WayFM Adds Two New Shows, Tweaks Talent Line-Up

WayFM is excited to announce a new lineup including two new shows. Midday Show host, Bekah Eaker will make the shift to afternoons to team up with her Holy Mess Podcast co-host and current Afternoons host, Joy Summers. In addition to the familiar voices, WayFM welcomes Carder Price as new host of the Midday Show.

“In my decade at WayFM, I’ve gotten to fill a lot of different roles, and I’m deeply looking forward to this next one. After starting the “Holy Mess” podcast with Joy earlier this year, it was obvious that there was something special about our partnership,” shares Bekah. “Joy’s immeasurable talent, humor, and kindness makes working with her so fun and so easy. I’ve loved getting to watch the spark of connection we’ve created in our podcast catch fire and empower others to be honest about finding the hope in their own messes, and I can’t wait to see how that continues to grow with the afternoon audience. We’re just getting started.”

“From the moment I heard Joy and Bekah doing their podcast together, I realized there was some amazing magic happening. Their chemistry is off the charts, and while they are both amazing solo jocks, together, they are something even more, and I just know our afternoons at WayFM are going to soar,” say Steve Shore, WayFM Program Director. “On top of that, Carder brings a great personality and perspective that will really firm up the lineup on WayFM, all the way from The Wally Show in the mornings through Chris Chicago at night. I can’t overstate how excited I am for our new lineup!”

Continuing to share meaningful music and honest conversation across the country, the new WayFM weekly lineup features:

• The Wally Show 5AM-10AM CST
• Middays with Carder 10AM-2PM CST
• Afternoons with Joy & Bekah 2PM-7PM CST
• The Chris Chicago Show 7PM-Midnight CST

Carder joins WayFM from Houston where he also co-hosts The Morning Show with Rachelle & Carder on KSBJ, WayFM’s sister station.

Tucson Radio: iHM Launches MEGA 97.1 FM

iHeartMedia Tucson announced Monday the debut of the new KMMA MEGA 97.1, Tucson’s #1 Para Latino Hits.

MEGA 97.1 will broadcast the biggest Latino hits, including songs from artists like Bad Bunny, J. Balvin, Karol G, Romeo Santos and more. The station will also feature on-air talent such as Suzette Rodriguez, who will be familiar to Tucson listeners.

“Our decision to launch MEGA 97.1 is a recognition of the importance and vitality of Tucson’s Hispanic community, which accounts for over 45% of our population,” said Steve Earnhart, Southwest Area President for iHeartMedia. “We’re thrilled to be welcoming back Suzette Rodriguez, as she is well known in the community and previously on-air with our radio stations.”

“We are delighted to announce the launch of MEGA 97.1. Tucson is a cultural melting pot with a rich and storied history rooted in Mexican and Spanish heritage,” said PJ Gonzalez, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartLatino. “Those distinct influences can now be found almost anywhere in the market. Now, there is a station for Latinos that embodies the distinct Tucson flavor.”

📻Full Programming Lineup:

• Suzette Rodriguez 6 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Ivan Gonzalez 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

K-C Radio: KCMO-FM Awarded Classic Hits Station of the Year Honors

CUMULUS MEDIA announces that its Kansas City Classic Hits station 94.9 KCMO-FM was named Station of the Year at the annual KC Media Mix Awards on Thursday, September 22, 2022. Also honored was 94.9 KCMO Morning Host Kelly Urich, who received the KC Media Mix Award for Personality of the Year, and Cumulus Kansas City’s Teresa Stanton received the KC Media Mix Award for Account Executive of the Year.

The annual awards are presented by Media Mix, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting and supporting advertising and media professionals in the Greater Kansas City community. Honorees are nominated by those in media and voted on by members of the organization. The awards were presented at the KC Media Mix Banquet at The Guild in Kansas City.

Kelly Urich has spent much of his legendary 30+ years in radio giving back to the Kansas City community. An avid cyclist, he biked 1,200 miles from Phoenix, AZ, to Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City to raise money for Children’s Mercy Hospital. This year marks his 22nd year to ride in the MS 150, generating thousands of dollars in donations in the fight against Multiple Sclerosis. Urich spends hours preparing for the 94.9 morning show with his co-host, Mackenzie. His passion and positivity are infectious both on and off the air. He is a master at the art of entertaining, an inspiration to dozens of broadcasters, thousands of listeners, and an untold number of friends.

Bob & Sheri Stream Professional-Level Backyard Wrestling

Sheri and Lamar

It began with a conversation between Bob & Sheri co-host and co-owner of NOW! Media Sheri Lynch and Lamar Richardson, better known to the audience as The People’s Movie Critic. It concluded with a live stream of backyard wrestling on Saturday night.

A buddy of Lamar’s, Jimmy Ward, organizes professional wrestling matches in his backyard. It’s not a stunt. It’s a business - with Ron Emerson Jr.’s Classic Pro Wrestling, complete with legendary professional ring announcer Bill Hazelwood, tickets, concessions, security – in a suburban backyard! Just park out front, head down the driveway, and hang a left at the aboveground pool.

Sheri explains, “When a guy sets up a pro wrestling ring in his backyard, sells tickets, brings in amazing athletes and WCW legends like Lodi and then invites you to come do ringside commentary and stream the whole thing live, you drop everything and go. I knew our listeners would love it. What a night! One of the most fun events we have ever done. Such a great time!”

“We often hear consultants talking about how important it is to keep the show going beyond the broadcast hours,” noted Tony Garcia, co-owner of NOW! Media, which syndicates Bob & Sheri. “This is a great example of that synergy.”

September 27 Radio History

William Conrad

➦In 1920...William Conrad born (Died from heart failure at age 73. – February 11, 1994). His  career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he starred in the detective series Cannon (1971–1976).

Conrad estimated that he played more than 7,500 roles during his radio career.

Most prominently, Conrad's deep, resonant voice was heard in the role of Marshal Matt Dillon on CBS Radio's gritty Western series Gunsmoke (April 26, 1952 – June 18, 1961). The producers originally rejected him for the part because of his ubiquitous presence on so many radio dramas and the familiarity of his voice, but his impressive audition could not be dismissed, and he became the obvious choice for the role. Conrad voiced Dillon for the show's nine-year run, and he wrote the June 1953 episode "Sundown." When Gunsmoke was adapted for television in 1955, executives at CBS did not cast Conrad or his radio costars despite a campaign to get them to change their minds.

In January 1956, Conrad was the announcer on the debut broadcast of The CBS Radio Workshop.

➦In 1933..."Waltz Time" debuted . It remained on the NBC Radio network until 1948. The show features Abe Lyman (August 4, 1897 – October 23, 1957) and his band, which was popular from the 1920s to the 1940s. He made recordings, appeared in films and provided the music for numerous radio shows, including Your Hit Parade.

➦In 1938...Comedian Bob Hope introduce a new song, "Thanks For The Memory".  It was introduced in the 1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938 by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross. In the film, Ross and Hope's characters are a divorced couple who encounter each other aboard a ship. Near the film's end, they poignantly sing one of the many versions of this song, recalling the ups and downs of their relationship (then they decide to get back together).

➦In 1985...The Howard Stern Show aired for the last time on 66 WNBC NYC.

Fox Anchor Was Told "You're Fired!' Via Teleprompter

Melissa Francis

And you thought radio was a hard business!

Former Fox News and Fox Business Network commentator Melissa Francis learned she had been fired in October 2020 after reading “you’ve been canceled” on her Teleprompter moments before her show was to go live, she told Megyn Kelly on Friday.

TheWrap reports Francis, who was working from a studio the network had set up at her house during the COVID lockdown, was preparing to do an upcoming newscast when she read on the Teleprompter that she wasn’t needed anymore, she said on the SiriusXM radio program, “The Megyn Kelly Show.”

At the time, she was a co-host of one of Fox’s biggest daytime shows, “Outnumbered,” and had been negotiating for a raise to match the salaries of her male counterparts.

Fox claimed that her sudden disappearance from the airwaves was due to “program changes” related to the election, but her camp reportedly thought otherwise. She and her lawyer, Kevin Mintzer, wouldn’t confirm at the time that she had filed a gender-based pay discrimination claim against the network, as the LA Times reported in 2020.

Francis confessed that she and Fox hadn’t wrapped things up “amicably,” explaining to Kelly the sordid details: While preparing to do her 4 p.m. show on what ended up being her final day, Francis was notified by Mintzer that the network was letting her go.

R.I.P.: Jim Post, From Duo Friend & Lover

Jim Post, Cathy Conn

Jim Post, best known as half of the duo Friend & Lover, whose only hit was a memorable one — “Reach Out of the Darkness,” which proclaimed with flower-power earnestness, “I think it’s so groovy now that people are finally gettin’ together” — died on Sept. 14 in Dubuque, Iowa. 

He was 82, reports The NYTimes.

His former wife Janet Smith Post, with whom he wrote two children’s books, said his death, in hospice care, was caused by congestive heart failure.

“Reach Out of the Darkness,” which rose to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1968, featured Mr. Post and his wife at the time, Cathy Conn.

D/FW Radio: iHM's KEGL Flipping To Hot Sports Talk

iHM's KEGL To Drop Rock

Building a sports talk-radio dynasty may not have been enough for the iconic Mike Rhyner, a Dallas radio legend. He may have co-founded Sportsradio 1310 The Ticket in 1994, but now he could compete against it.

The Dallas Morning News is reporting Si.com’s Richie Whitt posted a story Sunday morning that Rhyner was unretiring to host on the new 97.1 The Freak, a replacement for iHeartMedia's The Eagle. The Freak could debut as early as this coming Friday, with Rhyner, Ben Rogers and Jeff “Skin” Wade from The Eagle, former 105.3 The Fan host Jeff Cavanaugh and former Ticket staples Mike Sirois and Julie Dobbs.

Whitt reported: "Multiple radio industry sources have confirmed the shocking news that will add a third sports-talk station to the local landscape and force long-time listeners to reassess their loyalty: Rhyner is coming out of retirement to be the signature voice on a new 97.1 The Freak, which will replace DFW's heritage brand "The Eagle."

DFW will soon have three different sports talk-radio options to choose from now with The Ticket, The Fan and now The Freak.

Report: RSNs Barely Making Money Now

In a stunning reversal of fortune, rumors abound that Diamond Sports Group (DSG), a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcasting Corp. which runs the Bally Sports Networks (formerly Fox Sports Networks as well as YES Network and Marquee Sports Network (co-owned with the Chicago Cubs)) is in trouble.

Forbes is reporting it is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy just months after its roll-out a streaming service for the Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) called Bally Sports Plus (BSP).

Just months ago management touted that the streaming service could bring in $1.3 billion to $1.9 billion in revenue in five years and somewhere between $444 million and $1.3 billion in EBITDA by 2027.

Management is reportedly talking to the NBA, MLB and NHL regarding a fire-sale buy-out. Under the plan, creditors would take over the RSNs, give Sinclair $3 billion in cash and a minority interest in DSG, and then sell the RSNs back to the leagues. This will be tricky because many of the RSNs carry multiple sports.

In addition, MLB has only given Sinclair rights to five of 14 teams and is demanding additional payment for the streaming rights, something which DSG is loath to do. MLB has reportedly come up with a contingency plan if DSG files for Chapter 11, which would be broadcasting the games in local markets and charging cable and satellite companies a fee for broadcasting them. This would be a short-term plan until DSG emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Wake-Up Call: Florida Radio Hunkers Down As Hurricane Ian Approaches

Cone of Concern

After a historically quiet start to the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, a flurry of tropical activity has changed the course of the season recently, and this morning  recently formed Tropical Storm Ian was upgraded to Hurricane status.

With the looming threat of Ian to the U.S., Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a pre-landfall state of emergency for the entire state and urged residents to be prepared for Ian's impacts. DeSantis also stated Sunday that he has activated the National Guard to help with the landfall, as well as power crews to aid with power renewal post-storm.

The storm formed in the central Caribbean on Friday, after the system first became noteworthy several days prior, when it remained a disorganized area of showers and thunderstorms located just east of the Caribbean Sea. 

As of 5 a.n. EDT Monday, Ian had sustained winds of 75 mph, and was moving northwest at 14 mph. Tropical-storm-force winds extended up to 40 miles outward from the storm's center.

In recent days, the storm's strength and ability to stay organized have been hindered by persistent wind shear, which frequently limits the strength of tropical systems. However, as Ian moves into the western Caribbean, conditions are set to become much more favorable for continued strengthening.

Daily Mail composite 9/26/22

➤ARTEMIS LAUNCH DELAYED BY WEATHER:  NASA has been forced to postpone the launch of moon rocket Artemis 1 for a third time as Hurricane Ian bears down on Florida. Artemis 1 is a space launch vehicle designed to bring astronauts and equipment to and from the moon after a 50-year wait. The last manned mission to the Moon was Apollo 17, taking place from December 7 to December 19 in 1972. The space agency is still deciding whether to bring Artemis 1 back to it's assembly site, and if they do so, they would not be able to launch during the launch window that ends on October 4. The National Hurricane Center issued warnings of storm surges across parts of coastal Florida including the Florida Keys as forecasters predict water levels could rise by several feet.

Rihanna To Headline Half-Time Show

Rihanna will perform at the Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 12 as the N.F.L. enters the first year of a new deal with Apple Music as primary sponsor of the halftime show, replacing Pepsi.

The NY Times reports it is the first scheduled return to the stage for an artist who last performed publicly at the Grammy Awards in early 2018, and whose most recent solo album, “Anti,” was released in January 2016.

The announcement is an about-face for the singer, who was among the artists who rebuffed invitations to perform on football’s biggest stage in support of Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who has been unable to find a new team since he became a free agent in March 2017. Kaepernick accused the league of blackballing him because of his kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality toward Black people.

Facing player protests and an impending loss of cachet for the show, the NFL in 2019 signed on Jay-Z and Roc Nation, the rapper’s entertainment and sports company, as “live music entertainment strategist,” to consult on the Super Bowl halftime show and contribute to the league’s activism campaign, Inspire Change.

Rihanna is both managed by Roc Nation and signed to its record label, according to the company’s website.

SiriusXM Radio: Brett Farve Show On Hold

A SiriusXM spokesperson confirmed to The NY Post that Favre’s show is taking a pause amid the Mississippi welfare scandal in which the NFL legend allegedly received or steered millions of dollars.

Front Office Sports previously reported that Favre’s weekly spots on WKTI 92.1 FM ESPN Milwaukee radio were being halted. Favre had been slated to appear on the radio station to talk about the Packers on Monday mornings with Jen Lada, Gabe Neitzel and his former Green Bay teammate Mark Chmura.

The 52-year-old Favre has not been charged with a crime in the scandal and has denied knowing that the money came from federal welfare funds that were misallocated by his home state.

He received $1.1 million in 2017 and 2018 to give speeches that were never ultimately delivered. He has since returned that money. Favre also lobbied for $5 million to go towards a new volleyball arena at his alma mater Southern Mississippi, where his daughter was playing on the team at the time.

Favre’s attorney has acknowledged that the former star quarterback was questioned by the FBI in the matter.

Report: Past Business Dealings of GBS CEO Questioned

NAB is augmenting its argument against the implementation of FM geo-targeting technology with new assertions about GeoBroadcast Solutions founder and CEO Chris Devine, according to RadioWorld.

In a new new ex parte filing late last week, the association raises what it calls “serious concerns with the GBS proposal’s merits in the context of credible and public accusations regarding questionable business dealings” of Devine.

GBS responded to the criticism calling it “NAB’s tabloid filing” and “a desperate attempt at character assassination.”

“NAB believes that Mr. Devine’s track record requires the commission to examine the underlying information carefully and reject his petition,” the association wrote to the FCC.

GBS has been lobbying the FCC for a rule change to allow for its FM booster technology, which is marketed under the name ZoneCasting, to be implemented by broadcasters, allowing them to voluntarily geo-target some of their broadcast content for short periods of time.

Up until now, NAB has argued that the geo-targeting technology would “inevitably damage radio technical integrity and serve as a lever for advertisers to force radio broadcasters to reduce their advertising rates,” but the new filing brings a shift in NAB’s focus.

NAB details a wide array of what it calls “publicly available information detailing some of the instances where Devine has been credibly accused of fraudulent and deceitful conduct.”

Inflation: Here's How Much American Families Are Losing

The average American has lost $4,200 in annual income since President Biden took office — entirely wiping out gains made under the Trump administration, an analysis from the Heritage Foundation shows.

The losses come down to surging inflation and higher interest rates, experts at the conservative think tank said in a report last week.

Their analysis found that the average American has lost about $3,000 in annual purchasing power because consumer prices, which have risen 12.7% since January 2021, have spiked significantly faster than wages.

Wages have risen just 8% over the same period, which has effectively resulted in a pay cut for Americans struggling to pay for daily necessities including food, gas and rent.

Higher interest rates and borrowing costs have also reduced the average person’s purchasing power by another $1,200, according to the report.

Detroit Radio: The Perp Was A Family Friend

Daily Mail composite 9/26/22

The brother of the Michigan news anchor slain in alleged murder-suicide attempt by a 'family friend' said that his 10-year-old nephew suffered life-altering injuries as he attempted to fight off the man who attacked his family. 

Police said WWJ 950 AM overnight anchor, Jim Matthews, 57, invited a 'frequent visitor' to his Chesterfield Township home outside Detroit on Friday night. 

Shortly thereafter, police were called to the residence, and found Matthews dead and his 35-year-old girlfriend, Nichole Guertin, seriously injured, having been stabbed multiple times. 

When Guertin was discovered, she was bleeding severely and bound with duct tape in a nearby parking lot. Matthews' son, Hunter, is in critical condition following brain and ear surgery after being being beaten and tied when he tried to fight his father's killer. 

Speaking to WXYZ-TV Detroit, the brother Jim Matthews, Joe Nicolai described the scene of the massacre as being 'not even something you'd see in a horror movie.'

R.I.P.: John Hartman, Founding Member of The Doobie Brothers

John Hartman (left) (1950-2022)

Musician John Hartman, co-founder and original drummer for the Doobie Brothers, has died at 72 years old.

The band announced Hartman’s death Thursday on their official social media pages calling Hartman a “wild spirit, great spirit and showman.”

“Today we are thinking of John Hartman, or Little John to us,” the band said. “John was a wild spirit, great drummer and showman during his time in the Doobies.

“He was also a close friend for many years and an intricate part of the band personality!”

The Virginia native had two stints with the rock band from the early 1970s to the early 1990s.

Hartman formed the band after meeting frontman Tom Johnston and later finger-picking guitarist Pat Simmons in Northern California in 1969.

September 26 Radio History

➦In 1887…Inventor Emile Berliner was granted his first patent for what he called the "Gramophone". The patent described recording sound using horizontal modulation of a stylus as it traced a line on a rotating cylindrical surface coated with an unresisting opaque material such as lampblack, subsequently fixed with varnish and used to photoengrave a corresponding groove into the surface of a metal playback cylinder.

In practice, Berliner opted for the disc format, which made the photoengraving step much less difficult and offered the prospect of making multiple copies of the result by some simpler process such as electrotyping, molding or stamping. Soon Berliner was using a more direct recording method, in which the stylus traced a line through a very thin coating of wax on a zinc disc, which was then etched in acid to convert the line of bared metal into a playable groove.