Paramount Global haas announced the appointment of Kenneth R. Weinstein, the former president and CEO of the conservative-leaning Hudson Institute, as the first-ever ombudsman for CBS News.
This move fulfills a commitment made by Skydance Media during its $8.4 billion acquisition of Paramount, which closed in August 2025, to establish the role as part of securing FCC approval amid concerns over media bias and journalistic standards.
Kenneth R Weinstein
The position is designed to enhance transparency and accountability at CBS News, particularly following a series of high-profile controversies involving accusations of biased editing and coverage from conservative critics, including President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The ombudsman position was pledged to the FCC as a measure to promote "nonpartisan news" and address complaints about CBS News' editorial practices, especially in light of Trump's $20 billion lawsuit against the network over an allegedly edited "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris (settled for $16 million earlier in 2025) and recent edits to Noem's "Face the Nation" appearance. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, praised the initiative as a step toward "a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum," while Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez warned it should not become a tool to enforce the administration's priorities.
In his role, the 63-year-old Weinstein will act as an "independent, internal advocate for journalistic integrity and transparency." He is tasked with: Reviewing complaints from viewers, employees, and other stakeholders about news coverage.
The FCC is expected to vote at is next Open Meeting on September 30, to formally commence or advance its long-delayed 2022 quadrennial media ownership review.
This aligns with Chairman Brendan Carr's deregulatory push, potentially leading to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) or direct rule changes. The timing comes amid broader FCC efforts, including a March 2025 "Delete, Delete, Delete" initiative reviewing all regulations for repeal.
Brendan Carr, appointed FCC Chairman in January 2025 following President Trump's inauguration, has been a vocal advocate for deregulation since joining the FCC in 2017. In his Project 2025 chapter on the FCC (a conservative policy blueprint), he called for a "market-friendly regulatory environment" to foster innovation, explicitly targeting media ownership limits as barriers to competition from tech giants like Google and Meta.
The 2022 review was formally initiated by the FCC's Media Bureau in December 2022 through a Public Notice, even though the prior 2018 review remained unresolved due to legal challenges and delays. It focuses on key rules including:
Local Television Ownership Rule: Limits the number of TV stations one entity can own in a Designated Market Area (DMA), e.g., no more than two of the top four rated stations in markets with 20+ full-power stations.
Local Radio Ownership Rule: Caps radio station ownership based on market size (e.g., up to 8 stations in markets with 45+ stations, with sub-caps on AM/FM).
National Television Ownership Cap: Restricts a single entity to owning stations reaching no more than 39% of U.S. TV households (with a 50% "UHF discount" for ultra-high-frequency stations).
Dual Network Rule: Prohibits mergers between the top four TV networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC).
Historically, these reviews have been contentious. Carr has criticized past FCC timidity, stating in a 2024 statement: "It is past time for the FCC to confront the harms that its own media ownership policies have caused," arguing rules designed for a pre-digital era stifle local broadcasters' ability to invest in journalism and compete.
Relaxing local TV and radio sub-caps would allow more consolidation in smaller markets. Modernizing rules to reflect streaming's dominance, potentially allowing more mergers like the blocked 2023 TEGNA-Standard General deal, which Carr opposed blocking.
Broadcasters overwhelmingly back deregulation to enable scale against digital rivals. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), representing over 8,300 stations, has been a key ally. On September 8, 2025, NAB President Curtis LeGeyt praised Carr: "We commend Chairman Carr for jump-starting the long-overdue 2022 Quadrennial Ownership Review. Outdated rules have held broadcasters back for too long. Modernizing them means stronger local journalism, more investment in communities and the live sports fans count on." NAB has long argued rules from the analog era ignore multicast, streaming, and audience fragmentation.
Chief Justice John Roberts has issued an emergency order allowing President Donald Trump to temporarily remove Rebecca Kelly Slaughter from her position as a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), pending further review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
This interim relief halts a lower court mandate that had required Slaughter's reinstatement, providing the Trump administration with immediate authority to proceed without her involvement while the justices deliberate on the broader merits of the case.
R Slaughter
The case stems from Trump's decision earlier in 2025 to remove Slaughter, a Democratic appointee and acting FTC chair under the Biden administration, from the five-member commission. Slaughter, appointed by President Joe Biden in 2021, had been a key figure in the FTC's aggressive antitrust enforcement, including challenges to major tech mergers and consumer protection initiatives.
Trump argued that her removal was necessary to install a commissioner aligned with his administration's priorities, such as deregulation and a more business-friendly approach to competition policy.
However, Slaughter and the FTC's Democratic commissioners challenged the removal in federal court, citing the FTC's organic statute (15 U.S.C. § 41 et seq.), which stipulates that commissioners serve fixed seven-year terms and can only be removed by the president "for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office."
The FCC announced on Monday that it has initiated proceedings to revoke recognition of seven Chinese government-owned or controlled test labs due to U.S. national security concerns. In May, the FCC finalized rules prohibiting Chinese labs deemed security risks from testing electronic devices like smartphones, cameras, and computers for U.S. market use. Additionally, the FCC noted that recognition of four other Chinese labs has expired since May and will not be renewed, including two that requested extensions.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated, "Foreign adversary governments should not own and control the labs that test the devices the FCC certifies as safe for the U.S. market."
Approximately 75% of electronics used in the U.S. are tested in China-based labs, all of which must undergo the FCC's equipment authorization process before importation.
The targeted labs include Chongqing Academy of Information and Communications, CQC Internet of Vehicles Technical Service Co, CVC Testing, TUV Rheinland-CCIC Ningbo Co, UL-CCIC, CESI (Guangzhou) Standards, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, Shanghai Institute of Measurement and Testing Technology, and CCIC Southern Testing Co. These labs could not be reached for comment.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond immediately but previously criticized the U.S. for "over-stretching the concept of national security" and using state power to suppress Chinese companies, opposing the politicization of trade and technology issues.
The FCC previously identified ties between many of these labs and the Chinese Communist Party, including connections to Chinese state-owned enterprises or the military.
These labs have tested thousands of devices for the U.S. market in recent years. In November 2022, the FCC banned new telecommunications equipment approvals from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision, and Zhejiang Dahua. In March 2025, the FCC began investigating nine Chinese companies, including Huawei, Hikvision, China Mobile, and China Telecom, for potentially evading U.S. restrictions.
➦In 1908...Early radio actor, announcer Ed Prentiss born (Died at age 83 – March 18, 1992). He was perhaps best known for portraying the title role on the radio version of Captain Midnight. He was announcer on another kid’s radio favorite, Jack Armstrong the All-American Boy.
He was also the narrator for a number of daily hour of NBC radio soap operas.
➦In 1926... the National Broadcasting Company was created by RCA, the Radio Corporation of America.
NBC is the oldest major broadcast network in the United States. In 1986, control of NBC passed to General Electric (GE), with GE's $6.4 billion purchase of RCA. GE had previously owned RCA and NBC until 1930, when it had been forced to sell the company as a result of antitrust charges.
After the 1986 acquisition, the chief executive of NBC was Bob Wright, who remained in that position until his retirement. He was succeeded by Jeff Zucker. The TV network is currently part of the media company NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast, which formerly operated NBCUniversal in a joint venture with General Electric from 2011 to 2013 (and before that, jointly owned by GE and Vivendi). As a result of the merger, Zucker left NBC and was replaced by Comcast executive Steve Burke.
The radio network officially launched Nov. 15, 1926. On January 1, 1927, NBC formally divided its programming into two networks, called the Red and the Blue. Legend has it that the color designations originated from the push-pins early engineers used to mark affiliates of WEAF (red pins) and WJZ (blue pins), or from the use of double-ended red and blue colored pencils.
The two NBC networks did not have distinct identities or "formats", and, beginning in 1929, they shared use of the distinctive three-note "NBC chimes". The NBC Red Network, with WEAF as its flagship station and a stronger line-up of affiliated stations, often carried the more popular, "big budget" sponsored programs. The Blue Network and WJZ carried a somewhat smaller line-up of often lower-powered stations and sold air time to advertisers at a lower cost. NBC Blue often carried newer, untried programs (which, if successful, often moved "up" to the Red Network), lower cost programs and unsponsored or "sustaining" programs (which were often news, cultural and educational programs). In many cities in addition to New York, the two NBC affiliated stations (Red and Blue) were operated as duopolies, having the same owners and sharing the same staff and facilities.
On April 5, 1927 NBC reached the West Coast with the launching of the NBC Orange Network, which rebroadcast Red Network programming to the Pacific states and had as its flagship station KGO in San Francisco. NBC Red then extended its reach into the Midwest by acquiring two 50,000–watt clear-channel signals, Cleveland station WTAM on October 16, 1930 and Chicago station WMAQ (coincidentally, a CBS Radio Network charter affiliate) by 1931. On October 18, 1931, Blue Network programming was introduced along the NBC Gold Network, which broadcast from San Francisco's KPO. In 1936 the Orange Network name was dropped and affiliate stations became part of the Red Network. The Gold Network adopted the Blue Network name.
In a major move in 1931, RCA signed crucial leases with the new Rockefeller Center management that resulted in it becoming the lead tenant of what was to become in 1933 its corporate headquarters, the RCA Building, at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Under the terms of the lease arrangement, this included studios for NBC and theaters for the RCA-owned RKO Pictures. The deal was arranged through the Center's founder and financier, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., with the chairman of GE, Owen D. Young, and the president of RCA, David Sarnoff.
In 1987 NBC sold its remaining radio network operations to Westwood One, which continued using NBC identification for some of its programming until 2014. Beginning in 2016, NBC Radio News has been distributed in conjunction with iHeartMedia.
Elvis outside the Lamar-Airways Shopping Mall in Memphis 1954
➦In 1954...Young Elvis Presley performed at the opening of Lamar-Airways shopping mall in Memphis, and met audience member Johnny Cash for the first time. In November 1954, Presley performed on Louisiana Hayride—the Opry's chief, and more adventurous, rival. The Shreveport-based show was broadcast to 198 radio stations in 28 states.
➦In 1956...Elvis made the first of three appearances on Ed Sullivan's CBS show. (Sullivan had previously announced he would never have such an act on, but ratings prevailed and Sullivan offered Elvis a record $50,000 for the three shows.) With actor Charles Laughton filling in for an ailing Sullivan. Elvis performed "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me Tender," "Ready Teddy," and "Hound Dog." A record 54 million viewers -- nearly 83 percent of the nation's sets! -- were tuned-in.
➦In 1958...Stereo records and phonographs were introduced.
➦In 1965...The Hollywood Reporter printed an advertisement looking for ‘Madness rock & roll musicians, singers wanted for acting roles in new TV show. Parts for 4 insane boys.’ From the ad, The Monkees were born.
➦In 1974...George Michael aired first show at 77WABC..
Variety, The Associated Press and other platforms have been fooled.
In a classic Howard Stern move, the radio legend pulled off an elaborate prank on Monday morning, faking the end of his 20-year SiriusXM run before revealing a freshly signed contract extension to keep The Howard Stern Show on air.
The 71-year-old "King of All Media" orchestrated a theatrical stunt on his flagship Howard 100 channel, with Bravo host Andy Cohen playing the flustered fall guy in a staged takeover that briefly rebranded the channel as "Andy 100."
The bit, dripping with Stern's signature chaos, capped months of speculation about his future and reaffirmed his knack for turning rumors into ratings gold.
The Prank Heard 'Round the Airwaves
At 6 a.m. ET, SiriusXM listeners tuning into Howard 100 expecting Stern’s return after a summer hiatus were thrown for a loop when Andy Cohen, 57, host of Watch What Happens Live and SiriusXM’s Radio Andy, took the mic. With mock nerves, Cohen announced, “I know you’re expecting a big announcement from Howard, and this is not how things were meant to go. This was supposed to be a cleaner handoff. I’m kind of winging it.”
Calling it a “surreal morning,” he declared the channel would now be “Andy 100,” adding with a laugh that he “can’t possibly fill [Stern’s] void” but was sure the radio titan would “land another job soon.”The ruse lasted about 20 minutes until Stern himself hit the airwaves, cackling as he thanked Cohen for playing along in what he revealed was a scripted stunt to toy with fans and media alike.
“We got you good, didn’t we?” Stern reportedly quipped, confirming he’d signed a new deal with SiriusXM, though specific terms—duration, salary, or scope—weren’t disclosed.
Insiders suggest the contract may involve a lighter schedule or expanded archive access, balancing Stern’s hints at retirement with his enduring draw. Social media lit up, with X users praising the “genius troll” while others groaned at falling for it, posting clips of Cohen’s deadpan delivery and memes of Stern’s sidekick Gary “Baba Booey” Dell’Abate dodging the “cancellation” bullet.
Milking the Rumors: From Speculation to Showmanship
The skit was a masterclass in Stern’s ability to spin drama into buzz. For months, tabloids like The U.S. Sun and RadarOnline fueled speculation that Stern’s $500 million, five-year contract (signed in 2020, roughly $100 million annually) wouldn’t renew, citing SiriusXM’s budget concerns and Stern’s shrinking listenership—down to an estimated 125,000 daily from millions in his ‘90s heyday.
Rather than squash the summer rumors, Stern leaned in, teasing last month that he’d address his future on September 2. He delayed the return twice, hyping the reveal with promos like “Fired? Retiring? Canceled? Bye-Bye Booey?”
The Cohen bit was the payoff, a nod to SiriusXM’s push for younger talent like Alex Cooper (Call Her Daddy, $60 million deal) and Conan O’Brien, while poking fun at reports of Cohen “usurping” Stern’s throne. Cohen, a Stern fan and frequent guest (last in March 2025), was the perfect accomplice, his Bravo charisma amplifying the gag.
Howard Stern's tenure began in January 2006 after his high-profile jump from terrestrial radio, has indeed been a landmark 20-year partnership that's now reaching its contractual conclusion at the end of 2025.
Stern, now 71, has long hinted at retirement, but insiders and executives suggest SiriusXM is actively working to retain him or at least his vast content library.
Stern revolutionized radio in the 1980s and '90s as the "King of All Media" with his syndicated The Howard Stern Show on stations like WNBC and WXRK (K-Rock) in New York. Known for boundary-pushing humor, celebrity interviews, and FCC fines totaling over $2 million for indecency, he built a massive following but clashed with broadcast regulations. In 2004, he signed a groundbreaking $500 million, five-year deal with Sirius Satellite Radio (now SiriusXM), which offered uncensored content and helped the fledgling service grow from about 600,000 subscribers to nearly 35 million today.
His move was pivotal: Analysts estimated that 15% of SiriusXM subscribers (potentially 2.7 million at the time) tuned in primarily for Stern.
Over two decades, Stern evolved from shock jock to acclaimed interviewer, hosting A-listers like Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, and even political figures like Kamala Harris in 2024. His show airs on SiriusXM's Howard 100 channel, with replays and archives on Howard 101.
Workers at all stages of their careers — from job hunters to job havers — are increasingly anxious about the lightning-fast deployment of AI.
And as artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly reshapes the labor landscape by automating tasks once performed by humans, the radio industry faces significant disruption. A 2025 study by AI automation firm Linkee, analyzing marketing careers’ vulnerability to automation, identifies three critical radio industry roles—copywriters, advertising sales agents, and promotions managers—as among the most at risk.
This transformation, coupled with broader economic shifts and early signs of unease within the industry, signals a challenging future for traditional radio roles.
Here is an expanded analysis of these findings, their implications, and the broader context of AI’s impact on radio, incorporating insights from recent industry trends.
Vulnerable Roles in Radio
Copywriters:
Automation Risk: Linkee’s study assigns copywriters the highest vulnerability, with an 85% chance of AI replacement and a projected job growth rate of –3.4%. This results in an overall risk score of 90, the highest among marketing roles.
Why at Risk?: AI tools like ChatGPT and other natural language processing systems can generate ad copy, scripts, and promotional content rapidly, often matching or surpassing human creativity in speed and cost-efficiency. These tools analyze data to tailor content for specific audiences, reducing the need for human copywriters. For example, AI can produce spec spots or full scripts in minutes, as noted in a 2024 Radio World report.
Impact on Radio: Copywriters are vital for crafting engaging ads and station promos. Their displacement could lower costs but risks diminishing the human touch that resonates with local audiences, a concern raised by Dr. Jennifer Hayden Stokes of Kinship Radio Network, who noted AI’s potential to erode community voices.
Advertising Sales Agents:
Automation Risk: Ranked third most vulnerable, these agents—who solicit ads for radio, TV, publications, and digital platforms—face a 57% AI replacement risk and a –6.6% growth rate, yielding a risk score of 74.
Why at Risk?: AI-driven ad platforms are revolutionizing media buying and selling. Automated systems streamline ad placement, optimize targeting using real-time data, and reduce reliance on human negotiation. Haivision’s 2025 Broadcast Transformation Report notes that 25% of broadcasters already use AI in workflows, with 41% planning adoption within two years, signaling a shift toward automated ad processes.
Impact on Radio: Radio ad revenue, projected at $12.3 billion in 2025, is the fifth-largest advertising medium, with digital radio seeing growth in sectors like finance and restaurants. Automation threatens agents’ roles but could enhance efficiency, allowing stations to focus on digital ad strategies targeting Gen Z and other growing demographics.
Promotions Managers:
Automation Risk: These managers face a 52% replacement rate and a –4% growth rate, resulting in a risk score of 66.
Why at Risk?: AI can automate promotional campaign planning, scheduling, and audience engagement analytics. Tools like AI-generated playlists and real-time mood-based content adjustments, as highlighted by Radioactive Media, reduce the need for human oversight in promotions.
Impact on Radio: Promotions managers drive listener engagement through contests, events, and branding. AI’s ability to personalize content and manage campaigns could streamline operations but may lack the emotional intelligence and creativity that human managers bring, a point emphasized in a LinkedIn analysis of AI’s impact on media roles.
Officials with the Charlotte Area Transit System released surveillance video Friday of a deadly stabbing on the light rail. The video shows how quickly the random attack unfolded on Aug. 22 and how passengers rushed to help the victim, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska.
WSOC Channel 9 was one of multiple news outlets to request this video with the purpose of better understanding the timeline shared by authorities in the days after the attack.
Decarlos Brown stabbed Zarutska to death that Friday night, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and CATS. Brown was seen wearing a red-orange sweatshirt on the train that was going to the East/West Boulevard Station, which had a lot of people on it.
Zarutska was living in Charlotte after fleeing the war in Ukraine. She boarded the train and sat in an aisle seat in the row in front of him while Brown sat at the window.
She was wearing headphones, and the two had no interaction, whatsoever. She was scrolling on her phone the entire ride.
Brown showed little to no emotion on the ride and rested his head on the window. CATS had said before that he looked like any other transit rider. About a minute before the fatal stabbing, there was shift in his behavior. Brown started to fidget with his hand and his eyes widened.
He actually rested his head on the glass just seconds before he took a knife out of his pocket, stood up and immediately stabbed Iryna Zarutska.
In Zarutska’s final moments, an angle shows Brown slowly walking toward the front of the train.
A man ran to tell the light rail operator what happened and to stop. About 2 minutes and 5 seconds later when the train came to a stop at the East/West station, Brown stepped off the train. CMPD arrested him on the platform.
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) took place on Sunday at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. Hosted by rapper and actor LL Cool J in his second year as emcee.
The ceremony marked several historic firsts: it aired live on CBS for the first time (alongside MTV and streaming on Paramount+), introduced two new fan-voted categories (Best Country and Best Pop Artist), and honored music legends with special awards. The event celebrated music videos and songs released between June 20, 2024, and June 18, 2025, blending high-energy performances, nostalgic tributes, and fan-driven voting.
The show kicked off with a performance by Doja Cat and featured a star-studded lineup including Sabrina Carpenter (debuting her new single "Tears" with a drag queen entourage and trans rights advocacy), Post Malone (performing from Germany on his tour), Tate McRae, sombr, Alex Warren, J Balvin ft. DJ Snake, Conan Gray, and Jelly Roll.
Special honorees Mariah Carey (Video Vanguard Award, her first VMA ever), Busta Rhymes (inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award), and Ricky Martin (inaugural Latin Icon Award) delivered career-spanning medleys. A poignant tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne included Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, YUNGBLUD, and Nuno Bettencourt performing Black Sabbath hits.
The Late Show, Stephen Colbert last Thursday dedicated the final eight minutes to highlighting the importance of public radio, interviewing NPR president and CEO Katherine Maher about the severe impact of federal funding cuts that threaten to close dozens of local stations.
In July, Congress slashed $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports NPR and PBS, as part of Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” The CPB is slated to shut down in October, endangering many public radio stations. Maher estimated that 70 to 80 of NPR’s 246 member stations, which reach 99.7% of the U.S., could cease operations.
Maher warned that these closures would exacerbate the decline of local news, noting that one in five Americans already lacks access to local news sources. “When you take away local public radio, you’re undercutting our ability to trust one another… and the very institution of democracy itself,” she said.
While NPR’s national programs like Morning Edition and All Things Considered rely on federal funding for only about 1% of their budgets, local programming will bear the brunt of the cuts. Colbert and Maher highlighted shows like South Carolina’s Walter Edgar’s Journal, Vermont Public Radio’s But Why?, and Cincinnati’s Backed Up, a plumbing-focused program, as well as Utah’s lost dog reports and Alaska’s community classifieds, which foster local connections.
Maher emphasized the irony of funding cuts from those advocating “old-fashioned values,” saying, “This is old-fashioned community connection.” Colbert concluded by thanking Maher for her efforts to preserve public airwaves.
Labor Day Weekend the "Trump is dead" rumor, was fueled by left-wing influencers, which spiraled from two minor details into a viral conspiracy.
It began with photos of Trump showing swollen ankles and a hand bruise, followed by a July 17 White House statement confirming he had chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition, but was in "excellent health."
Next, a misquoted August 27 interview with Vice President J.D. Vance went viral. Asked if he was ready to assume the presidency, Vance replied, “If, God forbid, there's a terrible tragedy, I can't think of better on-the-job training than what I've gotten over the last 200 days.”
John Glanz
Finally, Trump’s uncharacteristic silence after a three-hour cabinet meeting on August 26 added fuel.
Social media activity surged.
On August 28, after two days without a Trump appearance, “Trump is dead” appeared 915 times across X, Reddit, YouTube, and Bluesky, with 489,822 engagements (likes, shares, comments). By September 3, mentions skyrocketed to 8,971, with 3,752,585 engagements, per Rolli IQ.
The most viral post, garnering 13.9 million views on X, was by John Ganz, author of When the Clock Broke) on August 30, stating, "Trump is dead. He died on Wednesday."
Ganz explained the post was a spontaneous “s***post” prompted by a Mets game blackout. He tweeted about Trump’s absence, found it amusing when friends liked it, and went to bed. He awoke to hundreds of thousands of likes and angry responses, surprised by the post’s impact.
The music industry is poised for a golden decade, with Goldman Sachs forecasting global music revenues to soar to nearly $200 billion by 2035, effectively doubling from current levels.
This bullish outlook, driven by skyrocketing demand for streaming services, steady expansion in music publishing, and a vibrant resurgence in live performances, signals a robust recovery from the pandemic-induced slump of 2020.
With revenues projected to grow 7.7% in 2025 alone, the industry is riding a wave of consumer enthusiasm for digital platforms and concert experiences, propelled by blockbuster tours from global superstars.
Rick Davies, the visionary keyboardist, singer, and co-founder of the British rock band Supertramp, passed away on Friday at his home on Long Island, New York, at the age of 81.
His death, following a decade-long fight with multiple myeloma—a rare blood cancer affecting bone marrow and white blood cells—was confirmed by the band in a heartfelt statement on social media, marking the end of an era for one of rock's most innovative and enduring acts.
Davies, known for his raspy baritone vocals, soulful Wurlitzer piano riffs, and songwriting prowess, was the driving force behind Supertramp's evolution from a progressive rock outfit to a global pop-rock phenomenon, with hits that blended jazz, blues, and wry introspection.
Born Richard Davies on July 22, 1944, in Swindon, Wiltshire, England, to Betty (a hairdresser) and Dick Davies (a merchant navy seaman who passed away in 1973), young Rick showed an early affinity for music. At age eight, a secondhand radiogram gifted by his parents sparked his passion; he was captivated by jazz drummer Gene Krupa's "Drummin' Man," initially training on percussion before switching to keyboards and piano, where he found his true calling.
"Music was the only thing he was any good at at school," his mother once recalled.
Davies cut his teeth in the 1960s London scene, forming Rick’s Blues with a teenage Gilbert O’Sullivan (future hitmaker of "Alone Again (Naturally)") on drums, who later credited Davies as a mentor. He also played in The Joint and the Lonely Ones alongside future Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding. By 1969, after The Joint disbanded, Davies placed an ad in Melody Maker seeking musicians for a new band.
Enter Roger Hodgson, a multi-instrumentalist from a contrasting privileged background. Despite their differences—Davies's working-class roots versus Hodgson's private school upbringing—they clicked instantly, co-writing nearly all of Supertramp's material. The group, initially Daddy, renamed itself Supertramp in 1970, inspired by W.H. Davies's 1908 book The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp.
After 25 years as morning hosts on Atlanta’s now-defunct Christian station Fish 104.7, Kevin Avery and Taylor Scott are moving to secular pop station Star 94. They will host a new weekday morning show from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., starting Monday, September 15.
“I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” Scott told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I need to pinch myself!” Avery added, “It’s a perfect match for us. I can’t wait to get started.”
At Fish 104.7, owned by Salem Media Group, Kevin & Taylor built a loyal following with their “good clean fun” approach, syndicated nationally in over 100 markets. They shared their Christian faith subtly, focusing on humor, personal stories, and relatability, consistently ranking in the top 5 among women aged 25-54 in Atlanta through 2024.
On New Year’s Eve, Salem sold Fish 104.7 to Educational Media Foundation, which replaced it with syndicated Christian format Air1 on February 1, leaving Kevin & Taylor jobless. With no local Christian stations available, they targeted Star 94, a station appealing to “suburban soccer moms” since 1989, now owned by Audacy.
Taylor & Kevin
Star 94 recently faced layoffs, retaining only Jenn Hobby, whose morning show was cut to two hours. In April, Emily Boldon, a seasoned radio executive, joined as brand manager to revitalize the station.
Despite minimal live talent, Star 94 ranked 11th overall and 8th among women 25-54 in July, with mornings placing 12th overall and 3rd in the target demographic.
“Since the pandemic, Star has lacked live, local programming, which dulled its connection with listeners,” Boldon said. “My goal is to restore its heritage with great music, personalities, and community focus.”
She called hiring Kevin & Taylor, a team deeply rooted in Atlanta, a “no-brainer” to compete with personality-driven shows like Q99.7’s Bert Show and B98.5’s Tad & Drex.
After a video of a woman berating a father-son duo at a baseball game in the USA went viral, social media users have been on a hunt to identify the 'Phillies Karen'. In the aftermath of the video, some speculated that the woman's name was Cheryl Richardson-Wagner, which inevitably led to users bombarding her Facebook page with messages.
As it turns out, the social media sleuths may have got it wrong this time. The woman, identified as Cheryl Richardson-Wagner was forced to put up a statement on her social media page, insisting that she was not the person who bullied the father for the home run ball.
"Ok everyone. I'm NOT the crazy Philly Mom (but I sure would love to be as thin as she is and move as fast)... and I'm a Red Sox fan," Ms Richardson-Wagner wrote, adding that she wasn't anywhere near Florida during the match.
I-D To Be Determined
Richardson-Wagner even changed her Facebook cover photo to the Boston Red Sox crest to get her point across.
"Apparently I am trending on Twitter. I wonder if I will get apologies from all of these people when the real culprit is discovered??" she responded to a friend.
What happened?
During a Major League Baseball (MLB) game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Miami Marlins on Friday (Sept 5), Harrison Bader hit a solo home run as the ball landed in the stands of the LoanDepot Park. A man quickly ran across to collect the ball and gave it to his son.
However, moments later, a woman charged at the man, grabbed his shoulders and demanded the ball back, seemingly under the belief she was entitled to it since it was closer to her seat.
We got the Phillies Karen that took a kid’s baseball in 4K
Donald Trump attended the U.S. Open for the first time in nearly a decade on Sunday, receiving a mix of boos and cheers from the crowd. Arriving less than an hour before the men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, Trump was seen clapping and waving from his suite. He briefly returned to the suite before reappearing for the national anthem, which drew further cheers and boos.
Notably, ABC cut to a commercial break when Trump was displayed on the scoreboard after the first set.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) had requested that broadcasters of the U.S. Open avoid showing protests or reactions to President Donald Trump’s attendance at the men’s singles final on Sunday, according to a memo reviewed by The Athletic.
The USTA noted that Trump would appear on tournament feeds during the pre-match ceremony, which includes the national anthem presentation, before the final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
The memo instructed broadcasters to refrain from highlighting any disruptions related to Trump’s presence, as he is expected to watch from a sponsor’s suite, with heightened security measures in place.
USTA spokesman Brendan McIntyre told The Athletic that it’s standard practice to ask broadcasters to avoid focusing on off-court disruptions.
ESPN, the primary broadcaster, declined to comment officially, but a source familiar with the network’s plans, speaking anonymously, said ESPN intends to acknowledge Trump’s presence as it typically does for notable figures at sporting events while maintaining normal coverage of the match.
This marks Trump’s first U.S. Open appearance since 2015, when he was booed during a quarterfinal match between Venus and Serena Williams. Prior to his political career, Trump was a regular attendee at the tournament.
➦In 1907...actor John 'Jack" Mather Born. (Died from heart attack at age 58 – August 16, 1966). He a radio and television actor, best known for playing The Cisco Kid on Mutual radio from 1947 to 1956. and for being the original voice of Wally Walrus.
➦In 1930...WBEN signed on in Buffalo, NY. However, its history dates to the 1920s. WBEN initially used the facility built by the Norton Laboratories organization from Boston, as part of an experiment to send voice transmissions between Niagara Falls, New York, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, as WMAK.
When WMAK was launched in 1922 it operated initially from Lockport, New York at 833 kHz. The station later moved its transmitter to North Tonawanda, New York (broadcasting at 1130 kHz there) and then landing on 900 kHz, with 1000 watts of power, as a result of General Order 40, which realigned American AM radio allocations in 1927–28. In the late 1920s WMAK was acquired by the Buffalo Broadcasting Company, based at Buffalo's Rand Building, which also controlled WGR and WKBW in Buffalo. WMAK was a charter member of the CBS Radio Network, being one of the 16 stations that aired the first CBS network program on September 18, 1927.
WMAK was closed in the spring of 1930 as federal regulators began probing concentration of media ownership in the nation's largest radio markets. Buffalo Broadcasting Company chose to retain WGR and WKBW while shutting down WMAK and another daytime-only station, WKEN in suburban Kenmore, New York.
At the same time, the Buffalo Evening News was granted a broadcast license of its own, purchased the decommissioned transmitting facility of WMAK on Shawnee Road in Martinsville (North Tonawanda, New York) and re-licensed it as WBEN.
A new studio complex was built at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in downtown Buffalo (chosen primarily for access to the live orchestra there), and served WBEN, its sister FM station and sister television station (which opened in the spring of 1948) for more than 25 years.
In 1941, the station moved to its current position on the dial, at 930 kHz, as a result of the North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA).
The station also relocated its transmitter to Grand Island at during this time, increasing full-time power to its current 5,000 watts. The Grand Island transmitter and two towers are still in use today.
➦In 1935...A singing group called the Hoboken Four, one of whose members is named Frank Sinatra, made their first national appearance, performing on WOR's radio show Major Bowes Amateur Hour.
