Serving Your Radio Audience Means Getting Social...

(Weekend Edition)

As far back as the fifties, radio would involve it's audience by acknowleging their music requests, greeting towns, boroughs, cities and neighborhoods on-air, mentioning local events and by getting out for station promotions. Today serving your audience means sharing time with them socially. Nielsen's recently published "What Americans Do Online" points out the importance of public socializing. While Email remains the dominant sector in terms of mobile time, Social Networking is a solid second. Over 50% of mobile phone users are either sending an email or a tweet. Everything else is far behind, including News & Current Events, Search, Portals, Entertainment, Sports, Music, Videos/Movies and Weather - in that order...

Based on average time spent at a category level, email ranks number one with 41.60% but based on total time at an individual site level, email shrinks a bit to 38.5%. Social networking is a solid 10% of total time in both categories and then the rest of the mobile sectors follow. Some surprising results have News & Current Events leading all the remaining sectors including Search, Portals, Entertainment and Sports. Music doesn't show up until eighth in rank and closing out the top 10 are Videos/Movies and finally Weather. What surprised me was News & Current Events finishing so high up at three and Music & Weather showing up so low...

According to this Nielsen study you should be linking email, social networking, news & current events and providing a search bar on your website if you just stick to the top 5 categories of what Americans do online. Anything less and your radio station is not providing the service they're looking for. I know, I know - it's only one study but it's not the only study showing similar results...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1953] Wedding Bells: Jacqueline Bouvier and Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy walk down the aisle at Hammersmith Farm in Newport (RI) (9/12)...
2.1953] Mmmmm: Swanson begins selling "TV dinners" giving us these luscious choices: Salisbury steaks, Meatloaf, Fried chicken and Turkey. All come with delicious mashed potatoes and the greenest peas you've ever seen (9/10)...
3.1955] Bert parks: Bert Parks begins a 25-year career of singing "There She Is, Miss America" as host of the famous pageant on NBC-TV (9/10)...
4.1964] Oh Shea can you see: The first football game is played at Shea Stadium with the Jets beating Denver 30-6 (9/12)...
5.1985] The hitman: Pete Rose becomes baseball's all-time hit leader off of San Diego pitcher Eric Show. Hit number 4,192 breaks Ty Cobb's longstanding record by one hit (9/11)...
6.1988] Steffi steals the cup: West Germany's Steffi Graf wins the first women's Grand Slam since Margaret Court in 1970 by taking the U.S. Open final (9/10)...
7.1989] Two-sport hero: Deion Sanders scores a touchdown in his NFL debut with Atlanta 5 days after hitting a home run for the Yankees. Trivia buffs: Sanders becomes the 1st athlete to play in a World Series and Super Bowl (9/10)...
8.1993] Curtains: NBC-TV airs its last episode of "Late Night With David Letterman" as Letterman takes his show to CBS-TV (9/10)...
9.2001] The horror of 911: Nearly 3,000 lives are taken, mainly at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in a field near Pittsburgh as terrorists launch the most devastating attack ever on United States soil (9/11)...
10.2008] "Happy Trails": Radio programmer (Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New York) Neil McIntyre passes away at 68 from cancer (9/11)...

Music Memories:

• 1966] Gold Standard: "Yellow Submarine" - Beatles (9/12)...1975] "All You Need Is Love" - Beatles (9/11)...1975] "Aerosmith" LP (9/11)...
• 1966] Released on this date: "If I Were A Carpenter" - Bobby Darin (9/10)...1966] "Last Train To Clarksville" - Monkees (9/10)...1970] "Fire And Rain" - James Taylor (9/12)...

Commentary:
Tuesday, September 11, 2001 started off with beautifully sunny skies and cool temperatures. I was on my way to the Viacom Building on Broadway, where WCBS-FM was located. The giant ABC-TV screen across the street had a shot of a gaping hole in one of the World Trade Center towers. Our chief engineer was also looking at the screen when I asked him what happened. Bill Prendergast shared the news from his police radio that a plane had gone into the building. The first thing that struck me was that it couldn't have been weather-related. After the second plane went into the other tower, we were evacuated from the station. Dan Daniel joined the CBS Radio Network before leaving the air and building. I remember walking down 40 flights of stairs and walking home, 3 miles away. Just before I reached the lobby of the Viacom Building, I heard a loud explosion which I would learn was the implosion created by the second tower collapsing some 2 1/2 miles away. I remember how much compassion there was in the streets among fellow New Yorkers. I even remember the red tie I was wearing that I would never wear again. I remember just about everything I did that day, I hate remembering but hope I never forget...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (9/10) Colin Firth (50), Amy Irving (57), Aerosmith's Joe Perry (60), Bill O'Reilly (61), Judy Geeson (62), Jose Feliciano (65) and the legendary Arnold Palmer (81)...(9/11) Jacoby Ellsbury (27), Harry Connick Jr. (43), Maria Bartiromo (43), Moby (45), Virginia Madsen (49), Kristy McNichol (48) and Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart (67)...(9/12 ) Jennifer Hudson (29), Yao (Yo) Ming (30), Amy Yasbeck (48), Rachel Ward (53), Gerry (America) Beckley (58), Maria Muldaur (67), Linda Gray (70), George Jones (79) and 'Our Gang's" Dickie Moore (85)...

Timeline Countdown: 8 nights until Yom Kippur, 13 days until autumn, 26 days until the MLB playoffs, 48 days until the World Series & 51 nights until Halloween...

Radio Gets Involved With Meta-Data...

Meta-Data is commonly defined as data about data as in "the game within the game." While radio is just now applying meta-data techniques, there are those ahead of the curve, one being NPR. "NPR's Public Radio Satellite System is currently upgrading the infrastructure introduced as ContentDepot in 2005 to accommodate emerging meta-data applications", according to Mike Starling, NPR VP and chief technology officer and executive director of NPR Labs. Starling told RadioWorld that "Several broadcast organizations are working to advance these emerging meta-data applications." So what can radio stations do with meta-data???

Those radio stations tagging music are using a meta-data application enabling you to see title and artist with each song played. Starling explains that bonded or attached meta-data is content associated with and carried in digital transmissions, making it easier to identify information for sorting, searching, acting as triggers for events and other uses. "Because the data is bonded, it remains available over time during the reuse, such as recording or play-out, of the primary content." If you're able to tape and replay on your mobile device - thank meta-data. Examples of bonded meta-data have existed in a basic form since digital audio and digital television launched, Sterling explains...

Starling says "Radio broadcasters are developing new uses for digital transmission; that is, they're developing new services that can be carried through radio transmission. These new services, in turn, can provide new services to consumers in both the business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets." If you're operating a radio station heed Starling's advice. Call your chief engineer or consultant now and get on the meta-data bandwagon. Don't wait...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1926] Cue the peacock: The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) creates NBC...
2.1960] AFL kickoff: The Boston Patriots lose the 1st AFL game ever played, 13-10 to Denver (a great trivia question for you). Here's a classic home movie clip of the Pat's first training field in 1960..
3.1965] Perfecto: Future Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers pitches his 4th no-hitter, a perfecto ! He shuts out the Cubs 1-0. It's the 8th perfect game in major league history. Here's a classic aircheck of Vin Scully at the end of that game...
4.1971] ATT-I-CA...ATT-I-CA: Prisoners seize control of maximum security Attica prison in upstate New York. Tragically, 43 perish. This is an amazing clip showing the riot...
5.1974] Another opening, another show: 22-year old Jimmy Connors wins his 1st U.S. Open Mens title...1979] At age 16, Tracy Austin becomes the youngest player to win the U.S. Open Womens title...
6.1976] 'Happy Trails': Communist Chinese leader Mao-Tse-tung dies of natural causes at 82...2003] Nuclear scientist Edward Teller passes away from natural causes at 95...
7.1984] Record breaking: The Bears' Walter Payton breaks Jim Brown's combined yardage record when he reaches 15,517...
8.1997] No more violence: Sinn Fein, the Irish Republican Army's political ally, formally renounces violence as it took its place in talks on Northern Ireland's future...
9.1998] Rotten justice: Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols appears on "Judge Judy" as the defendant in a case involving a drummer who sued Rotten for allegedly head-butting. The credibility factor of the show is questioned...
10.2003] Financial justice: The Boston Roman Catholic Archdiocese agrees to pay $85 million to 552 people to settle clergy sex abuse cases...

Music Memories:

• 1967] Released on this date: "Soul Man" - Sam and Dave...1971] "Imagine" LP - John Lennon...1972] "Witchy Woman" - Eagles...1978] "Beast of Burden" - Rolling Stones...

Commentary: John Kluge became a billionaire by buying radio and TV properties and realizing a fortune with his investments. Kluge's ownership included Metromedia Inc. stations that would form the basis for News Corp.'s Fox Network. His investment strategy was simple: Buy cheap properties and include only those that might increase in value under his management - then sell. In addition to Metromedia, he achieved his greatest success in television by buying the syndication rights to "M*A*S*H". Kluge died on September 7 at the age of 95...

The Tampa Bay Radio Reunion is set for Saturday, November 6, 2010.

Please RSVP to Sandy Hall at swoodworth@embargmail.com or call 813-

205-5247. Sandy needs a headcount for the reunion. Tedd Webb adds

that "if you missed it last year, you missed a good one, so pass along the

info and come swap lies and have a few brews." Note: The reunion will

start at 2 pm...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Michael Buble (35), Goran ("E.R.") Visnjic (38), Adam Sandler (44), Hugh Grant (50), Tom Wopat (59), Joe Theismann (61), Dee Dee Sharp (65), Inez Foxx (68), Chaim Topol (75), Sylvia Miles (78) and Cliff Robertson (87)...

Timeline Countdown: It's Rosh Hashanah L'Shanah Tovah, the NFL season opener (Minn. @ New Orleans) is tonight, 9 nights until Yom Kippur, 14 days until autumn, 27 days until the MLB playoffs, 49 days until the World Series & 52 nights until Halloween...

Radio Ad Market Headed In Right Direction - UP...

SNL Kagan expects U.S. commercial radio to realize a 6.4% revenue gain, to $17.1 billion. "For the first time since 2006, radio station revenues in 2010 are expected to turn in a positive performance." The 6.4 percentage growth puts radio fifth on SNL Kagan's forecast list in 2010, behind mobile which made an gigundo gain of 40% (!). Radio also lags behind broadcast TV, Internet and cable but ahead of outdoor, magazines, newspapers and all other media forms. Keep in mind that the measurement discussed is in expected growth percentage which is hopefully more accurate than your local weather forecast. Also up in the SNL Kagan forecast are radio's digital revenues by "strong double digits, with new mobile applications being launched and a stronger focus on monetizing a station's website, along with better CPMs on streaming audio ads. Our projections for radio's digital revenues are up 15% for the year, but only 3.3% of total ad sales at $552 million." ...

With all the good news coming out of SNL Kagan, the firm also attaches this disclaimer: "Our industry will have to put together a string of positive growth years to recover from one of the most challenging periods in radio's 100-year history." So how challenging has it been? SNL estimates revenues dropped from $21.9 billion in 2005 to $16 billion in 2009, with most of the plunge coming in 2008-09...

At least radio was up as opposed to daily newspaper revenue which is disappearing like an (allegedly, of course) juiced up Barry Bonds laser shot. Business publications and newspapers will show the largest ad revenue percentage declines, SNL believes: "It's unlikely old-media sectors will recover from the flight of ad dollars to new media." Taking mobile and other media forms ranking higher than radio, SNL foresees the overall U.S. advertising market rebounding 2.8% to $210.5 billion after two years of decline. It expects the overall market to continue to grow in the coming decade...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1664] Dutch Treat: The Dutch surrender New Amsterdam to the British, who rename it New York...
2.1921] There she is: Margaret Gorman of Washington (DC) is crowned the 1st Miss America in Atlantic City (NJ)...1945] Bess Myerson of New York City becomes the 1st Jewish Miss America...
3.1965] A call for Monkees: A Variety ad announces auditions for "The Monkees" TV show. Those who fail the audition include Stephen Stills, future Three Dog Night member Danny Hutton, Paul Williams and Charles Manson (yes that Charles Manson). No need to tell you who passed the audition...
4.1965] Jack of all A's: A's infielder Bert Campaneris becomes the 1st player ever to play all 9 positions in a game (won by Kansas City). The Twins' Cesar Tovar repeats the feat 3 years later...
5.1966] Premiered on this date: "That Girl" starring Marlo Thomas...1968] "Funny Girl" starring Barbra Streisand...
6.1974] I beg your pardon: President Gerald R. Ford grants an unconditional pardon to former President Richard M. Nixon...
7.1975] Boston Public: Boston's public schools begin a court-ordered citywide busing program amid scattered incidents of violence...
8.1996] Emmy Gold: "ER", Dennis Franz and Kathy Baker ("Picket Fences") are the big winners at the 48th Emmy Awards...
9.1998] With A little help from his friend Andro: Mark McGwire hits his 62nd home run breaking Roger Maris' 37-year old record of 61 (McGwire winds up with 70 with a little help from Andro)...
10.2004] Bush league: Dan Rather gives us something to remember him by as "60 Minutes Wednesday" airs a report questioning George W. Bush's National Guard Service. Memos featured in the report were challenged as forgeries...

Music Memories:

• 1954] Long live the King: Alan Freed becomes the "King Of Rock 'n Roll" when he begins his 5-year reign at 1010/WINS New York...
• 1974] #1 on this date: "I Shot The Sheriff" - Eric Clapton...

Commentary:

The Audio Engineering's New York Section will hold their September

meeting with a screening of "Copyright Criminals" with a panel discussion

to follow, hosted by Roger Johansen of Tangerine Mastering. The

screening and panel discussion will be held at the New School's jazz

performance space, 55 West 13th Street (5th fl.). The event will be held

Tuesday, September 14 at 6:30 pm...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Pink (31 ), Brooke Burke (37), David Arquette (39), Willie Tyler (70) & Lester (70 tree rings), Lyndon LaRouche (88) and Sid Caesar (88)...

Timeline Countdown: L' Shanah Tovah! Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown, 1 day until the NFL opener (Minn. @ New Orleans), 10 nights until Yom Kippur, 15 days until autumn, 28 days until the MLB playoffs and 53 nights until Halloween...

Satellite Penetration In New Cars At All-Time High...

Satellite radio capability in new vehicles has jumped from 59% in 2009 to 66% in 2010, according to a new J.D. Power and Associates study. The 2010 U.S. Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study, was based on a survey of 82,000 new-vehicle owners who purchased a 2010 model-year vehicle. Penetration of satellite navigation systems increased from 25% to 30% of new vehicles over the same period. Okay, we know satellite penetration is growing but what about customer satisfaction???

The report included some findings that may not bode well for Mel Karmazin. Car-buyers' favorite audio system feature was the ability to play music file formats of their own choosing (see: MP3 files and iTunes.) The Power report also found that overall satisfaction with multimedia systems including AM/FM radio, cassette players, single CD players, multiple CD changers, navigation systems and satellite radio decreased slightly from 7.77 to 7.76 on a 10-point scale. That may be due to their increasing complexity, which makes them more prone to glitches says Powers. Could it also be from the quality of the music sources? The news isn't entirely awe-inspiring for terrestrial radio either. The increasing penetration of new technologies, including satellite radio, MP3 device compatibility and streaming internet audio, threatens broadcast radio's traditional "drive time" dominance in vehicle media consumption...

Falling sales in the U.S. auto market, where sales dropped 21% from an annualized rate of 11.8 million in July to 10.6 million in August won't help any form of radio although Sirius XM has already claimed it won't affect them, apparently due to their other configurations of listening devices...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1813] Crying 'Uncle': The nickname 'Uncle Sam' is used as a symbolic reference to the U.S. in an editorial in the Troy (NY) Post...
2.1927] Must-see TV: Philo T. Farnsworth succeeds in transmitting an image through purely electronic means by using an image dissector...
3.1930] Stripped: "Blondie" makes its 1st appearance in the comic strips...
4.1963] Going to Hall: The National Professional Football Hall of Fame is dedicated in Canton (OH). First year inductees include Sammy Baugh, Red Grange, George Halas, Tim Mara, Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thorpe...
5.1966] Curtains: "The Dick Van Dyke Show" airs for the final time on CBS-TV after a 6-year run...1971] "The Beverly Hillbillies" is seen for the last time. It debuted in the fall of 1961...
6.1977] Liddy leaves: G. Gordon Liddy is released from prison after serving more than 4 years for his involvement in Watergate...
7.1978] "Happy Trails": Keith Moon, drummer for The Who, suffers a fatal overdose at 31...
8.1979] Sports-TV: ESPN begins when Lee Leonard introduces George Grande who describes the format concept of the 1st all-sports cable network...
9.1980] Tennis anyone?: John McEnroe beats Bjorn Borg in a classic U.S. Open final for his 2nd straight title...
10.1999] Sumnertime: Viacom Inc. announces its plans to buy CBS Corp...

Music Memories:
1986] #1 on this date: "Take My Breath Away" - Berlin...

Commentary...
The Tampa Bay Radio Reunion is set for Saturday, November 6, 2010. Please RSVP to Sandy Hall at swoodworth@embargmail.com or call 813-205-5247. Sandy needs a headcount for the reunion. Tedd Webb adds that "if you missed it last year, you missed a good one, so pass along the info and come swap lies and have a few brews." Note: The reunion will start at 2 PM...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Michael Feinstein (54), Corbin Bernsen (56), Chrissie Hynde (59), Julie ("Marge Simpson") Kavner (60) and Gloria Gaynor (61)...

Timeline Countdown: 1 night before Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown, 2 nights before the NFL begins play (Minn. @ New Orleans), 11 nights before Yom Kippur begins at sundown, 16 days until autumn arrives, 29 days before the MLB post-season begins and 54 nights until Halloween...

Radio Lags Behind In Tapping Into Digital Ad Money...

(Labor Day Weekend)

As radio struggles to produce revenue from their digital platforms, sales executives see growing evidence that texting campaigns may be the best way to monetize mobile. That revelation comes as digital ad spend is getting healthier with each passing day. The Rubicon 20 index has grown 47% -- on a trend line basis - from the start of 2010 to the mid-point of the year according to Online Media Daily. "Ad spend and revenue have both been strong and growing in 2010" says Kara Weber, VP marketing at the Rubicon Project. "Given the proliferation of solution providers and industry players to the market, all working to increase the overall flow of revenue from offline to online, this increase is no surprise." Radio, are you listening???

According to Borrell Associates, online ad spending is poised to grow nearly 14% from $45.6 billion in 2010 to $51.9 billion in 2011. By next year, local online advertising should grow by almost 18% - from $13.7 billion to $16.1 billion in 2011. Borrell notes that targeted display advertising will grow nearly 60% in 2011, reaching $10.9 billion. While national advertisers are expected to ramp up their use of targeted display by about 50%, local advertising will more than double to over $2.3 billion in 2011...

Year-over-year, U.S. Web users are now receiving 15% more display ads, according to comScore Ad Metrix. By comScore's estimate, total U.S. display ad spending for the first quarter of the year reached $2.7 billion. While local business is radio's bread-and-butter, web business must provide a good percentage of the local revenue that will keep radio in business...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1906] Taking a pass: Bradbury Robinson of St. Louis University throws a "projectile pass" to teammate Jack Schneider. It's the first forward pass used in a game as St. Louis beats Carroll 22-0 (9/5). It would have been more appropriate for Carroll to play William & Mary...
2.1954] Riding off into the sunset: "The Lone Ranger" airs on radio for the last time after 2,956 episodes (that covers a period of 21 years) (9/3)...
3.1957] How many would you like?: Ford Motor Company starts selling its Edsel line (9/4)...
4.1957] A black-eye for Arkansas: The National Guard is ordered by Governor Orval Faubus to keep 9 black students from entering Little Rock's Central High School (9/4)...
5.1959] Barbie is born: The first Barbie Doll is sold by Matel. Ruth Handler, co-founder of Matel invented the doll that was named after her daughter. Ken was named after her son (9/6)...
6.1967] Curtains: "Gilligan's Island" airs for the final time on CBS-TV after a run of 98 episodes (9/4)...
7.1971] The Walrus returns: After a visit to England, John Lennon returns to New York City, never to return to England, where he was born (in Liverpool) (9/3)...
8.1972] Bloody Olympics: Arab terrorists kill 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team. Five guerrillas and a police officer are also killed in Munich in the darkest day in Olympic history (9/5)...
9.1995] The new Iron Man: Cal Ripken Jr. breaks Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games (9/6). Ripken entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, on the strength of that achievement...
10.2006] Hanging up his racket: Tennis player Andre Agassi retires after losing his third-around match at the U.S. Open (9/3)...

Music Memories: All our music videos were #1 on Labor Day Weekend...

• 1960] 50 years ago: "It's Now Or Never" - Elvis Presley...
• 1970] 40 years ago: "War" - Edwin Starr...
• 1980] 30 years ago: "Upside Down" - Diana Ross...
• 1990] 20 years ago: "If Wishes Came True - Sweet Sensation...
• 2000] 10 years ago: "Doesn't Really Matter" - Janet Jackson...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
(9/3) Charlie Sheen (46), Valerie Perrine (67), Al Jardine (68), Eileen Brennan (78) and 'Beetle Bailey' cartoonist Mort Walker (87)...(9/4) Beyonce (Knowles) (29), Mike Piazza (42), Damon Wayans (50), and Golfer Tom Watson (61)...(9/5) Michael Keaton aka Michael Douglas (his real name) (59), Al Stewart (65), Raquel Welch (70), William Devane (73), Yankee killer Bill Mazeroski (73) and Bob Newhart (81)...(9/6) Paul Manusama (25), Macy Gray (43), Rosie Perez (46), Elizabeth Vargas (48), Jeff Foxworthy (52), Jane Curtin (63), Swoosie Kurtz (66), Roger Waters (67) and JoAnne Worley (73)...

Timeline Countdown: This is Labor Day Weekend, 6 days until NFL kickoff (Minn. @ New Orleans & 20 days until autumn arrives...

A Law Suit Looms Over HD Radio...

A New Jersey law firm that specializes in personal injury is investigating HD Radio. What? "The attorneys at Keefe Bartels are continuing their investigation into HD Radio and whether consumers are being forced to purchase technology that does not work as claimed. If you have experienced problems with your factory-installed HD radio receiver, we are interested in speaking to you." That's the message on Keefe Bartels website. The firm is "investigating" HD Radio's technology because of "numerous complaints from not only the radio industry but also consumers...

And what are those complaints? Among the complaints cited on the law firm's website are receivers switching from HD to analog and an associated "echo sound", "crackling or static sound when HD Radio is inactive, insufficient numbers of HD Radio stations, loss of signal while driving in valleys or between high buildings, signal disruption in different environmental conditions, and interference with adjacent channels." The law firm notes that HD doesn't stand for "high definition" and claims that developer iBiquity "likely uses the 'HD' as a marketing device based upon consumers' understanding and ever-increasing desire for HD television...

iBiquity hasn't made a public statement yet but will. They're also likely to slap an injunction against Keefe Bartels from issuing any further damaging statements affecting their product. Although I'm not a big fan of HD Radio, this sounds like a law firm wanting to become famous overnight to me. Announcing an investigation rather than an actual suit is bizarre. Starbucks has better grounds for a lawsuit than Keefe Bartels...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1901] Teddy's shtick: Vice President Theodore Roosevelt offers this advice: "Speak softly and carry a big stick" in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair...
2.1935] Hurricaned in Florida: A devastating hurricane slams into the Florida Keys, killing 423...
3.1944] 41 is down: Navy pilot George H. W. Bush is shot down by Japanese forces as he completes a bombing run over the Bonin Islands. The future president is rescued by a U.S. submarine...
4.1945] White flagging it: Japan formally surrenders in ceremonies aboard the U.S. Missouri, ending World War II...
5.1963] Streching the news: CBS and NBC expand network news from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. This clip contains an interview of the late Walter Cronkite who took part in that expansion...

6.1969] A tyrant dies: North Vietnamese president Ho Chi Minh dies from multiple health problems at 79...
7.1983] O Solo Mio: Tom Brokaw takes over as sole anchor of NBC's 'Nightly News'. Brokaw's run lasts until December 1, 2004 when he is succeeded by Brian Williams. Here's Brokaw's last show...
8.1992] What space race?: The United States and Russia agree to build a space station together...
9.2004] Vote for me again: President George W. Bush accepts his party's nomination for a second term at the Republican National Convention in New York City...
10.2005] Care packages for New Orleans: A National Guard convoy packed with food, water and medicine rolls into New Orleans four days after Hurricane Katrina hits...

Music Memories:
•1965] Released on this date: "Yesterday" - Beatles...
•1980] #1 on this date: "Upside Down" - Diana Ross..
•1988] For human rights: The Amnesty International Tour starts in London, starring Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Peter Gabriel and Tracy Chapman...

Commentary:
The Audio Engineering's New York Section will hold their September meeting with a screening of "Copyright Criminals" with a panel discussion to follow, hosted by Roger Johansen of Tangerine Mastering. The screening and panel discussion will be held at the New School's jazz performance space, 55 West 13th Street (5th fl.). The event will be held Tuesday, September 14 at 6:30 pm...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...
Salma Hayek (44), Lennox Lewis (45), Keanu Reeves (46), Jimmy Connors (58), Mark Harmon (59), Terry Bradshaw (62), Joe Simon (67), John Thompson (69), Jimmy Clanton (70), Peter Ueberroth (73) & D. Wayne Lucas (75)...

Timeline Countdown: The college football season begins tonight, 4 days until Labor Day, 7 days until the NFL season begins (Minn. @ New Orleans) & 21 days until autumn arrives...

Sirius XM To Add 2.0 Features...

Up until now, Sirius has been riding their heavyweight personalities, endless amounts of (mostly) commercial-free music, talk, sports, regional weather & traffic plus exclusive events to capture its sizable audience. Now they are about to offer personalized radio services - the same services available on Pandora, Slacker and Last.fm. Way back on June 19, 2008, Sirius filed a patent relating to "providing a broadcast radio service with the ability to generate a personalized radio channel play-list on a radio receiver from broadcast content as it is received and for generating a playback stream using buffered content that provides a multichannel listening experience to the user with preview, reverse, fast forward and other navigation functions for the buffered content." Patent filing information compliments of Seeking Alpha. The filing mentioned Slacker, Pandora and Last.fm as examples of what the purpose of the patent is geared towards...

Those wrinkles may be 2 years late in coming but according to word on the street, Sirius 2.0 is about to be launched. Mel Karmazin set the stage for the next generation of Sirius in the statement he made during the satcom's second quarter conference call: "Our next generation of satellite radios are expected to offer significantly more choices for the consumer and contain functionality that does not exist today in our radios." ...

In addition to capturing their own product, Sirius XM could possibly pull content from HD Radio, WiFi, Wireless and terrestrial radio too. As Seeking Alpha points out, the wording in the patent would allow for tiered services and possibly advertising supported streams as well. Satellite Radio 2.0 is about to be launched, giving Sirius XM an even stronger foothold on the market...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1897] This subway had no sandwiches: The 1st subway system in the U.S. opens in Boston. Over 95% of the original subway tunnels remain in use today...
2.1932] Gotcha: New York City Mayor James "Gentleman Jimmy" Walker resigns following charges of graft and corruption in his administration...
3.1942] This is fair and impartial?: A federal judge in Sacramento (CA) upholds the wartime detention of Japanese-Americans as well as Japanese nationals...
4.1969] Khadafi power: A coup in Libya brings Moammar Khadafi to power...
5.1970] The dream ends: The last episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" airs. The show premiered on September 18, 1965...
6.1972] Bobby beats Boris: Brooklyn-born Bobby Fischer wins the international chess crown in Iceland, defeating Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union...
7.1983] Korean air tragedy: A Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 is shot down by a Soviet jet fighter after the airliner entered Soviet airspace, killing 269...
8.1985] The real Titanic: Is found by a joint U.S.-French expedition. The wreck site is located 963 miles northeast of New York and 453 miles southeast of Newfoundland...
9.1989] Fatal attack: Baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti suffers a fatal, massive heart attack on Martha's Vineyard. Giamatti was 51...
10.2004] Chechen terrorism: More than 1,000 are taken hostage by heavily armed Chechen militants at a school in southern Russia. More than 330 people, most of them children, are killed during the three-day ordeal...

Music Memories":
•1956] Elvis Shares The Wealth: Elvis Presley buys his mom a pink Cadillac...
•1975] #1 on this date: "Rhinestone Cowboy" - Glen Campbell...

Commentary:
The Tampa Bay Radio Reunion is set for Saturday, November 6, 2010. Please RSVP to Sandy Hall at swoodworth@embargmail.com or call 813-205-5247. Sandy needs a headcount for the reunion. Tedd Webb adds that "if you missed it last year, you missed a good one, so pass along the info and come swap lies and have a few brews." Note: The reunion will start at 2 PM...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Kenny Mayne (51), Gloria Estefan (53), Bernie Wagenblast (54), Dr. Phil McGraw (60), Al Green (63), Barry Gibb (64), Archie Bell (66), Lily Tomlin (71), Alan Dershowitz (72) and George Maharis (82)...

Timeline Countdown: 1 day until the college football season begins, 5 days until Labor Day, 8 days until the NFL opener (Minn. @ New Orleans) and 22 days until autumn...