Fox News Media will launch a new streaming service dedicated to weather in 2021, the company announced on Wednesday.
FOX Weather is expected to launch in the third quarter of the upcoming year with the FOX Weather App, along with a website and streaming service that will offer local, regional and national updates and information on all things weather.
It will feature original, live programming and the ad-supported service will use Fox News and Fox Television Stations’ vast resources, including more than 75 meteorologists across 17 stations in addition to Fox News reporters.
FOX Weather will be led by longtime Fox executive Sharri Berg, who will add president of FOX Weather to her current role of Fox Television Stations chief operating officer.
Sharri Berg
“As FOX News Media continues to deliver the best in news content, it was only natural to expand our footprint to weather with the launch of our eighth platform, FOX Weather, and there is no one better to lead this new venture than Sharri Berg,” Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said in a statement.
“Sharri is an immensely talented executive with extraordinary leadership skills and a unique ability to collaborate and execute across multiple divisions,” Scott added.
Berg, who was a founding member of the Fox News Channel launch team, has held a variety of high-level positions during her 24 years with the company--and the innovative weather platform is her latest venture.
“Weather is a vital component to news and combining our trusted reporters and expert meteorologists from FOX News and FTS nationwide, the FOX Weather products will be built to serve our audiences in a customized fashion,” Berg said. “I’m excited to get started as we continue to innovate and build new products from the ground up.”
The FOX Weather Meteorological Center will be located in New York City and will integrate Fox Television Stations’ radar network and innovative display technology. The service is not the first thing spearheaded by Berg, as she has also been instrumental in successfully launching Network News Service (NNS), Local News Service (LNS), FOX Flight Operations, the Fox News Multimedia Reporter Training Program and a variety of other projects.
In addition to her new role, Berg will continue to oversee Fox’s Affiliate News Service, News Edge, which provides all news content to 180 Fox affiliates. She will relinquish her role as the executive vice president of news operations for FNC.
The Federal Trade Commission and 46 states sued Facebook Inc. on Wednesday, accusing the social-media giant of buying and freezing out small startups to choke competition, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The FTC’s sweeping antitrust case seeks to force Facebook to unwind its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram, two of its landmark deals. The states filed a separate and similar lawsuit, alleging a lack of competition has harmed consumers, including by weakening privacy protections.
The lawsuits come weeks after the Justice Department brought a case alleging Google was illegally maintaining a monopoly in its search business. Collectively, the cases reflect U.S. concern about the power of dominant online platforms.
“Facebook’s actions to entrench and maintain its monopoly deny consumers the benefits of competition,” said Ian Conner, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. “Our aim is to roll back Facebook’s anticompetitive conduct and restore competition so that innovation and free competition can thrive.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, asserted that Facebook “has used its dominance and monopoly power to crush smaller rivals and snuff out competition, all at the expense of everyday users,” and made “billions by converting personal data into a cash cow.”
Facebook fired back by noting the FTC had previously approved the Instagram and WhatsApp transactions.
“The government now wants a do-over, sending a chilling warning to American business that no sale is ever final,” said Vice President and General Counsel Jennifer Newstead. “People and small businesses don’t choose to use Facebook’s free services and advertising because they have to, they use them because our apps and services deliver the most value. We are going to vigorously defend people’s ability to continue making that choice.”
Shopping and promotions on Black Friday (Nov. 27) helped push vinyl album sales to a historic high in the U.S., according to Billboard citing Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
In the week of Nov. 27-Dec. 3, 1.253 million vinyl albums were sold (up 56%) -- the largest sales week for the format since Nielsen Music/MRC Data began electronically tracking music sales in 1991. It’s only the second time that weekly vinyl album sales surpassed 1 million in the Nielsen Music/MRC Data era. The last time it happened was just under a year ago, when 1.243 million were sold in the week ending Dec. 26, 2019.
Bolstering the robust sales week was Record Store Day Black Friday festivities at independent record stores, as indie physical store sales accounted for 542,000 vinyl LPs sold in the week ending Dec. 3 (up 135%). That’s the second-largest week ever for indie store vinyl album sales -- runner-up only to Record Store Day 2019’s week (673,000; week ending April 11, 2019). Record Store Day Black Friday traditionally sees the release of an array of limited-edition and exclusive vinyl albums, which assist in driving big sales numbers.
Also helping sales in the week ending Dec. 3: continued promotions and visibility of vinyl LPs at mass merchants like Walmart and Target, as well as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, among others.
The top-selling vinyl album in the week ending Dec. 3 was Harry Styles’ Fine Line, with 15,000 copies sold (up 12%); it rises 2-1 on the latest Vinyl Albums chart (dated Dec. 12). Vince Guaraldi Trio’s soundtrack to the A Charlie Brown Christmas TV special was the No. 2 vinyl seller of the week (rising 5-2 with 11,000; up 37%) while Queen’s Greatest Hits was the No. 3 biggest-selling LP of the week (up 4-3 with just under 11,000; up 26%). Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (6-4 with 10,000; up 70%) and Taylor Swift’s Folklore (1-5 with just under 10,000; down 36%) round out the top five.
Beasley Media Group’s 95.7 BEN FM is pleased to announce the return of the station’s annual Adopt A Family Radio-thon to benefit local families in need this holiday season. The broadcast will take place from 6am to 6pm on Thursday, December 10, 2020 at the Beasley Media Group Philadelphia studios.
Station Morning Host Kristen Herrmann will be joined by celebrity guests as they encourage listeners to make a donation to assist Volunteers of America Delaware Valley’s Adopt A Family Program in purchasing meals, clothing and gifts for hundreds of less fortunate families in their shelters and in the surrounding community.
Prizes and incentives will be offered throughout the 12-hour Radio-thon to encourage donations. Funds collected during last year’s event assisted more than 900 local families. The station hopes to raise even more crucial donations this year.
“Each year, our Adopt A Family program helps local families and children across the Delaware Valley region have the magical and special holiday they deserve,” said Daniel L. Lombardo, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Delaware Valley. “Through our strong partnerships with 95.7 BEN FM and 6ABC year after year, we are able to assist more people in need, engage with those within our communities looking to support our efforts or lend a helping hand and make a lasting difference in the lives of so many during this season of giving. This is what the holiday season is all about. It is not just about the toys, clothing and other material things – it is about giving the gifts of wonder, joy and, most importantly, hope to those in need within our communities.”
How to donate:
Individuals can make a secure online donation from now through December 24th at 6pm at 957benfm.com via the Adopt A Family Radio-thon page. When making a donation, please select ‘Direct Adoption’ and choose a family from Volunteers of America’s list of families in need or make a ‘Cash Donation’, which will be combined with other contributions to make your gift go even further.
During this season of giving, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® reached its fundraising goal during its annual St. Jude Promesa y Esperanza® (Promise and Hope) event on December 3-4. The live broadcast on Univision's Uforia, the largest Hispanic audio network in the United States, raised over $4.1 million for St. Jude.
To raise awareness and support in the form of monthly pledges for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the fundraiser promoted the new "We Won't Stop" t-shirt worn by Hispanic celebrities and artists and shared on their social media platforms. Special thanks to Univision's on-air personalities who volunteered their time, including Omar Velasco and Argelia Atilano of El Show de Omar y Argelia, Sylvia del Valle "La Bronca" of El Free-Guey, Raúl Molinar, Carla Medrano and Andrés Maldonado of El Bueno, La Mala y El Feo, Javier Romero, Danny Cruz and Vela of "El Desayuno," Alberto Sardiñas of "El Show de Alberto Sardiñas," Raúl Brindis of "El Show de Raúl Brindis," Maria Esther Mendez and Pancho Mercado of "La Chula y La Bestia," Santi y Laurita of "El Flow," Jose Antonio and Roxana of "Tardes Calientes," Brea Frank and Shino Aguakate from LaGozadera 96.3 NY, Moreso from KQ580 and Dr. Cesar Lozano.
Participating celebrities, television personalities, and artists included Ana Brenda Contreras and Melina Leon of "Tu Cara Me Suena," Calibre 50, Carlos "Cookie" Carrasco, Celines Toribio, Chef Yisus of "Despierta America," Cynthia Olavarria, Dayana Garroz, Diana Reyes, Ednita Nazario, Fanny Lu, Greidys Gil, Los Huracanes del Norte, Ingrid Contreras, James Tallahan, Johnny Lozada, Karla Monroig, Kike Barrios, La Energía Norteña, La Séptima Banda, Las Fénix, Luis Fonsi, Marger, Mau y Ricky, Pamela Silva of "Primer Impacto," Quique Usales, Rafael Araneda, Raquel Sofía, and Roberto Hernandez, among others.
"The unwavering commitment of our St. Jude Promesa y Esperanza partners resonates in Hispanic communities nationwide and speaks to the deep impact shown when everyone unites around a common purpose to save children here and around the world," said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "This year has been unique in so many ways, but we are thankful for the steadfast support from generous Univision listeners and viewers from across the country who help make the lifesaving treatment and research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital possible."
The event aired live across many of Univision's popular Uforia radio stations in top markets including Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Puerto Rico and more.
Entercom raised over $360,000 for pediatric medical attention for local Texas Children’s Hospital patients during KMVK 107.9 FM’s inaugural “La Grande Radiothon” in Dallas-Fort Worth.
“The results of this first annual event are a nod to the strength of our brand in the Hispanic community, reaffirming that our La Grande talent are relied upon as a trusted voice and a familiar friend in the market,” said Brian Purdy, Regional President and Market Manager, Entercom Dallas. “I’m proud of our station’s efforts and the support from our listeners to ensure our inaugural radiothon was a success.”
The “La Grande Radiothon” was broadcast live from the La Grande 107.9 studios from 6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, December 3 and Friday, December 4. Programming featured interviews and stories from families who have benefitted from Texas Children’s Hospitals.
Texas Children's Hospital is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to create a healthier future for children and women by leading in patient care, education and research.
Entercom is committed to supporting the health and success of the communities that are the heart of its business. “La Grande Radiothon” is a part of Entercom Serves, the Company’s social impact platform that raises awareness of social issues and brings communities together for good. Entercom unites with its listeners and brands to support sound communities through several pillars of impact: children’s health, mental health and anti-bullying, veterans and service members, the environment, civic education, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
KFGO personality Bob Harris is in battle with Covid-19.
Harris, host of the podcast “Harris Happening” and on-air “Nighttime Live,” has been in a Fargo hospital since Thanksgiving Day when he experienced shortness of breath, according to a station website posting.
His sister, Jeanie Smith, who has been in frequent contact with the medical staff, says Harris is in a coma. He went into cardiac arrest twice.
“He did say (doctor) that his lungs have improved, he was very, very sick with the covid pneumonia, his lungs were very full with the pneumonia, but he said that that has improved, a lot, so if he were awake, he would probably be able to go off the ventilator,” Smith reported.
Smith says if her brother does not regain consciousness soon, he will undergo an MRI. She says at this point, there are no signs that he has suffered a stroke or has brain damage.
KFGO Operations Manager Joel Heitkamp said Harris “is struggling for his life.”
Harris, who is 65, has been with KFGO for nearly 30 years and has worked in radio for more than 40 years.
Jack Ellery, whose 63-year career in radio included a long run at WCTC 1450 AM in Central Jersey, died Tuesday at age 86, reports nj.com.
Ellery was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Nov. 30 and also had Alzheimer’s Disease, according to family friend Bruce Johnson.
Ellery retired from WCTC in 2013 after three stints at the radio station totaling 44 years. He is perhaps best remembered for hosting a talk show that offered a contrast to the many conservative voices in the industry by spotlighting his liberal perspective.
“He was acerbic. He was witty. He was humorous,” said Johnson, who worked at WCTC for 34 years and was the news and sports director until departing in 2014.
A native of New Bedford, Mass., Ellery got his start in radio while attending college in Maine, working part-time on weekends.
The first of his two stints at WCTC began in 1963, and he was on the air when the news broke that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated.
He was inducted in 2012 into the New Jersey Broadcasters Association’s Hall of Fame.
WCTC posted a statement from Dan Finn, senior vice president and regional market manager for Beasley Media, in which he recounted Ellery returning to the station not long after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“Jack was a real pro. His reputation preceded him ... I’m proud to have had the opportunity to work with him,” Finn said.
➦In 1889...actor Ray Collins was born in Sacramento. Although best remembered as Lt. Tragg in 86 episodes of TV’s Perry Mason, he was a prominent member of Orson Welles Mercury Players beginning in radio. He played 3 roles in CBS Radio’s legendary 1938 War of the Worlds. For several seasons he played Commissioner Weston on Mutual Radio’s The Shadow. He died of emphysema July 11 1965 at age 75.
David Brinkley, Chet Huntley
➦In 1911...Newscaster Chester Robert "Chet" Huntley born (Died at age 63 from lung cancer – March 20, 1974). He is best known for co-anchoring NBC's evening news program, The Huntley-Brinkley Report, for 14 years beginning in 1956.
Huntley began his radio newscast career in 1934 at Seattle's KIRO AM, later working on radio stations in Spokane (KHQ) and Portland. His time (1936–37) in Portland was with KGW-AM, owned by The Oregonian, a Portland daily newspaper. At KGW he was writer, newscaster and announcer. In 1937 he went to work for KFI in Los Angeles, moving to CBS Radio from 1939 to 1951, then ABC Radio from 1951 to 1955.[5] In 1955, he joined the NBC Radio network, viewed by network executives as "another Ed Murrow".
In 1956, coverage of the national political party conventions was a major point of pride for the fledgling broadcast news organizations. NBC News executives were seeking to counter the growing popularity of CBS' Walter Cronkite, who had been a ratings success at the 1952 conventions. They decided to replace their current news anchor, John Cameron Swayze, but there was a disagreement on who the new anchorman should be. The two leading contenders were Huntley and David Brinkley. The eventual decision was to have both men share the assignment. Their on-air chemistry was apparent from the start, with Huntley's straightforward presentation countered by Brinkley's acerbic wit.
This success soon led to the team replacing Swayze on the network's nightly news program. It was decided to have the two men co-anchor the show; Huntley from New York City, Brinkley from Washington, D.C. The Huntley-Brinkley Report began in October 1956 and was soon a ratings success. Huntley and Brinkley's catchphrase closing of "Good night, David"—"Good night, Chet... and good night for NBC News" was developed by the show's producer, Reuven Frank. Although both anchors initially disliked it, the sign-off became famous. Huntley and Brinkley gained great celebrity themselves, with surveys showing them better known than John Wayne, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart or the Beatles. The gregarious Huntley remained the same, a friend commenting in 1968 that "Chet is warm, he's friendly, he's unaffected, he's—well, he's just so damned nice."
Huntley's last NBC News broadcast was aired on July 31, 1970. He returned to Montana, where he conceived and built Big Sky, a ski resort south of Bozeman, which opened in December 1973.
➦In 1913...pianist, composer, conductor, and arranger Morton Gould was born at Richmond Hill NY. In the 1930’s & 40’s he was musical director for national programs originating at WOR Mutual, and CBS Radio. He moved on to composing Broadway & Hollywood film scores, winning a Grammy & Pulitzer Award along the way. Gould died Feb 21, 1996 at age 82.
➦In 1914...actress/singer Dorothy Lamour was born in New Orleans. In the early 30’s she had her own quarter-hour NBC radio show out of Chicago, and in the late 40’s she was singing hostess of NBC’s weekly Sealtest Variety Theatre from Hollywood. Besides her movie career, which included the “Road” series with Bob Hope & Bing Crosby, she made guest appearances on numerous TV series, including Damon Runyon Theatre, the Steve Allen Show, Burke’s Law, I Spy, Name of the Game, Marcus Welby MD, Hart to Hart, & Murder She Wrote. She died of a heart attack Sep 22, 1996 at age 81.
➦In 1961...John, Paul George and Pete Best met for the third time with their new manager Brian Epstein. They eventually signed a five-year contract with Epstein on 24 January 1962 giving Epstein 10 to 15 per cent of their income. They signed a new contract in October 1962 which gave Epstein 15, 20, or 25 per cent of revenues, depending on how much he helped the band earn. The Beatles would then share any income after various expenses had been deducted. Epstein then formed a management company, NEMS Enterprises.
On October 1, 1962, four days before the release of "Love Me Do", Epstein signed Lennon and McCartney to a three-year NEMS publishing contract.
In 1963, Epstein advised the creation of Northern Songs, a publishing company that would control the copyrights of all Lennon–McCartney compositions recorded between 1963 and 1973. Music publisher Dick James and his partner Charles Silver owned 51 per cent of the company, Lennon and McCartney 20 per cent each, and Epstein 9 per cent.
Epstein's death in 1967 marked the beginning of the group's dissolution and had a profound effect on each Beatle. In 1997, McCartney said, "If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian
Beatles' Manager Brian Epstein was interviewed in New York City by Murray the K for WOR-FM Radio in March 1967.
➦In 1963..."The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" featured a story about the new British pop music sensations, the Beatles. The report originally had been scheduled to air November 22 but was delayed because of extended news coverage of the presidential assassination.
➦In 1963... One day after his 6th birthday Donny Osmond made his debut, singing with his brothers “The Osmonds” on NBC-TV’s “Andy Williams Show.”
➦In 1967...Otis Redding and four members of the Bar-Kays (Otis’ backup group) were killed in the crash of a private plane near Madison, Wisconsin. Redding was just 26 years old. He came along at a time when black rhythm-and-blues artists were making inroads into the Top-40. But it was not until after his death that one of his records made the top of the charts. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was a number-one hit in early 1968, selling four-million copies in five months.
➦In 1980... Two days after his assassination...the body of John Lennon was cremated at the Fercliff Mortuary in Hartsdale, New York. The ashes were handed to Yoko Ono who took them back to their apartment in The Dakota.
Gosden and Charles Correll
➦In 1982...Freeman Gosden, the white radio actor (and situation comedy pioneer) who portrayed the black characters “Amos” & the “Kingfish” during the 30-year radio run of “Amos ‘n’ Andy”, died of congestive heart failure at age 83.
Gosden was born in Richmond, Virginia. During World War I he served in the United States Navy as a wireless operator, which prompted his great interest in the young medium of radio.
In 1921, Gosden first teamed up with Charles Correll to do radio work, presenting comedy acts, sketches, and hosting variety shows. They met in Durham, North Carolina, both working for the Joe Bren Producing Company. Their first regular show came in 1925 with their WEBH Chicago show Correll and Gosden, the Life of the Party. On this show the two told jokes, sang, and played music.
In 1926, Gosden and Correll had a hit with their radio show Sam & Henry on Chicago radio station WGN. Sam & Henry is considered by some historians to have been the first situation comedy.
From 1928 to 1960, Gosden and Correll broadcast their Amos 'n' Andy show, which was one of the most famous and popular shows on radio in the 1930s.
In 1969, Gosden was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in radio.
➦In 2004... an RCA microphone used by radio station KWKH, Shreveport for the historic Elvis Presley appearances at the Louisiana Hayride was sold for $37,500. The microphone was one of three used during 50 performances by Elvis for the Shreveport radio show from 1954 to ’56.
➦In 2016...Longtime Winnipeg morning man Bob Washington (CKRC), the voice of the K-Tel TV commercials, who also worked in radio in Moose Jaw, Saskatoon and Montreal before retiring to Vancouver, died of cancer at age 82.
➦In 2016...Allan Prell, the popular, folksy WBAL Baltimore liberal morning talk-show host recalled for his vivid imagination and gentle way of making fools of certain listeners, died Saturday at his Oakton, Va., home. He was 79.
Prell hosted a talk show from 1982 to 1999 at WBAL Radio.
Born in Shelby, Neb., Mr. Prell was the son of Philo Prell, a carpenter, and Ruth Ransom. He spent time during World War II in Middle River while his parents were defense workers. He spent a year at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Neb., and he got a job at radio station KFTG. In a 1989 Baltimore Sun article, he said he worked at 27 radio stations — and was fired from most of them — before joining WBAL.
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
Actor Fionnula Flanagan (“Waking Ned Devine”) is 79.
Actor Tommy Kirk is 79.
Singer Chad Stuart of Chad and Jeremy is 79.
Singer Ralph Tavares of Tavares is 79.
Actor-singer Gloria Loring is 74.
Drummer Walter “Clyde” Orange of The Commodores is 74.
Meghan Linsey is 35
Country singer Johnny Rodriguez is 69.
Actor Susan Dey is 68.
Musician Paul Hardcastle is 63.
Actor John York (“General Hospital”) is 62.
Actor-director Kenneth Branagh is 60.
Actor Nia Peeples is 59.
TV chef Bobby Flay is 56.
Singer-guitarist J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. is 55.
Bassist Scot Alexander of Dishwalla is 49.
Drummer Meg White of The White Stripes is 46.
Actor Emmanuelle Chriqui (“Entourage”) is 45.
Rapper Kuniva of D12 is 45.
Actor Gavin Houston (“The Haves and the Have Nots,” “Guiding Light”) is 43.
Actor Alano Miller (“Underground,” ″Jane the Virgin”) is 41.
Bassist Noah Harmon of Airborne Toxic Event is 39.
Actor Patrick John Flueger (“Chicago P.D.”) is 37.
Country singer Meghan Linsey is 35.
Actor Raven-Symone (“That’s So Raven,” ″The Cosby Show”) is 35.
Actor-singer Teyana Taylor is 30.
Actor Kiki Layne (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) is 29.
Transmitter sites that for decades housed AM radio towers are now commanding top dollar as e-commerce fuels rising demand for new warehouses and logistics centers, reports ttnews.com.
Look no further than the recent $51 million sale of a five-acre parcel in Queens, N.Y., where an AM radio station will eventually abandon its existing tower and transmitter site, and move it.
New York radio station WFME’s owner, Nashville, Tenn.-based Family Radio, sold its AM transmitter site to Prologis, a San Francisco developer that specializes in building warehouses for companies looking to expand final-mile capability.
This property is situated near the Long Island Expressway, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, and La Guardia and JFK airports. The spot’s current value as a logistics hub far outstrips its importance to a broadcast outlet that didn’t register in New York’s most recent radio ratings book.
The rising value of these locations is being driven by changing consumer habits and rapid technological evolution. Sites on the edge of town that in radio’s heyday were cheap and plentiful can now house vital links in a supply chain propelled by technology that was hard to imagine back in AM’s early days.
Elon University journalism professor Richard Landesberg told Transport Topics most AM station owners know their transmitter sites are worth more than the licenses for their stations — licenses that, as a practical matter, are issued by the FCC and are not technically owned by licensees.
FCC data shows that since 2000 nearly 400 AM stations have ceased operations. The trend has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic — nearly 80 stations have gone silent this year.
Arizona State University logistics professor Dale Rogers told TT he expects the demand for warehouse space to accelerate as e-commerce becomes more critical to consumers.
Broadcast groups such as iHeartMedia have sold or leased hundreds of transmitter and tower sites to privately owned tower management companies, including Boca Raton, Fla.-based Vertical Bridge. These companies are either developing the real estate or, in some cases, building lucrative cellular antennas.
Vertical Bridge owns or manages 288,000 antenna sites nationwide, including wireless and broadcast towers, rooftops, land parcels and billboards. Other tower companies including American Tower have substantial real estate portfolios.
Another broadcast group, Cumulus Media, which emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2018, has been looking to sell its transmitter sites to capitalize on the high real estate prices.
The owners of WBBM 780 AM/105.9 FM — the top-rated station in Chicago — in 2018 sold the station’s 42-acre transmitter site near O’Hare International Airport to Bridge Development Partners for $46 million. The 695-foot antenna and a smaller backup unit had been in use since 1942, but now a 750,000-square-foot logistics and warehouse complex is being developed on the site.
Technology also is making it easier to relocate AM transmitters. While stations previously needed their own transmitter sites, engineering improvements now permit more than one station on a single antenna. WBBM now shares an antenna with another station in its ownership group, and WFME likely will do the same thing.
iHeartMedia today announced the return of the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 9 p.m. local time.
Since nominees will be unable to attend the third annual iHeartRadio Podcast Awards in person given the limitations on live events during the pandemic, this year’s virtual event will be recorded from multiple locations, span 30 categories and honor the most entertaining and innovative podcasts of 2020, celebrating the incredible talent and wide variety of leaders across the booming podcasting industry. The virtual awards event will exclusively video stream on iHeartRadio’s YouTube and Facebook pages and broadcast across iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio App.
Podcast fans themselves will once again decide the winner of the Podcast of the Year award by voting on Twitter through December 31, 2020. This year’s Podcast of the Year nominees include “Bunga Bunga,” “Dolly Parton’s America,” “Nice White Parents,” “Office Ladies,” “Reply All,” “Stuff You Should Know,” “The Breakfast Club,” “The Daily,” “The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos” and “Wind of Change.” Nominees in other categories include podcasts from all creators, distributors and platforms with a judging panel composed of blue-ribbon podcast industry leaders, creatives and visionaries who will determine the winners across categories including entertainment, comedy, crime, news, sports, food, business and more. More information can be found at iHeartPodcastAwards.com.
In addition, the 2021 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards will present three Icon Awards to pay tribute to the creators, organizations and podcasts that have made groundbreaking contributions to podcasting’s expanding role in today’s popular culture. Baratunde Thurston will be honored with the 2021 Social Impact Award, Serial Productions’ Sarah Koenig and Julie Synder will receive the 2021 Audible Audio Pioneer Award and QCODE will be honored with the 2021 Innovator Award.
“We’re thrilled by the opportunity to recognize today’s most talented podcast creators for the third straight year at the 2021 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “Today, Americans are consuming more podcasts than ever before, across an increasingly broad array of subjects including business, entertainment, education, news and more as a result of how COVID-19 has affected our daily lives. And although we all won’t be in the same room this year, we’ll still be able to celebrate the best of the best in the podcast medium.”
Last year’s winners at the second annual iHeartRadio Podcast Awards included “The Dropout” (ABC News) for Podcast of the Year; “Man in the Window” (L.A. Times/Wondery) for Best Crime Podcast; “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” (Team Coco/Earwolf)) for Best Comedy Podcast; “30 For 30” (ESPN) for Best Sports and Recreation Podcast; Nora McInerny (American Public Media) for Best Overall Host – Female and Aaron Mahnke (Lore) for Best Overall Host – Male, among many other categories and winners. In addition, the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards honored the New York Times' “1619” podcast with the Icon Social Impact Award, NPR's “Life Kit” with the Icon Innovator Award and Tenderfoot TV's Payne Lindsey and Donald Albright with the Icon Audible Audio Pioneer Award.
The event also featured appearances by award nominees, an array of celebrity presenters and other special guests including Will Ferrell, Conan O’Brien, Sebastian Maniscalco, Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon, Becca Tilley, Brooke Burke, Brooks Laich, Dean Unglert, Eric Winter and Roselyn Sanchez, Gavin DeGraw, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Meghan King Edmonds, Nick Viall, Stassi Schroeder, Teddi Mellencamp and Yeardley Smith as well as podcast nominees Aaron Mahnke, Holly Frey, Jake Brennan, Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, plus many more. In addition, the event also featured iHeartRadio top on-air personalities Tanya Rad, Ellen K, The Breakfast Club’s Charlamagne Tha God, Angela Yee and DJ Envy as well as Enrique Santos.
Podcast listenership in the United States alone has grown exponentially with listening now exceeding 50 percent of the population. iHeartMedia, which reaches a quarter of a billion monthly listeners in the U.S. with just its broadcast radio stations and on-air personalities alone, will celebrate the best in podcasts with existing fans, while also continuing to introduce millions of new listeners to this incredible medium every single day.
CLEARING WAY FOR LIKELY EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION: The Food and Drug Administration yesterday released its first scientific evaluation of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine and confirmed that it offers strong protection, including in older people, and appears to be safe with no serious side effects. That clears the way for an FDA advisory committee to likely approve emergency use of the vaccine at a meeting Thursday, with a final FDA decision and the first vaccinations possibly following within days.
But the continuing positive news about the Pfizer vaccine, as well as the Moderna vaccine which is likely to be approved not long after, and with other vaccines in the pipeline as well, come as the fall and winter surge of the virus is continuing to rage. Deaths in the U.S. are now averaging more than 2,200 a day, numbers we last had in the early dark days of April, and confirmed cases are passing 200,000 a day for the first time. Further, experts are warning it's going to get worse, as cases from over Thanksgiving arrive at stressed hospitals, and with the Christmas and New Year's holidays ahead. There have been more than 286,300 deaths in the U.S. as of this morning, according to Johns Hopkins University's count, and more than 15 million confirmed cases. The Covid Tracking Project said there were 213,000 new cases yesterday, 2,622 deaths, and more than 104,000 hospitalized Covid-19 patients.
Trump Holds White House Event: President Trump held a White House event yesterday celebrating the expected approval of the first vaccine in the U.S., the Pfizer vaccine. The administration is seeking to assure that the vaccine is safe and lay out its plans to get it to the American people. However, officials from the transition team for President-elect Joe Biden, who will oversee most of the vaccination program, weren't invited. Trump also signed an executive order restricting the federal government from delivering any of its own vaccine doses to other nations until there is excess supply, but it wasn't clear what the practical impact of the order would be.
Fox’s @greggutfeld calls out liberal media’s biased coverage of Joe Biden: “The hyperbole suddenly disappears.. news coverage becomes actual news coverage because it’s a Democrat.” pic.twitter.com/EgtNF6wQg2
Biden Lays Out Coronavirus Priorities for First 100 Days: President-elect Joe Biden yesterday laid out three priorities related to the pandemic for his first 100 days in office as he introduced his health care team. They are: a call for all Americans to voluntarily wear masks during those 100 days; a commitment to administer 100 million vaccines; and a pledge to try to reopen a majority of the nation’s schools. Biden also said he'd require masks in federal buildings and on interstate travel on planes, trains and buses, however that would just mandate policies that are already largely being carried out. He further said he'd urge governors and mayors to impose similar requirements in their jurisdictions.
➤ADMIN.'S COVID AID PROPOSAL WOULD GIVE AMERICANS $600, BUT ELIMINATE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT IN COMPROMISE PLAN: While a bipartisan group of lawmakers is continuing to work on a $908 billion compromise package to offer more coronavirus relief to Americans, the Trump administration yesterday offered a $916 billion package that would send a $600 payment to most Americans, but eliminate a $300 per week unemployment benefit in the compromise bill. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin presented the offer to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but she and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said they'd rather let the bipartisan group take the lead. The sticking points in the bipartisan bill have been liability protection for businesses and schools from lawsuits related to the coronavirus that Republicans wants, and financial assistance for state and local governments that are struggling economically because of the pandemic that Democrats want.
➤SUPREME COURT REJECTS GOP EFFORT TO REVERSE CERTIFICATION OF BIDEN'S PENNSYLVANIA ELECTION WIN: The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday rejected a bid by Republicans to reverse Pennsylvania's certification of President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the state and its 20 electoral votes. The court refused without comment to intervene in a lawsuit led by Republican Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and a GOP congressional candidate in the state, Sean Parnell, who lost to Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb. Attorneys for the state of Pennsylvania and former Governor Tom Wolf had called the lawsuit's claims "fundamentally frivolous," and its request, quote, "one of the most dramatic, disruptive invocations of judicial power in the history of the Republic." The Republicans had argued Pennsylvania’s vote-by-mail law is unconstitutional, but just one Republican state lawmaker voted against its passage last year.
➤ARMY FIRES, SUSPENDS 14 OFFICERS, ENLISTED OVER VIOLENCE AT FORT HOOD: The Army said yesterday that it had fired or suspended 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at Fort Hood over a pattern of violence at the Texas base, including murder, sexual assault and harassment. Also ordered were policy changes to deal with what the Army said were chronic failures of leadership at the base that allowed to situation to exist. The Army's actions came after a year in which at least 25 soldiers at Fort Hood died as a result of suicide, homicide or accidents. Among them was 20-year-old Specialist Vanessa Guillen, who was bludgeoned to death by a fellow soldier, and who was missing for two months before her remains were found.
📖REPORT: KELLYANNE CONWAYS GETS MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BOOK DEAL: Kellyanne Conway, a former Senior Counselor to President Trump who unexpectedly left the White House at the end of August after having been with Trump since the 2016 presidential campaign, during which she was his campaign manager for the final three months, has landed a multi-million dollar book deal, according to the Daily Mail. Conway's memoir will give the most, quote, "unvarnished, eye-popping" account of Trump's presidency, the Mail cited an insider as saying. Exactly what Conway is being paid for the book isn't clear, but the Mail said she's expected to get the biggest advance ever for a Trump tell-all book, and cited the insider as saying she could potentially make tens of millions of dollars more for the rights. The Mail said there was a "bidding war" in the publishing world for Conway's story after she stepped down.
💰POLL: MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS HAD FINANCIAL SETBACKS AMID PANDEMIC: More than two-thirds of Americans, 68 percent, said they'd had financial setbacks amid the pandemic this year due to job loss, falling household income, or pulling money out of savings, according to a new survey from Fidelity. To deal with their financial setbacks, Americans plan to do things including cutting expenses, relying on credit cards or personal loans, and dipping into emergency savings. Looking ahead to their finances in the upcoming year, over 38 percent said they'll spend 2021 in "survival mode," meaning they'll focus on their current situation instead of long-term goals to try to get through the year. Considering what they're worried about financially, 46 percent are concerned about the pandemic's impact on the economy, 35 percent on unexpected expenses, and 34 percent of the rising cost of food and other daily essentials.
🎧APPLE INTRODUCES $549 HEADPHONES THAT COSTS TWICE AS MUCH AS AIRPODS: Apple is testing just how generous you want to be this holiday season, whether for yourself or for a gift recipient, introducing headphones that cost $549, twice as much as AirPods and much more than similar headphones from Bose and Sony that offer many of the same features. The over-the-ear headphones, called AirPods Max, are wireless and have noise cancellation. Apple began accepting orders for them yesterday, but they won’t be in stores until December 15th. It remains to be seen if Apple fans will be willing to pony up that much money for headphones. AP notes that when Apple introduced its internet-connected speaker, the HomePod, in 2018 it cost $349, also much more than similar internet-connected speakers from Amazon and Google. But the sales may not have been as high as expected, with Apple eventually reducing the HomePod price to $299, and releasing a small version last month for $99.
🍕GRUBHUB’S ‘YEAR IN FOOD’ DATA SHOWS AMERICANS HAD UNEXPECTED PIZZA CRAVINGS IN 2020: Grubhub’s “Taste of 2020” report shows that pizza is still one of America’s favorite foods. The company says people ordering food late at night most-often ordered pizza, but that pizza puffs became “232% more popular” this year compared to 2019, and buffalo chicken pizza orders also jumped up 226 percent in 2020. A pizza puff is similar to a calzone, but instead of being baked, a piece of dough is molded into a pocket and gets deep-fried—it’s filled with cheese- and tomato-based fillings. Also, Grubhub says Hawaiian pizza is “America’s favorite pizza,” as the flavor was ordered 689 percent more in 2020 than it was in 2019.
A disturbing video shows a customer with a knife arguing w/ a 17-year-old Dunkin' Donuts employee. She was stabbed in the upper arm but will be ok. Union City Police are trying to use this video and surveillance video to identify the man. Details at 10 and 11 on @FOX5Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/g8rH189HRx
🍩GEORGIA DUNKIN’ EMPLOYEE STABBED BY CUSTOMER UPSET THAT THE CHAIN RAN OUT OF DOUGHNUT FLAVOR: Violence is never the answer. A 17-year-old Dunkin’ employee working in Georgia is recovering after being stabbed in the arm by an angry customer on Saturday night at a Union City location of the chain. Reports say a man and woman initially went through the drive-thru, and police say the man was upset that Dunkin’ ran out of a certain doughnut flavor. A video clip on Twitter shows fists flying between the man and the store employee before the man pulls out a knife. The woman appears to try and intervene before backing away. Police say the victim was stabbed in the upper arm during the brawl, and are asking anyone with information on the attack to contact them at 770-964-1333. Currently the attacker is unidentified.
🎄WHAT’S ACTUALLY SAFE TO DO FOR THE HOLIDAYS DURING THE PANDEMIC? -The pandemic has pretty much ruined everything this year, and we must tread carefully into the holiday season as it continues. In fact, we should be celebrating differently this year. You really shouldn’t be traveling to visit people outside of your own household, but if you do so anyway you should travel by car, and you should arrive early so you can isolate for a while before seeing your loved ones. If you’re heading to a different state you should also check that state’s guidelines for any travel restrictions. Also, infectious disease expert Scott Weisenberg says you should avoid prolonged close contact with people, particularly indoors. You’ll be safest celebrating outdoors while maintaining physical distance, and should limit any gathering to a very small group. If you’re insisting on meeting indoors keep the gathering small and be sure to open the windows and wear masks, and also stick to hanging out with people who have a similar risk-tolerance to you, especially if you’re planning to eat dinner in their presence. Also, experts say your safest bet is to postpone any gatherings until it’s much, much safer to do so—and that might not be until after spring 2021 as vaccines are on the horizon. Ultimately staying safe and healthy is more important than putting yourself and loved ones at risk for the sake of season traditions.
🏈RAVENS DOWN COWBOYS 34-17: The Baltimore Ravens downed the Dallas Cowboys 34-17 last night at home, led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was playing for the first time since November 22nd after he tested positive for the coronavirus. Jackson threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third, carrying 13 times and running for 94 yards. Jackson was one of 23 Ravens who spent time on the Covid-19 list because they had the virus, and about a half-dozen are still on it. The game was played on Tuesday because Baltimore’s previous game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week had been pushed back three times due to the Ravens' Covid cases.
🏈BRYANT PULLED BEFORE RAVENS-COWBOYS AFTER TESTING POSITIVE: Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant left during warmups before last night's (December 8th) game against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, with what Baltimore said was an "illness." Bryant tweeted that he'd tested positive for the coronavirus, and, frustrated, tweeted later, "I’m going to go ahead and call it a quit for the rest of the season... I can’t deal with this." But he later posted more tweets, including saying, "Yea I’m coming back... I’m being smart." Bryant, who signed with the Ravens in October, was with the Cowboys from 2010 to 2017.
🏈HURTS TO START FOR EAGLES INSTEAD OF WENTZ: Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson announced Tuesday (December 8th) that Jalen Hurts will start for the team at quarterback on Sunday instead of Carson Wentz. Hurts had replaced Wentz in the third quarter of Philly's 30-16 loss to the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday. Pederson said, "We’re not where we want to be as an offense. I looked at the whole thing and decided that for this week to look for that spark again to try to get the team over the hump, to try to get everybody playing better." The Eagles are 3-8-1 on the season.
🏈MICHIGAN VS. OHIO STATE CANCELED DUE TO COVID-19 CASES: Michigan on Tuesday (December 8th) canceled its annual college football game against Ohio State because of a rising number of Covid-19 cases in Michigan's program. This will be the first time in 102 years that the season-ending match, known simply as "The Game," won't be played. Covid-19 outbreaks have disrupted more than 110 games across major college football since August.
According to the latest Super Listeners Study, podcast “Super Listeners,” Americans 18+ who listen to five or more hours of podcasts weekly, see podcasts as the best way to reach them despite a perceived increase in ads.
Edison Research, the global authority in audio research, along with Ad Results Media, an audio industry leader in branded personality-driven advertising, and PodcastOne, a subsidiary of LiveXLive, the leading podcast network, have announced the results of the second-annual study on podcasting’s “Super Listeners.”
Advertising on a podcast is the best way for a brand to reach Super Listeners. Almost half, 49 percent, of podcast Super Listeners agree that “Advertising on a podcast is the best way for a brand to reach you.” This finding was up from 37 percent in 2019 – the biggest mover in the survey. Podcast Super Listeners are exposed to the most amount of podcast advertising and provide invaluable insight as to how ads are perceived in podcasts.
Over half, 54 percent, of Super Listeners, said that hearing an ad on a podcast (compared to other places) makes them more likely to purchase a product, up from 46 percent from last year.
Super Listeners are noticing an increase in the number of commercials and ad breaks. Fifty-six percent of podcast Super Listeners believe that the number of ads in podcasts are going up, compared with 49 percent who said the same thing last year. The study also found an increase in those who believe there are “too many” ads in podcasts, 38 percent of respondents felt this way, compared with 24 percent last year. In addition, 41 percent of podcast Super Listeners believe that ad breaks are getting longer, compared to 35 percent last year. Self-reported ad-skipping behavior, however, did not increase substantially.
While quantity and length of ad breaks increase, the positive impact of podcast advertising continues to rise year-over-year. Testament to the positive impact of podcast advertising is seen in the percentage increase of Super Listeners that agree with the following statements:
“Your opinion of a company is more positive when you hear it mentioned on one of the podcasts you regularly listen to” increased from 44 percent in 2019 to 49 percent in 2020.
“When price and quality are equal, you prefer to buy products from companies that advertise on or sponsor the podcasts you regularly listen to” increased from 43 percent in 2019 to 46 percent in 2020.
“You pay more attention to advertising on podcasts than on other forms of media” increased to from 44 percent in 2019 to 48 percent in 2020.
Host-read ads provide tremendous value. Thirty-three percent of Super Listeners say they pay more attention to host-read ads than other types of ads in podcasts.
Super Listeners are consuming more podcast content than ever before. In last year’s survey, Super Listeners reported consuming an average of 9.8 hours of podcasts per week, this year the average increased to 10.5 hours per week.
“We are so pleased that Ad Results Media and PodcastOne have partnered with Edison Research to continue our Super Listeners Research Series,” said Tom Webster, Senior Vice President at Edison Research. “With the quantity of podcast advertising increasing, and the character of those ads changing, it is imperative to take the temperature of podcasting’s best customers regularly. Super Listeners 2020 very clearly shows that while podcasting continues to enjoy advantages as an advertising platform, listeners are noticing more ads and longer ad breaks.”
Since the presidential election, CNN has been on one of its best competitive rolls in almost two decades, enough that it is taking out newspaper ads touting its success, reports The Associated Press.
Between Nov. 4 and Sunday, CNN has averaged 1.73 million viewers, more than double a year ago, the Nielsen company said. Fox News Channel had 1.56 million and MSNBC had 1.53 million.
It’s the first time since December 2001, the newsy period after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, that CNN has beaten Fox News in this measurement for as long as a month, Nielsen said.
CNN has shown improvement across different parts of the day, although Fox News’ powerful prime-time lineup has continued on top.
Fox News seems hurt by a common phenomenon in election years: networks whose audience is dominated by fans of one particular candidate — Trump in this case — see some depressed viewers slip away when that candidate loses.
In prime time last week, Fox News led all cable networks with an average of 2.65 million viewers. ESPN had 2.45 million, MSNBC had 2.18 million, CNN had 1.92 million and Hallmark had 1.67 million.
Among the broadcast networks, NBC led last with a prime time average of 6 million viewers. CBS had 5.2 million, ABC had 3.8 million, Fox had 2.1 million, Univision had 1.4 million, Telemundo had 990,000 and Ion TV had 950,000.
➤Top 20 Prime-Times shows (Total Viewers):
1. NFL Football: Denver at Kansas City, NBC, 17.07 million.
2. “NFL Postgame,” Fox, 12.31 million.
3. NFL Football: Seattle at Philadelphia, ESPN, 11.88 million.
4. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 11.47 million.
5. “NFL Pregame,” NBC, 11.14 million.
6. “Football Night in America” (Sunday, 7:56 p.m.), NBC, 9.09 million.
7. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 7.58 million.
8. “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” NBC, 7.41 million.
9. “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 7.18 million.
10. “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 7.13 million.
11. “Football Night in America” (Sunday, 7:30 p.m.), NBC, 7.05 million.
12. “The Masked Singer,” Fox, 6.57 million.
13. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 6.44 million.
14. “A Holly Dolly Christmas,” CBS, 6.42 million.
15. “Monday Night Kickoff,” ESPN, 6.04 million.
16. “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC, 5.873 million.
17. “Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer,” CBS, 5.866 million.
ABC’s “World News Tonight” led the evening news ratings race with an average of 9.9 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 8.3 million viewers and the “CBS Evening News” had 6.4 million.
More than 26 million people have signed up for NBCUniversal’s ad-supported streaming service, Peacock, NBCU CEO Jeff Shell said during the UBS Global TMT Virtual Investor Conference Tuesday, reports The Wrap.
That’s up 4 million sign-ups from the 22 million that Brian L. Roberts, CEO of NBCUniversal parent company Comcast, said the the new streaming service was nearing on Oct. 29. Comcast has projected Peacock will have up to 35 million subscribers by the end of 2024.
“The momentum just continues in a very strong linear way,” Shell said Tuesday. “And we don’t have any of our strong programming yet. So we get ‘The Office’ exclusively on January 1, which is one of Netflix’s top shows. If you try to watch ‘The Office’ on Netflix right now, pretty hard to find it. But despite the fact that they’re making it harder to find, it’s still, particularly amongst people under the age of 34, is a top show.”
The Peacock ad-supported service first became available to Comcast and Cox customers on April 15, three before its full launch on July 15. Like HBO Max, Peacock is still not available on Amazon Fire TV devices, a huge player in the streaming world.
Peacock, which offers originals like the “Saved by the Bell” reboot and library content like “30 Rock,” is available in two tiers, one for free and one with two different levels of fees.
The free option, called Peacock Free, includes next-day access to current seasons of freshman broadcast series on NBC, as well as library content like “Parks & Recreation” and curated daily news and sports programming. As for Peacock originals, this option only includes “select” episodes as well as access to what Peacock is calling “streaming genre channels” like “SNL Vault,” “Family Movie Night” and “Olympic Profiles.”
The second tier, called Peacock Premium, is available for no extra charge to Comcast and Cox subscribers. For everyone else, it cost $4.99 a month for an ad-supported option, or $9.99 a month to have no ads. The Premium tier features everything on the Free option but includes all Peacock Originals, early access to late-night series like “Tonight Show” and “Late Night” and more sports including Premier League soccer.
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Nathan Simington as a new Republican member of the FCC, a move that threatens to saddle the nation’s foremost telecom regulator with political deadlock at the start of the Biden administration, according to The Washington Post.
The chamber backed Simington on a 49-to-46 vote, installing a new commissioner at the FCC who has pledged “regulatory stability” and expressed an openness to using the agency’s rulemaking powers to explore the way social media sites handle political speech.
Simington’s confirmation comes as the FCC’s GOP chairman, Ajit Pai, is preparing to leave in January. The two staffing moves combined will leave the five-member agency at two Democrats and two Republicans at the start of next year, curtailing the commission’s ability under Joe Biden to carry out the party’s telecom agenda as soon as he is inaugurated as president.
Nathan Simington
The deadlock could slow or stall work on restoring net neutrality rules, which require Internet providers to treat all Web traffic equally, and other longtime Democratic priorities. Its duration ultimately hinges on party control of the Senate and the outcome of two runoff elections in Georgia.
The last-minute race to confirm Simington comes as Trump ratchets up his attacks on Silicon Valley over allegations that it exhibits political bias against conservatives. Trump had initially proposed that Michael O’Rielly, a sitting GOP commissioner, serve another term at the agency. But O’Rielly delivered a speech this summer that raised red flags about government intervention in online content moderation, prompting the president to pull O’Rielly’s nomination in early August.
In September, Trump tapped Simington, an aide at the Commerce Department who played a critical role in carrying out Trump’s executive order over the summer that sought to expand the U.S. government’s power to police online speech. The president took an unexpected interest in his confirmation, tweeting repeatedly that the Senate needed to act to confirm him for the FCC.
Appearing at a Senate confirmation hearing last month, Simington told lawmakers that he would take a deregulatory approach to the telecom industry as he focused on issues such as broadband connectivity and national security. He promised to be “thoughtful about potential chilling effects on development if [the FCC’s] regulatory efforts go over the line and become intrusive, disruptive and burdensome.”
Radio power player Charlamagne Tha God has renewed his deal with iHeartMedia after much speculation that he’d move on to a new home.
The NY Post reports he was at the center of a hot bidding war with rival radio stations and TV companies before he decided to reup his contract to co-host the network’s buzzy morning show the “Breakfast Club.”
“Every major media… outlet was interested in speaking and meeting with Charlamagne in the hopes of luring him away from iHeart,” said an insider. But they said the network’s execs came up with a sweet deal because “they wanted to continue the success that they have experienced for the past 10 years. He is one of the most sought-out talents in the world of media.”
The show, which he co-hosts with Angela Yee and DJ Envy, celebrates its tenth anniversary this month.
“A lot of money was brought to the table [by competitors] but Charlamagne chose to remain home,” said a source.
When we asked Charlagmagne if the negotiation with iHM suits had been a drawn-out process, he told The Post, “Nobody really understands my value or knows my value as much as [iHeartRadio execs] do. They have seen all the analytics; they have seen all the numbers. Nobody out there would quite understand what I bring to the table. So it wasn’t a fight.”
His relationship with iHeartRadio CEO Bob Pittman helped convince him to stay. “He feels he was empowered and supported by Bob,” they said.
Charlamage signed a new five-year deal which will see him continue to front the “Breakfast Club” and “Weekends with The Breakfast Club,” plus he’ll get a new quarterly one-on-one interview show. He’ll also have a new role as an executive.
