December 5, 2014 - NTS MediaOnline

December 5, 2014
JANUARY: Glenn Beck and Premiere Networks launch TheBlaze Radio News
to broadcast radio … Rocker Steve Gorman signs with FOX Sports Radio to host
a daily syndicated show … Talk radio pioneer Bob Grant dies at the age of 84 …
Curtis Sliwa and Ron Kuby reunite at WABC/New York, taking the noon-3pm
slot, as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity move to crosstown iHeartMedia
News/Talk WOR. Concurrently, Cumulus Media’s syndicated Michael Savage
joins WABC for PM drive … WPRO/Providence PD Craig Schwalb moves to
sister WABC/NY, swapping jobs with Ops Manager Tony Mascaro, who returns
to Providence … Mark DePrez named VP/GM at Farm Journal Media ...
Westwood One CEO Paul Caine exits as Cumulus Media acquires the network
… Brian Long named PD at KOGO/San Diego … Clear Channel Chairman/
CEO John Hogan retires from the company … Tom Langmyer named VP/
GM for Journal/Milwaukee News/Talk WTMJ and Adult Hits WLWK
… Darren Davis upped to President of Clear Channel Networks Group.
FEBRUARY: Steve DiNardo
named VP/GM for Entercom/
San Francisco … Mike Kapel
named WDAY/Fargo PD …
Mark Thompson and Elizabeth
Espinosa are teamed to host early
afternoons at KFI/Los Angeles … KABC pairs John Phillips and Jillian Barberie
to host noon-3pm … KRLD-AM/Dallas News Director Paul Mann is upped to
PD for the News/Talker and the Texas State Networks … Clear Channel ups
Clay Hunnicut to EVP/GM National Programming Platforms … Industry and
congressional leaders speak out against the FCC’s proposed Multi-Market Study
of Critical Information Needs … Former Saturday Night Live cast member
Joe Piscopo is tapped to host mornings at WNYM (AM 970 The Answer)/
New York …Valerie Blackburn steps down from her dual roles as Controller
for CBS Radio/Los Angeles and GM of KFWB Asset Trust-owned KFWB.
MARCH: Rusty Humphries inks with the Washington Times to host daily
video show … The FCC announces cancellation of its controversial ‘Critical
Information Needs’ study … Premiere Networks extends its deal to produce and
distribute FOX Sports Radio … Bill Handel celebrates 20 years in wake-ups at
KFI/Los Angeles … John Graefe named Chief Information Officer at Entercom
… Erik Bilstad named Executive Producer/News at WTMJ/Milwaukee … A
horrific crash of the KOMO/Seattle news helicopter kills former KOMO News
photographer Bill Strothman and pilot Gary Pfitzner … Former Entercom/
Boston VP Programming Jason Wolfe joins Boston Sports radio legend Glenn
Ordway’s new digital venture, SportsTalkBoston.com, as Chief Content Officer …
Len Weiner named PD for WAXY (The Ticket)/Miami … Spike Eskin is upped to
PD at WIP/Philadelphia … Former KSFO/San Francisco host Melanie Morgan
returns to daily duty as News Director/Morning host at KSRO/Santa Rosa, CA.
APRIL: Marc Hochman moves to afternoons at WQAM (SportsRadio 560)/
Miami … Dan Mandis named afternoon host at WWTN (SuperTalk 99.7)/
Nashville …KARN/Little Rock pink-slips PD/afternoon host Dave Elswick,
morning host Bob Steel and News Director Jack Heinritz. Concurrently,
Adam Thomas succeeds Elswick as Program Director … Ed Kiernan, Vice
President and General Manager of News/Talker WBAL-AM and WIYYFM/Baltimore, announces his retirement, capping over four decades in radio
… John Gambling returns to daily NYC radio, hosting 11am-1pm host on
WNYM (AM 970 The Answer)/New York … 40-year WSB/Atlanta traffic
reporter ‘Captain’ Herb Emory dies unexpectedly of a reported heart attack
… CBS Radio/New York SVP/Market Manager Don Bouloukos announces
his retirement after more than 40-years in broadcasting… Randi Rhodes wraps
her nationally syndicated talk show … Michael Graham is tapped to host
a new daily talk show on All News 106.7/Atlanta (WYAY-FM) … Adam
Maisano named VP/Market Manager for Clear Channel/Greensboro, NC.
MAY: Cory Callewaert upped to PD for KNEW and KKSF/San Francisco,
while VP/Sales Katie Wilcox is named to succeed retiring Clear Channel Market
President JD Freeman … Former ABC Radio executive and Talk radio pioneer
Ben Hoberman dies at age 92 … Veteran Talk radio programmer Darryl Parks
is named SVP for Cincinnati-based Simply Money Media … Chuck Sullivan
named VP/Market Manager for Entercom/Milwaukee … Cumulus/Toledo VP/
GM John Gallagher upped to Regional VP for Wisconsin. He’s succeeded in
Toledo by Andy Stuart … ABC News honors Barbara Walters as she retires
after a 50-plus career in broadcasting … Heidi Harris debuts new nightly
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December 5, 2014
NTS MEDIAONLINE MONTHLY
program on KBET/Las Vegas … Veteran New York news anchor Dan Scanlan
dies following a heart attack at age 74 … Jarl Mohn (a.k.a. radio’s Lee Masters)
is named CEO and President of NPR … Rush Limbaugh is named ‘Author of the
Year’ by the Children’s Choice Book Awards for his bestselling children’s book,
‘Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims’ … ESPN Radio host Colin Herd celebrates
his 10th anniversary with the network … John Brennan upped to Director of
Branding and Programming at Tampa FM talker 102.5 The Bone (WHPT) …
Nancy Abramson moves to Compass Media Networks as VP/Affiliate Sales and
Strategic Partnerships … Rita Cosby joins Pat Kiernan in afternoons at WABC/
New York … John Williams returns to WGN/Chicago to host 10am-noon …
MSNBC host Ed Shultz ends production of his daily syndicated Talk radio show.
JUNE: Joan Hamburg exits WOR/New York after more than 30 years on the
air … Dave Elswick joins Little Rock FM talker 96.5 The Voice to host PM
drive … Cary Pahagian succeeds the retiring Ed Kiernan as President/GM at
Hearst/Baltimore … WBBM-AM/Chicago picks up radio rights to the Chicago
Cubs … Legendary radio personality Casey Kasem dies at age 84 … Kevin
Metheny named Ops Manager for KGO-KSFO/San Francisco … Steve Shaw
named President of Westwood One … Tony Bruno resigns at 97.5 The Fanatic
(WPEN/Philadelphia) … Museum of Broadcast Communications Founder and
President/CEO Bruce DuMont steps down as Chairman of MBC’s National
Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee. MBC Board member and SoundMind
co-President Kraig Kitchin succeeds Dumont as Chairman, with fellow MBC
Board members Dennis Green and Karole White both named Vice Chairs.
JULY: WHAM/Rochester host Chet Walker gets pink-slipped after 35-years in
mornings … Hubbard Radio Chair Ginny Morris adds CEO duties as Bruce
Reese steps down in a planned executive management change. Hubbard EVP/COO
Drew Horowitz is elevated to President/COO in the reorganization … Anthony
Cumia, half of the Opie & Anthony Show, is fired by SiriusXM following a series
of ‘tweets’ the satcaster considered as racially charged. Greg ‘Opie’ Hughes and
Jim Norton resume the daily program without Cumia …WEEI/Boston morning
show ‘third man’ Kirk Minihane apologized after calling FOX Sports reporter
Erin Andrews a “gutless b#$%h” during an on-air discussion of her work.
Saying later that he regretted using the ‘B-word’ but not his opinion of Andrews’
talent adding, “If she was 15 pounds heavier she’d be a waitress at Perkins.” The
comment moves FOX to pull advertising from Entercom stations nationwide, and
prompts Entercom to send Minihane on a week’s unpaid vacation … Ron Rivlin
joins Sun Broadcast Group as SVP/Programming and Affiliate Relations …
Skip Essick abruptly departs as PD of KMJ/Fresno, and is succeeded by News
Director/APD Blake Taylor … Longtime Entercom Vice President of News/Talk
Programming Ken Beck ‘hangs up his headphones’ after a 40+ year career …
Andy Dean exits Premiere Networks nightly syndicated ‘America Now’ to focus
on his new tech venture ConnectPal.com … Journal Communications and E.W.
Scripps Company announce they’ll merge operations under the Scripps banner.
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AUGUST: Disney-owned ABC News announces it will take back control of
distribution and marketing for ABC News Radio next January, ending its deal
with Cumulus Media/Westwood One. VP/GM Steve Jones continues in his role
with the network, while a new Affiliate Solutions team is named including Heidi
Oringer (Director), Mary McCarthy (Manager) and Amy Bolton (Affiliate
Solutions Specialist) … Jim Jones named Senior Director/News Affiliate Sales
at Westwood One … FOX News EVP Kevin Magee ends a 13-year run at the
network … Nationally syndicated host Dr. Joy Browne returns to New York
City radio at WNYM (AM 970 The Answer) where she’s heard overnights …
Aaron Trimmer segues from PD at WHAM/Rochester to the same role at sister
News/Talker WRVA/Richmond, where he takes over for Jimmy Barrett who
steps down to focus on his morning show … Pioneering broadcaster and retired
KNX/Los Angeles GM George Nicholaw dies at age 86 after a brief illness
… Hubbard Radio taps Cumulus/Wisconsin Regional VP John Gallagher to
manage the company’s Chicago stations … Dave Armstrong retires from Salem
Communications after a 20 year run, managing stations in New York, Los
Angeles and San Diego … WWTN/Nashville afternoon host Dan Mandis adds
PD duties … Iconic NBC announcer Don Pardo dies at his home in Arizona at
age 96 … Owen Murphy named PD at KFWB/Los Angeles as the longtime allnewser transitions to Sports/Talk … The ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ sweeps America,
with numerous shows and Talk personalities taking the plunge for charity …
KYW/Philadelphia morning news anchor Harry Donahue retires after 35 years
in wake-ups … KGO/San Francisco host Ronn Owens reveals he’s been dealing
with Parkinson’s for the past decade … 102.5 The Bone/Tampa drops the ‘Bubba
The Love Sponge Show’ and moves Mike Calta from afternoons to mornings.
SEPTEMBER: Cumulus Media ups Dan Bennett to Regional VP, adding
oversight of the company’s Houston stations to his Dallas management duties …
Clear Channel National Brand Manager for News/Talk Ken Charles relocates
back to South Florida after two years at CC/Sacramento. Grace Blazer
remains PD at WIOD and WINZ/Miami … ABC News Radio White House
Correspondent Ann Compton retires after 41 years of covering America’s chief
executives … Tim Spence is promoted to Station Manager at 102.3 ESPN/
Denver and 105.5 ESPN Ft. Collins. Concurrently, Garner Goin is upped
to PD for the Front Range Sports Network stations … Legendary comedian
and former WOR Radio Network syndicated talk host Joan Rivers dies of
complications during elective surgery in New York City … Pioneering Windy
City talk host Roy Leonard – heard on WGN/Chicago from 1967-1998 – dies
at age 83 after a brief illness … Rush Limbaugh picks up his 5th NAB Marconi
Award at the annual NAB/RAB Radio Show in Indianapolis … Mike Wheeler
named PD at WJR/Detroit … Clear Channel Media & Entertainment
rebrands as iHeart Media … Tim Lewis named PD at WJBC/Bloomington,
IL … Justin Wittmayer appointed VP/Market Manager at Cumulus Media/
San Francisco ... Bob Koontz named Sports Sales Manager at KFWB/Los
Angeles … Jeff Weber leaves the Biz TalkRadio and Lifestyle Talk Radio
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December 5, 2014
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networks after a 12-year run … Joan Hamburg returns to the NYC airwaves at
WABC, hosting Saturdays from 1-3pm … Allison Warren named VP/Market
Manager at Cumulus/Nashville ... Andy Ludlum exits KNX/Los Angeles …
Longtime KFI/Los Angeles morning sports anchor Rich Marotta retires …
KNEW/San Francisco becomes the first west coast outlet for Bloomberg Radio
… Cox Media Group names WSB/Atlanta PD Peter Spriggs News/Talk/
Sports Format Leader, and WDBO/Orlando PD Drew Anderssen News/Talk/
Sports Format Coordinator … Cumulus EVP/COO Jon Pinch assumes Market
Manager duties for the company’s Atlanta stations … WINS/New York news
anchor Judy DeAngelis retires her alarm clock after 26-years on the dawn patrol.
OCTOBER: Veteran broadcaster and KGO-KSFO/San Francisco PD Kevin
Metheny dies suddenly, of an apparent heart attack. He was 60 … DirecTV and
FOX Sports Radio partner to add DTV’s popular ‘Rich Eisen Show’ to the FSR
weekday lineup … Fred Bennett named GM/Market Manager for Townsquare
Media-owned New Jersey 101.5 (WKXW/Trenton) … Salem Radio Network
President Greg Anderson announces his retirement after 44 years in broadcast
radio … Steve Dahl returns to the air at WLS/Chicago after nearly six years away
from broadcast radio … Radio One pulls the plug on struggling all-newser KROI/
Houston … Cliff Albert officially returns to KOGO/San Diego as News Director
… Longtime WORD/Greenville host Russ Cassell dies following a heart attack
suffered at his home. He was 60 … Westwood One ends production and distribution
of NBC News Radio. The network also announces that ‘Westwood One News’
is the name of its new white label news product set to debut in January. Former
CNN Radio Correspondent Steve Kastenbaum is named Senior Correspondent
and New York Bureau Chief, while Bob Costantini of NBC News Radio will
become the network’s Washington correspondent, covering the White House and
Capitol Hill. Veteran CNN broadcast journalist Jim Roope joins as the network’s
west coast correspondent based in Los Angeles, and Dallas-based reporter Alan
Scaia will cover events across the Midwest … John Geary named Market
President for iHeartMedia/Sacramento … Chris Merrill tapped for afternoons
at KFYI/Phoenix … WDEF/Chattanooga personality Luther Masingill, who
remained active and on the air at the same radio station for nearly 75 years, dies
at age 92 following a short illness … Dick Morris exits WPHT/Philadelphia
to devote more time to campaigning for candidates in 2016 … Don Imus puts
his 2,400 acre New Mexico ranch for kids with cancer up for sale … KKSF/San
Francisco taps former longtime KGO personality Ed Baxter to host 10am-1pm.
NOVEMBER: KOMO-KVI/Seattle PD Paul Duckworth announces his
plans to retire … Westwood One inks a multi-year renewal with COO Charles
Steinhauer … Come January, Westwood One will debut ‘Something To Talk
About,’ a new daily commentary by outgoing House Intelligence Committee
Chairman Mike Rogers … Meanwhile, Mike Huckabee announces his radio
feature, ‘The Huckabee Report,’ will move to independent syndication without
interruption to affiliates beginning in January … Greg Tantum named PD for
Newsradio 106.7/Atlanta (WYAY-FM) … The Wall Street Journal announces
it will shut down the WSJ Radio Network and MarketWatch Radio Network
at year’s end. Days later, Compass Media Networks strikes a deal to offer a new
show, ‘This Morning with Gordon Deal,’ in the same hours where Deal has been
hosting the popular ‘WSJ This Morning’ program … Scott Masteller exits ESPN
Radio following a 14-year run … Glenn Beck reveals he’s been suffering from an
ongoing health crisis for the past five years … iHeartMedia/Minneapolis Market
President Mike Crusham retires … Howie Carr ends a 20-year run at WRKO/
Boston, moving to crosstown AM 1510 WMEX … Cumulus/Youngstown
Market Manager Rick Parish retires after a 40+ year broadcasting career …
Salem Communications ups Dave Santrella to President/Broadcast Media and
Phil Boyce to SVP/Salem Radio Networks and Spoken Word Formats … Chip
Franklin heads to KGO/San Francisco to host noon-3pm … To be continued
in 2015 … Happy Holidays from all of us at NTS MediaOnline Monthly!
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