December 1 In Radio History

In 1931...Gene Autry's first radio show debuted on WLS-Chicago. From 1940 to 1956, Autry had a huge hit with a weekly show on CBS Radio, Gene Autry's Melody Ranch. His horse, Champion, also had a CBS-TV and Mutual radio series. He also sold several radio stations he owned, including KSFO in San Francisco, KMPC in Los Angeles, KOGO in San Diego, and other stations in the Golden West radio network.Autry is a member of both the Country Music Hall...

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November 30 In Radio History

In 1924...the first photo facsimile was transmitted across the Atlantic by radio. In In 1929...Dick Clark, famous for "American Bandstand" on television and countless "countdown" shows on Radio, was born. He died April 18, 2012 at 82.In 1945, Clark began his career working in the mailroom at WRUN 1150 AM (now silent) in Rome, New York, that was owned by his uncle and managed by his father. Almost immediately, he was asked to fill in for the...

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Toronto Radio: CBC Explores 'The Unmaking of Jian Ghomeshi'

CBC managers told of Jian Ghomeshi 'assault' allegations back in JuneCertain CBC managers were aware back in June of allegations of "assault" — including punching and choking — involving a "series of women" by former CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi, an investigation by the CBC's fifth estate has found.Until now, according to CBC News, there were few specifics about what CBC managers knew about the rumors that were circulating about Ghomeshi. But new...

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November 29 In Radio History

In 1929...NBC begins use of the chimes. The NBC chimes came to their familiar configuration and sound after several years of on-air development. They were first broadcast over NBC's Red and Blue networks on November 29, 1929. However, there are disagreements about the original source of the idea. One story is that they came from WSB in Atlanta, Georgia, which allegedly used it for its own purposes until one day someone at NBC's headquarters in New...

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R.I.P.: Longtime Bangor ME Personality JJ West

Gene Hardin aka JJ WestLongtime Bangor, ME radio personality J.J.West died Thanksgiving Day.Born Gene Hardin, West most recently worked for Townsquare Media's Country WQCB 106.5 FM.West also worked for ABC 7 and FOX 22 in Bangor.  He began working at Channel 7 when he was just a teen and he had done nearly every job in the building, from working as a cameraman, directing and most recently as promotions manager and public service director.West...

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Boston Radio: Walt Perkins Gone From WBZ-AM

Walt PerkinsWalt Perkins, a familiar sports voice on news radio WBZ 1030 AM for more than a decade, is no longer working at the station.According to The Boston Globe, was fired approximately two weeks ago for reasons that were unclear.But Perkins, who had been at the station since 2001 and took over as the morning sports anchor in 2009 when Gil Santos retired, said Wednesday that the decision was mutual and something he had been considering for a...

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Jax Radio: Morning Anchor Roxy Tyler OUT At WOKV

Roxy TylerA longtime voice on Jacksonville radio has been dismissed. Roxy Tyler has parted ways from N/T WOKV 690 AM / 104.5-FM).Tyler, who has been on the air as a co-anchor on “Jacksonville’s Morning News,” was dismissed from her job Tuesday, two days before Thanksgiving. She was told that the stations were letting her go after her morning shift ended at 9 a.m.Tyler had been with WOKV for almost two decades . She had also done on-air work with...

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Tampa Radio: Beasley Sets Management Team For New Cluster

Beasley Broadcast Group has transferred two company managers and veteran radio professionals from the Augusta, GA, market to its cluster of six radio outlets in Tampa-St. Petersburg.These stations include HipHop WLLD 94.1 FM, Country WQYK 99.5 FM, Classic Hits WRBQ 104.7 FM, Spanish WYUU 92.5 FM and Sports WHFS 98.7 FM / 1010 AM. Kent Dunn has been named VP/Market Manager and Tee Gentry is appointed Operations Manager.Dunn joined Beasley in 1991...

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Augusta GA Radio: Beasley Names Chris O'Kelly OM

Beasley Broadcast/Augusta has promoted Chris O'Kelley to operations manager for the Augusta, Georgia cluster including Country WKXC 99.5 FM/Kicks99; N/T WGAC 580 AM/ 95.1 FM; Top40 WHHD 98.3 FM; Adult Hits WDRR  93.9 FM/BobFM; W238AU 95.5 T-FM/95 Rock / WGUS 1480 AM; Southern Gospel WGUS 102.7 FM / WCHZ 93.1 FM; and Sports WRDW 1630 AM.O'Kelley will report to Vice President and Market Manager Mark Haddon and replaces Tee Gentry, who is relocating...

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Philly Radio: John DeBella Turkey Drop A Success

November 25 from 6-9 a.m., Classic Rock WMGK 102.9 FM’s morning host, John DeBella, broadcast live and collected monetary and turkey donations at Love Park in Center City Philadelphia during his 13th Annual John DeBella Turkey Drop.The rest of the WMGK air staff collected donations at eight other locations across the tri-state area.  Last year’s Turkey Drop raised over 9,000 turkeys.  The station is hoping that this year’s Turkey Drop will...

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Charlotte Radio: Darla Thomas New PD At WLNK

Darla ThomasGreater Media announces Darla Thomas has been named as the new Program Director of WLNK 107.9 FM in Charlotte, North Carolina.She will begin her new position on Monday, January 5, 2015.Thomas most recently served as the Program Director and Afternoon Drive Personality at iHeartRadio’s Adult Hits WLKO 102.9 FM/The Lake in Charlotte. Prior to that, Thomas spent five years as Operations Manager for Journal Broadcast Group’s Tucson cluster...

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Louisville Radio: Alpha Stations Raise $945K+ For Kids Hospital

Alpha Media/Louisville KY stations raised $945,000 during its 6th Annual Kosair Children’s Hospital Radiothon which took place November 20th and 21st in the lobby of the Kosair Children’s Hospital.In the past 5 years, Alpha Media Louisville stations B 96.5, 99.7 DJX, Magic 101.3, 102.3 The Max, and 105.1 GHL have raised over $1 million dollars for the Hospital. This year’s goal was to raise over $300,000, but with huge listener and sponsor support,...

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R.I.P.: Bob Hille, Pioneer In St. Louis Radio/TV

Bob HilleVeteran St. Louis radio/TV personality Robert E. Hille died of complications from an infection on Sunday (Nov. 23, 2014) at St. Mary’s Health Center in Richmond Heights, his family said Tuesday.He was 95-years-of-age and lived in Webster Groves, MO., according to stltoday.com.Bob Hille was one of the original announcers on radio station KXOK in 1938. In 1951, a few years after television arrived in St. Louis, viewers also found him on KSD...

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November 28 In Radio History

In 1925..."The Grand Ole Opry" debuted on WSM, Nashville under the name "Barn Dance". The first artist to perform on the show was fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson. It didn't settle on a name until June 1928. The Opry got its name by an unusual coincidence: Soon after Hay started his show, WSM radio joined the NBC radio network. Since the program followed a performance on the network called the Metropolitan Grand Opera. So Program Director George D. Hay...

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Springfield MA Radio: Former Radio Host, Activist Ruth Loving

Ruth LovingRuth Stewart Loving, known as the "mother of civil rights in Springfield" – a college graduate at the age of 73, library champion, radio show host, singer, piano player, performer and NAACP leader – died last TuesdayShe was 100-years-of-age 100, according to masslive.com.Loving, who had been undergoing rehabilitation for about a month at Wingate Nursing Home following surgery after she fell and broke her hip, died of a heart attack.Loving,...

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Creed's Scott Stapp Says He's Broke

Scott StappCreed frontman Scott Stapp, whose Grammy-winning band once led the Billboard album charts and played to sold out crowds in the late 90s, posted a Facebook video on Wednesday revealing shocking details about his current living situation.“Right now I’m living in a Holiday Inn, by the grace of God, because there’s been a couple of weeks I had to live in my truck,” the Orlando native said in the new video. “I had no money, not even for gas...

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Toronto Radio: Jian Ghomeshi Faces Sexual Assault Charges

Withdraws $55M Suit Against CBCAfter weeks of swirling allegations of sex crimes, radio personality Jian Ghomeshi finally appeared in public, sitting alone in a downtown Toronto courtroom as five charges were read against him.Jian Ghomeshi and his attorneyThe former CBC radio host faces four sexual-assault charges and one count of overcoming resistance by choking, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.The Toronto Globe&Mail...

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November 27 In Radio History

In 1960...the CBS Radio Network canceled "Have Gun Will Travel".In 1962...In London, the Beatles recorded their first BBC radio session, performing "Twist and Shout," "Love Me Do," and "P.S. I Love You." The tracks aired later on the BBC program "Talent Spot."In 1975...Bill Winters WCBS FM personality passed.Bill WintersWinters worked in Tampa Bay in the early to mid 1960’s, first at WALT (mid-days) in 1963-64, and then WLCY. He also went on to work...

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The Bird Is The Word!

Except for breaking news, Media Confidential is taking a holiday break.  Safe travels and Happy Thanksgivi...

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Atlanta Radio: Now, There Are Three Classic Hip Hop Stations

OG 97.9 T-FM launched Tuesday at noon as Atlanta’s Classic Hip Hop station.  OG 97.9 FM is being fed via translator W250BC and WWWQ 99.7 HD 3.  It’s throwback hip hop featuring Dr Dre, Missy Elliott, Notorious B.I.G., Jay Z, Ludacris, Snoop, and LL Cool J; all the O-G’s of Hip-Hop.In 1990 hip-hop made up one-third of the Hot 100. By 1999, it was the country’s best-selling genre, with more than 81 million albums sold. Atlanta, the heart...

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Voice-Over Artist Peter Thomas Recovering

Peter ThomasUPDATE 11/28/2014: We are happy to report Peter Thomas continues to recover from injuries suffered during a fall at his home. He is responding via phone to well-wishers and itching to get back to his home studio.Original Posting...Media Confidential has learned that legendary narrator and pioneering voice-over Talent Peter Thomas is gravely ill.Thomas, a former staff announcer at WCBS-TV and the CBS Network, is 90-years-of-age and apparently...

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November 26 In Radio History

In 1962…At EMI's Abbey Road studios in London, the Beatles recorded "Please Please Me" and "Ask Me Why." "Please Please Me" was a re-recording of the song in a more uptempo style after producer George Martin told the band that their original ballad version was "too bloody boring for words."In 1969…At EMI's Abbey Road studios in London, John Lennon spent the afternoon mixing the Beatles songs "What's The New Mary Jane" and "You Know My Name (Look...

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Springfield MO: Cop's Group Considering Suit Against KOSP

An attorney for the Springfield, MO Police Officers Association is reviewing whether comments made by a local radio peronsality earlier this month could be considered defamation, the association's president told the News-Leader Monday.A series of recordings obtained by the News-Leader, meanwhile, reveal a portion of what exactly was said on the show — which prompted the association to call for a boycott of Top40 KOSP 92.9 FM.President Mike Evans...

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Report: Four Stations Seen As 'A Drag' On Cumulus

Only low expectations before the latest earnings report of Cumulus Media kept the company from getting crushed, as its inability to produce ratings in several of its largest markets resulted in EBITDA in the quarter plunging by 18 percent, according to analyst Gary Bourgeault at Seeking Alpha.Even with the low expectations, Bourgeault says it's surprising to see the company's share price jump after the weak report; presumably because investors, for...

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NYC Radio: WCBS-FM Jumps..Ranks #1 Again

Santa Claus comes early to CBS Radio’s WCBS-FM 101.1 FM.  Not only is the Classic Hits station still number 1…but it spiked during the November PPMS released Monday by Nielsen.  The station jumped 6.1—7.1 (6+ AQH).  WCBS-FM also jumped from #4 to #1 25-54.iHeartMedia AC WLTW 106.7 FM/LITE FM, ended a four-book slide 5.4—5.6 to take over sole possession of #2  6+. WLTW is now expecting Santa to visit because of its annual flirtation...

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L-A Radio: KIIS-FM Steady And Still #1

iHeartMedia Top 40 KIIS 102.7 FM/KISS FM stays the course  5.3—5.3, to maintain the #1 spot (6+ AQH) in the latest Los Angeles PPMs released Monday by Nielsen.iHM’s AC KOST 103.5 spiked 4.1—5.2 and jumped to #2.  KOST is now positioned to take-over the #1 spot with a little help from Christmas music. And iHM’s HotAC KBIG 104.3 FM/MyFM dropped 5.3—4.7, and dropped a notch to #3 in the 6+ rankings.Emmis Top40 KPWR 105.9 FM was off 4.5—4.3...

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Chicago Radio: V103 Tops In Chicago 6+

UrbanAC WVAZ 102.7 FM/V103 lays claim to the top spot (6+ AQH) in the latest Chicago PPMs as released by Nielsen Monday.  The iHM station nudged upward 5.7-5.9, followed by CBS Radio’s News WBBM 780 AM / 105.9 FM at #2.  Hubbard’s HotAC WTMX 101.9 FM jumped 4.7—5.2 to finish at #3. Univision’s Regional Mexican WOJO 105.1 FM lost 4.8—4.6 and ended up at #4.  And iHM’s Top40 WKSC 103.5 FM ended up at #5 after losing share 4.5—4.3.25-54:...

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