Saturday, August 2, 2014

Entercom Launches the New Q102-The Beat of the Bay


98.5 KFOX Continues to Dominate the South Bay

At 2pm Pacific time Friday, Entercom launched a new Rhythmic Hot AC radio station in the San Francisco market. The New Q102–The Beat of the Bay will be heard on KUZX 102.1 FM, while legendary Classic Rock station KFOX will deepen its connection to the South Bay, playing exclusively on the KUFX 98.5 FM.

The New Q102 introduces an exciting new format targeting adults who have outgrown the CHR format and mindset but still want a fun, active and upbeat presentation.

“This is an exciting time for Entercom San Francisco, our listeners and our advertisers,” said Steve DiNardo, Vice-President/Market Manager at Entercom San Francisco. “The New Q102 provides a unique way to reach the Bay Area’s active and engaged 25- to 44-year-old with a new kind of station for the Bay Area.”

Entercom San Francisco’s Operations Manager, Stacy Cunningham, has announced that Trevor Simpson will program The New Q102. “With a deep history in the Bay Area music scene, Trevor brings market and music expertise that will enable us to effectively launch and grow The New Q102,” Cunningham said.

KUZX 102.1 FM (33Kw) 54dBu Coverage
“We are very excited to bring an adult rhythmic-based station to the San Francisco market. The Bay Area has grown up on the best hip-hop, R&B and dance music over the last 20 years, yet those hit songs have had no current home on the radio dial. I’m proud to work with Entercom to deliver an energetic, upbeat station” said newly installed Program Director Simpson.

KUFX 98.5 FM (10Kw) 54dBu Coverage
At the same time, DiNardo announced a move to refocus 98.5 KFOX for the South Bay. “For 23 years, KFOX has defined rock radio in the South Bay. While the Bay Area has been home to many great rock stations over the years, no station has been more successful at creating an enduring listener bond in the South Bay than KFOX,” DiNardo said.

KFOX Program Director Chris Hoffman added, “98.5 KFOX will deepen its connection to the South Bay with targeted community involvement, engaged local talent and timeless, classic rock.”

Hartford Radio: Howard Stern Bids WCCC-FM Farewell

WCCC 106.9 FM spent its final hours as a rock station playing tunes and reminiscing with departed on-air talent, like Howard Stern.

"The people of Hartford were so gracious to me when I lived there, not only in terms of radio but I made a lot of personal friends," said Stern in a 17-minute telephone call to the station during the farewell broadcast. "I am very grateful for the experience I had in Hartford."

He added, "I love WCCC and I am sorry to see it stop being a rock station."

"WCCC was, in my estimation, THE rock station in Hartford," he told program director Mike Karolyi. "When I got a job doing mornings on WCCC, it was such a big moment for me. I remember walking into WCCC and thinking 'Oh my God, I have hit the big time.'"



Stern came to prominence as a morning host on WCCC in 1979 earning $250 a week.

“For a station like WCCC-FM to go away, you’re losing that old style radio where the guy here is live he’s local,” said Mike Karolyi, on-air personality and program director for the station.

On-air personalities like Karolyi, who has been with the station for 28 years, are thanked fans for their loyalty to the station.

WCCC began as an AM station in 1947, adding FM in 1959. It was originally owned by entrepreneur, businessman and Hartford jewelry giant Bill Savitt and his brother.

Past on-air personalities and supporters including Sebastian, Mike Picozzi, Jonny Promo, Craig Matthews, Amy the Tree Hugger and Steven Wayne as well as longtime on-air contributors including concert promoter Jim Koplik, joined current on-air personalities in the upbeat, and often irreverent, trip down memory lane during the final program. The five hours included interviews, stories about former owner Cy Dresner, lots of reminiscing including a round of "The Ouija Game" and a mix of the hard rock the station was best known for including "Poison Sex'' by Tool and Kid Rock's "Bawitdaba."

Marlin Broadcasting, which has owned WCCC since 1998, has sold the station for $9.5M to California-based Educational Media Foundation, whose radio stations feature contemporary Christian music.

The sale contract was in fact filed on Friday with the FCC, setting the sale price for WCCC and WCCC-FM at $9.5 million. According to NERW, EMF will also sell the 1039 Asylum Avenue studio building, with a guaranteed payout to Marlin of at least $250,000 for the property, and it will pay $86,000 a month (plus $12,000 in music licensing fees) to Marlin for carriage of K-Love programming until the sale closes.

According to The Hartford Courant, at 5:05 p.m. however, when the rock format had finished, the station switched over advertising "positive and encouraging K-Love" music and playing Matthew West's "Do Something'' as the first selection. K-Love is one of Educational Media Foundation's radio networks.

August 2, 3 In Radio History




On the 3rd in 1922...In Schenectady, New York, WGY presented "The Wolf," written by Eugene Walter, the first full-length melodrama on radio.


On the 3rd in 1958...The Billboard Hot 100 is founded


On the 3rd in 1971...ex-Beatles member Paul McCartney formed a new band called Wings.


On the 3rd in 1984...legendary Dick Biondi, joined WMJK-FM, Chicago - an oldies-formatted station.


On the 3rd in 1986...NYC Personality William B. Williams died of acute anemia and respiratory failure.

Willie B.
In 1954, the originator of the Make Believe Ballroom program in New York, Martin Block, left WNEW 1130 AM for a new job at ABC Radio. Jerry Marshall took over the show for three years, after which Williams was tapped to host the program.

He marked the broadcast as his own, using the distinctive sign-on, "Hello, world", and occasionally identifying himself as "Guilliermo B. Guilliermos" or "Wolfgang B. Wolfgang," although to listeners and friends he was known simply as "Willie B." He combined intimate knowledge of music with his personal anecdotes to create a smooth style that captivated listeners. By 1965 Billboard reported Williams was earning $105,000 a year, tops for the station at that time but slightly less than the other famous Williams, Ted, earned at his baseball peak ($125,000).



Williams developed lasting relationships with the top singers of the Great American Songbook, including Lena Horne and Nat King Cole. Early in his career, he befriended Frank Sinatra when the crooner recorded broadcasts at WNEW. On one broadcast, Williams mused that since Benny Goodman was the "King of Swing" and Duke Ellington was a duke, then Sinatra must have a title as well, suggesting "Chairman of the Board." Sinatra learned of the comment and embraced the title.   Later, when interest in standards flagged, Williams persisted in playing Sinatra's music and is credited with a key role in keeping Sinatra's career afloat. Sinatra, to whom loyalty was a key virtue, never forgot Williams and lauded him to any and all who would listen.




On the 3rd in 2007...Ron Lyons died at age 69. Lyons was a San Francisco "Good Guy" on station KEWB-AM in the 1960s (aircheck: Click Here) and also worked stints at KNBR, KFBK, KNEW, and KCBS.

Lyons was born in Asheville, North Carolina. His radio career began in 1955, when he was in high school, spinning rock 'n' roll records, his KCBS. He hit the San Francisco airwaves in 1962 after the Army drafted him and assigned him to the Presidio.

The artists he interviewed over the years included Frank Sinatra and the Beatles.


On the 3rd in 2008...Skip Caray TV and radio broadcaster died (b. 1939)


On the 3rd in 2013…Classical music announcer/narrator Lloyd Moss, who entertained listeners of WQXR-New York for 33 years during two stints (1955-1971, 1989-2006) at the station, died of Parkinson’s disease at age 86.

Lloyd Moss
Moss came to WQXR in 1954 and by his retirement on Sept. 29, 2006, was one of the longest-serving classical music hosts in the United States. Like many radio personalities of the era, he worked as a voiceover artist and actor, with various credits in television and radio during the 1970s and '80s. Moss was also known for his eclectic outside pursuits: as a children's author, editorial cartoonist, classically-trained trombonist and even a one-time model.

"He was one of the first irreverent announcers. No one did that in the '50s on WQXR," said Anne Moss, referring to the somber, serious reportorial manner of the day. "Lloyd was a segue to a more relaxed and conversational style.”

WQXR host Jeff Spurgeon said Moss's subtle deadpan style could made you sit up and listen. "My favorite example is something he tossed off one day after a cheese commercial,” said Spurgeon. “The spot ended, and Lloyd opened the mic and said, 'What a friend we have in cheeses.' And then he simply gave the weather forecast and introduced whatever piece of music came next, never even winking an eye to the audience."



Moss's interest in music began as a child in Brooklyn, where his father owned a beauty shop that played WQXR on the radio.   Starting in 1946, Moss worked as a radio announcer for stations in Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Long Island, as well as WNYC, before joining Voice of America. Because Moss had learned Japanese during his stint in Korea, he was able to get a job as a producer for the Japanese desk. That came to an end when the network moved to Washington, DC. Moss auditioned for WQXR, was hired a relief announcer in 1954, and joined the staff in June 1955.

Friday, August 1, 2014

FOX Radio, FBN Chief Kevin Magee To Depart

Kevin Magee
After 13 years with Fox, Kevin Magee is stepping down from his positions, TVNewser has learned.

Magee has been EVP of Fox Business Network since it launched nearly 7 years ago. He’s been EVP of Fox News Radio since 2005.

“It’s impossible to overstate how wonderful my stay here has been in every possible way, but mostly because I got to work with the most professional, hardest-working and smartest group of people in the business,” Magee writes in a note to staff, obtained by TVNewser.

The management structure of Fox Business is under review, we hear, and an announcement on the new team will be made in the coming weeks.

Magee joined Fox News Channel from CNBC in 2001.

"Sharknado 2" Garners 1B Twitter Impressions


“Sharknado 2: The Second One” broke the record books on Syfy, with 3.87 million viewers, 1.6 million adults 18-49 and 1.8 million adults 25-54 on Wednesday, according to Marc Berman at The Daily.

Comparably, this is now the cable net’s most-watched original movie ever; and it built from the first “Sharknado” movie (on July 11, 2013) by 183 percent in total viewers, 190 percent in adults 18-49 and 185 percent in adults 25-54.

Socially, “Sharknado 2” delivered one billion estimated impressions on Twitter, at one point holding all top 10 trending topics in the country and making it the most social movie on TV ever.




Syfy will air encore telecasts of “Sharknado 2” again this Saturday, Aug. 2 at 7 p.m. ET and Sunday, Aug. 3 at 9 p.m. ET.

Coleman Research: Demand Strong For NextRadio App


Smartphone owners are highly interested in NextRadio, the new app that allows consumers to listen to local radio stations using the FM chips already installed in their phones, according to a new national study released today by media research firm Coleman Insights and its knowDigital division.

These consumers have positive initial impressions of the app, indicate that they are highly likely to download and use it and believe it will cause them to listen to local FM radio stations more than they currently do.

The study was supported by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and completed in cooperation with Emmis Communications, which developed NextRadio and has spearheaded the radio industry’s support for its rollout.  It is based on 801 online interviews with 18- to 49-year-old smartphone owners who viewed a 90-second video explaining NextRadio’s capabilities and benefits.



The sample employed quotas to ensure that it appropriately represents the national population in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and geography and so that interviewing was split roughly equally between smartphone owners with unlimited data plans and those with metered or pre-paid plans.

Among the study’s key findings are:
  • 88% had a positive reaction to NextRadio, including 56% who described their initial reaction as “very positive”
  • 45% said they “definitely would” use NextRadio if it as installed on their smartphones; another 43% said they “probably would” use the app
  • 80% said they “probably would” or “definitely would” download NextRadio if the app was not already installed on their smartphones
  • 63% say they would listen to local FM radio more if they had NextRadio
  • 73% of those with metered or pre-paid data plans acknowledge that such plans limited their consumption of audio entertainment on their smartphones
  • Low battery and data plan usage were evaluated as the most positive of NextRadio’s benefits
  • 92% “strongly agree” or “agree” with the statement, “The NextRadio app is really cool”
“These findings line up nicely with the anecdotal evidence we’re seeing since NextRadio was launched,” said Emmis Communications founder, chairman and chief executive officer Jeff Smulyan.  “People want free, local FM radio on their smartphones and NextRadio gives them exactly what they want.”

“The qualitative research we released earlier this month made it clear that consumers liked NextRadio, but I must admit that how positive they reacted in the quantitative research exceeded my expectations,” commented Warren Kurtzman, president and chief operating officer of Coleman Insights.  “Results like these bode very well for NextRadio’s potential to impact the consumption of local FM radio.”

Twin Cities Radio: Talker Jason Lewis Quits On-Air

Jason Lewis
Conservative talk radio host Jason Lewis quit his show during the middle of his program Thursday evening, according to twincities.com.

"The Jason Lewis Show" was syndicated by the Burnsville-based Genesis Communications Network and heard in the Twin Cities on Clear Channel's KTLK 1130 AM.

"He told me two months ago he intended to retire Aug. 1," said Mike Crusham, president and market manager of CCM+E Minneapolis/St. Paul. "He decided not to go public with it until today. I think he is serious about it. I hope he is not. He is one of the best talk show hosts I have ever worked with or listened to."

A couple of hours after he quit, Lewis said via his Twitter account:


The tweet included the hashtag #GoingGalt and a link to the website galt.io.

A Jan. 30 article in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal describes galt.io as a "Libertarian tech startup" co-founded by Lewis.

Lewis spent a decade at KSTP-AM before leaving the station in 2003 for a job at WBT in Charlotte, N.C. He returned to the Twin Cities in 2006 for a job at KTLK. Lewis' show was syndicated in 2009.

Clear Channel's Crusham said the station is planning on running the "Joe Pags Show," from WOAI in San Antonio, starting next week in Lewis' KTLK time slot.

Nashville Radio: Take A Tour Of The Cumulus NASH Studios

Cumulus Media Studio Engineer Zach Harper guides the Nashville Chapter of the SBE - and the rest of us - on a tour of the NASH studios in Music City - Nashville, Tennessee.

NYC Radio: WWPR On-Air Interview Almost Results In Fight

WWPR's Breakfast Club: DJ Ency, Angela Yee, Charlamagne Tha God
Onyx, a 90s rap group, came by the Breakfast Club on WWPR 105.1 FM Power 105-1 to discuss new music but something happened that no one expected.

Charlamagne Tha God started to bring up something controversial about Brandy that was supposedly said back when they worked on her sitcom, Moesha. Fredro exploded when her name was mentioned and proceeded to bring up Charlamagne’s eye-punching incident repeatedly.

Both men went back and forth for a while and Angela Yee attempted to break up the tension and pointed out that this was “awkward.”

Once the tension simmered between the two, Charlamagne asked if they needed “five minutes.” Fredro confidently said “no” explaining that “if we needed it if would have happened already.”



R.I.P.: Former Indy Broadcaster, Gospel Singer Al Hobbs

Al Hobbs
Former Indianapolis radio host Al "The Bishop" Hobbs lost his battle with cancer Thursday.

He was 70.

Hobbs was a former broadcaster at Gospel WTLC 1310 AM and well-known in the gospel music arena as a singer, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur.

For more than 25 years, Hobbs helped grow WTLC by working as a sales manager and eventually becoming the station's general manager.

August 1 In Radio History


In 1940...WOR FM signs-on as W2XOR


In 1942…Responding to what its leaders saw as a threat from phonograph records, members of the American Federation of Musicians went on strike, but only for recording, not for live performances.



In 1960…"The average teenage girl listens to the radio two hours and thirteen minutes a day and plays records two hours and twelve minutes a day," according to a survey reported in Billboard magazine.


In 1962...NYC's WMCA 570 AM prints first “Good Guy” survey


In 1963...First stereo broadcast on WABC 95.5 FM.

In the early 1960s, WABC-FM began to program itself separately from WABC-AM. During the 1962–63 New York City newspaper strike, the station carried an news format for 17 hours daily. Two-and-a-half years before WINS launched its own around-the-clock, all-news format in April 1965, it was the first attempt at an all-news format in the New York market.


In 1964...the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" goes #1 on Radio


In 1973...DJ John R. did his last show on WLAC 1510 AM, Nashville, Tennessee after refusing to go along with a format change from R&B to Top 40. He resigned.

John R
In the mid-1950s, John R. began attracting Euro-American listeners again—young people. Teenagers listened to the programs featuring blues music and "street talk", some as an act of adolescent rebellion. Richbourg became an influential figure in the fledgling black music trade by featuring ground-breaking R&B and early rock performers like Chuck Berry and Fats Domino on his program. Later John R (real last named: Richbourg) capitalized on his reputation by becoming a manager to several artists, an occasional record producer, and later entrepreneuir in Nashville's booming studio industry. Nashville has long had a national reputation for country music. It. also has always had studio facilities devoted to soul, R&B, and gospel.

Richbourg may have gained his most enduring reputation as a pitchman who used "down-home" phrasing to ad-lib copy for advertisers. One example: Now, friends, I know you got some soul. If you didn't, you wouldn't be listenin' to ol' John R., 'cause I got me some soul. I'll tell you somethin', friends. You can really tell the world you got soul with this brand-new Swinging Soul Medallion, a jewelry pendant.

John R sold exotic or unusual products, such as baby chicks from a Pennsylvania hatchery, family Bibles, hot-rod mufflers, and so on. According Wes Smith's book, The Pied Pipers of Rock 'n' Roll: Radio Deejays of the 50s and 60s (Longstreet Press, 1989), many such products turned out to be defective and/or scams, but few irate customers ever sought action against the station or manufacturers. One legitimate sponsor was Ernie's Record Mart, owned by a record label entrepreneur who specialized in recording local Nashville R&B acts.

John R. featured artists such as James Brown, 'Baby' Washington, Otis Redding, and other popular soul acts of the 1960s. Despite the popularity of newer Euro-American performers such as Elvis Presley and The Beatles, Richbourg continued to play chiefly African-American artists. He only played mainstream pop when Ernie's Record Mart required him to do so in a commercial hour long radio show. On that nightly show titled "Ernies Record Parade", John R would announce, "now this six record special the big Blues special from Ernie's Record Mart is just two dollars ninety eight ($2.98) plus shipping and handling a total of just 3.99 from Ernie's Record Mart 179 3rd Avenue Nashville, Tennessee when you order ask for the Big Blues special or simply say offer number two, now lets dig this.." and he'd go on to the next set of offers on the Ernie's Record Parade Radio Show.


In 1981...MTV premiered. "Video Killed The Radio Star".

MTV's pre-history began in 1977, when Warner Cable (a division of Warner Communications from Warner Bros.), and an ancestor of Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment (WASEC) launched the first two-way interactive cable television system, QUBE, in Columbus, Ohio. The QUBE system offered many specialized channels. One of these specialized channels was Sight On Sound, a music channel that featured concert footage and music-oriented television programs; with the interactive QUBE service, viewers could vote for their favorite songs and artists.

The original programming format of MTV was created by media executive Robert W. Pittman, who later became president and chief executive officer (CEO) of MTV Networks. Pittman had test-driven the music format by producing and hosting a 15-minute show, Album Tracks, on New York City television station WNBC in the late 1970s.

Pittman's boss, WASEC Executive Vice President John Lack, had shepherded PopClips, a television series created by former Monkee-turned solo artist Michael Nesmith, whose attention had turned to the music video format by the late 1970s.  The inspiration for PopClips came from a similar program on New Zealand's TVNZ network, Radio with Pictures, which premiered in 1976. The concept itself had been in the works since 1966, when major record companies began supplying the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation with promotional music clips to play on the air at no charge (few artists made the long trip to New Zealand to appear live).

The first images shown on MTV were a montage of the Apollo 11 moon landing

On Saturday, August 1, 1981, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time, MTV launched with the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll," spoken by John Lack, and played over footage of the first Space Shuttle launch countdown of Columbia, which took place earlier that year, and of the launch of Apollo 11.

Those words were immediately followed by the original MTV theme song, a crunching rock tune composed by Jonathan Elias and John Petersen, playing over photos of the Apollo 11 moon landing, with the flag featuring MTV's logo changing various colors, textures, and designs. MTV producers Alan Goodman and Fred Seibert used this public domain footage as a conceit.  Seibert said they had originally planned to use Neil Armstrong's "One small step" quote, but lawyers said Armstrong owns his name and likeness, and Armstrong had refused, so the quote was replaced with a beeping sound.



The first music video shown on MTV was The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star", this was followed by the video for Pat Benatar's "You Better Run".


In 1981...WXLO 98.7 FM NYC changes call letters to WRKS


In 1988...WPIX 101.9 FM NYC changes format to jazz



In 1988…Cincinnati's WCVG-AM became the first all-Elvis radio station. The format lasted for a little more than a year.


In 1988...Rush Limbaugh goes into syndication based at flagship station 77 WABC.

Rush Limbaugh
In 1984, Limbaugh started as a regular talk show host on AM radio station KFBK in Sacramento, California, after several years of employment with the Kansas City Royals and in the music radio business, which included hosting a program at KMBZ in Kansas City. He succeeded Morton Downey, Jr. in the time slot.

Based on his work in Sacramento, Limbaugh was signed to a contract by EFM Media Management, headed by former ABC Radio executive Edward McLaughlin. Limbaugh became syndicated on August 1, 1988 through EFM and his show was drawing five million listeners after two years of syndication. Lacking a name for the network during the early years, he coined the name "EIB Network," which has remained associated with the show even after joining an actual radio network.

In 1997, EFM was acquired by Jacor Communications, a publicly traded company.  Later that year, Jacor merged with Premiere Radio Networks.  In 1999, Jacor merged with Clear Channel Communications.  Currently, Clear Channel Communications through its Premiere Radio Networks subsidiary is the syndicator for Limbaugh's radio show.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Hartford Radio: WCCC-FM Sold To EFM

A second iconic Connecticut radio station is being sold and the entire staff of Classic Rock WCCC 106.9 FM will be gone.

The staff got the word Wednesday..public announcement of the sale from Boston-based Marlin Broadcasting to Educational Media Foundation is expected to be publicly announced today or Friday.

EMF specializes in Contemporary Christian music,  including K-LOVE and Air1. EMF is based in Rocklin, California.

WCCC 106.9 FM (23 Kw) 54dBu Coverage
Staff including “Miss Klonk” and “J. Raven” were among those advised Wednesday that they were out of jobs.

Mike Karolyi
Program director and on-air personality Mike Karolyi also posted his demise on Facebook Wednesday evening writing “and then there were none,”  with dozens of followers immediately lamenting the station's sale.

The current staff promises an on-air WCCC Rememberance Friday Noon to 5.

LISTEN LIVE: Click Here.

At 5:00 Friday afternoon, Marlin Broadcasting will pull the plug on the classic rock format at WCCC-FM (106.9 Hartford), ending almost 30 years of rock on that signal.

The sale comes just weeks after another major radio station in the Hartford Area, WDRC 102.9 FM, was sold by Buckley Broadcasting  to Connoisseur Media.


Scripps, Journal Merging Broadcast Operations

  • Spinning off newspapers
  • The E.W. Scripps Company, based in Cincinnati, will own and operate television and radio stations serving 27 markets and reaching 18 percent of U.S. television households. Scripps will be the fifth-largest independent TV group in the country. 
  • Journal Media Group, a newly formed newspaper publishing entity, will be headquartered in Milwaukee and operate in 14 markets.
  • Scripps shareholders will own 69 percent of the combined broadcasting company and 59 percent of the newly formed Journal Media Group. Journal Communications shareholders will own 31 percent and 41 percent, respectively, of Scripps and Journal Media Group. Scripps shareholders also will receive a $60 million special cash dividend as part of the deal.
  • With strong balance sheets, both public companies will be well positioned to make further investments and acquisitions with expected net leverage of about 2x at closing for Scripps and no debt at Journal Media Group.
  • The transaction is expected to generate about $35 million in combined synergies, resulting in substantial long-term cost savings, and create long-term value for shareholders. 
The E.W. Scripps Company and Journal Communications have agreed to merge their broadcast operations and spin off and then merge their newspapers, creating two focused and separately traded public companies that offer long-term opportunities to create value for shareholders.

The merged broadcast and digital media company, based in Cincinnati, will retain The E.W. Scripps Company name, and the Scripps family shareholders will continue to have voting control. The company will have approximately 4,000 employees across its television, radio and digital media operations and is expected to have annual revenue of more than $800 million.

The newspaper company will be called Journal Media Group and will combine Scripps’ daily newspapers, community publications and related digital products in 13 markets with Journal Communications’ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin community publications and affiliated digital products. The company, with expected annual revenue of more than $500 million and approximately 3,600 employees, will be headquartered in Milwaukee.

The Scripps and Journal Communications boards of directors have approved the stock-for-stock transactions, which are subject to customary regulatory and shareholder approvals.

The deal is expected to close in 2015.



“In one motion, we’re creating an industry-leading local television company and a financially flexible newspaper company with the capacity and vision to help lead the evolution of their respective industries,” said Rich Boehne, chairman, president and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company, who will continue at the helm of Scripps. “Making the combinations even more appealing are the rich histories of these two organizations, both driven by a deep commitment to public service through enterprise journalism. For shareholders, this deal should unlock significant value as both companies gain efficiency, scale and more focus on the industry dynamics unique to these businesses.”

“This transaction will create two solid media businesses that will continue to serve their communities with a commitment to integrity and excellence that has been built over many years,” said Steven J. Smith, chairman and CEO of Journal Communications. “Journal’s radio and television stations will add depth and breadth to the Scripps TV group and additional expertise to its management team. The formation of the new Journal Media Group, headquartered in Milwaukee, will continue a tradition of exceptional print and digital journalism in 14 markets across the country. These companies will offer a combination of excellent local media assets and an incredible array of talent in our employees. We look to the future with great optimism and a continued sense of purpose in providing relevant, differentiated content to our local communities across the country.”

Journal Communications’ Class A and Class B shareholders will receive 0.5176 Scripps Class A Common shares and 0.1950 shares in Journal Media Group for each Journal Communications share. Scripps shareholders will receive 0.2500 shares in Journal Media Group for each Class A Common Share and each Common Voting Share they hold in Scripps.

Journal Communications shareholders will own approximately 31 percent of The E.W. Scripps Company’s total shares following the merger. Scripps shareholders will retain approximately 69 percent ownership. The Scripps family will retain its controlling interest in The E.W. Scripps Company through its ownership of Common Voting shares. Scripps shareholders will own 59 percent of the new newspaper company, Journal Media Group, and Journal Communications shareholders will own 41 percent. Journal Media Group will have one class of stock and no controlling shareholder.

Scripps shareholders of record just prior to the closing will receive a $60 million special dividend.  The transaction is expected to be tax-free to shareholders of both companies.

Scripps, Journal Merger Results In Two New Companies


The deal follows a growing trend among media players to divide newspaper and broadcast assets into separate companies, according to jsonline.com.

"Everyone wins," said Steven J. Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of Journal Communications, who will serve as the nonexecutive chairman of Journal Media.

In addition to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Journal Media will consist of all of Scripps' newspapers, including the Memphis Commercial Appeal, community publications and digital offerings. In all, the new company will operate daily newspapers in 14 markets.

The new company will have around 3,600 employees with expected annual revenue of some $500 million.

Timothy Statuberg
Journal Media will get a fresh financial start in an uncertain media world. The company's balance sheet will have $10 million in cash and no debt, while Scripps keeps substantially all of the qualified pension obligations.

Timothy E. Stautberg, who oversees Scripps' newspapers, will become CEO of Journal Media.

"I look forward to what we can build, leveraging the strengths of what we have today," Stautberg said.

Smith said everyone involved in the deal realized it was important to keep the headquarters of the new publishing company in Milwaukee.

"It's going to be a larger company than we have today with more employees than we have today," Smith said.

He added that he also was excited for the broadcast employees who currently work at Journal Communications.

"They are going to be part of a larger enterprise with even more resources to continue to serve their markets, and they'll have our people grow professionally," he said. "On both sides of this transaction we feel there is great value, great logic and a great cultural fit."

Scripps will emerge from the deal as the nation's fifth-largest independent TV group, with 34 stations. For the first time in years, it will re-enter the radio market, picking up Journal Communications' 35 stations.

All told, the company will serve 27 TV markets and reach 18% of the nation's households. Moreover, Scripps may become a key platform for political advertising with TV stations in eight battleground states: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Richard Boehne
The merged broadcast and digital company will have 4,000 employees and anticipates annual revenue of more than $800 million. Compared to its peers, Scripps will have low leverage, with about two times EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization).

"I can't think of two station groups that fit together more easily with more clear upside than when you put these two together," said Richard A. Boehne, who will remain as board chairman, president and CEO of Scripps.

The deal, already approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is expected to close in 2015. The stock-for-stock transaction is anticipated to be tax-free for the companies' shareholders, who must approve the deal.

When completed, Scripps shareholders will own 69% of the broadcasting company and 59% of Journal Media Group.

Benefits for Scripps 

The merger will create significant strategic and financial benefits for Scripps including:
  • Creating the opportunity for improving TV division margins;
  • Adding a profitable radio business;
  • Positioning the TV group in attractive markets across the country, including stations in eight important political states – Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin;
  • Extending Scripps’ position as one of the largest owners of ABC-affiliated TV stations in the country by market reach, with 15 ABC affiliates, and expanding its affiliations to all of the Big Four networks;
  • Benefitting from co-ownership of TV and radio in five markets;
  • Leveraging high-quality journalism and Scripps’ original television programming across a larger geographic footprint; and
  • Maintaining a strong balance sheet, with expected net leverage at closing estimated at about 2x, allowing plenty of capacity for additional acquisitions. 
The combination further leverages Scripps’ digital investments, adding large and attractive markets to the portfolio. The company is building and launching market-leading digital brands that serve growing digital media audiences in addition to supporting its on-air local news brands. It also recently acquired digital brands with national reach such as Newsy and DecodeDC that will benefit from the new geographic markets.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee will remain under the stewardship of The E.W. Scripps Company.

Benefits for Journal Media Group

The spinoff will create significant strategic and financial benefits for the combined newspaper operations, including:
  • Creating a powerful source of enterprise journalism and the opportunity for innovation in the industry;
  • Building upon a geographically diverse portfolio of strong local media brands in 14  attractive markets, including Naples, Fla.; Florida’s Treasure Coast; Knoxville; Memphis; and Milwaukee;
  • Leveraging best practices of each company across all functions to drive revenue growth, efficiency and cost effectiveness;
  • Increasing scale and financial flexibility, allowing Journal Media Group to navigate the ongoing transformation of the local media landscape; and
  • Establishing a solid balance sheet with $10 million of cash and no debt (Scripps is keeping substantially all qualified pension obligations).

Cumulus Strikes News Content Deal With CNN

Cumulus has announced a new Westwood One news service powered by CNN’s worldwide newsgathering resources. This new service will offer radio stations nationwide access to broadcast, breaking news, wire service and digital content provided by CNN for use on the air and on their websites.

Westwood One is the leader in news and information distribution, with 10,000 radio affiliates in the United States, and owns the patented STORQ technology that provides a local feel to syndicated content. The addition of this new service will for the first time enable local radio stations to broadcast the latest national and international news acquired by CNN but branded with their own call letters and station slogans.

Powered by CNN’s award-winning worldwide newsgathering resources and produced for local stations by the veteran news team at Westwood One, these news segments will fit seamlessly into stations’ formats and encourage more stations to air news content. As an example of how the new “white label” news format will sound on the air, Country format stations operating under the NASH brand created by Cumulus will introduce “NASH News” segments.

“Our affiliates and advertising partners know they can count on us for news and information products that reflect how people today consume content through various platforms, and this exclusive access to CNN’s newsgathering will ensure we can provide stations nationwide an unmatched array of news formats,” said Lew Dickey, CEO of Cumulus.

"People that are serious about the business of news are in business with CNN,” said Ed Stephen, Senior Vice President and General Manager for CNN Newsource. “We look forward to helping Cumulus build a world-class radio news service."

Former Record Promoter Joe Isgro Back In Court

Joe Isgro
Joe Isgro had been one of the nation's most influential record promoters, the producer of an Oscar-nominated movie, a defendant who successfully fought racketeering charges in a high-profile payola case and an admitted loan shark who shook down borrowers in ritzy Beverly Hills.

Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter,  the roller-coaster life of Isgro is taking another plunge, with new charges that he helped run a mob-linked gambling operation.

Isgro, who once helped get airplay for songs by such stars as Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson, pleaded not guilty to gambling, conspiracy and money laundering charges today in New York City. For years he has denied any connection to organized crime.

Isgro declined to comment as he left court, but his lawyer, Aaron M. Rubin, said his client "strenuously denies the charges."

Isgro, 66, had been a music-business player for decades, coming to prominence when independent promoters exerted enormous influence over what songs Americans heard on Top 40 radio. As a leading promoter, Isgro ran a company that grossed as much as $10 million a year during the 1980s.

He came under scrutiny after a 1986 NBC News story examined what it called the resurgence of payola — bribing radio station employees to play certain records, a practice that spurred congressional hearings and legislation in the 1960s. The TV report suggested promoters were winning airplay with cash and cocaine and raised the specter of Mafia involvement.

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Boston Radio: FOX Ends WEEI Ad Ban

As it turns out, Kirk Minihane's week-long suspension from WEEI 93.7 FM for comments he made about Fox Sports reporter Erin Andrews will last longer than the network's revocation of advertising from all stations owned by parent company Entercom, according to boston.com.

Friday, Fox banned its personalities from appearing on WEEI and pulled all advertising from Entercom's 100-plus stations nationwide in response to the station's initial decision not to punish Minihane.

The network was apparently appeased by WEEI's announcement later Friday -- after the ads were pulled -- that Minihane was suspended for a week. Fox informed Entercom Wednesday afternoon that the advertising, which industry sources have estimated at a little more than $1 million, would be restored.

Minihane’s suspension, which began Monday, was announced Friday night by Entercom president and chief executive officer David Field.

Entercom’s announcement of Minihane’s suspension came approximately two hours after a letter from Fox Sports president Eric Shanks to Field was obtained by Boston.com and the Boston Globe.

“The comments made by Mr. Minihane were boorish and sexist,’’ wrote Shanks. “Further, the “apology: made by Mr. Minihane was juvenile and insincere. To make matters worse, the “apology” was posted under a banner (allegedly approved by your Boston VP and Market Manager, Phil Zachary) hailing “The Triumphant Return of Kirk Minihane.”

Tulsa Radio: K-HITS Names Sid Kelly New Morning Host

Sid Kelly
Journal Communications/Tulsa has announced Sid Kelly will be its new morning host on Top40 KHTT 106.9 FM K-Hits.

He starts August 11.

"Sid’s talent really stuck out early in this process and his previous successes demonstrate the type of track record that will continue to grow K-HITS’ audience," said PD Jet Black.

"We’re very excited to get him started".

Kelly is the former host of Toledo’s 92.5 KISS-FM’s “The Morning Rush” was let go in May over a salary dispute with the radio station’s corporate owners, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment.

The 17-year radio veteran’s one-year contract came up for review and Clear Channel decided not to renew, leaving the radio host “heartbroken” and “shocked,” he told Toledo Free Press at the time. He had been with the station for three years.

KHTT 106.9FM (04Kw) 60dBu Coverage
“We are very pleased to welcome Sid to the K-HITS team,” added KHTT Operations Manager Jules Riley in the release. “His ability to connect with the audience through humor and community involvement will be a huge asset as we continue with the evolution of this heritage brand.”

“From the moment I walked the halls and saw the operation, I could tell it was the place I wanted to be,” Kelly said. “One of the goals I’ve always had was to be able to build a morning show from the ground up and work with managers who have the knowledge and faith to trust in my abilities.”

RTNDA: Women, Minorities Make Newsroom Gains

Highlights:
  • Mostly up numbers for minorities in TV
  • Record number of women TV news directors
  • Most minority numbers in radio are up

The latest RTDNA/Hofstra University Annual Survey finds the minority workforce in TV news, at 22.4%, the highest it's been in 13 years and the second highest level ever.

The minority workforce in radio rose to the highest level since in the mid-1990s.

In TV, women news directors rose to the highest percentage ever, and women in the workforce rose to the second-highest level ever.  The picture for women in radio news was more mixed.

Still, as far as minorities are concerned, the bigger picture remains unchanged.  In the last 24 years, the minority population in the U.S. has risen 11 points; but the minority workforce in TV news is up less than half that (4.6), and the minority workforce in radio is up 2.2.

The minority workforce in radio rose to the highest level since in the mid-1990s.  African American, Hispanic American and Native American all went up; Asian Americans fell.

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Chicago Radio: Joel Kelly New GSM At WKSC, WLIT

Joel Kelly
CCM+E/Chicago has announced Joel Kelly as general sales manager at two of its stations Top 40 WKSC 103.5 FM and AC WLIT 93.9 FM.

The appointment is effective immediately.

Kelly has been in the media sales business for the past 10 years. Most recently he was was local sales manager at CBS Radio-owned all-news WBBM 780 AM, one of the top 10 billing stations in the nation.

Jason Courtemanche, vice president of sales at Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Chicago, said of Kelly's appointment: "I look forward to Joel leading the sales efforts to take each station to new heights."

Steve Aoki Launches New Show on SiriusXM

Steve Aoki
Steve Aoki's Remix Rewind, hosted by Aoki, will feature the superstar DJ playing a listener-generated countdown; the songs, introduced by Aoki, will be remixes of the world's most familiar hits that receive the most votes according to subscribers.

Subscribers will have the opportunity to vote weekly for their favorite remix by going to www.siriusxm.com/remixrewind.

Steve Aoki's Remix Rewind airs Sundays at 9:00 pm ET on BPM channel 51 via satellite and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at siriusxm.com.

"SiriusXM has always been a massive supporter of my music.  We've been working together for years via my weekly mix show Aoki's House, but now we're expanding our collaboration with a new, interactive countdown show called Aoki's Remix Rundown.  I love exposing people to new music as well as giving fans a voice so this interactive voting countdown seemed like the perfect fit," said Steve Aoki.

"Steve Aoki is one of the world's most recognized, successful and talented DJs. His new show will offer listeners exclusive access to the man behind some of today's biggest hits," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM. "This addition to our massive lineup of exclusive programming in the electronic dance music world is another example of SiriusXM's commitment and leadership in one of music's most vibrant genres."

R.I.P.: MA Radio Personality Jack Peterson Passes

Jack Peterson
Jack Peterson, New Bedford, MA radio personality on WBSM-AM, died Tuesday after a brief bout with pancreatic cancer.

He was 70, according to South Coast Today.

According to WBSM's website, Peterson (born Joel Polonsky) worked in radio in Lowell before moving to WNBH 1340 in 1980, serving as a play-by-play announcer for high school sports and earning his nickname, "Captain Jack," before he started at WBSM as a newscaster in 1998 and became a "beloved staple" of the station's morning show until just before his death.

Pete Braley, brand manager and radio host at WBSM, said Peterson had been ill since early June, when he took a vacation from the radio station.

"Leading up to that he'd been feeling very fatigued," said Braley. After visiting several doctors, they discovered Peterson had a tumor, Braley said.

"He wanted to come back to work after his vacation but he had no energy. We told him not to worry about it, to relax," Braley said, adding that the staff at the time thought Peterson would returning to work. "It turned out it was cancer in his pancreas."

R.I.P.: Rock Guitarist Dick Wagner

Dick Wagner
Dick Wagner, the guitarist, songwriter and bandleader who worked with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Kiss and Aerosmith, among others, died Wednesday in Phoenix.

He was 71, according to THR.

Wagner, who also was part of the groups The Frost and Ursa Major, had been hospitalized after contracting a lung infection following heart surgery in early July. Though he had posted a Facebook message July 21 saying, "I can't wait to play for you all again one day soon" — signed "Dick'N THE ICU" — Wagner was in a medically induced coma at the time of his death from respiratory failure.

Said Cooper: "Even though we know it's inevitable, we never expect to suddenly lose close friends and collaborators. Dick Wagner and I shared as many laughs as we did hit records. He was one of a kind. He is irreplaceable. His brand of playing and writing is not seen anymore, and there are very few people that I enjoyed working with as much as I enjoyed working with Dick Wagner."

"Dick Wagner was the consummate gentleman axeman. (He) will be missed," Kiss' Gene Simmons said in a statement, noting that Wagner played the "blistering" guitar solo on the Destroyer track "Sweet Pain." Kiss frontman Paul Stanley had this to say: "Dick was a stellar player and his work with Steve Hunter on Lou Reed's Rock N Roll Animal is legendary. He also did great work with Alice Cooper and uncredited ghosting on Destroyer and albums by some of our contemporaries. A huge talent with a huge tone and huge heart. A great unsung hero."

Wagner was born in Iowa and grew up in Saginaw, Mich., where his first band, the Bossmen, garnered some national radio play for its single "Baby Boy." Its successor, The Frost, released three albums for Vanguard Records and had a minor hit with "Rock and Roll Music" and was part of a robust Michigan music scene that included the MC5, the Stooges, the Bob Seger System, the Rationals and others. Wagner relocated to New York City in 1972 to start the band Ursa Major, whose original lineup included Billy Joel on keyboards.

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R.I.P.: CT Radio Personality Samantha Stevens

Samantha Stevens
Nicole L. Loban, aka Samantha Stevens, of Naugatuck, CT died Monday from complications of cancer.

Loban began her career at KC101 in New Haven where she worked13 years, plus 96.5 TIC in Hartford, 95.9 The Fox in Norwalk, the former Kool 96.7 in Norwalk, Lite 100.5 in Farmington, and Webe 108 in Bridgeport.

She was the midday host of STAR 99.9 in Bridgeport and also served as the Program Director for over 4 years. Her Super 80’s Radio show aired online on FlashbackRadio.com along with several broadcast stations around the world.

July 31 In Radio History


In 1938...Jake Powell was suspended by the New York Yankees after saying on Chicago radio he'd "hit every colored person in Chicago over the head with a club".  After a surge of public outrage, including calls that Powell be banned for life, baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis suspended Powell for ten games. Powell also went on a walking tour of Harlem to apologize personally to fans of the Yankees.

Powell played in 31 games in 1939 and 12 games in 1940 before the Yankees sold him to the minor leagues.


In 1970…Newsman Chet Huntley retired from NBC-TV, ending the 14-year run of the popular "Huntley-Brinkley Report." The network renamed the program the "NBC Nightly News." Huntley died in 1974. Brinkley worked as co-anchor or commentator on "Nightly News" before leaving NBC for ABC in 1981. He died in 2003.



In 1977...Johnny Dark did his last show on WRKO, Boston

Johnny Dark
Johnny grew up in South Florida and went on to become one of radio’s many jocks named Johnny Dark. This one, however, started out along Florida’s west coast and was Program Director, Music Director, and jock at Sarasota’s WYND, Surf Row Radio, in 1966. After a couple years there, he wanted to get closer to home, so he took at job on the air at Top 40 WSRF 1580 AM in Ft. Lauderdale and handled the music for its then-sister station, Easy Listening/AC WSHE.

Johnny moved to another Miami outlet, WMYQ 96.3 FM, in 1972 and then on to Bartel’s legendary WOKY, The Mighty 92, in Milwaukee in 1974 as combo Music Director and afternoon drive jock. The next year he really hit the big time when he landed at Boston’s WRKO where he survived five PD’s in three and a half years before leaving for WNBC in New York in 1978.

In 1985 it was back to Beantown as Johnny segued to CBS-owned WHTT 103.3 FM. (1985 Aircheck) He also made the dream of owning his own station a reality with WHQO Oldies 108 in Skowhegan, Maine. By 1990 it was time to move back home to South Florida so he began what turned out to be 12 years doing afternoon drive for Miami’s 97.3 WFLC, South Florida’s Coast.

In 2002, Johnny's last known stop was WKIS 99.9 FM Kiss Country, in Boca Raton-Miami.


In 1981...WXLO 98.7 FM adopts the “Kiss” format

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Atlanta Radio: A-Fib Sidelines The Bert Shows' Jeff Dauler

An apparent case of atrial fibrillation, an irreular heartbeat, landed Jeff Dauler a cast member Of The Bert show in a Atlanta-area hospital.

The incident happened Tuesday afternoon after Dauler, a member of the show for 13-years, finished an afternoon run.  According to reports his heartrate quickly rose.

Chronic A-Fib can cause dizziness, weakness, and fatigue. Treatment involves medication and lifestyle changes, and sometimes procedures such as cardioversion, ablation, pacemakers, or surgery.” According WebMD, 2.7 million Americans live with it.

Dauler stayed overnight for more tests and more as a precaution but he was okay by the evening.
He said he didn’t know when Dauler would be back on air.

The Bert Show airs on WWWQ 99.9 FM Q100 and  is syndicated to some 20-stations.

Miami Radio: Paper Rejects Ad Poking Fun At LeBron James


A Miami radio program on WAXY 790 AM 104.3 FM The Ticket Tuesday attempted to buy a full-page advertisement in The Plain Dealer to poke fun at LeBron James, according to cleveland.com.

A mock-up of the advertisement posted on Twitter depicts two Miami Heat championship rings above the words "You're Welcome, LeBron." Below are the words "Sincerely, Miami Heat Fans."

Representatives of The Dan LeBatard Show called the Cleveland media outlet on Tuesday to purchase a full-page advertisement in this Sunday's edition of the newspaper, Northeast Ohio Media Group Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mike Maleski confirmed. NEOMG sales staff are responsible for ads in The Plain Dealer.

The show's request was "politely declined," Maleski said.

LeBatard acknowledged during his show, which airs on Miami radio station The Ticket, that the ad was rejected. The show would have raised the money to buy the ad space through the online crowd-funding website Kickstarter.

James, who signed a two-year, $42.1 million contract to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month, won two NBA championships and reached four NBA Finals in his four seasons with the Miami Heat.

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5 Winners Return To Help Celebrate NAB Marconi Awards

Bob and Tom
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the NAB Marconi Radio Awards, this year's celebration will feature five previous NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show hosts - Ron Chapman, Edgar "Shoboy" Sotelo, "Big Boy," and Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold of the "The Bob & Tom Show."

Ron Chapman
Together the hosts will serve as emcees and presenters throughout the evening. Sponsored by iBiquity Digital Corporation, the event will take place September 11 at the 2014 Radio Show in Indianapolis.

Also leading the festivities and serving as presenters will be NAB Radio Board Chair Don Benson of Lincoln Financial Media, Radio Show Steering Committee Chair and Cox Media Group's Kim Guthrie and NAB Joint Board Chair Charles Warfield of YMF Media LLC.

Legendary Texas radio personality and 2010 NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductee Ron Chapman was heard in the Dallas/Fort Worth area beginning in the 1950s. Early in his career, Chapman co-hosted the "Charlie & Harrigan Show" at Dallas' KLIF-AM before going to WFAA-TV. In 1968, Chapman joined Adult Contemporary (AC) station KVIL-FM where he remained for 32 years, serving as program director, music director, promotion director and morning personality. In the late 1990s, Chapman joined KLUV-FM, an Oldies format, and later became a regular substitute for "Paul Harvey News" following his retirement in 2005.

'Shoboy'
Edgar "Shoboy" Sotelo received the NAB Marconi Radio Award for Spanish Format Personality of the Year in 2011 and hosted the NAB Marconi Radio Awards in 2012. "Shoboy en la mañana" debuted May 17, 2010, on CBS Radio's Mega 107.5 in Dallas/Fort Worth and has since become one of the top-rated morning shows in the market. Sotelo's radio program, now on La Grande 107.5 Dallas/Fort Worth, features an innovative fusion of music, comedy, entertainment and community empowerment.

"Big Boy" is the host of "Big Boy's Neighborhood" on Power 106 FM Los Angeles. The show, which dominated the ratings in various time slots over the years, is now airing in nationwide syndication on Big Boy Radio Network. The show's success has earned Big Boy multiple industry recognitions, including Personality of the Year four times from the Radio Music Awards and the same honor eight times from Radio and Records magazine. Big Boy is also a two-time NAB Marconi Radio Award winner.

Big Boy
"The Bob & Tom Show" features news, sports, lifestyle content, and interviews with today's top actors, authors and newsmakers. Now heard on more than 150 radio stations nationwide, the five-time NAB Marconi Radio Award winning show began national syndication in 1995 from its flagship station in Indianapolis. It is also a leading media outlet for the best and developing comedians on the circuit. The Bob & Tom Show also features live performances from singers, songwriters and musicians from all genres of music.

Established in 1989 and named after inventor and Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi, the NAB Marconi Radio Awards recognize stations and individuals for excellence in 21 categories. Winners are announced at the NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show. As previously announced, country music artist Hunter Hayes will be the featured entertainment at the 25th Marconi Awards Dinner and Show.