CNN Meteorologist: Forecasters Told ‘Make It Sound...More Juicy’

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers touched off a debate about weather forecasting Sunday when he said local news directors often tell meteorologists to hype a storm to get viewers to tune in.

According to TVNewser, during a live report during Reliable Sources Sunday morning, as Myers was driving around New York City covering the blizzard, Brian Stelter asked: “Is there a different dynamic for a national broadcaster than a local one?”

Myers said: “I’ve worked at many local stations. I’ve worked in Columbus, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Oklahoma City, and news directors will always say, ‘Hey, bump up your numbers a little bit, make it sound a little more juicy.’ We don’t do that at CNN because we don’t have to, because would have to bump up everything.”

He continued: “Now. Yes, there are places across the country, that say ‘make this sound a little bit better.’ But clearly we don’t do it nationally.”

Cincy Radio: Best Wishes To WLW's Scott Sloan

Scott Sloan

WLW 700 AM radio personality Scott Sloan is on the mend at home after unexpected consequences from routine back surgery landed him in intensive care.

According to Sloan's Facebook profile, he had surgery Jan. 7 to fuse two vertebrae and relieve 16 years of bulging disc pain. The spinal fusion was successful with no drainage from the wounds.

By Jan. 9, however, inflammation of the colon caused by the bacteria C. diff. (Clostridium difficile) forced Sloan into the ICU at UC Health West Chester Hospital.

"In 24 hours, I went from everything being fine to my blood pressure going down into the 50s over 40s, fever spiking to 103 degrees -- started having tremors and seizures because of that," Sloan told WCPO News9.

Doctors at the hospital called C. diff. the "cholera of our time," as it causes diarrhea and serious intestinal conditions and is easily transmitted.

Healthy individuals typically have enough good bacteria in the intestinal tract to ward off infection, but if they are depleted (as they were in Sloan's case due to antibiotics he took in early January against a sinus infection), the condition can quickly deteriorate.

700 WLW's radio personality Mike McConnell has been filling in for Sloan as he recovers.

R.I.P.: Weather Channel Meterologist Nicholas Wiltgen

Nicholas Wiltgen

1/26/16 3PM Update: The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office, has ruled Wiltgen's death a suicide.

Earlier Posting...

A longtime meteorologist with The Weather Channel died Sunday after crashing a Volkswagen into a parking garage at Midtown’s Colony Square Mall, the the Atlanta-based network said Monday.

The victim, identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office as 39-year-old Nicholas Wiltgen of Atlanta, was a senior digital meteorologist, said Cameron Clayton, president of product and technology at The Weather Channel.

Clayton emailed a statement to employees:

It is with a heavy heart that we have to share some very sad news - we have lost a treasured member of The Weather Channel family. Nick Wiltgen, senior digital meteorologist and integral member of our content team, died last night in a car accident. 

Nick was part of The Weather Channel family for more than 15 years. He joined Weather as a senior radio broadcast meteorologist in October 2001, where he stayed for almost 11 years, delivering on-air forecasts for our radio affiliates. He then moved to the digital side in May 2012, producing and delivering a wide range of weather- and nature-related content for our digital platforms. He was promoted to senior digital meteorologist in December 2014, where he led and supervised the digital met team. He was also a familiar face on air, appearing on The Weather Channel from time to time to discuss a story featured in a digital package. 

At The Weather Channel, there are a lot of people who love weather. And Nick was certainly one of those, but Nick really loved this job because he cared about people. No one took the mission of keeping people safe from big storms more to heart than Nick. At all hours of the night and day, he would track weather in as many as eight languages. He would work around the clock to make sure we had the latest and most accurate updates to every event. And he would fight tooth and nail to make sure we did everything we could to explain the dangers of bad weather to our viewers. 

Millions read his work every week. And were better for it. He was the beating heart of our digital weather team. And he will be deeply missed. 

Nick was not only a dedicated, passionate member of our family, his Casey Kasem long-distance dedications, his love for ‘90s pop music and encyclopedic knowledge of Nebraska – and Japan – always made the digital team laugh. He never would admit it, but we knew he spent much of his free time learning languages. He could translate international weather bulletins without Google Translate. In short, he loved his job and made us better.  

Please keep Nick’s family in your thoughts and prayers. 

—Cameron Clayton, President of Product and Technology, Neil Katz, Editor in Chief, and Patty Cox, Managing Editor

January 26 Radio History

In 1899...writer/producer Wyllis Cooper was born in Pekin Illinois. He was the creator of NBC Radio’s scary series “Lights Out.” Besides writing, producing and directing, he hosted the show from its start in 1934 to 1936, when Arch Oboler succeeded him. He also was creator/writer/producer of “Quiet, Please!” on Mutual (1947-1948 ) and ABC Radio (1948-1949), and producer/narrator of the early TV series Volume One.  He died June 29 1955 at age 56.

1936 group of breakfastclubbers "start the day with a smile, music and an extra cup of cawfee." L-R: Carl Fasshauer, Bill Short, Earl Roberts, Walter Blaufuss, Helen Jane Behlke, Don, Frank Papile, Clark Dennis, Bill Krenz and Eddie Ballantine

In 1907...bandleader Eddie Ballantine was born in Chicago. He was musical director of the Don McNeill Breakfast Club on NBC Blue/ABC Radio for almost thirty years.  When that program ended in 1968 he became a stock market reporter for a Chicago TV station.  He died Nov. 14 1995 at age 88.


In 1922...pianist Page Cavanaugh was born in Cherokee Kansas. He formed & led his own trio from 1943-1960, which was featured on NBC Radio’s Jack Paar Show in 1947.  They worked as backup to Mel Torme recordings, and also were featured repeatedly on CBS Radio’s Songs by Sinatra.  He died of kidney failure Dec. 19, 2008 at age 86.

This ad for KNOW appeared in a 1947 issue of Broadcasting

In 1932...KUT AM in Austin Texas changes call letters to KNOW 1490 AM.  Today, 1490 is Christian Talk KLGO.  KNOW for several years “was one of the best medium-market Top 40 stations anywhere…One thing that set KNOW apart from many other Top 40 stations was its dedication to news.  It had a top-flight news department that won tons of awards.  The calls live-on as KNOW-FM and are assigned to Minnesota Public Radio at 91.1 FM.


In 1947... “The Greatest Story Ever Told” began a 10-year run on ABC radio. It was the first radio program to dare to simulate the voice of Jesus Christ.




In 1969...The Beatles and Billy Preston recorded "The Long And Winding Road," a song Paul McCartney had written at his farm in Scotland the previous year, inspired by the growing tension within the group.



The Beatles re-recorded the song with different lyrics and structure on January 31 but that version (Take 18) was never issued. On April 1, 1970 at Abbey Road Studios in London, producer Phil Spector embellished the January 26 track using 18 violins, four violas, four cellos, three trumpets, three trombones, two guitars, and a choir of 14 women, completely contrary to the Beatles' stated intentions for a "real" recording when they began work on the "Get Back" project. While the released version of the song was successful, the post-production modifications by Spector angered McCartney to the point that when he made his case in court for breaking up the Beatles as a legal entity, he cited the treatment of "The Long and Winding Road" as one of six reasons for doing so.

Edward G./ Robinson

In 1973...actor & movie star Edward G Robinson died of bladder cancer at age 79.   Rising to stardom in Warner Bros. movies of the 30’s, his most important broadcast credit was the lead role of crusading newspaperman Steve Wilson in CBS radio’s “Big Town” for 5 years beginning in 1937.

In 1975...NBC’s “Monitor” broadcast for the last time (John Bartholomew Tucker host, right). Monitor spent its last 12 hours looking back on its 20-year history (approximately 20,000-plus hours) with hosts Big Wilson and John Bartholomew Tucker. Many clips were played, including Dave Garroway's interview with Marilyn Monroe on the show's first day, Frank McGee's talk with Martin Luther King Jr. in the early 1960s, Bob and Ray spoofing "Miss Monitor" and reporter Helen Hall riding on a roller-coaster.

On January 26, Big Wilson (left) hosted from noon to 3pm while Tucker hosted from 3-6pm. The program's last guest was Hugh Downs, who talked about his earlier days on Monitor with Tucker. During the show's final minutes Sammy Cahn sang about the show's history ("Monitor: It's Been a Long, Long Time"), followed by Tucker thanking the viewers and staff, after which he said his last farewell. The final sound heard on Monitor was of the "Beacon", followed by the NBC chimes at 5:58:50pm.

 Click Here for Monitor's final six hours.



On June 12, 1955, the NBC Radio Network inaugurated an innovative new program called "Monitor". On the following Saturday, June 18, "Monitor" began broadcasting 40 consecutive hours each weekend, from 8:00 AM on Saturday to midnight on Sunday. The show aired from a mammoth NBC studio in New York City called Radio Central, created especially for the program, on the fifth floor of the RCA Building in midtown Manhattan.

"Monitor" offered a mix of news, sports, comedy, variety, music, celebrity interviews, and other short segments.

Click Here for the History of Monitor




In 2007...Former disc jockey (KFXM-San Bernardino, California)/ recording artist/songwriter (The Three Stars)/record producer/promoter Tommy Donaldson, who recorded his Buddy Holly-Ritchie Valens-Big Bopper tribute as Tommy Dee, died at age 73.

Bob Green and Anita Bryant at a 1977 press conference in Des Moines, Iowa, where she was famously "pied" on camera by a gay-rights activist.

In 2012...Former disc jockey (WINZ-Miami) Bob Green, who was married to singer Anita Bryant (1960-1980) and managed her career as an entertainer and Florida citrus spokeswoman, then led her into anti-gay activism which ultimately destroyed their careers and marriage, was found dead at the age of 80.

San Diego Radio: KFMB Stations Promote Garett Michaels

Garett Michaels

Garett Michaels has been appointed Director Of Rock Programming, overseeing the rock formats of Alternative XETRA 91.1 FM 91X and Classic Rock KFMB 100.7 FM in San Diego.

He will continue his duties as Program Director  of 100.7 KFM-BFM, as well as his afternoon air shift on the station. The move will allow Michaels to oversee 91X and once again team up with 91X PD Michael Halloran.

“Given Garett's expertise in many genres and eras of rock, his personal success in Alternative, and his prior achievements teamed up with Halloran, he is the optimal person for the job,” said San Diego Local VP/GM Gregg Wolfson. “Garett along with Joe Lindsay, Director Of Operations And Programming SDLocal, form a dynamic programming team to lead the five-station cluster.”

Michaels said, “I’m excited to expand my role with SDLocal. KFM-BFM is rocking again and 91X is one of the most iconic Alternative brands in radio. It’s an honor to be on the collaborative team charged with crafting the strategy and vision. Yes, Halloran and I have unfinished business to do in San Diego, it’s about time we put the band back together. Let’s rock!”

SVP/Operations Tom Schurr OUT At Cumulus Media

Tom Schurr

Longtime broadcasting exec Tom Schurr will now be able to spend more time with his family.   The abrasive Schurr reportedly had a confronation Thursday with new Cumulus CEO Mary Berner. Guess who lost.

He was hired as SVP/Operations in March 2015, reporting to Lew Dickey, then-President and CEO at Cumulus.

In his position with Cumulus, Schurr iversaw Cumulus station operations in multiple U.S. markets, including Dallas and Houston, along with additional market responsibilities.

Schurr was previously President of Operations for Clear Channel/iHeart Media, with direct responsibility for all major market operations across the U.S. While at Clear Channel/iHeart Media, Schurr managed markets including Houston and Dallas, and as a regional operations executive over the South East and East Regions, was responsible for the oversight of 100 markets and 500 stations. Prior to that, he held Vice President/Market Manager posts in Houston and Louisville, KY, for Jacor Communications, and was Vice President/Market Manager for Citicasters in Sacramento.

Houston Radio: Piolin Lands on 104.5 FM

Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo

Latino Broadcasting Corporation (LBC), a radio company serving the Houston Hispanic market, announced today that famous radio personality, Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, and his national syndicated Spanish language morning radio show, El Show de Piolin, will join the Monday through Friday on-air lineup on Translator K283CH 104.5 FM La Mejor via KTBZ 94.5 FM HD2 (100 Kw).

The show will air live from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon and makes its Houston debut today.

Eddie Sotelo - known as “Piolin” - is the most widely recognized personality in Spanish radio.

“Piolin's return to the FM frequency has been eagerly awaited in the Houston market,” said Omar Romero, Chief Executive Officer of Latino Broadcasting Corporation.

K283CH 104.5 FM (99 Watts) Red=Local Coverage Area

Piolin said, “I’m thrilled to be back on the FM dial in Houston and on 104.5FM “La Mejor”, Houston’s best new radio station. It’s so rewarding to be able to reach even more of the wonderful people in this great city. We’re going to shake up Houston mornings with great music, conversation and most of all, fun! Let’s get this party started!”

Top Twitter Execs Exit

(Reuters) -- Four senior Twitter executives are leaving the media company, CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted late Sunday night, the biggest leadership changes since Dorsey returned as chief executive as he struggles to revive the company's growth.

Media head Katie Jacobs Stanton, product head Kevin Weil, the head of the engineering division, Alex Roetter, and HR head Brian "Skip" Schipper will all leave the company, he said.

Addressing what he called inaccurate press rumors, Dorsey praised the four executives and said he was sad to announce their departures.

Jack Dorsey

Twitter's stock has fallen nearly 50 percent since Dorsey's return last year and is now trading below its IPO price amid concern the company has failed to significantly boost its user base despite a quicker pace of product rollouts under Dorsey.

On Sunday night Jason Toff, who heads Twitter's video streaming service, Vine, tweeted that he was also leaving Twitter to join Google to work on virtual reality. Dorsey's tweet did not mention him.

In an earnings conference call in October, Dorsey spoke about "hiring and investing in talent" and the need for "bold rethinking."

Twitter may announce other executive changes, including the recruitment of a new chief marketing officer, on Monday, according to a source familiar with the matter. The company will announce two new board members soon, the person added.

Dorsey tweeted that Chief Operating Officer Adam Bain will take on additional responsibilities as a result of the departures, including revenue-related product teams and the HR team.

Chief Technical Officer Adam Messinger will handle the engineering team, he said.

Weil, Stanton, Schipper and Roetter are among the highest-level departures in recent months, but several executives have left Twitter since co-founder Dorsey stepped in as interim CEO in July. He has since been named Twitter CEO.

Dorsey, who is also CEO of financial services technology company Square, has yet to lay out a detailed plan of what he wants Twitter to do differently. Dorsey plans a retreat with Twitter executives this week, the source said.

Weil has been at Twitter since 2009, although he has only served as its product head for about a year. He has often served as a face of the company, speaking at conferences and hinting at new developments on the site, such as a character count that would exceed the current 140-character limit.

Twitter has shuffled through three product heads since 2014, and Dorsey has played an increasingly large role in product development.

Stanton joined the company in 2010 and was tasked with growing its audience outside the United States. She previously worked at Google Inc and Yahoo Inc as well as the White House and State Department.

Twitter, which has just over 300 million users, had its slowest user growth in 2015 and was eclipsed by photo-sharing app Instagram, owned by Facebook Inc, which surpassed 400 million users last year.

Since his return, Dorsey has launched Moments, a product developed by Weil, which showcases Twitter's best tweets and content, laid off 300 workers and hired former Google executive Omid Kordestani as executive chairman.

The news of the executive departures was first reported by the technology news site Re/Code.

Re/Code also reported on expected board changes, and the New York Times reported the company planned to name the two new board members.

(Additional reporting by Ankush Sharma in Bangalore; Editing by Stephen R. Trousdale and Edwina Gibbs)

Holiday PPMs Released for Austin, Memphis, 10 More Markets

Nielsen Friday 01/22/16 Released Holiday PPM Data for the following markets:

 35  Austin

 38  Indianapolis

 40  Raleigh-Durham

 41  Milwaukee-Racine WI

 43  Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket RI

 44  Nashville

 45  Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News

 46  Greensboro-Winston-Salem- High Point NC

 48  West Palmed Beach-Boca Raton

 49  Jacksonville FL

 51  Memphis

 52  Hartford-New Britain-Middletown CT

Click Here to view Topline numbers for subscribing Nielsen stations.

Nielsen compiles and reports audience estimates for all radio stations in its surveyed markets, subject to its minimum reporting standards. The estimates for all reported stations are available only to Nielsen Radio Market Report subscribers.
Noncommercial radio stations that are authorized users through the Radio Research Consortium and that meet minimum reporting standards will be displayed in PPM markets. Noncommercial radio stations will not be displayed in Diary markets. Please contact the Radio Research Consortium at (301) 774-6686 or RRC@rrconline.org for information about authorized users.
The subscriber list is based on information available to and processed by Nielsen at the time of publication. A subscribing station may not appear if it recently changed its call letters or band, or if it was off the air during the recent reporting period.
© 2005-2015 Nielsen Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nielsen radio audience estimates and data are federally copyrighted by and proprietary to Nielsen Inc. All Nielsen data are protected under U.S. copyright law, state misappropriation law, and other state and federal laws. Violations of Nielsen’s rights under U.S. copyright law may result in statutory damages per act of infringement and the recovery of Nielsen’s attorneys’ fees required to enforce Neilsen’s rights, in addition to other rights and remedies under other applicable laws, such as the Lanham Act.

Report: Trump Cracks Cruz’s Lock On Talk Radio

“The key talk radio thought leaders” have backed Ted Cruz in “the critical moments in this race,” said Chad Sweet, Cruz's campaign chairman, acknowledging the strategic emphasis on talk radio. “The reality is, the reach of talk radio is greater than any other medium, it’s greater than written print media, greater than television media. There is no other candidate that has had the groundswell of organic support among talk radio than Ted Cruz.”

Glenn Beck, Laura Ingrahan, Mark Lvein

But, reports Politico,  while talk hosts Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham and Glenn Beck, among others, all came to Cruz’s defense during the height of the “birther” attacks, suddenly, some of Cruz’s consistent supporters in the right-wing media are hedging their bets.

Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh, for example, has carefully straddled the divide; while giving his full-throated support to Cruz, Limbaugh has praised Trump’s tactics noting that to his broad base of support he represents “opportunity” “newness” and the "breaking out of whatever it is that's got us shackled." Laura Ingraham, a staunch Cruz defender, also initially validated Trump’s questioning of his U.S. citizenship before changing her mind and stating that the question has been resolved. But just days ago, Ingraham pointed out to her listeners Cruz’s flip flops on free trade and immigration reform.

But as conservative media personalities have had to pick a side, most are still choosing Cruz, and only some of them are tempering their tone in talking about Trump. Conservative media personality Glenn Beck on Saturday endorsed Cruz during a campaign rally in Iowa, warning against Trump’s “reality show tactics” as he became one of Cruz’s highest-profile backers to date.

"The great news is we don't live anymore in a world of three networks that have a stranglehold on information,” Cruz said Sunday, hinting at his campaign's decision to go around the mainstream media, long a target of conservative ire, during an interview on Fox News. “We have got the internet. We have got the Drudge Report. We have got talk radio. We have got social media. We've got the ability to go directly around, and directly to the people.”

Read More Now

Trump Says Kelly Should Not Moderate Debate

Donald Trump is continuing his attacks against Fox News host Megyn Kelly less than a week before she and two other Fox anchors are set to moderate the next GOP presidential primary debate.

On Saturday morning, Trump wrote on Twitter that because of Kelly's "conflict of interest," she "should not be allowed to be a moderator of the next debate."

It wasn't immediately clear what Kelly had done to earn Trump's latest attack, but she did interview National Review's editor, Rich Lowry, the night before.

The influential conservative magazine launched an all-out effort to take down Trump, who responded by trashing the "failing" magazine. During her interview with Lowry, Kelly said it was "amusing" that Trump had hailed National Review as a "true conservative voice" in April 2015.

On the same show, Kelly also interviewed Roger Stone, Trump's former political adviser, who defended the front-runner from the National Review's criticism. Washington Times columnist Charles Hurt further told Kelly that he didn't expect the National Review's attack have much of an effect on Trump's supporters.

Business Insider reached out to Fox News for comment. But it would seem unlikely that the network would consider shaking up its talent lineup for next Thursday's debate, which is also set to be moderated by Fox anchors Bret Baier and Chris Wallace.

Fox News has responded in a statement to Mediaite, saying:

“Megyn Kelly has no conflict of interest. Donald Trump is just trying to build up the audience for Thursday’s debate, for which we thank him.”

 Donald Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson toned down the Republican front-runner's fiery rhetoric on Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly on Sunday, reports Politico.

"There's no love lost between Megyn Kelly and Donald Trump after that first debate, that's been a very publicized disagreement there," Pierson said on CNN's "Reliable Sources", adding that Trump hasn't mentioned anything about skipping Thursday's GOP debate, for which Fox News is partnering with Google and YouTube. "But, I think it's going to be fine."

Report: Millennials Cause 'Seismic' Change In Retailing

The recent announcement by Walmart that the retailer will close over 100 stores is a fair gauge of the state of American retail.

Sales and earnings are down, but costs for labor are climbing. Macy's, Nordstrom, and Sears are all limping along, according to Business Insider.

Starbucks' Howard Schultz

This downturn hasn't been lost on Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. In a quarterly-earnings call on Friday, Schultz laid out his thoughts on the current and future prospects for retail business.

"I think we said three years ago publicly that we began to envision that there would be a seismic change in consumer behavior, and that seismic change was due in large part to e-commerce and smartphone shopping," said Schultz.

The threat is a growing one, since young people are starting to earn and spend more. The issue is that they're spending more online.

This is in stark contrast to Simon Property Group CEO David Simon, whose company owns 109 malls and 68 outlet centers around the US. According to Simon's comments on an earnings call in October, he expects in-person retailers to be relevant for future generations.

"Again, I think the millennials offer great opportunity for us," said Simon. "They're comfortable with the mall environment. And as their income grows and as they aged and have kids, I think they'll be loyal mall shoppers, especially given the environment we're creating."

But many studies have shown that millennials are doing a significant amount of shopping online, and younger teens, or Generation Z, are even more predisposed to e-commerce.

While Simon may not be worried, Schultz said that his company has taken drastic steps to get out in front of the change. Starbucks has invested in a strong mobile app and website to make online ordering easier.

What Auto Marketers, Dealers Need To Know About Radio

Pierre Brouvard

The auto industry had a stunning 2015. 17,470,600 new cars and trucks sold, breaking the prior record from 2000. Automotive News says the performance “marks the longest streak of annual gains since the 1920s and caps a spectacular comeback for the industry.”

In his most-recent blog Pierre Brouvard, CMO for Cumulus Media, Westwood One notes:

1. To reach new car buyers, AM/FM radio is America’s number one mass reach mobile medium.

Radio beats television 93% to 87% in adults 18+ reach. Among the crucial 18-34 Millennial target, AM/FM out reaches TV, 93% to 76%.

2.  Among consumers who visit a car dealer during the weekend auto buying “primetime,” radio is number one in reach.

According to USA TouchPoints, radio is more effective at reaching buyers who visit an auto showroom. The crucial Friday to Sunday period accounts for 80% of all dealership traffic. During this auto purchase “prime time,” radio’s 84% reach beats all media among 18- to 64-year-olds who visit an auto showroom.

Baltimore Radio: Former WBAL News Anchor Running For Mayor

Alan Walden

Alan Walden, the retired morning news anchor for Newsradio WBAL 1090 AM, is running for mayor.

Walden, who served as the news anchor on WBAL's morning show from 1988 to 1998, said last week he's filed to run as a Republican in the mayoral primary in April.

"It's something that I felt compelled to do. I've been thinking about it for several months, I've discussed it with a number of people," Walden told WBAL.

"I believe I can carry to the voters... a message that will give them the kind of hope that is required to establish the city as the great place it truly is," he said. "I am convinced that the good people of the city of Baltimore are willing to listen to a new voice with a new message."

WBAL was the last stop of a five-decade career that included time as a reporter, anchor and news director in Boston, Cleveland and New York.

A Maryland native who grew up in northern Anne Arundel County, Jackson's radio career has included stints at WCBM, Mutual Broadcasting, Metro Traffic and WVOB in Bel Air, where he worked before moving to WBAL in 1972.

R.I.P.: John Tyler, Founder of Satellite Music Networks

The founder of the Satellite Music Networks, John Tyler, passed away during the weekend.

He started SMN in 1981 was the industry's first satellite-delivered network offering syndicated formats for radio owners.  Affiliate stations, mostly in small and medium markets, could operate their stations virtually unmanned with nothing more than its existing tape-based playback equipment, a computer and a satellite hookup offering high quality air talent that they could never afford.

The concept was the presentation of live, carefully selected and rotated hit music, presented by experienced major market industry veterans over a satellite channel in real time.

SMN had some 300 affiliates within three years and when Tyler sold out to ABC in 1989, the network offered nine different formats.

SMN continues to this day via Cumulus Media's Westwood One.

R.I.P.: Media General Chairman John Stewart Bryan

John Stewart Bryan III

John Stewart Bryan III, Chairman of the Board of Media General, Inc., died in Richmond, VA yesterday.  Bryan was 77 years old. His death resulted from complications related to neck injuries sustained in a fall on January 15, 2016.

During Mr. Bryan’s more than 50-year career in the local media business, he worked as a newspaper journalist, served as Publisher of four newspapers, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond News Leader, The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Times, and rose to become Chairman, President and Chief Executive of Media General. Mr. Bryan believed strongly in a free press and was proud to call himself a “newspaperman.” He often said he “enjoyed almost every day” that he spent working in the media business.

Mr. Bryan was born in Richmond on May 4, 1938. He served on active duty as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1960 to 1962, and went to law school at the University of Virginia for one year (1962-63).

He was elected to the board of directors of Media General in 1974, vice chairman and executive vice president in 1985, and chairman, president and chief executive in July 1990. In 2005 he relinquished his duties as publisher of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and as chief executive of Media General, and continued to serve as chairman of the board.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Bryan held summer jobs in the mailing room and circulation departments of The Richmond News Leader from 1954-1957. He went to work full-time as an ad salesman for The Burlington (VT) Free Press in 1963, and as a reporter for The Tampa (FL) Times in 1965, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 1967. He covered sessions of the Florida and Virginia legislatures in 1967 and 1968. He returned to Florida as vice president of The Tribune Co. in Tampa in 1968, became executive vice president in 1971 and was named publisher of The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Times in 1976. He moved to Richmond in 1978 as president and publisher of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Richmond News Leader. Those two newspapers merged in 1992.

Media General entered the television business in 1955 when it launched WFLA-TV in Tampa, Florida, as an NBC affiliate, and the company also had radio stations in Richmond and Tampa. Richmond Newspapers, Inc. became a public company in 1966 and the company changed its name to Media General in 1969. After that, the company grew for many years through acquisition of newspapers and television stations, principally in the Southeast. Media General was an early pioneer of the digital media business and in 1994 The Tampa Tribune launched an Internet online service called Tampa Bay Online. In 2012, Media General implemented an historic transformation of its business when it sold the vast majority of its newspapers to World Media Enterprises, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. Following the sale, the company has focused on local broadcast television and digital media. In 2013, Media General combined with Young Broadcasting and increased its number of stations from 18 to 31. In 2014, Media General combined with LIN Media and increased its number of stations from 32 to 71.

R.I.P.: Longtime PA Broadcaster Dave Hanahan of WMVL

Dave Hanahan

"He was interested in the local connection radio had. He was so passionate about the community and passionate about causes such as helping others and nonprofit organizations that needed their voice to be heard. He's going to be missed terribly."

Those words shared by Joe Vilkie, owner of WMVL 101.7 FM CoolFM, about his former colleague Dave Hanahan, were echoed by many Saturday afternoon.

"Dave was just one of the genuinely nicest people in radio," said Meadville Tribune writer Keith Gushard, a former co-worker of Hanahan's. "He loved sports. He loved people. He loved being on the radio. He loved the communities he was in whether it was the Meadville area or Shenango Valley."

Hanahan's wife, Linda, shared news of Dave's death early Saturday afternoon. Dave lost his two-year battle with cancer at 12:40 p.m. at the age of 69, according to the Meadville Tribune.

Dave spent more than 45 years in the radio industry, with a good portion of that time — 17 years, to be exact — at WMGW, then WZPR. He also spent time broadcasting at 790 WPIC in the Shenango Valley.

January 25 Radio History

In 1910...actress/dancer/radio personality Portland Hoffa Image result for fred allen portland hoffa was born in Portland, Oregon.  After beginning a career in vaudeville she became known nationally as Fred Allen‘s wife and performing partner on his network radio series (1932-49).  She died of natural causes on Christmas Day 1995 at age 85.


In 1915...Alexander Graham Bell in New York spoke to his assistant (Thomas Watson) in San Francisco, inaugurating America’s first transcontinental telephone service.


In 1916...radio/TV script writer Les Crutchfield was born.  He became a prolific writer for Gunsmoke on both radio and television and wrote frequently for the CBS radio shows, Suspense, Escape, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, Romance and Fort Laramie, popular during the 1940s and 50s. He died while still quite young Oct. 6 1966 at age 50.





In 1919...Longtime Radio/TV journalist Edwin Newman was born. He died August 13, 2010 at 91.


In 1920...radio/TV announcer Image result for wyllis cooper Roy Rowan was born in Paw Paw, Michigan.  He is best remembered as the warmup guy and announcer for all of Lucille Ball’s TV shows over two decades, but is also fondly recalled as the announcer for “People Are Funny” and especially “Gunsmoke” on radio, and “I Married Joan,” “Rawhide,” “Simon and Simon,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “The Lonesome Dove” miniseries and “Dallas” on television.  He died of heart failure May 10 1998 at age 78.




In 1937...NBC Radio debuted the soap opera The Guiding Light. The longest running daytime drama in history, it moved to CBS-TV in 1952 and aired there for 57 years until the final episode on September 18, 2009.


In 1938...Blues singer Etta James was born. She died on January 20, 2012 at 73.


In 1944...a black maid named Beulah (played by a white man, Marlin Hunt) joined the “Fibber McGee and Molly” radio show for the first time. A spinoff show, “Beulah”, became a radio series in 1945.  But it didn’t last long .. Hurt died a year later.


In 1960…The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) threatened to fine any disc jockey who accepted payola – money, goods or services for playing particular records on the radio.




In 1961...President John F. Kennedy gave the first live Radio/TV presidential news conference from Washington, DC which was broadcast on radio and television.


In 1964...the Beatles reached the #1 spot on North American music charts, as their hit single, “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, grabbed the top position in “Cash Box” magazine.


In 1999…Radio and television announcer/radio newsman (WOR-New York's Jean Shepherd and Long John Nebel shows) Ted Mallie died at the age of 74.

Mallie started at WOR-Mutual Radio in New York in the mid-1940s. There he announced on such programs as John Steele, Adventurer and I Love a Mystery. He is perhaps better-known to old-time radio buffs, however, as the final announcer for The Shadow during its last two seasons (1953–1954) on the air.

Following the end of WOR's affiliation with Mutual in 1959, Mallie remained with the station as announcer, handling such duties for, and occasionally serving as newsman on, the Long John Nebel and Jean Shepherd shows. After WOR's FM outlet (now WRKS-FM) launched its progressive rock format on July 30, 1966, he even served a spell as a disc jockey for a time, due to a strike by its regular disc jockeys that lasted until October of that year.

Not long afterward, Mallie gravitated towards the station's TV outlet (now WWOR-TV), where he handled station identifications, promos, bumpers and program introductions, most notably for their long-running Million Dollar Movie and horror-movie series Fright Night. By the time Channel 9 moved its studios to Secaucus, New Jersey in 1986, three years after they transferred their city of license there, he and Phil Tonken were the last of the WOR radio announcers from the old-time radio era to still be employed at the station. His last major announcing duties for channel 9 included handling voice-overs for the children's show Steampipe Alley, and announcing for The Richard Bey Show. Mallie's announcing career at WWOR ended in 1994.