2019-09-27

L.A.’s KRTH Wins Coveted Legendary Station Marconi Award.

Story by Inside Radio

Entercom classic hits “K-Earth” KRTH Los Angeles won the coveted Legendary Station of The Year award and Hubbard Radio Twin Cities and Hubbard North, St. Paul, MN’s Dan Seeman took home the new Legendary Station Manager of the Year trophy at the National Association of Broadcasters’ 2019 Marconi Radio Awards Thursday Night in Dallas. Premiere Network’s Ryan Seacrest received the Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year nod and Felger & Massarotti of Beasley’s “98.5 The Sports Hub” WBZ-FM Boston captured the Major Market Personality of the Year prize.

Marconi finalists were selected by a task force of broadcasters, and the winners were voted on by the NAB Marconi Radio Awards Selection Academy. The votes were tabulated by an independent firm.

The 2019 Awards show at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas was co-hosted by a trio of syndicated radio personalities –Premiere Networks-syndicated talent Delilah, Reach Media’s Rickey Smiley and Tom Griswold and Kristi Lee from the Westwood One-syndicated “Bob & Tom Show.”

Established in 1989 and named after inventor and Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi, the NAB Marconi Radio Awards are given to radio stations and outstanding on-air personalities to recognize excellence in radio. Two new award categories have been added this year, “Legendary Manager of the Year” and “Best Radio Station Podcast.” Additionally, “Best College Radio Station of the Year” has been renamed from the previous “Noncommercial Station of the Year.”

Following is a complete listing of 2019 Marconi awards winners:

Legendary Station of the Year
KRTH-FM, Los Angeles, CA

AC Station of the Year

KRWM-FM, Bellevue, WA

Legendary Station Manager of the Year
Dan Seeman, Hubbard Twin Cities and Hubbard North, St. Paul, MN

Best Radio Podcast of the Year
"Denied Justice Podcast", WCCO-AM, Minneapolis, MN

Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year
Ryan Seacrest, Premiere Networks

CHR Station of the Year
KRBE-FM, Houston, TX

Major Market Personality of the Year
Felger & Massarotti, WBZ-FM, Boston, MA

Classic Hits Station of the Year
WMGK-FM, Philadelphia, PA

Large Market Personality of the Year
Crisco, Dez and Ryan, KSTP-FM, St. Paul, MN

College Station of the Year
WRHU-FM, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Medium Market Personality of the Year
Mike Street, WBTJ-FM, Richmond, VA

Country Station of the Year
KYGO-FM, Denver, CO

Small Market Personality of the Year
Scotty and Catryna, KCLR-FM, Columbia, MO

News/Talk Station of the Year
KIRO-FM, Seattle, WA

Major Market Station of the Year
WTOP-FM, Washington, D.C.

Religious Station of the Year
KKFS-FM, Sacramento, CA

Large Market Station of the Year
KSTP-FM, St. Paul, MN

Rock Station of the Year
WRIF-FM, Detroit, MI

Medium Market Station of the Year
KIPR-FM, Little Rock, AR

Spanish Station of the Year
KLOL-FM, Houston, TX

Small Market Station of the Year
KWYO-AM, Sheridan, WY

Sports Station of the Year
WBZ-FM, Boston, MA

Urban Station of the Year
WHQT-FM, Hollywood, FL

2019-09-26

U.S. HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP JAMES E. CLYBURN’S STATEMENT ON THE RELEASE OF THE WHISTLEBLOWER’S REPORT



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 26, 2019
CONTACT: Hope Derrick, Hope.Derrick@mail.house.gov, 202-226-3210
Ryan Daniels, Ryan.Daniels@mail.house.gov

U.S. HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP JAMES E. CLYBURN’S STATEMENT ON THE RELEASE OF THE
WHISTLEBLOWER’S REPORT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn today issued the following statement regarding the release of the whistleblower’s report:

“The whistleblower complaint regarding President Trump’s actions with respect to U.S. policy toward Ukraine, along with the memorandum of his call with the Ukrainian President provided by the White House, show that instead of seeking solely to advance America’s national interest, President Trump has sought to advance his own political interest. Rather than putting America’s national security first, President Trump has put himself first.

“The House must complete its impeachment inquiry with all deliberate speed to resolve this abuse of presidential powers that has tremendous bearing on the future of our republic.”

###

** This is an unattended mailbox. Please send all media requests to
the email addresses above. **

2019-09-24

RADIO ONE EXPANDS DC’S SPORTS COVERAGE TO THE F.M. BAND - ADDING 95.9 FM TO THE TEAM 980

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA Contact
Chris Johnson
cjjohnson@radio-one.com
240-401-5664

RADIO ONE EXPANDS DC’S SPORTS COVERAGE,
ADDING 95.9 FM TO THE TEAM 980


(Washington D.C) – September 23, 2019) Jeff Wilson, Senior Regional Vice President of Radio One, announced today the addition of 95.9 FM to The Team 980 WTEM-AM. The move bolsters the reach of Washington, DC’s premiere sports station and demonstrates Radio One’s commitment to its sports programming format.

“This is big news for DMV sports fans,” stated Wilson. “We’re thrilled to bring the best sports programming to DC’s FM dial.”
Listeners can now hear The Team 980’s powerful lineup – featuring Kevin Sheehan, Steve Czaban, Super Bowl champions Doc Walker and Brian Mitchell, Al Galdi and Scott Linn – on 95.9 FM.

6am-7am The Morning Blitz with Al Galdi
7am-10am The Kevin Sheehan Show
10am-1pm Doc Walker and Al Galdi
1pm-4pm Brian Mitchell and Scott Linn
4pm-7pm The Steve Czaban Show

The Team 980 is DC’s home for play-by-play of Washington Redskins football and 12-hours of Burgundy and Gold gameday coverage. In addition, The Team 980 is DC’s home for University of Maryland Football and Basketball and Georgetown University Basketball play-by-play.
Launching in 1992, WTEM is DC’s original sports radio station.

###

About Urban One, Inc.

Urban One, Inc. (urban1.com), together with its subsidiaries, is the largest diversified media company that primarily targets Black Americans and urban consumers in the United States. The Company owns Radio One, Inc., TV One, LLC (tvone.tv), a television network serving more than 59 million households, offering a broad range of original programming, classic series and movies designed to entertain, inform and inspire a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. CLEO TV (mycleo.tv), a lifestyle and entertainment network targeting Millennial and Gen X women of color that launched in January 2019, is fully owned by TV One, LLC, a brand of Urban One, Inc. As one of the nation's largest radio broadcasting companies, Urban One currently owns and/or operates 59 broadcast stations (including HD stations we operate) branded under the tradename “Radio One” in 15 urban markets in the United States. Through its controlling interest in Reach Media, Inc. (blackamericaweb.com), the Company also operates syndicated programming including the Tom Joyner Morning Show, the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, the Russ Parr Morning Show and the DL Hughley Show. In addition to its radio and television broadcast assets, Urban One owns iOne Digital (ionedigital.com), our wholly owned digital platform serving the African-American community through social content, news, information, and entertainment websites, including its Cassius, Bossip,

2019-09-23

Meet the Black Woman Who Created VOIP -- The Technology Behind Skype, MagicJack and More!


Marian Croak keynote speech during the 2017 Google's Women Techmakers Summit

Story by BlackHistory.com

Most people have no idea that Marian Croak, an African American woman, has been credited with initiating and furthering the development of VOIP, also known as Voice Over Internet Protocol. Her groundbreaking technology allows people to efficiently communicate through audio and/or video while using the internet. In fact, it's the very technology used by popular companies like Skype, MagicJack, Vonage, and more.

More than 125 patents and manages over 2,000 engineers

Marian, who holds a PhD in quantitative analysis from the University of Southern California, has more than 125 patents in VOIP technology. She has worked at AT&T for more than 30 years in data services, and is currently a Senior Vice President at the company. She manages over 2,000 world class engineers and computer scientists responsible for over 500 programs impacting AT&T’s enterprise and consumer wireline and mobility services.

Marian says that when the internet first become popular, she predicted that IP and the internet "were going to explode." She thus felt a need to start developing technology that would "transform the internet". And she did exactly that; She developed the fundamentals for what is now called VOIP.

What her accomplishments have led to

Now there is a billion dollar industry based on the technology. There are hundreds of companies worldwide that offer VOIP services. They started out by offering business models and technical solutions that mirrored the architecture of the legacy telephone network, but now the industry has evolved.

The concept of federated VoIP was born which allows dynamic interconnection between users on any two domains on the Internet when a user wishes to place a call.

With that technology, calls and SMS text messages can be sent over mobile data or Wi-Fi using VOIP phones (software-based softphones or hardware devices), personal computers and tablets.

Marian's contribution to VOIP has literally taken the internet to a new level, but sadly most people have no idea who she is!

Capital gains tax reform may be coming. Here's what Republicans and Democrats want

Story by USA Today

Capital gains were largely unaffected by federal income-tax reform a couple of years ago, but recent rumblings suggest they could be put into play sooner or later.

Capital gains are the profits that people earn on stocks, bonds, housing and other types of investments. In essence, if you sell an asset for more than you paid, you have a gain, although the tax treatment is a bit more complicated than that.

Proposals from members of the two main political parties could make things more complex and politicized.

Some Republicans would like to see capital gains indexed to inflation, which would mean people pay taxes on a smaller portion of their gains. Some Democrats want to see wealthy investors pay higher tax rates on capital gains, and sooner.

Reaching a political consensus on an issue as contentious as capital gains seems unlikely. But these and other proposals could figure prominently as the presidential campaigns gear up in the months ahead.

Capital-gains taxes have a clear political undertone, as rich people own more investments that are subject to them.

"Like the estate tax, this is often viewed as a tax on the wealthy," said Mark Luscombe, a principal analyst at researcher Wolters Kluwer. "It tends to incite tax-warfare disputes between the two parties."

Capital gains apply on stocks, housing and other assets, and profits from these investments are taxed at lower rates than salary income. Capital-gain rates range from 0% for low-income individuals to 20% for higher earners with taxable income above $434,550 (singles) or $488,850 (married couples). But most people pay 15%.

Holding periods matter

The above description doesn't tell the whole story.

The current rates of 0%, 15% and 20% apply only to long-term gains, on investments owned for at least one year and a day. If you held a stock, bond or other asset for less than that, any profit would be taxed as ordinary income like wages, at higher rates.

All this can get tricky, especially if you have a lot of investments. Thankfully, brokerages and other investment companies typically will crunch the numbers for you.

If your losses exceed your gains, you have a capital loss. You can deduct up to $3,000 in losses in any year against ordinary income, with the ability to carry forward unused amounts. This is why investment advisers talk so much about tax-loss "harvesting" near year-end, especially with stocks. The idea is to sell your losers to lock in deductible losses and hang onto your winners to delay those taxes to future years.

Given that regular income is taxed at higher rates, capital gains are a bargain — and a big one. Americans reported $600 billion of gains subject to the lower long-term rates in 2016, the most recent year for which the Internal Revenue Service has released data. That's in addition to $200 billion in "qualified" dividends also taxed at capital-gain rates.

What Republicans want to do

Ideas being discussed by politicians could reshape capital-gain policies considerably. Many Republicans like the idea of linking capital-gain taxes to inflation so that investors could lower their tax.

Here's how that would work: Suppose you invested $5,000 in the stock market at the end of 2000 and that stake is now worth $8,000. Under current law, your would owe tax on the $3,000 difference, noted the Tax Foundation in a recent analysis. But because $5,000 back then really is the equivalent of about $7,200 today, owing to inflation, the adjusted gain would be closer to $800.

That would be your taxable gain under proposals such as H.R. 6444, advanced last year by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif.

Third Circuit Strike Down FCC’s Media Changes, Radio Incubator.

Story by Inside Radio

In a major blow to the Federal Communications Commission efforts to relax media ownership rules, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals today struck down a series of changes adopted by the FCC in Nov. 2017 that, among other things, abolished the newspaper-broadcast and TV-radio cross-ownership bans. It also struck down the decision to create a radio incubator program. The judges concluded the Commission “did not adequately consider the effect its sweeping rule changes will have on ownership of broadcast media by women and racial minorities.” The Third Circuit also agreed with Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) and National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) which appealed the format of the incubator reward system. The Third Circuit agreed, concluding the program was “badly designed” and its definition of “comparable markets” for the reward waivers was “unlawfully adopted and would create perverse incentives.”

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in a statement signaled the Commission will appeal the decision. “For more than 20 years, Congress has instructed the Federal Communications Commission to review its media ownership regulations and revise or repeal those rules that are no longer necessary. But for the last 15 years, a majority of the same Third Circuit panel has taken that authority for themselves, blocking any attempt to modernize these regulations to match the obvious realities of the modern media marketplace,” Pai said. “It’s become quite clear that there is no evidence or reasoning—newspapers going out of business, broadcast radio struggling, broadcast TV facing stiffer competition than ever—that will persuade them to change their minds. We intend to seek further review of today's decision and are optimistic that the views set forth today in Judge Scirica’s well-reasoned opinion ultimately will carry the day.”

2019-09-20

Antonio Brown's time as a Patriot is over.

Audio Ad Sales Grow 2.4% In First Half, Led By Digital And Podcast Revenue.

Story by Inside Radio

The audio slice of the U.S. advertising pie expanded in the first half of the year, according to ad giant Magna. Digital was a big reason, but perhaps more significant was broadcast revenue grew too in Q2, leading the agency’s analysts to conclude the more solid financial footing of reorganized iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media means broadcast radio revenue has “finally stabilized” after several years of declines.

Magna’s analysis of the radio market shows total broadcast ad revenue increased for the third consecutive quarter, climbing 0.7% during the April-June period. That’s mostly due to a 0.6% gain in national and network sales while local ad billings remained flat with a year ago.

The best news is that digital sales surged ahead 12% to $1.5 billion during the first six months of the year. And as a result, Magna estimates total industry revenue increased 2.4% compared to a year ago to $7.8 billion for the first half after showing no growth in either 2017 or 2018.

Radio’s performance is even better when compared to the other traditional media. Magna says local TV ad sales were off 3.6% in the first half when factoring out the impact of political and Olympic spending. Publishing was down 6.7%. Out of home media was the best-performer among traditional media, with its revenue up 7% in the first half.

Podcasting is one of the sources of radio’s growing digital revenue. “As a quarter of all Americans are now listening to podcasts weekly, more and more major consumer brands are taking notice and starting to include podcasts in their audio campaigns,” says the firm, which recently issued a report on the fast-growing podcast industry. Magna says because of those national brand ad dollars, it expects podcast ad revenue to climb 27% in 2020 to $850 million.

Numbers Rise In Fall Update

Based on an analysis of media owners’ financial reports, Magna estimates the U.S. ad market accelerated off of last year’s gains and grew 7.6% to $107 billion during the first half of 2019. It credits especially strong growth rates in the finance, retail and travel categories. The Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands that power podcast revenue also spent more.

“Digital media ad sales matured, as expected, but continued to grow close to 20% year-over-year, while editorial media performed better than expected thanks a recovery of radio, and out of home in full swing,” said Vincent Létang, EVP Global Market Intelligence and author of the report.



It’s enough of a tailwind heading into the second half, when even more spending occurs, for Magna to revise upward its outlook for the full year. It now forecasts total U.S. ad spending will increase 6.3% in 2019. That’s more than a point above the 5.1% growth rate it projected in June. “The U.S. ad market had a great first half thanks to a strong economic environment as well as media innovation and a dynamic technology vertical,” Létang said.

The Highs And Lows Of 2020

Based on the strong first half spending levels in 2019, Magna now predicts 2020 will also bring more ad dollars to media vendors. It estimates 2020 growth at 6.2% for the overall U.S. market. That’s up from the 5.8% growth rate it projected in June. Yet it also thinks the audio business has its work cut out for it if companies want to hold onto the current growth trends. Based on the current data, Magna is forecasting audio ad spending will decrease 1.5% in 2020.

How close that estimate is to reality may rest on how much radio pulls in from the $5.5 million that Magna forecasts will be spent on political advertising next year. If accurate, it would become another all-time high in political spending.

Those political ads should help soften the impact of an expected economic slowdown, says Magna. It notes that a recent survey of economists found most think 2020 won’t have the sort of economic growth rates of 2019. “But they are not forecasting a recession, despite the nervousness of some investors looking at the threat of trade wars and international tensions,” says the Magna report. Nevertheless it says that slowdown might take a toll on how much advertising is done in several key sectors, like automotive, retail and finance. “Fortunately, 2020 is the strongest year in the four-year cycle of events that typically drive extra ad spend and incremental ad revenues,” it adds.

In terms of where political ad dollars will go, Magna expects local TV stations to remain the top recipient although campaign strategists are ramping up their use of social media, digital video and search.
____________________________________
Read more: http://www.insideradio.com/free/report-finds-local-radio-tv-industry-creates-trillion-in-economic/article_2772be60-db71-11e9-aa84-a76e4c3fb2c1.html

2019-09-19

Oversight Committee Holds “Historic” Hearing on D.C. Statehood



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 19, 2019
CONTACT: Aryele Bradford (202) 226-5181

Oversight Committee Holds
“Historic” Hearing on D.C. Statehood

Washington, D.C. (Sept. 19, 2019)—Today the Committee on Oversight and Reform held a historic hearing on H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act—the first on DC statehood in over 25 years. H.R. 51 has 220 cosponsors, and both Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer have strongly endorsed the bill.

“The testimony presented today from District officials and expert witnesses leaves no doubt that the Washington, D.C. Admission Act is constitutional and that the state would meet all of its financial, economic and other obligations. Thank you, in particular, to Chairman Cummings for his continued leadership to make whole the 700,000 Americans living in the District of Columbia. The next step is again historic – H.R. 51 will be marked up to move to the House floor,” said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.

“D.C. residents are American citizens. They fight honorably to protect our nation overseas. They pay taxes. Not many people know this, but D.C. pays more in total federal taxes than 22 states. And it pays more per capita than any state in the nation. D.C. residents have all the responsibilities of citizenship, but they have no congressional voting rights and only limited self-government,” said Committee Chairman Elijah E. Cummings in prepared remarks.

“I strongly support statehood for the people of the District of Columbia. I have said around the county that one of the greatest blots on our democracy is having 700,000 of our citizens unable to be fully represented in the Congress of the United States. And I have come to the conclusion that the only way to remove that blot is to be for statehood,” said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

The Committee heard testimony from the members of the D.C. government and a retired member of the Armed Services who is a D.C. resident.

• “And, yes, it is true that we are brown and liberal, but denying statehood would be unfair no matter who was affected—it would be unfair if we were conservatives from a rural district built around agriculture or an industrial city in the heartland. This is America, and Americans are entitled to equal protection under the law, and that’s why you should support statehood,” testified Muriel Bowser, the Mayor of the District of Columbia.

• “The District’s success, even in the face of these hurdles that no other jurisdiction must ensure, demonstrates that, in addition to our being entitled to full and fair representation, the District is capable of managing its affairs just like any state. To that end, we stand on our record of responsible governing,” testified Phil Mendelson, the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia.

• “The District of Columbia has made a remarkable journey to its strongest financial position in its history with a positive general fund balance exceeding $2.8 billion. This turnaround is testimony to the financial practices put into place that continue to be enhanced by the District’s elected leadership and key stakeholders,” testified Jeffrey S. DeWitt, the Chief Financial Officer of the Government of the District of Columbia.

• “Finally, there is but one conclusion - that D.C. military veterans have a fundamental right and earned benefit to have a voice in the election of those representatives who make our laws. Congress must now do the only right thing and stand up for our D.C. military veterans who have stood up for you,” testified Kerwin E. Miller a DC resident, attorney, and retired Naval Reserve Commander.

The Committee plans to markup the bill in the coming months with the goal of considering it on the House floor.

2019-09-18

Tony Kornheiser returns to radio on ESPN 630’s ‘The Sports Capitol’


Tony Kornheiser is returning to the airwaves in Washington, D.C. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

Story by the Washington Post
Written by Cindy Boren

Three years after leaving local radio to start a podcast, Tony Kornheiser is returning to terrestrial radio.

Kornheiser, the co-host of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” and a former Washington Post columnist, has joined Washington’s new all-sports radio station, ESPN 630 “The Sports Capitol,” with an hour-long show airing at noon weekdays starting Tuesday. Portions of the podcast will be included in the show along with unique content, a spokeswoman wrote in an email.

Kornheiser will also join other ESPN 630 shows occasionally as part of his new relationship with the station, according to the spokeswoman.

According to Cumulus Media, “This marks the first time that ‘The Tony Kornheiser Show,’ a daily podcast and exclusive partnership between leading premium podcast company Cadence13 and Tony Kornheiser, will air on terrestrial radio.”

Cumulus Media and ESPN launched “The Sports Capitol” July 1 on WMAL’s 630 AM station, changing it from news talk to an all-sports ESPN radio affiliate. The syndicated weekday lineup includes “Golic and Wingo” hosted by Mike Golic and Trey Wingo from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., “The Carol Maloney Show” from 10 a.m. to noon and “The Stephen A. Smith Show” from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The station carries Redskins games and national NBA and MLB broadcasts.

Kornheiser, 71, did his last radio show on ESPN 980 in the summer of 2016 after becoming a radio fixture in Washington for 24 years. He began hosting for “Sports Radio 570 — The Team” in 1992 when the radio station debuted; the station moved to 980 AM in 1998.

“I’m tremendously excited to be heard once again each day in the town where I live and on a radio frequency I’ve listened to for 40 years,” Kornheiser said in a statement.

Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, another former Post columnist, have been hosting “PTI,” one of ESPN’s anchor shows, since 2001.

2019-09-17

NPR ‘Founding Mother’ Cokie Roberts Dead At 75.



Story by Inside Radio

Veteran journalist Cokie Roberts has died at the age of 75, due to complications from breast cancer. Roberts’ broadcasting trail was blazed through NPR, when she joined the fledgling network in 1978 and had a profound impact. She later went on to ABC News, where she won numerous Emmys throughout her long career.

“Cokie was one of NPR's ‘founding mothers,’ since 1978 her signature voice and commentary have accompanied public radio listeners, provided context for news and been a familiar presence in their homes,” NPR President and CEO Jarl Mohn said in a statement. “Cokie has won almost every award in journalism; she has been the trusted voice that Americans count on when political news breaks.”

Pat Harrison, president and chief executive officer of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), called Roberts “a formative voice in the early years of NPR, when few women held high-profile positions in national journalism. For a decade, as NPR’s Congressional correspondent, she offered fair, insightful coverage of the inner workings of Congress.”

In a statement, NAB President & CEO Gordon Smith said Roberts’ numerous awards are “testament to a glass-shattering career that inspired scores of professional women journalists.” Smith who got to know the esteemed broadcaster during his years in the Senate, added, “Cokie brought class, intelligence and fairness to political journalism, whether as co-host of ABC’s ‘This Week’ or offering commentaries on public radio. Her contributions to politics and broadcasting will never be forgotten.”

In his own statement, ABC News President James Goldston said, “Cokie’s kindness, generosity, sharp intellect and thoughtful take on the big issues of the day made ABC a better place and all of us better journalists.”

After moving to ABC News, Roberts remained part of public media by contributing to NPR as a political commentator for decades.

CPB awarded her the 1990 Edward R. Murrow Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to public radio. Roberts was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting. She received the NAB Distinguished Service Award, the broadcast industry's highest honor, at the NAB Show in 2003 and was named a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress in 2008.

National Women’s Hall Of Fame 2019 Honorees Include Angela Davis...


Author, Professor, Activist, Dr. Angela ("Free Angela Davis" movement in the early 1970's) honored at the Women's Hall of Fame (photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images}

Story by Bustle
Written by Brandi Neal
______________________________
READ MORE:
http://www.africanamericanreports.com/2019/09/angela-davis-inducted-into-national.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR0kwrPRUQehr3a1PPAERXMNU35knibgzsrdV2QYl-y95OjrTuSBrvzN7Ac#.XX6NMQsxkCc.facebookttps://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/angela-davis-40
https://www.biography.com/activist/angela-davis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Davis
______________________________

The greatest organization you might not have heard of, the National Women’s Hall of Fame, has been around for 51 years and includes more than 275 women who have changed the landscape of the arts, athletics, business, education, government, philanthropy, and science. And on Sept. 14, 2019, 11 more extraordinary women were inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the site where the first women's rights movement convention took place in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York.


The National Women’s Hall of Fame 2019 honorees include author, activist, and educator Angela Davis; Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor; actor and activist Jane Fonda; molecular biologist Flossie Wong-Staal, who helped prove HIV causes AIDS; fashion designer and philanthropist Diane von Furstenberg; and more. Induction chairwoman Sujatha Ramanujan told the Associated Press that while the hall doesn't identify a theme when it asks for nominations, themes often emerge to reflect what's happening in the world at large.

"It shows up in the nominations because we ask the general public, and in a time when women are feeling like their voices need to be heard, they’re nominating women whose voices were loud," Ramanujan said. One such woman is Gloria Allred, founding partner of the law firm Allred, Maroko & Goldberg, which has reportedly handled more women's rights cases than any other private law firm in the country.

_______________________________________________
Billie Jean King

@BillieJeanKing
Congratulations to the 2019 National Women's Hall of Fame Inductees, who will be honored today ⁦@WomenoftheHall⁩ in Seneca Falls, NY, the birthplace of the women’s rights movement in the U.S. #HistoryMatters #RememberHerName #WhenWomenLead https://www.womenofthehall.org/introducing-2019-nwhf-inductees/ …
_______________________________________________

"I feel this connection, and I always have felt it — even before I knew I was going to be inducted — to the women’s rights pioneers who came before me," the AP quoted Allred, who continues to fight for women and represents accusers in watershed sexual misconduct cases like those against the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and disgraced Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein, as saying. "We still have more battles to fight in this war against women."


Other National Women's Hall of Fame 2019 inductees include Sarah Deer, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, professor at the University of Kansas, and activist for indigenous women; Colonel Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Ret.), who has more than 21 years of experience as an officer, leader, and fighter pilot in the United States Air Force; and Laurie Spiegel, a composer whose work appears on NASA’s Golden Record, which was shipped out on the Voyager spacecraft.

Two other women were inducted posthumously. Louise Slaughter was one of the longest-serving women in the House of Representatives, the first chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, and co-chair and founding member of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, which works to promote reproductive health and protect a woman's right to choose.

The other was Rose O’Neill, a celebrated artist, suffragist, and businesswoman who had her cartoons published in Truth Magazine in 1896, earning her the title of "America’s First Woman Cartoonist."

"We are pleased to add these American women to the ranks of inductees whose leadership and achievements have changed the course of American history," Dr. Betty Bayer, Ph.D, the hall’s president, said in a press release.

According to information released by the National Women's Hall of Fame: "Honorees are nominated by the public, judged by an interdisciplinary team of experts across the nominees’ fields, and selected for their invaluable contributions to American Society in the areas of the arts, athletics, business, education, government, humanities, philanthropy, and science."
________________________________________________________________
READ MORE:
https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/angela-davis-40
https://www.biography.com/activist/angela-davis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Davis

New Owner Close At Hand For Chicago’s WGN Radio.

Story by Inside Radio

One of radio’s iconic radio stations is now one very big step closer to having its first new owner since signing-on nearly a century ago. Chicago’s WGN (720) is part of the massive $4.1 billion buyout of Tribune Media by Nexstar Media Group, a deal that the Federal Communications Commission on Monday announced it has approved by a party-line 3-2 vote. It removes the last big hurdle before a closing. The Dept. of Justice gave its blessing in July.

“We're very pleased with today's decision by the FCC, which enables us to clear the last remaining regulatory hurdle in our path," said Tribune CEO Peter Kern in a statement. "We look forward to closing our transaction with Nexstar very soon.”

Nexstar has not explicitly said it intends to keep WGN as its sole radio station. However, the combination with sister WGN-TV has long proven to be one of the strengths of the local Chicago operation that until 2014 also included the Chicago Tribune newspaper. When asked about radio earlier this year, Nexstar CEO Perry Sook told Crain’s Chicago Business he “doesn’t have an allergic reaction to radio,” but the executive who once worked in radio doesn’t see his company building out a radio portfolio either.

As it creates the largest U.S. TV station group, Nexstar will spin off 21 television stations in order to clear the FCC’s ownership limits, which cap a local television group at a 39% national audience cap. Tegna will buy stations in Hartford, Harrisburg, Memphis, Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Des Moines, Huntsville, Davenport and Ft. Smith, AR in a deal valued at $740 million. Scripps plans to acquire stations in New York City, Phoenix, Miami, Salt Lake City, Norfolk, Richmond and Grand Rapids for $580 million. And for $42.5 million, Nexstar will sell two Indianapolis stations to Circle City Broadcasting, a newly-formed minority-led broadcaster controlled and owned by DuJuan McCoy.

In Indianapolis and Norfolk the FCC is allowing Sinclair to own two of the markets’ top four affiliates, concluding it would be in the public interest. The Commission also said that the investment that Nexstar has shown in local news coverage, including building a Washington news bureau and state news bureaus around the country, has further justified the decision to allow Nexstar to own local TV stations in 18 of the top 25 markets and 37 of the top 50. It will also help advance the rollout of ATSC 3.0 since Nexstar has been a lead proponent of the next-gen television technology. “This should not be overlooked, given the potential consumer benefits,” said Commissioner Michael O’Rielly.

Starks Says Deal Violates Law

The Commission’s two Democrats, Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks, both voted against allowing Nexstar to buy Tribune. Rosenworcel said Nexstar will have “extraordinary reach” with 144 full-power TV stations in 115 markets nationwide, reaching more than three in five of the nation’s television households. She thinks that will undercut the agency’s goal of promoting localism, competition, and diversity. “We live in a world of infinite content. But there is still something special about local broadcasting,” she said. “There is something unique about a signal in the air with the responsibility to serve community at its core.”

Starks agreed and said he couldn’t support a deal that relied on the use of the UHF discount, a rule that the Commission reinstated in 2017. The UHF discount allows a broadcaster to count only half a station’s coverage area when calculating its ownership cap for stations above channel 14. Starks said that “loophole” goes against the law enacted by Congress that created the 39% national ownership cap. “I believe that this transaction, as structured, is against the law,” said Starks. “We are beholden to Congress, and I cannot support an action that I believe runs counter to our authority.”

But O’Rielly said he would have allowed Nexstar to hold onto even more of the stations that it’s spinning-off to secure DOJ approval. He says the FCC is at risk of sending broadcast outlets the way of newspapers if doesn’t confront marketplace realities. “Today’s media landscape has created significant challenges for broadcasters, who are forced to compete against Silicon Valley behemoths for advertising dollars,” he said. “Any opportunities to enable broadcasters to compete more effectively should therefore be encouraged and embraced.”

Nexstar said in statement that with the approval by the FCC and DOJ, the company “anticipates closing the Tribune transaction and the divestiture sales shortly.”

2019-09-09

‘Hurricane’ Dave Smith Countersues Shorty Mack.


Dave Smith

Story by Inside Radio

Former Radio One Atlanta VP of Programming and Operations “Hurricane” Dave Smith has countersued Shorty Mack (Feleg Abraham), who accused Smith of sexual harassment.

In the countersuit, filed Sept. 5 in the State Court of Fulton County, Smith refutes and denies Abraham’s claims. Smith’s suit accuses Abraham of defamation, false light and malicious prosecution, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Abraham, who worked as an air talent at urban contemporary “Hot 107.9” WHTA from December 2016 to February 2018, claimed multiple instances of sexual harassment in a suit filed in August. Urban One was also named in Abraham’s filing.

“There is no other way to say this except bluntly: the allegations against Dave Smith are 100% false,” his attorney James L. Walker Jr. in a press release. “Mr. Smith is an honorable husband, father, colleague and friend... falsely accusing someone of sexual harassment when it has not occurred is itself malicious and life-altering.”

In his countersuit, Smith says he “has sustained extreme humiliation, embarrassment, mental anguish and shame in front of his peers and the public at large” as a result of Abraham’s sexual harassment claims. He is suffering from insomnia and “lives in constant fear and anxiety,” and now suffers from “debilitating panic attacks that he treats with medicine and CBD products,” the suit read.

Abraham’s suit was filed the same day the veteran programmer left Radio One, which Smith told RadioFacts was the result of a misunderstanding. His attorney said that Smith was “not fired for sexual harassing any employee(s), as will become clear as this case progresses.”

In denying the claims, Smith also said he was instrumental in Abraham obtaining her current position at Davis Broadcasting urban contemporary “Foxie 105” WFXE Columbus, GA, where she currently hosts middays.

2019-09-06

BAD BOYS FOR LIFE Trailer


2019-09-03

Radio Show Luncheon Panel Features iHeart, Entercom, Cumulus CEOs.

Story by Inside Radio

The chief executives from iHeartMedia, Entercom and Cumulus Media will headline a Radio Show special session focused on the future of the industry. “2020 and Beyond: Insights From the Top” will take place during the Radio Show luncheon program Wednesday, Sept. 25.

The panel features Cumulus’ Mary Berner, Entercom’s David Field and iHeart’s Bob Pittman “in a candid conversation exploring strategies for success in today’s constantly shifting audio landscape,” according to the release from Radio Show producers the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). “These top CEOs will offer insight on tactical partnerships, best platform choices, talent recruitment, imaginative programming and creative sales approaches.”

NBC News’ Stephanie Ruhle will moderate the panel. She appears across all NBC News and MSNBC platforms and hosts major weekday programs “MSNBC Live With Stephanie Ruhle” and “MSNBC Live With Velshi & Ruhle.” Since joining MSNBC, she has interviewed titans in politics, business, entertainment and sports. The Radio Show luncheon program is sponsored by Key Networks.

“2020 and Beyond” offers a similar lineup to last year’s Radio Show group heads session, which also featured Pittman and Field interviewed by Ruhle.

As previously announced, NRG Media chairman and CEO Mary Quass will receive the National Radio Award during the program and Madison Ryann Ward will perform as part of the BMI Songwriters Spotlight Series.