Charles Osgood will end his daily radio program, “The Osgood File,” by the end of this week, and also wrap network broadcasting’s longest running career.
In a statement released to stations Thursday, Osgood said, “Although I was very much looking forward to continuing to see you on the radio, unfortunately my health and doctors will now not allow it. So I will retire from ‘The Osgood File’ and radio at the end of the year with great appreciation for all the success we’ve had together.” Osgood stepped away as host of CBS News’ “Sunday Morning” in 2016.
According to Newsday, the announcement was unexpected, given that Osgood — who turns 85 early next month — had recently signed a new contract with the distributor of his program, Westwood One.
In a phone interview on Friday, Osgood said, “I have two different kinds of cancer, and have had them treated at Sloan Kettering. I think they’re doing well, or should say they’re not getting worse. But I do find at my age there is a time for all things to come to an end.”
He also said that by the first of the year, he would lose access to the CBS News resources which have long been a part of the four-minute-long program. Of the 80 shows per month he was under contract to produce, “you have to write them and time then out and look for source material, and at this point, I’m not able to use CBS anymore.”
He said, ”I just had this very strong feeling I was not going to enjoy this next year and my wife, who is pretty sensitive to these things, said ‘you’ve done this long enough.’ ” He noted that he had also recently received an Emmy Lifetime Achievement award, “and I’m like, well, I think they’re trying to tell you something. ‘Alright already — you’ve got your award . . .’”
Essentially an institution unto himself, Osgood has worked in television and radio for 60 years. No one else currently on the air comes close. “The Osgood File” — a four-times daily commentary on life, culture or the news — has aired for nearly 50 years, although an antecedent program at ABC aired long before the CBS version.
NBC has issued strict new anti-sexual harassment rules to employees — including that staffers must snitch on any misbehaving colleagues — in the wake of the firing of disgraced “Today” show ex-host Matt Lauer.
A source tells Page Six atr The NYPost that NBC employees have been ordered to report any inappropriate relationships in the workplace — and if they fail to do so, they could be fired for covering up for colleagues.
Detailed rules also have been issued about conduct in the office, including how to socialize and even how to hug colleagues.
A source says, “Romantic relationships at work are not exactly unusual, but now NBC says it is taking a zero-tolerance approach. Staffers have been told that if they find out about any affairs, romances, inappropriate relationships or behavior in the office, they have to report it to human resources, their superior or the company anti-harassment phone line.
“Plus, there’s been a series of ridiculous rules issued on other office conduct. One rule relates to hugging. If you wish to hug a colleague, you have to do a quick hug, then an immediate release, and step away to avoid body contact.
Also there’s strict rules about socializing, including [not] sharing taxis home and [not] taking vegans to steakhouses.”
In a direct bid to compete with Bailey and Southside on WNNX Rock 100.5, the newly renamed WRDA Alt105.7 FM is adding the syndicated Woody Show from Los Angeles.
Led by Jeff “Woody” Fife, the irreverent morning show features several of his long-time friends plus an executive producer who is well known in Atlanta circles: Sebastian Davis, known at both 99X and The Regular Guys show on Rock 100.5 as Sebas. He left Atlanta for the better-paying Los Angeles gig in 2015.
The show has been on the Los Angeles Alt 98.7 since 2014 and iHeartMedia decided earlier this year to give syndication a try.
Since the show is on the West Coast, the first two hours on Alt 105.7 from 6 am to 8 am EST will be the last two hours from the previous show while the final two hours will be live, reports ajc.com.
WRDA 105.7 FM (20 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Current Alt 105.7 morning host Wendy Rollins will moved to mid-days.
The Jim Engster Show is ending its run on Guaranty Broadcasting’s WBRP Talk 107.3 FM, a little more than three years after moving to the station from public radio station WRKF 89.3 FM.
Engster says the decision to end the two-hour, afternoon drive-time show was mutual and, for his part, was based on the need to concentrate more of his efforts on “the mother ship.”
Engster owns the Louisiana Radio Network and is president of the company, and earlier this year returned to WRKF with a one-hour morning talk show, Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster.
Jim Engster
“For the last nine months, I’ve been doing two shows a day and when the governor comes on (with his monthly Ask the Governor call-in show) I’m doing three,” he says. “I think it will be better to focus on one show and two businesses than two or three shows and two businesses.”
For his part, Gordy Rush, Guaranty’s vice president and Baton Rouge market manager, will say only that his station is “looking to go in another direction,” adding he will announce a replacement for The Jim Engster Show before the first of the year.
When Engster announced his planned move to 107.3 in the fall of 2014, he said it was an opportunity to reach a broader audience. The Louisiana Radio Network produces the show and offered it to Guaranty affiliates around the state, six of which aired it.
But, according to Business Report-Baton Rouge, Engster, a perennial favorite on the commercial-free local NPR affiliate, never drew huge numbers from among the Guaranty station’s more conservative talk radio audience. The two-hour format, which required breaking for commercials every seven minutes, also tended to work against Engster’s strengths as an interviewer with a photographic memory for political and historical factoids and a penchant for cerebral, serious discussions.
Engster’s last day on Talk 107.3 is Friday, Dec. 29. He will continue to produce and host Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster, which airs from 9-10 a.m on WRKF.
Facebook last week took a major step to boost its nascent video effort, according to Business Insider.
On Thursday, the social networking and Universal Music Group announced what is thought to be a multi-million dollar deal. The agreement will allow Facebook users to upload music licensed by Universal Music to the social networking site as well as to Facebook-owned Instagram and Oculus.
The agreement could have near- and long-term benefits for Facebook's video ambitions. It should make it easier for users to upload videos that include copyrighted music. But it also could help the social network become a destination for music lovers — and help boost use of Facebook's site.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they do more musical licensing deals, because it gives their viewers a way to stay on the site longer if they're showcasing music content, which is obviously a big driver of people's time," said Dan Rayburn, a streaming media expert and consultant at Frost and Sullivan.
Copyright issues have proven to be a thorn in Facebook's side for years. When users post videos that include copyrighted music, rights holders frequently demand the company remove them from its site. Such takedowns not only consume company time and resources, but they can hinder user engagement.
With its Universal Music deal, Facebook will be protected from such demands — allowing videos with music from Universal artists to remain on the site. Although the agreement marks the first time the social media giant has made a deal with a large music company, Facebook is already in talks to strike similar deals with both Warner Music Group and Sony Music, according to The Verge.
But such deals likely will be about more than just protecting the social network and its users from copyright claims. Facebook told The Verge it has plans to introduce "music-based products" in partnership with Universal Music. That could open the door for a wide range of things, including music videos and live streaming of concerts.
Traditional pay-TV operators are bleeding subscribers — and that’s not likely going to improve, as major U.S. cable and satellite providers are ringing in 2018 with price increases, accident to Variety.
Comcast, AT&T’s DirecTV, Dish Network, and Charter Communications are among the operators that have notified customers about rate hikes set to go into effect in January for most TV packages. As usual, the providers have cited higher programming costs for jacking up their fees.
Comcast is hiking monthly rates for most bundles about $5. The X1 Starter Triple Play package will increase from $150 to $155 per month (3.3%), while the Premier Triple Play is going from $210 to $215 monthly (2.4%).
Dish is raising rates as of Jan. 16, 2018, with most programming packages set to increase by $3 per month in addition to a $2 monthly increase for local channels. The price of Dish’s “Smart Pack” will rise 7%, to $44.99 per month; America’s Top 200 will increase 6%, to $89.99; and America’s Everything Pack is increasing 3.4%, to $149.99. The company has detailed 2018 pricing in an update on its website; customers with promotional pricing won’t see their rates change until those offers expire.
“Dish and all other TV providers have had to accept significant price increases from programmers to carry their channels, particularly for local channels (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC), which are driving the fastest-growing costs,” a rep for the satellite operator said. Dish breaks out the cost of local channels as a separate line item; that’s set to jump 20%, from $10 to $12 per month, in 2018.
DirecTV, in a notice on its customer-support site, said monthly rates will increase on Jan. 21, 2018, for all programming tiers starting with Select packages (unless customers currently have discounted promo pricing).
DirecTV’s Select package will go up $2 per month (up 2.6% over current standard pricing of $76 per month); while Entertainment is increasing $3 (3.4%); Choice will be $4 higher (4%); Xtra will rise $7 (6.4%); and Ultimate and Premier tiers will increase $8 (6.7% and 4.6%, respectively).
Charter, which markets services under the Spectrum brand, also is hiking rates in January, according to user posts on DSLReports.
Cable operator Cox Communications, meanwhile, will raise rates Jan. 7, with increases of 2.5%-6% depending on service package.
As cable and satellite TV rates continue rising, customers are switching to lower-cost, over-the-top internet TV services — or cutting the cord altogether.
In the third quarter of 2017, traditional cable and satellite TV operators shed a collective 872,000 subs, representing a 3.1% year-over-year decline for the segment, per estimates by analyst firm MoffettNathanson. Overall, the U.S. pay-TV universe actually gained net 90,000 customers in Q3 when factoring in growth of “over-the-top” internet TV services like Dish’s Sling TV and DirecTV Now. However, those packages strip out many networks and are priced less than traditional pay-TV bundles.
MSNBC has not renewed its contract with Joan Walsh, a political analyst who had appeared on the network for years.
The NYTimes reports Walsh, who is also a national affairs correspondent for The Nation and was previously the editor in chief of Salon, lamented the decision on Saturday on Twitter, saying she had learned her fate the night before while baking with her daughter.
So it’s true: after 12 years on MSNBC, six on contract, I learned Friday night they are not renewing. I’ve given my heart and soul to the network, from the George W. Bush years through today. I’m proud of the work I did.
Ms. Walsh said in her tweet that she had worked with MSNBC for a dozen years, including six on contract. Network officials issued a statement calling Ms. Walsh “a key voice on MSNBC for years.”
“Every year we review our paid contributors list across the ideological spectrum,” the statement said. “Unfortunately we couldn’t renew Joan, but she and her distinct perspective will still be invited on our shows.”
Officials said she would be welcome on MSNBC but as an unpaid contributor. Officials said the decision not to renew her contract was made based on the network’s budget and a desire to keep a diverse set of voices on the air.
She had appeared regularly on “Hardball” and “All In” on the network.
Later on Saturday night, Ms. Walsh said on Twitter that she would be joining CNN next year.
I am overwhelmed by the support I've received today from all of you. And I'm thrilled to tell you I'll be heading to @CNN in the new year. Thanks to everyone who made this happen. A Christmas miracle.
A CNN spokeswoman confirmed late Saturday that Ms. Walsh would be joining the network as a commentator.
The network has leaned heavily on opinionated commentators — mostly facilitated by a stable of liberal anchors — and growing interest in the news to foster its rise. MSNBC this year surged into the top spot in prime-time cable news for the first time in 17 years.
For three years, CBSN has been trying to prove that 24/7 news channels don’t have to come on cable. And, according to TVNewser, their viewership on streaming platforms, computers and phones shows its working.
The CBS News ad-supported streaming service has drawn more than 280 million livestreams in 2017. That’s up 17 percent from the 240 million livestreams the service drew during the same time frame last year.
“CBSN surpassed its record total streams from 2016 well before the end of 2017, a clear signal of growth following a monumental election year,” says CBS News digital svp and gm Christy Tanner.
According to the network’s data, 79 percent of CBSN viewers are in the 18-49 demographic, with an average age of 38. The average CNN viewer is 61 years old, MSNBC’s average viewer is 63 and FNC’s is 68. News executives have made it a goal to bring in a younger audience.
Half of CBSN viewers watch the network via an over-the-top (OTT) service, including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, CBS All Access, XBox and more. The remainder watch on desktop (30 percent) or on mobile (20 percent).
Talk about a rewarding holiday season. For those radio stations that own the all-Christmas format in their markets, it is typical to experience a 72% audience spike in listening. InsideRadio reports that’s the word from Nielsen’s VP of Audience Insights Jon Miller, in a new episode of the company’s podcast “The Database,” focused on “Getting Into the Spirit with Holiday Media.”
As we know, by the beginning of December, around 500 radio stations across the U.S. switch to an all-Christmas music format. On TV, almost 100 million homes across the country tuned in to some kind of holiday programming last year.
“These numbers highlight the opportunities radio and TV provide for brands and advertisers to reach eager holiday shoppers,” Nielsen points out.
At radio, “the holiday format has become somewhat of a phenomenon over the past 15 or so years,” Miller says, with the majority of those 500 stations that flip to all-Christmas targeting the period just after Thanksgiving. “This is the natural transitional period and also when the audience reacts,” he says. “You’ll see a spike then when the listening really ramps up.”
Looking at data over the past decade, he adds, “There is clear movement in the audience that begins on Black Friday. Christmas is here, the Christmas mindset really begins and radio stations know that.”
This episode of The Database, a podcast from Nielsen, dives in to media around the holidays. A group of experts explore the role radio and TV play in getting us into the spirit, who’s consuming holiday programming, and the opportunities holiday programming holds for programmers—and advertisers.
SiriusXM has announced that it will broadcast exclusive DJ sets, concerts and special performances live on New Year's Eve.
SiriusXM's New Year's Eve Live Concert Lineup Includes:
Phish at Madison Square Garden – airing on SiriusXM's Jam On
Kygo at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami– airing live on SiriusXM's Chill
Countdown NYE featuring Diplo at NOS Events Center – airing live on SiriusXM's Electric Area
Willie Nelson at ACL Live at the Moody Theater – airing live on SiriusXM's Willie's Roadhouse
Jimmy Buffett at the Bridgestone Arena – airing live on SiriusXM's Radio Margaritaville
My Morning Jacket at 1st Bank Center – airing live on SiriusXM's Jam On
Southside Johnny at the Count Basie Theatre—airing live on SiriusXM's E Street Radio
Jane's Addiction at Belly Up Aspen – airing live on SiriusXM's Lithium
Kaskade at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – airing live on SiriusXM's BPM
The Revivalists at Orpheum Theater – airing on SiriusXM's Jam On
Third Eye Blind at Observatory – airing live on SiriusXM's PopRocks
Widespread Panic at Fox Theater – airing on SiriusXM's Jam On
Peter Asher at The Musical Instrument Museum – airing on SiriusXM's 60's on 6
SiriusXM will also launch New Year's Nation, a limited-run party music channel. New Year's Nation is the ultimate soundtrack to New Year's Eve parties around the country and will feature the biggest, upbeat party hits from genres across SiriusXM's music platform. New Year's Nation, which will be available on channel 4 and via the SiriusXM app for smartphones and other connected devices and online at siriusxm.com, will launch Saturday, December 30 at 12:00 pm ET and air through Tuesday, January 2 at 3:00 am ET.
Additionally, SiriusXM will air year end countdown specials featuring the biggest songs of 2017 across various music channels including Hits 1, The Pulse, Alt Nation, XMU, The Highway, Octane, The Spectrum, Jam On, The Heat, Hip Hop Nation, Heart & Soul, Caliente, Watercolors and B.B. King's Bluesville.
Starting Tuesday January 2, SiriusXM's Spotlight channel (ch. 4) will be highlighting different genres each week during the month of January including Pop, Country, Hip-Hop and Rock. The channel will feature exclusive in-studio sessions, concerts and interviews with Ed Sheeran, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift, Lorde, The Killers, Maren Morris, Blake Shelton, Migos, Macklemore and more.
SiriusXM subscribers with streaming access can also listen to SiriusXM's 200+ channels at home on a wide variety of connected devices including smart TVs, Amazon Alexa devices, Apple TV, Sony PlayStation, Sonos speakers and more. Go to SiriusXM www.SiriusXM.com/AtHome to learn more.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel will be the center of attention at a Jan. 18 event at NAB headquarters in Washington, D.C. focused on the important role of broadcasters in emergencies.
According to rbr.com, Pai and Rosenworcel will be among a group of industry leaders and policymakers, and government experts and journalism professors, who will collectively address how broadcast media performed during recent emergencies — and how they can improve their coverage in the future.
The recent string of hurricanes (Harvey, Irma and Maria) and wildfires across the West Coast are some of the focal points of the many issues broadcasters face in reporting on disasters and covering dangerous situations. “When emergencies occur, Americans turn to their local television and radio stations for critical, often lifesaving, information,” the NAB says. “However, covering these events presents unique challenges.”
The event will focus on how stations prepare their facilities and staff for disasters, the lessons learned from broadcasters’ performance during the recent storms, how stations balance their commitment to inform the public versus the safety of their employees and on the difficult decisions news personnel must make, such as whether to position a reporter outside in a storm, or whether to drop their mic to help a person in need.
Among other, they will be joined by Univision Radio/Puerto Rico GM Javier Cosme, who oversees Talk WKAQ 580 AM and Latin Top 40 WKAQ 104.7 FM. WKAQ-AM played a central role in providing important information to residents across Puerto Rico, using KQ105 as a simulcast partner in the day’s following Hurricane Maria.
The Seattle Seahawks announced a multi-year extension with Bonneville Seattle Media Group to continue with KIRO 710 AM ESPN Seattle and KIRO Radio 97.3 FM as the official radio broadcast partners of the Seahawks.
The announcement was made Thursday on 710 ESPN Seattle’s “Brock & Salk” show and on KIRO Radio’s “Dori Monson Show” by Seahawks President Peter McLoughlin.
Per the agreement, 710 ESPN Seattle and KIRO Radio 97.3 FM will continue to broadcast all Seahawks games, including pre-game, play-by-play and post-game coverage. In addition, the partnership includes special programming, joint community service projects and exclusive web content.
Gameday coverage begins with pregame analysis three hours before each game, and concludes with two and a half hours of post-game coverage featuring exclusive interviews with Seahawks players from the locker room.
Special programs such as “The Pete Carroll Show” will be featured on both 710 ESPN Seattle and KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, along with the “Seahawks Huddle” every Thursday from noon to 2 p.m, and “Seahawks Weekly” every Thursday from 7–9 p.m, throughout the season. Exclusive Seahawks content will be highlighted on Bonneville Seattle’s local news, opinion and sports websites, MyNorthwest.com and 710Sports.com.
Tony Zazza, Host of syndicated radio show “Zazza Mornings with Cheree”, and Founder and President of the Board of Directors for The Zazza Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, partnered with Elite Airways, Cumulus Media and Apex Executive Jet Center to launch Jingle Jet™ 2017 to the North Pole ealrier in December.
Jingle Jet helps local families in who have been met with undue hardships throughout the year. On December 13, the families boarded an Elite Airways CRJ-700 Aircraft, deemed “Jingle Jet” for the day and landed in a North Pole wonderland of holiday surprises and fun. Zazza created and produced the project in Dallas, TX, for a number of years and this year marks the 10th Anniversary of Jingle Jet’s inaugural flight.
“It’s been incredible over the years to see these families who deserve a break get that moment to escape and enjoy some family time and a day of magic,” Zazza said.
“The holidays are a time for giving, and Elite Airways is honored to take families on a magical flight from the Melbourne Airport to the North Pole on Jingle Jet,” said John Pearsall, President, Elite Airways.
Jingle Jet departed Orlando Melbourne International Airport (MLB) with non-stop service to Santa’s North Pole (SNP). After a quick flight around the skies of the Space Coast, Jingle Jet returned to the airport where upon arrival, the families entered a designated area that has been transformed into a Winter Wonderland at Apex Executive Jet Center, complete with Santa and Mrs. Claus, face painters, snowmen and more. Each family was also presented with their own Christmas tree, gifts and holiday trimmings.
The families chosen for this magical journey were nominated by family members and friends who sent submissions to The Zazza Community Foundation website .
Gary Mertins, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Melbourne, said: “We’re so proud of Tony and his foundation’s work. His ongoing commitment to the community and involvement in doing charity work like this with his morning show is one of the reasons he’s here. We can’t thank Elite Airways and Apex Executive Jet Center enough for making it happen. This will truly be a special holiday experience for these families in need.”
“Zazza Mornings with Cheree” broadcasts from Cumulus Media-Melbourne, FL’s 107.1 WA1A, and is also heard on 97.5 WABD in Mobile, AL, and Z96 in Ft. Walton Beach/Destin, FL, Zazza has been a radio personality for almost 20 years and had a dream to bring his vision for helping families during the holidays to life. He continues his mission to help create a holiday families will never forget through Jingle Jet.
BBC local and national radio stations are now available on voice-activated home assistants and smart speakers, beginning with the Amazon Echo.
The BBC’s first full voice app brings to Echo and Alexa users Radio 1, 2, 3, 4, 5Live and 6Music as well as the corporation’s 40 local stations.
According to broadbanddeals.co.uk, BBC will look to launch the same service on Google Home in future.
It brings the BBC’s full range of live radio stations – including all local, national and international radio – to Echo and Alexa users for the first time, as well as the BBC’s full range of podcasts.
With the voice app listeners can ask for the BBC radio station or podcast they want and be taken direct to the live show or latest episode.
There are play, pause and resume functions and users can also ask for previous episodes from the back catalogue.
The BBC is the second-largest podcast producer in the world with 240 million broadcasts downloaded in 2016.
The corporation already has its news briefing on Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant but this is the first time its live stations and podcasts have been made available on smart speakers.
George Maida, a mellow-voiced announcer for non-com WCVE 88.9 FM who spotlighted folk, progressive and alternative rock in a weekly program on the Richmond public radio station, was killed Saturday morning when his car veered off Interstate 85 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, a short distance from the North Carolina line.
Maida, who had worked for WCVE and its predecessor, WRFK-FM, for more than 30 years, was apparently traveling to North Carolina to spend Christmas with relatives, colleagues said Sunday.
Virginia State Police said in a written statement Saturday that Mr. Maida's 1997 Honda Civic left the road 1.5 miles north of the state line, struck an embankment and landed in a creek. State police divers discovered Mr. Maida's body and the car in about 8 feet of water.
Curtis Monk, chief executive officer of the Community Idea Stations, WCVE's parent, said on the company's website Sunday that Mr. Maida "loved the station and he loved this company" and "had developed a loyal and consistent audience" through his Saturday night show, The Electric Croude - pronounced crowd - and named for a Celtic, lyre-like instrument.
Of the shaggy-haired, bearded Mr. Maida, who was often seen at the radio station's Chesterfield County studios in a T-shirt and jeans, Monk said, "George was a good man and a personal friend ... Remember him with respect and honor him with laughter, music and a toast to life."
The Electric Croude premiered in 1985, initially as a showcase for Anglo-Celtic music, though Mr. Maida would expand its focus to include progressive and alternative rock. His broadcasts might include such now-rarely heard British acts as Jethro Tull and Fairport Convention, both of which were popular on both sides of the Atlantic in the late 1960s.
➦In 1921...comedian/author/composer & all around Renaissance man Steve Allen was born in New York City.
He began in radio, co-hosted a quarter hour daily comedy show on Mutual, & had a midnight audience-participation show on KNX Radio Hollywood, which morphed into the original NBC-TV Tonight Show from New York.
More TV shows, many books, a movie (The Benny Goodman Story), much pop music writing.
Steve died at age 78 on October 30th, 2000 after a minor traffic accident caused a blood vessel in his heart wall to rupture. ➦In 1926...WSM, the “WSM Barn Dance” began regular Saturday night broadcasts. Within two years it was renamed the “Grand Ole Opry.” ➦In 1950...The Gillette Safety Razor Company & Mutual radio signed agreements for the radio rights for the next six years to baseball’s World Series and All-Star games. The price tag: a comparatively paltry $6 million dollars.
➦In 1953...The radio program "Big Sister" signed off the air from the CBS Radio netowrk. The show aired for 17 years.
➦In 1954..."The Shadow" radio program signed off the air. 'The Shadow' began in 1930 as the Narrator for a radio show called 'Detective Story Hour' based on a magazine of the same name. The Narrator became more popular than the series and a 21 season run of 'The Shadow' series followed with actors in the leading role including Orson Welles (1937-1938), Bill Johnstone (1938-1943), John Archer (1944-1945) and Bret Morrison (1943-1944, 1945-1954).
➦In 1963...The Beatles released the single, "I Want To Hold Your Hand," which became their first U.S. smash hit, marking the beginning of Beatlemania and music's "British Invasion." The release came two weeks earlier than originally scheduled (January 13, 1964) because demand for "I Want to Hold Your Hand" had been created through airplay of an imported copy of the song by disc jockey Carroll James on Washington, DC radio station WWDC.
➦In 1965...Beatle Paul McCartney was interviewed on pirate radio station "Radio Caroline". Radio Caroline was a British radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly. Unlicensed by any government for most of its early life, it was a pirate radio station which only became formally illegal in 1967.
➦In 1974...one of the true titans of both bigtime radio & TV, Jack Benny died of pancreatic cancer at age 80.
His weekly radio show was consistently top rated over a 23 year run ending in 1955. He appeared regularly on CBS-TV from 1950-65. He is credited with developing a broadcast format for comedy that is still being widely followed today.
Benny had been a minor vaudeville performer before becoming a national figure with The Jack Benny Program, a weekly radio show that ran from 1932 to 1948 on NBC and from 1949 to 1955 on CBS. It was among the most highly rated programs during its run.
Benny's long radio career began on April 6, 1932, when the NBC Commercial Program Department auditioned him for the N.W. Ayer agency and their client, Canada Dry, after which Bertha Brainard, head of the division, said, "We think Mr. Benny is excellent for radio and, while the audition was unassisted as far as orchestra was concerned, we believe he would make a great bet for an air program." Recalling the experience in 1956, Benny stated that Ed Sullivan had invited him to guest on his program (1932), and "the agency for Canada Dry ginger ale heard me and offered me a job."
With Canada Dry ginger ale as a sponsor, Benny came to radio on The Canada Dry Program, on May 2, 1932, on the NBC Blue Network and continuing for six months until October 26, moving to CBS on October 30. With Ted Weems leading the band, Benny stayed on CBS until January 26, 1933.
Arriving at NBC on March 17, Benny did The Chevrolet Program until April 1, 1934. He continued with sponsor General Tire through the end of the season. In October, 1934, General Foods, the makers of Jell-O and Grape-Nuts, became the sponsor strongly identified with Benny for ten years. American Tobacco's Lucky Strike was his longest-lasting radio sponsor, from October, 1944, through to the end of his original radio series.
The show switched networks to CBS on January 2, 1949, as part of CBS president William S. Paley's notorious "raid" of NBC talent in 1948–49. It stayed there for the remainder of its radio run, ending on May 22, 1955. CBS aired repeat episodes from 1956 to 1958 as The Best of Benny.
➦In 1992...NYC's WPAT-FM changed from beautiful music to down tempo AC
➦In 2004...longtime Iowa radio personality, Dick Petrik, died at age 76. Petrik began as the first News Director at KOEL, Oelwein, and maintained that position for 41 years.
Petrik took the job as KOEL’s first news director in April of 1952, nearly two years after the station went on the air. Petrik helped build KOEL into one of the best small-market radio stations in the country. He held the record for longest tenure of any news director in the nation. In 1972, he was the first recipient of the Jack Shelley award, the highest honor given annually by the Iowa Broacast News Association for outstanding contributions to professional broadcast journalism in Iowa.
