Home Blog Page 2487

Ed Christian, Saga Communications Founder, CEO Dies

BNM Staff
-
0
Ed Christian, Saga Communications Founder, CEO Dies

Ed Christian, founder, chairman, President, and CEO of Saga Communications died Friday after a brief illness.

Christian founded the company in 1986 and oversaw its growth to holding 79 FM stations and 35 AM stations in 27 markets.

“The broadcast industry has lost a pioneer and giant,” the company said in a prepared statement. “Saga expresses its heartfelt condolences to the Christian family and Ed’s friends and colleagues. Ed will be missed but not forgotten. He is and was a true radio broadcaster that never lost sight of his ‘true north’ in an industry he loved.”

Warren Lada, former COO and a member of the company’s board of directors, has been named the interim CEO.

“The Board is confident that Warren’s vast experience in the broadcast industry as a sales representative, sales manager, general manager, vice president of operations and ultimately as COO of the company will fill the void that Ed leaves as the company prepares for the next chapter in Saga’s ongoing adventure,” the company added.

Aqib Talib Stepping Away From Amazon Thursday Night Football

BSM Staff
-
0

According to a report from Ian Rapoport, Aqib Talib will not be joining Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football coverage.

The decision comes after Talib’s brother, Yaqub, allegedly shot and killed a youth football coach during an on-field disagreement on August 13th, where the former All-Pro was in attendance. According to witnesses, Aqib Talib started the altercation and was the first person to throw a punch.

Frank Perez, the attorney for the former Pro Bowler, told The New York Post Talib “Would like to convey his condolences to the family of the victim and to everyone who witnessed this unfortunate tragedy.”

Talib was slated to join the studio crew with Kaylee Hartung and former offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth.

Fox News Ratings Balloon After FBI Raid on Mar-a-Lago

BNM Staff
-
0

Monday, Aug. 8 was an unprecedented date in U.S. history — with a search warrant, the FBI entered the premises of a former U.S. President, as part of an investigation. The place: Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, in Palm Beach, Florida.

No media had covered the search live, as it occurred at its exact time; it was Trump himself that first made public mention of it. As that day transpired, minimal details had yet been disclosed.

The FBI search boosted all the cable news outlets, despite the varied slants of the event. All three Fox News Channel prime time programs — Tucker Carlson Tonight, Hannity, and The Ingraham Angle — from Aug. 8 each drew audiences well above their regularly potent levels and placed in the top six most-watched cable news telecasts of the week ending Aug. 14 (as indicated in the rankings at the bottom of this article). In addition, the aforementioned FNC trio made up the top-3 of all of cable news among the key 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The Aug. 8 edition of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show, which also landed in cable news’ top ten telecasts in both total viewers and adults 25-54, also devoted its entire hour on the FBI search. At 3.52 million total viewers, Maddow posted its most-watched edition since Feb. 12, 2021, during the week of the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump; with 496,000 adults 25-54, it was “Maddow’s” best demo delivery since Mar. 4, 2021.

Also achieving above-average audiences on Aug. 8 were Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt Tonight (308,000 total viewers) at 7 p.m. and Eric Bolling The Balance (379,000 total viewers) at 8 p.m.; and, at 9 p.m., NewsNation’s Dan Abrams Live (102,000), nearly doubling its nightly averages in recent prior weeks.

Later that week, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the Justice Department had filed a motion to unseal the warrant. The result of that unsealing was the public knowledge there were several classified documents seized from the Mar-a-Lago residence, including some related to nuclear weapons.

Garland’s press conference also spiked the ratings for each of the cable news outlets. From 3-4 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, Aug. 11, FNC led coverage with 2.75 million total viewers and 363,000 adults 25-54 — the network’s top mark of the week for a pre-5 p.m. telecast. MSNBC was runner-up that hour in total viewers (1.57 million); meanwhile, CNN trailed with 1.37 million viewers, but it was the network’s second most-watched hour of the week. Concerning adults 25-54, CNN drew 252,000; MSNBC 196,000.

Cable news averages for August 8-14, 2022:

Total Day (Aug. 8-14 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)

  • Fox News Channel: 1.668 million viewers; 242,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC: 0.934 million viewers; 107,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN: 0.662 million viewers; 134,000 adults 25-54
  • HLN: 0.180 million viewers; 50,000 adults 25-54
  • Newsmax: 0.138 million viewers; 17,000 adults 25-54
  • CNBC: 0.131 million viewers; 33,000 adults 25-54
  • Fox Business Network: 0.112 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54
  • The Weather Channel: 0.097 million viewers; 21,000 adults 25-54

Prime Time (Aug. 8-13 @ 8-11 p.m.; Aug. 14 @ 7-11 p.m.)

  • Fox News Channel: 2.703 million viewers; 377,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC: 1.546 million viewers; 176,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN: 0.893 million viewers; 196,000 adults 25-54
  • HLN: 0.210 million viewers; 52,000 adults 25-54
  • CNBC: 0.203 million viewers; 61,000 adults 25-54
  • Newsmax: 0.203 million viewers; 22,000 adults 25-54
  • The Weather Channel: 0.135 million viewers; 24,000 adults 25-54
  • NewsNation: 0.063 million viewers; 9,000 adults 25-54
  • Fox Business Network: 0.049 million viewers; 5,000 adults 25-54

Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:

1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 8/8/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 4.264 million viewers

2. Hannity (FOXNC, Mon. 8/8/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 4.244 million viewers

3. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 8/9/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 4.054 million viewers

4. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 8/11/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.789 million viewers

5. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 8/10/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.742 million viewers

6. The Ingraham Angle (FOXNC, Mon. 8/8/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.696 million viewers

7. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 8/12/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.644 million viewers

8. Rachel Maddow Show “FBI Raids Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Home” (MSNBC, Mon. 8/8/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.523 million viewers

9. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 8/9/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.518 million viewers

10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Tue. 8/9/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.428 million viewers

123. Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN, Mon. 8/8/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 1.458 million viewers

255. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 608” (HBO, Fri. 8/12/2022 10:01 PM, 57 min.) 0.786 million viewers

357. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 8/14/2022 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.554 million viewers

388. Forensic Files II “In Deep” (HLN, Sun. 8/14/2022 10:30 PM, 30 min.) 0.461 million viewers

400. The Daily Show (CMDY, Thu. 8/11/2022 11:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.425 million viewers

432. Varney & Company (FBN, Wed. 8/10/2022 10:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.373 million viewers

439. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee “Episode 7207” (TBS, Thu. 8/11/2022 10:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.350 million viewers

462. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 721” (CNBC, Wed. 8/10/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.321 million viewers

675. Deep Water Salvage “(102) Emergency!” (TWC, Sun. 8/14/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.187 million viewers

753. Newsnation: Rush Hour (NWSN, Mon. 8/8/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.154 million viewers

Top 10 cable news programs (and the top  programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54

1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 8/8/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.698 million adults 25-54

2. Hannity (FOXNC, Mon. 8/8/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.676 million adults 25-54

3. The Ingraham Angle (FOXNC, Mon. 8/8/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.587 million adults 25-54

4. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 8/9/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.560 million adults 25-54

5. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 8/10/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.547 million adults 25-54

6. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 8/9/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.528 million adults 25-54

7. Rachel Maddow Show “FBI Raids Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Home” (MSNBC, Mon. 8/8/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.496 million adults 25-54

8. Hannity (FOXNC, Tue. 8/9/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.492 million adults 25-54

9. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 8/11/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.489 million adults 25-54

10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Mon. 8/8/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.487 million adults 25-54

36. CNN Tonight (CNN, Mon. 8/8/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.320 million adults 25-54

133. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 8/14/2022 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.202 million adults 25-54

145. The Daily Show (CMDY, Thu. 8/11/2022 11:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.192 million adults 25-54

166. Forensic Files II “In Deep” (HLN, Sun. 8/14/2022 10:30 PM, 30 min.) 0.177 million adults 25-54

202. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 721” (CNBC, Wed. 8/10/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.155 million adults 25-54

230. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee “Episode 7207” (TBS, Thu. 8/11/2022 10:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.144 million adults 25-54

275. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 608” (HBO, Fri. 8/12/2022 10:01 PM, 57 min.) 0.127 million adults 25-54

643. The Earth Unlocked “(107) Lakes” (TWC, Sat. 8/13/2022 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.047 million adults 25-54

689. Mornings with Maria Bartiromo (FBN, Fri. 8/12/2022 8:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.040 million adults 25-54

799. Newsnation Prime (NWSN, Sun. 8/14/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.027 million adults 25-54

Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research

WGR Host Howard Simon Scaling Back To 3 Days Per Week

BSM Staff
-
0
WGR Host Howard Simon Scaling Back To 3 Days Per Week

WGR morning host Howard Simon is dropping down to a three day per week schedule moving forward.

Simon shared on Twitter Monday morning he would be scaling back to working on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. He also was struggling to keep up with everything needed to work at the level he would like to sustain.

Simon joined WGR’s morning show in 2004, teaming up with Jeremy White for the last 18 years in Buffalo, becoming a dominate force in the ratings for the Audacy station. WGR has routinely been the top-rated station in the 25-54 male demographic.

Report: Chris Licht Warns CNN Staffers of More Changes

BNM Staff
-
0

Staffers at CNN are reportedly on edge following an editorial meeting Friday to discuss recent changes including the dismissal of Brian Stelter and the cancellation of his show “Reliable Sources.”

According to Deadline, CNN CEO Chris Licht told employees that more changes are coming and that there may be moves that people don’t agree with. 

“I want to acknowledge to everyone that this is a time of change. I know that it is unsettling,” the report said. 

Stelter’s last program was Sunday. According to the Daily Beast, Stelter had been at odds with the direction of the network after the departure of CNN President Jeff Zucker.

Part of Licht’s frustration is the widespread media reporting about the new direction of the network. He stressed, “that those fluid plans are only known by a few in CNN management’s inner circle.” 

The changes at CNN began last year when Chris Cuomo was fired for allegedly using his position to help his older brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was facing a barrage of sexual misconduct claims. 

Early this year, President Jeff Zucker suddenly resigned for having an inappropriate relationship with former marketing executive Allison Gollust. 

Last week, Jefferey Toobin exited CNN after two decades with the network. 

“No one is safe or secure right now,” a CNN staffer said. 

Will Cain: The Media Wants to Preserve the Status Quo

BNM Staff
-
0

According to Fox News “Media Buzz” host Howard Kurtz, when reporters did their standups in Wyoming last week, they had to admit that Liz Cheney lost her primary race to Trump-backed candidate Harriet Hageman by an even wider margin than expected. 

Sunday, Kurtz discussed the media circus surrounding the Wyoming U.S. House race. He pointed out that Cheney told supporters she could’ve won the race, but it would’ve required her to side with former President Donald Trump’s assertion that the 2020 election was stolen. 

Kurtz was joined by “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Will Cain, who assessed many pundits’ attitudes following the election. Cain said most media outlets hailed Cheney for “standing up for democracy.” 

“I think that Liz Cheney has become a proxy for the true political prism in the United States of America,” said Cain. “It’s not Republican versus Democrat, and it’s not left versus right. The true prism is the establishment that wants to preserve the status quo and the people, the populous out there who the media and our institutions are actively trying to subvert.” 

Kurtz surmised that Cheney would eventually announce a run for the White House because she’ll need a national stage and media attention. 

“And she would love to get on the debate stage and jab at Donald Trump,” added Kurtz. 

Brian Stelter: America Needs CNN to Be Strong

BNM Staff
-
0

Longtime “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter signed off for the final time Sunday after it was announced last week that his show was being canceled. 

According to The Wrap, Stelter called on viewers to hold the media accountable.

“And not just CNN. You got to hold your local paper accountable; you got to hold your local digital outlet accountable,” he said. “It’s on all of us. We are all members of the media, all helping to make it better.”

A CNN spokesperson told Mediate that the network wished him well and thanked him for his nearly decade-long contribution. 

“We appreciate his contributions to the network and wish him well as he embarks on new endeavors,” the statement said. 

“I believe America needs CNN to be strong,” said Stelter. “And they will continue to be, because all of us are going to help make that happen. The free world needs a reliable source.”

“The thing about TV is that it’s ephemeral. It’s fleeting. It evaporates up into the air, and a lot of it is not even meant to be remembered,” he added. “But this program transcended that.” 

ESPN Little League World Series Coverage Should Be Reminder

Garrett Searight
-
0
ESPN Little League World Series Coverage Should Be Reminder

I’ve long been a fan of the Little League World Series coverage on ESPN. I’ve made it a point to be tuned into the happenings of Williamsport for the last 20 years or so. Attending the event someday is on my somewhat short sports bucket list.

The passion of the fans. The excitement of the communities represented. It’s truly the best of sports on display.

And that’s why I hope producers, directors, and executives at ESPN take note of how unpolarizing the coverage of the Little League World Series truly is. Look up the mentions on Twitter, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find negative thoughts. Its Twitter, so there are negative thoughts, but you don’t see nearly the level of vitriol for the announcers or the production that you get with other ESPN events.

The main reason, at least in my estimation, is during the Little League World Series on ESPN, the focus is on the game. Production folks are focused on telling the stories of the teams involved, the announcers are focused on showcasing the excitement and fun had by the players, and the sideline reporters are focused on making sure they get interviews with family members and coaches to add to the broadcast.

In short, it’s virtually the antithesis of ESPN’s coverage of many events, especially college football. Tune into any non-primetime game, and you’ll find several hours of discussion on what the following week’s College Football Playoff rankings should be, what the preceding week’s College Football Playoff rankings were, and which players in the SEC should be at the top of the Heisman Trophy race, sprinkled in with the slightest attention paid to whatever game is happening on the screen at the given moment.

Turn on a random NBA game, and you’ll hear plenty of discussion focused on Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and which player has “taken the league by storm” that month, mixed in with some focus on the game at hand.

I get it. “Play the hits!”, is something everyone working in radio or television has heard time and time again. But, more often than not, viewers aren’t tuning in to Buffalo versus Northern Illinois on a Wednesday night in November to listen to talk about whether Alabama or Georgia should be ranked at the top of the latest CFP rankings. They’re tuning in to watch some football. If they wanted to be entertained by talk about the Heisman Trophy race, they’d seek out talk about the Heisman Trophy race.

I, by no means, am saying the space inside a broadcast is wholly sacred to the action on the field during the time on the clock. The focus — the real, true, honest focus — of the broadcast should be centered on the game at hand. This is what you get when ESPN covers the Little League World Series and, to me, is some of the network’s best work.

Karl Ravech, the always outstanding Kyle Peterson, and the often maligned but improving Jessica Mendoza have all been shining stars over the past week, and I think ESPN’s dedication to focused storytelling on the game is the chief reason why. No wacky, zany alternate broadcasts. No references to “our friends in the desert”. There aren’t manufactured storylines about what this specific game means for the tournament as a whole.

There are just two hours of spectacular television, showcasing the best youth baseball players from around the country making lifelong memories. A simple formula that I hope producers and directors at ESPN can consider making more frequent use of.

KDKA Shuffles Lineup After Kevin Battle Exit

BNM Staff
-
1

It didn’t take long for KDKA Radio to announce its plans to fill Kevin Battle’s role. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the station will pair Marty Griffin with Larry Richert for a rebranded morning show called “the Big K Morning Show,” which will air from 5:30-10:00 a.m. 

“I have very strong opinions. I’m very opinionated,” Griffin told the paper. “But I’m not political. There are so many people who don’t know if I’m Democrat, Republican, Libertarian. We’ll make news, and we’ll make a difference. I promise you.”

Last week, Battle announced that the Audacy-owned company unexpectedly terminated his contract. 

“I will be forever grateful to those of you who chose to tune in to the show each morning,” Battle said in a statement. 

Additionally, Paul Zeise, sports radio host for sister station The Fan (93.7 FM), will take the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. slot for a news and opinion show.

“Paul is a great storyteller, and his ability to deliver compelling content with strong opinions and views brings a new, refreshing perspective to KDKA during the day every day,” the station’s website said. 

Changes take effect on Monday, Aug 29. 

FOX Sports Announces Urban Meyer Will Return to BIG NOON KICKOFF Set

BSM Staff
-
0

FOX Sports announced that their college football pregame show, BIG NOON KICKOFF, will return this season with its original cast. That means on the set will be Rob Stone, Brady Quinn, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and the return of Urban Meyer.

Meyer returns after spending much of 2021 as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was reported in May that Meyer was near a deal to return to the network.

FOX Sports also announced that this season will be the first time that the show will travel each week of the season and air on location from campuses across the nation.

BIG NOON KICKOFF also features on-site reports from Tom Rinaldi and college football insider Bruce Feldman. The show will see expect contributions from Clay Travis, Emmanuel Acho, Chris Petersen and Mike Hill.

1...2,4862,4872,488...2,771Page 2,487 of 2,771