Canadian Media: Collette Watson EXITS Rogers Media

Collette Watson

30-year media veteran Collette Watson — a thirty-year company veteran — is stepping down as SVP of Television and Broadcast Operations at Rogers Media.

Her last day at Rogers is set for Monday, June 15. From then, Julie Adam will take on an expanded role.

Julie Adam

“Colette has been an invaluable member of the Rogers team and a driving force behind industry change,” said Jordan Banks, President of Rogers Sports & Media. “Over her 30-year career, whether it was in cable, regulatory, or media, she consistently delivered under pressure, championed what’s right, and put the company first. Faced with industry challenges, she never wavered in her commitment. She thinks big and always finds a way to win.”

Watson added, “I have seen tremendous change in the telecommunications and media industries these past three decades, and I’m so proud to have been part of the leading transformations by Rogers. There’s a great team in place, and the friendships I have made here feel more like family.”

Watson will continue in her role as President of the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC).

For Adam, the new title of SVP of TV and Radio will be made official on June 16.  RBR.com reports Adam currently oversees Rogers Sports & Media’s 56 radio stations and 2 podcast networks, including Adult Contemporary CHFI-FM, all-News CFTR-AM, Sports CJCL-AM “590 The Fan,” and Top 40 CKIS-FM “Kiss FM” in Toronto; an AM/FM combo in Halifax; a four-station cluster in Vancouver largely mirroring that of Toronto, with “Jack FM” instead of an AC; a four-station cluster in Calgary; a three-station group in Edmonton; and two FMs in Winnipeg, in addition to small markets in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.

FCC Proposes Largest-ever $225M Robo Calls Fine

The FCC on Tuesday proposed a $225 million fine, its largest ever, against two health insurance telemarketers for spamming people with 1 billion robocalls using fake phone numbers.

USAToday reports the Commission said John Spiller and Jakob Mears made the calls through two businesses. State attorneys general of Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas also sued the two men and their companies, Rising Eagle and JSquared Telecom, in federal court in Texas, where both men live, for violating the federal law governing telemarketing, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

The FCC said the robocalls offered plans from major insurers like Aetna and UnitedHealth with an automated message. If consumers pressed a button for more information, however, they were transferred to a call center that sold plans not connected to those companies. The FCC said the Missouri attorney general sued Rising Eagle’s largest client, Health Advisors of America, for telemarketing violations last year.

Over more than four months in early 2019, the FCC said, these telemarketers faked the number their calls displayed in caller ID with intent to deceive consumers; purposefully called people who are on the Do Not Call list; and called people’s mobile phones without getting permission first.

Consumers weren’t the only ones bothered. The telemarketers faked their calls to make them appear they came from other companies, which then received angry calls and were named in lawsuits from consumers. The FCC didn’t name these companies, but said one got so many calls that its phone network “became unusable.”

The fine is not a final decision. Spiller and Mears will have a chance to respond.

R.I.P.: Dick Johnson, WMAQ-TV5 Anchor, Reporter

Dick Johnson

The venerable Chicago newsman and WMAQ-Ch. 5 anchor and reporter Dick Johnson died Tuesday, the NBC station said in an afternoon broadcast.

WMAQ-Ch. 5 co-anchor Marion Brooks tearfully announced Johnson’s death at the start of the 4 p.m. newscast.

“He had every intention of returning to work," Brooks said. "Dick loved his job. He loved telling stories. He loved his co-workers. And most of all, he loved his family.”

In recent days, Johnson, 66, was being treated at a Michigan hospital for complications related to a respiratory condition, his family told the station. His death was not related to the coronavirus.

“He leaves behind his wife and three grown children, as well as his newsroom family and so many in the journalism field who have learned from him,” the station reported.

Frank Whittaker, the station manager and vice president of news, said Johnson loved being on the front lines of the big story.

“He always wanted to be part of the big story,” Whittaker said. “He was an old-school newsman. He loved the chase. He loved hunting down exclusives. He loved to write — he was an incredibly gifted writer. And he could do that on deadline, which in television was very appreciated.”


Johnson will also be remembered as a dear friend to many in the newsroom, Whittaker said.

“I can’t tell you how many people just this afternoon have said how Dick was the first one to welcome them to NBC 5 news when they first started,” Whittaker said. “He was proud to work here, and he wanted to make people feel welcome on the team.”

Johnson’s career at NBC 5 as an anchor and reporter kicked off in 2002. He last co-anchored the station’s weekend evening newscast. He previously worked for two decades at WLS-Ch. 7. Throughout his career, he was the recipient of prestigious awards including the duPont-Columbia Award and Peabody Award.

June 10 Radio History

➦In 1895...actress/singer Hattie McDaniel was born in Wichita Kansas.

In the 1910s she was a band vocalist, then began playing increasingly assertive maid roles on the big screen, culminating in the supporting-actress Oscar for her ‘Mammy’ in Gone With The Wind (1939), the first African-American to be so honored.  She played on the “Amos and Andy” and Eddie Cantor radio shows in the ’30s and ’40s, and had the title role in her own radio show “Beulah” (1947-51), which she also played on TV (1950-’52) until her death from  breast cancer Oct 2, 1952 at age 57.

➦In 1924…WTAM was the first radio station to broadcast coverage of a political convention when it covered the 1924 Republican National Convention at Cleveland's Public Auditorium from June 10–12, 1924. Graham McNamee provided coverage of the Republican National Convention from Cleveland. HE wasalso  one of the great sports broadcasters of radio’s early years.

➦In 1985...Bob Prince died of cancer at age 68 (Born - July 1, 1916). He was a radio and television sportscaster and commentator best known for his 28-year stint as the voice of the MLB Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he earned the nickname "The Gunner" and became a cultural icon in Pittsburgh.

Bob Prince

Prince was one of the most distinct and popular voices in sports broadcast history, known for his gravel voice, unabashed style and clever nicknames and phrases, which came to be known as "Gunnerisms." His unique manner influenced a number of broadcasters after him, including Pittsburgh Penguins voice Mike Lange and Pittsburgh Steelers color analyst Myron Cope.

Prince called Pirates games from 1948 to 1975, including the World Series championship years of 1960 and 1971. Nationally, Prince broadcast the 1960, 1966, and 1971 World Series and the 1965 All-Star Game for NBC, as well as the first year (1976) of ABC's Monday Night Baseball. He also broadcast at different times for other Pittsburgh-area sports teams, including Steelers football and Penguins hockey.

An Army brat, he attended many schools in Pittsburgh. An athlete himself, he lettered in swimming at the University of Pittsburgh. Prince worked for radio station WJAS, then landed a sports show on KDKA-TV. Prince joined Rosey Rowswell in the Pirates' broadcast booth as a commentator in 1948, and he was promoted to the top spot shortly after Rowswell's death in February 1955. He also broadcast Pittsburgh Steelers and Penn State football and once a Duquesne basketball game in the 1950s.

As a result of his distinct voice, knowledge of baseball, and high-profile persona, Prince was very popular among Pirates supporters. Prince was a fixture on team broadcasts for three decades on KDKA-AM, a clear channel radio station that could be heard throughout the eastern United States after sundown.

➦In 1995…Radio/TV Sportscaster Lindsey Nelson died of Parkinson's disease at age 86.

Lindsey Nelson

He spent 17 years with the New York Mets and three years with the San Francisco Giants. For 33 years Nelson covered college football, including 26 Cotton Bowls, five Sugar Bowls, four Rose Bowls, and 14 years announcing Notre Dame games. He is in 13 separate Halls of Fame. Fans remember a talented broadcaster, an expert storyteller, and a true sports enthusiast.

Nelson began his national baseball broadcast career as one of Gordon McLendon's radio announcers for the Liberty Broadcasting System, which primarily did recreations of games. After a stretch as an administrator with NBC Sports, he began doing the network's baseball broadcasts in 1957. He also broadcast college football, NBA and college basketball, and professional golf and tennis during his NBC tenure.

In 1962, he was hired as the lead broadcaster by the expansion New York Mets, and for the next 17 seasons did both radio and television with Ralph Kiner and Bob Murphy. All three were eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

➦In 2000...Radio, TV journalist Judd Rose died from a brain tumor at age 44. He rose to prominence as an investigative reporter for ABC News, where Rose spent 16 years working on shows such as Prime Time Live and Good Morning America. His first Emmy came in 1987 for covering the fall of Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, and he would go on to receive a total of four Emmy awards. He ended his career as co-anchor of the CNN program Newsstand.

His father was radio talk show host Hilly Rose. His mother was a 1940s radio actress turned award-winning NPR broadcaster, the host of Midday with Sondra Gair.

Eden McCoy is 17

HAPPY BIRTHDAY:

• Actress Alexandra Stewart (“Under the Cherry Moon”) 81. 
• Singer Shirley Alston Reeves of The Shirelles is 79. 
• Actor Jurgen Prochnow (“The English Patient,” “Das Boot”) is 79. 
• Actor Frankie Faison (“The Village,” “The Wire”) is 71. 
• Actor Andrew Stevens (“Dallas”) is 65. 
• Bassist Kim Deal of The Pixies and The Breeders is 59. 
• Singer Maxi Priest is 59. 
• Actress Gina Gershon is 58. 
• Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn is 57. 
• Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin (Smashing Pumpkins, Zwan) is 56. 
• Actress Kate Flannery (“The Office”) is 56. 
• Model-actress Elizabeth Hurley is 55. 
• Guitarist Joey Santiago of The Pixies is 55. 
• Actor Doug McKeon (“On Golden Pond”) is 54. 
• Guitarist Emma Anderson (Lush) is 53. 
• Country guitarist Brian Hofeldt of The Derailers is 53. 
• Rapper The D.O.C. is 52. 
• Singer Mike Doughty (Soul Coughing) is 50. 
• Singer JoJo of K-Ci and JoJo is 49. 
• Singer Faith Evans is 47. 
• Singer Lemisha Grinstead of 702 is 42. 
• Actor DJ Qualls (“Memphis Beat,” ″Hustle and Flow”) is 42. 
• Actor Shane West (“ER,” ″Now and Again”) is 42. 
• Country singer Lee Brice is 41. 
• Singer Hoku is 39. 
• Actress Leelee Sobieski is 38. 
• Bassist Bridget Kearney of Lake Street Dive is 35. 
• Actor Titus Makin (TV’s “The Rookie”) is 31. 
• Actor Tristin Mays (2018′s “MacGyver,” ″The Vampire Diaries”) is 30. 
• Actress Eden McCoy (“General Hospital”) is 17.

Tampa Radio: Nate Reed Promoted To Ops Dir For CMG

Nate Reed

Cox Media Group (CMG) Tampa announced today the promotion of Nate Reed to Operations Director. In his new role, Reed will be responsible for all cluster content for CMG Tampa Radio.

Reed, a 24-year radio veteran, joined CMG Tampa as Director of Branding & Programming in 2019. Prior to this, he served CMG Tulsa as Director of Radio Operations and Marketing, an integrated position overseeing all aspects of on-air content, promotions, marketing, creative services and research for CMG Tulsa Radio & TV.

“Nate is a brilliant programmer, thoughtful leader and an all-around great person,” said Keith Lawless, Vice President and Market Manager at CMG Tampa. “The entire CMG Tampa team is fortunate to have Nate leading the future of our content.”

Reed, who has a wealth of on-air and talent coaching experience, will continue as Director of Branding & Programming for WDUV 105.5 The Dove and WWRM Magic 94.9, while overseeing operations for WPOI Hot 101.5, WHPT 102.5 The Bone, and WXGL 107.3 The Eagle as well as all digital content.

“I’m grateful for the chance to lead our talented CMG Tampa professionals,” said Reed. “This team’s dedication to serving our listeners, clients and community is unmatched. Thank you to Keith Lawless and our CMG leadership for giving me the opportunity.”

May 2020 PPMs Day 1: NYC, L-A, Chicago, 9 Other Markets

Nielsen on Monday, June 8, 2020 released the first batch of May 2020 PPM data for the following markets:

  1  New York

  2  Los Angeles

  3  Chicago

  4  San Francisco


  5  Dallas-Ft. Worth

  6  Houston-Galveston

  8  Atlanta

  9  Philadelphia

 20  Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island) NY

 25  Riverside-San Bernardino CA

 37  San Jose CA

 42  Middlesex-Somerset-Union NJ

➤Note a flag from Nielsen:  Given the anomalous nature of audience behavior during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, it is Nielsen's position that future buying and planning decisions for periods that fall outside the COVID-19 crisis should not be made using COVID-19 impacted audience estimates.

Click Here to view topline numbers for subscribing Nielsen stations.

The Rundown: Thousands Pays Their Respects

Thousands of people turned out to pay their respects to George Floyd at a viewing Monday in Houston, where he grew up and lived most of his life. Among those who went to the Fountain of Praise church, where Floyd's body was in an open, gold-colored casket, were the families of other black victims in high-profile killings by police and others, including Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin. Also attending was Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who said, "George Floyd is going to change the arc of the future of the United States. . . . His life will be a living legacy about the way that America and Texas responds to this tragedy." Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden met with Floyd's family before the viewing. An attorney for Floyd's family, Ben Crump, said of the former vice president, "He listened, he heard their pain and shared in their woe. That compassion meant the world to this grieving family." Biden is also providing a video message for Floyd's funeral, which is being held today, followed by his burial.

Bail Kept at $1 Million for Chauvin: A judge on Monday kept bail at $1 million in a hearing for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on George Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes and is charged with second-degree murder in his death. The 44-year-old Chauvin said little during the hearing, in which he appeared on closed-circuit TV from prison, and didn't enter a plea, something that usually comes later in the process. The hearing was over the judge's decision to raise Chauvin's bail from $500,000 to $1 million when a second-degree murder charge was added against him last week. The previous high count had been third-degree murder.

➤DEMOCRATS PROPOSE 'TRANSFORMATIVE' POLICE OVERHAUL: After two weeks of nationwide protests in the wake of George Floyd's death, Congressional Democrats yesterday proposed a sweeping police overhaul that takes on both procedures and accountability, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying, "We cannot settle for anything less than transformative structural change." Before introducing the proposal, the Democrats held a moment of silence at Emancipation Hall in the Capitol, reading Floyd's name and those of others killed in police encounters, and knelt for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time a Minneapolis officer had his knee on Floyd's neck. Among the items in the Justice in Policing Act, it would; limit legal protections for police, including making it easier to prosecute for "reckless" misconduct and to bring damage claims in lawsuits; ban the use of choke holds; create a national database of excessive-force incidents; and limit the transfer of military equipment to police. Passing the legislation in the Republican-controlled Senate appears unlikely, but Republicans have suggested less extensive changes for policing could be possible.

The proposal comes amid calls from activists on the left to "defund the police," with those on the far end of the argument wanting to disband police departments altogether. President Trump, who met with law enforcement officials yesterday, tweeted that Democrats have, quote, "gone CRAZY!" But Democratic leaders said their proposal doesn't eliminate police, but instead sets up new standards and oversight, and a spokesman for Joe Biden, Andrew Bates, said the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, quote, "does not believe that police should be defunded." Biden's criminal justice campaign agenda includes providing more money for training, quote, "that is needed to avert tragic, unjustifiable deaths," and Bates said, "Biden supports the urgent need for reform -- including funding for public schools, summer programs, and mental health and substance abuse treatment separate from funding for policing -- so that officers can focus on the job of policing."

➤ECONOMISTS: U.S. ENTERED RECESSION IN FEBRUARY: The U.S. economy entered a recession in February as the coronavirus pandemic began to affect the country, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, which determines when recessions begin and end. The economists said that employment, income and spending peaked in February and then fell sharply due to the coronavirus shutdowns across the country, with the recession ending the longest expansion on record, nearly 11 full years of economic growth.

➤U.S., PRINCE ANDREW'S ATTORNEYS TRADE ACCUSATIONS OVER EPSTEIN PROBE: Federal prosecutors in the U.S. and attorneys for Britain's Prince Andrew traded accusations yesterday over who was to blame for Andrew not cooperating in the U.S. government's sex trafficking probe of the late Jeffrey Epstein. 

Andrew’s attorneys claimed that he'd offered three times this year to speak with U.S. investigators after being assured that he, quote, "is not and has never been a 'target' of their criminal investigations into Epstein." The attorneys said, "Unfortunately, the DOJ has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their own confidentiality rules and claiming that the Duke has offered zero cooperation." The U.S. attorney in Manhattan said soon after that Andrew has tried to, quote, "falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to cooperate" even as he repeatedly declined to schedule an interview. Attorney General William Barr told Fox News yesterday that prosecutors are not seeking to extradite Andrew. 

One of Epstein's victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, claims Epstein forced her to have sex with Andrew, which the prince has denied. In a Netflix docu-series on Epstein that come out last month, a former Epstein employee claimed he saw Andrew, quote, "grinding" on a topless girl on Epstein's private island.

➤ARMY TO CONSIDER RENAMING BASES NAMED FOR CONFEDERATE LEADERS: The U.S. Army said it will consider renaming bases named for Confederate leaders, with Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy saying he's, quote, "open" to the idea, Politico reported yesterday (June 8th). That's a reversal from the Army's previous stance. Defense Secretary Mark Esper was also reported to support considering the idea. Politico cited an Army spokesperson as saying the recent protests over the killing of George Floyd drove McCarthy's changing position on the issue. There are 10 Army bases and facilities that are named after Confederate leaders. All are in Southern states except for New York's Fort Hamilton, where two streets are named after Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

➤MLB MAKES NEW OFFER TO PLAYERS OF 76-GAME SEASON: As MLB continues to try to reach an agreement with players on a coronavirus-delayed season that would have opening day around the Fourth of July, the league has made a new proposal of a 76-game regular season, expanding the playoffs from 10 teams to as many as 16, and having players earn about 75 percent of their prorated salaries. Players have been refusing any pay cuts beyond the prorated salaries they agreed to in March.

MLB proposed an 82-game schedule on May 26th with a sliding salary scale under which star players would lose more than 77 percent of their salary this year, and rookies would lose about 53 percent. The union countered five days late with a 114-game proposal at prorated pay.

➤NBA AIMING TO START PLAYOFFS ON AUGUST 8TH: Once their coronavirus-suspended season resumes, the NBA is aiming to begin its playoffs on August 18th, with September 30th as the first day of the NBA Finals, according to a report by The Athletic. The league's Board of Governors approved a plan last week to resume the season on July 31st with a 22-team format under which teams will play an eight-game slate of games that will help determine playoff seeding. There could then be a play-in tournament for the final spot in the Eastern and Western Conferences for the postseason.

FOX News, SiriusXM Expand Broadcast Partnership

FOX News Media and SiriusXM have expanded their existing broadcast partnership, announced John Sylvester, Vice President of FOX News Audio. As a part of the new agreement, all of FOX News Podcasts’ original programming is now available to Pandora’s more than 60 million monthly users across all tiers of the service. Additionally, the platform’s daily news digest, The FOX News Rundown, now airs weekday mornings on SiriusXM’s Patriot Channel 125.

In making the announcement, Sylvester said, “We are thrilled to expand our longstanding partnership, ensuring SiriusXM and Pandora’s combined over 100 million listeners continued access to our cutting edge news coverage, as well as our best in class lifestyle and opinion programming.”

Through this new agreement, a one-hour version of The FOX News Rundown now airs on SiriusXM Patriot Channel 125 each weekday at 5AM/ET. As FOX News Audio’s signature news and analysis podcast, the program features a team of FOX News Radio anchors and reporters, including Jacqui Heinrich, Dave Anthony, Lisa Brady, Jessica Rosenthal and Chris Foster, as they break down the day’s top headlines, present interviews with key newsmakers and provide insights from FOX News reporters stationed around the globe.

Featuring a catalogue of more than 20 original FOX News Podcasts, the expanded partnership also includes popular podcasts such as the FOX News Radio Newscast, the FOX Business Hourly Report and I’ll Tell You What, hosted by The Daily Briefing and The Five’s Dana Perino and FOX News politics editor Chris Stirewalt. The agreement also makes FOX News Radio’s three nationally syndicated talk shows, The Brian Kilmeade Show, FOX Across America with Jimmy Failla and The Guy Benson Show available to Pandora listeners. This builds upon the streaming platform’s existing portfolio of FOX News programming, including the audio of FOX News Channel’s (FNC) top-rated shows, such as The Five, Special Report with Bret Baier, The Story with Martha MacCallum, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Hannity, The Ingraham Angle and FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream.

Reaching over 36 million listeners across more than 1,500 affiliated stations throughout the country, FOX News Audio is a rapidly growing division of FOX News Media. Per Podtrac analysis, FOX News Podcasts rank among the top 20 podcasts networks in the United States, based on average monthly downloads. In addition, in April 2020, the platform experienced a 60 percent increase in total downloads from the previous year.

Also of note:

Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is offering $1 billion in 10-year bonds to redeem outstanding debt, according to an announcement from the company. Sirius XM noted that the coronavirus pandemic has "adversely impacted" its business, with its Pandora streaming service in particular losing advertisers during the course of stay-at-home orders.

Beasley Media Launches Small Business Ad Grant Program

Beasley Media Group Philadelphia has details for the Beasley Small Business Advertising Grant Program presented by PECO. The company will be giving away $250,000 in advertising grants to businesses located in the Philadelphia Metropolitan market.

92.5 WXTU-FM, 93.3 WMMR-FM, 95.7 BEN-FM, 97.5 The Fanatic and 102.9 WMGK-FM will all participate in the initiative to help support local businesses, which will take place from June 8th – June 21st. A total of five $10,000 advertising grants will be awarded per station.

Interested local businesses are encouraged to submit a 300-word essay on why they should be chosen to receive the advertising grant. Consideration will be based upon the company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as community service, business culture and employee loyalty.

“Small businesses are struggling to find ways to propel their business from the COVID-19 shutdown,” said Beasley Media Group Vice President of Sales, Paul Blake. “They are the backbone of our country and of the radio industry.  It’s a privilege for us to help the community and to award $250,000 in advertising grants to worthy small businesses.”

“PECO is proud to partner with Beasley Media Group because we know that business owners are facing hardships right now,” said Mayra Bergman, PECO Vice President of Communications. “We are here to help with programs to assist business owners with energy saving solutions that can save both energy and money.”

Complete rules and application details are available at each radio station’s website.

Comcast Pledges To Spend $100M 'Fighting Injustice'

Comcast Corp. will spend $100 million over the next three years to help fight “injustice and inequality against any race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or ability,” CEO Brian Roberts told employees in a message Monday.

The dedicated funds include $75 million in cash and $25 million in media spending spread across five main focus areas:

• funding social justice organizations,
• accelerating diversity and inclusion efforts for employees,
• highlighting black voices and stories through awareness and education on the company's media outlets
• addressing digital inequities;
• and supporting small businesses.

The Philadelphia Business Journal reports Roberts first wrote to employees last weekend to express his “outrage over the far too familiar and frequent acts of violence against the black community, and to acknowledge the structural racism that fuels these injustices,” just as massive protests began to swell nationwide. His note Monday said Comcast’s leaders agree “it’s time we start putting our words into real, sustainable action.”

Brian Roberts

NBCUniversal Chief Diversity Officer Craig Robinson will spearhead the efforts alongside Roberts. All of Philadelphia-based Comcast’s divisions, Comcast Cable, NBCU and European satellite company Sky, will “create sustainable programs within their businesses,” drawing on ideas from employees.

The company will also speed up diversity and inclusion efforts for hiring, promotions and training and have “important conversations — however uncomfortable” in town halls, speaker series and mandatory anti-racism and anti-bias training. It will also provide more support to employee resource groups.

Part of the funds will also help small businesses that were impact by Covid-19 closures, and a “substantial portion” will go to businesses owned by people of color. The company’s business services and ad sales division will also offer free commercials. On the entrepreneurial side, it said it will create new programs for black business founders through its LIFT Labs program, and will increase investments in diverse founders through it venture capital am, Comcast Ventures.

“We know that Comcast alone can’t remedy this complex issue,” Roberts said. “But you have my commitment that our company will try to play an integral role in driving lasting reform. Together, we hope to help create a more equitable, just and inclusive society.”

Las Vegas Radio: Talker Kevin Wall Joins KMZQ For PM Drive

Veteran market talker Kevin Wall has joined Kemp Broadcasting's News/Talk KMZQ 670 AM for afternoons, weekdays from from 3-6pm. 

Wall makes the  move to AM670 from Silver State Broadcasting News/Talk KBET-AM. Previously, Wall worked for then CBS Radio News/Talk KXNT-AM & FM in Las Vegas for three years as afternoon host until 2014. Before that, he was with Talk KTSA-AM San Antonio, iHeartMedia News/Talk WLAC-AM Nashville and iHeartMedia News/Talk KFI-AM Los Angeles.

Executive VP Marty Basch said, "Now more than ever with what's happening in our country and locally, KMZQ will have Las Vegas' only live and local morning show with Heidi Harris, and now afternoons with Kevin Wall. It's Las Vegas radio's 'Dream Team.'"

NY Radio: WNBF’s Roger Neel Ready To Sign-Off

News Radio WNBF morning host Roger Neel announced his retirement Monday morning. Neel said he will be retiring from his full-time role and his last scheduled appearance is on Friday, June 19.

Neel first arrived at WNBF in 1978 when he was hired to be the radio voice of the Broome Dusters hockey club, according to binghamtonhomeage.com.

Since then, Neel has taken on many different roles, and has now hosted the morning news show for roughly twenty years.

From calling the Whalers 1982 Calder Cup Finals run, to the BU men’s basketball America East title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009, Neel has been a part of some memorable moments in Binghamton sports history.

However, he also talked about having to stay at the station overnight during blizzards and the major floods solely because he couldn’t get back to the station for work if he left.


Through it all though, “Rog”, as he’s fondly known, has fully embraced the Binghamton area, and the community has done the same with him.

“This is just a fabulous place, and we’re so blessed to have a community like this. I’ve been because I’ve made it my home. I came here to do pro hockey originally. Then, of course, the work with BU basketball for 22 years, and whatever other sports we’ve had. So, that’s been a great thing to be able to stay involved in things that I love, and earn a living and be a part of this area.”

After waking up at 4:00 am for so many years, Roger is excited to get some much-needed rest.

“Get some leisure time. Get back into the gym, if I can do that. I’ve been interested in that for years, I just haven’t had the time to really get back and stay into it. That’s the game plan. Spend some time with my wife and family. And also do some traveling.”

'Cigar Dave' To End Syndication Run

Creator and host “Cigar Dave” Zeplowitz announced his weekly two-hour terrestrial radio show will end June 27 , 2020, and immediately transition to daily on-demand podcast distribution.

Two daily podcasts will launch with Zeplowitz as host on July 1, 2020: The Cigar Dave
podcast for cigar connoisseur related content, and a new podcast entitled Bold Alpha for Alpha Male lifestyle related content.

Both podcasts will be integrated with a new e-commerce platform to distribute and sell male lifestyle products featured on the podcasts.

Zeplowitz stated, “The 25th Anniversary of the Cigar Dave Show is the perfect time to transition from a weekly two-hour terrestrial format to more timely daily podcasts aligned with our new e-commerce platform. As listening and shopping habits have changed dramatically, so are we. A huge Thank You to all the GM’s, PD’s and station owners for their participation in the successful 25-year run of the Cigar Dave Show. I am forever grateful”.

76% Of U-S Households Have OTT Services

New research from Parks Associates’ Over-The Top (OTT) video research, from a survey of 10,000 US broadband households fielded in March 2020, finds that 76% of US broadband households subscribed to an OTT video service in Q1 2020, while the churn rate for streaming services was 41%. Sixty-two percent of US broadband households subscribed to a traditional pay-TV service.

“The entertainment industry, like all industries, faces an unprecedented situation as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said Steve Nason, Research Director, Parks Associates. “With movie theaters closed and cinematic productions and live events cancelled or postponed, services are lacking some high-dollar content at the same time overall video consumption is accelerating. OTT services responded by adding new releases and extended free trials. As a result, OTT subscriptions have increased, while the churn has declined slightly since last year. But we will see, as lockdowns ease, if these strategies lead to sustainable growth or if the OTT industry needs to adjust again to new viewing patterns.”

“Of the 41% of households that trialed at least one OTT service, the majority (69%) adopted at least one paid subscription,” Nason said. “New trial offers can be successful in attracting new users, but as competition increases and household budgets shrink, providers will need to explore new service models, such as making a portion of content free or offering discounts to longer-commitment subscriptions.”

Parks Associates’ Consumer Perception of OTT Video examines the positives and negatives of the top OTT video services and their libraries and features from the consumer point of view.  The firm’s landmark service OTT Video Market Tracker features monthly updates on trends and market activities in the OTT video space, with comprehensive tracking of the OTT video services industry, identification and analysis of new OTT video service players, and insights into industry trends and disruption.

Albuquerque Radio: 92.3 KRST To Host Country Cares Radiothon

CUMULUS MEDIA announces that Albuquerque radio station 92.3 KRST Country will host the second annual KRST Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon benefiting the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The two-day fundraising event will be held on Thursday, June 11th, and Friday, June 12th between 7am and 7pm. KRST on-air staff including Bev, Bobby, Juan and Mandi will be live from remote locations and will join together on social media through live stream and on-air, with interviews, artist performances and much more to support the kids of St. Jude. All funds raised by the KRST Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon will go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and will support St. Jude patients and families who never receive a bill from St. Jude for the cost of treatment, travel, housing or food. 

Kirtland Federal Credit Union, JPR Gravel and American Home Furniture proudly sponsor the 2020 KRST Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon. Last year, KRST raised $102,847 for the kids of St. Jude and surpassed its projected goal within just a few hours. This year, KRST is confident that the community will come together again to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude that no child should die in the dawn of life. 

Country Cares for St. Jude Kids is the brainchild of Alabama lead singer Randy Owen and his friends in Country music who felt a deep need to give something of themselves in return for what Country has allowed them to become. Country Cares for St. Jude Kids thus was born in Country and is Country caring, becoming one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in radio history at more than $800 million raised in over 30 years. Fundraising is built around annual radiothons at some 200 Country stations across the U.S. 

To donate to the KRST Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon, please visit: stjude.org/radio/KRST or call 1-800-592-3449 on June 11th and 12th.

Survey: Consumers Feeling More Comfortable

After months of lockdowns, officials in all 50 states have given businesses the green light to reopen under certain restrictions. Even New York City, the nation’s largest hotspot for the virus, has taken the first step to reopen its local economy. But as more of the public is permitted to re-engage with activities once considered normal, not everyone is comfortable venturing out just yet.

Morning Consult is tracking consumers’ comfort level with returning to the public sphere for pastimes, such as going to the movies or to the gym, amid the ongoing threat of COVID-19. As of early June, about a quarter of U.S. adults on average say they feel safe engaging in a range of leisure activities, a share that increased from late-May.

A survey conducted June 2-5, the week before New York City began its reopening on Monday, found that more consumers feel comfortable engaging in every activity listed.

They are the most comfortable going out to eat, going shopping or going on a vacation, with at least 3 in 10 respondents saying they would feel comfortable doing each of those activities now. Traveling abroad and going to a concert are at the other end of the spectrum.

Americans with annual incomes of more than $100,000 also reported a rise in comfort with going out to eat: 39 percent said they now feel safe going to a restaurant, an increase of 9 percentage points from late May.

R.I.P.: Curtis Kay, WDHA NJ Personality

Curtis Kay

Beasley Media Group has announced legendary WDHA-FM/Dover, NJ air personality Curtis Kay has died following a three and a half year battle with lung cancer.

A beloved brother, uncle and friend, Kay was a gentle man with a kind heart who was loved by many his listeners and WDHA family. His passion for radio and desire to become a radio disc jockey began at the young age of 13, while sitting on the stoop of his family's Long Island home, listening to Dan Ingram on his small transistor radio.

The 40-year radio veteran launched his career in 1980, when Howard Stern hired him to work at WRNW in Westchester, NY. Kay eventually joined WDHA-FM within the same year, where he went on to play the best Classic Rock for WDHA's loyal listeners for nearly four decades.

"Besides being an enormous and passionate talent, Curtis was the salt of the earth," said Beasley Media New Jersey Senior VP and Regional Market Manager Dan Finn. "He was such a kind person with an incredible disposition. I'm proud to have had the honor to work with him."

"Curtis fought a brave battle with cancer for three and a half years and wanted nothing more than to be with his listeners and his station family on Horsehill Road," added WDHA Program Director Terrie Carr. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his sister and extended family. He will be greatly missed by all of us."

R.I.P.: Bonnie Pointer, Founding Member Of the Pointer Sisters

Bonnie Pointer

Bonnie Pointer, who in 1969 convinced three of her church-singing siblings to form the Pointer Sisters, which would become one of the biggest acts of the next two decades, died from cardiac arrest Monday. She was 69, according to CBS News.

Bonnie Pointer often sang lead and was an essential member of the group through its early hits including "Yes We Can Can" and "Fairytale." She would leave for a short and modest solo career in 1977 as her sisters went on to have several mega-hits without her.

Ruth, Anita, Bonnie and June, born the daughters of a minister who also had two older sons, grew up singing in his church in Oakland, California.

"The Pointer Sisters would never have happened had it not been for Bonnie," Anita Pointer said in her statement.

She convinced younger sister June to join her, and the two began doing gigs together as a duo in 1969. Eventually they'd enlist their two older sisters, who were already married with children, to join them.

The quartet brought unique fusion of funk, soul and 1940s-style jazz, scat and pop to their act, often dressing in a retro style that resembled their forerunners the Andrews Sisters.

They worked as backup singers for Taj Mahal, Boz Scaggs, Elvin Bishop and others before releasing their self-titled debut album in 1973, and the song "Yes We Can Can," a funky anthem calling for unity and tolerance, became their breakout hit.

They followed up with "That's A Plenty," which featured an eclectic mix of musical styles ranging from jazz to gospel to pop.

They even delved into country. Bonnie and Anita co-wrote the song "Fairytale" about a crumbling relationship. The song earned them a groundbreaking gig performing as a rare African American act at the Grand Ole Opry, and they would win their first Grammy, for best country vocal performance by a group.


Bonnie Pointer left the group in 1977, signing a solo deal with Motown Records.

She would have only modest solo success. Her biggest hit was "Heaven Must Have Sent You," a 1979 disco cover of an earlier Motown hit by the Elgins. It reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979.

After making three albums for Motown, she would retire from the studio, and only perform occasionally.

Her three sisters, who had nearly disbanded when she quit, instead regrouped, shed their retro image for a modern pop sound, and became one of the biggest acts of the 1980s with huge hits including "He's So Shy," "Jump (For My Love)" and "Neutron Dance."