Huckabee Calls Out Limbaugh Over Criticism

THE MOUTH, JULY 9TH, 2012 –– Back in April when Cumulus Media first launched The Mike Huckabee Show nationally, the former preacher turned politician and talk host made it clear his show would be a ‘more conversation, less confrontation’; thus, offering a kinder, gentler voice. This may be the case on-air, but away from the mic, he also made it clear he didn't appreciate fellow-talker Rush Limbaugh's criticism of him and called him out in a recent New York Time's article. NYT writer Andrew Goldman said: "When I heard you were starting a syndicated radio show in April that would go head to head with Rush Limbaugh, I wondered if you were going after him because he hadn’t been kind to your candidacy in ’08." Huckabee shot back: "He’s been very critical of me and very wrong. It’s one thing to have an opinion, but the opinion needs to be based on fact. Even a few months ago, he said that I had endorsed Mitt Romney, when in fact I had not. I did not endorse anyone in the primary. But all of that had nothing to do with my decision to do a radio show." READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE

Kellar Talent Institute Kicks Off 6th Event

THE MOUTH, JULY 9TH, 2012 –– Twenty eight broadcast professionals will come to the mountaintop to teach during the 6th annual Kellar Radio Talent Institute on the campus of Appalachian State University, July 9th through 18th. The Kellar Radio Talent Institute is an intense 10 day curriculum that has led students to jobs in the industry or a related field and many are now working professionally at CNN, Entercom, Clear Channel, CBS, Beasley, Curtis media, Greater Media. “Most importantly,"  says Dan Vallie (shown), Founder and Director of the Kellar Radio Talent Institute, “we are developing the next generation of broadcasters." Among the instructors include Allen Shaw, President/CEO of Centennial Communications, Phil Zachary President of Curtis Media, Gary Fisher, Owner of Equity Communications in Atlantic City, NJ. John Reynolds of KISS/K104.7 CBS Charlotte; Jack Daniel, 106.5 The End, Clear Channel Charlotte, Bruce Wheeler and Jason Goodman, WKZL & Rock 92,Leading the air talent and production sessions include Steve Reynolds of the Reynolds Group; Don Anthony, The Mouth/MSBC; John Hancock, WBT Greater Media Charlotte, DZL, 106.5 The End, Clear Channel Charlotte; Arroe Collins, Production Director, Clear Channel Charlotte; Dave Aiken, WKZL and ROCK 92, Greensboro Winston Salem, Tias Shuster, PD B93.7 & Magic 98.9, Entercom Greenville-Spartanburg SC. The Kellar Radio Talent Institute is named for former broadcaster Art Kellar who gave $500,000 through the Kellar Family Foundation to help create the Institute to bring young people into the industry. Art founded EZ Communications in 1970, and merged with American Radio Systems in 1996, which later sold to CBS.

Dial Global & NBC Universal Team For 2012 London Olympics

THE MOUTH, JULY 9TH, 2012 –– Dial Global is proud to partner with NBC-Universal--U.S. Olympic Rights holder--to present live, exclusive radio coverage of the 2012 London Olympic Games. The agreement will bring the excitement of Olympic competition and events to listeners across the U.S., including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Team USA Basketball, Soccer, Swimming and much more, live as the events unfold, from Olympic Park in London. Dial Global and NBC ’s Olympic coverage will continue its partnership at the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia. Dial Global’s broadcasts of the 2012 London Olympic Games will be heard on radio stations nationwide, as well as, for the first time ever, on Sirius/XM radio. Howard Deneroff, EVP, Executive Producer of Dial Global Sports, adds, “Everyone has a vested interested in their country’s Olympic success, and at any time during the Games, any event can quickly turn into an historic event. We are excited to continue broadcasting these memorable moments on radio as we have for the past two decades.” The 2012 London Olympic Games will take place in London, England from July 27 through August 12, 2012, showcasing athletes from around the world.

iHeart Radio's Music Festival 2012 Line-Up Announced

THE MOUTH, JULY 9TH, 2012 –– The buildup to this year's iHeart Radio's music festival grew intense as its website featured a clicking countdown clock for this year's line-up announcement. And where else would it direct you to other than master of ceremony Ryan Seacreast's show. At approximately 9 AM et, Ryan then announced the acts for this year's. They included Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Rihanna, Greenday, Usher, Aerosmith, Brad Paisley, Swedish House Mafia, Jason Aldean, Linkin Park, Calvin Harris, Deadmau5, Miranda Lambert, Lil' Wayne, Mary Blige, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, No Doubt and more. The festival kicks off September 21st and 22nd.

MOVERS/WAKERS: Maurice Devoe Takes Over KLIF-FM/Dallas; Jeff Miles Moves To Middays On Q100 Atlanta, Luedeman Joins WHBQ/Memphis Morning Show

THE MOUTH, JULY 9TH, 2012 –– Cumulus Corporate SVP/Programming, Jan Jeffries, announces two promotions within the Contemporary platform of Cumulus. On the heels of the recent promotion of KLIF FM (i93) Dallas PD, John Foxx to PD and PM Drive at Cumulus WPLJ/New York, Jeffries says congratulations are in order to Maurice Devoe, currently PD/PM Drive at CHR, KCHZ/Kansas City. Maurice heads to Dallas in the same capacity at KLIF FM and continues as Format Captain for Cumulus Urban formats. Meanwhile, WPLJ midday maven, Jeff Miles, transfers to middays at Cumulus Q100/Atlanta. Jeff's promotion includes heading up social media for Q100. ----- Liz Luedeman joins CJ and Alexis Grace for mornings at WHBQ/Memphis. She formerly worked at Channel 96.1/Charlotte.

Longtime Tennessee Host Tommy Jett In Critical Condition

THE MOUTH, JULY 9TH, 2012 –– According to WRCB TV, Tennessee valley radio legend Tommy Jett is in critical condition following several illnesses caused from an April car accident. Jett, a diabetic for 46 years, had suffered a seizure at the time of the crash, losing control of his vehicle on a north Georgia highway. Emergency crews spent more than two hours trying to extricate him from the car after it had flipped over several times. Jett, 71, moved to Chattanooga in 1961 where he joined WFLI and by the '70's went to WDOD. Most recently, Jett hosted a weekly oldies show on TommyJett.com

Bazaar: Rihanna's Dad Okays Her Reunion With Chris Brown - [STARPULSE]

'The Amazing Spiderman' Takes In $140 Million In Less Than A Week - [THE INQUISITR]

Ernest Borgnine Passes Away At 95 - [CBS]

UH OH: The Bieb' Files Complaint Against Overly Aggressive Photog' - [GOSSIP COP]

Kelly Osbourne To Airline Following Black Eye: "Fix Your F^%@ing Seats" - [DIGITAL SPY]

HMMMM: Natalie Wood's Caused of Death Changed To Undetermined - [TMZ]

Dr. Oz Is Selling Magazines Like Crazy - [THE NEW YORK TIMES]

J-Lo Planning ABC Family Series - [DEADLINE]

Wendy Williams Joins With Star Jones for 'Satan Sisters' - [THE GRIO]

Eric McCormack Returns To TV Crime Drama - [ACCESS HOLLYWOOD]

TRAILERS WE LOVE: 'LAWLESS' With Shia LaBeouf - [COLLIDER]

Station Crusade For Terminally Ill Memphis Teen Ends Sadly

THE MOUTH, JULY 6TH, 2012 –– For the past 5 months Memphis residents have rallied around Trey Erwin, a 15 year old Collierville High football student who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Late yesterday, the sad news of his passing spread like wildfire across Facebook/Twitter. Q107.5 and 96.1's Ty Hawkins told Jockline Daily, "From the beginning Trey accepted his diagnosis and the fact that he would likely lose his battle with cancer and instead of burying his head in the sand he stood strong and stayed positive by always praying, turning it over to God, and keeping his complaining about his pain to a minimum. He has left a powerful legacy behind for us all to live by. From the start, Q1075 and 96.1 got involved to help out the Erwin Family. The Q jocks hosted a few events throughout the mid-south, but the most successful was "13 Days for Trey," 13 being his high school's team number. The Q held other fundraisers to cover medical bills and to help the family out since both of Trey's parents had to take a leave of absence from work. Jay, Trey's dad is a Memphis Firefighter and there was a lot of support from all the local MFD. By the end of "13 Days for Trey" a little over $10,000 was raised.

Mancow To Simulcast Radio Show On TV

THE MOUTH, JULY 6TH, 2012 –– While most of the talk lately has centered around Mancow Muller's guest-hosting on Merlin Media's FM News 101.1, now comes word that a deal is being finalized to take his Talk Radio Syndicated show to Chicago's WPWR - Channel 50 beginning this Fall. According to The Chicago Tribune the live studio broadcast will air weekdays from 6 am to 8 am, replacing the Fox-owned station's current lineup of infomercials and "Better TV." As mentioned, Muller has made several recent guest appearances on Merlin Media's FM News 101.1. Insiders tell Jockline Daily, more details on this could be coming soon.

George Noory Challenges Audience To 15 Million Pound Diet

LOS ANGELES, July 5, 2012 – Premiere-syndicated George Noory is challenging his audience to “shape up” and lose 15 million pounds.  With more than one third of U.S. adults considered obese*, Noory announced yesterday that he will dedicate the first hour of his program each Thursday in July to encouraging his millions of late-night listeners to improve their health, shed excess pounds and help fight weight-related diseases.  As part of the effort, he’ll welcome special guests to give advice on nutrition, weight loss, health benefits and much more. Noory stated, “Listeners of Coast to Coast know that in addition to exploring the mysteries of the universe, I’m also interested in improving my health and wellness.  This Shape Up campaign is a great opportunity for America to encourage and inspire each other to increase our longevity and live better lives.”  Coast to Coast AM will feature the Shape Up campaign each Thursday from 10 to 11 p.m. PT/1 to 2 a.m. ET. 

SNL's Bill Hader Talks Mick Jagger On The Bob Rivers Show [AUDIO]

THE MOUTH, JULY 6TH, 2012 –– Saturday Night Live’s Bill Hader, with an assist from Envision Radio's Guest Services, rang up The Bob Rivers Show on KJR-FM/Seattle, WA. He discussed what it was like working with Mick Jagger, who hosted this year’s Saturday Night Live season finale, “I mean, he's Mick Jagger. He's a hardworking guy - you get why he has such longevity.” Hader continued, “He worked really hard at it. He worked really hard at every single character, and he would change it up, ‘maybe I’ll do this’, ‘maybe I should try this’, ‘what do you guys think of this?’ And was inclusive, you know, ‘do you guys like the voice I’m doing?’” “He was great. For the first couple of days it was like oh my god that’s Mick Jagger. And then you know, you’re all just working together and you’re trying to figure it out. Mick played the after party … it was insane." Hader was participating in the Guest Services tour to promote the TCM Essentials Jr. showcase that he is hosting. The films air Sunday nights at 8 p.m. EST on TCM. PHOTO: Jeremy Freeman, TCM  LISTEN TO AUDIO

Jordan Sparks Makes Radio Rounds To Promote 'Sparkle' "Weird Seeing Cee-Lo With Hair"

THE MOUTH, JULY 6TH, 2012 –– With the film 'Sparkle' set to launch next month, Jordin Sparks, who reprises the role played by Irene Cara in the original film, is out making the radio rounds. Yesterday she joined Sirius XM's Sway in The Morning to give some behind the scenes details including working with Houston and how weird it was to see Cee-Lo with hair. "They put hair on him and we were all like HAIR??," says Sparks. The growingly svelte Jordin Sparks (see photo and compare to video) said she hadn't seen the original film until last February and was nervous playing Cara's role. But after seeing the similarities between her and Cara, same age, looks, etc, she thought to herself they could be sisters. Later on she offered Sway a bit of live vocals and lent some further proof of skills. Sparkle opens nationally on August 17th. WATCH VIDEO

Bloomquist Media Recognized By New York Radio Festival For Christmas Program

THE MOUTH, JULY 6TH, 2012 –– Bloomquist Media, a communications firm that specializes in harnessing the power of spoken word media, received a 2012 Finalist Award from the New York Radio Festival for a groundbreaking Christmas radio program that raised awareness and funds for Fisher House Foundation, a non-profit that assists the families of wounded warriors. The program, entitled The Gift, A Holiday Tribute to Military Families, was honored in the Social Issues/Current Events category of the Festival competition, which recognizes the best in radio content from around the world. “We are thrilled to see The Gift named one of the best radio productions of the past year,” said Bloomquist Media President Randall Bloomquist. “It means a great deal to us from both a creative and business perspective. The Gift aired during Christmas weekend on 85 news/talk radio stations, including outlets in 29 of the top 30 media markets, as well as Sirius XM satellite radio. The Gift initiative helped drive a 30% year-to-year increase in donations during the final week of 2011 and generated more than $300,000 in media exposure for Fisher House Foundation.

George DeMartino's "Wheeling And Dealing" Heads National

THE MOUTH, JULY 6TH, 2012 –– They say timing is everything. Perhaps the just announced retiring of 'Car Talk's" Magliozzi brothers won't leave a void in the niche afterall. According to tcpalm.com, George DeMartino's 'Wheeling And Dealing," a car talk show that got its start in Vero Beach is now expanding to Chicago, New York and Los Angeles through syndication. Reportedly, DeMartino, has just signed with Global American Broadcasting in Vero Beach to put the talk show in at least 30 major markets across the United States. The show began in July 2010 on WTTB-AM, owned by Treasure and Space Coast Radio and features DeMartino shows the right tips on negotiating the sale of new and used cars. "If it wasn't for Jim (Davis) and seeing 'Wheeling and Dealing' as a bigger show, we wouldn't be nationally syndicated," DeMartino said. The one-hour show broadcast live from Global American's studio in Vero Beach.

MOVERS/WAKERS: Lauren O'Neil Heads To Q87.7 Chicago; Easy 93.1 Miami Adds Delilah To Nights

THE MOUTH, JULY 6TH, 2012 –– Another piece to Q87.7/Chicago's line-up puzzle has been completed with the hiring of Lauren O'Neil of The Kage Kult Show 98Rock/Tampa. ––– Slightly further east, EASY 93.1/WFEZ Miami announced yesterday the addition of Delilah to its nightly lineup. The nationally syndicated radio program will air in the Sunday through Friday, 7 p.m. to midnight ET timeslot. Delilah stated, “I hear from so many South Florida listeners.  The calls and dedications never stop coming, and I’m so glad to connect with everyone again on EASY 93.1 FM this summer.”

Tom Who? Katie Holmes Covers Elle - [ELLE]

Is Seth Meyers Heir Apparent To Regis' Former Chair - [THE INQUISITR]

Jerry Seinfeld Returns On The Web With 'Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee' - [WSJ]

Chris Rock Under Fire For July 4th Tweets - [MSNBC]

UH OH: Kris Humphries Ex Now Preggers - [TMZ]

UH OH: Rihanna Suing Ex Accountants For $$$$$$$$$ - [TIMES UNION]

Pink's 'The Truth About Love' Coming In September - [THR]

Real Housewives's Jill Arin Joins 'Good Afternoon America' - [OTRC]