gary, who will remain an important and integral part of KFAB as he continues to focus on The Good Morning Show."
"This is an amazing opportunity for Jim," added Sadlemyer. "I've been lucky enough to work with incredible people at KFAB for 40 years and Jim is among the best. I'm honored to hand over programming duties while continuing to sit next to him and the rest of our talented team each morning on The Good Morning Show. I know that KFAB has become even stronger with the addition of Jim to our programming team."
Rose has served as co-host of "Gary Sadlemyer and the Good Morning Show" since 2001. His resume includes host of "Sports Nightly with Jim Rose" on the Husker Sports Network, Program Director of KLIN-AM/Lincoln, talk host and air talent at KMBZ-AM and the Kansas City Royals Network, and "Voice of the Huskers" with IMG College and Husker Sports Marketing, where he became one of IMG College's college sports producers.
KFAB 1110 AM (50 Kw, DA-N) Record Local coverage Area
"I'm extremely excited for the opportunity to expand my duties at KFAB and work with such an amazing team of people," said Rose. "Gary is someone that I've known and respected for years and I can't wait to continue building on the amazing foundation that he has helped create over the past 40 years at KFAB."
Television sports veteran Elle Duncan has joined ESPN as an anchor for SportsCenter, the network’s signature news and information program. She will begin work on May 9.
For the past two years, Duncan has been an anchor, host and reporter for the New England Sports Network (NESN) in Boston, most recently hosting the daily NESN Live and NESN Sports Today programs.
Prior to joining NESN in early 2014, the Atlanta native worked in a number of on-air positions in her home city on both television and radio, including as a sports anchor and reporter for WXIA-TV, Atlanta’s NBC-TV affiliate, from 2012-2014. She was a sideline reporter for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks for six years and a field reporter for Comcast Sports South on SEC and ACC football for two years.
Duncan started her broadcasting career in 2003 as an entertainment reporter for former Atlanta sports radio station WQXI 790 AM The Zone, then in 2005 began a seven-year career as an on-air personality with Atlanta hip-hop station WVEE V103 FM where she hosted a top-rated program. She expanded her radio work as co-host of pre-game, halftime and post-game shows for the Atlanta Falcons Radio Network in 2010-2011.
“As someone who grew up in sports and having loved sports my entire life, I’ve always appreciated what ESPN brought with the talented group of people who worked there and the personalities,” said Duncan.
“ESPN was the first entity and remains one that marries its own personalities and sportscasting with entertainment, and I feel that ESPN has always been ahead of the curve in that sense,” she said. “I think of myself to be the same way – someone who loves and enjoys sports and wants to talk about them in a knowledgeable but entertaining way, and to me this truly is a dream come true.”
Friends of 88-5 FM, a local non-profit formed to ensure the future of public radio station KPLU 88.5 FM, announced Wednesday that it has submitted a Letter of Intent to Pacific Lutheran University setting forth principal terms for its purchase of KPLU.
“We are deeply grateful to the thousands of listeners who continue to give generously to support a civic and cultural treasure they believe in,” said Stephen Tan, former chair of KPLU’s Advisory Council who has stepped forward to chair the governing board of Friends of 88.5 FM.
“With a robust schedule of community events, listener challenges, and support from regional businesses and major donors, we are confident that we will reach our fundraising goal by June 30. We look forward to meeting with Pacific Lutheran University soon to negotiate the Asset Purchase Agreement.”
On November 12, 2015, Pacific Lutheran University announced plans to sell KPLU to the University of Washington and its own public radio licensee, KUOW, for $7 million dollars and $1 million of in-kind underwriting. Under KUOW’s ownership, 88.5’s broadcast towers would be used to further the reach of KUOW. KPLU’s news service, reporters and community outreach programs would be disbanded, and current programming would be replaced by a 24-hour streaming jazz service.
Following a public outcry, Pacific Lutheran University announced on December 17, 2015, that it would sell KPLU’s license to a community group, provided that the group makes a substantially similar offer and the parties reach agreement on the principal terms of an Asset Purchase Agreement by June 30, 2016. The nonprofit Friends of 88.5 FM was formed to oversee the process—and fundraising—necessary to secure a community license and continue station operations.
Under the terms of the offer made by Friends of 88.5 FM, KPLU would retain its award-winning 16-person independent, local newsroom; a 12-person jazz and blues music staff; and Jazz24, a 24-hour high-definition streaming service that reaches 100,000 weekly listeners around the world. The station would also continue a longstanding commitment to local music education (including the widely acclaimed School of Jazz that pairs leading jazz professionals with local middle and high school jazz bands). In addition, the Letter Of Intent to purchase KPLU’s license calls for 88.5 to continue to operate out of the Martin J. Neeb Center, a broadcast facility on the Pacific Lutheran University campus built specifically for KPLU and funded by KPLU listeners and supporters (exact timeframe to be determined).
(Reuters) -- The trial over media mogul Sumner Redstone's healthcare directive should be open to the public, a California judge said in a tentative ruling on Wednesday.
Attorneys for Redstone, the controlling shareholder of both Viacom Inc and CBS Corp, had asked the judge to keep part of the trial behind closed doors to protect the 92-year-old billionaire's privacy.
Redstone's ex-girlfriend, Manuela Herzer, filed a lawsuit asking to be reinstated as the person in charge of Redstone's healthcare if he becomes unable to make decisions on his own. Herzer argues that Redstone lacked the mental competency to remove her from his advance healthcare directive last October.
Viacom and CBS shareholders have closely followed the lawsuit for what it could reveal about Redstone's condition.
Redstone's attorneys say he was fully aware of his actions in October when he named Viacom's chief executive, Philippe Dauman, as the person who would make his medical decisions if he was unable. Earlier this month, Redstone made another change, naming his daughter, Shari, as his healthcare agent instead of Dauman.
Attorneys for Redstone argue that Herzer is merely seeking financial gain after Redstone, also in October, revoked a part of his estate plan that would have given Herzer a $70 million inheritance.
Herzer's lawyers argued that Redstone's competency should be evaluated in an open trial.
The case is set to go to trial May 6 unless the two sides reach a settlement. Earlier settlement talks fell apart.
Grant retired from WOOD Radio in 1991, after 32 years behind the microphone. The seasoned broadcaster ruled the station’s airwaves for decades; his morning show was always number one. Eventually Grant scaled back to working part-time on Saturdays before retiring.
24 Hour News 8’s Joe LaFurgey was in the studio during Grant’s final show, when loyal listeners, politicians and co-workers paid tribute to him.
In 1922...WOI-AM, Ames, Iowa, became the country's first licensed educational radio station.
The history of WOI can be traced back to 1911 when Physics Professor "Dad" Hoffman set a transmission line between the Campus Water Tower and the Engineering Building and set up a wireless telegraph station. By 1913 this was known as experimental station 9YI and it was sending and receiving weather reports by morse code on a regular basis. The first sound broadcast was an hour of concert music on November 21, 1921.
The Commerce Department issued a full radio license for station WOI in April 1922 and the first regular broadcast took place on April 28, 1922. It is the oldest fully licensed noncommercial station west of the Mississippi River. The original callsign 9YI is now W0YI and is retained by the ISU Campus Radio Club, with the amateur radio station located in the Electrical Engineering building. The first regular programming on WOI was farm market reports gathered by ticker tape and morse code and broadcast throughout the state.
In 1932..."One Man's Family" was first broadcast on the NBC Radio Network.
One Man's Family, was an American radio soap opera, heard for almost three decades, from 1932 to 1959. It was the longest-running uninterrupted dramatic serial in the history of American radio. Television versions of the series aired in prime time from 1949 to 1952 and in daytime from 1954 to 1955.
One Man's Family debuted as a radio series on April 29, 1932 in Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco, moving to the full West Coast NBC network the following month, sponsored by Snowdrift and Wesson Oil. On May 17, 1933, it expanded to the full coast-to-coast NBC network as the first West Coast show heard regularly on the East Coast. The show was broadcast as a weekly half-hour series (1933-1950) [sustained by Standard Brands from 1935 through 1949], then shifted to daily 15-minute installments, initially originating from the studios of San Francisco radio station KPO, NBC's flagship station for the West Coast, eventually moving to Los Angeles.
In 1958...Herb Oscar Anderson starts at WMCA. HOA can still be heard on WOSN - 97.1 FM - Vero Beach, FL.
In 1972...Arthur Godfrey does last CBS Radio Network show.
Godfrey 1948
Godfrey became nationally known in April 1945 when, as CBS's morning-radio man in Washington, he took the microphone for a live, firsthand account of President Roosevelt's funeral procession. The entire CBS network picked up the broadcast. Unlike the tight-lipped news reporters and commentators of the day, who delivered news in an earnest, businesslike manner, Godfrey's tone was sympathetic and neighborly, lending immediacy and intimacy to his words. When describing new President Harry S. Truman's car in the procession, Godfrey fervently said, in a choked voice, "God bless him, President Truman." Godfrey broke down in tears and cued the listeners back to the studio. The entire nation was moved by his emotional outburst.
Godfrey made such an impression on the air that CBS gave him his own morning time slot on the nationwide network. Arthur Godfrey Time was a Monday-Friday show that featured his monologues, interviews with various stars, music from his own in-house combo and regular vocalists. Godfrey's monologues and discussions were usually unscripted, and went wherever he chose. "Arthur Godfrey Time" remained a late morning staple on the CBS Radio Network schedule until 1972.
In 1965...at 3 p.m., Top 40 radio visionary Bill Drake took over KHJ-930 in Los Angeles, and introduced the ‘Boss Radio‘ format, featuring the top hits of the day, quick jingles, fast DJ talk, and fewer commercials. Drake installed his protege Ron Jacobs as PD. KHJ hit #1 within six months and was quickly copied across North America.
The format featured a restricted playlist and restrained commentary by announcers (although a few, such as Robert W. Morgan, Charlie Tuna, Humble Harve and The Real Don Steele, were allowed to develop on-air personalities). Other DJs from 1965-68 included Roger Christian, Gary Mack, Dave Diamond, Sam Riddle, Johnny Williams, Frank Terry, Johnny Mitchell, Tommy Vance, Scotty Brink, Steve Clark, Bobby Tripp, Tom Maule and Bill Wade. Part of the format, known as "Boss Radio", were jingles by the Johnny Mann Singers.
"Boss Radio" spread throughout the U.S., bringing high ratings to KFRC in San Francisco, WFIL in Philadelphia, KGB in San Diego, WQXI in Atlanta, CKLW in Windsor, Ontario and WRKO in Boston. Drake and Gene Chenault brought many of their announcers from the other "Boss" stations, using them as a proving ground for talent.
The format brought high ratings to the station until the late 1970s, when FM radio became the dominant form of music broadcasting. In November 1980, during the Bob Shannon show, "93 KHJ" switched from top-40 to country music. The country format, with the slogan "We all grew up to be cowboys", lasted three years before it was changed to an oldies format: "The Boss is Back", with the original Johnny Mann Singers "Boss Radio" jingles, on April 1, 1983. In 1975…Influential radio disc jockey/programmer/manager (KSAN-San Fracisco, KMET-Los Angeles, KPPC-Los Angeles, KMPX-San Francisco, KYA-San Francisco, WIBG-Philadelphia)/record label owner (Autumn)/concert promoter (Beatles at Candlestick Park)/Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tom Donahue, inventor of "free form,""deep cuts" and "classic rock" radio, died following a heart attack at age 46.
In 1987…For the first time, a compact disc of an album was released before its vinyl version. The album was "The Art of Excellence" by Tony Bennett.
In 2006…After radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh was accused by Florida prosecutors of "doctor shopping" for painkillers, his attorneys announced a deal under which a single prescription fraud charge would be dismissed after 18 months, provided Limbaugh remained drug-free and did not violate any laws.
Comcast Corp. reported better-than-expected financial results and added video customers again in the first quarter, extending a strong streak for the cable industry in a weak overall pay-TV market.
According to WSJ, the company added 53,000 video customers, compared with a loss of 8,000 in the prior-year quarter. Its quarterly profit rose to $2.13 billion, or 87 cents a share, up from $2.06 billion, or 81 cents a share, a year ago.
Excluding certain gains and costs, adjusted profit per share for the latest quarter was 84 cents. Revenue grew 5.3% to $18.79 billion. Both figures exceeded estimates from analysts, who were projecting adjusted earnings of 79 cents a share on $18.6 billion in revenue, according to Thomson Reuters.
Comcast’s results add to the cable industry’s comeback after years of losing video subscribers to satellite and phone companies. Cable companies are benefiting from pouring more investment into their cable TV products and bundling that alongside fast broadband, as well as offering cheaper, slimmed-down bundles of programming for more cost-conscious consumers.
Wall Street analysts say Comcast, in particular, is beginning to benefit from the aggressive rollout of its next-generation X1 Internet-connected set-top box and guide, which the company has said increases customers’ time spent watching TV and makes them more likely to stick with Comcast. The company said 35% of its customers now have X1 boxes.
Comcast has also said that subscriber retention has been helped by its efforts to turn around customer service operations after some poor interactions with sales reps went viral.
Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living generation, according to population estimates released this month by the U.S. Census Bureau. Millennials, defined as those ages 18-34 in 2015, now number 75.4 million, surpassing the 74.9 million Baby Boomers (ages 51-69). And Generation X (ages 35-50 in 2015) is projected to pass the Boomers in population by 2028.
The Millennial generation continues to grow as young immigrants expand its ranks. Boomers – whose generation was defined by the boom in U.S. births following World War II – are older and their numbers shrinking as the number of deaths among them exceeds the number of older immigrants arriving in the country.
Pew Research Center has established that the oldest “Millennial” was born in 1981. The Center continues to assess demographic, attitudinal and other evidence on habits and culture that will help to establish when the youngest Millennial was born or even when a new generation begins. The youngest Millennial was born in 1997.
According to Nielsen, Millennials are radio’s largest generation in terms of cume. According to the recent “State of the Media: Audio Today” study, 66.5 million listeners among the 18-34 age group use radio each week (52% male, 48% female), which represents more listeners than any other age group.
Radio programmers face a unique challenge: With the growth of Millennials in the population, mirroring the way they’ll continue to evolve seems an important method for retaining—and growing—audience share. Jeff Sanders, CEO of consultancy Station Domination, tells InsideRadio the last thing radio can do is be inactive when they must be proactive.
With Generation Y (Millennials) and now Generation Z (next in line) “growing up in the rise of the information age, the Internet and the dotcoms, programmers must strive to educate themselves and target the hotspots for this audience,” Sanders says. “Being stagnant or complacent will open the door for our competition to move to the foreground.”
He adds that all demos are being impacted by a fast-evolving world. “Think about it. Uber hurt taxi service, AirBnbs are impacting hotels, Skype has cost phone companies millions, Netflix put Blockbuster out of business and digital cameras closed Kodak’s doors. Radio must pay attention to the way [late-night is] shaking things up on TV and completely changing the rules for entertainment….otherwise we’ll find ourselves being hurt by those listeners who have found ‘Digital Disruption.’”
