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On Sept. 20, 1988, after nearly four years as an Adult Contemporary station serving Western New York’s biggest market, “97 Rock” returned to the airwaves.

Under new call letters that eventually became WGRF-FM, the station’s switch to Classic Rock programming was warmly received. Its morning host Larry Norton became a Buffalo institution through his December 2015 retirement.

Today, “97 Rock” and its owner, Cumulus Media, are dealing with a different type of notoriety for the longtime leader. One of its current morning hosts made a poor decision during a bit on Wednesday. Twenty-four hours later, the host was no longer a Cumulus employee, and the “Morning Bull” show was pulled in favor of music and liners.

A FORTY-FIVE SECOND MISTAKE

Rob Lederman lost his job for saying something during Wednesday’s installment of the “Morning Bull” that raised eyebrows, the blood pressure of many, and the attention of one Marcel Louis-Jacques, who shared an audio clip of what Lederman said via Twitter.

Louis-Jacques is the Buffalo-based reporter for ESPN NFL Nation and covers the Buffalo Bills.

To exacerbate matters for local Cumulus Media management, Louis-Jacques didn’t catch the utterance live: Its on the 52-minute condensed “Morning Bull Podcast” for March 24, and starts at the five minute mark.

The topic at hand: the settings on a toaster. Lederman, responding to Rich ‘Bull’ Gaenzler, ironically prefaced his comments by noting, “I may get into trouble for this.”

Lederman explained, “I have them to the attractiveness of the women that I find to be attractive. So, I will never go to a Serena Williams level, but I’m very comfortable with … a Halle Berry level … I need a little bit of mulatto still coming through.”

Lederman was asked by a female morning show member if Gayle King wasn’t in his realm. Lederman replied, “Gayle King is not even on my toaster level.”

The hosts then continue on with the conversation.

A direct link to the March 24 podcast is no longer available.

That said, the “Morning Bull” twitter feed remains active, frozen in time from Wednesday morning. Gaenzler’s Twitter feed was last updated March 21. Meanwhile, the “97 Rock” Twitter feed as of 3:45pm Thursday continued to feature as its featured photo a photo of Gaenzler and Lederman promoting the “Morning Bull.”

Gaenzler and a third co-host, Chris Klein, were suspended. On Thursday morning, WGRF offered music in-between station liners and IDs. By 10:30am, midday host J.P. was on the air. Afternoon host Carl Russo took over at 3pm.

While WGRF did not address the incident on the air, Buffalo’s news media treated Lederman’s firing as a lead story ahead of Wednesday’s 11pm newscasts and the publication of Thursday’s edition of The Buffalo News.

Asked for comment, a Cumulus Media spokesperson said the company “operates from a clearly defined set of programming principles and there is no question that Rob Lederman’s comments made on The Morning Bull show are in direct violation of those principles. We swiftly terminated him and suspended the remainder of the show’s on-air talent. We apologize, and deeply regret the incident.”

In response to follow-up questions regarding what’s next for WGRF, the company spokesperson said Cumulus has no additional information to share beyond the statement.

According to the Buffalo News, WGRF lost Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center as an advertiser as a direct result of Lederman’s comments.

Meanwhile, the newspaper spoke with Lederman, who said he was “horrified” by his commentary after listening to a recording of it. “I could easily see how someone could be offended by that. I get that. It sounds terrible, and it is terrible.”

He added that his words were guilty of “ignorance as opposed to malicious intent … I never saw myself as anything close to even thinking a racist thought. It’s just not who I am. So when I heard that, and heard how it sounded, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, that sounds terrible.’ Now, can I take back those words? No. If you listen to them, were they meant to be hurtful? Absolutely not.”

Lederman has been associated with “97 Rock” for 30 years and worked alongside Norton.

While Gaenzler was suspended, and is assumedly returning to “97 Rock,” Pegula Sports & Entertainment moved forward with dismissing him as the official Key Arena host for NHL Buffalo Sabres games, and for the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League. Concurrently, the University of Buffalo Division of Athletics decided not to bring back Gaenzler as a public address announcer for football games in 2021-2022 and beyond.

 

 

Add three more low-power TV properties to the list of stations that HC2 Holdings is paring down from a roster that will live on as a leaner, but still active, set of broadcast facilities it intends to operate.

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The Educational Media Foundation, large station group owner and parent of the K-Love and Air1 radio networks, has announced plans to relocate its headquarters from Rocklin, Calif., to the Nashville, Tenn., area. The move will transpire over three years.

[Read: EMF Urges Quick Decision on Franken FMs]

EMF CEO Bill Reeves explained, “This move will enable us to better serve our audiences and deepen our relationships with faith-focused artists, content creators and the recording, film and publishing industries as we continue to broaden our media offerings through radio, film, streaming, live events, books and more.”

The nonprofit religious broadcaster already has studios in the Nashville area. “It recently expanded its studio, from which the K-Love morning show and Air1 programs now broadcast, and its promotions, AccessMore podcasting, live events and WTA Media teams have offices in the area already,” a release said.

The release also said, “A new permanent campus is to be constructed; the exact location is yet to be finalized.”

 

The post Educational Media Foundation Heading for Music City appeared first on Radio World.

The state of California’s corporate HQ count has been the subject of many debates and discussions in recent years. In September 2020, The Hoover Institution noted that even in the economic boom years of 2018 and 2019, 765 commercial facilities left the Golden State.

You can now add the nonprofit owner of the fast-growing KLOVE and Air1 Christian music networks to the mix.

In all fairness to California, however, the move makes sense: It’s packing up and moving to the epicenter of the CCM world.

Educational Media Foundation (EMF), which in addition to the new broadcast radio networks owns and operates the AccessMore podcast hub and WTA Media, is embarking on a three-year initiative that will relocate the company’s leadership hub from Rocklin, Calif., to the Nashville region.

Rocklin is in Placer County, to the northwest of Sacramento on the I-80 corridor connecting California’s state capital to Reno, Nev., and points east.

In an announcement made late Wednesday (3/24), EMF said its global headquarters staff will grow in multiple phases, both from relocating employees and local hiring. A new permanent campus is to be constructed; the exact location is yet to be finalized.

“After much prayer, extensive discussion and research, the EMF Board and leadership team are in unanimous agreement that relocating our headquarters to the Nashville area will position us to fulfill our mission of creating compelling media that inspires and encourages audiences to have a meaningful relationship with Christ,” EMF CEO Bill Reeves said. “This move will enable us to better serve our audiences and deepen our relationships with faith-focused artists, content creators and the recording, film and publishing industries as we continue to broaden our media offerings through radio, film, streaming, live events, books and more.”

While its another blow to California, it’s not exactly a surprise to Sacramento lawmakers: EMF has been growing its Tennessee presence over the last several years. It recently expanded its studio, from which the K-LOVE morning show and Air1 programs now broadcast. The promotions department, AccessMore podcasting, live events and WTA Media teams already have offices in the Nashville market.

Members of EMF’s content division will begin moving into the existing offices and temporary space this summer.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee welcomed the shift of EMF’s headquarters to his state with open arms. “Our state is home to some of the top music, media and entertainment companies, and EMF will be a respected addition to this important sector,” he said. “We thank EMF for its investment in Middle Tennessee, which will strengthen our reputation as a leader in the music industry.”

Reeves added, “The State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and the Tennessee Valley Authority have been outstanding partners as we considered, and now pursue, this exciting new chapter in the life of EMF. The Nashville area is the right place for us to be.”

EMF is in the final stages of selecting land locations, architects and building developers.

Once the move is complete, a 39-year history in Northern California will conclude. EMF began life in 1982 with a single radio station in Santa Rosa, Calif. Today, that is KLVR-FM 91.9, the originating KLOVE station for many years. Air1 dates to 1995.

Much of EMF’s growth has come in the last 20 decades, concurrent with growth in Christian Contemporary and worship music’s popularity across the U.S.

One of the nation’s biggest owners of Sports Talk radio stations, with a stable that includes the first-ever broadcast radio facility to adopt the format — WFAN in New York — has agreed to a multi-year partnership surrounding several sports betting audio initiatives with a top online casino and sports betting in the U.S.

It’s the operator of the BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse mobile plaforms.

The agreement between Entercom and Rush Street Interactive makes BetRivers the official title sponsor of the Entercom-owned “You Better You Bet” podcast, hosted by Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley. The program was recently relaunched as part of Entercom’s recently acquired BetQL Audio Network.

Kostos will also serve as a brand ambassador for BetRivers and as the voice of the “BetRivers Sports Betting Minute,” heard on Entercom’s all-sports stations in legalized sports betting markets. Through this vehicle, Kostos and BetRivers will provide sports betting news and information each weekday

“RSI is an ideal partner for You Better You Bet,” said Mike Dee, Entercom’s President of Sports. “The company’s authentic approach to the sports betting marketplace aligns well with Nick, Ken and the hardcore betting audience that consume the nation’s No. 1 fully dedicated daily sports betting podcast.”

“You Better You Bet content” includes a weeknight podcast and video simulcast, available live on Radio.com and on demand where podcasts are heard, as well as the “Bet Rivers Sports Betting Minute,” which are custom content editorial segments on BetQL Audio Network stations nationwide.

I had the privilege of knowing and working with Bob, and Ron Rackley, for over two decades. Their contributions to the AM band are phenomenal!

Bob and I traveled to conduct due diligence on Radio Aahs stations that were being sold to Radio Unica in the mid 1990s. I represented Radio Aahs, as VP of that organization, and Bob was retained by Radio Unica.

[Read: Bob du Treil Sr. Dies, Age 88]

We bonded immediately!

I will never forget the AM 1360 upgrade in Dallas, the system arrived set by Bob to theoretical parameters — it was connected, powered up and the monitor points were in! Bob Love It!

Bob did the tricky KATD AM 990  upgrade that provided an upgrade to second-adjacent KIQI AM 1010 in San Francisco — that was genius!

These are only two examples of the creative engineering that Bob (and Ron and Ben …) have provided to the AM band.

Jim Glogowski, LifeBridge Media Group

 

The post Letter: We Bonded Immediately appeared first on Radio World.

For the third consecutive trading session on the Nasdaq GlobalSelect market, ViacomCBS shares moved downward. By 12:45pm Eastern, volume surpassed the daily average for VIAC, as investors continued to express concerns tied to a huge equity offering while also suggesting that streaming growth trends may be a tad exaggerated.

The company led by Bob Bakish has now priced its stock offerings. And, it now has to deal with a downgrade from one of Wall Street’s most respected media analysts.

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Digital Alert Systems promo image

Digital Alert Systems announced availability of Version 4.3 of its Emergency Alert System software running on its DASDEC-II or One-Net SE EAS devices.

“Version 4.3 is a major release that further expands the security measures already built into the Version 4 software, including the addition of support for single sign-on (SSO) systems such as TACACS+,” the company said in its announcement.

SSO lets a user log in with one ID and password to any of several related software systems. The company said this is the first EAS system to offer that capability, which it said will be of help particularly to enterprise customers that manage dozens or hundreds of EAS devices.

“Whereas previously EAS system administrators were required to maintain different names and passwords for each device, now with SSO they can manage users’ access uniformly and grant or deny access to select individuals with the same tools they use for the rest of the enterprise,” it said.

[Related: “FCC Will Explore EAS on the Internet”]

For users of DASEOC, the company’s system for emergency operations centers, V4.3 also improves connectivity and support for the new FEMA Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Cloud Server changes.

DASDEC-II or One-Net SE customers running Versions 4.0, 4.1 or 4.2 can download the Version 4.3 upgrade at no charge. Registered customers will receive an email with credentials; customers not yet upgraded to Version 4 should contact the company.

 

The post Digital Alert Systems Adds Single Sign-on appeared first on Radio World.

The Nielsen Total Audience Report’s March 2021 edition is now available for public consumption. And, it’s filled with informative new insights on advertising across today’s media.

Peter Katsingris, SVP of Audience Insights at Nielsen, chats with Adam R Jacobson about some of the key findings in this fresh podcast, presented by DOT.fm.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Peter Katsingris, Nielsen” on Spreaker.

In a first for a television network, Fox Corporation has opted to enable programmatic trading of addressable set-top box (STB) Video on Demand (VOD) by partnering with Comcast-owned FreeWheel.

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The pact allows advertisers using FOX to reach consumers what the network calls “a path to execute addressable household-level campaigns on any of its content viewed On Demand within the Comcast Xfinity footprint.”

This adds to the programmatic trading capabilities for the FOX portfolio, including free advertising-supported Video on Demand platform Tubi, available on Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex and Cox Contour devices.

Dan Callahan, SVP of Data Strategy and Sales Innovation for FOX, commented, “As audience viewing patterns increase across more platforms, FOX continues to focus on expanding our addressable capabilities and offering advertising partners multiple solutions for their media plans. Our partnership with FreeWheel enables us to deliver targeted advertising to Comcast households who are watching FOX’s popular series on their VOD
platform.”

The Trade Desk is the first demand side platform (DSP) to complete the integration, enabling advertisers to execute addressable guaranteed campaigns on FOX VOD inventory.

VOD viewing represents an increasing portion of most programmers’ total viewing hours, enhancing the importance of bringing greater data-enablement and automation to this segment of the viewing population.

“Advertisers continue to crave more inventory from TV networks and their supply side partners, which is why this combined solution from FOX and Freewheel hits the mark,” said Jon Tabak, GM of Strategic Partnerships at The Trade Desk. “Historically, TV has been somewhat of a blind spot from a digital advertising perspective. By further expanding our platform’s reach in the TV ecosystem, our clients have a clearer picture of their advertising investment and total impact across screens and devices, especially the biggest screen in the room.”

The partnership with FOX is part of FreeWheel’s overall effort to build programmatic capabilities for addressable television. These capabilities will allow demand partners to target audiences against a programmer’s VOD inventory on a guaranteed, fixed price, fixed volume basis. The goal is to allow advertisers to transact on television and premium video inventory in new ways that continue to meet their buying objectives, while opening up additional scale and increasing demand for media companies’ valuable audiences.

FOX and FreeWheel expect additional integrations with demand partners in the coming months.

The Video Division has before it a petition for rulemaking filed November 27, 2020 (Petition) by WULK Licensee, LLC (Licensee), the licensee of WULK-TV (FOX), channel 12, Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Licensee requests the substitution of channel 18 for channel 12 at Green Bay, Wisconsin the digital television (DTV) Table of Allotments.

The Video Division has before it a petition for rulemaking filed November 27, 2020 (Petition) by WFXL Licensee, LLC (Licensee), the licensee of WFXL (FOX), channel 12, Albany, Georgia (Station). The Licensee requests the substitution of channel 29 for channel 12 at Albany, Georgia in the digital television (DTV) Table of Allotments.

Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's proceeding by Michael Lazarus, on behalf Sennheiser Electronic Corporation and Catherine Wang, on behalf of Shure Incorporated.

The Bureau enters into a Consent Decree with Salisbury Educational B/C Foundation

The Bureau enters into a Consent Decree with Shaw's Broadcasting Co

April 28 Tech Diversity Symposium/Virtual Fair to Feature One-on-One Networking

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Granted in part and denied in part the Informal Objection of Triangle Access Broadcasting, Inc., filed against the license renewal applications of Immanuel Broadcasting Network for FM Translators W241AF, Rossville, Georgia, and W271CV, Atlanta, Georgia

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