➦In 1910...actor Paul Sutton was born in Albuquerque. He played Sgt. Preston on Mutual radio's 'Challenge of the Yukon' from about 1943 (when he replaced the original Preston, Jay Michael) until 1954, when he abandoned acting and ran unsuccessfully for congress. The show's title had changed to 'Sgt. Preston of the Yukon' in 1951. He died of muscular dystrophy Jan. 31 1970 at age 59.
➦In 1916...musician/bandleader Skip (Lloyd) Martin was born in Robinson Ill. He began on staff at radio station WLW in Cincinnati, before playing alto and baritone sax for a series of big bands, including Charlie Barnett, Jan Savitt, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman. He had stints with NBC & CBS radio in New York before arranging the theme and incidental music for the 1958-59 TV series, "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer." He died in Feb 1976 at age 59.
➦In 1970..actress/comedienne Billie Burke, best remembered as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz, who had her own Saturday morning CBS radio sitcom (1943-46), died of heart failure at age 85.
➦In 1976...Lowell Thomas ended a 46-year career as a network radio reporter.
➦In 1984...Ron Lundy started at WCBS 101.1 FM
➦In 2006...Lew Anderson, the Howdy Doody Show's final Clarabell the Clown, died at the age of 84. Earlier in his career, he sang on radio with a group known as the Honey Dreamers.
➦In 2015…Blues singer/guitarist (The Thrill Is Gone, I Like To Live The Love, Rock Me Baby, 3 O'Clock Blues)/nightclub owner/former radio disc jockey (WDIA-Memphis)/Blues Hall of Famer/Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Riley "B.B." King died of complications from Alzheimer's disease and diabetes at 89. Circa 1950, his nickname on the radio was Beale Street Blues Boy, which was later shortened to Blues Boy, then B.B.
iHeartMedia Solvency Concerns Deepen
iHeartMedia Inc. has extended the deadline — for the fourth time — on a $14.6 billion distressed debt exchange offer after barely more than 1 percent of the notes had been swapped out as of Thursday.
According to mysanantonio.com, the deadline extension until May 26 at 4 p.m. is widely seen by debt analysts as giving the debt-laden company more time to discuss with lenders and bondholders ways to restructure most of the company's debt before it decides to file for bankruptcy. The company's debt stood at $20.4 billion as of March 31.
iHM is trying to refinance about $8.3 billion in bonds and about $6 billion in loans. As of Thursday, only 1.1 percent of the bonds, or $86.7 million, had been tendered, the company reported.
The debt-exchange offer, first issued on March 15, proposes mainly to delay maturities by two years and reduce the amounts of repayment at varying levels depending on the volume of debt that eventually is tendered.
"The investor response is limited at best," said Patrice Cucinello, a Fitch Ratings Inc. analyst.
"This is an extensive restructuring of debt," Cucinello said. "There's a lot of different groups to negotiate with. It takes time to negotiate this. I don't know how much longer it can go on."
The company has $316.5 million in debt maturing this year, $324.2 million in 2018 but $8.4 billion in 2019. The company had $365 million in cash as of March 31. iHM warned last month that it might not last until February as a "going concern."
The company warned investors April 20 that it may not survive the next 10 months. iHeart has generated negative cash flow over the last two years, meaning that it's spending more money on its debt and other expenses than it's generating.
Spotify, Valued At $13B, To Launch Direct Listing On NYSE
By Lauren Hirsch and Pallavi Dewan
(Reuters) - Music streaming service Spotify, most recently valued at $13 billion, will be the first major company to carry out a direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange when it goes public later this year or early next year, two sources familiar with the situation said on Friday.
The move would be the biggest test yet for the direct listing process, which for companies willing to list shares without raising capital eliminates the need for a Wall Street bank or broker to underwrite an initial public offering (IPO) along with many associated fees.
If successful, it could change the way companies approach selling shares to the public.
The Swedish technology firm is working with investment banks Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Allen & Co to advise them on the process, the sources said.
Spotify, the New York Stock Exchange, Morgan Stanley and Goldman declined comment. Allen & Co did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a traditional IPO, investment bank underwriters sell new shares of a company to the public at a price they determine based on investor feedback. The underwriters leading this process are backed by an IPO syndicate, sometimes comprising more than a dozen banks, which share the responsibility of selling and allocating shares to investors.
In a direct listing, a company does not raise money by offering new shares for sale, but instead makes existing shares immediately available to the public, meaning employees and investors can buy and sell as they wish. That dispenses with the need for banks to market and sell the company's shares.
Spotify's decision to side-step underwriters could be a hit to investment banks that rely on fees from marquee listings.
Proceeds from IPOs fell 40 percent last year from 2015. Technology IPOs, often a large chunk of the market, were down 56 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Last year Spotify raised $1 billion in convertible debt from private equity firm TPG Capital Management LP and hedge fund Dragoneer Investment Group. The round came with a provision allowing TPG and Dragoneer to convert their debt into equity at a discount of 20 percent or more to the offering share price of an IPO, depending on when the company goes public.
It was unclear how that stipulation would be handled in a direct listing.
RISKS, VOLATILITY
Direct listings are not without risk. Investment banks seek to set an IPO price that fits demand while leaving room for the company's shares to rise further in the market. Without this guidance, a company's stock price is more exposed to gyrations.
There is also no "lock-up" period to prevent early-stage investors and employees from selling shares in the months following a listing. Without that, a stock could experience heavy turnover and price fluctuations just as the company is getting its public market footing.
Direct listings also do not eliminate all Wall Street costs. Investment banks still advise companies on how to get their financials in order and articulate why they are a good investment, even if they do not get involved in building materials to show investors at so-called roadshows.
Examples of companies of Spotify's size that have directly listed are scant, though Freddie Mac did so in 1989.
A direct listing for a large company such as Spotify may be hard to replicate, industry sources said. Companies less well-known would likely need bankers to market shares, while Spotify can rely on consumer familiarity and media exposure.
Spotify, which has yet to post a profit as it expands in markets worldwide and builds new offices in New York, lost 173 million euros ($189 million) in 2015, according to the latest figures disclosed by its Luxembourg-based holding company.
In recent months, it has sought to build up its service by striking deals with music labels. In April, it announced a licensing deal with Universal Music Group Inc that could make the streaming platform more attractive to its top-selling artists, including Taylor Swift, Adele, Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Kanye West, by letting them release albums exclusively to premium users.
Spotify hopes to strike deals with Warner Music Group and Sony Music in the run-up to the IPO, one of the sources said.
Trump Suggests Ending TWH Daily Press Briefings
Seating chart for White House Daily Press Briefings
Fear not, America. He's not canceling the best daytime soap opera to hit TV in years, According to Mark Joyella who cover the media at Forbes
In a flurry of tweets Friday morning, President Donald Trump ranted about media coverage of his daily White House press briefing, and seemed to threaten to shut it down:
...Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future "press briefings" and hand out written responses for the sake of accuracy???
As a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!....
The Fake Media is working overtime today!
According to Joyella: Yes, yes, it's also about freedom of the press and the ability of journalists to have access to the West Wing and to demand answers to questions--beyond news releases printed and handed out.
In a statement, the White House Correspondents Association said ending the daily briefing "would reduce accountability, transparency, and the opportunity for Americans to see that, in the U.S. system, no political figure is above being questioned."
The questioning was intense Thursday, with a deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders making emphatic statements about the firing of FBI Director James Comey that were later contradicted by Trump in an interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt.
But never forget this president that loves to watch TV news and obsesses over the way he's covered. Yes, he hates bad coverage, but the only thing worse would be not being talked about in the first place. Trump also loves a hit show and considers the daily briefing--usually featuring White House press secretary Sean Spicer--a smash
Bill O'Reilly Tells Glenn Beck His Firing Was A "Hit"
Former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly told radio host Glenn Beck Friday that he believes he is the victim of an organized "hit" by liberal activists — but that he won't bad-mouth his former network.
O'Reilly was fired by Fox News last month in the wake of a series of sexual harassment allegations. Many of his advertisers dropped the program following a New York Times report about the allegations. The former host of "The O'Reilly Factor" worked for the network for over 20 years.
TheBlaze reports during the interview on TheBlaze's "The Glenn Beck Program," O'Reilly said, "This was a hit."
"In the weeks to come, we're going to be able to explain some of it," he said. "It has to do with destroying voices that the far left and the organized left-wing cabal doesn't like."
WH Spox Spicer Won't Confirm Or Deny Recording Devices
White House press secretary Sean Spicer would neither confirm nor deny during Friday's press briefing that President Donald Trump has recorded audio of his private White House conversations, including his January dinner with ousted FBI Director James Comey.
BusinessInsider repports Spicer's comments came as a response to Trump's eye-opening tweet from earlier Friday, which appeared to serve as a threat to Comey.
"James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!" Trump wrote.
The first series of questions Spicer faced in the briefing centered around the tweet.
"I've talked to the president" about that tweet, Spicer said. "The president has nothing further to add to that."
"Why did he say that?" Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason said.
"As I mentioned, the president has nothing further to add to that," Spicer said.
"Are there recording devices in the Oval Office or the residence?" Mason then asked.
"As I've said for the third time, there's nothing further to add to that," Spicer responded.
"Does he think it's appropriate to threaten someone like Mr. Comey not to speak?" Mason asked.
Spicer said he didn't the tweet was "a threat."
Report: Comey Backlash Not Expected by TWH
Apparently President Trump can't even scream at his TV set without somebody leaking it to reporters, so it's little surprise to learn that Trump is polling confidantes about whether he should fire White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, according to The Week.
As Trump sat in the White House dining room Tuesday night and watched the backlash against his firing of FBI Director James Comey play out on cable news, he became "irate" noticing that "nobody was defending him,"
The Washington Post reports. "Trump pinned much of the blame on Spicer and [communications director Michael] Dubke's communications operation."
In fact, there had been no media response planned, in part because Trump and his advisers did not expect a swift, forceful backlash to the decision. The other reason, the Post says, is that "Trump kept a close hold on the process" and Spicer and Dubke "were brought into the Oval Office and informed of the Comey decision just an hour before the news was announced. Other staffers in the West Wing found out about the FBI director's firing when their cellphones buzzed with news alerts."
Concerns Arise Over Sinclair "Must-Runs"
They arrive every day at television stations owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group — short video segments that are centrally produced by the company. Station managers around the country are directed to work them into the broadcast over a period of 24 or 48 hours.
The NY Times reports that since November 2015, Sinclair has ordered its stations to run a daily segment from a "Terrorism Alert Desk" with updates on terrorism-related news around the world. During the election campaign last year, it sent out a package that suggested in part that voters should not support Hillary Clinton because the Democratic Party was historically pro-slavery. More recently, Sinclair asked stations to run a short segment in which Scott Livingston, the company's vice president for news, accused the national news media of publishing "fake news stories."
As Sinclair prepares to expand its stable of local TV stations with a proposed acquisition of Tribune Media — which would add 42 stations to Sinclair's 173 — advocacy groups have shown concern about the size and reach the combined company would have. Its stations would reach more than 70 percent of the nation's households, including many of the largest markets.
Critics of the deal also cite Sinclair's willingness to use its stations to advance a mostly right-leaning agenda. That practice has stirred wariness among some of its journalists concerned about intrusive direction from headquarters.
That is what has happened in Seattle, a progressive city where Sinclair owns the KOMO broadcast station. In interviews over the past several days, eight current and former KOMO employees described a newsroom where some have chafed at Sinclair's programming directives, especially the must-runs, which they view as too politically tilted and occasionally of poor quality. They also cited features like a daily poll, which they believe sometimes asks leading questions.
The journalists at KOMO described small acts of rebellion, like airing the segments at times of low viewership or immediately before or after commercial breaks so they blend in with paid spots. They all spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal from the company.
'Trump Bump' Still Delivers
TV news networks continue to generally rack up big advertising dollars and viewership versus a year ago -- largely due to heavy news viewing, thanks to the scandal-ridden Trump Administration.
MediaPost reports viewership of all TV news programming continues to rise. Pivotal Research Group says year-to-date viewing of the big three cable news networks -- Fox, MSNBC, and CNN -- are up 31% year to date, when it comes "person-viewing hours."
Overall, for all news-related programming on national media properties, viewing is up 12%. Pivotal says viewing amounted to 799 million person-viewing hours during the 19th week of 2017 against 766 million person-viewing hours in the year-ago period.
From January 1 through May 11, Fox earned $433.7 million -- up a massive 29% over a year ago, according to iSpot.tv, when it was a $335.7 million.
CNN has pulled in $300.5 million, down from $348.7 million, according to iSpot.tv. CNN aired some big rated presidential primary election programming during the period the year ago.
MSNBC is at $74.8 million, up 8% to $69.0 million. Headline News is at $49.5 million 9% higher from $45.7 million a year ago.
➦In 1941...Pop singer Ritchie Valens, remembered for the hits "La Bamba" and "Donna," was born. He died in a plane crash with singers Buddy Holly and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson on Feb. 3, 1959 at 17.
➦..in the middle of WWII. Herr Adolph Hitler and his Nazi occupiers of the Netherlands and other European countries confiscated all radios.
➦In 1956... after 16 years as a Sunday feature on CBS Radio, "Gene Autry's Melody Ranch," aired its final episode. The half-hour broadcast for Wrigley's Gum featured 10 to 15 minute western action skits featuring Autry and his sidekick Pat Buttram, plus musical selections by "the 'Singing Cowboy." Autry went on to be owner of a chain of West Coast radio stations, Golden West Broadcasters, and LA TV station KTLA.
➦In 1963...Dave Kurtz and Jerry Lee signed on the Philadelphia station now known as WBEB 101.1
➦In 1969...The Beatles, now with beards and long hair, met at EMI House in London to replicate the cover of their first album for the cover of their current album project, "Get Back." When that project evolved into "Let It Be," the photograph was put aside until its eventual use for the cover of the compilation release, "The Beatles 1967-1970," nicknamed the "blue album."
➦In 2010...one of the most prolific organists in the Golden Age of Radio, Rosa Rio died at age 107. During her 22 years in radio, the "Queen of the Soaps" provided the organ background music for 24 soap operas and radio dramas, and played for an average of five to seven shows per day, including Bob and Ray, Ethel and Albert, Front Page Farrell, Lorenzo Jones, My True Story, The Shadow and When a Girl Marries.
➦…Retired advertising executive Bill Backer died at the age of 89. He wrote the lyrics to the Coca-Cola jingle/hit song "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)," and ad slogans "The Real Thing" and "Things go better with Coke" for the same client, "Everything you ever wanted in a beer … and less" and "Miller Time" for the Miller Brewing Company, and "Soup is good food" for Campbell's brand.
Chicago Radio: Cumulus Promotes Hanson, Extends Thomas
Troy Hanson
Cumulus Media announces that it has promoted Troy Hanson, Program Director for Chicago Alternative station WKQX 101.1 FM and Vice President, Programming, Rock formats, to the newly created position of Vice President, Operations for its four-station group in Chicago.
Hanson will continue to program 101 WKQX and to oversee Rock formats for Cumulus. Hanson joined Cumulus in 2013 as Corporate Program Director, Rock Formats and as Program Director for WNNX/ROCK 100.5 in Atlanta. Prior to Cumulus, Hanson was Operations Manager for Cromwell Radio Group in Nashville. A 27-year programming professional, he has held various programming positions at stations in markets including: Duluth, MN; Saginaw, MI; Milwaukee; Des Moines; Detroit; Miami; Nashville and Atlanta.
WKQX 101.1 FM (5.7 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Brian Thomas
Concurrently, Cumulus Media announces that it has signed Chicago's Classic Hits WLS 94.7 FM Program Director Brian Thomas to a multi-year contract extension.
Thomas has been Program Director for WLS-FM since July 2015. He also serves Cumulus as Corporate Program Director for the Country format, and is Vice President, Programming, Classic Hits.
Thomas was previously Program Director for Cumulus' NASH FM 94.7/WNSH-FM in New York. Prior to joining Cumulus, he was National Vice President of Classic Hits programming for CBS Radio. He was also Program Director of Country WQYK-FM and Classic Hits WRBQ-FM, and Vice President, Programming for CBS Radio in Tampa.
WLS 94.7 FM (4.4 Kw)
Peter Bowen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Chicago, said: "I am thrilled to have Troy and Brian returning to Cumulus Chicago for years to come. They have both proven time and time again to be leaders and winners in our industry."
Hanson said: "To be around these storied, iconic brands and the incredibly talented staffs that make each station hum is just awe inspiring. Many thanks to Dave Milner, Mike McVay and Peter Bowen for the tremendous opportunity."
Thomas said: "I'm loving my hometown of Chicago and proud we've turned WLS-FM into a top 10 radio station. I'm now looking forward to growing it even more in the years ahead. I appreciate the continued support from Cumulus leadership."
Trump To Comey: Don't Leak To Media
By David Alexander and Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump warned ousted FBI Director James Comey on Friday against talking to the media, suggesting there might be tapes of conversations between the two men that could contradict his account.
"James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!" Trump said in one of a string of Twitter messages.
The warning appeared to suggest that if Comey gave his version of events, the administration might produce tapes of conversations to counter that, although it was not clear if such tapes exist.
His veiled threat was likely to add to the storm roiling Washington over Trump's abrupt firing of Comey on Tuesday.
Critics have assailed Trump for firing the FBI chief at a time when the agency is investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump presidential campaign.
Trump said in his brief statement about firing Comey on Tuesday that the FBI chief had told him three times that he was not under investigation in the Russia probe. In an interview on Thursday with NBC News, the president said Comey gave him this assurance during a dinner and in two phone conversations.
Comey has not publicly discussed any conversations he has had with Trump.
The man who took over as acting FBI director, Andrew McCabe, sidestepped a question during a Senate hearing on Thursday on whether he ever heard Comey tell Trump that the president was not the subject of investigation.
The FBI probe and parallel congressional investigations have hung over Trump's presidency since he took office in January and threaten to overwhelm his policy priorities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign of interference in the election, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in January, aimed at tilting the vote in Trump's favor. Moscow has denied interference in the election, and the Trump administration denies allegations of collusion with Russia.
'PRESIDENT TRUMP IS DANGEROUS'
The New York Times reported on Friday that Comey had resisted a request from Trump that he pledge loyalty to the president. The ousted director has told associates he was summoned to the White House for a one-on-one dinner with Trump just seven days after the Jan. 20 inauguration, according to the paper.
During the dinner, the president asked the FBI director to pledge loyalty to him, the Times reported. Comey declined to make that promise but told the president he could count on his honesty, the paper said.
According to Comey's account to associates, Trump was not satisfied with the FBI director's answer and told him again later in the dinner that he needed Comey's loyalty, the Times reported.
Comey again promised his "honesty," but did not pledge loyalty, the Times reported.
The U.S. Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Richard Durbin, slammed the president after Friday's tweet about Comey.
"I think we ought to get to the bottom line here: President Trump is dangerous," Durbin told MSNBC, the cable news channel. "He's dangerous because he may be obstructing justice in terms of the investigation ... and secondly his credibility has been destroyed."
In a series of tweets on Friday, Trump also responded to media reports questioning the credibility of White House statements on the Comey firing, which have changed over the course of the week.
"As a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!" Trump said.
"Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future 'press briefings' and hand out written responses for the sake of accuracy???"
The White House has said Comey's firing was unrelated to the Russia probe, but in the interview with NBC News on Thursday, Trump said he knew he ran the risk that by firing Comey he would "confuse people" and "lengthen out the investigation" into ties to Russia.
"In fact when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story, it's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won," the Republican president told NBC.
He said he never pressured Comey into dropping the FBI probe, adding: "If Russia did anything, I want to know that." Trump said there was no "collusion between me and my campaign and the Russians," and that "the Russians did not affect the vote."
The White House initially said Comey was fired on the recommendation of the two top officials at the Justice Department. On Thursday Trump said he would have fired Comey regardless of any such recommendations.
NH Radio: Lakes Media To Acquire Three Stations
Great Eastern Radio LLC announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell three FM radio stations to Lakes Media LLC for an undisclosed price.
The stations include
Rock WLKZ The Hawk 104.9 FM (Wolfeboro, NH)
Sports WZEI 101.5 FM (Meredith, NH)
Talk/Sports WTPL Pulse 107.7 FM (Hillsboro, NH).
Lakes Media LLC will take over operations of the stations upon receiving FCC approval and the subsequent closing on the transaction.
Lakes Media is owned by long time New Hampshire broadcaster/engineer Dirk Nadon who said, "I am very excited to return to ownership in New Hampshire radio which began when my father and I originally put on the air the 101.5 frequency that I am re-purchasing in this transaction. I feel like it is a coming home for this station and for me."
WLKZ serves the Lakes Region of NH with a rock format along with Greg and the Morning Buzz syndicated from I-Heart Media in Portsmouth NH. WZEI features the sports talk format of WEEI in Boston along with the Red Sox for the Lakes Region. WTPL serves the Concord/Manchester market with a local talk/sports format along with play by play of major sports teams like the Red Sox.
Great Eastern Radio, based in Hanover, NH, owns 16 radio stations in NH and VT. It is headed by long time New England radio station owner Jeff Shapiro who said, "We weren't looking to sell any radio stations but we were approached by Lakes Media with a transaction that made sense to us. It made it an easier process knowing the stations would stay in local hands. This will allow us to focus on our other clusters in New England and growing our stations to their full potential."
Steve Harvey Confirms Nasty Memo To Staff
Thursday marked The Steve Harvey Show's last taping at its home at Chicago's NBC Tower before moving west to Los Angeles. When it returns this fall for Season 6, it will have a shortened title, Steve, and more celebrity guests. And, reports USAToday, thanks to a deal struck last year with NBC Universal and IMG, Harvey will have an ownership stake and more control.
Harvey, 60, confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that he did send the staff memo that was leaked to Chicago media blog RobertFeder.com and picked up by Variety and Deadline.com.
In the email, sent to Steve Harvey Show employees as they returned to work last fall, he laid out new rules banning staffers from "popping into" his dressing room or the makeup room to see him or approaching him in the hallway in hopes of having a walk-and-talk meeting.
"Do not approach me while I'm in the makeup chair unless I ask to speak with you directly," he instructed them, saying they should knock or ring the doorbell before barging in.
"I want all the ambushing to stop now," he wrote. "That includes TV staff. You must schedule an appointment. I have been taken advantage of by my lenient policy in the past. This ends now. NO MORE."
He warned would-be violators, "If you open my door, expect to be removed," adding that his security guards would be stationed outside his dressing room to turn away uninvited visitors.
Harvey stressed throughout the memo that he felt he had to make changes in order to keep his work days from being eaten up by impromptu meetings and glad-handing backstage visitors. "It is for the good of my personal life and enjoyment," he explained, asking them not to take offense.
He asked critics to put themselves in his shoes, noting, "If you come out your house, you don't want anybody on your porch waiting on you. You walk to your car, you don't want people bothering you on your way to your car. Everybody wants the freedom to be able to move around."
Later, he described the daily interruptions to ET: "Look, man, I'm in my makeup chair, they walk in the room. I'm having lunch, they walk in, they don't knock," he continued. "I'm in the hallway, I'm getting ambushed by people with friends that come to the show and having me sign this and do this."
While he won't apologize for the memo's overall message, he admits, "In hindsight, I probably should've handled it a little bit differently."
It's worth noting that the talk show isn't the only project occupying Harvey's days. He hosts two other programs, NBC's Little Big Shots and ABC's updated Family Feud as well as a radio show, rivaling Ryan Seacrest for having the most jobs in showbiz.
It's possible the memo was leaked by one of the dozens of Harvey staffers who were not invited to move west to work on the revamped show and are now out of work.
England's Ofcom Wants To Talk To Fox Harassment Victims
Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox should waive gagging orders on victims of alleged racial and sexual harassment at Fox News so they can speak to the UK media watchdog, a lawyer representing the victims has said.
According to The Guardian, Douglas Wigdor talked about the allegations on Thursday with Ofcom, which is considering whether to approve 21st Century Fox's acquisition of the 61% of Sky it does not already own.
It must decide whether it believes 21st Century Fox, which is run by Rupert Murdoch and his sons Lachlan and James, is "fit and proper" to own Sky.
Wigdor said Ofcom could only properly consider the company's fitness by talking to the alleged victims, 21 of whom he is representing. He said the culture at "18th Century Fox" was scandalous.
The Fox News chairman Roger Ailes and leading presenter Bill O'Reilly have left the broadcaster as a result of the scandal.
In its latest financial results, released on Wednesday, 21st Century Fox revealed it had spent about $45m (£35m) in relation to sexual harassment litigation, including settlements, in the nine months to the end of March.
Las Vegas Radio: Jon Que Promoted At Top40 KLUC
Jon Que
CBS RADIO Las Vegas has announced that Jon Que has been signed to a new multi-year agreement. In conjunction with the signing, Que has been promoted to Music Director for Top40 KLUC 98.5 FM and Assistant Program Director and Music Director for 98.5 HD-2 Da Shaka, Vegas' Island and Reggae Station. These new roles are in addition to his weekday, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, on-air shift with 98.5 KLUC.
"I love it when I can reward hard work. Jon has been assisting within music department on KLUC for nearly two years and has a great ear for the sound of KLUC," said JB King, Operations Manager for CBS RADIO Las Vegas. "He truly earned this job with his passion and dedication. Not to mention, he was the backbone for the launch and our early success of 98.5 HD-2 Da Shaka. I am happy that he will continue with a great midday show and finding the best music for 98.5 KLUC."
"To be entrusted with these new roles by one of the best Programmers and Operations Mangers in the country is beyond me. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity," said Que. "Having the responsibility of picking the hits on one of the most legendary brands in radio really is a dream come true."
KLUC 98.5 FM (100 Kw)
Jon Que has been in the Radio industry since 2000. Originally from Hawaii, he moved to Las Vegas in 2007 to join 98.5 KLUC. He is a past recipient of the Best Radio DJ Award in the Las Vegas Weekly's Annual Best of Las Vegas issue.
NOLA Radio: Steve McNair New MP For iHM
iHeartMedia announced Thursday that Steve McNair has been named Market President for the New Orleans market effective May 29th.
iHeartMedia New Orleans includes HipHop WQUE Q93.3 FM , Throwback K2142CE 96.3 FM, Ufrban WYLD 98.5 FM, News Talk WRNO 99.5 FM, Country WNOE 101.1 FM, AC KVDU Voodoo 104.1, WYLD Amen 940 aM, FOX Sports WODT 1280 and WLRO 1210 AM The Score.
McNair will work with the programming, marketing and sales teams for radio station brands in New Orleans to oversee on-air and digital programming as well as create new business and revenue opportunities. He will report to Michael Hudson, newly appointed Area President for iHeartMedia Baton Rouge/New Orleans.
"Steve is the perfect leader for iHeartMedia New Orleans," said Hudson. "With him at the helm, I have no doubt that our already talented New Orleans team and brands will grow to new heights."
"I've had the good fortune of working with both Steve and Michael in the past," said Eddie Martiny, President for iHeartMedia's Houston Region, which includes the New Orleans and Baton Rouge markets. "I trust them both implicitly and know our New Orleans market is in great hands."
McNair is a 25-year media veteran who most recently served as Regional Sales Manager at Titan Broadcasting's KUBE-TV in Houston. Before overseeing KUBE-TV, he served as the Vice President of Sales for CBS Radio Houston market. McNair's background also includes work in sales and sales management for iHeartMedia Houston and he served as an executive coach for iHeartMedia management across the United States. He is a graduate of the University of Houston.
"I am beyond excited to return to iHeartMedia and my hometown of New Orleans," said McNair. "I'm joining a great group of people and can't wait to get started."
Atlanta Radio: Market Vet Drex Rener To Join B98.5 FM
Drex Rener
Beginning Monday, May 15, WSB B98.5 FM will be waking up Atlanta with a new addition to the morning show, Drex Rener. Tad & Drex Mornings will air weekdays from 5am-9am, continuing to focus on the issues that matter to women in Atlanta, music and celebrity news.
Prior to working at B98.5, Drex was the lead on "Drex, Cassidy and Tingle" on Star 94 Atlanta. He has also hosted mornings at Kiss 95.1 Charlotte and worked at stations in Memphis and Detroit. Tad Lemire has been with B98.5, co-hosting mornings since February of 2016 and will now be joined by Drex Rener. Kara Leigh will continue to serve as the producer and co-host for the new show, taking on a larger role and presenting a strong female voice.
Chris Eagan, Director of Branding and Programming, said "I am thrilled to be able to have a talent like Drex join Tad in mornings. I've watched these two become fast friends over the last few months. They both have a great understanding of the effort, energy and dedication it requires to be part of a major market morning show, and they're just great people. I know Tad and Drex (and Kara) are up for the task!"
WSB 98,5 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Drex said "This is the type of company and gig that you brag to your friends about. I look forward to a long career at Cox Media Group. Thanks to Chris Eagan and Donna Hall for believing in me."
San Diego Radio: Chris Cantore Makes Quick EXIT At Mighty 1090
Chris Cantore
Longtime San Diego radio personality Chris Cantore's stint at XEPRS Mighty 1090 AM has come to a quick end.
According to NBC San Diego, the DJ, whose career up until he joined the AM sports talk station largely focused on music radio, made the announcement on his Facebook page on Wednesday morning.
"Just so you hear it from the source, I am no longer at 1090," Cantore posted.
The Broadcast Company of the Americas hired Cantore in early April to man the 6-9 pm show.
"At this stage of my broadcasting career, nothing excites me more than making the jump to talk radio, and to have that opportunity at a beast of a station like the Mighty 1090," Cantore said on a post on the station's website in April. "Well, I'm beyond grateful. The antithesis of a human sports encyclopedia, I'm just a fan of all San Diego sports and teams -- including action sports -- and hope to bring something different to the airwaves."
According to the Mighty1090.com, Cantore's show was to be a mix of lifestyle entertainment -- Cantore at one point helmed the UT's Night and Day special section -- and discussions covering surfing, skiing, boarding and other action sports.
Reached via email, Broadcast Company of the Americas vice-president Mike Shepard said the station had "no comment at this time."
Laura Coates to Host New Daily Show On SiriusXM
SiriusXM has announced that CNN legal analyst, former federal prosecutor, and bestselling author Laura Coates will host a live, two-hour talk show exclusively on SiriusXM.
The Laura Coates Show will feature Coates' lively analysis of the trending news of the day and impactful interviews with entertainers, politicians, DC insiders and game changers on the topics of politics, pop culture and everything in between.
Launching Monday, May 15, The Laura Coates Show will broadcast live, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET, on SiriusXM's Urban View channel 126, On Demand and through the SiriusXM app.
"I am thrilled to join SiriusXM and have the chance to connect with listeners outside the soundbite world," said Laura Coates. "I can't wait to delve deep into the issues that matter most to us all and listen-in as listeners nationwide and guests share their emotionally charged stories and points of view."
The launch of "The Laura Coates Show" coincides with SiriusXM host, publisher and award-winning journalist Karen Hunter taking on an expanded role as a programming consultant to the Urban View channel. Hunter will oversee the direction of the channel - further positioning it as the radio home of diverse African American programming and elevating the national conversation to be reflective of the complexity of the African American community.
"Laura Coates joins SiriusXM's Urban View as we expand the channel's range and add fresh voices to its already compelling talk programming," said Karen Hunter, Urban View host and Programming Consultant, SiriusXM. "Laura's gift for translating complex issues and ideas, and demystifying legal issues, is remarkable and we can't wait for her to engage with our growing family of listeners."
Laura Coates is an on-air legal analyst for CNN.
Judge OKs The Turtles, SiriusXM Settlement
A federal judge in Los Angeles this week approved a $25.5 million class action settlement against Sirius XM Radio, to resolve claims over millions of dollars in royalties for broadcasting songs recorded before 1972, and said the final settlement could rise to $73 million. reports Courthouse News.
The Turtles members Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, suing as Flo & Eddie Inc., demanded $100 million from Sirius in their August 2013 complaint. They filed similar lawsuits in federal courts in New York and Florida, saying the satellite radio service had broadcast their recordings, including "Happy Together," "It Ain't Me, Babe" and "She'd Rather Be With Me," without compensating them. They sought damages for misappropriation, unfair competition and conversion.
In September 2014 U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez ruled that the owners of the recordings held an exclusive performance right.
"Prior to this ruling, no court had ever expressly recognized such a right," Gutierrez wrote this week in a Monday order.
Gutierrez approved a settlement of $25 million for past performances, in addition to $10 million pending outcomes in California and Florida appeals, and a $500,000 fee for administering the funds. Under a 10-year licensing agreement with Sirius, the class is entitled to a royalty rate of up to 3.5 percent.
Depending on the outcome of the cases in Florida and New York, Gutierrez said, the final settlement could be as high as $73 million.
He called the settlement "reasonable in light of the significant legal and procedural challenges, including the vigorously contested scope of damages, associated with continued litigation in this case."
The court also approved the plaintiffs' attorneys' request for 30 percent of the total settlement in fees and $1.68 million in costs.
Music Exec L A Reid Gone From Epic Records
L A Reid
Antonio "L.A." Reid has exited his post as chairman of Epic Records, according to multiple reports that surfaced Thursday afternoon, according to The LA Times.
Since joining the ranks at the Sony Music label in 2011, the Grammy Award-winning producer has steered Meghan Trainor, Fifth Harmony, Future, Travis Scott and DJ Khaled to superstardom.
After cutting his teeth as a drummer with R&B band the Deele alongside Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Reid and Edmonds launched LaFace Records through Arista.
LaFace was instrumental in shaping R&B and hip-hop at the dawn of the 1990s by breaking multi-platinum acts such as TLC, OutKast, Toni Braxton, Usher and Pink. When Arista absorbed LaFace in 2000, Reid became the label's new chief executive.
He then went to Island Def Jam, where his work with Mariah Carey yielded her massive 2005 comeback album, "The Emancipation of Mimi," before leaving to become a judge on Simon Cowell's short-lived American version of "The X Factor" — a decision he called "the worst thing I've ever done" — and began heading to Epic.
Reid also oversaw a major posthumous Michael Jackson project, 2014's "Xscape," with the executive curating a collection of new tracks built around decades-old unreleased Jackson vocals — including a record Reid originally produced for the late pop star.
Reid has also had a hand in albums from Justin Bieber, Kanye West, the Killers, Bon Jovi, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Avril Lavigne.
There was no immediate word yet on Reid's replacement.
Raleigh Radio: Capitol Broadcasting Rebrands Digital Marketing Group
Capitol Broadcasting Company has launched WRAL Digital Solutions, a unified suite of digital marketing products and services offered by one of the most recognized and trusted media brands in North Carolina.
The WRAL Digital Solutions team will handle all sales and fulfillment for WRAL.com's exclusive advertising opportunities, along with a full suite of digital marketing services formerly known as CBC Digital Elements.
"Over the last 15 months, we've taken a hard look at our business model and listened to what our advertiser and agency partners were asking for," said Chris Weatherly, director of digital sales and operations for CBC New Media Group. "We came out of the experience knowing we needed to create a local one-stop shop capable of stepping in and filling any digital gaps our clients have, whether it's a new website, video production, help running their Facebook advertising or a sponsorship of our weather section."
To better position itself to accomplish this goal, WRAL Digital Solutions has grown its in-house team to over 20 experienced digital marketing professionals, including Google Ad Words and Analytics certified specialists and award-winning graphic designers.
"Between WRAL.com and CBC Digital Elements, our team has worked on hundreds of digital campaigns," said Weatherly "and now we've infused all that experience with talented, fresh perspective to keep pushing us forward and better serving our clients."
➦In 1908...wireless Radio broadcasting was patented by Nathan B Stubblefield
Stubblefield
Stubblefield (November 22, 1860 - March 28, 1928) was an American inventor and Kentucky melon farmer. It has been claimed that Stubblefield demonstrated radio in 1892, but his devices seem to have worked by audio frequency induction or, later, audio frequency earth conduction (creating disturbances in the near-field region) rather than by radio frequency radiation for radio transmission telecommunications.
He made public demonstrations of voice and music transmission to five receiving locations on the courthouse square in Murray on January 1, 1902, witnessed by at least 1,000 people, apparently using voice frequency transmission through earth conduction, to a radius of one-half mile. Later he demonstrated wireless telephony in Washington, D.C. on March 20, 1902, where voice and music transmissions were made over a third of a mile from the steamer Bartholdi to shore. He demonstrated wireless telephony as well in Philadelphia on May 30, 1902 to a distance of a half mile. His experiments were discussed in leading scientific journals.
In 1903, he could transmit 375 feet without earth connections, using induction. In 1904, he could transmit 423 yards. The total wire required for the transmitting and receiving coils was of a greater length than what would be required to simply interconnect the transmitter and receiver, but the invention would allow mobility.
By 1907, with a 60-foot transmitting coil, he could work 1/4 mile or 1,320 feet "nicely." On May 12, 1908, he received U.S. patent 887,357 for his Wireless Telephone, using the voice frequency induction system. He said in the patent that it would be useful for "securing telephonic communications between moving vehicles and way stations". The diagram shows wireless telephony from trains, boats, and wagons. In foreign patents he showed wireless telephony with cars. However, there is no indication that he was using voice-modulated continuous high frequency waves, as used for radio today.
Stubblefield's inventions did not lead directly to radio as the technology works today, but the public demonstrations in 1902 and the press coverage in the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington Post, the Louisville Courier-Journal, Scientific American, and elsewhere helped to spur public interest in the possibilities of wireless transmission of voice and music. Most other inventors of the era sought to provide point-to-point messaging, to compete with telephone and telegraph companies.
Stubblefield in the 1902 was in a sense the "Father of Broadcasting", in that he said to the St. Louis Post Dispatch reporter in 1902, "..it is capable of sending simultaneous messages from a central distributing station over a very wide territory. For instance, anyone having a receiving instrument, which would consist merely of a telephone receiver and a signalling gong, could, upon being signalled by a transmitting station in Washington, or nearer, if advisable, be informed of weather news. My apparatus is capable of sending out a gong signal, as well as voice messages. Eventually, it will be used for the general transmission of news of every description".
➦In 1914...radio & TV newsman Howard K Smith was born in Ferriday Louisiana. He covered WWII in Europe as one of 'Murrows Boys' for CBS radio. He moderated the first Kennedy-Nixon presidential debate, and went on to be anchor of the ABC evening TV news. He died Feb 18 2002 at age 87.
➦In 1930…Syndicated gossip columnist Walter Winchell made his radio debut on WABC (then a CBS Radio affiliate) in New York. From 1930 to the late 1950s, his Sunday night broadcasts on the ABC Radio Network were heard by an estimated 20 million people.
Winchell was raised in New York City, and when he was 13 he left school to go into vaudeville with Eddie Cantor and George Jessel. Then he teamed with a singer named Rita Greene (whom he later married and later divorced) as Winchell and Greene. After two years of service in the U.S. Navy during World War I, he returned to the Winchell and Greene act. Quick-witted and inquisitive, Winchell rapidly learned personal and family background and gossip about others with him on the vaudeville circuit, and he took to posting such intelligence, neatly typed and punctuated and with often far-fetched puns, on theatre bulletin boards. One of these documents reached the publisher of Vaudeville News, and he became its Western correspondent. This evolved into a full-time job in 1927, and Winchell's career as a gossip columnist was launched. In 1924 he was given a show-business column, "On-Broadway," in the New York Evening Graphic, which he conducted for five years. He moved to the New York Daily Mirror, where his widely syndicated column appeared until 1963. He introduced a weekly radio program in 1932, continuing it until the early 1950s. Winchell's news reports, always very opinionated, brought him both admirers and detractors. But the reports interested millions of people, as did the Broadway idiom in which he wrote and spoke.
Here's audio from a 1941 broadcast...
➦In 1965…In Hollywood, the Rolling Stones re-recorded "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," which they had first recorded in Chicago two days earlier. It was this Hollywood version that was released. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Satisfaction" #2 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, runner-up to Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone." In 2006 it was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
➦In 1975...Jefferson Starship gave a free concert for a crowd of 60,000 in New York's Central Park. Later the band and sponsor of the concert WNEW 102.7 FM were charged $14,000 to cover the cost of the clean-up and damage the mob did to the park.
➦In 2001...the singing barber, Perry Como, a first-line star of radio, TV & recording, died at age 88. He scored fourteen No.1 singles among 150 US chart hits, including the singles 'It's Impossible,' 'Magic Moments' and 'Catch A Falling Star.' In the 1960's Como had been television's highest-paid performer.
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