Saturday, August 8, 2015

August 9 Radio History




In 1942...CBS radio broadcasts the debut of "Our Secret Weapon."

In 1955...Bill Stern , ABC radio network sports commentator is injured in an auto crash on the Henry Hudson parkway. 20 years ago,Stern’s left leg was amputated because of injuries suffered inanother auto accident. This time, he suffered a concussion,cuts, bruises and possible internal injuries

In 1964...Storer-owned WJBK 1500 AM in Detroit, dropped contemporary hit music and adopted an easy-listening format.



Detroit was the only city with a four-way top-40 battle. That leaves WKNR, WXYZ and CKLW.

WJBK made another run at Top 40 format in 1969.  The format lasted only a few months. WJBK dropped Top 40 late in 1969 and became WDEE, airing a country format.  It used a Top 40-style sound to present country sound, driving old-style country competitor WEXL out of the format.  WDEE also aired a racy program called “Fem Forum,” in which female listeners called in to share their sexual frustrations.

In 1978...The great NYC newspaper strike began.  During the strike, leader William J. Kennedy delighted his union's members, but angered managers at The Daily News, The New York Post and The New York Times, by digging in against the newspapers' demands to cut back the number of people operating their printing presses.

EU Finds No Evidence of Apple, Music Labels Colluding

The European Commission failed to find evidence of collusion among the major music labels and Apple to quash free music streaming services such as those offered by Spotify, according to four sources with knowledge of the matter.

According Re/Code, Investigators examined whether the labels conspired with one another or with Apple on Apple’s new streaming music service in a way that would hurt rivals. The probe failed to turn up any illegal activity, though the EU will continue to monitor the market, sources said.

Separately, the EU has asked Spotify and other music streaming services for information pertaining to Apple’s mobile App Store, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Regulators are seeking information on the restrictions Apple places on apps offered through the store. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission similarly is exploring whether Apple’s treatment of rival streaming music apps in the App Store violate antitrust laws.

Ahead of Apple Music’s launch on June 30, European regulators investigated whether the iPhone and iPad maker had colluded with the major labels to lock out rivals. The EU sent questionnaires to the major labels — Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group — seeking details about their licensing discussions with Apple.

The probe examined whether the music industry executives and Apple were working to stifle free offerings from services like Spotify, which uses its ad-supported service to entice listeners to buy a subscription. Spotify was under pressure by the major labels to move more of its listeners to its paid tier, though the pressure appears to have receded amid the inquiries.

GOP Debate Attracts 24M On FNC

Fox News Channel’s primetime Republican Presidential Primary Debate captured 24 million viewers overall, making it the highest-rated non-sports cable telecast of all time, according to data from Nielsen. Last night’s debate was the highest-rated presidential primary debate ever, according to the Nielsen figures reported by Variety.

The debate, moderated by Megyn Kelly, Bret Baier and Chris Wallace, won 7.9 million viewers between 25 and 54, the demographic most desired by advertisers in news programming.
Thursday’s event, slated to run between 8:50 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET, more than doubled the network’s previous high of 11.8 million total viewers, earned during its coverage of the 2012 presidential election, Fox News said.

The earlier debate, moderated by Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum, averaged 6.1 million total viewers and 1.2 million viewers in the demo, Fox News said, making it the third-highest primary presidential debate ever for the network.

The debate was the number one event on Twitter last night, according to Nielsen Social TV ratings ranked, which measured  3.3 million tweets and 393 million impressions – more than were generated by the Jon Stewart’s farewell from “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central that aired just as the second debate wound down. FoxNews.com broke records as well, delivering more than 8 million video streams, in addition to more than 2.5 million simulcast video streams of the primetime debate.

Reba Visits America's Morning Show

L-R: Ashley Figueroa, Reba, Chuck Wicks & Blair Garner
NASH Icon Records' Reba McEntire dropped by America’s Morning Show Friday morning to World Premiere “Until They Don’t Love You,” — the second single from her album "Love Somebody".

R.I.P.: Syracuse NY Newsman Bill Carey

Bill Carey
Bill Carey, one of Central New York’s most respected broadcast journalists has passed away.

He was 61, according to localsyr.com.

Carey had been receiving treatment at Sloan Kettering in New York City for cancer.

An Auburn native, Carey’s career began at WMBO before he moved on to the WHEN radio newsroom.

He joined the WTVH staff in the mid 1980s, where he worked as a reporter and then as executive producer, eventually rising to the position of news director.

In 1993, Carey left for a reporter position at WIXT – now NewsChannel 9 WSYR.

Following a brief stint as anchor and news director for WSYR radio, Carey helped launch Time Warner Cable’s 24-hour local news channel.

Carey’s distinctive voice and skills as an artful storyteller set him apart among his fellow Central New York broadcasters.

Carey received many honors for his work, including Edward R. Murrow awards and three Emmys.

R.I.P.: NEPA Radio, TV Personality 'Kate Moss'

Radio's Kate Moss
TV and radio personality Holly Golembiewski, 36, of Dupont, died unexpectedly Tuesday. In a statement released on Facebook, her family thanked all for their kind words, thoughts and prayers.

Golembiewski used Kate Moss as an on-air name.

Golembiewski was a host for WBRE-TV’s “NEPA Live.” News Director Jim DePury said Golembiewski was “a lovely girl and we will miss her.”

A friend, Candice Smith, wrote on her blog that Golembiewski was “a beautiful person inside and out.”

She was known as “Kate Moss” on TV and while working for the CLNS radio network covering NASCAR events, ION TV, and as an on air personality for Cumulus WSJR NASH 93.7 FM in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton market..

Memorial contributions mad be made to the American Diabetes Association P.O. Box 11454 Alexandria, VA 22312 or to the Dupont Lions Club 401 Main St. Dupont, PA 18641.

August 8 Radio History


In 1952...Robin Quivers, famous sidekick to Howard Stern, was born.

Robin Quivers
In 1979 after military service, Quivers returned to Baltimore where she studied at the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland and worked in a hospital.  She landed her first job in the radio industry with a newscasting position at WIOO 1000 AM in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, followed by WCMB 1460 AM in nearby Harrisburg. She then moved back to Baltimore for a consumer reporter role at WFBR, where she also read newscasts with morning disc jockey Johnny Walker.

In March 1981, radio personality Howard Stern started his new morning program at WWDC in Washington, D.C.. He wished for an on-air newscaster to riff with him in the studio on the news and current affairs.   That was when station program director Denise Oliver played Quivers a tape of Stern interviewing a prostitute on the air.  She "had never heard anything like it...I just said, 'where do I sign? I’ll do anything just to meet this guy!'"





In 1963..."Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen was released and Radio stations quickly labeled it obscene.


In 1966...WABC moved to 1330 Avenue of the Americas


In 1982...WNBC-AM, New York City began broadcasting in AM Stereo.


In 1986...legendary DJs, Bobby Ocean and Dr. Don Rose did their last shows on KFRC, San Francisco, California.









In 2002...New York's WNNY 1380 AM changes call letters to WLXE

Friday, August 7, 2015

Orlando Radio: WOMX Morning Personality Now In Hospice Care

Scott McKenzie
The Orlando broadcast community and thousands of radio listeners were saddened to hear that longtime WOMX 105.1 FM Mix Morning personality Scott McKenzie is now receiving hospice care.

The news came from Scott himself in a blog post on the WOMX website.  Scott,  who has been on-air at the station for 24-years, has been battling non-Hodgkins cancer for the past eight years.

After missing on-air work for the past 30-days, McKenzie writes he called hospice this past Wednesday.  He states "they were at our door (that evening) talking about their wonderful services. I just couldn’t believe they were talking to me. Final healthcare arrangements have been made, and now we begin the focus on my comfort as I say my goodbyes."

He thanked listeners: "Your constant love and support has gotten us through so much during this cancer battle. Knowing you’ve been by our side has been sincerely appreciated by my family on a daily basis. Most of all, thank you for the privilege of waking you up all these years. I am so grateful to call you my Orlando family."

He concludes: "I’m currently hooked up to an oxygen tank to help me take full breaths, but it’s my dream to be able to make it back in the studio with the other corny goofballs for a brief goodbye, and to hold down that microphone 'on' switch one more time."

Detroit Radio: WYCD Moves Chuck Edwards To Wake-Up Duty

Chuck Edwards will be waking up earlier starting Monday, Aug. 17.

Chuck Edwards
That’s when he’ll be taking over his new role as host of the 99.5 WYCD 99.5 FM morning show, broadcast weekdays from 5:00-10:00AM, ET.   He’ll be joined by Rachel Hunter and Steve Grunwald, veterans of the WYCD morning team for the past 10 years, as well as Jason the 200 lb. cowboy.

Edwards has been with WYCD for 16 years as co-host of the station’s afternoon drive program “Edwards and Lee” with Linda Lee.  He came to WYCD in 1999 and has become a fixture in the market.  Prior to Detroit, he was with KSCS in Dallas for 15 years.

“What’s not to be excited about?!” asked Edwards. “A premier morning show foundation is in place - I'm ready to build on that with Rachel, Grunwald and Jason and looking forward to this opportunity to evolve my career. However, gotta admit, I will miss those enticing late night infomercials!”

“Chuck is a true radio pro and will fit right in with the other members of the morning show,” said Debbie Kenyon, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, CBS RADIO Detroit.  “His afternoon show garnered dozens of awards over the years and he is very involved in the community. This is an exciting new chapter in the history of WYCD.”

“Chuck has an incredible knowledge of country music, the artists and our CORE fans,” said Tim Roberts, Operations Manager/Program Director for WYCD.  “His chemistry with Rachael, Grunwald and Jason will continue to make our fans smile each morning with a great, entertaining and fun wake-up with WYCD.”

WYCD 99.5 FM (17.5 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Edwards and his partner Linda Lee have won a number of awards including the Academy of Country Music Award for Best Personalities (2009), CMA Personality of the Year (2011), numerous Michigan Association of Broadcasters Awards, and are currently finalists for the prestigious Marconi Award.  Linda Lee will remain on 99.5 WYCD in afternoons.  A new afternoon co-host will be announced at a later date.

Edwards and his wife, Kasey, reside in Brighton with five dogs and a horse named Beau Willey.

Milwaukee Radio: Classic Hits WRIT-FM Is Tops Again

Oldies WRIT 95.7 FM retained the No. 1 spot on Milwaukee's monthly radio ratings score card, with a 10.2 share (6+ AQH Total Week) in July, according to July PPMs released by Nielsen Thursday.

That makes three straight months the iHeartMedia Classic Hits station has been No. 1 overall, after finishing on top with a 10.1 share in June. Country station WMIL 106.1 FM dropped to No. 3 with a 6.8 share in the July survey, which covered June 18 through July 15. In June, it had an 8.4 share.

WTMJ 620 AM, whose airtime is dominated in summer by Brewers broadcasts, came in second with a 7.1 share, down from an 8.0 in June.

At No. 4, WKLH 96.5 FM, which during the July survey period made waves by not renewing the contract of longtime morning co-host Carole Caine, climbed from a 5.7 share in June to a 6.4 in July. WKKV 100.7 FM came in fifth with a 5.9 share, up from a 5.6 the previous month.


July PPMs Released for Austin, Nashville, 10 Other Markets

Nielsen Thursday released the final batch of July 2015 PPM data for the following markets:

  35  Austin

  39  Indianapolis

  40  Milwaukee-Racine


  42  Raleigh-Durham

  43  Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newsport News

  44  Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket

  45  Nashville

  46  Greensboro-Wintson-Salem-High Point NC

  49  West Palm Beach-Boca Raton


  50  Jacksonville FL


  51  Memphis


  52  Hartford-New Britain-Middletown CT

Click Here for the Topline numbers for subscribing Nielsen stations. 

The Donald May Have 'Jumped the Shark'

A Fox News panel of Republican voters had harsh sentiments for real-estate magnate Donald Trump's performance Thursday night during the first Republican presidential debate, according to Business Insider.

After the debate, Fox's panel of 23 Republican voters voiced their overwhelming disapproval with Trump, citing his "mean" personality and veiled threat to run as a third-party candidate.

"You know, what happened, I liked him when I came in here because he wasn't a politician. But right now, he skirted around questions better than a lifelong politician ever had," one respondent told Republican pollster Frank Luntz, who conducted the focus group.

Added another respondent whom Luntz identified as Anthony: "I was really expecting him to do a lot better. But he just crashed and burned. He was mean, he was angry, he had no specifics, he was bombastic."

Charles Krauthammer
Before the debate, 14 voters on the panel said they had a favorable view of Trump. After the debate, only three said they still saw the reality-television personality positively.

Meanwhile, Mediaite reports Fox News’ Charles Krauthammer didn’t sugarcoat his take on tonight’s big GOP debate, telling Megyn Kelly it was “the collapse of Trump.”

Krauthammer really panned Donald Trump‘s performance, saying that when he’s “uninterrupted” and can ramble on, he’s fine, but when he’s in a controlled setting like the debate, he gets “lost” and the politicians he mocks “left him out in the cold.”

When Kelly asked him to elaborate, Krauthammer said that Trump was stuck because he couldn’t change the subject and so he was “dodging” and exposed himself to be very “testy” and “thin-skinned.”

Megyn Kelly got into it with Donald Trump early in Thursday night’s first big GOP debate, calling him out for a history of demeaning comments about women. He did not take kindly to that characterization.



“Mr. Trump, one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter,” Kelly said. “However that is not without its downsides, in particular when it comes to women. You’ve called women you don’t like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals.”

“Only Rosie O’Donnell,” Trump joked, but Kelly didn’t let him get away with that.

“No, it wasn’t,” she continued, asking, “Does that sound like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?” She wanted to know how Trump would combat inevitable charges from Hillary Clinton that he is part of the “war on women.”

Trump turned the question into an issue about “political correctness,” something for which he said the country “doesn’t have time.”

Beasley Reports Increase In Q2 Revenue

Beasley Broadcast Group today reported Q2 net revenue rose from $25.9 million to $27 million on a comparable (combined continuing and discontinued operations) basis, with net income falling from $3 million to $2.5 million.  Pro forma revenue fell 6%.

The company's numbers reflect the swap of five stations in Philadlephi and Miami to CBS Radio for 14-stations in Tampa, charlotte and Philadelphia.

Chairman/CEO George G. Beasley said, “Our reported second quarter results reflect a continuation of recent overall industry and market trends. On a pro forma basis, second quarter net revenue decreased 6.0% while SOI declined 8.4%.  The decline in pro forma revenue is primarily attributable to overall weakness in Charlotte, Las Vegas and Wilmmington which resulted in reduced operating leverage and ultimately impacted SOI. However we were able to partially offset the revenue decline through cost reductions that resulted in a 4.9% or $1.0 million reduction in station operating expenses.

George Beasley
“The station exchange completed in late 2014 substantially broadened and diversified our local radio and marketing solutions platform.  Since closing, we have been initiating strategies to extract operating and financial synergies from this exchange. We are actively implementing integration, cost efficiency and operating plans while remaining true to our value proposition by focusing on targeted localism and delivering quality programming, effective online marketing solutions and dedicated service to listeners and advertisers in these markets.

“Looking forward, we remain focused on operating our station clusters to match or exceed their market’s revenue performance while further strengthening our balance sheet."

Scripps Reports Flat Q2 Radio Revenue

The E.W. Scripps Company today reported operating results for the second quarter of 2015.

For the quarter, the net loss from continuing operations was $13 million, or 15 cents per share. Transaction and acquisition integration costs associated with the Journal transaction, including the tax impact, were $15.7 million or 19 cents per share.

Commenting on the results, Scripps Chairman, President and CEO Rich Boehne said:

Rich Boehne
"On April 1, we smoothly completed our transaction with Journal Communications and moved ahead into a full quarter of operations with 33 television stations, 34 radio stations and a complement of local and national digital media brands.

"The remainder of 2015 is focused on integrating these new stations and positioning us for the tremendous opportunity of 2016. Our large collection of stations in key swing states makes Scripps one of the most valuable platforms for political advertising in presidential election years, and 2016 could be a record year for campaign spending to reach those most critical voters. Also next year, we expect retransmission revenue to jump more than 50 percent thanks to step ups and renewals of agreements with our cable and satellite TV distribution partners.

"Although the newspaper spinoff and broadcast merger transformed Scripps into one of the larger local television groups in the country, we see opportunity to further strengthen our broadcast footprint while also building and investing in businesses that take advantage of new media technologies, emerging media marketplaces and shifting consumer habits. Our growing collection of digital brands, including Newsy, WeatherSphere, and an extensive network of local news brands, continues to be an area where we are investing in business models with strong organic growth.

Second-Quarter Operating Results

Operating revenues increased $78 million, or 66 percent, to $198 million, compared to the second quarter of 2014. The increase was primarily a result of the acquisition of the television and radio stations in the Journal and Granite transactions as well as increases in retransmission revenue. Revenue from the acquired stations accounted for approximately $72 million of operating revenues in 2015 and $1.2 million in 2014.
  • Radio Revenue and expenses of $19.4 million and $14.5 million, respectively, were essentially flat with the prior period.
  • Segment profit in the radio division was $4.9 million in the second quarter of 2015, compared with $4.6 million in the 2014 quarter.

Media Meltdown Spooks Wall Street

By Noel Randewich
(Reuters) - Wall Street ended sharply lower on Thursday as weak earnings reports from media companies stirred fears that more viewers are ditching cable TV, dragging the sector to its worst two-day loss since the financial crisis.

The selloff was compounded by nervousness ahead of key jobs data on Friday that could provide clues about the timing of the first Federal Reserve interest rate hike in almost a decade.

Viacom <VIAB.O> fell 14.22 percent to its lowest in almost four years after reporting lower-than-expected quarterly revenue due to weakness in its cable TV business. Walt Disney <DIS.N> was off 1.79 percent and down for a second session after it lowered profit guidance for its cable networks unit on Tuesday.

The S&P 500 media index <.SPLRCMDIA> lost 2.12 percent and notched its biggest two-day fall since November 2008, with Time Warner <TWX.N>, Comcast <CMCSA.O> and CBS <CBS.N> all in the red and Twenty-First Century Fox <FOXA.O> down 6.4 percent.

"All the media stocks are down and it seems people just want to get out of the sector at any cost and take any loss," CLSA analyst Vasily Karasyov said.

Viacom's results and Disney's warning put the spotlight on a trend of viewers shifting from cable TV to Internet-based services such as Netflix <NFLX.O>, which rose 2.21 percent.

Source: Marketwatch
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 0.69 percent to end at 17,419.75 and the S&P 500 <.SPX> lost 0.78 percent to 2,083.56. The Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> dropped 1.62 percent to 5,056.44, its biggest one-day tumble since early July.

Eight of the 10 major S&P sectors were lower, with the health index's <.SPXHC> 2.09 percent fall leading the decliners. Allergan <AGN.N> fell 5.1 percent after the Irish drugmaker reported a second-quarter loss.

In other earnings-driven stock moves, Tesla <TSLA.O> fell 8.88 percent and Keurig Green Mountain <GMCR.O> slumped as much as 29.75 percent after reporting disappointing numbers.

Investors were also jittery ahead of the release of U.S. non-farm payroll numbers, which are expected to have risen by 223,000 in July, matching gains in June.

The Fed has said it will raise rates only when it sees a sustained recovery in the economy.

After the bell, Zynga <ZNGA.O> fell 6 percent after it posted a disappointing quarterly report.
With about three-quarters of the S&P 500 companies having reported, second-quarter earnings are estimated to have increased 1.6 percent while revenues are projected to have fallen 3.4 percent.

However, valuations look stretched. The S&P 500 is trading at a 25 percent premium to its historical median price-to-sales ratio, Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank said in a note to clients.

In Thursday's session, declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a rate of 1.47 to 1. On the Nasdaq, that rate was 2.46 to 1 favoring decliners.

The S&P 500 index posted 18 new 52-week highs and 44 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite saw 64 new highs and 169 new lows.

About 7.8 billion shares changed hands on all U.S. exchanges, well above an average 6.77 billion in the past five sessions, according to BATS Global Markets data.

(Additional reporting by Tanya Agrawal and Lehar Maan; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Meredith Mazzilli)

Entercom Reports Revenue Increased Slightly

Entercom Communications Corp. Thursday reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2015.

Second Quarter Highlights
  • Net revenues for the quarter increased slightly to $100.6 million
  • Station expenses increased 2% to $69.6 million
  • Station operating income decreased 4% to $31.0 million
  • Adjusted EBITDA decreased 5% to $25.6 million
  • Adjusted net income per share decreased 9% to $0.21
  • Free cash flow was $14.2 million
David J. Field, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: “This has been an active and highly productive time for Entercom on a number of fronts. We are highly enthusiastic about our new acquisitions which offer significant upside potential and we are also excited about a number of other emerging, proprietary opportunities for growth and value creation. Second quarter revenues were up fractionally led by 4% growth in our local revenues as we gained significant share in a fairly lackluster ad market. Looking ahead, pacings have accelerated since May and we are increasingly optimistic about core business trends for the second half of 2015.”

David Fields
In July, the Company closed its acquisition of Lincoln Financial Media (“LFM”). Upon closing of the LFM transaction, Entercom commenced operations of KSWD-FM (The Sound) Los Angeles under a time brokerage agreement with Bonneville International Corporation. At the same time, Bonneville commenced operations of Entercom’s Denver stations KOSI-FM, KYGO-FM, KKFN-FM and KEPN-AM under a TBA with Entercom.

As a result of the closing of the LFM acquisition and the commencement of the KSWD-FM TBA, Entercom expanded its footprint to four new top 20 markets, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles and San Diego, and added 14 stations to its portfolio. The Company now operates in every major market on the West Coast and enters Los Angeles, the #1 market for radio revenue. Entercom’s new Los Angeles station The Sound is one of the market's leading stations among adults and men.

Closing of the Bonneville-Entercom station exchange is subject to FCC approval and other customary closing conditions. Entercom expects this transaction to close by the fourth quarter of this year.

Radio One Reports Radio Was "Soft" During Q2


Radio One, Inc. Thursday reported its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2015.
  • Net revenue was approximately $119.8 million, an increase of 10.5% from the same period in 2014, reflecting greater advertising demand and an increase in affiliate revenue at our cable television segment. Also contributing to the increase was a timing difference of Reach Media's annual cruise event and a major promotional event that occurred in one of our radio markets.  
  • Station operating income was approximately $46.9 million, an increase of 14.3% from the same period in 2014. 
  • The Company reported operating income of approximately $24.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2015, compared to operating income of $22.4 million for the same period in 2014. 
  • Net loss was approximately $13.0 million or $0.27 per share compared to $10.8 million or $0.23 per share, for the same period in 2014. 
Alfred C. Liggins III
Alfred C. Liggins III, Radio One's CEO and President stated, "Our 11.7% increase in adjusted EBITDA for the quarter demonstrated a strong performance by the consolidated platform on the back of excellent results from TV One, which performed better than our expectations. Fueled by primetime ratings growth of 31%, our TV advertising was up 13.7% for the quarter, and our affiliate revenues were +27%, driven by strong carriage agreement renewal economics. TV One recently signed an 11-year renewal of our carriage agreement with AT&T, which I believe will deliver great value for our network in the future; 90% of TV One's subscriber base is now renewed under long-term carriage agreements, assuming the proposed AT&T/DTV and Charter/TWC transactions close as anticipated.

"Our core radio advertising business was soft for the quarter, although in line with our expectations, and partially offset by the strong performance of our network and syndication business, Reach Media. On a combined basis, radio plus Reach Media revenues were +8.6% vs Q2 2014, or -3.2% after adjusting for the timing of major events.

"Third quarter core radio advertising revenue is currently pacing down mid-single digits, but we expect this decline to be more than offset by the continued strong performance of TV One, and we are working diligently to turn around radio performance in our key markets."

Liggins promises a big marketing campaign to support the return of radio personality Donnie Simpson to its WMMJ 102.3 FM Majic in Washington, DC.  The station has also revised its music and personality lineup.

Radio One Late To The Voltair Party

Alfred Liggins may be the first CEO of a major radio company to talk publicly about Voltair, the hot-button audio processor that is said to increase the likelihood of encoded broadcast signals being detected by Nielsen’s ratings meters.

InsideRadio reports the Radio One CEO told investors yesterday that his company “missed that curve,” meaning it wasn’t among those broadcasters that have installed some 700 Voltair units in their radio station audio chains in markets measured by Nielsen’s PPM service.

“Most of our competitors, to our knowledge, have these boxes installed in their signals in the big markets,” Liggins said, calling it a “big controversy” in the industry.

But now Radio One is getting its “V” on.

“We have started to catch up on that and have gotten involved in the Voltair game,” Liggins said, without elaborating on which stations or markets have fired the thing up. He went into some detail explaining the intricacies to shareholders of how the device works; said shareholders, however, were probably more interested in EBITDA numbers than audio watermarks.

“Most people in the industry believe that PPM has been undercounting radio listenership,” Liggins said, adding that some believe Voltair can not only increase a station’s ratings but also grow the overall level of persons using measured media in the entire market and in turn lift industry revenue.

Entravision Reports Increased Radio Revenue

Entravision Communications Corporation Thursday reported financial results for the three-month period ending June 30, 2015.

Commenting on the Company's earnings results, Walter F. Ulloa, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "During the second quarter, we faced challenging comparisons to last year's second quarter, particularly in our television segment, when we benefited from World Cup and political advertising revenue.  Nevertheless, we continued to increase our radio segment revenue and build our digital footprint through the acquisition of Pulpo Media in June 2014, which provides us with an integrated platform to allow advertisers and marketers to connect with Latino audiences.  Looking ahead, we remain well positioned to build on our success in attracting Latino audiences, expanding our advertiser base and monetizing our reach to the benefit of our shareholders."

Walter Ulloa
"Net revenue decreased to $59.9 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2015 from $61.8 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2014, a decrease of $1.9 million. Of the overall decrease, approximately $6.7 million was attributed to our television segment and was primarily attributable to the absence of World Cup and significant political advertising revenue in 2015 compared to 2014, and a decrease in national advertising revenue, partially offset by increases in local advertising revenue and retransmission consent revenue.

"The overall decrease was partially offset by an increase of $0.9 million that was attributed to our radio segment and was primarily attributable to increases in local and national advertising revenue, partially offset by the absence of World Cup revenue in 2015 compared to 2014. Additionally, the overall decrease was partially offset by an increase of $3.9 million that was attributed to our digital segment, resulting from our acquisition of Pulpo in June 2014 and which did not contribute to revenue in the comparable period in 2014."

Operating expenses increased to $37.5 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2015 from $35.0 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2014, an increase of $2.5 million. The increase was primarily attributable to increased operating expenses of Pulpo, which we acquired in June 2014, and increases in rent expense, salary expense and employee benefits costs, partially offset by a decrease in expenses associated with the decrease in advertising revenue.

Broadcast Orgs Ask Court To Overturn Flo & Eddie

Broadcasters are seeking protection from paying “court-imposed” performance fees for pre-1972 recordings.

According to Radioworld, both the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA)  have filed “friend of the court” briefs with the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. It is the latest turn in the case “Flo and Eddie Inc. v. Sirius XM Radio Inc.” A court earlier ruled that the satellite company was liable under New York common law for a performance fee for pre-1972 recordings it played; Sirius has appealed.

David Donovan, president of the NYSBA, said in a statement that New York case law has never recognized a right to a performance fee for broadcasting pre-1972 sound recordings. “The District Court simply erred and created a new right that does not exist in prior cases or statutes. Moreover, local radio is different from a subscription satellite service and the decision should not apply to local broadcasters.”

NAB wrote in its introduction to its filing: “The district court impermissibly recognized a retroactive common-lawcopyright under New York law in the public performance of pre-1972 sound recordings. The district court contravened decisions of this Court and the New York Court of Appeals recognizing that common-law copyright protects only against the unauthorized reproduction of sound recordings.”

NAB added that although the district court “stopped short” of a ruling that would encompass over-the-air broadcasting, the association asked the appeals court to “reject the ruling … and eliminate any doubt.”

Apple May Add More Streaming Stations

Apple’s 24/7 radio station Beats 1 has lived up to the hype, quickly becoming the most praised part of the service. But it may not be the only official station from Apple for long. According to The Verge, Apple has the ability to expand its lineup of Beats radio stations at will, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

As part of the deal it struck with the major labels for Apple Music Radio, Apple has licenses for up to five additional stations like Beats 1, without having to renegotiate with the labels. That means Apple could launch a Beats 2 station headquartered in Australia or Asia, allowing it to provide live radio around the clock (Beats 1 is only live 12 hours a day). Or Apple could take a more targeted approach and produce holiday stations.

The Verge has also learned that the per-play rate Apple pays the labels for music played on Beats 1 is "better than Pandora," according to a source. Given the reception to Beats 1, it seems likely that Apple would want to expand its Beats lineup in the near future. Apple, of course, declined to comment.

As for Apple Music as a whole, the labels are "pretty pleased" with its progress so far, but are still taking a wait and see approach, according to industry sources.

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Super Bowl TV Commercial$ Hit All-Time High

Super Bowl 50 is on track for a record advertising haul, with 30-second TV spots already selling for a record $5 million, said CBS President and CEO Les Moonves in an earnings conference call Wednesday.

"Super Bowl advertising is already proving to be more lucrative than ever," he said.

The $5 million price tag beats out this year's record raked in by NBC — $4.5 million for a 30-second ad for Super Bowl XLIX. The cost of advertising in the big game keeps on going up. USA TODAY reported in 2014 that ads were selling for $4 million. Some ads reached that price in 2013 too, compared to $3.5 million in 2012.

CBS is set to air Super Bowl 50 Feb. 7, 2016. The game will be played at Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers.

Radio Disney Added To iHeartRadio

iHeartRadio and Radio Disney fans rejoice: two of your favorite things just got even better!

Starting today, you can now catch all the hottest Disney kids’ music, DJs and shows wherever you go, thanks to Radio Disney’s new partnership with iHeartRadio.com. From Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift to Shawn Mendes and Austin Mahone, Radio Disney is playing today’s most popular young artists, and its new integration into the iHeartRadio app means you can now listen in more ways than ever before.

Radio Disney programming will now be accessible on more than 60+ device platforms, streaming to the millions of iHeartRadio listeners across the U.S. From wearables and mobile devices to cars and gaming consoles, iHeartRadio is on a mission to bring listeners the very best content in as many ways as possible. Now, Radio Disney shows such as “Insider,” “Take Over,” “Top 30,” “Saturday Night Party,” “The Alli Simpson Show” and more will all be available through iHeartRadio. Radio Disney is joining Nick Radio and other existing partners on iHeartRadio, as part of our commitment to expanding our programming for fans of all ages.

Voting Starts for National Radio HOF

Voting for the 2015 National Radio Hall of Fame Inductees is underway.

The 24 nominations in six categories were determined by the organization’s steering committee.  Four of those categories will be voted on by a voting participant panel comprised of 400 industry professionals.

For the first time in five years, NRHOF Chairman Kraig T. Kitchin has reinstituted national public engagement through social media balloting for eight nominations in two categories – Music Format On-Air Personality and Spoken Word On-Air Personality.Kitchin comments,

“This impressive list of nominees represents the best examples of talent with commendable audience relationships past and present.  Each individual and show was selected after extensive deliberationby the steering committee.  We’re all looking forward to seeing the results as determined by our industry peers and listeners nationwide.”

Inductees will be announced August 31.  The induction ceremony will be held Thursday, November 5 at the Museum of Broadcast and Communications in downtown Chicago.

NOMINEES TO BE VOTED ON BY VOTING PARTICIPANT PANEL:

Longstanding Local/Regional (20 years or more)
Tom Barnard, Minneapolis
Johnny Dare, Kansas City
Johnny Holliday, Washington, D.C.
Ronn Owens, San Francisco

Active Local/Regional (10 years or more)
Big Boy (Kurt Alexander), Los Angeles
Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison, Philadelphia
Eric Ferguson and Kathy Hart, Chicago
Garland Robinette, New Orleans

Networks/Syndication (10 years or more)
Tom Kent, Cleveland
Dave Ramsey, Nashville
Diane Rehm, Washington, D.C.
Michael Savage, San Francisco

Longstanding Network/Syndication (20 years or more)
Bob Kevoian & Tom Griswold, Indianapolis
Bob Kingsley, WeatherfordMarketplace Los Angeles
Harry Shearer, Los Angeles

NOMINEES TO BE VOTED ON BY LISTENERS NATIONWIDE:

Music Format On-Air Personality
Delilah, Seattle
Elvis Duran, New York
Steve Harvey, Atlanta
Ryan Seacrest, Los Angeles

Spoken Word On-Air Personality
Sean Hannity, New York
Clark Howard, Atlanta
Jim Rome, Los Angeles
Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Los Angeles

SF Radio: Get Well Wishes For KGO's Ronn Owens

Ronn Owens
KGO 810 AM talk show host Ronn Owens is recovering after having brain surgery Thursday at UCSF in San Francisco to ease symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

When asked what he was having done, Owens replied: "Just the normal thing, go in and have a couple of holes drilled into your head and have some wires put in," he said.

Owens kept his wicked sense of humor hours before his brain surgery in San Francisco.

Owens spoke with ABC7 News to talk about the procedure called deep brain stimulation or DBS for short.

He's been coping with Parkinson's disease for 13 years and only went public with it in 2014.

DBS acts like a pacemaker for the brain using electrodes to send impulses to areas in the brain linked to movement disorders.

What Owens is hoping to get out of this he said: "If it works, I'll get back five to seven years. In other words it takes me back to five to seven years ago when I had Parkinson's and nobody had it, could see it then and I wasn't really shaking," he said.

August 7 Radio History


In 1886...Louis Hazeltine, who  invented the neutrodyne circuit, was born.


In 1942...NPR host, Garrison Keillor, was born. ("A Prarie Home Companion").


In 1969...Charlie Greer did his last show on WABC 770 AM New York.

Charlie Greer (1923-1996) did middays and overnight. Given WABC's 50,000 clear channel signal, Greer became a popular all-night disc jockey heard on more than 38 states punching his way through famous tongue twister commercials for an all night clothing store called Dennison's in Union, New Jersey.



Greer also spent time with New York City's WCBS-FM in 1973, then and became part of WCBS-FM's Rock and Roll Radio Greats Weekend in the eighties and nineties.

From WAKR in Akron Ohio, Charlie started at WABC on December 7, 1960. He moved back and forth between overnights and middays a couple of times. He was one of the original Swingin’ Seven from Seventy Seven.

He moved to Philadelphia's WIP in 1969 and then back to the New York area to WRKL in New City for a short while, and later worked at WHAM in Rochester, before returning to Akron.


In 1971... 93/KHJ - Los Angeles early evening Disk Jockey - “Humble’ Harve Miller pled guilty to second degree murder of his adulterous wife Mary. In a short statement, he said he accidentally shot his wife and still loved her. Miller was the subject of a 13-day nationwide search after the murder in May.

"Humble" Harve Miller began his career in 1958 at radio station WAAT in Trenton, New Jersey. Soon after, he moved to WIBG in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he worked from 1958 to 1962. Miller subsequently moved to Los Angeles, California, and became part of the enormous hit station KHJ as part of the "Boss Radio" DJ teams working under Bill Drake and other executives.

Humble Harve was the top-rated nighttime disc jockey throughout a five year period, and also did commercials, voice-over work, and narrated the 1967 counterculture documentary film Mondo Mod. He also narrated the late-1969 syndicated version of KHJ's The History of Rock and Roll 48-hour special, which aired throughout the early 1970s.

In 1971, Miller's career took a dramatic turn when he was found guilty of murdering his adulterous wife Mary and wound up serving a ten-year prison sentence for manslaughter. In 1980, Harve was released from prison and soon found work at LA station KKDJ.

Among the Los Angeles radio stations Humble Harve has worked for throughout the years are KIQQ, KIIS, KUTE, KRLA, KRTH, KCBS-FM, and KZLA. In addition, Miller also worked for WIBG in Philadelphia in 1985 and KVI in Seattle, Washington from 1986-1989, and also narrated a variety of syndicated radio specials during the 1980s and 1990s.

In 1995 Miller was inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame.



In 1974...Cousin Brucie (Bruce Morrow) did his last show on WABC 770 AM/New York and moved over to WNBC 660 AM.


In 1981...FCC established General Radiotelephone Operator License, ceased issuing First and Second Class Operator licenses.


In 2000...NYC's WADO 1280 AM increased power to 50 Kw Day / 7.2 Kw Night

Thursday, August 6, 2015

iHM Names Rod Phillips To Head Country Radio Team

Rod Phillips
iHeartMedia has announced that Rod Phillips will lead its Nashville-based iHeartCountry team.

He replaces Clay Hunnicutt who departed at the end of July.

The iHeartCountry team, which includes Brand Coordinators Doug Montgomery, Steve Geoffries, Gregg Swedberg and Chad Heritage, support the recent launch of iHeartCountry stations in key markets including Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh and more.

iHeartCountry has more than 140 Country broadcast radio stations across the U.S. reaching more than 97 million Country music listeners per month, making it the largest Country broadcast radio group in America.

"iHeartMedia has more Country stations than any other format and reaches more Country listeners in America than anyone else across multiple platforms -- broadcast, digital, social and events.  And because Country is also one of the closest-knit music and radio communities, it's important that iHeartCountry has a leader like Rod who knows both the people behind the music and the nuances of the format,” said Tom Poleman, President of National Programming Platforms, iHeartMedia.

“Given his programming experience with more than 40 Country stations, Rod is the right person to lead the iHeartCountry team and continue to build our Country platform for the benefit of our listeners, advertisers and the Country music community."

In 2011 Phillips helped develop The Bobby Bones Show, the top-rated nationally-syndicated Country music morning show, working closely with Bobby to expand the show’s original format and moving The Bobby Bones Show from Austin to Nashville for its successful transition into Country radio in February 2013.

“iHeartCountry is the leading Country music platform in the U.S. and we have the ability to connect our listeners to unique content, the newest tracks and exclusive album debuts from today’s top Country artists,” said Phillips. "I’m thrilled to have this amazing opportunity; Country music is truly my passion and being able to collaborate with all of our incredible Country brands, and the Country music community directly, will be a privilege."

Phillips is a respected radio veteran who has more than 20 years’ experience in programming. He previously served as iHeartMedia’s SVP/Programming for the Southeast Region, PD and on-air personality for Top40 WKSC Kiss 103.5  in Chicago, and OM for iHeartMedia’s Miami-Ft. Lauderdale cluster.

FL Radio: Logan Gets Added Duties As N/T WFTW-AM PD

Logan
Cumulus Fort Walton/Destin announces that Logan, WNCV/COAST 93.3 Program Director and Morning personality has been named Program Director of News Talk 1260 WFTW-AM. Logan retains his programming responsibilities for AC-formatted WNCV/COAST 93.3.

Logan joined Cumulus last year as Program Director for COAST 93.3, after 14 years with IHeartMedia where, for eight years, he was Morning Host/Assistant Program Director and Music Director for WISX 106.1 FM Mix in Philadelphia. Logan’s previous tours of duty include: Z100 in New York City, Q102 in Philadelphia, KDMX in Dallas, and The Beat in Chicago. He has worked in various formats including CHR, Hot AC, Rhythmic AC and Classic Hits.

Pete DeSimone, Regional Vice President for Cumulus said: “Logan has done an outstanding job since joining the Fort Walton Beach/Destin cluster. It’s been a pleasure watching him work to make a significant impact in both ratings and revenue with WNCV. I am very excited we are recognizing his talent and affording him additional opportunities to grow with our company.”

Jim Mahanay, Corporate Program Director, News/Talk and Sports for Cumulus said:  “I’m excited any time we can have a programmer with a fresh perspective enter the News/Talk format. Logan has proven himself as a strong music PD and now he has that opportunity in News/Talk.”

Logan said: “Cumulus has given me opportunities, and I’m going to grow with them. Actually, I’ve become quite comfortable being “On the beach”. I’m a huge fan of the News-Talk format, and can’t wait to get audio from Michael Savage. Big thanks to SVP, Content and Programming Mike McVay, News/Talk Corporate Captain Jim Mahanay, and RVP Pete DeSimone.”

Townsquare Media Sells 43 Radio Towers

Townsquare Media, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell 43 towers to a subsidiary of Vertical Bridge Holdings, LLC for approximately $22.8 million in cash, subject to closing adjustments.

The Company will retain ownership of more than 250 towers following the Tower Sale.

“We are very excited to complete this transaction which will allow us to unlock capital sequestered in non-strategic tower assets at an attractive valuation level”

“We are very excited to complete this transaction which will allow us to unlock capital sequestered in non-strategic tower assets at an attractive valuation level,” commented Townsquare Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steven Price.

The 43 towers being divested are located on 41 sites in 28 markets and presently house antenna which broadcast certain of the Company’s radio stations, together with third party tenants who pay rent for similar space on such towers. For a period of 35 years following the closing, including an initial term of twenty years and three optional five-year renewal periods, the Company will pay $41 of rent per annum ($1 per site per annum) to Vertical Bridge for the right to house its existing antenna on the divested towers. The Company has also entered into an agreement with Vertical Bridge whereby Vertical Bridge will serve as the exclusive marketing agent for the towers retained by the Company.

The Tower Sale will reduce the Company’s annual net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA by approximately $1.5 million and $1.3 million, respectively.

Alex Gellman, Vertical Bridge Chief Executive Officer commented: “We are excited to be working again with the team at Townsquare Media. With over 250 managed sites and 43 owned towers, this transaction adds over 300 high quality towers in great locations to our growing portfolio of owned and managed towers, including a strong rent roll of third party tenants.”

NY Times Reports $16M Profit

The New York Times Company reported net income of more than $16 million for the second quarter on slightly lower revenue, as digital growth and cost declines offset a continued drop in print advertising across the industry.

The company said Thursday that it had added 33,000 net digital subscribers in the quarter, higher than in the same quarter in the previous two years. It also disclosed that last week, for the first time, it passed the one million mark for digital subscribers.

That, combined with an increase in home delivery prices in January, more than offset a decline in print copies sold. Total circulation revenue increased about 1 percent to almost $212 million.

The company reported adjusted earnings of 13 cents a share, surpassing analyst’s expectations of 11 cents.

Digital advertising, a bright spot for the company the last several quarters, was up 14 percent, and accounted for about $48 million of revenue, or about a third of total advertising revenue. The growth was driven, said the company’s chief executive, Mark Thompson, by mobile and video advertising, and native advertising, which the company calls paid posts.

Tampa Radio: Bubba's Attorneys Face Disbarment

Bubba, Schnitt
The county judge who found three Tampa attorneys guilty last month of "deliberately and maliciously" arranging the arrest of a rival lawyer will hold the next phase of their disciplinary trial Thursday, when he will consider whether to recommend permanent disbarment. (Click Here for story).

The Tampa Bay Times reports the penalty phase is expected to last two days and to include witness testimony put on by defense attorneys and the Florida Bar, both of whom will attempt to influence the judge's decision.

In July, Pinellas-Pasco Senior Judge W. Douglas Baird ruled that the three Adams & Diaco lawyers — Robert Adams, Stephen Diaco, and Adam Filthaut — had worked together to orchestrate the 2013 DUI arrest of C. Philip Campbell to gain an advantage in a defamation lawsuit pitting their client, radio shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge Clem, against his radio rival, Todd "MJ" Schnitt. At the time, Campbell was representing Schnitt.

Faced with the possibility of two of the firm's partners and one of its top attorneys losing their law licenses, the lawyers have already said they plan to challenge the judge's ruling finding them responsible for Campbell's arrest.

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Apple Music Claims 11M Trial Users

One month after unveiling its new streaming music service, Apple has locked in 11 million trial members, company executives tell USA TODAY.

"We're thrilled with the numbers so far," says Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services, adding that of that sum 2 million have opted for the more lucrative family plan at $14.99 a month for up to six people.

Apple Music, which launched June 30, costs $9.99 a month for individual access to 30 million songs as well as human-curation playlists and a live radio station. There is an initial free-trial period of three months. Assuming all the trial memberships are converted into paying customers come October, Apple would already boast half the paid memberships of reigning streaming champ Spotify, which launched nearly a decade ago.

Apple Music has gotten favorable reviews from the tech-set, with most of the criticisms anchored not to content but functionality.

Eddy Cue, Jerry Iovine (ReCode photo)
"What we're about it's just tech and a utility, we are all about entertainment, being fluid," says longtime record producer Jimmy Iovine, who became an Apple employee when the Cupertino company purchased Beats Electronics, founded by Iovine and rapper Dr. Dre, for $3 billion last year.

Iovine says the new service still faces challenges. "There's still the issue of winning over millennials, who never pay for music, by showing them you're offering something that will improve their lives. And finally, there are people out there who i think understand its value, but we still have to go out and get them."

Orlando Radio: Rumba Tumbles, But Remains #1

If you want to talk ratings compression, start in Orlando. 

iHeartMedia's Tropical WRUM 100.3 FM remains #1 (6+ AQH Total Week) despite losing more than a full share (8.4—7.1). Rumba is followed by clustermate Top40 WXXL 106.57 which jumped 6.2—6.8.

After that..a half-share separates #3 from #8. Three stations are tied for the #3 spot: Cox Media's Classic Hits WMMO 98.9 FM 5.9—6.0...CBS Radio's Classic Hits WOCL 105.9 FM SunnyFM 6.3—6.0..and Cox Media's Country WWKA K92 FM 5.9—6.0.

Then two stations are tied for #6: iHM's AC WMGF 107.7 FM 5.8—5.8 and Central Florida Educational Contemprary Christian non-com WPOZ Z88.3 FM 6.3—5.8. Close behind is Cox Media' UrbanAC WCFB Star 94.5 FM which was up 5.1—5.5.


25-54: WXXL...WRUM...WTKS...WCFB...WMGF

18-34: WXXL...WRUM...WPYO...WOMX...WJRR

18-49: WXXL...WRUM...WTKS...WCFB...WMGF

Cume: WXXL-FM 537,000...WMGF-FM 516,000...WOMX-FM 456,200...WMMO-FM 429,500...WOCL-FM 395,800

Top 5 Morning Shows 25-54:

  1. Top40 WXXL 106.7 FM Johnny's House
  2. Personality Talk WTKS 104.1 FM Monsters
  3. Tropical WRUM 100.3 FM John Musa & Jenny Castillo
  4. UrbanAC WCFB 94.5 FM Steve Harvey
  5. Rock WJRR 101.1 FM Pat Lynch & Taco Bob