April 04, 2016 [Monday] Issue #1500

ALL THE NEWS THAT IS NEWS

THE HAG HITS A LAG On April 6, 2016 Country music legend Merle Haggard turns 79. In 2008, he undergoes surgery for lung cancer. Haggard’s April 2016 schedule includes performances with fellow legend Willie Nelson in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. His next tour date is in Arkansas with Country star Marty Stuart. While he battles double pneumonia, Merle Haggard cancels his April concert dates. I want to thank my fans for their prayers and well wishes. I hope to be back on the road in May.

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THE COLLAPSE OF IHEARTMEDIA Insurmountable debt of $20.6 B which is more than the entire radio industry generates in ad dollars in a given year might just be the force that shuts off iHeartMedia’s ball of fire. In 2008, iHeart’s $27 billion leveraged buyout is one of the largest LBOs in history presents too much debt. Remember when local radio station family ownership makes a good living because greed does not cause them to yearn for more than they can afford? I do. That is real radio. iHeart may break up into tiny pieces.

ZAC INHERITS IHEART’S TX MAYHEM Former nightclub DJ Zac [Mayhem] Wellsandt may just have the right name for his new assignment as iHeartMedia Director of CHR & AC Operations for the Central Texas Region, effective immediately. Zac is in charge of KXXM FM (96.1), KZEP FM (104.5), KQXT FM (101.9) and KQXT FM HD (101.9) in San Antonio, TX and KHFI FM (96.7), KPEZ FM (102.3), KVET FM HD (98.1) and KASE FM HD2 (100.7) in Austin, TX. Zac exits his PD post at iHeartMedia WSNX FM (104.5) Grand Rapids, MI.

GREATER MEDIA IS 60 YEARS OLD In 1956, two Yale classmates Peter A. Bordes and Joseph Rosenmiller found Greater Media, Inc. in Braintree, MA. Many consider Greater Media to be one of the premiere privately held broadcast companies in America. From its ownership of a single radio station in Southbridge, MA, Greater Media steadily and quietly builds 21 AM and FM radio stations in Boston, Charlotte, Detroit, Philadelphia and New Jersey. On March 31, 2016, Greater Media, celebrates its 60th anniversary in broadcasting.

TRIVIA QUESTION: Who is WLS-890’s first female DJ? The answer appears below.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

•HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Ann J. Morton Monday, April 4th. John Driscoll April 6th. Joe Knapp Thursday, April 7, 2016. •CUMULUS fires at least two dozen staff members on March 31, 2016 with most of them from the newsroom of heritage News/Talk KGO-810. •BRYAN FOX is new Promotions Director of Entercom AC KOIT FM (96.5) San Francisco, CA & Classic Rock KUFX FM (98.5 KFOX) San Jose, effective Friday, April 1, 2016. •ZACH DILLON 17+ years radio vet, PD of KHFI FM (96.7 Kiss FM) Austin, TX since July 2015 exits.

ENTERTAINMENT AND NEWS MILESTONES

•1955 BRITISH government signs military treaty with Iraq on April 4th. •1967 TROY GENTRY of 2000 Country Music Association Vocal Duo of the Year Montgomery Gentry born on April 5th in Lexington, KY.•1978 GINO CONTILLI Italian Classic composer dies at 70 on April 4th. •1988 REBA MCENTIRE’s single Love Will Find Its Way To You grabs #1 in Billboard Country list on April 2nd. •1992 KARL TUNBERG screenwriter (Ben Hur) dies on April 4th. •2001 SARA EVANS’ Born To Fly is her second Gold album on April 4th.

EMAILS YES WE HAVE EMAIL

CHRISTOPHER ROACH [Chris Lane] (Luzerne, PA) Jim, Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Thank you for putting me on the mailing list of JRRR. Great stuff. I’m enjoying it a lot. It’s interesting you should ask this question about WLIX. There’s a very detailed answer and a short one. I was not personally connected with WLIX on Long Island. WLIX was where I found CCM music in the early 90’s while living outside of Philly, in Bucks County. I was near the Delaware and it just traveled down the water. Fast forward about 6 years, and I meet my wife here in Northeast PA. She worked at the old WLIX…God could only orchestrate this meeting! We both spoke about keeping the WLIX legacy alive, as we were both missing the old station. We put a tribute station on line 8 years ago on April the 1st. We need to evolve it somewhat, but God has really done a work with us, and created a product only He could. For the full story, you can read it at our website at www.christian54onlinewlix.com. I’m in the personalities section under Chris Cane (my airname)…named after the legendary Southern California Jock! Heidi is my wife’s name and she also has here bio there too. Please do check it if you feel lead…and enjoy the station if Classic CCM is a favorite genre. Thank you again and God Bless! Chris

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KEN DOWE [CEO Service Broadcasting #1 KKDA FM (104.5) / EVP McLendon Corp. #1 KLIF-1190] (Dallas, TX/Santa Fe, NM) Johnny’s (Borders) gone- about 30 minutes ago. Say prayers for Johnny and family. It’s a sad and traumatic time… kd

DONALD ROBERTSON (Flint-Tyler, TX) Just read Bart McLendon’s posts that Johnny Borders (Johnny Dark) passed away this morning from pancreatic cancer. This is so sad. Johnny was one of my earliest friends in radio. We’ve lost one of the great ones. RIP John.

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JOHN BUTLER [ex KLIF-1190] (Dallas, TX) Hi Jim, I am saddened to let you know my friend John Borders died. His funeral is Monday April 4th, 10 am at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas. John went to KLIF after KBOX as “Johnny Dark,” and later into radio management and ownership. He founded Sunburst Media in the 1990s in Dallas. John served on the NAB board in the early 2000’s. John Border’s funeral is on Monday April 4th at 10 am. John Butler (Butler7media, LLC Dallas, KWJB AM & FM Canton, TX – Former on-air personality KLIF, KWTX radio & TV, KVUE-TV, KXAN-TV, KRYS)

TRIVIA ANSWER: When WYNR flips to all-news, Yvonne Daniels joins WCFL. Daniels does a Jazz show on WSDM. In 1973, Yvonne Daniels becomes WLS-890`s first female DJ.

CHARLIE VAN DYKE [ex KLIF-1190, WLS-890, KRTH KHJ ] (Paradice Valley, AZ) Subject: John Borders. Well, part of my training in ministry was a CPE series as a hospital chaplain. I ended up with a good deal of time working with folks at the end of life. One thing that I think is really important is to know that hearing is the last thing to go. We may think a person is not aware, but they still hear what you say around them. It is not unusual that a person will linger, waiting for something or someone. It is a good thing for family to tell the person they are loved, thank them for all they have done and give them permission to leave. In the case of a man, he might need to be reassured that his wife will be cared for and that his work is done. He has earned rest.

RENE DESCARTES (1596-1650) Everything is self-evident.

Jim Rose and Suzie
Houston, Texas – Laus Deo