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‘100.3 The Bull’ Houston Horses Around With $20,000

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Audacy’s KILT (100.3 The Bull)/Houston has concluded its “Neigh of the Day” promotion, a five-week end-of-summer contest in which a listener was awarded $20,000 to purchase a horse or any other item of their choosing.

The station selected 97 qualifiers through on-air call-ins and in-person “Neigh-Borhood Party” events. These events featured a custom horse trailer, a photo area with live miniature ponies, and 100.3 The Bull radio personality appearances.

At the “Neigh of the Day” finale on August 25 at Frio Hill Country Grill and Barn, the 97 qualifiers participated in a random key drawing to unlock the horse trailer, with one lucky winner receiving the $20,000 reward.

Melissa Chase, VP of Programming, Audacy Houston, said, “When in Texas, you have to give away a horse, right? ‘Neigh of the Day’ was an opportunity to create a unique experience both on air and in person. We were also able to connect with listeners who live in more rural areas and miss a lot of the events that are done closer to the city. This promotion marked the first time a horse was a radio prize – and for 100.3 The Bull, hopefully not the last!”

Skip Bayless: I Left FS1 ‘To Be My Own Boss, To Bet on Myself, To Break Free From the TV Networks’

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Skip Bayless says he has been set free. Bayless posted The Skip Bayless Show, and said this would be his “first unleashed episode.” He also said his content now features, “No more network bosses or “don’ts” or “can’ts.”

Bayless got started and said, “The NFL season is about to start along with my new life. I have never been more excited for a football season and a new beginning. I have waited a long time for this moment. I am finally free. Free to unleash in ways I never have.

“Free to give you every bit of me without boundaries, handcuffs, or fear of suspension. I recently left FS1, an exit I’ve been planning for several months, because I wanted to do this. I wanted to be my own boss, to bet on myself, to break free from the TV networks I’ve worked for, for 35 years.”

Bayless then went on to describe what it has been like working for those networks and what he would often hear from producers and executives.

“For 35 years, I’ve been told, ‘don’t, don’t, don’t. Careful, careful, careful.’ I tiptoe, sidestep, pull punches, protected our quote-unquote network broadcast partners, the leagues whose games my employers televised. Now, no more night before memos saying, ‘no, no, no.’ No more bosses with huge egos and hidden agendas. No more games that have to be played behind closed network doors.

“Now I’m free to be 1,000% me. I’ve often seen things before others do and said things others won’t, but there were always camouflaged limitations and restrictions. No more.

Bayless then went on to say if he was still working for FS1 he would not have been able to talk about Tom Brady’s situation where the NFL will not allow him to be in production meetings because of his potential ownership of the Las Vegas Raiders.

“I say what I see, and now I will do that completely on steroids,” Bayless said. “If Brady goes plain vanilla as an analyst, aw shucks gee whiz, if Brady refuses to criticize a quarterback who obviously deserves it, I will say he’s turning into the Daniel Jones of commentators.

“Now I’m free to write the books I’ve always wanted to write, including one about the wild ride I just had through 20 years of doing daily national TV shows. Now I’m free to shop a controversial screenplay I’ve written that a network employer would not love, trust me. Now I’m free to develop all sorts of other digital shows you will hear about in the very near future. I had memorable runs at ESPN and at Fox, but now I have a great new team around me and am I ever about to unleash on this show…

“Buckle up, here we go.”

CBS News Adding Ed Gordon as Contributor

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Ed Gordon is returning to CBS News to serve as a contributor to the network, marking the second time he’ll work with the television network.

The Emmy Award-winning Gordon previously worked for the network on 60 Minutes II in the mid-2000s. He has also worked at BET, which is owned by CBS’s parent company Paramount Global.

The 64-year-old also worked at NBC News and MSNBC in the late 1990s before returning to BET to replace Tavis Smiley as host of BET Tonight. He has also previously hosted a show centered on African-American issues for NPR.

In addition to his role with CBS News, he’ll continue to host his nationally syndicated radio program Weekend with Ed Gordon, and will continue his work with his production company Ed Gordon Media.

The news was first reported by TVNewser.

SummitMedia Names Chadwick ‘AJ’ Hausknecht SVP/Programming

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SummitMedia has appointed Chadwick ‘AJ’ Hausknecht as its new SVP/Programming. Hausknecht will oversee the company’s Top 40, Hot AC, and AC radio stations across its entire portfolio.

After a 12-year tenure at iHeartMedia, Hausknecht departed the company during its March layoffs. Before his exit, he was Region SVP/Programming Virginia-Carolina region and Program Director for Top 40 WHQC (Hits 96.1) and Variety Hits WLKO (102.9 The Lake)/Charlotte.

Randy Chase, SummitMedia EVP Programming, said, “We are growing our programming leadership team, adding incredible experience and innovative knowledge to capitalize on the evolution in the audio space. With this leadership team in place, we believe we will deliver highly engaging products focused on the consumer and set up every member of the SummitMedia team to perform at their full potential.”

Hausknecht added, “The opportunity to spearhead programming efforts for SummitMedia’s Top 40, Hot AC, and AC formats is an incredible honor. I’m privileged to be at the helm of these brands’ continued growth to maximize our audio capabilities in 2024 and beyond.”

Gina Grad Joins ‘The Woody Show’

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Gina Grad is joining iHeartMedia’s syndicated “The Woody Show.” The morning show is based at Alternative KYSR (Alt 98.7)/Los Angeles.

Grad joins Woody, Greg Gory, Menace, and Sebas. The position was held by Ranae Ravey who departed in June.

Woody said, “Gina came highly recommended by many, including a Radio Hall of Famer who will (and should) remain nameless…. ok, it was Mark Thompson (of Mark and Brian). I was already a fan of her work with Adam Carolla, and after meeting her when I was a guest on Adam’s show, I knew that she would be my first call if the opportunity ever presented itself. She’s a total pro and a perfect fit for ‘The Woody Show.’”

Lisa Worden, iHeartMedia SVP/Rock & Alternative and KYSR PD added, “Gina brings an incredible wealth of talent and experience. Combine that with her really fun, no-holds-barred attitude, and poof — we’ve found our next star to join the already all-star cast of The Woody Show. We’re all beyond excited to have Gina on board, ready to entertain LA and OC once again!”

Grad said, “I absolutely cannot wait to join ‘The Woody Show!’ The team’s shared sense of humor, raw, unfiltered take on society, and unbelievable work ethic make me proud to be part of this group. Woody is an absolute genius at what he does. I’m really excited to connect with listeners through questionable jokes, unapologetic opinions, and some truly insane stories from a lifetime of acting before thinking… I’m all in!”

Previous stops include serving as a producer for the “Tim Conway Jr. Show” on Talk KLSX (97.1 Free-FM)/Los Angeles and as a news anchor for Classic Rock KSWD (100.3 The Sound)/Seattle.

Frank FM Network Raises Nearly $19K For Maine’s Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital

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On September 5 and 6, Binnie Media’s Frank FM Network hosted its ninth-annual “Pay 4 Play” fundraiser, encouraging listeners to support Portland, Maine’s Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital. The event raised $18,724.

The Frank Network includes Classic Hits WFNK (107.5 Frank-FM)/Portland and Classic Hits WBQX (106.9 Frank FM)/Rockland.

A spokesperson for Frank FM Network said, “Thank you to everyone who made this event possible, from our amazing listeners and businesses to the dedicated volunteers. We appreciate you!”

Listeners could donate the following to have songs played on the stations: $25 for a regularly played track, $180 for a song the station does not typically air, or $500 for any song regardless of genre.

All proceeds from “Pay 4 Play” will directly support the children and families receiving care at the hospital and fund important medical research.

Mark Levin to Miss Show After Injury From Weekend Fall

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Mark Levin has announced he will be away from his nationally syndicated radio show for a short period after suffering an injury from a weekend fall.

In a post to social media, “The Great One” shared that he would not be able to host The Mark Levin Show on Monday, and likely, Tuesday, after being injured.

“Unfortunately, I had a very bad fall this weekend and tore my quadricep between my right knee and thigh,” Levin wrote. “I’ll likely be in surgery in the next day or two. I’ll be back on air as soon as I can. God bless.”

The 66-year-old hosted his Fox News weekend program — Life, Liberty & Levin — as normal on Saturday and Sunday. It is unclear who will fill in for Mark Levin in his absence.

Gregg Giannotti: Tom Brady ‘Sounded Like a Kid at a College Radio Station, He Has a Long Way to Go’

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As many weigh in on the debut of Tom Brady as a FOX Sports football analyst alongside Kevin Burkhardt, Gregg Giannotti and Boomer Esiason gave their thoughts. This morning on WFAN’s Boomer & Gio, Giannotti did not hold anything back in his assessment of how Brady did as he started his 10-year $375 million deal with the company.

“It’s his first broadcast, obviously there was a lot of practice that went into it for him. I didn’t think he was any good. I really do like Tom Brady, I’ve always been a huge fan of his. I want him to succeed generally at everything he does, but he was bad in his first broadcast. Doesn’t mean he can’t get better but to me it was bad.”

Giannotti and Esiason talked about something many have brought up, which is Brady’s voice did not sound very powerful, many saying it came out with a higher pitch than people were expecting.

“His voice wasn’t cutting through,” Giannotti said. “He didn’t say anything, to me, that wasn’t obvious. And he had a real tough time completing sentences without stopping in the middle of them which was weird. He would just go and then boom he’d be making a point that it’d be like silence and you’re like, ‘wait a second he can’t just stop there’ and he did and then he picked it up again and he was also doing the thing that I hear a lot of people do when they first start getting on the air which is ending their sentences with ‘so’ because they don’t know how to deal with a pregnant pause. It just sounded like a kid at a college radio station, he’s got a long way to go.”

Esiason thought Brady got better as the game went on. “I thought he got a little bit better, but he didn’t have a very good game to do,” he said. “Where I want to really hear his expertise is at the end of the first half and at the end of the second half in a very close game when it comes down to decision-making in regard to the coaches…And you know quite frankly they have to get used to each other. I think Kevin Burkhardt tried really hard to engage him, to sort of interview him…it’s gonna take a while for us as fans to get used to his voice. They’re gonna have to pump up the volume so you can hear him a little bit more clearly and he’s going to have to understand, it took Troy and Joe years to become the booth that they are. They’re friends and it’s like two friends doing a game together, that relaxed nature of doing the game.

“He was a little uptight yesterday, a little nervous. I’m sure he knows everybody was listening he knew that the slate was cleared because they were the only one that had a doubleheader and that was to promote him. And then you saw him in a commercial, that’s part of the $375 million deal that he received. And by the way, he got paid for what he did on the field and what he did on the field was extraordinary and that’s why he got paid. So now he’s gonna have to deal with the slings and arrows that come when you get into that booth, because that booth is like a washer on spin, and they’re gonna be people like that like you and people that hate you and he’s just gonna have to deal with it.”

Giannotti then gave a specific example of where he thought Brady came up short. Several people had wondered if Brady would be too soft on players and not criticize guys he spent time in the league with or ones he was teammates with. In this game, Gio thought Brady would be a bit more critical of Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson.

“I was hoping that he would criticize Deshaun Watson more than he did,” Giannotti said. “So, I’m thinking all right if you don’t criticize Deshaun Watson playing like this when it’s Deshaun Watson, who are you gonna criticize? Because criticizing Deshaun Watson is a layup. They traded away all those first-round picks, he got an insane guaranteed deal, he’s a pervert and he sucks, so like that’s the easiest guy in the world to criticize and he didn’t even come near criticizing him.”

Kendrick Lamar To Perform At Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show

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The National Football League, Roc Nation, and Apple Music announced on Sunday that seventeen-time GRAMMY Award winner Kendrick Lamar will perform at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in February in New Orleans.

In 2022, Kendrick Lamar took the Super Bowl stage as part of the event’s inaugural hip-hop showcase, which featured a lineup of West Coast legends, including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Mary J. Blige.

Lamar said, “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”

Seth Dudowsky, NFL Head of Music, added, “Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar. Time and time again, Kendrick has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of hip-hop. We’re excited to collaborate with Kendrick, Roc Nation, and Apple Music to deliver another unforgettable Halftime Show.”

Lamar’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance will be the sixth produced in partnership with Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z. In 2019, Roc Nation signed a deal with the NFL to co-produce the Super Bowl halftime show and promote the league’s social justice initiatives.

1130 WISN Host Jay Weber Returns to Show More Than 2 Weeks After Controversial Comments About Son of Tim Walz

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1130 WISN morning host Jay Weber hosted his news/talk radio show in Milwaukee for the first time Monday since creating a social media controversy that earned worldwide attention after criticizing the son of Tim Walz during the Democratic National Convention last month.

Last month, Weber apologized after receiving pushback for calling Gus Walz, the disabled son of Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN),  a “blubbering bitch boy,” after he cried watching his father accept the Democratic nomination for Vice President. The pushback of Weber was swift, as he trended on social media for his comments, with the situation earning attention from foreign news publications as well as here in the United States.

Weber was absent from his program on Friday, August 23rd. At the time, fill-in host Ben Yount claimed that it was a scheduled vacation day for Weber and that he would return on Monday despite the controversy. However, Yount returned to host the 1130 WISN morning show that Monday. He, along with Dave Michaels, hosted the daypart for more than two weeks in Weber’s absence.

1130 WISN has not publically commented on the situation since Weber’s social media posts went viral last month. Weber also did not make any statements at the beginning of Monday’s show about the situation. His last comments on the matter were a day after he went viral, in which he apologized to the Walz family for his statements.

“This is a fuller apology for something stupid and hurtful I said yesterday. I said it without thinking or having the facts. No excuses. Having been a teacher, I’ve had a standard of never involving children, I broke that and I’m disappointed with myself,” the host wrote last month. “I apologize to the Walz family and anyone who was offended. I feel horrible, I am so sorry.”