Something has changed at Drudge Report, the influential site known for its tabloid headlines and conservative take on the news, reports The NY Times.
Matt Drudge, a web pioneer who went live with his site in 1995, was seen as an important media champion of Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign. But nowadays, like CNN, The New York Times and many other outlets, Drudge Report is just one more purveyor of “fake news,” in the Trump view.
For anyone who had not stopped by the site since it developed a reputation for lifting Mr. Trump and his brand of conservatism, the welcome page on Monday made for an arresting sight. At the top were images of stickers being sold by the Biden-Harris campaign that read, “I paid more income taxes than Donald Trump.” Below that appeared a scroll of headlines linking to news stories from various sites, all of them written in Mr. Drudge’s staccato style, many of them related to a New York Times investigation of Mr. troubled financial history.
Mat Drudge
It was a notable shift from four years ago, when Drudge heralded Mr. Trump’s “rock star welcome in Florida” and highlighted stories that cast doubt on the health of his opponent, Hillary Clinton. His site, back then, also included links to coverage of Trump rallies as they happened.
Cracks started to appear in the summer of 2019, when Drudge Report featured a headline about the slow progress on a barrier Mr. Trump had repeatedly pledged to build along the southern border with Mexico: “NO NEW WALL AT ALL!” In December, when the House of Representatives impeached the president for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, the site went big once again: “TRUMP ON BRINK.”
The site has perhaps paid a price for jumping off the Trump train. It had 1.4 million unique visitors in August, down 42 percent from a year earlier, according to Comscore data provided by The Righting, which analyzes viewership of right-leaning outlets. Its audience has trailed that of the right-wing sites The Gateway Pundit and Daily Caller. New rivals looking to outdraw the once-fastest news-slinger on the web include Liberty Daily, Rantingly and NewsAmmo, The Washington Times noted.
➦In 1912...Tony Marvin was born (Died at age 86 – October 10, 1998). He was a staff announcer for CBS, and later became most known as the long-time announcer for Arthur Godfrey. He was also the original voice of 'Tony the Tiger'.
Tony Marvin
Marvin's first job in radio was at WNYC in New York City. From there, he went to CBS as a staff announcer, beginning October 1, 1939. A 1959 article in Radio and Television Mirror reported that at CBS "Tony did everything from daytime serials to symphonies and in 1946, when the Arthur Godfrey morning show was sustaining, Tony was assigned to it." When Godfrey's activities expanded from Arthur Godfrey Time to include Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and Arthur Godfrey and his Friends, Marvin did the announcing for those shows as well.
Marvin branched out in 1958, adding a two-hour, Monday-Saturday disc jockey show on WABC to his other duties. In 1961, Marvin became host of My True Story, a radio drama that moved to the Mutual Broadcasting System after having been on ABC and NBC for a total of 17 years. That same year he became a newscaster for Mutual.
In his later years, Marvin had two more stints with programs on local radio stations. In 1976, he had a four-hour afternoon show, "Tony's Time," on WATR in Waterbury, Connecticut. Beginning in 1977, Marvin had a show on WDJZ in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which at the time was one of the first radio stations playing the "Music of Your Life" format, consisting primarily of music from the big band era. In 1981, Marvin came out of retirement to do "The Tony Marvin Show," a one-hour program broadcast live from the Palm Beach Hilton on WKAO. He said, "I want to bring back live radio." The show originated in the hotel's dining room and featured an orchestra.
➦In 1921....the first World Series to air on radio got underway between the New York Yankees and Giants. KDKA Pittsburgh and WJZ New York broadcast direct from the Polo Grounds, while WBZ Springfield and announcer Thomas Cowan recreated the games in their studios from reports phoned in from the stadium.
➦In 1925...WSM-AM in Nashville signed-on.
WSM is primarily associated with country music through its weekly Saturday night program, the Grand Ole Opry, the longest-running radio program in history.
The Opry began as the WSM Barn Dance in 1925, but after only about a year on the air, the program's host, "Judge" Hay, referred to the programming as being "Grand Ole Opry" in contrast to the preceding grand opera program on NBC.
In 1932, WSM boosted its power to 50,000 watts, becoming Tennessee's first clear-channel station.
In addition to its vast nighttime coverage area, the station boasts one of the largest daytime coverage areas in the country. It provides at least grade B coverage as far east as Chattanooga, as far north as Evansville, Indiana, as far west as Jackson, Tennessee and as far south as Huntsville, Alabama. Under the right conditions, it can be heard in nearly all of Tennessee and much of Kentucky, and can be picked up as far away as the fringes of the St. Louis area.
The station traditionally played country music in the nighttime hours, when listeners from around the United States would tune in.
Before the advent of television, the station broadcast long-form radio (both local and NBC network) programs in addition to music.
After TV became popular (thus largely eliminating the audience for full-length radio programs), WSM adopted a "MOR" (middle of the road) music format during the daytime hours, and continued to play country music at night. It was not until about 1979 that WSM adopted the 24-hour country music format of today.
WSM is credited with shaping Nashville into a recording industry capital. Because of WSM's incredible reach, musical acts from all across the eastern United States would come to Nashville in the early decades of the station's existence, in hopes of getting to perform on WSM. Over time, as more acts and recording companies came to Nashville, the city became known as the center of the country music industry. Disc jockey David Cobb is credited with first referring to Nashville as "Music City USA", a designation that has since been adopted as the city's official nickname by the local tourism board.
WSM's unusual diamond-shaped antenna is visible from I-65 just south of Nashville (in Brentwood). When the 878-foot tower was built in 1932, it was the tallest antenna in North America. Its height was reduced to 808 feet (246 m) in 1939 when it was discovered that the taller tower was causing self-cancellation in the fringe areas of reception of the station (it is now known that 195 electrical degrees, about 810 feet, is the optimum height for a Class A station on that frequency).
➦In 1934...'Hollywood Hotel' became the first network radio show to originate from Hollywood. It featured Hollywood stars in dramatized versions of then-current movies and "helped to make Hollywood an origination point for major radio programs." The CBS was heavily promoted as being the first program broadcast from the US West Coast, and continued to do so weekly for the next four years.
➦In 1945..."Meet the Press" premiered. It originally began on the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1945 as American Mercury Presents: Meet the Press, a program to promote The American Mercury, a magazine that Lawrence E. Spivak purchased in 1935. Before the program aired, Spivak asked journalist Martha Rountree, who had worked in radio and had been employed by Spivak as a roving editor for the magazine, to critique the plans for the new radio show. Based on her advice, Rountree created a new radio program that she called The American Mercury.
On November 6, 1947, while still on the Mutual Broadcasting System, the television rights to the program were purchased by General Foods, which began to air the show on the NBC television network with the title shortened to simply Meet the Press; the radio version also adopted the new name. Although some sources credit Spivak with the program's creation, Rountree developed the idea on her own, and Spivak joined as co-producer and business partner in the enterprise after the show had already debuted.
➦In 1947…The first radio recorded on magnetic tape aired on ABC Radio. It featured a performance by Bing Crosby. The broadcast demonstrated the capabilities of the new Ampex 200 tape recorder.
➦In 1952…After 11½ years on the air, the creaking door of "Inner Sanctum Mysteries" was heard for the last time as the series ended its run on ABC Radio.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
Actor Glynis Johns (“Mary Poppins”) is 97.
Singer Arlene Smith of The Chantels is 79.
Singer-guitarist Steve Miller is 77.
Singer Brian Johnson of AC/DC is 73.
Heather Headley 46
Actor Karen Allen is 69.
Director Clive Barker is 68.
Guitarist David Bryson of Counting Crows is 66.
Astrophysicist and “Cosmos” host Neil deGrasse Tyson is 62.
Actor Daniel Baldwin (“Homicide: Life on the Streets”) is 60.
Guitarist Dave Dederer (Presidents of the United States of America) is 56.
Actor Guy Pearce (“Memento,” “L.A. Confidential”) is 53.
Actor Josie Bissett (“Melrose Place”) is 50.
Singer-actor Heather Headley is 46.
Singer Colin Meloy of The Decemberists is 46.
Guitarist Brian Mashburn of Save Ferris is 45.
Actor Parminder Nagra (“ER,” ″Bend It Like Beckham”) is 45.
Actor Scott Weinger (“Full House,” “Aladdin”) is 45.
Actor Kate Winslet is 45.
Guitarist James Valentine of Maroon 5 is 42.
Bassist Paul Thomas of Good Charlotte is 40.
Actor Jesse Eisenberg (“The Social Network”) is 37.
Singer Brooke Valentine is 35.
Actor Joshua Logan Moore (“Desperate Housewives”) is 26.
➦In 1922...Baseball's World Series first aired on radio over WJZ NYC and WGY Albany NY. the announcers were Grantland Rice and W. O. McGeehan.
➦In 1925...The Atwater Kent Radio Hour debuted on WEAF NYC and carried by 11 other stations. It was a top-rated radio concert music program heard on NBC and CBS from October 4, 1925, to December 17, 1934, with stars of the Metropolitan Opera often making appearances. Classical music was performed by a large symphony orchestra.
➦In 1939...a barber from Canonsburg (near Pittsburgh) recorded 'That Old Gang of Mine' with the Ted Weems Orchestra. That singer was the feature of the Weems band for many years before going solo as a radio, TV and stage star. We know him as The Incomparable Mr. C, Perry Como.
His string of hits for RCA Victor spans four decades. He was an NBC mainstay (radio & TV) for almost as long. According to Billboard, Como's last Top10 hit was "It's Impossible" in 1970.
➦In 1948..."The Railroad Hour," starring Gordon MacRae in "The World's Greatest Musical Comedies," began a one-year run on ABC Radio. The series moved to NBC in 1949 and continued until June 1954. Marvin Miller was the announcer.
➦In 1957...The comic strip and radio show “Blondie" made the transition to TV, starring Pamela Britton in the title role, and Arthur Lake as Dagwood.
➦In 1986...CBS newsman Dan Rather was mugged in New York City as he was walking along Park Avenue in Manhattan to his apartment. He was attacked and punched from behind by a man who demanded to know, "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" while a second assailant also chased and beat him. As the assailant pummeled and kicked Rather, he kept repeating the question over and over again.
Ten years later, Rather's primary attacker was identified as William Tager, who shot and killed an NBC technician outside the "Today" show studios in 1994.
➦In 2014...Paul Revere, the organist and since 1958 leader of the rock band “Paul Revere & the Raiders,” died from cancer at age 76. With Mark Lindsay as lead vocalist they scored the hits “Kicks” (1966), “Hungry” (1966), “Him Or Me – What’s It Gonna Be?” (1967) and the Platinum-certified No. 1 single “Indian Reservation” (1971).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
Country singer Leroy Van Dyke is 91.
Actor Felicia Farr (“The Player,” “Kotch”) is 88.
Author Roy Blount Jr. is 79.
Author Anne Rice is 79.
Actor Lori Saunders (“Petticoat Junction”) is 79.
Actor Clifton Davis (“Madam Secretary,” “Amen”) is 75.
Actor Susan Sarandon is 74.
Actor Armand Assante is 71.
Actor Alan Rosenberg (“Cybill,” ″L.A. Law”) is 70.
Actor Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds,” ″Water for Elephants”) is 64.
Actor Bill Fagerbakke (“Coach,” ″Spongebob Squarepants”) is 63.
Actor Kyra Schon (“Night of the Living Dead”) is 63.
Dakota Johnson is 31
Rap producer Russell Simmons is 63.
Actor Wendy Makkena (“Sister Act” films) is 62.
Keyboardist Chris Lowe of The Pet Shop Boys is 61.
Keyboardist Gregg “Hobie” Hubbard of Sawyer Brown is 60.
Actor David W. Harper (“The Waltons”) is 59.
Singer Jon Secada is 59.
Media personality John Melendez (AKA “Stuttering John”) is 55.
Actor Jerry Minor (“Dr. Ken,” ″Community”) is 53.
Actor Liev Schreiber (“The Manchurian Candidate,” ″Scream 2″) is 53.
Actor Abraham Benrubi (“Men In Trees,” ″ER”) is 51.
Country singer-guitarist Heidi Newfield (Trick Pony) is 50.
Singer-guitarist M. Ward of She and Him is 47.
Actor Alicia Silverstone is 44.
Keyboardist Robbie Bennett of The War on Drugs is 42.
Actor Dana Davis (“Franklin and Bash,” “10 Things I Hate About You”) is 42.
Actor Phillip Glasser (“Hang Time”) is 42.
Singer-guitarist Marc Roberge of O.A.R. is 42.
Actor Rachel Leigh Cook (“Josie and the Pussycats,” ″She’s All That”) is 41.
Singer Jessica Benson of 3LW is 33.
Actor Melissa Benoist (“Supergirl,” ″Glee”) is 32.
Actor Dakota Johnson (“Fifty Shades Of Grey”) is 31.
A widening coronavirus outbreak at the White House has left members of the media scrambling to find out if they, too, are infected.
CNN reports three journalists who work at the White House tested positive on Friday, according to a series of memos from the White House Correspondents Association.
"Given these positive cases, the president's diagnosis and positive cases among other members of the White House staff, a number of White House journalists are self-isolating pending diagnostic testing," the correspondents association said in a email to members Friday night.
A White House staffer who sits in the "lower press" area of the West Wing also received a confirmed positive result on Friday morning.
Reporters and White House spokespeople work together in cramped quarters, often meeting the definition of close contact.
A spokesperson for The Washington Post said, "We are working to identify Post journalists who may have come in contact with White House officials recently, to ensure that our colleagues are tested rapidly and fully supported."
A person familiar with the matter at CBS News said the network is contact tracing and following company procedure for testing and quarantining, depending on the possible exposure.
And a spokesperson for NBC News said, "NBC News and MSNBC are following contact tracing guidelines as set forth by the CDC and the NBCUniversal Medical team and some employees will be self-quarantining out of an abundance of caution. We will also continue to follow WHCA guidelines on safely working and reporting from the White House."
The correspondents association said "we can't stress enough the importance of mask-wearing, social distancing and common sense, especially on the White House complex."
"Additionally," the board said, "we are again asking journalists who are not in the pool and do not have an enclosed workspace to refrain from working out of the White House at this time."
Some of the biggest stars at Fox News were potentially exposed to the coronavirus after attending Tuesday’s presidential debate in Cleveland, and the network is planning for its anchors, reporters and staff to be tested out of an abundance of caution, according to The NYTimes citing a person familiar with its plans.
Lachlan Murdoch, executive chairman of the Fox Corporation, led a toast to Chris Wallace, the “Fox News Sunday” anchor who moderated the debate, at a Cleveland airport after the event. The gathering included two of the channel’s news anchors, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, along with the chief executive of Fox News Media, Suzanne Scott, and its president, Jay Wallace.
Chris Wallace, who sat about a dozen feet from President Trump during Tuesday’s 96-minute event, then flew on a private plane to the Washington area in a group that included Mr. Baier and other Washington-based members of the Fox News staff.
Sean Hannity, Fox News’s top-rated opinion star, also broadcast from inside the debate hall, during which he conducted an in-person interview with the president’s son, Donald J. Trump Jr., who sat only a few inches away from Mr. Hannity. Other Fox News personalities were on a set outside the venue, including the political analysts Brit Hume, Dana Perino, and Juan Williams, and the anchor Bill Hemmer. Karl Rove, the Republican strategist and Fox News contributor, was also there.
In addition, Laura Ingraham, the 10 p.m. opinion host on Fox News, attended a news conference at the White House on Saturday where Mr. Trump announced the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Another Fox News host, Pete Hegseth, also attended. Many of those in the crowd at the Barrett event did not wear masks.
Fox News declined to comment on Friday. But a person familiar with the network’s workings said that Fox News was taking precautions, including testing, to ensure the safety of the hosts, reporters, and staff who were potentially exposed to the virus at the Cleveland debate or were in proximity to the White House over the past week. The person requested anonymity to describe internal discussions that were not yet public.
John Roberts, the network’s chief White House correspondent, and Jon Decker, a Fox News Radio correspondent, both attended a White House news briefing with Mr. Trump’s press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, on Thursday. The two correspondents are also expected to be tested for the virus.
Entercom has announced the addition of former Detroit Lions player Jon Jansen as morning show co-host for WXYT 97.1 The Ticket. Jansen will join Mike Stone and Heather Parks as part of “Stoney and Jansen,” weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET, effective October 5.
“As Detroit’s No. 1 sports talk station, we are excited to add Jon’s vast NFL knowledge to our incredible team,” said Debbie Kenyon, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Detroit. “A native Detroiter who played for the University of Michigan and the Lions, Jon has distinct passion for the city’s football scene. Detroiters are really going to enjoy the chemistry that Jon has with Stoney as they tackle the biggest storylines in the Motor City and beyond.”
“Michigan has always been my home,” said Jansen. “I grew up a Detroit sports fan and lived my dream of playing football for the Wolverines and Lions. Now, I’m excited to join the team at 97.1 The Ticket and be a part of the conversation.”
Jansen has served as a frequent guest co-host on several shows on 97.1 The Ticket since 2017. He can be heard every Sunday offering insight on the Detroit Lions during the station’s football pregame show “Gameday Uncensored.” Jansen played 10 seasons in the NFL for the Lions and the Washington Football Team.
KSTP KS95 Brand and Content Director, Mat Mitchell, has announced that Tricia “TJ” Jenkins was named Assistant Brand and Content Director (APD/MD) for KS95. As part of her role, TJ will host Middays on the radio station.
TJ joins KS95 from Westwood One, where she recently co-hosted the syndicated Ty Bentli Morning Show. TJ’s move to the Twin Cities is a homecoming, as she previously hosted middays from 2012-2018 at Entercom’s KMNB/Minneapolis. Her previous stops include KAJA/San Antonio, KZHT/Salt Lake City, and KQKQ/Omaha.
Commented Mitchell, “There is a massive interest in this role at KS95, and we talked to many talented people to champion the legacy of this brand. TJ immediately stood out to me as a personality who understands how to build companionship with the KS95 audience on-air, online, and in the Twin Cities community.TJ has the unique skills to collaborate with our record label partners, key clients, and I’m excited for her to join the Hubbard radio family!”
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be home and back on the radio in The Twin Cities,” commented TJ. “I have long admired KS95 and grateful to be joining the extremely talented team at Hubbard. Big thanks to Mat Mitchell and Dan Seeman for this once in a lifetime opportunity to help continue growing this legendary brand.”
TJ will host middays from 9:30 am to 2pm and will be starting on October 5, 2020.
House Democrats passed a $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill late Thursday over intense GOP opposition, even as bipartisan talks between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin continued.
The Washington Post reports the legislation, which passed 214 to 207, has no chance of advancing in the Republican-led Senate and is opposed by the White House. But it’s been nearly five months since the House passed the $3.4 trillion Heroes Act, which also went nowhere in the Senate. So with the House set to recess Friday through the election, Pelosi (D-Calif.) acceded to demands from moderate Democrats who wanted to take new action to address the toll of the coronavirus pandemic before heading home to campaign for reelection.
Republicans railed against Pelosi for advancing a bill that has no chance of becoming law, accusing her of playing politics instead of trying to strike a bipartisan deal. And even though it was largely pressure from moderate Democrats, some in tough reelection races, that persuaded Pelosi to reverse course and put the bill on the floor, 18 mostly centrist Democrats voted “no” on the legislation Thursday, with some expressing frustration that they were voting on a bill that was headed nowhere instead of an actual deal.
The Heroes Act, includes provisions to expand eligibility for U.S. Small Business Administration loan access to struggling local newspapers and radio and television stations. This was hailed by the head of the NAB. But, that cheering could simply be symbolic: the bill has a thin chance of passing the Senate or getting the White House to sign it.
The successful passage of the bill comes following the May 2020 introduction by Reps. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.) of the Local News and Emergency Information Act in the House.
The expansion of PPP for local media would:
provide television and radio broadcasters, as well as newspapers, the same treatment as hotels and restaurants received under the original CARES Act PPP – eligibility based on a physical location basis;
require a local station to fit within the SBA size standard for the broadcasting industry;
ensure that expanded PPP funds would remain at the local level through additional oversight.
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider letting the Federal Communications Commission ease limits on the ownership of local media outlets, agreeing to hear appeals from the broadcast industry and President Donald Trump’s administration in a fight that dates back almost two decades.
Bloomberg reports the justices will review a federal appeals court decision that blocked the changes and told the FCC to study the impact they would have on female and minority ownership in the media industry. Relaxing the rules could mean a wave of consolidation affecting TV stations nationwide.
The FCC has been trying since 2002 to loosen its ownership restrictions, which affect broadcast stations and newspapers. Each time, the same three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected key aspects of the changes. The Trump administration and companies, including News Corp. and Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., say the rules are now badly outdated.
The appeals court “for more than 15 years has frozen the rules in place,” the companies argued in their appeal. “As matters now stand, the broadcast and newspaper industries -- unlike their marketplace competitors -- are subject to ownership rules adopted as long ago as the 1970s.”The company group also includes the National Association of Broadcasters, Fox Corp. and Nexstar Media Group Inc.
Advocacy organizations led by Prometheus Radio Project are fighting the FCC changes. They called the 3rd Circuit ruling an “unremarkable” decision that merely required the commission to explain how the changes would affect its longstanding goal of increasing ownership diversity.
The FCC may not “expressly embrace ownership diversity as an important policy goal yet fail to reasonably consider how its repeal of major broadcast-ownership restrictions would affect that goal,” argued the group, which includes Common Cause and the National Organization for Women.
The Trump administration said the 3rd Circuit improperly elevated gender and racial diversity above other important FCC considerations.
The FCC’s changes would eliminate a rule that had barred companies from owning two television stations in a market that didn’t have at least eight independently owned stations. The commission is also seeking to allow companies to own two of the top four stations in some markets.
In addition, the FCC would lift separate bans on ownership of both a daily print newspaper and a broadcast station in the same coverage area, and on ownership of both a radio and television station in a single market.
Under their usual scheduling practices, the justices will hear arguments early next year and rule by June.
Cumulus Media Inc.has announced it has completed the initial closing of its tower portfolio monetization transaction for $208 million in gross proceeds on September 30, 2020.
Mary G. Berner, President and Chief Executive Officer of CUMULUS MEDIA, said, “We are thrilled to have expeditiously completed the first closing of this significant transaction. Pro forma for its completion and based on our Q2 ending cash balance, we will have reduced net debt by nearly $325 million during 2020 and by nearly $580 million since emerging from bankruptcy in 2018. Our further improved liquidity position and covenant-lite, long-dated debt will continue to support our growth initiatives and allow us to take advantage of accretive opportunities as we navigate through near-term uncertainties to drive long-term shareholder value.”
After transaction fees and expenses and related costs, the Company received approximately $202 million in net proceeds at the initial closing. The use of net proceeds from the transaction are governed by the Company’s Term Loan Credit Facility due 2026 and its 6.75% Senior Secured First Lien Notes due 2026:
As defined in the Debt Agreements, net proceeds of approximately $64 million from assets being sold and not being leased back (the “Sale Proceeds”) and net proceeds of approximately $96 million from assets being sold and leased back (the “Sale-Leaseback Proceeds”) are required to pay down the Term Loan and be applied to a tender offer with respect to the 6.75% Notes on a pro rata basis.
The paydown from the Sale-Leaseback Proceeds is required to be made at closing for the Term Loan portion and within thirty (30) days of closing for the 6.75% Notes. As such, at closing, the Company paid down approximately $49 million of its Term Loan at par, and it intends in the near future to launch a tender offer for up to approximately $47 million of the 6.75% Notes at par. Any amounts offered but not accepted under the tender offer will be used for an additional par paydown of the Term Loan.
The mandatory prepayment/tender offer required in connection with the Sale Proceeds is subject to a 12-month reinvestment right.
At closing, the Company entered into a master lease agreement for the continued use of substantially all of the towers that were sold:
The initial term of the lease is ten (10) years, followed by five (5) option periods of five (5) years each.
The annual lease payment obligation for the assets leased back in the initial closing is approximately $13.2 million, subject to customary escalators, and will be accounted for as a reduction of the financial liability and interest expense.
Annual tenant revenues of approximately $2.2 million and operating expenses of approximately $2.3 million (of which approximately $1.5 million is non-cash intangible amortization) will no longer be reflected in the Company’s financial statements. The Company will report non-cash imputed rental income for tower sites where it continues to use a portion of the tower along with other existing and future tenants.
The transaction will not have any effect on the Company’s current broadcast operations.
iHeartMedia, Inc. has announced that it has named Cheryl Mills, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the BlackIvy Group LLC, to its Board of Directors. Her appointment expands the iHeartMedia board to eight directors.
Cheryl Mills
Mills, a successful entrepreneur with strategy and policy expertise and a long history of public service, founded BlackIvy as a values-driven company that builds and grows commercial enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa to meet the needs of an expanding consumer population and growing business sector. BlackIvy’s platform of businesses across East and West Africa include housing, healthcare, food, warehousing and logistics. As CEO of the company, Mills oversees all facets of the Company from strategy to capital-raising.
“We are extremely pleased that Cheryl Mills is joining the iHeart board,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc. “Her depth and breadth of experience, her leadership in policy, business and entrepreneurship, education and media, and her deep commitment to public service, will provide strong and unique value to our board and our company, and we are looking forward to her contributions.”
Prior to BlackIvy, Mills served as Chief of Staff to Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Counselor to the U.S. Department of State, where she managed foreign policy and operational priorities of the $55 billion agency that employs more than 50,000 officials across 160 countries. She directly supervised specific policy areas, including the Obama Administration’s $3.5 billion global hunger and food security initiative spanning 19 countries, including 12 in Africa.
Mills currently serves on the board of BlackRock, Inc., the Clinton Foundation and the See Forever Foundation / Maya Angelou Public Charter School.
United Stations an independent leader in original network radio programming, has announced the addition of well-known veteran Programmer John Shomby to the staff of its new daily, weekday program “Backstage Country” as the show’s Talent Relations Consultant. Backstage Country is the brand new 5-hour daily program that features the stars of Country Music as rotating hosts.
John Shomby
The program was developed by United Stations in conjunction with the seven (7) Beasley-owned Country outlets which also helped launch the network show as its flagship affiliates. In his new role, Shomby will assist with the acquisition and scheduling of the show’s guest-hosts as well as handling industry relations with Nashville’s leading recording and artist management companies, any necessary talent coaching and coordinating elements of the show’s music selection. He joins the program’s team effective immediately, the move brings a Country programming superstar to the Backstage Country staff, and the announcement of this appointment comes from the company’s EVP/Programming, Andy Denemark in New York.
John Shomby arrives at “Backstage Country” with a resume reflecting a lifetime in radio broadcasting. His most recent stint was in Nashville where John was the Director of Nash Programming for Cumulus Media from 2016 to 2020. In that role, he oversaw the programming of a bevy of nationally distributed shows including the Kix Brooks American Country Countdown and Ty Bentli’s morning show where he worked with Adrian Kulp who is now Senior Content Producer for Backstage Country. Shomby was also Program Director for Cumulus’ WKDF Nash-FM 103.3. For thirteen years he was in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach, VA area as Director of Programming and Operations for Max Media’s five station cluster including country WGH-FM (97.3 The Eagle).
He’s also been Operations Manager for clusters in Augusta, GA, Flint, MI and Kalamazoo, MI for Cumulus Media from 1999-2002 overseeing CHR, Classic Rock, Mainstream Rock and Full-Service Talk Radio formats. Prior to that, John programmed stations in Birmingham, AL, Portland, OR, New Orleans, Dallas and Boston in CHR, Rock, Talk, Oldies, AC and Sports formats. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Country Radio Broadcasters since 2005 and has been its Vice President since 2019. He’s also been a member of Nashville’s Leadership Music organization since 2010. In May of this year, John established a programming and talent consulting firm, and United Stations’ “Backstage Country” is now one of his clients. John can be reached at johnshomby@gmail.com.
In making the announcement of the addition of John Shomby, United Stations’ Andy Denemark commented, “The team that brainstormed Backstage Country always imagined this show to be a ‘next level’ project, and the way to stay ahead of the pack is with the best people in the business. John Shomby fits that bill. He is a superstar in the radio industry and beloved in the Country format, and he’s rounding out the team for this show perfectly. Welcome, John!”
John Shomby added, “Working on this show is going be amazing. Backstage Country has all the elements I love as a programmer, especially the star power. I’m so excited to come on board.”
➦In 1901...The Victor Talking Machine Company, was incorporated. In 1929 it was bought by the Radio Corporation of America and became RCA Victor.
The famous Victrola phonograph logo, with Nipper the dog, and the words “His Master’s Voice”, appeared on all RCA Victor phonographs..
➦In 1946...singer Dennis Day, a popular tenor featured on The Jack Benny Show, started his own NBC show, A Day in the Life of Dennis Day (1946–1951). Day having two programs in comparison to Benny's one was the subject of numerous jokes and gags, usually revolving around Day rubbing Benny's show, and sometimes other cast members' and guest stars' noses in that fact (e.g., "Dennis, why do you have two horns on your bicycle?" "Why shouldn't I? I've got two shows!"). His last radio series was a comedy and variety show that aired on NBC's Sunday afternoon schedule during the 1954–55 season.
➦In 1949...Radio staion WERD 860 AM Atlanta became the first to be owned and programmed by African Americans.
➦In 1952...The sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet started airing on ABC-TV. It continued until April 23, 1966 The show starred Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet Nelson, and their sons, David and Ricky.
In the early 1930s, a booking at the Glen Island Casino in New Rochelle, New York gained national network radio exposure for Ozzie Nelson's orchestra. After three years together with the orchestra, Ozzie and Harriet signed to appear regularly on the radio show, The Baker's Broadcast (1933–1938), hosted first by Joe Penner, then by Robert Ripley (famed for Ripley's Believe it or Not!) , and finally by cartoonist Feg Murray. The couple married on October 8, 1935 during this series run, and realized working together in radio would keep them together more than continuing their musical careers separately.
In 1941, the Nelsons joined the cast of The Red Skelton Show, also providing much of the show's music. The couple stayed with the series for three years. They also built their radio experience by guest appearances, together and individually, on many top radio shows, from comedies such as The Fred Allen Show, to the mystery titan Suspense, in a 1947 episode called "Too Little to Live On".
When Red Skelton was drafted in March 1944, Ozzie Nelson was prompted to create his own family situation comedy. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet launched October 8, 1944 on CBS Radio, it moved to NBC in October 1948, then made a late-season switch back to CBS in April 1949. The final years of the radio series were on ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from October 14, 1949 to June 18, 1954. In total 402 radio episodes were produced.
In an arrangement that exemplified the growing pains of American broadcasting, as radio "grew up" into television, the Nelsons' deal with ABC gave the network the option to move their program to television. The struggling network needed proven talent that was not about to defect to the more established and wealthier networks like CBS or NBC.
The Nelsons' sons, David and Ricky, did not join the cast until the radio show's fifth year (initially appearing on the February 20, 1949 episode, ages 12 and 8, respectively).
➦In 1954…"Father Knows Best," starring Robert Young, began its eight-year run on television, first on CBS, then moving to NBC in 1956.
The series began August 25, 1949, on NBC Radio. Set in the Midwest, it starred Robert Young as the General Insurance agent Jim Anderson. His wife Margaret was first portrayed by June Whitley and later by Jean Vander Pyl. The Anderson children were Betty (Rhoda Williams), Bud (Ted Donaldson), and Kathy (Norma Jean Nilsson). Others in the cast were Eleanor Audley, Herb Vigran, and Sam Edwards. Sponsored through most of its run by General Foods, the series was heard Thursday evenings on NBC until March 25, 1954.
On the radio program, the character of Jim differs from the later television character. The radio Jim is far more sarcastic and shows he really rules over his family. In an interview published in the magazine Films of the Golden Age (Fall 2015), Young revealed about the radio program: "I never quite liked it because it had to have laughs. And I wanted a warm relationship show.... When we moved to TV I suggested an entirely new cast and different perspective."
Young was the radio show's only cast member to make the transition to the TV version. He was joined by actors Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin who played Anderson family members Margaret, Betty, Bud and Kathy, respectively.
➦In 1985...CBS newsman Charles Collingwood died (Born - June 4, 1917). He was an early member of Edward R. Murrow's group of foreign correspondents that was known as the "Murrow Boys". During World War II he covered Europe and North Africa for CBS News. Collingwood was also among the early ranks of television journalists that included Walter Cronkite, Eric Sevareid, and Murrow himself.
Charles Collingwood
Collingwood covered World War II for United Press in London and was soon recruited to CBS by Murrow in 1941. He established himself as an urbane and spontaneously-eloquent on-air journalist.
On D-Day he landed at Utah Beach hours after the first wave of soldiers had hit the beaches. Of the CBS reporters accompanying the ground invasion, he recorded a report on June 6 that made it to broadcast two days later.
When General Omar Bradley told Collingwood that the French Resistance was about to rise up and liberate Paris, Collingwood prepared and sent a recording with news of the liberation to CBS in London so that it would be ready when the city was actually freed. The recording bore a label that said to hold it back until Paris was actually liberated, but the technician at CBS did not read the label and immediately aired the recording. On that day, August 22, there were still thousands of German troops in Paris, and the Resistance fighters who were fighting and dying did not appreciate that the world was told that Paris had been liberated. The city would not be actually liberated until three days later, on August 25.
➦In 1988...WBMW-FM, Washington, D.C. changed calls to WJFK
➦In 2011…Arthur C. Nielsen, Jr., who transformed the company his father founded in 1923 into an international leader in ratings and research, died at the age of 92. Nielsen became president of the A. C. Nielsen Company in 1957 and its chairman in 1975. He presided over the company’s growth from a modest operation, generating less than $4 million a year in revenue, to one with revenue of more than $680 million.
➦In 2014...Radio programmer Kevin Metheny died (Born - June 6, 1954). He began his career as on-air talent and went on to direct programming and audience research at many radio stations and in a number of broadcast conglomerates. During the 1980s, Metheny helped develop cable entertainment networks MTV and VH1 as vice-president in charge of Music Programming and Production; he later served as vice-president of VH1 before returning to broadcast radio
Kevin Metheny
Metheny became weekend air talent at Album Rock KWHP-FM in Edmond, Oklahoma in 1970. The next year, he moved to WKY in Oklahoma City, serving as weekend and fill-in talent during his senior year at John Marshall High School. Pat O'Day, General Manager of KJR/KISW-FM Seattle, hired Metheny as evening talent for KJR. Following O'Day's 1975 departure, Metheny left KJR and became afternoon drive talent/music director at WNOE-FM, New Orleans, where he was promoted to Program Director. He next served as Program Director of KDEO in El Cajon, California, changing the AM Album Rock station to Top-40 KMJC, also known as "Majic 91".
Metheny became Director of Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) Research, working closely with its initial RAM client Fairbanks Broadcasting's Adult Contemporary WIBG in Philadelphia. He accepted the position of Program Director at WIBG (later known as WZZD, now WNTP). He went on to be named Program Director of Hearst Corporation's Top-40 WXKX, Pittsburgh, then of WEFM in Chicago, followed by KSLQ-FM in St. Louis.
Metheny was named Program Director of The National Broadcasting Company's WNBC (NYC) in 1980. In 1986, Metheny became Program Director of KTKS Dallas. He subsequently moved to Savannah as Vice President/General Manager at WSOK/WAEV-FM. He accepted the Operations Director position of Bedford Broadcasting's San Francisco Oldies and Adult Standards stations KFRC-FM & AM followed by Oldies KQQL (Minneapolis).
Metheny then moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where he combined programming and marketing operations of WQIK-FM and News/Talk WJGR with newly acquired Urban properties WSOL-FM, WJBT, and WZAZ. Metheny transferred to head programming for Jacor Communications' Cleveland area radio group, consolidating operations at their combined six Cleveland stations, WAKS, WGAR-FM, WMJI, WMMS, WMVX, and WTAM.
Following Jacor's merger with Clear Channel Communications Metheny was promoted to Regional Vice President of Programming, in which role he advised local Market Managers and Program Directors of 59 Ohio radio stations.
Simultaneously with the 2008 acquisition of Clear Channel Communications, Inc. by Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners, Metheny left Clear Channel to become Program Director of the Tribune Company's sole radio property, News/Talk WGN, where he stayed until November 2010. In January 2013, he was named program director at WJR Detroit. In June 2014, Metheny was named operations manager at San Francisco stations KGO and KSFO owned by Cumulus Media, a position he held until his death of an apparent heart attack at age 60.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
Composer Steve Reich is 84.
Singer Chubby Checker is 79.
Actor Alan Rachins (“Dharma and Greg”) is 78.
Singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac is 71.
Jazz saxophonist Ronnie Laws is 70.
Blues singer Keb’ Mo’ is 69.
Actor Peter Frechette (“Profiler”) is 64.
Actor-comedian Greg Proops is 61.
Actor Jack Wagner is 61.
Neve Campbell is 47
Drummer Tommy Lee of Motley Crue is 58.
Actor Janel Moloney (“The West Wing”) is 51.
Singer Gwen Stefani of No Doubt is 51.
Singer Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys is 49.
Singer G. Love is 48.
Actor Keiko Agena (“Gilmore Girls”) is 47.
Actor Neve Campbell is 47.
Actor Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”) is 47.
Singer India.Arie is 45.
Rapper Talib Kweli is 45.
Actor Alanna Ubach (“Legally Blonde” movies) is 45.
Actor Seann William Scott (movie “Dukes of Hazzard,” ″American Pie”) is 44.
Actor Shannyn Sossamon (TV’s “Moonlight,” Film’s “The Rules of Attraction”) is 42.
Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer of Red Hot Chili Peppers is 41.
Guitarist Mark King of Hinder is 38.
Actor Tessa Thompson (“Westworld”) is 37.
Country singer Cherrill Green of Edens Edge is 37.
Country singer Drake White is 37.
Actor Meagan Holder (“Pitch”) is 36.
Actor Christopher Marquette (“Barry,” “Joan of Arcadia”) is 36.
Singer Ashlee Simpson is 36.
Rapper A$AP Rocky is 32.
Actor Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl,” “Ex Machina”) is 32.
WNYC began regularly scheduled broadcasts on the FM band on March 13, 1943 at 43.9 megacycles. Known originally as W39NY, the FM outlet adopted its present WNYC-FM call letters and its present frequency of 93.9 MHz within a few years.
➦In 1948..."Life With Luigi" debuted on the CBS Radio Network. It continued to March 3, 1953.
➦In 1965..KYW 1060 AM in Philadelphia flipped to an all-news format.
KYW began in 1921 in Chicago, Illinois. It was jointly owned by Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Commonwealth Edison. Westinghouse later bought out ComEd's share and became sole owner of the station.
In 1927, Westinghouse aligned its four radio stations (KYW, KDKA in Pittsburgh, WBZ in Boston and WBZA in Springfield, Massachusetts) with the NBC Blue Network, which originated from former sister station WJZ (the present-day WABC) in New York City. Westinghouse had been a founding partner of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), NBC's original parent company.
On September 21, 1965, shortly after Westinghouse regained control of 1060 AM, the newly rechristened KYW once again dropped its NBC radio affiliation and was converted into one of the first all-news stations in the country. Newsman Steve Porter read the first newscast. It had been edited by Fred B. Walters, the former Harrisburg bureau chief and eventual Executive Editor.
Five months earlier Westinghouse Broadcasting converted 1010WINS, KYW's New York sister station since 1962, from a Top-40 format to all-news. A similar move was made three years later at another Westinghouse-owned station, KFWB in Los Angeles. KYW has been one of the highest-rated radio stations in the country since that point and has been the market leader in Philadelphia for much of that time. The Westinghouse all-news trio, meanwhile, revolutionized and defined the all-news format. KYW's early format elements were shared with WINS, such as the distinctive teletype sound effect playing in the background, and the slogans "All News, All the Time", "The Newswatch Never Stops", "Listen 2, 3, 4 Times a Day" and "You Give Us 22 Minutes, We'll Give You the World".
KYW's present format runs on a 30-minute cycle. Regular segments include contains traffic and mass transit reports from Metro Traffic every ten minutes on the "twos" (six times an hour), sports updates every quarter-hour (twice an hour, at :15 and :45), weather reports as much as six times an hour (four regularly scheduled reports at :07, :14, :37 and :44 past every hour with breaking weather news plus special forecasts for the New Jersey Shore and the Poconos), and business news from Bloomberg twice an hour (at :25 and :55). When breaking news warrants, KYW will break format to provide continuous coverage of any event.
Its television sister took advantage of the radio station's popularity by incorporating a version of KYW's musical sounder into its news themes from 1991 to 2003. In addition, a television program entitled KYW Newsradio 1060 This Morning aired from 5 to 8 a.m. on sister station WPSG (channel 57) in the early 2000s, adapting KYW's "clock" to television. The show was popular among local cable programming in its daypart, and in late 2004 was usurped (due in part to a new affiliation to Traffic Pulse) by television staffers and assumed the name Wake UP News.
Westinghouse Electric announced its purchase of CBS in 1995, and upon its completion KYW became a sister station to its long-time rival, CBS-owned WGMP (1210 AM, now WPHT). That station, under its original WCAU call letters, attempted to compete with KYW in all-news programming during the late 1970s but failed, dumping the format after only three years. Today, the news format continues and the station is owned by Entercom.
KYW is currently the easternmost station in the United States whose call-sign begins with the letter K. It is also one of three such stations in Pennsylvania, the other ones being KQV and sister station KDKA, both in Pittsburgh. ➦In 1968...Harry Harrison air his last show at WMCA 570 AM. In 2-days he started at 77WABC.
From '65...
➦In 1970...Bob Grant aired first show at WMCA 570 AM as WMCA flipped from Top40 to Talk, calling itself "Dial-Log Radio."
➦In 2012... Michael Rye died at age 94. He was born John Michael Riorden Billsbury; March 2, 1918) and his decades-long career spanned radio, television, animated cartoons and video games. Aside from his voice over work, Rye also acted in on-screen television roles as well, including parts in Dr. Kildare and 77 Sunset Strip.
Michael Rye
He began his career during the 'Golden Age of Radio' when radio programming was at the height of its popularity. Rye, who broadcast from Chicago, participated in an average of forty network radio shows per week.
He was cast in numerous lead roles for radio shows, including Gary Curtis for the NBC soap opera, Ma Perkins; Tim Lawrence on Guiding Light; Jack Armstrong on the radio adventure series, Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy; and Pembroke in the soap opera, Backstage Wife.
He starred in radio productions produced and broadcast from Hollywood, including the ABC crime drama, This is Your FBI; the radio anthology series, Lux Radio Theater; the radio drama, The Whistler; the CBS radio comedy, Meet Millie; and the CBS drama, Suspense. He also provided the narration for the world's first full-length recorded book, the 1969 audio adaptation of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
Author-comedian Fanny Flagg is 79.
TV and film producer Jerry Bruckheimer is 77.
Guitarist Don Felder (The Eagles) is 73.
Author Stephen King is 73.
Actor Bill Murray is 70.
Filmmaker Ethan Coen of the Coen Brothers is 63.
Actor-comedian Dave Coulier (“Full House”) is 61.
Actor David James Elliott (“JAG”) is 60.
Actor Nancy Travis is 59.
Actor Rob Morrow (“Numb3rs,” ″Northern Exposure”) is 58.
Faith Hill is 53
Actor Angus Macfadyen (“Braveheart”) is 57.
Actor Cheryl Hines (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) is 55.
Country singer Faith Hill is 53.
Drummer Tyler Stewart of Barenaked Ladies is 53.
Actor-talk show host Ricki Lake is 52.
Rapper Dave (formerly Trugoy the Dove) of De La Soul is 52.
Actor Billy Porter (“Pose”) is 51.
Actor Rob Benedict (“Supernatural,” ″Felicity”) is 50.
Actor James Lesure (“Las Vegas,” “For Your Love”) is 49.
Actor Alfonso Ribeiro (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” ″In the House”) is 49.
Actor Luke Wilson is 49.
Actor Paulo Costanzo (“Royal Pains,” ″Joey”) is 42.
Actor Autumn Reeser (“Entourage,” “The O.C.”) is 40.
TV personality Nicole Richie (“The Simple Life”) is 39.
Actor Maggie Grace (“Lost”) is 37.
Actor Joseph Mazzello (“Simon Birch”) is 37.
Actor Ahna O’Reilly (“The Help”) is 36.
Rapper Wale is 36.
Singer Jason Derulo is 34.
Actor Ryan Guzman (“Heroes Reborn,” ″Pretty Little Liars”) is 33.
