RadioInsight

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Ron Slay Joins WGFX's 3HL Afternoon Show

Posted: 28 Apr 2021 01:37 PM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...fternoon-show/



Cumulus Media Sports 104.5 The Zone WGFX Gallatin/Nashville has announced
the addition of Ron Slay to their 3HL afternoon show.

Slay, who played basketball at the University of Tennessee from 1999 to
2003 and then had a long career playing internationally, will join Brent
Dougherty and Dawn Davenport on the afternoon show starting today.

The 3HL short for Three Hour Lunch debuted on WGFX in 2010 with Brent
Dougherty, Blaine Bishop, and Clay Travis and originally aired in middays
before moving to afternoons in 2012. Mickey Ryan replaced Travis in 2014
and Davenport joined in August 2017 when Bishop moved to the morning show.
Slay gives the show three hosts for the first time since Ryan exited last
summer.

104.5 The Zone/WGFX-FM,CUMULUS MEDIA’s premier Sports Talk radio station
serving Nashville and Middle Tennessee, announces that it has added former
Tennessee Volunteer Ron Slay to the3HL on-air team as Co-Host. 3HLis heard
on 104.5 The Zone on weekday afternoons from 3:00pm-6:00pm. Slay joins
co-hosts Brent Dougherty and Dawn Davenport on 3HL and debuts today on
104.5 The Zone.

Slay started his sports career playing high school basketball at
Nashville’s Pearl-Cohn High School followed by prep school Oak Hill
Academy. He went on to play basketball at the University of Tennessee and
as a senior, was named the Associated Press SEC player of the year and a
third team All American. Slay was also named to the All-NBA D-League Second
Team. After college he played professionally in Europe and around the globe
for more than a decade. He is considered one of the most entertaining
basketball players that the Vols have ever had, and that more than
translates on the radio.

Paul Mason, Program Director, 104.5 The Zone/WGFX-FM, said: “Our listeners
have made it clear that they want us to hire Ron Slay. I am happy to say we
listened, and we are thrilled Ron Slay will be joining Brent Dougherty and
Dawn Davenport on3HL. 3HLis already a great show, and I look forward to
seeing it go to even higher levels.�

Brent Dougherty, Co-Host,3HL, noted: “Ron Slay was known as a player for
his infectious personality along with the passion and energy he brought to
the hardwood. I’m so excited about Slay bringing all of that and more
to3HL.�

Dawn Davenport, Co-Host,3HL, remarked: “Ron Slay is a superstar, and his
positivity and energy are contagious. I’m so excited to have him as a
teammate, and now our3HLlisteners get to experience that every day. �

Ron Slay commented: “I am both delighted and eager to join the 104.5 The
Zone and 3HLfamilies. I hope to bring joy, energy, and insight to Nashville
sports enthusiasts each day. LOCK THE DOOR…LET’S GO!�

Earlier this month, 104.5 The Zone announced the launch of 104.5 The Zone
TV, a new way to engage with 104.5 The Zone’s live and local sports content
and new original live programming created exclusively for Nashville sports
fans. 104.5 The Zone TV gives sports lovers the best seats in the house,
thanks to four cameras inside the Zone studios delivering all the shows
they love and brand-new programming, live on their favorite social media
platforms.



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NPR To Celebrate May 3 50th Anniversary With Programming Specials

Posted: 28 Apr 2021 12:53 PM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...ming-specials/



The first broadcast of NPRs All Things Considered took place on May 3,
1971. That day more than 20,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., to
protest against the Vietnam War. NPR journalists covered the days events,
producing a 24-minute sound portrait of what was happening which was
inducted in 2017 into the National Recording Registry of the Library of
Congress for its place in US audio heritage.

In 1971, NPR debuted with around 88 Member stations, 55 employees, and
fewer than 2 million listeners. Now, more than 60 million people access NPR
content for free on multiple platforms each week. Through its Member
stations, NPR provides an essential service to local communities, and
serves as a lifeline for rural America and those seeking vital information
during emergencies.

For the past 50 years NPR has been an essential, trusted source for
international, national and local news, and cultural programming featuring
music, history, education and the arts, said NPR President and CEO John
Lansing. All Things Considereds first broadcast was a vivid report on
demonstrations against the Vietnam war. Times may have changed but NPRs
mission and commitment to informing the American public has not. We just
went through a summer of racial unrest, a global pandemic, and a very
contentious election year. NPR is covering all of this and no longer just
on the radio, we are meeting our listeners where they are and addressing
their interests and needs.

During a year in which most Americans have felt isolated, public radio has
served to connect us with whats happening in the world and with one
another. Not just as a source of news and inspiring insights on life and
the arts but as an essential, enriching, and enlightening companion in
listeners daily lives, added LaFontaine, Oliver, Chair, NPR Board of
Directors.

To celebrate this milestone with our listeners, NPR has prepared a full
slate of programming and a special section of our website, debuted a 50th
anniversary logo as well as new fun merchandise at https://shop.npr.org/,
including an NPR 50th edition coffee and an NPR 50 prosecco from the NPR
Wine Club.

NPR 50 PROGRAMMING

Fifty and Forward: A one-hour broadcast special that stations can air
between April 30 December 31 (check your local station schedules)

NPR grew up alongside a post-Watergate journalism ethos that shaped the
media industry for decades. Hosted by Audie Cornish and featuring other NPR
journalists, well unpack that ethos: how it developed in the newsroom and
changed over time, through today. Analytical, critical and forward
thinking, this program tells the story of NPRs history in the context of
the growth of modern media.

We Hold These Truths: At a moment when American society feels particularly
divided, and the political system particularly fragile, we propose an
examination of American democracy and how people participate in it. Through
a special series of host pieces, character profiles and conversations, we
will explore how one learns about democracy, how one gains a stake in a
democratic system, and how democracy falls short.

Michel Martin will host a special interview with NPRs Founding Mothers on
All Things Considered May 8.

Many NPR podcasts and shows will mark the NPR50 in an authentic, unique way
throughout the year. Starting this week you can expect:

On Fresh Air (April 28), Terry speaks with Susan Stamberg, and NPRs first
Director of Programming Bill Siemering, about the early days of NPR and the
first broadcast of All Things Considered (May 3, 1971), on the same day
that over 20,000 protestors shut down the city to protest the war in
Vietnam. Well hear excerpts of the amazing coverage ATC provided of the
protest, and also tape of Susan Stamberg hosting ATC when she filled in as
a guest host in 1972. Bill discusses the vision he had for NPR and ATC, his
mission statement which declared that NPR should reflect the diversity of
America and let the country hear itself. Susan remembers the early
ground-breaking days when NPR was starting out, and talks about becoming
the first woman anchor of a national daily news program at a time when
stations called for an authoritative male voice to be the host.


1A (May 3) will spend an hour examining the past 50 years of NPR, featuring
thought-provoking interviews with some of the industrys founding leaders.
It will then spend a second hour looking at the future of NPR, speaking to
fresh voices both in and outside of the industry. Theyll also make space
for 1As most dedicated listeners – and ask what they want to hear from
public radio in the years ahead. Both hours will honor the organization
while acknowledging NPRs historical weak spots, and exploring how theyre
being addressed now – and how they may change in the decades ahead.


To commemorate NPR50, World Cafe (May 3) takes a trip into the musical time
machine back to the year 1971. Considered by music fans and critics to be
one of the greatest years in music, 1971 saw the release of significant
albums by Marvin Gaye, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Sly & The
Family Stone, and others. Cafe host Raina Douris turns back the hands of
time for this two hour musical journey to 1971. A companion playlist of the
Best Songs from 1971, curated by stations, will be available on NPR Music.


Follow along and share your NPR anniversary wishes and stories using the
hashtag #NPR50



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Speeding Up Records

Posted: 28 Apr 2021 11:00 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/ross/207390...ng-up-records/



Has “Every Breath You Take� gotten slower over the years?

In Top 40’s comeback summer of 1983, it registered as a punchy, uptempo
smash at a time when there was increasing presentational excitement at the
stations that played it. It wasn’t frenetic like Duran Duran’s “Is There
Something I Should Know.� It didn’t gallop along like Michael Jackson,
“Wanna Be Startin’ Something,� or Michael Sembello, “Maniac.� But I
remember it as a hot record on hot stations.

In 1983, more than a few people noticed the resemblance between the bridge
of “Every Breath You Take� and its counterpart, Leo Sayer’s hit remake of
“More Than I Can Say� a few years earlier. The Sayer hit was the stolid
sound of the 1980-81 CHR doldrums. One sapped the excitement of the format,
one was the sound of excitement returning to CHR radio. Â*

In recent years, “Every Breath� feels more sluggish, and it’s a comment
I’ve heard echoed from others. On a 1-5 tempo scale, I still think of it as
a “4,� but others call it a “3.� It feels less vibrant to me now. Is it
because I’ve heard it so many times over the years? Is it because I now
think of it as refracted through its revved-up interpolation, Puff Daddy’s
“I’ll Be Missing Youâ€�?Â*

I started thinking about this because reader Richard Phelps, as part of a
dialogue about overplayed songs, noted that Australian Hot AC station Hot
Tomato had played it boosting the tempo 2.5%. “Subtle, but it worked on me�
in restoring energy to a song that he was otherwise tired of, Phelps said.Â*

That got me wondering if I was hearing “Every Breath You Take� faster in
1983. In the years just before CHR’s rebound, speeding up records — whether
the intent was to sound hotter than the competition or shove in a few more
songs over the course of a few hours — was considered an anachronism of the
“boss radio� ‘60s and screaming Q-format ‘70s. Some stations literally sped
up songs. Some could speed tempo without interfering with pitch; that’s a
pretty standard feature of audio software now, but the Eventide Harmonizer
was a fancy piece of equipment to own at the time.Â*

In the pre-CHR-comeback early ‘80s, a few stations, such as XETRA (The
Mighty 690) San Diego, sped up songs, but it was an old-school tactic and a
decidedly contrarian choice. Within a few years, as the presentational
excitement returned to CHR, there were some stations that added jingles,
allowed the jocks more vocal enthusiasm (although not a screaming ‘70s
level), but still didn’t speed up their music.

The station credited with starting the format comeback, Mike Joseph’s “Hot
Hits� WCAU-FM Philadelphia, did, by multiple accounts, speed up songs.
WCAU-FM restored honor to a lot of CHR traditions, including jingles and
high-energy jocks.Â*

But two of the format’s most-watched stations did not speed their records.
“Hot Rockin’ Flamethrowing Z100 [WHTZ] New York� elaborately EQ’ed its
songs, but only rival WPLJ, the station it derided as “wimp radio,� sped
them up 2-3%, depending on who you ask. “Things that I carted at Z100 were
not sped up, because I have perfect pitch, and it would drive me nuts,�
recalls the station’s Anita Bonita.Â*

KIIS Los Angeles, which evolved from Hot AC, did not boost songs even when
new rival KKHR (Hitradio 93) sped them 3%. “I hated the practice,� recalled
then-APD Mike Schaefer. “It makes my ears bleed.� But the short lived “Car
Radioâ€� incarnation of KHJ Los Angeles was “the worst example I ever heard.â€�Â*

When KIIS’s success led to the launch of KSDO-FM (KS103) San Diego, that
station did speed up songs, according to Mike Preston. But the 2.5% that
might have been a big boost elsewhere sounded subtle compared to the Mighty
690. Other major stations that readers remember for running songs fast
include WKSE (Kiss 98.5) Buffalo; WXKS (Kiss 108) Boston, but mostly on
ballads; KSFM (FM102) Sacramento, Calif.; and WNCI Columbus, Ohio

Various Syracuse, N.Y., stations sped up records between the ‘70s and ‘90s
in an intensively competitive market. Peter King remembers getting to
Full-Service AC WHEN and having to recart songs that had been goosed. Randy
Kabrich’s WROQ (95Q) Charlotte, N.C., is remembered fondly for its
processing overall, but John McFadden recalls how a 2% boost helped win a
three-way CHR battle within a year.

Only the most blatant stations were easy for listeners to spot. But
sometimes rivals helped. John Gorman remembers on-air shaming a competitor,
likely CHR WGCL (G98), out of speeding up songs with a promo of a sped-up
Phil Collins. In the ‘90s, Jason Steiner remembers KWNR Las Vegas morning
man John Potter devoting a whole show to rival KFMS speeding up records, a
practice it shortly discontinued.

Radio veteran Jeanne Ashley remembers her daughter, who also had perfect
pitch, hearing a local station that pitched up songs. “She’d ask me, ‘Why
does the music sound so stupid on this station? It’s a smidge high and all
wrong. Turn if off.’�

Speeding up songs now is as easy as adjusting a setting in radio station
automation. ROR readers hear a scattering of stations in all formats that
speed up music today. It’s often as likely to be their local Country or Hot
AC station as Top 40.

When it comes to Classic Hits, I’m for it if it adds some excitement to
“Every Breath You Take� or “Don’t Stop Believin’� as they play 2-3x a day
on our biggest Classic Hits stations. Over the years, any number of songs
aren’t played the way they were in 1983, whether it’s excising the intro
from Pat Benatar’s “We Belong� or institutionalizing the album versions of
songs that CHR never played as currents. I’d rather hear the hits as I
remember them, even if it’s not what an act wanted on its greatest-hits
compilation.

As for CHR, there’s still a variance of opinions. Is it the right thing for
today’s trap-pop, often slow and repetitive in a way that could certainly
sound even more jarring sped up? What about current bedroom pop? Are those
the songs that most need boosting? Or the songs that least accommodate it?
How much more fun can you get out of Justin Bieber, “Lonely�?

“I still pitch,� says Shaun Andrews of WSKS Utica, N.Y. “It makes the songs
vibrant, even more so now that the music isn’t so much naturally.�

“I stopped about five years ago,� says WJFX (Hot 107.9) Fort Wayne, Ind.,
PD Rob Mack. “Now sources for music are limitless. When most of my
listeners also use Spotify, Apple, or some other platform in addition to
the station, I want the songs to sound the way they know them to sound,
with a little sweetening in the processing.�

One complicating factor is the number of stations and groups that now share
music. Consultant Mike Donovan recalls a station combo where an AC
inadvertently sped up songs because it was sourcing them from the CHR
library.

My programming education was such that I became aware of sped-up records in
the early ‘80s when CHR product was at a low point. It was certainly
noticeable when you heard the stately “Out Here on My Own� by Irene Cara or
“With You I’m Born Again� by Billy Preston & Syreeta juiced to the point
where they were almost midtempo. But it didn’t necessarily solve anything.

As we talk about what radio needs this summer — tempo, music enterprise,
more hits overall, a return to music enterprise — there’s not much that
merely speeding up songs will help. It would be a happy occurrence to see a
market supporting two CHR or even two Country stations in the near future
where speeding records is a secret weapon, but first we have to get there.Â*



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K-Mozart Sets Lineup

Posted: 28 Apr 2021 07:45 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...t-sets-lineup/



After flipping from Oldies to Classical last December, Mount Wilson FM
Broadcasters K-Mozart KMZT Beverly Hills/Los Angeles will debut an on-air
lineup on May 1.

Daily programming will include former WICR-FM Indianapolis Director of
Operations Russ Maloney hosting “K-Mozart Morning Classics� at 7am and
“Evening Concert� hosted by Nick Tyler in evenings at 7pm. Suzanna Guzman
will host At The Opera Sundays at 12pm followed by David Benoits Ovations.
Chuck Southcott will host a showtunes program Curtain Call on Saturday
mornings.

Veteran Los Angeles Radio Broadcaster Saul Levine announced today the
Re-Launching of KMOZART on May 1st. The station originally went on the air
62 years ago in 1959. Levine stated the goal of KMOZART is to bring the
Worlds Greatest Concert Music to Southern California.

On May 1st from 6 am to 12 noon, there will be a loop of Beethoven’s
Symphony Number Nine. The 4th movement of the Beethoven 9th, Schiller’s
Ode To Joy, is considered one of the most notable works of art in the
world, dedicated to “The Brotherhood of Man.�

The staffing of KMOZART will consist of veteran Nick Tyler, Russ Maloney,
David Benoit, Chuck Southcott, and Suzanna Guzman. The iconic program,
“Evening Concert�, previously

on Los Angeles radio for 75 years, will return Monday through Friday nights
at 7PM with Nick Tyler as host. LA Opera Diva Suzanna Guzman will be the
host of “At the

Opera� Sundays at 12 Noon. David Benoit, well known composer and piano
artist, will host “Ovations� on Sunday afternoons. Local celebrity Chuck
Southcott will be the host of “Curtain Call� highlighting familiar Broadway
Show Stoppers on Saturday mornings. And Russ Maloney, formerly with Public
Radio in the Midwest, will host “KMOZART Morning Classics� starting at 7AM
Monday through Fridays.



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Portland AM To Cease Operations

Posted: 28 Apr 2021 07:24 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...se-operations/



Crawford Broadcasting will cease operations in Portland OR and the end of
the week.

The company, which owns Christian Preaching 1330 The Truth KKPZ/97.5 K248DD
Portland, has announced it will take the station off the air on April 30
and placing the station up for sale.

Crawford purchased the former KUPL in 1995, but owns no other stations in
the Portland market.