Saturday, April 2, 2016

April 3 Radio History


In 1939...Mr. District Attorney was heard for the first time on NBC radio. The serial about the “champion of the people” was originally a 15-minute nightly program. In June of ’39, the program went to a half-hour weekly format. Pictured is Jay Jostyn who played the title role from 1940-52, when Mr. District Attorney became a syndicated TV show.

In 1942...People Are Funny was first heard on NBC radio. Art Baker was the show’s first host. Art Linkletter took over the popular program on radio in 1943 and later moved it to television.

In 1948…"The Louisiana Hayride" premiered on radio station KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana, with the Bailes Brothers, Johnny and Jack, the Four Deacons, the Tennessee Mountain Boys featuring Kitty Wells, the Mercy Brothers, Curley Kinsey and the Tennessee Ridge Runners, Harmie Smith, the Ozark Mountaineers, and Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys performing on the first show, broadcast live from Shreveport's Municipal Auditorium. Admission was 60 cents for adults, 30 cents for children, and remained so for the next 11 years.



In 1949...the comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis started their own weekly 30-minute show on NBC radio.  It never really caught on, because Lewis’ brand of physical comedy was much more suited to a visual medium.

In 1949...KQW-AM, San Francisco, California changed its call letters to KCBS-AM.

Charles Herrold
KCBS has its roots in the experiments of San Jose engineer Charles "Doc" Herrold as far back as 1909, making the broadcaster a leading contender for the title of oldest continuously broadcasting station in the United States and possibly the world.

Herrold used a variety of different radio call signs in the early days, including FN, SJN, 6XF and 6XE. In the very beginning, Herrold used a simple greeting like "San Jose calling."

That greeting and the initial FN sign (which was an inverted abbreviation of "National Fone") reflected the fact that he had been partially working on the idea of a radiotelephone.



On December 9, 1921, Herrold received a commercial license under the callsign KQW. It was the 21st licensed radio station in the United States and the 11th in the state of California.

Original KQW Transmitter (courtesy of The Radio Historian)
However, the "arc-phone" Herrold had been using for over a decade had to be scrapped. It would only work at wavelengths above 600 meters, and all radio stations were restricted to 360 meters (roughly the equivalent of 833 kHz). He quickly created a replacement, using a tube-like transmitter drawing power from San Jose's streetcar lines. However, he never recovered financially from the loss of his arc-phone, and was forced to put the station on the market in 1925. After initially giving an option to a civic foundation, he sold it to the First Baptist Church of San Jose. Herrold stayed on as a technician for the station he had created for a few years, but died in obscurity in 1947.

There is at least one authentic broadcast recording chronicling this early history. On November 10, 1945, KQW presented a special program called "The Story of KQW," commemorating Herrold's early broadcasts. It includes a brief recorded statement by Herrold, just before his 70th birthday. During the introduction to the program, a KQW announcer explains that the program was produced to mark the 25th anniversary of the broadcasting industry as well as the 36th anniversary of KQW. The announcer then goes on to say that KQW was the first radio station in the world to operate on a regular schedule. The major events in Herrold's work are then dramatized.

In 1926, station manager James Hart bought KQW's license and facilities, eventually buying the station itself in 1930. A series of power boosts brought the station's effective radiated power to 5,000 watts by 1935. It served as the San Jose affiliate of the Don Lee Broadcasting System from 1937 to 1941; during the time, that it was owned by Julius Brunton & Sons, the station's operations being co-located with KJBS at 1470 Pine Street in San Francisco.

However, in 1942 CBS offered to move its San Francisco affiliation to KQW after KSFO (560 AM) turned down CBS' offer to buy the station. KQW jumped at this offer, having been without a source of network programming for over a year. CBS moved its affiliation to KQW later that year, with an option to buy the station outright. KJBS Broadcasters then sold the station and KQW moved to a lavish CBS-owned studio at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. For all intents and purposes, it became a San Francisco station, though it continued to be licensed in San Jose.

At the end of World War II, KQW found itself in a battle with KSFO for its longtime home on 740 AM, the last Bay Area frequency that was authorized to operate at 50,000 watts. When CBS affiliated with KSFO in 1937, it cut a deal with KQW to swap frequencies with KSFO, which would then boost its power to 50,000 watts. The change was awaiting Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval when World War II broke out.

By 1945, however, KQW had become San Francisco's CBS affiliate, and CBS was obviously not about to give up the advantage of having the last 50,000-watt frequency in the Bay Area. While the FCC granted the frequency to KSFO, its owners, Associated Broadcasters, later decided to concentrate on plans for its new television station, KPIX-TV (channel 5). Eventually, Associated Broadcasters traded 740 back to CBS in return for KPIX getting the CBS television affiliation for the Bay Area.

CBS exercised its option to buy KQW in 1949, changing the calls to KCBS (the KCBS callsign predates the use on the CBS-owned television station (then KNXT) in Los Angeles by over 30 years, and KCBS-FM there as well). The station also officially changed its city of license to San Francisco after seven years. In 1951, KCBS signed on at 50,000 watts for the first time from an elaborate multi-tower facility in Novato originally intended for KSFO. However, the station is a class B station, not a Class A (clear-channel).


In 1968, KCBS became one of the first all-news stations in the country. However, it already had a long history in news dating back to World War II, when it was the center of CBS' newsgathering efforts in the Pacific Theater.


In 1956...Elvis Presley makes the first of what would be two appearances on NBC-TV's Milton Berle TV Show performing "Hound Dog"  "Money Honey" and "Blue Suede Shoes" via live remote on the flight deck of the USS Hancock docked in San Diego. The show is seen by 40 million people around the US, approximately one-fourth of all TV sets. (Later in the show, Elvis plays "Blue Suede Shoes" again, this time with "Uncle Miltie" joining in as the King's "brother Melvin.")


In 1959…The British Broadcasting Corporation banned the Coasters' recording of "Charlie Brown" because of its reference to "spitballs." The ban was lifted two weeks later.




In 1974...Murray the K departed WNBC 660 AM NYC.  He had joined NBC in 1972 for the weekend NBC Monitor and also for a regular evening weekend program on WNBC radio. Although it was low-key, Murray's WNBC show featured his own innovative trademark programming style, including telling stories that were illustrated by selected songs, his unique segues, and his pairing cuts by theme or idiosyncratic associations.

In 1978...Mutual Broadcasting System moved the "Larry King Show" from Miami to Washington, D.C.

In 2014…WBT Charlotte  and WSPA Spartnburg radio host Arthur Smith died at age 93. Smith was also noted for his "Feudin' Banjos" (1955), which was also recorded by Lester Flatt. It was revived as "Dueling Banjos" and used as a theme song in the popular movie, Deliverance (1972). Released as a single, it became a hit, played on Top 40, AOR, and country stations alike. It reached the Top Ten and hit #1 in the US and Canada.  Because he was not credited in the film for the song, Smith sued Warner Brothers, and gained a settlement. His name was added to the film credits for his piece, and he received a share of royalties.

In 2015...listeners heard the final broadcast for WLW 700 AM morning host Jim Scott who retired from radio after nearly 50 years on the air in the Queen City.

Report: Broadcast Station Deals Total $4.69B in Q1'16

According to SNL Kagan, a group within S&P Global Market Intelligence estimates announced today, U.S. broadcast station M&A volume reached $4.70 billion in the first quarter of 2016, excluding construction permits (CPs) and partial deals. Almost the entire TV volume of $4.61 billion was attributable to Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc.'s January 27 definitive agreement to acquire all of Media General Inc.'s assets — a deal which subsequently terminated Media General's pending $3.10 billion merger agreement with Meredith Corp., announced back on September 8.

Nexstar's acquisition, at $4.60 billion the fourth-largest1 TV deal in U.S. history, accounted for 97% of first quarter TV deal volume. The remaining 3%, or $13.1 million, came from a few small transactions filed before the FCC Incentive Auction quiet period, initiated on January 12. Until the auction runs its course, which could take six to nine months or more, the FCC will not approve any applications for broadcast transactions involving full-power or Class A TV stations.

Radio reached a volume of $89.5 million, representing the lowest quarterly radio deal volume since the first quarter of 2012. However, with CBS Corp.'s announcement, made at the company's March 15 Investor Day, of a possible sale or spinoff of CBS Radio, there has been much speculation as to radio buyers potentially interested in top-market CBS Radio stations.

With the Nexstar/Media General merger remaining the only cash flow transaction in the TV realm, the 8.5x forward buyer's multiple of that transaction is also the quarterly average. The radio market closed the quarter with an average 6.5x multiple — slightly lower than 2015's 6.7x.

The top radio deal of the quarter was the $10.0 million sale of non-commercial KUHA-FM in the Houston-Galveston, Texas, market, followed by another non-commercial transaction, the $8.0 million sale of FM stations KPLI, KPLU, KPLI and KVIX as well as seven translators and one translator construction permit in the Seattle-Tacoma, Wash., market from Pacific Lutheran University Inc. to University of Washington.

In addition, $8.0 million was paid in radio's largest cash flow deal of the quarter. KFWB-FM in Los Angeles was sold by CBS Corp. to Universal Media Access KFWB-AM LLC for an estimated 6.3x forward seller's multiple.

The biggest development in the radio market was a surge of FM translator sales sparked by the FCC's AM Revitalization initiative. This act allows AM licensees to buy or arrange to program an FM translator to rebroadcast an AM station. Translators can be moved up to 250 miles and are permitted to change frequencies as long as these are vacant and do not interfere with other stations.

On January 29, the first AM station filing window opened, and through the end of March a total of 435 applications for modification of FM translators were granted (not counting applications for FM translators transmitting signals of FM stations). Almost three-quarters of these applications (318) require a change of ownership. In 214 cases (121 construction permits and 93 licensed stations), the change of ownership happened immediately after the application was granted. Counting all FM translator sales, 447 FM translators (including 237 construction permits) were sold in the first quarter 2016. For comparison, in all of 2015, 453 FM translators (including 189 CPs) changed hands.

NYC-Tampa Radio: Todd Schnitt Loses Case Involving Attorney Fees

Todd Schnitt
Radio personality Todd Schnitt and his wife, Michelle, were hit Friday with nearly $700,000 in legal fees the couple had refused to pay after losing a defamation trial against rival shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge Clem in 2013.

Schnitt currently airs daily shows on iHeartMedia's WFLA 970 AM, WOR 710 AM in New York and in others markets via his syndicated show.

Handing a victory to the Schnitts' former attorneys at the law firm of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, a jury found the couple's claims of legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty baseless. After considering the case for nearly a day and a half, the six-person jury cleared the firm, along with the Schnitts' former attorney C. Philip Campbell, of wrongdoing, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

In addition to the roughly $1 million they already have paid the firm, the Schnitts may have to come up with $669,200 more. But Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick didn't get everything it wanted. Although the firm said the Schnitts owed it $978,278, jurors awarded it about $300,000 less in compensatory damages.

The verdict brought to an end nearly three years of litigation between the Schnitts and the legal team that represented them in their contentious five-year case against Clem.

"The Schnitts lost their trial to Bubba Clem, and ever since they have been desperately coming up with excuses to not pay their bill," Attorney Joe Varner said in his closing argument to the jury. "This case is about sore losers, plain and simple."

Seattle-Tacoma Radio: Ben Marcotte To Program KFOO

Ben Marcotte
iHeartMedia announced Friday that Ben Marcotte has been named Program Director for KFOO Alt 102.9 FM in Seattle.

“We are excited to add Ben to our programming team here in Seattle,” Rich Moore, SVP/Programming, iHeartMedia Seattle. “His passion and enthusiasm will be a great addition to help us grow KFOO and the ALT brand.”

“I’m excited about this great opportunity in Seattle with iHeartMedia and Alt 102.9,” said Marcotte.

“To be able to work with the Alternative format has been something I’ve been craving for a really long time, and to be able to do it in a place like Seattle/Tacoma is icing on the cake. During my time in Spokane, I’ve fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest, and everything it has to offer. I’m thrilled to be able to continue to call this place home. I have to thank Andrew Jeffries, Rich Davis, Rich Moore, and Mike Kaplan for this tremendous opportunity. I can’t forget about the amazing people in Spokane who have gotten me to this point, Brad Miller, Cal Hall, and the rest of the amazing staff!”

KFOO 102.9 FM (70 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Marcotte will be responsible for managing the programming efforts for KFOO Seattle. Marcotte previously spent over three years at iHeartMedia Spokane as APD for KIIX-FM and KISC-FM as well as evening talent for Hot AC KCDA-FM

Louisville Radio: Al Payne Is New PD At Alpha Cluster

Al Payne
Alpha Media/Louisville, KY announced Friday that Al Payne has been named Program Director for Old School WGHL 105.1 FM, Urban WGZB B 96.5 FM, and Urban A/C WMJM Magic 101.3 FM.

Alfred’s award winning radio career has taken him from markets like Raleigh, Richmond and Greensboro, to some of the nation’s top cities including Dallas, Detroit, Washington DC and Baltimore Maryland.

Alpha Media Senior Vice President/Market Manager, Dale Schaefer commented on the announcement, “We are thrilled to have Al Payne join our Programming team in Louisville. Al has tremendous programming and leadership skills that will help our Urban staff and stations to reach new heights. With his experience and programming history, Al will be an incredible mentor and asset to our entire team.”

Alpha Media Operations Manager, Ben Davis has the following to say, “Al has been on my radar for quite a while. He brings along with him major market experience, strong leadership skills, strategic thinking, and a long line of success stories. Once again, he’s proof Alpha Media continues to recruit the most talented players from within our industry!”

“It’s an honor to be chosen by Mr. Schaefer, Mr. Davis and Alpha Media’s programming top brass to join this awesome team. I have been a fan of these stations for a long time and look forward to serving, living in, learning about and helping to entertain “Kentuckiana.” I’ll have great guides in the form of sales guru-George Demaree, promo queen-Jessica Taylor, and an amazing air staff. Best of all I can use the yellow slim suit and blue suede monk straps that I got for Easter again at DERBY,” remarked Al.

ESPN To Air MLB Season-Opening Action Sunday, Monday

ESPN’s new Sunday Night Baseball team will debut during the company’s seven-game, two-day season-opening coverage on April 3-4, by calling two games in 24 hours.

Jessica Mendoza, who became the first female analyst for a nationally-televised MLB Postseason game last October, will begin her full-time role on Sunday Night Baseball, alongside Aaron Boone, who is also making his full-time debut. They will join Dan Shulman and Buster Olney to call Opening Night Baseball: New York Mets at Kansas City Royals, Sunday, April 3, at 8:30 p.m. ET. The quartet will then travel to San Diego on Monday, April 4, to call the Padres Opening Day matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

The new ESPN Monday Night Baseball team will also make its debut on April 3, as analysts Eduardo Perez and Curt Schilling will be joined by Dave Flemming (one of ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball play-by-play commentators) to call the Tampa Bay Rays-Toronto Blue Jays opener at 4 p.m. on ESPN2. The trio will also call two games in 24 hours as they continue with the Seattle Mariners-Texas Rangers opener on April 4, at 4 p.m. on ESPN.

The ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball team – Jon Sciambi with analysts Rick Sutcliffe and Doug Glanville – will pull season-opening double-duty as well. The crew will call the St. Louis Cardinals-Pittsburgh Pirates opener on April 3, at 1 p.m. on ESPN, followed by the New York Yankees-Houston Astros opener on April 4, at 1 p.m. on ESPN.

ESPN will also debut a new Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown team for 2016. Host Karl Ravech will be joined by reporter Tim Kurkjian and newcomer Dallas Braden for Sunday Night Baseball pre-game shows throughout the year. On April 3, the team will be on-site in Kansas City for shows at 12:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. leading into the Mets-Royals telecast. The team will then call the action for the Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim opener on April 4, at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.

ESPN.com will have its largest MLB Opening Day on-site presence ever this season. For the first time, the site will have reporters at every Opening Day game. In addition, SportsCenter will have Jen Lada reporting from Yankee Stadium on April 4, while Britt McHenry will be reporting from Cleveland on April 4 for the Indians-Boston Red Sox opener.

In total, ESPN will televise approximately 12 continuous hours of MLB coverage on both Sunday, April 3 and Monday, April 4.

Nielsen Wants Court To Dismiss Flinn Counterclaims

Nielsen has asked the U.S. District Court hearing its breach of contract lawsuit against Flinn Broadcasting to dismiss the counterclaims Flinn asserted in its answer to Nielsen’s complaint, according to InsideRadio.

The measurement company sued Flinn for nonpayment of $136,872.88 for PPM ratings and other services during an eight-month 2015 period and Flinn then filed a counterclaim Feb. 10.

That counterclaim alleged that Nielsen “fraudulently induced” the Memphis-based broadcaster into entering ratings agreements and then breached its contracts by publishing ratings based on what it called faulty PPM methodology.

In the filing, Nielsen says Flinn’s challenge of its survey methodology “has serious implications” because the broadcaster is essentially alleging that the ratings approach was so deficient that all of its resulting audience estimates amounted to a fraud or a breach of contact. “Flinn is attempting to transform a garden variety state law case to recover for non-payment into an attack on the method by which Nielsen prepares its estimates for major radio markets throughout the United States,” Nielsen says. Flinn is attempting to skirt its obligation to pay “by unloading a virtual kitchen sink of vague, unsupported and conclusory allegations against Nielsen,” the filing continues.

It argues that Flinn’s claims should be dismissed because they’re barred by the license agreement Flinn signed with Nielsen and that its fraud allegations lack the detail required to plead fraud under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Meanwhile, the judge in the case has set a May 11 date for a settlement conference between the two parties.

A-Rod, MLB Commissioner Visit With Mike & Mike

ESPN's Mike & Mike Friday morning welcomed MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and New York Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez to discuss the upcoming MLB season.

Click Here:  MLB commissioner Rob Manfred dishes on celebrations in baseball, kids' presence in the clubhouse, the Rays-Cuba game, enforcing smokeless tobacco bans and the Jose Reyes probe.

Click Here:  Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez discusses his progression to this year, his future, the remarks of Bryce Harper and Goose Gossage about the state of baseball and the sport's evolution.

ESPN Radio’s 19th Major League Baseball season will begin on Opening Day, Sunday, April 3, with a rematch of last year’s World Series as Eric Hosmer and the Royals host Yoenis Cespedes and the Mets on Sunday, April 3, at 7 p.m. ET*. Play-by-play commentator Jon Sciambi and analyst Chris Singleton will return to call the season’s action.

Click Here for full schedule

Mike & Mike – hosted by Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic -- is broadcast 6 – 10 a.m., Monday – Friday and can be heard on ESPN Radio and via ESPNRadio.com, the ESPN Radio app, SiriusXM Channel 83, Apple iTunes, Slacker Radio and TuneIn. The show is also simulcast on ESPN2.

ESPN Radio Goes Live 24/7

ESPN Radio will debut First and Last with Lundberg & Golic Jr., hosted by Robin Lundberg and Mike Golic Jr., on Monday, April 4, at 4 a.m. ET. The two-hour program will recap the previous night’s highlights and delve into the coming day’s stories and will be preceded by a two-hour edition of SportsCenter AllNight (2 – 4 a.m.), making ESPN Radio live 24 hours a day on weekdays.

“We are constantly looking for new, aggressive ways of serving sports fans,” said David Roberts, vice president, ESPN Audio Network Content. “Providing sports talk and information LIVE around the clock during the week underscores our commitment to offering our listeners another opportunity to engage with our network through a strong opinion-based program. Robin Lundberg and Mike Golic Jr. will set the table perfectly for our flagship franchise, Mike and Mike.”

“This past year, I’ve been very fortunate to work with a lot of great people and with a great audience on the weekends,” said Golic Jr. “I’m very excited to have the chance now to interact with the weekday crowd and to do so with someone as talented as Robin Lundberg.”

Added Lundberg:  “For the last few years I’ve been able to connect to a loyal fan base in this time slot in New York and am thrilled to be able to expand that audience and be partnered with someone like Mike Golic Jr. as together we set the agenda for the day’s talk.”

Lundberg began his career with an internship at ESPN’s Around the Horn while still in college at the University of Maryland. Most recently on ESPN New York 98.7 FM, Lundberg hosted his own program, The Robin Lundberg Show, on weekday mornings. He currently hosts the weekend Robin Lundberg show on the national ESPN Radio network.

Golic Jr. joined ESPN in November 2015, teaming with his father, Mike & Mike co-host Mike Golic, on a college football and NFL-focused podcast, Mike & Mike Jr. Since then, Golic Jr. has served as a guest host on Mike & Mike, a college football analyst during ESPN Radio’s broadcast of the the 2015 Hawai’i Bowl and debuted in January 2016 as a host of the weekend program  Rothenberg Mike’d Up on ESPN Radio, with Dave Rothenberg and Michael Wallace.

ESPN Radio is available on terrestrial stations, and via ESPNRadio.com, the ESPN app, SiriusXM, Apple iTunes Radio, Slacker Radio and TuneIn.

Weekday schedule (all live, all times Eastern):
2am –   SportsCenter AllNight
4am –   First and Last with Lundberg & Golic Jr.
6am –   Mike & Mike
10am – The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
1pm –   Russillo & Kanell
4pm –   The Right Time with Bomani Jones
7pm –   Jalen & Jacoby
9pm –   Jorge & Izzy
11pm – The Freddie Coleman Show

NYC Radio: No Foolin'! Z-Morning Zoo Reunites On WCBS-FM

Listeners on Friday, April 1st had the opportunity to once again enjoy the foolin' around during the Z-Morning Zoo Reunion on  WCBS 101.1 FM.

Scott Shannon in the Morning flash back to the ’80s with an historic ‘Morning Zoo’ reunion show featuring Scott’s old Z-100 pals Ross Brittain, Claire Stevens and Jonathan B. Bell!









April 2 Radio History



In 1872…Portrait painter-turned-inventor Samuel Morse, who contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system and was co-developer of the Morse code, died at the age of 80.

Jack Webb
In 1920...the creator & star of Dragnet Jack Webb was born in Santa Monica.  

Before Dragnet hit the bigtime on NBC Radio in 1949 he had already scored two west coast cult hits with Pat Novak for Hire, & Johnny Madero Pier 23.  Dragnet came to TV in ’51 while continuing on radio until ’56.  Pete Kelly’s Blues, featuring the jazz he loved so much, was an unsuccessful Webb radio series in ’51, a moderate film success in ’55, and a so-so TV series in ’59.  He scored one more TV hit, producing Emergency (1972-77.)  

Webb died of a heart attack Dec 23, 1982 at age 62.


In 1947...The Big Story (dramas based on newspaper reporting) was first heard on NBC radio. It stayed on the air for eight years.




In 1964...As popular music’s most resounding commercial success, the Beatles have sold more than 2.3+ billion albums, while earning six diamond, 24 multi-platinum, 39 platinum and 45 gold albums in the United States alone. It is a remarkable sales record, by any measure, although their most historic, chart-making moment is easily the first week of April 1964, when the band held the top five positions on the vaunted Billboard charts, writes Kenneth Womack at Penn State University.

As the April 4, 1964, issue of Billboard magazine demonstrates, the Beatles were simply dominating the American music scene. And during that unforgettable week, their music occupied the top five chart positions — the only time in pop-music history that a single act has accomplished such a feat. With “Can’t Buy Me Love” holding down the top slot, “Twist and Shout” was second and “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Please Please Me” rounded out the top five.

Even more incredibly, the Beatles held seven additional positions on Billboard’s Hot 100, including “I Saw Her Standing There” at No. 31, “From Me to You” at No. 41, “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” at No. 46, “All My Loving” at No. 58, “You Can’t Do That” at No. 65, “Roll Over Beethoven” at No. 68 and “Thank You Girl” at No. 79. As if to underscore the awe-inspiring power of Beatlemania during that fabled period, two Beatles tribute acts clocked hits that very same week, including the Carefrees’ “We Love You Beatles” at No. 42 and the Four Preps’ “A Letter to the Beatles” at No. 85. For April 11, 1964, issue of Billboard, the Beatles added two more hits to the Hot 100, including “There’s a Place” at No. 74 and “Love Me Do” at No. 81, giving them a total of 14 hits songs on the Billboard charts at the very same time.


In 1973...the CBS Radio Network began to offer top of the hour newscast 24-hours-a-day.



During the 1970s and into the mid-1980s, the CBS Radio owned-and-operated news stations had a superior style and sound: tight and cohesive production, lively presenters, excellent engineering and outstanding "audio logos" from a company called Identitones. This compilation contains a few stagers and sounders from the heyday of the CBS Radio local news format.

In partnership with CBS Laboratories, CBS Radio developed a unique system to advise affiliates of news bulletins. When activated from network headquarters, CBS NetAlert transmitted coded information over the network lines to each station to communicate anything from the start of a special feed to a national emergency. The system had the capability to override local programming for a special report from CBS News. A NetAlert receiver is seen toward the end of this video.


In 1997...FCC auctioned first S-DARS licenses to CD Radio and American Mobile Radio Corp.


In 2010...Joey Reynolds does last show at WOR 710 AM

Friday, April 1, 2016

SF Radio: Bloodbath At N/T KGO 810 AM

Veteran radio talk-show host Ronn Owens has been moved from KGO 810 AM, his home for the past 40 years, to politically conservative sister station KSFO next week, Owens told his listeners Thursday.

The announcement came in the middle of what one KGO staffer called a “bloodbath” at the Cumulus Media-owned station. Sources said the station — once the Bay Area’s top radio news outlet — laid off most or all of its newsroom employees Thursday.

According to The Chronicle, 20 to 30 employees lost their jobs. Most sources asked to remain anonymous because they feared that speaking out could affect their severance pay or job prospects.

KGO and Cumulus management did not return calls and emails seeking comment.

The station did not immediately say who would take Owens’ longtime 9 a.m.-to-noon spot when he makes the switch Monday to KSFO, which is also owned by Cumulus. But sources said the station would air the talk-show team of Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty live from Sacramento’s KTSE-AM from 6 to 10 a.m.

Armstrong and Getty are expected to remain in Sacramento, those employees said, where they currently broadcast from the studios of iHeartMedia-owned KSTE 650 AM.  In San Francisco, Armstrong & Getty was previously heard on iHM's KKSF 910 AM. It was not immediately clear if the syndication deal extends to other Cumulus-owned radio stations in California or elsewhere. (KKSF is replacing A&G with the syndicated Stephanie Miller Show.)


Dept of Worst-Kept Secrets... We're starting on KGO 810am in the SF Bay Area on Tuesday! Great signal! Great station!
Posted by Armstrong & Getty on Friday, April 1, 2016


Another Cumulus-owned station, KFOG 104.5 FM, 97.7 FM, is also expected to overhaul its staff and programming in the coming weeks. The adult album-format radio station began airing without its usual lineup of radio DJs Thursday morning; promotions running on the station is teasing an “evolution” that will be publicly revealed on April 20.

Owens tried to put a positive spin on the move, saying, “I’ve been saying ‘KGO’ all my life and on Monday I’m going to say ‘KSFO.’ I’m going to look at this as a new adventure.”

At KSFO, the liberal Owens will find himself holding forth amid conservative syndicated voices like Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage, who will lead into Owens’ 3-to-6 p.m. show. Owens said he would provide an alternative to the “drivel” that his new “Hot Talk” colleagues provide, but conceded he was worried about facing “a group of listeners at KSFO who don’t love me.”

Owens has spent 32 of his 40 years with KGO talking in the mornings.

In 2014, Owens shared the news with his listeners that he had been battling Parkinson’s disease since 2001. He was anxious about public reaction and said he didn’t want to be pitied. In the end, he said, he found support from people he often talks about as “family.”

Ronn Owens
Owens had a heads-up on what was coming for him Thursday, unlike the KGO staffers who were laid off. Several said the news operation had been gutted with no notice, no staff meeting and no explanation. Those who lost their jobs were escorted from the building.

The news director and all the anchors and reporters were among those laid off. Several of them gathered at Grumpy’s, a nearby pub, to commiserate.

Grumpy’s Pub was packed with enough journalists to staff its own newsroom Thursday.

Beer pints in hand, shoulders squared and somber, staffers from the nearby KGO Radio lamented lost jobs, and the lessening of a former radio news heavyweight.

At least 20 full-time staffers, and perhaps more, were laid off Thursday morning from KGO Radio and Rock KFOG 104.5.

Empty KGO Newsroom


The layoffs are a blow to the local news scene, as KGO is one of few remaining for-profit news radio stations in San Francisco.

“It’s just a really sad end,” said one former staffer, while sitting in Grumpy’s. None of the former employees wanted to be identified because it could impact their severance packages.

One anchor described reading the news on air that morning amid the layoffs, according to the SF Examiner.

“We were trying to be happy and chipper,” this anchor said. All the while, sitting behind the microphone, they watched staffers leave one by one. “These pillars were falling around us.”

According to Claudia Lamb at SoundWaves, KGO was the #1 radio station in San Francisco for 3 decades; it was a 50,000 watt powerhouse whose signal went from the Pacific coast to the Rocky Mountains – from Mexico to Canada and on up to Alaska. It was where you went to stay informed, and on any given afternoon at least half-a-million people were listening.

Click Here For KGO and the Death of Radio

Though the departure of KGO legend Ronn Owens to famously conservative KSFO grabbed much of the media attention Thursday, many more were lost in the layoffs.

Justin Wittmayer
News anchor Jennifer Jones, sports anchor Rich Walcoff, business and tech reporter Jason Middleton, traffic reporter Mark Nieto, reporter Kristin Hanes, production director Mike Amatori, talk show host Chip Franklin, and KGO veteran anchor Jon Bristow were among the many KGO laid off Thursday.

A 32-year KGO vet Walcoff also told the San Jose Mercury News that Thursday was an awful day at KGO. “In this radio climate, it wasn’t a total blind-side, but it was certainly unexpected. They just basically told me that they’re going in a different direction. …It’s a black Thursday at KGO.”

In the end, the station shedded its entire full-time news team – what is rumored by employees to be a shift on the station to a “talk” format, pulling away from straight news.

Here's the content of a memo sent to staff:
Team, 
Today, we have set in motion new programming strategies for both KGO and KFOG that will help us better meet the needs and demands of our listeners, advertisers and community. Our goal is to reposition these two stations for future growth and strength through new and enhanced programming, and new additions to the KGO and KFOG teams, including programming veteran Bryan Schock, whom we announced this morning as the new OM/PD of KFOG and KSAN. We believe the new programming direction will put KGO and KFOG on the best paths to growth and success. 
Unfortunately, to achieve that goal, we had the difficult but necessary task today of restructuring our KGO and KFOG station staffs to allow us to meet the new needs of these two stations as we invest in new programming that is redefined, refocused and of the highest quality. Today, we informed the affected employees about these changes, which included the elimination of a number of full-time and part-time positions across these two stations, primarily in the news department at KGO and in key dayparts at KFOG. I want to thank those professionals who are leaving us for their contributions and service to KGO and KFOG, and wish them only the best as they continue on in their careers.  
I want to thank the remainder of our team for working with us through this transition and in the coming weeks and months, as the new KGO and KFOG take shape. Together, we will build these newly imagined stations into strong and vibrant brands that our listeners and advertisers will love.  
I will be sharing with you more specific details on these programming shifts and additions in the next few days and weeks. In the meantime, please reach out to me directly with any questions. 
jw  
Justin WittmayerVice President - Market ManagerKFOG/KGO/KNBR/KSAN/KSFO/KTCT

For many at KGO, the loss of local news was shocking but not surprising. The station has struggled to find a significant audience in San Francisco since it began experimenting with different formats after being acquired by Cumulus in 2011.

Before the acquisition, KGO had for decades aired a mixture of news and talk programming, nearly all of which was locally produced. After the acquisition, Cumulus announced a significant overhaul of KGO’s programming, promising to make a heavy investment in local news content and rebranding KGO as an “all-news” station.

According to The Desk, KGO’s newscasts were limited to several hours in the morning and afternoon. Locally-produced content was scaled back in favor of syndicated talk programming, barter shows and paid advertisements. The company failed to keep its promise of investing in news production; instead, reporters in the field were expected to record and file stories from their iPhones. The station failed to gain any ground on all-news station KCBS (740 AM, 106.9 FM) and public broadcaster KQED (88.5 FM)

Political Ad Bonanza Predicted For Digital, Radio


Call it the Trump Effect. When a candidate with the most delegates has spent the least on advertising and gets twice as much earned media as all of his opponents combined, there’s something unusual at play.

It will still be a record year for political advertising from the national down to the local level − even more so. Borrell Associates has adjusted their  forecasts up 3.1%, figuring campaigns will spend $357 million more than we originally anticipated as they scramble to clarify their messages or, more likely, spend money to simplify their opponents’. Nearly half of that increase will go to radio, cable and online media, which are quickly becoming viable alternatives to already-clogged TV programming.

Also, Borrell expects the national vitriol to cause a trickle-down effect at the state and local level. Candidates and PACs are likely to rush to the airwaves to caricature their opponents and tie them to deeply negative aspects of their party's nominee.

“With broadcast TV inventory clogged, campaigns and PACs have been turning to available inventory such as cable and radio spots and digital banner ads,” Borrell says in the report. “Also, expect the national vitriol to cause a trickle-down effect at the state and local levels. Candidates and PACs are likely to rush to the airwaves to caricature their opponents and tie them to deeply negative aspects of their party’s nominee.”

Nashville Radio: WQZQ Launches Classic Hits Format

After almost a week of playing "Macarena" nonstop, WQZQ 830 AM / 93.3 W227DC T-FM takes on its new role Friday as 93.3 Classic Hits.

"Anyone who listens to '70s and '80s music will love 93.3FM or (WQZQ) 830AM," Cromwell Group, Inc. general manager Jana Hampton said in a prepared statement.

Hampton manages the company's local markets, including 102.9 The BUZZ, 102.5 The GAME, 94.9 GAME2 and 102.1 The LIGHT.

The program kicks off with the national anthem, which will play daily at noon to honor military and emergency responders. Listeners will also hear weather and traffic updates during rush hour time periods, and local information throughout the day.

WQZQ 830 AM (2kw-Daytime only)
While WQZQ-AM is a 2 Kw daytimer based in Goodlettsville, 93.3 is a new frequency to the Nashville area. According to RadioInsight, the former 96.1 W241BU Charleston IL is now W227DC and is paired with 830 WQZQ Goodlettsville via the AM Revitalization Waiver. The translator is operating with 250 watts from the WSMV-TV tower just west of Nashville.

FCC Approves Internet Subsidies

Millions of poor Americans will be eligible for federal subsidies to help pay the cost of Internet service after new regulations were approved in a whirlwind Federal Communications Commission (FCC) meeting on Thursday.

The Hill reports the FCC voted to expand its 30-year-old Lifeline program, which has offered the monthly $9.25 subsidy for voice-only phone service.

The three Democratic commissioners approved the proposal over opposition from the two Republicans, who have concerns about the program's budget.

The vote was delayed for more than three hours as Republicans accused FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler of scuttling a late-night compromise to bring them on board.

They said they had a deal with Democratic commissioner Mignon Clyburn before it fell apart under pressure from the chairman, members of Congress and outside groups.

"I must address the elephant in the room: the delay in the meeting and rumors about a proposed cap on the Lifeline program," Clyburn said at the meeting. She said she engaged in negotiations with Republicans but ended up backing out because the deal did not "fully achieve my vision."

Clyburn told reporters said she is five feet two inches tall but "not easily bullied." Wheeler gave a one word response to charges that he bullied his fellow Democrat: "Balderdash."

The expansion is a major win for advocates who increasingly see Internet access as a necessity for education, finding a job or simply communicating. They point to the 15 percent of Americans, concentrated in poor and rural communities, who do not use the Internet.

Families will only be able to receive one subsidy per household, which they can put toward paying for home Internet, phone or smartphone service — or a combination of the three under the program. Many current participants receive free basic cell service because the $9.25 subsidy covers the entire cost, but they would have to cover the remaining cost of a broadband connection.

Broadcast TV Ratings: 'Today' Trumps GMA

NBC’s “Today” claimed Thursday that it trumped ABC’s “Good Morning America” in total viewers for the first time in a non-Olympics week since 2012, the latest twist in the scorched-earth battle between the two networks to dominate the morning-news audience and lock in millions in extra advertising dollars.

NBC said”Today” beat “GMA” by the thinnest of margins – just 49,000 viewers overall and 180,000 people between 25 and 54, the demographic most coveted by advertisers in news programming. NBC’s morning program, which has been on the air since 1952, has generally trailed “GMA” in total viewers since the spring of 2012, the result of viewers being turned off by a “Today” turn toward stories of a more tabloid nature and in reaction to an NBC decision in June of that year to remove co-host Ann Curry from the program.

Variety reports that behind the scenes, “Today” staffers remain cautiously optimistic, said one person familiar with the program. The war between the two morning shows is far from over, this person said, noting that producers fully anticipate losses to “Good Morning America” over the next few days and weeks. But the numbers, this person said, lend ballast to the theory that offering viewers a stronger dose of hard news in the morning has lent new momentum to the NBC program.

To be sure, both programs have challenges to solve. In the first quarter of 2016, “Today” saw total viewers fall by 3% from the year-earlier period, while “GMA” lost 10%. The daypart is extremely competitive, with Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC and Fox Business Network also offering morning-news programming. “CBS This Morning” grew viewers by 11% during the first quarter, though it continues to trail both the NBC and ABC programs by a significant margin.

“Today” has put its ABC rival under pressure for weeks, winning the 25-54 crowd for more than 25 weeks.

CBS This Morning Gains On GMA, Today

"CBS This Morning," contunues to add viewers while ABC's "Good Morning America" and NBC's "Today" are losing them.

"GMA" was the most-seen program in the first quarter of 2016. "GMA" averaged 5 million viewers while "Today" drew 4.82 million and "This Morning" attracted 3.81 million. CBS was up 11 percent from a year ago while ABC was down 10 percent and NBC was off 3 percent.

The first-rate team of Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell has transformed the CBS broadcast into a pleasant, informative way to start the day. They know how to give the news, they know how to have fun, and they know the difference between the two. People from Bryant Gumbel to John Oliver have praised the CBS team for good reason.

The Orlando Sentinel reports in the 25-to-54 age group, which is most important to news advertisers, NBC's "Today" averaged 1.89 million viewers while "GMA" drew 1.73 million and CBS pulled in 1.14 million.

From a year ago in that age group, CBS was up 11 percent, ABC was down 12 percent and NBC was flat.

So winning is nice, but gaining is grand, too. "CBS This Morning" has had 42 straight months of audience growth in year-to-year comparisons.

CBS had its best first quarter in total viewers in 22 years and its best showing with the 25-to-54 age group in five years.

Artists To Lobby Lawmakers Over Bogus Videos

Hundreds of the country’s most successful recording artists are sick and tired of getting ripped off via pirated videos — and are demanding Congress do something about it.

The powerful group — Katy Perry, Billy Joel, Steven Tyler, Christina Aguilera and scores of others — wants lawmakers on Capitol Hill to sharpen the teeth of the current copyright law, 1998’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act, to keep illegal videos off streaming services like Google’s YouTube.

Currently, complaints made about the pirated work result in the video being taken down — and then re-posted, sometimes minutes later, according to The NY Post.

The streaming services, the artists, managers and music labels said, benefit greatly from the rampant piracy — at the expense of the artists.

The lobbying effort is being coordinated by the Recording Industry Association of America.

The musicians fired off a letter to the US Copyright Office on Thursday, the final day for comment on proposed changes in Congress to the DCMA.

“A law that might have made sense in 1998 is now not only obsolete but actually harmful,” reads a letter from the group.

FOX Sports Radio Launches New Weekend Lineup

FOX Sports Radio (FSR) has announced its weekend lineup for the 2016 Spring/Summer sports season. Beginning April 2 and 3, FSR will welcome several new additions to its diverse ensemble of sports entertainment personalities, analysts and players providing around-the-clock weekend coverage, including game-day previews, analysis and interviews.

Joy Taylor, FS1 host and former morning drive personality at 790 AM The Ticket in South Florida, will join FSR's Mark Willard on Saturdays from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET. In addition, NBA All-Star and Slam Dunk Champion Cedric Ceballos will team up with FSR's Brian Noe on Saturdays from 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. ET, while FS1 NBA Analyst and 14-Year NBA veteran Jim Jackson joins Ryan Field on Sundays from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET.

"FOX Sports Radio cements its standing as the best place for sports talk radio with the addition of these three talented personalities," stated Scott Shapiro, Premiere Networks Vice President of Sports Programming.  "I couldn't be more proud of the opinions, credibility and creativity that have been assembled in this weekend lineup.  There is no better destination for timely and entertaining takes on the biggest stories in sports than FOX Sports Radio."

Below is FSR's 2016 weekend Spring/Summer lineup:

Saturday (All times Eastern)
2 a.m. The Jonas Knox Show
6 a.m. The Big Lead with Jason McIntyre
9 a.m. Anthony Gargano & Lincoln Kennedy
1 p.m. Mark Willard & Joy Taylor
4 p.m. Steve Hartman & Brady Poppinga
8 p.m. Brian Noe & Cedric Ceballos
11 p.m Arnie Spanier

Sunday
2 a.m. The Jonas Knox Show
6 a.m. Nick Ashooh
9 a.m. Michael Harmon & Dan Beyer
1 p.m. Ryan Field & Jim Jackson
4 p.m. Mike Hill & Kirk Morrison
7 p.m. Brian Noe & Mark Willard
11 p.m Chris Plank & Arnie Spanier
2 a.m. Ben Maller

AdLarge Media Re-Organizes Digital Team

AdLarge Media has announced the reorganization of its digital audio team to provide focused expansion of specific growth areas. Jay Green will continue to lead the expansion of AdLarge’s digital audio content portfolio in the role of Vice President, Digital Content Partnerships, reporting to AdLarge Co-Founders and Co-Chief Executive Officers Gary Schonfeld and Cathy Csukas.

As part of the restructuring, Ilwira Marciszek, Director, Ad Operations, and Stephanie Vance, Director, Revenue Planning & Development, will now report to Chief Revenue Officer Don Wachsmith for a more seamless ad sales operation process. As announced earlier this week, Yvonne Lacey will focus on growing digital advertising as AdLarge’s Vice President, Digital Sales Development, and also will report to Wachsmith.

“Since we launched AdLarge Media five years ago, we have grown our staff and our digital platform extensively,” stated Schonfeld. “We needed more focused goals for individual team members and a more streamlined structure to our organization. Cathy and I are particularly pleased that we were able to accomplish this with our existing, stellar core digital team of Jay, Ilwira, and Stephanie, and the addition of Yvonne.”

AdLarge has digital audio content partnerships with marquee brands such as Shaquille O’Neal’s Shaq Fu Radio, Jim Breuer’s The Metal In Me and Mets and More, Farnoosh Torabi’s So Money, AP News On Demand, RotoWire, and more.

"There has never been a more exciting time in the digital audio marketplace,” said Green. “We are growing the AdLarge portfolio through existing and future partnerships, as well as through new content creation, with a focus on delivering engaged listeners to our advertisers.”

Busy Weekend For Westwood One At The ACM Awards

Westwood One and Cumulus Media will present Westwood One Backstage at the ACM’s tomorrow, Friday, April 1, 2016, and Saturday, April 2, 2016, at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand. Westwood One Backstage at the ACM’s is a two-day exclusive showcase of brand activations and backstage audio and video coverage leading up to the 51st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday, April 3, 2016. Westwood One Backstage at the ACM’s will welcome more than 80 of Country music’s biggest artists over the two-day event, including Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw and Martina McBride, and will present an exclusive one-on-one session with ACM hosts Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan, with performances by Country artists Brett Young, Canaan Smith and Tucker Beathard. Westwood One Backstage at the ACM’s will be held at the MGM Grand on Friday, April 1, 2016, from 12 NOON to 4 PM and on Saturday, April 2, 2016, from 10AM to 4PM.

Westwood One Backstage at the ACM’s is presented via a partnership between The Academy of Country Music, dick clark productions, Westwood One and Cumulus. Westwood One Backstage at the ACM’s behind-the-scenes coverage brings red carpet moments to life, offering broadcast partners and advertisers access to exclusive content, live broadcasts, celebrities, backstage performances, social media buzz, and parties and events. Sponsors include Grainger, Advance Auto Parts, Biore’ and General Mills/Outnumber Hunger.

Artists scheduled to appear on air and in the Advance Auto Parts Photo Booth include: Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Trace Adkins, Chris Stapleton, Dustin Lynch, Eric Paslay, LANco, Kip Moore, Brett Eldredge, Love and Theft, Cam, Charles Kelley, Jennifer Nettles, Jake Owen, Old Dominion, Chase Bryant, Kelsea Ballerini, Parmalee, Brothers Osborne, Cassadee Pope, Maddie & Tae, Dan + Shay, LOCASH, Thomas Rhett, Chris Young, Cole Swindell, Granger Smith, Little Big Town, Chris Janson, Sam Hunt, Clay Walker, Rascal Flatts, Florida Georgia Line, Randy Houser, Shenandoah and many more. 

The 51st Academy of Country Music Awards is produced for television by dick clark productions and will broadcast LIVE from MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, April 3, 2016, at 8:00‬ PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

SiriusXM Unveils Extensive 2016 MLB Coverage

SiriusXM will again provide the most comprehensive national Major League Baseball coverage available on radio for the 2016 MLB season.  SiriusXM subscribers will have access to every regular season and postseason game on their satellite radios and via the SiriusXM app, as well as 24/7 news, talk and analysis on the exclusive MLB Network Radio channel.

MLB games are available on Sirius radios with either a Premier or All Access package, and on all XM radios.  Through SiriusXM's agreement with MLBAM, MLB play-by-play is also available to all subscribers on the SiriusXM app and online at SiriusXM.com.  The SiriusXM app offers a suite of 30 play-by-play channels dedicated to streaming the official radio broadcasts of every MLB team, giving fans access to both the home and visiting team broadcasts for every game.

Listeners also get the most in-depth coverage and analysis of the league 365 days a year with MLB Network Radio, SiriusXM's 24-hour baseball talk channel (XM channel 89, Sirius channel 209).  The channel's roster of expert hosts includes former GMs Jim Bowden, Jim Duquette and Steve Phillips, former players Cliff Floyd, Todd Hollandsworth, Brad Lidge, CJ Nitkowski, Steve Sax, Mike Stanton and Rico Petrocelli, national baseball writers Tyler Kepner, Scott Miller and Jon Paul Morosi, as well as Casey Stern, Mike Ferrin, Jim Memolo and Grant Paulsen.

Throughout the season, listeners will hear weekly and bi-weekly one-on-one interviews with several managers including: Ned Yost (Royals), Brad Ausmus (Tigers), Kevin Cash (Rays), John Farrell (Red Sox), Terry Francona (Indians), Chip Hale (Diamondbacks), Clint Hurdle (Pirates) and Bob Melvin (Athletics).  For a schedule of manager appearances go to www.SiriusXM.com/MLBNetworkRadio.

Chris Russo
MLB Network Radio also features a simulcast of Chris "Mad Dog" Russo's MLB Network show, High Heat with Christopher Russo, every weekday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. ET as well as simulcasts of additional MLB Network television programming, including the flagship studio show MLB Tonight on weeknights at 6:00 p.m. ET.

On Opening Day, April 4, MLB Network Radio will broadcast live from Camden Yards before the Baltimore Orioles host the Minnesota Twins.  Former Orioles executive Jim Duquette and Jeff Joyce will host live from the ballpark starting at 12:00 pm ET.  Then on Thursday, April 7, Duquette and Casey Stern will broadcast from Nationals Park in Washington, DC, starting at 1:00 pm ET before the Nats open up their home schedule against the Miami Marlins.

Follow the channel on Twitter @MLBNetworkRadio.

Additionally, SiriusXM's Radio Classics (channel 148) will welcome the start of the season with a number of baseball themed classic radio shows and segments airing throughout the week from Opening Day, April 3, through Saturday, April 9.  Highlights include Abbott & Costello's famous comedy routine "Who's On First?"; a Lux Radio Theater adaptation of "Pride of The Yankees," the biographical motion picture on Yankees great Lou Gehrig; "The Ballad Of Satchel Paige," a half hour production presented by Destination Freedom; and memorable appearances by Hall of Famers on comedy and variety shows, such as Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth with Bob Hope, Bob Feller with Jack Benny, Hank Greenberg with Bing Crosby, and more.

JUNO Awards to Honor Rosalie Trombley

She’s credited with making the careers of Canadian music icons like The Guess Who, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Anka, Bachman Turner Overdrive, and Burton Cummings — and now the “Girl with the Golden Ear” is being recognized with a Juno award.

Legendary local radio figure Rosalie Trombley, music director during the “Big 8” era of CKLW 800 AM, will receive a special achievement award at the 2016 edition of the Juno awards. The 2016 Juno awards ceremony is on April 3 in Calgary, Alberta. The 76-year-old will not be attending due to health, but family representatives will be at the event to accept the award for her.

“Rosalie Trombley’s remarkable intuition and influence in the Canadian music industry are extraordinary,” said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards and MusiCounts. “Not only did she distinguish herself as a radio trailblazer, her passion for music has heightened the careers of some of the legendary artists we know and love today. On behalf of the CARAS Board, we are very pleased to recognize Rosalie Trombley with the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award for her exceptional contributions.”

When Trombley joined Windsor-based CKLW in 1968, it was already a dominant force in Detroit radio and also highly-rated across midwestern U.S. markets like Ohio and Pennsylvania.

But as music director, Trombley’s song choices for airplay shaped a generation of listeners. Her knack for picking ear-pleasers made hits out of tunes like These Eyes by The Guess Who, If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot, and Taking Care of Business by Bachman Turner Overdrive.

Trombley’s tenure as a music director and one of the few female executives in radio at the time stretched over twenty years. Her decision to give records exposure led to the rise in popularity of countless talented artists, while also solidifying her position as one of the most powerful forces in the industry. Trombley is particularly credited for the breakthroughs of Canadian artists into the United States, including Gordon Lightfoot’s, “If You Could Read My Mind”, The Guess Who’s “These Eyes”, Paul Anka’s “You’re Having My Baby”, Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “Taking Care of Business”, and Burton Cummings’ “Stand Tall” amongst many others.

“I am deeply moved and humbled by this tremendous honour, as the recipient of this year’s Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award. The BIG 8 was a powerful force in broadcasting, with a signal that reached millions of listeners,” said Rosalie Trombley. “I will always consider myself fortunate to have played a role in such a significant era of music and proud of the exposure CKLW afforded many, now legendary and superbly talented, Canadian artists.”

“Rosalie Trombley’s remarkable intuition and influence in the Canadian music industry are extraordinary,” said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards and MusiCounts. “Not only did she distinguish herself as a radio trailblazer, her passion for music has heightened the careers of some of the legendary artists we know and love today. On behalf of the CARAS Board, we are very pleased to recognize Rosalie Trombley with the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award for her exceptional contributions.”

Trombley began her career at the AM Top 40 powerhouse, CKLW – The BIG 8 in Windsor, Ontario as a switchboard operator, but before long her talented ear for discovering hit songs led her to become one of the most influential individuals in radio history.

Although CKLW was based in Windsor, it programmed for the Detroit market and the station’s 50,000-watt signal beamed across the American Midwest. In addition to being the #1 rated station in Detroit for many years, the station routinely rated in the top five in multiple Midwest markets in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

With Bob Seger
Having a profound understanding for the unique Windsor-Detroit market, Trombley is celebrated for playing what she believed to be ‘crossover’ hits – songs that appealed to both black and white audiences. Particularly, she persuaded Elton John to release “Bennie and The Jets” as a single, because she instinctively knew it had tremendous potential to ‘crossover’.

Recording artists, both established and aspiring, visited Trombley to promote their latest single releases, and the walls of her office were lined with gold records. Among other artists she is credited with breaking onto the Top 40 CHR charts are: Bob Seger, Kiss, Alice Cooper, The O’Jays, Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, Parliament–Funkadelic, Queen, and Aerosmith. In addition, Bob Seger immortalized Rosalie in his 1973 song “Rosalie” from his Back in ’72 album.