Broadcasters Honored at Rhode Island Radio & TV Hall of Fame Induction Dinner
Above is the Class of 2026 (l-r): Heather Gersten, morning host, WWLI, Providence “Lite 105”; Jim Hummel, host “The Hummel Report” and WPRO Radio; Les Breault, longtime news photographer, WPRI-TV, Providence; Sara Wye, trailblazing WJAR-TV, Providence anchor and reporter; Will Gilbert, host of WPRI-TV’S “The Rhode Show” and WPRO-FM DJ; Art “Spencer” Soares, evening host WWLI, Providence “Lite 105”; Georgia Boyer, accepting posthumously for her father Bill Rappleye, longtime WJAR-TV, Providence reporter. Photo: Rob Rainville
Picture above are broadcasters who attended the dinner to support the inductees (from l-r): Joe Connolly, longtime WCBS, New York business editor; Phil Zachary, retired market manager, Saga Portland Radio Group; Doug Stephan, host, “The American Family Farmer” and “Talk Radio Countdown Show”; Bill Haberman, news director, WPRO, Providence; Chris Camp, retired news director, WSB, Atlanta, and previously WPRO; Holland Cooke, News/Talk consultant and TALKERS columnist; front: Dan Paquet, assistant news director, WJAR-TV, Providence.
media buying workflow.” The press release explains: “Unlike traditional automation, which follows predefined workflows, agentic media buying enables AI agents to evaluate campaign objectives, identify opportunities and execute approved media buying decisions dynamically within clearly defined business rules. Human expertise remains central to strategy, governance and oversight, while AI improves the speed, efficiency and adaptability of campaign execution.” The companies say they plan to implement the technology for broadcast audio in the near future.
Harris joined Red Apple Media on May 4 as VP of news for WABC and the new Worldwide News Network, which launched May 23. Six weeks later, Red Apple promoted him to SVP of news and programming, expanding his authority across WABC, WWNN and Red Apple Audio Networks. On August 12 – roughly 100 days after his hiring – company CEO / owner John Catsimatidis announced Harris’s departure. Catsimatidis stated he had requested Harris’s resignation following a dispute involving a longtime employee returning from medical leave. Red Apple later attributed the separation to differences involving “leadership style.” Harris said he had decided to return to his longtime independent business developing broadcast technology products, but neither side identified a replacement nor fully explained in detail whether Harris resigned voluntarily or was dismissed.
“another major milestone in JFMN’s strategic vision of building the nation’s premier independently owned News-Talk-Sports media network.” JFMN co-founder John Fredericks says, “As we continue to grow across America, Tennessee is a key market for our future. Our mission is simple: deliver compelling News-Talk-Sports programming that people can’t get anywhere else. We’re building platforms that serve our audience – not shareholders – and this expansion is another major step in that vision. We’re proving that News-Talk and Sports belong together. Our audience wants breaking news, honest opinion, and the teams they love – all from one trusted source. That’s exactly what we’re delivering.” 
programming strategy and content development for WABC Radio and Red Apple Audio Networks. Red Apple Media owner John Catsimatidis states, “Lee is a game-changing talent. His ability to build winning content, lead high-performing teams, and understand what audiences want is second to none. As we continue growing WABC Radio, the Worldwide News Network, and Red Apple Audio Networks, Lee will play a critical role in shaping our future and driving our success worldwide.” Harris, who spent nearly 30 years as a news anchor at 1010 WINS, joined Red Apple Media six weeks ago. He says, “Red Apple Media is one of the most exciting and innovative companies in broadcasting today. Under John’s vision and Chad [Lopez’s] leadership, the company is building something truly unique in American media. I’m honored by this opportunity and energized by the challenge ahead. Together, we’ll continue creating compelling programming, expanding our national and international footprint, and delivering content that informs, entertains, and connects with audiences across the country and around the world.”
courage, and unlikely twists that built the United States,” the story “uncovers the human drama behind America’s earliest, most pivotal moments. Listeners will meet settlers fighting to survive, preachers sparking mass revival, revolutionaries defying an empire, and founders struggling to invent a functioning nation.” The special will air on more than 350 affiliates of “The Glenn Beck Weekend Program” during the holiday weekend. It’s also available to talk stations in non-competing markets as early as Friday, July 3, and may be aired multiple times throughout the holiday weekend. 
Maryland. The award is given annually for excellence among radio and TV stations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The award is one of five first-place awards given to WBAL NewsRadio at the annual CAPBA banquet. WBAL director of programming and news director Jeff Wade says, “The WBAL NewsRadio team proves once again they are best-in-class in the region with this outstanding showing at the CAPBA Awards. We’re honored to win Outstanding News Operation for the second consecutive year – a testament to our staff’s consistent pursuit of excellence in broadcast journalism.”
chair Patrick Mara, but Fredericks says he thinks it’s important to try to build something for Republicans in deep-blue DC. In a campaign video, Fredericks says Republicans have “‘zero representation, zero respect, zero results’ — and [he] promises to promote an ‘agenda that’s going to make your life better: Get rid of the rats, lower rents.’” 
syndication.” Red Apple says is has brought aboard former CBS Radio broadcast journalists Michael Wallace, Cooper Lawrence, Bill Rehkopf, and Matt Pieper as “the first major hires in what will be a rapid buildout of the network’s team of elite news anchors, correspondents, writers, and producers.” Harris says, “We are assembling top-tier journalists and building a modern radio news operation rooted in speed, authority, and facts – one that stations can rely on and listeners can trust.” Red Apple Media owner and CEO John Catsimatidis adds, “Our mission is to be the most trusted news gathering organization in media. We are creating a powerful, around-the-clock newsroom designed to compete at the highest level of broadcast audio news. Facts are what will drive the Worldwide News Network. We’re looking forward to our expansion in the European markets.”
available to radio hosts and producers free of charge. Kaye says, “I built this for me. I needed a faster way to break down what the media was actually saying versus what they were leaving out. Then I showed it to a few people. Then a few more. And it hit me. Every American deserves this tool. Not just hosts. Not just journalists. Everyone.” Kaye says RightPen.ai’s signature feature is the trademark Red Pen Correction Tool, which marks up news articles and headlines the way an English teacher marks up a bad essay. Bias gets circled. Spin gets crossed out. Missing context gets added in. The corrections appear directly on the article itself. Hosts or producers interested can reach out to Mark Kaye at 
Club at an awards ceremony held last Friday (5/8). Snowden’s award-winning investigation centered on a high-profile TikTok personality and party promoter who organized a massive West Side gathering despite explicit police warnings regarding potential violence. The event, which drew nearly 1,000 attendees, was followed by three separate shootings that left two people dead. Sylvia’s report revealed the promoter was a Chicago Public Schools employee; her continued coverage tracked his initial suspension with pay and his eventual return to the classroom following a district investigation.
company outside of the New York City market. The station is currently airing a news/talk format of local, syndicated and brokered programming. Local air personalities include the daily morning show hosts Hank Stolz and Ben White (“Talk of the Commonwealth”) and longtime New England talk host Frankie Boyer who is heard in middays. Red Apple will assume operations under a local marketing agreement until the deal closes. Red Apple and Catsimatidis have made no indication of the company’s intent for future programming. 
Network, and Red Apple has recruited New York radio news legend Lee Harris to serve as vice president of news for WABC Radio and The Worldwide News Network. The company says, “The move positions WABC Radio and Red Apple Audio Networks for a dramatic next chapter, transforming the iconic New York news/talk station’s reach into a 24/7 global audio news presence fueled by streaming technology, smart speakers, mobile platforms, syndication, and digital distribution.” Red Apple owner John 
Catsimatidis says, “Today’s digital technology gives us the power to deliver the truth instantly, not just across America, but across Europe and around the globe. WABC Radio is already heard in all 50 states and in 178 countries through our multi-platform distribution. The Worldwide News Network is the natural next step in building a global destination for fair, balanced, no-nonsense news people can trust.” Lee Harris was the morning news anchor at 1010 WINS in New York for 30 years. Additionally, he has advised broadcasters throughout Europe and Asia, helped launch Moscow’s Kommersant FM as a U.S.-style all-news station, lectured at television and radio outlets across China through the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and served as director of integrated operations and New York bureau chief for cable startup NewsNation. Harris comments, “John Catsimatidis has never thought small, and this venture is no exception. The Worldwide News Network is an ambitious, forward-looking news platform designed for how people consume information today. I am thrilled to join Red Apple Media and WABC Radio at such a transformational moment and help build a news organization with both national strength and international reach.”
Holders of the company’s existing 9.200% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2028 agreed to exchange them for newly issued 10.000% Senior Secured Second Lien PIK Notes due 2027 at an exchange ratio of 50 cents on the dollar. On March 30, Beasley completed the purchase of $15.9 million aggregate principal amount of Existing First Lien Notes, and $15 million aggregate principal amount of the Existing First Lien Notes remains outstanding.