February 8 Radio History

➦In 1922...President Warren G. Harding had the first  radio installed in The White House.

➦In 1924...From a banquet hall at the Congress Hotel in Chicago one man could be heard simultaneously in New York, Jacksonville, Denver, San Francisco, and even Havana, Cuba. This was the first coast-to-coast radio broadcast and it was accomplished less than a decade after the first coast-to-coast telephone call was placed in 1915. The future of broadcasting had arrived.

General John J. Carty, a vice president at Bell Telephone Company, spoke from Chicago, addressing by name the various telephone managers in each city where he was being heard. Only about 10% of Americans had a radio set in 1924, but "millions" of others also heard the broadcast, all tuning in with the new radio sets which were quickly becoming quite a coveted new piece of tech for American homes.

➦In 1929...KOY-AM, Phoenix signed-on.

KOY was the first radio station in the state of Arizona, signing on in 1921 as Amateur Radio station 6BBH on 360 meters (833 kHz). Earl Neilsen was the holder of the 6BBH callsign (there were no country prefixes for hams prior to 1928). At that time, broadcasting by ham radio operators was legal.

In 1922, the station received its broadcast license, under the Neilsen Radio & Sporting Goods Company business name, with the callsign KFCB. While the KFCB call letters were sequentially assigned, the station adopted the slogan "Kind Friends Come Back" to match the callsign.

A Phoenix teenager and radio enthusiast named Barry Goldwater was one of the new station's first employees.

When the AM broadcast band was opened in 1923 by the Department of Commerce, KFCB moved around the dial, as did many stations at the time. It was on 1260, 1230, 1310, and 1390 before moving to its long-time home of 550 kHz in 1941. KFCB became KOY on February 8, 1929.  Today the station is owned by iHeaertMedia and is branded as "93.7 El Patrón", simulcasting on an FM translator.

Dick Clark

➦In 1960... U.S. Congressional investigators began exploring the influence of payola in the radio and record industries. Alan Freed and “American Bandstand” host, Dick Clark, among others, were called to testify.

The term Congressional Payola Investigations refers to investigations by the House Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight into payola, the practice of record promoters paying DJs or radio programmers to play their labels' songs. Payola can refer to monetary rewards or other types of reimbursement, and is a tool record labels use to promote certain artists.

Alan Freed

Other forms of payola include making arrangements to purchase certain amounts of advertising in exchange for staying on a station's playlist, forcing bands to play station-sponsored concerts for little or no money in order to stay in a station's good graces, and paying for stations to hold "meet the band" contests, in exchange for air time for one of the label's newer, lesser-known bands.

Alan Freed, who was uncooperative in committee hearings, was fired as a result. Dick Clark also testified before the committee, but survived, partially due to the fact that he had divested himself of ownership interest in all of his music-industry holdings.

After the initial investigation, radio DJs were stripped of the authority to make programming decisions, and payola became a misdemeanor offense. Programming decisions became the responsibility of station program directors.

➦In 1985...actor Marvin Miller died at age 71 after a heart attack.  He was best known as the Signal Oil announcer on CBS Radio’s memorable series The Whistler, and as Michael Anthony, the man who passed out a weekly cheque on CBS-TV’s hit series The Millionaire in the late 1950’s.

Marvin Miller 1958

For the Mutual Broadcasting System, he narrated a daily 15-minute radio show entitled The Story Behind the Story, which offered historical vignettes. He also served as announcer on several Old Time Radio shows of the 1940s and 1950s, including The Jo Stafford Show and the long-running mystery series The Whistler.

In 1945–47, he was the announcer for Songs by Sinatra.

In 1952, Miller had a one-man program, Armchair Adventures, on CBS. He did "all voices and narration" in the 15-minute dramatic anthology. He also recorded 260 episodes of a program described in a 1950 trade publication as "Marvin Miller: Famous radio voice in series of five minute vignettes about famous people." The program was syndicated via electrical transcription by The Cardinal Company.

He also won Grammy Awards in 1965 and 1966 for his recordings of Dr. Seuss stories.

➦In 1994...Barry Manilow launched a $28M dollar lawsuit against Los Angeles radio station KBIG over its pledge to not play his music and its TV ad campaign in support of the “No Manilow” policy.  Hastings, Clayton & Tucker, a Nevada-based entertainment firm that owned the promotional and marketing rights to Barry Manilow's name, filed suit in Orange County Superior Court against Utah-based Bonneville International Corp.  The station used Manilow's name in promos for its  "No Manilow" music policy.  The legal action was dropped a few days later after KBIG agreed to withdraw the promotional spot.

➦In 1996...the "Telecommunications Act of 1996" de-regulated Radio ownership.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first significant overhaul of telecommunications law in more than sixty years, amending the Communications Act of 1934. The Act, signed by President Bill Clinton (using an electronic pen), represented a major change in American telecommunication law, since it was the first time that the Internet was included in broadcasting and spectrum allotment.

One of the most controversial titles was Title 3 ("Cable Services"), which allowed for media cross-ownership. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the goal of the law was to "let anyone enter any communications business -- to let any communications business compete in any market against any other."

The legislation's primary goal was deregulation of the converging broadcasting and telecommunications markets.  However, the law's regulatory policies have been questioned, including the effects of dualistic re-regulation of the communications market.

Previously, the Communications Act of 1934 (“1934 Act”) was the statutory framework for U.S. communications policy, covering telecommunications and broadcasting. The 1934 Act created the FCC, the agency formed to implement and administer the economic regulation of the interstate activities of the telephone monopolies and the licensing of spectrum used for broadcast and other purposes. The Act left most regulation of intrastate telephone services to the states.

In the 1970s and 1980s, a combination of technological change, court decisions, and changes in U.S. policy permitted competitive entry into some telecommunications and broadcast markets. In this context, the 1996 Telecommunications Act was designed to allow fewer, but larger corporations, to operate more media enterprises within a sector (such as Clear Channel's dominance in radio), and to expand across media sectors (through relaxation of cross-ownership rules), thus enabling massive and historic consolidation of media in the United States. These changes amounted to a near-total rollback of New Deal market regulation.

Bob Collins

➦In 2000...WGN 720 AM Chicago morning radio personality Bob Collins died after his private plane and a student pilot's plane collided upon approach to the runway at the Waukegan Regional Airport in Waukegan, Illinois.

The student pilot, Sharon Hock, was directly below him, and they were unaware of each other's presence until the collision. Collins attempted to steer his plane to a safe landing, but it crashed and burned atop a nearby hospital, killing him and a passenger and injuring five people on the ground. The student pilot also crashed three blocks away and died.

The official report indicated that the control tower personnel were unable to observe or communicate the perilous situation until it was too late. Many of Bob Collins' friends and co-workers worked in Bob's memory to have radar and other safety tools installed at the Waukegan Regional Airport to prevent further tragedies.

WGN held a memorial radio show, much of which was captured for a CD that was sold to benefit his favorite charities, the WGN Radio Neediest Kids Fund and the Salvation Army.

Ted Koppel is 82

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Composer-conductor John Williams is 90. 
• ABC News anchor Ted Koppel is 82. 
• Actor Nick Nolte is 81. 
• Comedian Robert Klein is 80. 
• Actor-guitarist Creed Batton (“The Office”) (The Grass Roots) is 79. 
• Actor Brooke Adams is 73. 

• 

  Missy Yager is 54

  Actor Mary Steenburgen is 69. 
• Author John Grisham is 67. 
• Actor Henry Czerny (“Revenge,” ″The Tudors”) is 63. 
• Singer Vince Neil of Motley Crue is 61. 
• Actor Missy Yager (“Manchester by the Sea”) is 54. 
• Actor Mary McCormack is 53. 
• Actor Susan Misner (“Billions,” “The Americans”) is 51. 
• Musician Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk is 48. 
• Actor Seth Green (“Austin Powers,” ″Buffy The Vampire Slayer”) is 48. 
• Actor Joshua Morrow (“The Young and the Restless”) is 48. 
• Bassist Phoenix of Linkin Park is 45. 
• Actor William Jackson Harper (“The Good Place”) is 42. 
• Actor Jim Parrack (“True Blood”) is 41. 
• Musician Joey Ryan of Milk Carton Kids is 40. 
• Actor Cecily Strong (“Saturday Night Live”) is 38. 
• Musician Anderson .Paak is 36. 
• Actor Karle Warren (“Judging Amy”) is 30.

Stations Ratify New RMLC, GMR License Deal

Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) and Global Music Rights, LLC (GMR) have jointly announced that the conditions for their agreement to settle the long-running RMLC-GMR lawsuits have been satisfied, including a majority of commercial radio stations entering long-term licenses with GMR. 

The settlement agreement is now final, and the licenses that radio stations signed will begin on April 1, 2022.

“Global Music Rights stands for songwriters and the value of their music,” said GMR’s founder Irving Azoff. “I am proud of the GMR team for the hard work on behalf of songwriters in achieving this settlement. It is wonderful that GMR and thousands of radio stations coast to coast are partnered to bring great music to fans for many years.”

RMLC Chairman, Ed Atsinger III said: “This settlement puts an end to more than 5-years of litigation, and represents a shared desire by both sides to find a way for radio stations and GMR to work together on a long-term basis without repeatedly resorting to litigation.”

At RMLC’s request, GMR has agreed that any radio station that still wishes to opt into the settlement has the opportunity to do so until March 31, 2022 by contacting GMR at radiolicensing@globalmusicrights.com. As of April 1, 2022, stations without a license from GMR will no longer be permitted to publicly perform songs within the GMR repertory.

Detroit Radio: Erin Vermeulen Promoted At WWJ

Audacy has promoted Erin Vermeulen as the new evening news anchor for WWJ NewsRadio 950 AM in Detroit. Vee will be heard weeknights from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

“Erin is well connected to the community and has a number of great ideas to keep listeners informed about the top stories and events happening across metro Detroit, the state and the country,” said Debbie Kenyon, Senior Vice President and Market Manger, Audacy Detroit. “We are excited to promote Erin to anchor and look forward to hearing her voice on WWJ.”

Erin Vermeulen

“I am really excited to get back to my radio roots as a news presenter at one of the most iconic stations in the country,” said Vermeulen. “I am also very grateful to work with such talented and extraordinary people at WWJ. It is great to be back on the airwaves in my hometown, where I started my career more than 20 years ago.”

Vermeulen is a longtime 23-year broadcast professional, most recently serving as a writer and editor for WWJ. Her career has taken her to the Cairo, Dubai, Oman and South Africa before returning to the United States and working at KFI in Los Angeles as a member of “The Bill Handel Morning Show” in 2015.

Listeners can tune in to WWJ NewsRadio 950 in Detroit on air, as well as nationwide on the RADIO.COM app and website. Listeners can also connect with the station on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Critics Rip 'Morally Bankrupt' WaPo Column

Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan was dragged on social media for using the death of "beloved" staffer Miguel Rodriguez as an opportunity to slam Joe Rogan and free speech.

Fox News reports Sullivan released her column Sunday which lamented the death of Rodriguez, a "well-respected" reporter for The Buffalo News, who was unvaccinated and passed away last week after battling COVID-19. 

Even though Rodriguez had underlying health conditions, like asthma and obesity, that put him at more of a risk, and even though the columnist admitted that she was unaware if Rodriguez even tuned into Rogan’s podcast, she still blamed his death on outside influence on his decision to remain unvaccinated.

"I don’t know for sure whether getting vaccination and booster shots would have saved Miggy’s life. And I have no idea whether he had ever listened to Joe Rogan’s podcast, or what his precise reasons were for not being vaccinated," she said. "What I’ve gleaned is that friends had been pushing him to get vaccinated for months but that he and his family hadn’t been convinced that it was wise or necessary."

Sullivan suggested that of the nearly 900,000 COVID deaths in the U.S., many could have been prevented without the presence of "rampant misinformation that has discouraged so many from getting vaccines and taking other steps to protect themselves."

"Imagine if Rogan were to use his incredibly powerful voice — he has some 11 million listeners per episode — to talk productively about all of this, to counter some of the destructive bilge instead of adding to it," she wrote.

Critics ripped Sullivan’s column, including "The Megyn Kelly Show" executive producer Steve Krakauer, who called it "morally bankrupt" in a tweet.

"What a morally bankrupt column… co-opting the death of a "beloved" colleague to spread pro-censorship misinformation - because if he HAD listened to Joe Rogan, he’s have(sic) been urged to get vaccinated, as Rogan has said many times for someone who is "overweight and asthmatic," he tweeted.

Nationally syndicated radio host Dana Loesch considered the move "convenient exploitation" as opposed to grief.

Blaming your friend’s death on a podcast you admit he may not have listened to doesn’t sound like grief, it sounds like convenient exploitation. https://t.co/JHdzYqmWQo

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) February 6, 2022

Reason associate editor Liz Wolfe ripped Sullivan for the "incredibly disrespectful" decision to "trot out" Rodriquez’s death.

"But that grossness aside...at what point do we say: People have made their choices," Wolfe wrote. "They're not mindlessly manipulated by Rogan, they have access to ALL kinds of information out there."

If You Pay Monthly For Prime, Your Increase Is Sky High

When Amazon.com Inc. announced it was raising the price of its Prime program, the company said an annual subscription would climb $20 to $139. But slightly more than half of Prime members will end up forking over almost $180 a year.

Bloomberg reports that’s because they pay each month, a fee that’s rising to $14.99 from $12.99. The company introduced the monthly subscription in 2016 to attract more middle- and low-income shoppers. The strategy worked, and 52% of subscribers now pay each month, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.

Even though they pay more, monthly subscribers are almost as loyal as annual members, with about 97% of them likely to renew compared with 99% for their counterparts, said the Chicago research firm, which conducts quarterly surveys.

The increase announced Thursday is the first since 2018. Amazon has invested billions of dollars to ensure packages get to customers on time amid an acute labor shortage and supply-chain bottlenecks. Prime subscribers also get access to movies, sports programming and photo storage, among other perks.

The company added millions of new subscribers after previous price increases, and analysts say Amazon probably won’t lose many customers once the latest hike goes into effect. Investors welcomed the increase and sent the shares soaring after the company reported robust results, fueled in part by a strong showing from its cloud-services division.

The price change goes into effect on Feb. 18 for new Prime subscribers; it will apply to current members who renew after March 25.

The Seattle-based company signed up a combined 60 million U.S. Prime members in 2020 and 2021, according to CIRP, bringing the total number to 172 million. The firm tallies Prime members, not subscriptions. One Prime subscription can have multiple members since many households share one account. CIRP attributes the surge in sign-ups to consumers’ stampede online during the pandemic.

Prime helps Amazon convert occasional shoppers into loyal customers. Prime subscribers typically spend more on Amazon than non-members.

After Buying Things For A Decade, AT&T Is Downsizing

AT&T cast light on its pending spinoff of WarnerMedia to Discovery this past week—a big step toward putting a decade of misguided mergers and acquisitions behind it. 

Barron's reports AT&T spent years dishing out billions of dollars on deals, including $66 billion for DirecTV in 2015 and $106 billion for Time Warner in 2018. These brought the 145-year-old phone company into new, more-cyclical industries, and at one point made it the most indebted company in the U.S.

Under new CEO John Stankey, AT&T has slimmed down. AT&T spun off DirecTV and other pay-TV assets, and sold its Xandr advertising platform to Microsoft . With WarnerMedia gone in the second quarter, management can focus on 5G wireless and fiberoptic broadband: high fixed-cost businesses with attractive economies of scale and recurring subscription revenue.

Shedding its conglomerate structure won’t make challenges evaporate for AT&T. Competition is growing, especially as subscriber growth slows after a pandemic boost. AT&T must spend to grow its 5G C-band network to 200 million Americans by the end of 2023, and reach 30 million homes and businesses with its fiber network by the end of 2025.

With Zucker Gone: CNN Staffers Should Be 'Nervous'

CNN’s Brian Stelter discussed the future of the network with The New Yorker writer, Ken Auletta who suggested caution with new leadership, amid Former Head of CNN, Jeff Zucker’s resignation, reports Mediaite.

Zucker announced his shocking resignation on Wednesday, after admitting to a romantic relationship with Allison Gollust, a top executive at CNN, which he failed to disclose and violated corporate policy.

Last year, AT&T announced its intention to combine WarnerMedia and Discovery under a merger deal. Auletta invoked the statements from David Zaslav, Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Communications, who earlier this week commented on the abrupt resignation.

The New Yorker writer said that Zucker “and Zaslav are close friends. Not polite friends, they’re close friends,” in reference to Zaslav’s expressed appreciation for Zucker in his public statements.

Auletta continued by mentioning John Malone, billionaire media mogul, who holds stake in the merger, “Ted Turner considered John Malone his top investor and advocate, so he felt that John Malone was actually behind him and behind the newscast that CNN had created.”

However, Auletta continued, “If I was at CNN and I was an employee and I loved working under Jeff Zucker for understandable reasons I would be concerned.”

“And if you watch CNN, the anchors are much more animated with opinions than they were when Ted Turner started the network,” The New Yorker writer added.

“True,” Stelter concurred.

“So I would be a little nervous if I was at CNN, yes,” concluded Auletta.

John Malone is the CEO of Liberty Media, Discovery's largest shareholder. He retains a 25 percent voting share in Discovery, which will take control of WarnerMedia and its assets -  including CNN - later this year.  

With Jeff Zucker gone, that seems more likely than ever. 

NuVoodoo Webinar To Update Radio Usage

Those who commute to a job outside the home are more likely to listen to radio during the workday than listeners working from home.

That's a major headline from the Ratings Prospect Study 19, fielded early last month. NuVoodoo Research will be presenting results free to the radio industry on February 16 at 1PM Eastern.  They say is capacity-limited, so grab a spot at nuvoodoo.com/webinars.

Ratings Prospects Study 19 fielded in early January when two things were happening: first, folks were getting back to work after the holidays and, second, the Omicron variant was spreading rapidly across the country. Through the earlier stages of the pandemic, as well as in this latest study, the data has shown more upside for radio when the focus is on the out-of-home audience. You'll find more information about listening while working from home versus working away from home in a video here.

Among working adults in the sample, the study found that two-thirds reported working outside the home most or all days of the week, while just over a fifth were working from home most or all days of the week.

Likely ratings participants over-indexed significantly for working outside their homes: Three-quarters of RPS Yes (those likely to participate in the ratings) and RPS 60 listeners (likely ratings participants who spend an hour or more with radio each day) were commuting to jobs most or all days of the week at the start of the year – dwarfing the numbers of ratings-inclined respondents working from home.

NuVoodoo found that radio is a top listening choice more often among listeners who work outside their homes. Expressed as percentages of those working in any capacity, 12% report using radio most in a work-from-home setting, but the numbers nearly triple to 32% when working outside the home. The delta is even more dramatic among likely ratings respondents, where RPS Yes respondents working outside the home listen to radio at a level better than three times those working from home. And, among TSL intensive RPS 60’s, the difference in radio preference levels while working outside the home is nearly 4:1 compared to those working from home.

The NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study 19 free webinar is February 16 at 1 PM EST, 10 AM. The company promises to cover:

• For years, they've looked at tune-in catalysts. Now, for the first time, NuVoodoo has tested an extensive list of potential tune-out catalysts. They'll share what radio stations do that drives listeners away.
• How often listeners use streaming apps, from Spotify, Apple, and Amazon to Soundcloud, Tune-in, and iHeart. The webinar will unveil well local AM/FM radio streaming apps fare by comparison.
• Deep dives into Smart Speakers, Car Audio Systems and Podcast listening trends.
• Daily and chronic use of social media apps. Given recent news, we also asked listeners to share any psychological toll that using social media is taking on them – and what compels them to use certain apps so much.
• NuVoodoo will compare and trend the lure of typical radio station cash offers and contest packaging tactics. Plus, They’ll share some practical steps radio stations can take to battle the perception that sweepstakes are not on-the-level.

Join us Wednesday, February 16th at 1 PM EST, 10 AM PST for NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study 19. You can register here.

Spotify CEO Apologizes to Employees For Joe Rogan Backlash

Spotify Technology SA Chief Executive Daniel Ek apologized to employees for the backlash that has followed the emergence of Joe Rogan’s use of a racial slur in previous podcast episodes, reports The Wall Street Journal.

He said that he has no plans to remove the star podcaster from the streaming platform and committed to spending $100 million on music and audio content from what he called historically marginalized groups.

“There are no words I can say to adequately convey how deeply sorry I am for the way ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ controversy continues to impact each of you,” Ek said to Spotify staffers on Sunday, referring to Mr. Rogan’s podcast. “Not only are some of Joe Rogan’s comments incredibly hurtful, I want to make clear that they do not represent the values of this company. I know this situation leaves many of you feeling drained, frustrated and unheard.”

The Spotify executive’s comments doubled down on his statements last week that Spotify is an open platform despite its exclusive deal to distribute Rogan’s podcast and that silencing Mr. Rogan isn’t the right choice. Ek’s letter follows Spotify’s acknowledgment that it was delayed in addressing outcry sparked by rocker Neil Young over Mr. Rogan’s shows about the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccines.

Ek said in his letter that Rogan chose to remove some episodes from Spotify following discussions with the company and Mr. Rogan’s own reflections. Tracking site jremissing.com says 113 of Mr. Rogan’s episodes have been taken off Spotify since Friday.

Rogan apologized for the second time in a week on Saturday after a compilation video emerged showing how he and some of his guests used the N-word numerous times on his show. In a video on his Instagram account, Mr. Rogan said he offered “my sincere and humble apologies” for “the most regretful and shameful thing that I’ve ever had to talk about publicly.”

Meanwhile,  Joe Rogan has responded to a resurfaced clip of him using the N-word almost two dozen times while hosting his podcast, reports The NY Post. 

Calling the clip “the most regretful and shameful thing I’ve ever had to talk about publicly,” Rogan, 54, insisted the video consisted of “out of context” snippets from “12 years of conversations” on his show. 

“It looks f–king horrible. Even to me.” 

He continued, “I know that to most people, there is no context where a white person is ever allowed to say that word, never mind publicly on a podcast, and I agree with that now. I haven’t said it in years.”

He then admits to using the word in his past, but claims it would only be within the context of the conversation. 

Annapolis Radio: Bob Waugh Ready To Sign-Off At WRNR

Bob Waugh

After a 43 year career, longtime Program Director and On Air Host, Bob Waugh, has announced he will be hanging up his headphones and signing off at the end of the month at the iconic AAA WRNR 103.1 FM in the Annapolis market.

“It’s been a pretty wild ride, and definitely a satisfying career,” Waugh commented. “I am so grateful for all the relationships I’ve had and still have with some of the most influential people in the industry, and for the opportunity to forge friendships with a wide range of artists from Brandi Carlile to Elvis Costello. It was always my love of music that drove me to radio… never the other way around.”

Waugh started his career at WLIR on Long Island in 1978 and was a key player and air personality in developing the station that “Dared To Be Different.” In 1985, he moved to K-Rock New York and hosted a weekend/overnight swing shift, preceding the Howard Stern Show. 1991 brought Waugh to Washington D.C.’s legendary and critically acclaimed alternative radio station, WHFS, where he became Music Director/APD and initially hosted the morning show.

He joined Steve Kingston’s WRNR as OM/PD in 2004.

Waugh mentions “I have some important family obligations that I need to focus on. I also want to take some time off to travel with my daughter before she begins college in August. But after a short hiatus, I expect to return to the fold in a new broadcast and media capacity of which I am very excited. This is surely not the end of my radio career but rather the beginning of a brand new chapter.”

Bob’s last day at WRNR is 2-22-22. He can be reached at bobwaugh57@gmail.com

Wake-Up Call: Tensions Rise Over Ukraine

FRENCH PREZ TO RUSSIA, GERMAN LEADER TO U.S. AMID CONTINUED HIGH TENSIONS OVER UKRAINE: French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today as part of the continuing effort to de-escalate the continued high tension over fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Before leaving for Russia, Macron spoke by phone yesterday with President Biden, and he will then head to Ukraine on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Germany's new leader, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, will be in Washington today, meeting with Biden and members of Congress as he seeks to reassure the U.S. that his country stands with them and other NATO allies against any Russian aggression toward Ukraine. Germany has faced criticism for refusing to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons, but Scholz said they are doing their part by giving Ukraine significant economic support.

White House says Russia invasion of Ukraine 'could happen at any time' https://t.co/HcoxvlsfpC pic.twitter.com/XQjJ6yOhwT

— New York Post (@nypost) February 6, 2022

Amid these developments, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on several Sunday morning news shows yesterday that Russia could invade Ukraine, quote, "any day," stating, "If war breaks out, it will come at an enormous human cost to Ukraine, but we believe that based on our preparations and our response, it will come at a strategic cost to Russia as well." His remarks came the day after U.S. officials confirmed Russia has assembled at least 70 percent of the military firepower it likely intends to have in place by the middle of the month to give Putin the option of launching an invasion.

🚚OTTAWA DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY OVER ONGOING PROTESTS: Ottawa's mayor declared a state of emergency in Canada's capital city yesterday because of ongoing Covid-19 mandate and restriction protests that have paralyzed the downtown area. Mayor Jim Watson said the declaration gives the city some additional powers that could help buy equipment needed by frontline workers and first responders, but that it highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government. About one hundred protesters had remained in Ottawa since last weekend's "truck convoy" protests, but thousands more descended on the city again over the weekend. Residents are angry about horns being blared non-stop, the blocking of traffic, and harassment by the protesters.

From Canada, a counter-protestor blocks the road and fakes being hit by a Freedom Convoy truck while wearing a mask outside.

Pathetic. pic.twitter.com/HqbDpkQxYV

— Aaron Ginn (@aginnt) February 6, 2022

Some U.S. Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have expressed support for the protest, which Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called an occupation and the police chief a "siege."

 

BLM chapter founder sentenced to six years in prison for illegally registering to votehttps://t.co/qqoiUBgstf

— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 6, 2022

🚺RAMPANT SEX ABUSE BY CORRECTIONS OFFICERS AT FEDERAL WOMEN'S PRISON: An Associated Press investigation has found what it called a "permissive and toxic culture" at the women's federal correctional institution in Dublin, California, where inmates say they've been victimized by rampant sexual abuse by correctional officers and even the warden, and threatened or punished when they tried to report it. Reflecting the years of sexual misconduct and abuse, AP said both prisoners and workers at the facility call it "the rape club." The report said the allegations have resulted in four arrests so far.

 

A young Democratic member of Congress declares the "defund the police" movement “dead" as a “reign of criminals" rises. https://t.co/omH3RMr1Wm

— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 6, 2022

➤PENCE'S EX-CHIEF OF STAFF SAYS TRUMP GOT ADVICE FROM 'SNAKE OIL SALESMEN' ABOUT ELECTION: Marc Short, who was former Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, said on NBC's Meet the Press yesterday that former President Donald Trump got advice from, quote, "snake oil salesman" who falsely told him Pence could overturn the 2020 election results. Short stated, "Unfortunately, the president had many bad advisers who were basically snake oil salesman giving him really random and novel ideas as to what the vice president could do." He continued, "I believe that Joe Biden is the duly elected president of the United States. The reality is that there was not enough significant fraud that was presented that would have overturned any of those states' elections." Short's remarks come two days after Pence said in speech to the conservative Federalist Society that Trump was wrong in saying the vice president has the power to overturn an election.

WATCH: The Media just won’t learn their lesson. They continue to try and stump me, but I know their game better than they do.

I did an interview with @ABC… will they include this portion of it in their piece? Why won’t they just do their job and report the truth? pic.twitter.com/KnDC2jHXVB

— Kari Lake for AZ Governor (@KariLake) February 3, 2022

 

Ten Cuban migrants aboard a sinking vessel have been rescued off the Florida coast, about 40 miles off Key Largo, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. https://t.co/FJvlYCSzHL

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 6, 2022

➤NAVY SEAL TRAINEE WHO DIED AFTER 'HELL WEEK' IDENTIFIED: The Navy on Sunday identified the SEAL candidate who died just hours after completing the "Hell Week" test Friday as 24-year-old Seaman Kyle Mullen. Mullen died at a San Diego-area hospital after he and another trainee, whose name hasn't been released, reported symptoms of an unknown illness. The cause of death is still unknown and is being investigated. The other trainee remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Navy said neither had an accident or unusual incident during Hell Week, the grueling, days-long physical test that ends the first phase of assessment and selection to be a SEAL.

👑QUEEN ELIZABETH MARKS 70 YEARS ON THE THRONE: Queen Elizabeth the Second marked 70 years on the throne Sunday, the only British monarch to ever rule that long. In a statement, the 95-year-old queen remembered the death of her father, King George the Sixth, when made her the monarch at just 25 years old, and renewed a pledge she made on her 21st birthday to devote her entire life to the service of the U.K. and the Commonwealth. Public celebrations of the queen's platinum jubilee are scheduled for early June. The queen also made headlines by saying in the statement that it's her, quote, "sincere wish" that Prince Charles' wife, Camilla, be known as "Queen Consort" when her son becomes king, something Charles has long wanted. There have questions for many years about the status of Camilla, who was initially disliked by Britons because of Charles' infidelity with her during his marriage to Princess Diana. But the public mood has softened toward her in the years since Charles and Camilla's 2005 marriage, in part because of all the charity work she has done in her role.

🏫STUDY..55 PERCENT OF HIGH SCHOOLS DON'T THINK COLLEGE IS NECESSARY:  Many American high schoolers plan to go to college after they graduate, but a majority of them, 55 percent, said in a new survey that they don't think college is necessary to have a successful career, compared to 45 percent who think it is. The OnePoll survey of 2,000 U.S. high school students found that two-thirds saw how important essential workers and skilled trade careers have been during the pandemic, leading 45 percent of them to be more interested in pursuing those kinds of jobs. At the same time, one-third have no post-graduation plans, and for students who haven't considered alternatives to college, 51 percent said they didn't know enough about other options, such as skilled trades. Two in three say their schools offer vocational classes that teach them practical skills and essential careers, and an even greater 79 percent believe high schoolers should teach vocational skills. Whatever career they choose, an overwhelming 82 percent agreed the most important thing to them is to do something they’re passionate about.

➤MOMS ARE TURNING TO SCREAM SESSIONS AND RAGE LINES: Moms have been dealing two years of parenting through a pandemic, and they’re feeling the stress. As a result, some mothers are gathering together to scream out their feelings, while those who can’t get childcare have the option of calling a new “rage line” set up by the grassroots mothers advocacy group Moms Rising. In its effort to amplify the frustrations of caregivers, the organization is inviting moms to vent over phone, video, or email in messages that will be shared with policymakers. But this all begs the question—is this type of venting actually helpful? Psychologist Andrea Bonior says it depends—some may find cathartic release, while for others, “it’s just going to make things worse because it’s going to accentuate and feed into some of those deeper feelings that already feel unmanageable—and now if you get to a point where you feel like the only way to manage them is to yell and scream, it’s not going to be helpful.” Bonior also notes that there may be some benefits to it, for example joining a scream circle with other moms may be less about the screaming and more about the fellowship and there’s proven psychological value in sharing your experience with others and feeling like you’re not alone in the fight.

⛟INCREASE IN HOME DELIVERY SERVICE USAGE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC UNLIKELY TO LAST: Services like Instacart, Grubhub, DoorDash, and Amazon existed before the COVID-19 pandemic, but demand for groceries, food, and other products purchased online to be delivered substantially increased during the pandemic. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers found that over 90 percent of people who use online delivery services would likely revert back to their original way of shopping once the pandemic is over. Study leader Dr. Cara Wang explains, “It is likely that the increased use of e-commerce is not the result of market competition, where the most efficient competitor outperforms the others. Rather, an external distribution—the pandemic—significantly altered the playing field. Once this external effect is removed, some of the gains made by the delivery services will likely fall off.” The data also shows that both the initial adoption of delivery services and the intent to continue using them varies by goods type. Grocery deliveries had the highest proportion of new adopters, followed by home goods, food, and finally, other packages. The study also revealed that the number of users of grocery deliveries increased by 113 percent during the pandemic, and nearly half of these new adopters would not continue using the service once the pandemic is over.

BEIJING WINTER OLYMPICS: Highlights:

• U.S. Wins Silver in Team Figure Skating - The U.S. won its first-ever silver medal in the team figure skating event, after taking bronze in 2018 and 2014. Helping win silver were Evan Bates and Madison Chock, who came in first in ice dancing. The Russian Olympic Committee won gold and Japan took bronze.

HISTORY MADE!

15-year-old Kamila Valiyeva is the first woman to successfully land a quad at the #WinterOlympics. pic.twitter.com/rfXzOM09lH

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 7, 2022

• Russian Skater Valiyeva First Woman to Land Quad in Olympics - Kamila Valiyeva, Russia's 15-year-old figure skating wonder, became the first woman to land a quad jump in the Olympics, doing it in the free skate during the team competition. She also landed a second quad in the performance, but fell on a third.
• U.S. Men's Figure Skater Zhou Tests Positive for Covid-19 - U.S. Figure Skating said Monday that Vincent Zhou tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday. He was having additional testing to confirm the result. Zhou, who skated the long program for the U.S. in the team competition Sunday, is scheduled to skate the short program in the men's individual competition Tuesday. It's now unclear if he'll be able to compete.
• Switzerland's Feuz Wins Downhill Gold, 41-Year-Old French Skiier Takes Second - Skier Beat Feuz of Switzerland won gold in the men's downhill, finishing just 0.10 seconds ahead of Johan Clarey of France. The 41-year-old Clarey became the oldest man to win an Olympic medal in Alpine skiing. Matthias Mayer of Austria won bronze.
• American ​Mikaela Shiffrin Disqualified in Giant Slalom - U.S. skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who was a favorite to win a medal in five events, was disqualified in her first, the giant slalom, when she lost control coming around a gate early in the race, slid and fell on her side. Shiffrin was the defending Olympic gold medalist.

.@JaeBird96 wins SILVER! 🥈

Jaelin Kauf is the first American woman to bring home a moguls medal for @TeamUSA since 2014. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/GG6hqNRHvE

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 7, 2022

• American Kauf Wins Silver in Women's Moguls - American Jaelin Kauf won silver in women's moguls skiing, coming in second to Jakara Anthony of Australia, who took gold. Russian Anastasiia Smirnova won bronze.
• U.S. Women Rout Switzerland 8-0 in Hockey, Archrival Canada Next - The U.S. women's hockey team routed Switzerland 8-0. The defending Olympic gold medalists will now face archrival Canada in the Group A finale on Tuesday.

🥇MEDAL COUNT: (As of 4:00 a.m. ET) - The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is in first place with six medals, followed by Canada, Austria and Italy, all with four. In the gold medal count, Sweden leads with three, and the ROC and Norway each have two. The U.S. has three medals overall, all of them silver.   ESPN'S MEDAL TRACKER: https://es.pn/3LhCHxF

🎾CHINESE TENNIS PLAYER PENG SHUAI MET WITH IOC PRESIDENT: Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, who's been the subject of concern after briefly disappearing from public view in November after a quickly-removed post on social media that accused a Chinese official of sexual assault, met with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in Beijing over dinner Saturday, the IOC revealed. Peng also sat for an interview with French sports newspaper L'Equipe that was published Monday in which she said the concern for her is based on, quote, "an enormous misunderstanding," as she denied having accused the official of sexual assault. L'Equipe said it had spoken to Peng a day earlier in Beijing in an interview organized through China’s Olympic committee. It also said it had to submit questions in advance, and that a Chinese Olympic committee official sat in on the interview and translated Peng's comments from Chinese.

BREAKING: Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai calls sexual assault allegation against Communist official "enormous misunderstanding." https://t.co/xmNpmWeFKr

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 7, 2022

🏈AFC BEATS NFC 41-35 IN PRO BOWL: The AFC beat the NFC 41-35 in the NFL's Pro Bowl in Las Vegas yesterday, which returned after it wasn't played last year due to the pandemic. L.A. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert won the offensive MVP, passing for 98 yards and throwing for two touchdowns to Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews. Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby won the defensive MVP with two sacks, three batted passes and three tackles. The game had seven interceptions, with at least one thrown by each of the six quarterbacks.

🏈SAINTS' KAMARA ARRESTED FOR BATTERY AFTER PLAYING IN PRO BOWL: New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara was arrested on a battery charge after playing in the Pro Bowl yesterday, during which he had four catches for 23 yards. The 26-year-old is alleged to have beaten someone the night before in a Las Vegas nightclub, and was charged with battery resulting in substantial bodily harm. His bail was set at $5,000 and a court hearing is scheduled for today. Kamara is one of the NFL's top running backs.

🏈DOLPHINS HIRE MIKE MCDANIEL AS NEW HEAD COACH: The Miami Dolphins hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as their new head coach Sunday, his first NFL head coaching job. McDaniel, who is biracial, is the first minority candidate hired so far this offseason. He's taking over after Miami fired Brian Flores last month after three seasons. Flores has since sued the Dolphins, the NFL, the New York Giants and the Denver Broncos, claiming racist hiring practices for coaches and general managers.

🏀JOKIC GETS TRIPLE-DOUBLE IN NUGGETS WIN, LEAGUE-LEADING 14TH: Denver's Nikola Jokic had a triple-double in the Nuggets' 124-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets yesterday, his NBA-leading 14th this season. Jokic had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

TV Ratings: 14M Viewed Opening Ceremony

NBC's coverage of the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympic Games averaged close to 14 million U.S. television viewers, according to Reuters citing preliminary data provided by NBCUniversal on Saturday, about half the TV audience for the last Winter Games opening ceremony four years ago.

Across all platforms, including the USA Network, NBC Sports app and Peacock streaming service, NBC's average audience reached nearly 16 million people, the company said in an email.

The opening ceremony for the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games, which historically attracts a bigger audience than the Winter Games, drew 16.7 million TV viewers. Across all platforms, 17 million people watched the ceremony.

Traditional TV viewing has seen a decline in recent years as viewers have embraced streaming, making comparisons difficult.

The 14 million figure includes the TV audience for the live NBC broadcast that began at 6:30 a.m. ET (1130 GMT) Friday, as well as the primetime broadcast that began at 8 p.m. ET. The PyeongChang opening ceremony in 2018, in South Korea, drew 27.9 million TV viewers for just a primetime broadcast.

The Games opened on Friday night in a snow- and ice-themed ceremony at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing that concluded with the cauldron lit by two young Chinese Olympians, one of them a member of China's Uyghur minority. read more

The Beijing Games, the second Olympics broadcast by NBC during the coronavirus pandemic, present an opportunity for the network, owned by Comcast Corp, to refine its strategy based on what it learned last summer. Its broadcast of the Tokyo Games, which were delayed for a year because of the pandemic, drew the smallest audience for the Summer Games since NBC began broadcasting them in 1988. Yet the competitions still pulled in the biggest audiences on television when they aired, making them attractive showcases for advertisers.

For Beijing, NBC said it is doing more to simplify the viewing experience, addressing criticism that last summer’s content was difficult to find across the company’s many platforms, including its Peacock streaming service.

NBC is streaming every Beijing event live on Peacock’s premium tier, in addition to airing coverage across the NBC broadcast network, USA Network and CNBC cable networks, NBCOlympics.com website and NBC Sports app. It is also offering a customizable schedule on NBCOlympics.com, and air on-screen cues during studio segments that remind viewers what’s coming up.

NBCUniversal paid $7.65 billion to extend its U.S. broadcast rights for the Olympics through 2032.

Report: MLB Cubs, Sinclair Broadcasting Talk Streaming

The Chicago Cubs are in talks with media giant Sinclair Broadcasting to launch a streaming service for customers without a cable or satellite-TV subscription — despite pushback from Major League Baseball on the idea, The NY Post is reporting.

In a deal that insiders say could have league-wide implications, the Cubs and Sinclair are angling to launch the new service following a tough round of negotiations with cable-TV giant Comcast more than a year ago, which resulted in capping monthly fees for the Marquee Sports Network, the broadcaster of local Cubs games, according to sources close to the situation.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is concerned that Sinclair, loaded down with debt after a series of big acquisitions, doesn’t have the cash needed to produce high-quality broadcasts, sources said. As exclusively reported by The Post, Manfred also has been angling to launch a league-wide streaming service as soon as next year.

The stakes in the dispute could be high: The Cubs, which own Marquee Sports in a 50-50 partnership with Sinclair, are among the most valuable franchises in baseball. If the team begins broadcasting its games directly to consumers, it might set a precedent for other franchises to quickly follow suit, according to sources close to the situation.

“We’re always exploring options,” Marquee Sports General Manager Michael McCarthy told The Post. “There is nothing definite to announce.”

The disagreement carries a bitter tinge dating back to 2019, when MLB bid against Sinclair in an auction to buy the Fox Regional Sports Networks. Sinclair won Fox’s networks for $9.6 billion, renaming them under the Bally Sports banner, and rejected the idea of bringing in MLB as a co-investor. Relations between the parties have since been frosty, sources said.

Likewise, while MLB had initially planned to test its streaming service with the Detroit Tigers, sources said the talks fell through last year when the Tigers instead signed a new media deal with Sinclair, according to a source.

One key point of concern for MLB, according to insiders, is the $18-a-month price tag that’s being floated for the new Cubs streaming service — a tab that’s higher than what users pay for streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max or Disney+ and which league officials fear will be too high for the average fan.

Ottawa Mayor Tells CFRA Truckers "Out of Control"

Daily Mail composite graphic 2/7/22

Ottawa announced a “state of emergency” Sunday after hundreds and sometimes thousands of protesters, many in big-rig trucks, disrupted the capital city for the second weekend in a row, reports The Washington Post.

“Declaring a state of emergency reflects the serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the ongoing demonstrations and highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government,” Mayor Jim Watson said in a late-afternoon announcement.

Earlier in the day, Watson pleaded for help, saying authorities were “outnumbered” and are “losing this battle” against the raucous demonstrators. The city’s police department also warned Sunday that anyone attempting to bring “material” support to the trucks, including gasoline, would be subject to arrest. Throughout the protests, people had been seen lugging cans of gas to keep the blockade trucks’ engines running.

Protests over coronavirus public health measures Saturday and Sunday included the large-scale road blockades, shooting off fireworks, driving on sidewalks, high-decibel nonstop horn-honking by truckers and what the Ottawa Police Department called other forms of “extremely disruptive and unlawful behaviour.” “We continue to advise demonstrators not to enter Ottawa, and to go home,” the department said in a statement.

Demonstrations in solidarity with the self-described “Freedom Convoy” also broke out during the weekend in other cities across Canada, including Toronto, Quebec City and Vancouver.

In Alberta, the blockade of an important U.S.-Canada border crossing also continued. Some protests drew counterprotests.

What stood out in public officials’ comments was their sense of helplessness.

“The situation at this point is completely out of control because the individuals with the protest are calling the shots,” Watson, the mayor, said in a radio interview Sunday on CFRA 580 AM.

CFRA Live – ‘The individuals of the protests are calling the shots’: Mayor Watson speaks after protestors flood Canada’s Capital on Saturday https://t.co/tnKsogD2Lp

— Tom Benson (@Tombenson1) February 7, 2022

Marco Mendicino, Canada’s public safety minister, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on Sunday that most Canadians and truckers are vaccinated and that the government has been having conversations with the city about possible supports for businesses that have closed because of the protests.

“The convoy can disagree, but they’re not above the law,” he said, “and there should be a peaceful resolution as quickly as possible.”

February 7 Radio History

Bill Johnstone

➦In 1908... one of the busiest actors in the Golden Age of Radio Bill Johnstone was born in Brooklyn.

Perhaps best remembered as the actor who succeeded Orson Welles as The Shadow (1938-43), Johnstone could also be heard as Inspector Cramer opposite Sydney Greenstreet in Nero Wolfe; Lt. Ybarra on Philip Marlowe; and in the title role on The Whistler. 

From 1950 to 1953, he starred as Lt. Ben Guthrie in the CBS radio police procedural The Lineup.  He died Nov. 1 1996 at age 88.

➦In 1915...comic actor Eddie Bracken was born in Astoria NY.  After becoming a film star in the 40’s he made frequent appearances on network radio, and had two short-lived series under his own name.  On TV he was seen in guest roles over more than 40 years, including serious drama series like Studio One & Playhouse 90.  He died after surgery Nov 14, 2002 at age 87.

➦In 1915...First train-to-station radio message, Binghamton, NY.

➦In 1963...B. Mitchel Reed started at WMCA 570 AM NYC.

Born Burton Mitchel Goldberg in Brooklyn, New York, Reed held a B.S. degree in journalism and an M.A. in political science at the University of Illinois. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he entered the world of radio while teaching political science at his alma mater.

Reed hosted the all-night Birdland Jazz Show at WOV (AM) in New York in 1956. A year later, he landed a job at KFWB in Los Angeles, playing jazz and calling himself "The Boy on the Couch." On January 2, 1958, KFWB became a pioneering Top 40 station known as "Color Radio/Channel 98," and the DJ's were known as "The Seven Swinging Gentlemen." The lineup included Bruce Hayes, Al Jarvis, Joe Yocam, Elliot Field, Bill Ballance, Ted Quillin, and Gene Weed. Reed held the 6-9 P.M. time slot. Under Program Director Chuck Blore, KFWB became the number one radio station in LA.

He was known as "The Fastest Tongue in the West," for the speed in which he spoke to his audience. He left KFWB for WMCA in his home state of New York on February 7, 1963. He soon became part of a team of disc jockeys known as "The Good Guys," among them Jack Spector, a fellow alum from Boys High School in Brooklyn who had graduated two years ahead of him.

➦In 1963… the Vee-Jay label released the first Beatles single in the U.S. “Please Please Me.”

Vee-Jay's early releases were at first unsuccessful, but quickly became huge hits once the British Invasion took off in early 1964, selling 2.6 million Beatles singles in a month. Cash flow problems caused by Ewart Abner's tapping the company treasury to cover personal gambling debts led to the company's active demise; Vee-Jay had been forced to temporarily cease operations in the second half of 1963, leading to royalty disputes with the Four Seasons and EMI. The Four Seasons then left Vee-Jay for Philips Records, and EMI's Capitol Records picked up the U.S. rights for both the Beatles and Frank Ifield.

Dick Biondi,  at WLS 890 AM in Chicago at the time and a friend of Vee-Jay executive Ewart Abner, played the song on the radio as early as February 8, 1963.   "Please Please Me" peaked at #35, but did not show up on any of the major national record charts. The label re-issued the single in January 1964 to a much better result: it peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, just behind the group's "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You" released on Capitol Records.

➦In 1964...Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 from London Heathrow lands at New York’s Kennedy Airport as more than 3,000 fans jammed the airport launching Beatlemania in the U.S. The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr arrived for their first U.S. visit (including an appearance two days later on “The Ed Sullivan Show”). The “Fab Four” controlled the top spot on the pop music charts for the next 15 weeks and owned the top of the album charts for 10 weeks.

The “Fab Four”–dressed in mod suits and sporting their trademark pudding bowl haircuts–were greeted by 3,000 screaming fans who caused a near riot when they stepped off their plane and onto American soil.

Two days later, Paul McCartney, age 21, Ringo Starr, 23, John Lennon, 23, and George Harrison, 20, made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. Although it was difficult to hear the performance over the screams of teenage girls in the studio audience, an estimated 73 million U.S. television viewers, or about 40 percent of the U.S. population, tuned in to watch. Sullivan immediately booked the Beatles for two more appearances that month.

The group made their first public concert appearance in the United States on February 11 at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C., and 20,000 fans attended. The next day, they gave two back-to-back performances at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and police were forced to close off the streets around the venerable music hall because of fan hysteria. On February 22, the Beatles returned to England.

The Beatles American TV debut was actually on November 18, 1963 on NBC's  Huntley-Brinkley Report, with a four-minute long piece voiced by Edwin Newman.

On 22 November 1963, the CBS Morning News ran a five-minute feature on Beatlemania in the UK. The evening's scheduled repeat was cancelled following the assassination of John F. Kennedy the same day. On December 10, Walter Cronkite decided to televise the piece again on the CBS Evening News, and the resulting interest led to the rush-release of "I Want to Hold Your Hand".

Eleven weeks before the Beatles' arrival in the U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. The nation was in mourning, in fear, and in disbelief. The assassination came after a fifteen-year build-up of Cold War tension. The motivation and identity of the assassin, would be doubted by many Americans for decades even after the Warren Commission issued its report in September 1964. As the U.S. tried to restore a sense of normality, teenagers in particular struggled to cope, as their disbelief began to be replaced by a personal reaction to what had happened: in school essays, teenagers wrote that "then it became real", and "I was feeling the whole world is going to collapse on me", and "I never felt so empty in all my life".

When the Beatles first hit American shores in 1964, radio personalities scrambled to befriend them and scoop other stations.   Media writer Peter Kanze recapped the radio battle for The Beatles in 1989 and it was reprinted recently at meetthebeatlesforreal.blogspot.com.

According to Kanze, Rick Sklar was WABC’s Program Director from 1962 through 1976, and he remembered that “WABC never deviated from its standard policy with and artist, including the Beatles.   In order to get played on the station, the artist had to be established first.  Once they made it, fine, but we weren't going be the station to take a chance.  “WABeatlesC” went on the first American Beatles releases, but only because of their track record in England.  I don’t think that it was very significant that WMCA played “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” before we did.  As far as we were concerned, the Beatles weren't known yet.  Once the Beatles were known, though, we always tried to have the exclusive. “

📻LISTEN TO MONTAGE OF WABC BEATLES PROMOS: Click Here 

(Courtesy of the WABC Tribute Website Musicradio77.com.  Find out more, visit the Musicradio77.com Beatles Page: Click Here.)

The “exclusive” or “scoop” (a record that has been obtained first by one radio station in a given area and no other) was all-important in those days, and still is to some extent with superstar performers.  In the case of the Beatles, it was meant to convey the impression that one radio station had a closer relationship to the group than the other.  Hence, newer music, better gossip, etc.

As recounted at musicradio77.com, WABC had a huge advantage when The Beatles visited New York City. As the flagship station for the ABC radio network, it had access to lots of high tech equipment. This included wireless RF microphones. During The Beatles first 1964 visit to New York, when they stayed at The Plaza, it was impossible for virtually any of the media to get access to them.

So, during their second 1964 visit when they stayed at the Delmonico Hotel, WABC mounted an all out offensive. The suite above The Beatles was rented by WABC and was used to set up a remote studio. Using those wireless microphones, WABC disc jockeys Scott Muni and Bruce Morrow wandered around the hotel ready to broadcast anything that might have to do with The Beatles. It gave the station a huge edge. And, it didn’t hurt that as many security and hotel staff people as possible were presented with "gifts" from WABC. Needless to say, there were very few places where the WABC people could not roam.

By now most of the 10,000 teenagers who packed the streets outside of the hotel were listening to WABC on their transistor radios. When WABC disc jockeys Scott Muni and Bruce Morrow asked them to sing WABC jingles as they were playing on WABC, the entire crowd was able to do so in unison.

📻CLICK HERE TO LISTEN (Courtesy of Musicradio77.com).

The power of all of this was best illustrated when Ringo Starr lost his gold Saint Christopher’s medal which was attached to a chain around his neck.

Apparently as he was entering the hotel, an over zealous fan inadvertently snatched it.   Bruce Morrow and Scott Muni learned this while interviewing him over the air at the hotel. WABC listeners also heard this and so did the girl who had the medal, Angie McGowan. She had her mother call Cousin Brucie that night. But, program director Rick Sklar, ever the master promoter, could see the advantages of stretching out this drama a while longer. Even though WABC recovered the medal within a few hours, Rick arranged for the girl to stay overnight, safely secluded with her mother in a hotel room while the station continued to broadcast appeals for the medal's safe recovery. As you would expect, this became a media sensation and WABC held all the cards.

By the time the following evening rolled around, everyone was listening to WABC to see if the medal would ever be recovered. Twenty-four hours after its initial loss and subsequent recovery, WABC reunited the medal with Ringo over the air. It was a publicity bonanza for the station.

➦In 1965...Scott Muni was dropped from the he 77 WABC line-up, according to a Billboard article.

Muni spent almost 50 years at stations in New York City. He became a Top 40 broadcaster at 570 WMCA in the late 1950s, just before the start of their "Good Guys" era. In 1960, he moved to rival Top 40 station 770 WABC.  He did an early evening show called "Scotland's Yard" and was among the first WABC DJs to capture the attention of the teenage audience.

In 1965, when Muni left WABC he did occasional fill-in work for WMCA. Muni had explored some opportunities beyond radio: for a short time he co-hosted a local weekly television show on WABC-TV 7 with Bruce "Cousin Brucie" Morrow.

Muni decided to return to radio, and in 1966, he joined WOR 98.7 FM, one of the earliest stations in the country to program free-form Progressive Rock music. 

The progressive format did not last at that station.

Scott Muni

In 1967 Muni moved to WNEW 102.7 FM.  It's version of the Progressive Rock format really took hold, with WNEW-FM becoming a legendary rock station. Muni stayed there for three decades as the afternoon DJ and sometimes program director. Muni was described by fellow WNEW-FM DJ Dennis Elsas as "the heart and soul of the place". Under assorted management changes during the 1990s WNEW-FM lost its way, and in 1998 Muni ended up hosting a one-hour noontime classic rock program at WAXQ Q104.3, where he worked until suffering a stroke in early 2004.

Muni was known to his listeners by the nicknames "Scottso" or "The Professor", the latter to emphasize his rock expertise.

He died in September 2004 at age 74.

➦In 2014... Scott Shannon aired his last show at WPLJ 95.5 FM in NYC.  Shannon started at WPLJ in 1991 after returning to the east coast from Los Angeles.  This station had also been struggling since its glory days of the mid 1980s, and Shannon became program director and morning drive co-host. At the outset, the station's direct rival was Z100, and used the slogan "Mojo Radio", downplaying the WPLJ call letters.

Shannon brought in co-host Todd Pettengill from Albany NY to form The Big Show, and the WPLJ call letters were re-emphasized. While the station did well in the suburbs, it never caught on in New York and was constantly tweaked during Shannon's tenure. On February 7, 2014, he announced he was exiting WPLJ effective immediately.

On February 25, 2014, WCBS FM announced that Scott Shannon would be hosting a brand new Morning Show entitled Scott Shannon in the Morning in New York starting on March 3.

At the release of the first run of ratings after Shannon took over at WCBS, his show was rated #1. Shannon carried over the "Big Show" name from WPLJ.

Garth Brooks is 60

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Saxophonist Brian Travers of UB40 is 63. 
• Comedian Robert Smigel (Triumph the Insult Comic Dog) is 62. 
• Actor James Spader is 62. 
• Country singer Garth Brooks is 60. 
• Keyboardist David Bryan of Bon Jovi is 60. 
• Comedian Chris Rock is 57. 
• Actor Jason Gedrick (“Windfall,” ″Boomtown”) is 55. 
• Actor Essence Atkins (“Half and Half,” ″Smart Guy”) is 50. 
• Guitarist Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit is 47. 
• Bassist Tom Blankenship of My Morning Jacket is 44. 
• Actor Ashton Kutcher is 44. 
• Actor Tina Majorino (“Napoleon Dynamite,” ″Veronica Mars”) is 37. 
• Actor Deborah Ann Woll (“True Blood”) is 37.