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From Radio Online: PURE Jingles, an audio branding firm based in Europe, appoints Andy Denemark as their new Branding Consultant for the U.S. market. Denemark is noted for his background in affiliate relations, marketing and industry communications, having worked with major radio ownership groups as well as local programmers. More...

From Radio Insight: Following the demise of Cumulus Media Rhythmic CHR “Hot 106.3” WWKX at the end of October, Michael ‘DJ Rukiz’ Costa’s The Juice Broadcasting Network LLC has begun operating Diaz Holdings’ 93.7 W229AN Providence and Audacy’s 103.7 WVEI-HD2 Westerly RI and will launch “The Juice 93.7” on Saturday, February 1. The station is currently stunting with Rhythmic Gold and teasing the new format. Costa was previously a DJ on the Sunday Urban programming on 95.5 WBRU Providence. He also operated “The Juice” brand as a pirate on 89.9 in Providence that received a Notice of Unlicensed Operation from the FCC in July 2018. more

From Radio Insight: Former United Stations EVP/Programming Andy Denemark has joined PURE Jingles as Branding Consultant for the United States. PURE describes the addition as bringing “expertise in affiliate relations, marketing, and industry communications, with a proven track record of collaborating with both major radio ownership groups and local programmers. His deep understanding of content creation, program distribution, and talent development will be instrumental in supporting PURE Jingles? clients across the country.” Denemark served as EVP/Programming at USRN from its founding in 1994 until January 2024 following its sale to Gemini XIII, most recently working as an advisor and working on special projects. After starting his career at WVBR Ithaca NY while in college, Denemark has spent his entire career in syndication first serving as Manager of Affiliate Relations for DIR Broadcasting and Director of Affiliate Relations for NBC Radio Networks. He would move over to Director of Programming Operations for NBC in 1983, rise to Director of Programming in 1985 and hold that role through the network?s sale to Westwood One until leaving for USRN in 1994. He commented, “I was fortunate to connect with the team at PURE Jingles and was immediately impressed by their innovative and customized approach to audio branding. PURE Jingles? commitment to helping stations stand out aligns perfectly with my passion for creativity and strategic development, I?m excited to help expand their presence and client base in the U.S. radio market.? PURE Jingles CEO Melvin Sleeking added, “Andy?s extensive experience and deep knowledge of the U.S. radio landscape make him an invaluable addition to our team. His expertise in affiliate relations, marketing, and sonic branding will enable him to guide and support radio stations in selecting impactful audio solutions. Together, we will further strengthen PURE Jingles? reputation as a pioneer in creative audio excellence, while building lasting partnerships in the U.S. marketplace.” more

From Radio Insight: SuperTalk Mississippi Media has announced the passing of morning host Paul Gallo at the age of 77. Gallo, who had been with the statewide Conservative Talk “SuperTalk Mississippi” network and its predecessors since 1990, had hosted mornings until taking a medical leave last September. The network is currently heard statewide on 12 stations based at 97.3 WFMN Flora/Jackson. Gallo began his radio career on his 21st birthday in February 1968 and held multiple on-air, programming, sales and ownership roles in his career. SuperTalk Mississippi Media owner Steve Davenport commented, “Mississippi has lost a giant today. For over 30 years he was my friend ? a true brother in broadcast and in life. To Paul, radio wasn?t just a career, it was a calling. His favorite part of the job, as he often said, was ?our audience family.? His listeners weren?t just numbers, they were the pulse of everything he did. He made everyone feel like they were sitting across the table from an old friend, drawn in by his voice and captivated by his unwavering passion for Mississippi. I will miss him dearly, just as I know people from all corners of this state will miss him.? more

From Radio Insight: Bonneville Classic Rock “103.5 The Arrow” KRSP-FM Salt Lake City has promoted weekend host Aaron Salazar to afternoons. Salazar previously served as APD/MD and Imaging Director or iHeartMedia’s trio of Hot AC ?My 99.5? KJMY, Soft AC ?Easy 99.1? K256AE and ?Rock 106.7? KAAZ from 2014 to 2020 where he had on-air roles at all three stations. He was also Assistant Promotions Director for Cumulus Salt Lake City from 2011-14 and held on-air roles at Classic Rock “K-Bear 101” KBER and Alternative “Alt 94.9” KHTB. He fills the lineup opening created by the exit of APD/afternoon host Gary ‘G-Man’ Michaels =AZU4UyV20ykXaxiTfYbwB3wBF3g8QJJUZReicZ2GM6hFFAViHIV8vKoxh6GmzfnScrbVAcytisHJHIcdJ0I-N8o4TK2e5uleKqMZ31LUJk3AX-kAOqjCNbCwaFaQq6PZMI9CWUz4_LNfB7u7Fz02cPpM&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R"]last November after 21 years with the station. more

From Radio Insight: With afternoon host ‘Papa Keith’ Walcott running for Commissioner Seat 3 for the City of Miramar FL, iHeartMedia Hip Hop “103.5 The Beat” WMIB Fort Lauderdale/Miami has recruited rapper and former “99 Jamz” WEDR morning host Trick Daddy to fill-in until the election. Trick Daddy and longtime collaborator Trina hosted mornings on WEDR from January 2020 until being part of a round of layoffs at Cox Media Group in September 2021. He released eight albums between 1997 and 2009 and regularly collaborated with other Miami rappers such as Luther Campbell, Pitbull and DJ Khaled. He also starred on multiple seasons of VH1 reality show Love and Hip Hop: Miami. The election for which Walcott is running is scheduled for March 11 View this post on Instagram A post shared by 1035 The Beat Miami (@thebeatmiami) more

From Radio Insight: After 24 years at iHeartMedia Providence and a decade co-hosting afternoons at Rock 94.1 WHJY, Steve Scarpetti will depart the “Doug & Scarpetti Show” and his role as Promotion Director on Friday, January 24. Scarpetti =AZW55bzC8iIBWiNZ5UT9nJgKNK3XtrRQ0ioHVIgonfHhFbDyhGLsdFz-ibQe-Orsxt3kc_qXm6-t-IuYmMIRhmvbwpL0ydRzPhL0zfg2ui8k56rv9hBtfusWRbV9RD32Xkgbutb9WMLG-gmGz_QRusxqXh_0hsxptwv8Wn0HiKb1z3BkYBrvarDK-8mcgeexkC0&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R"]wrote, “Yes, it’s true. After a 25 yr run, I’ve decided to step away from my full time duties on-air at HJY as part of the Doug and Scarpetti Show and as Promotions director. An amazing opportunity came up and I’d be crazy to not take it. It’s been a hell of a run. I got to live my radio dream. From meeting my heroes, concerts, station trips and working with some of the best talent in radio. It’s a part of my life that I will always cherish.” Scarpetti has been with the iHeartMedia Providence cluster since 2001. He served as Promotions Coordinator until rising to Promotions Director in 2007. He began hosting overnights on WHJY in 2012 and then joined Doug Palmieri in afternoons in 2015. He will continue fill-in at the station and will host they station’s “The Metal Zone” on Saturday overnights. more

From Radio Insight: FCC ActionsHubbard?s Advertising Agency’s Gospel 930 WLLL Lynchburg VA received a Notice of Violation for five potential violations. The enforcement bureau noted the following issues: 1) a portion of the wooden fence had fallen and no longer enclosed the antenna structure, 2) the station did not drop from its 9kW daytime authorization to its 42 watt nighttime authorization at sunset, 3) after being contacted by agents its Vice President stated personnel were unable to meet with the agents and then failed to reply to further communication to schedule an inspection, 4) all lighting on the station’s tower failed to operate and no NOTAM was filed with the FAA, and 5) no transfer of control application has been filed following owner Fletcher Hubbard’s death in 2023. The FCC has issued a Notice of Violation to Apple 107.1, Inc.’s 107.9 W300EI New York for producing spurious emissions when monitored by the enforcement bureau in April 2024. Agents at the time noted that emissions from its transmitter on 133.65 MHz were not attenuated at least 67 dB below the carrier as required by its authorized power. After withdrawing its proposed $3000 penalty for failing to timely file its license renewal application last week, the FCC has now initiated a proceeding to revoke the license of Cobra Broadcasting LLC?s 95.9 KBRA Freer TX for failing to pay FCC regulatory fees in 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021 and 2022. KBRA owes a combined $7,553.84 plus accrued interest. Pirate ActionsS-1595 Blue Hill Avenue Realty Trust has been issued a Notice of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting for a tenant operating a pirate signal on 1620 AM in Boston. A 2022 article in the Brockton Enterprise identifies Pelege Marcellin as the “owner” of the station, which was also operating on 1640 as Haitian “Radio Energy Boston“. Leison A. Guzman-Baez and Rosnery Perez of Norwalk CT issued a Notice of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting for a station operating on 87.9 from their property in Norwalk. Station ModificationsDue to FCC’s LMS database being offline, these will return next week. Call Letter Changes88.3 NEW Jacksonville NC -> WLPJ (effective 1/23) 90.3 KSAI Salem OR -> KAIS (effective 1/21) 90.9 WJIJ Rocky Mount VA -> WFIJ (effective 1/20) 91.3 NEW Valdez AK -> KCHU-FM (effective 1/21) 91.3 NEW Clinton OK -> KRSO (effective 1/20) 91.5 KAIA Bloomfield MO -> KBAI (effective 1/21) 100.5 WDRE Susquehanna PA -> WVYP (effective 1/19) 1190 WWIO St. Mary?s GA -> WPAA (effective 1/20) 1570 WBZO Riverhead NY -> WDRE (effective 1/19) more

From Radio Insight: Nielsen continues its releases of the December 2024 continuous diary market and Fall 2024 biannual ratings surveys today. Today’s markets include monthly ratings for Akron, Bakersfield, Charleston SC, Harrisburg/Lebanon/Carlisle, and Omaha/Council Bluffs. Fall ratings for Canton, Hagerstown/Chambersburg, Lancaster PA, Lincoln, Myrtle Beach, New London, Wilmington DE, and York. The next three releases will feature: On Tuesday, January 21: December monthly ratings for Columbia SC, Des Moines, Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville NC, Little Rock, Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz, Spokane, and Springfield MA. Fall ratings for Gainesville/Ocala, Hot Springs, and Stockton. On Wednesday, January 22: December monthly ratings for Colorado Springs, Madison, Mobile, Toledo and Wichita. Fall ratings for Boise, Daytona Beach, Fort Pierce/Stuart/Vero Beach, Fort Walton Beach/Destin, Lakeland/Winter Haven, Melbourne/Titusville/Cocoa, Pensacola, Pueblo, Salina/Manhattan, and Topeka. On Thursday, January 23: December monthly ratings for Chattanooga and Huntsville. Fall ratings for Atlantic City/Cape May, Augusta GA, Fort Wayne, Lexington/Fayette, Munice/Marion, Roanoke/Lynchburg, Sussex, Trenton, and Worcester. more

From Radio Insight: Strong Tower Christian Media is launching a digital Christian Rock brand “Iron-FM“. Positioning as “Where One Man Sharpens Many,” the station is featuring current artists such as Audio Adrenaline, Disciple, Switchfoot, Pillar, and Bone Prophet and older artists Petra, Guardian, Fear Not, X-Sinner, and Glen Kaiser. The station is being programmed by Matt Talluto, who moves over from hosting nights at Strong Tower’s Contemporary Worship “Hope 100.7” WEEC Springfield OH. Prior to joining Strong Tower in October 2023, Talluto spent his career in commercial Rock radio with time programming WFTK Cincinnati and WBYR Fort Wayne. He also has held on-air roles at stations including six years in afternoons at WHQG Milwaukee plus an earlier 10 year run at WBYR. Talluto said, ?Iron-FM gives Christians who like to rock a station that does it just as good as the secular. And I believe this new format can, and will, compete with any market leading secular rock station. Only delivering a positive message for men 25-54, with a focus on the 35-49 cell. Iron-FM gives dads and sons something to inspire them now!? Strong Tower CEO Tracy Figley commented, ?I?m very excited about this new opportunity to reach a new demo for the cause of Christ and Matt?s background in rock and his passion for Jesus are just the formula to impact the Kingdom.? The company says it is considering adding terrestrial signals for the brand in the Dayton OH market. more

From Radio Online: Premiere Networks has announced the launch of a new podcast entitled "The 47 Morning Update," hosted by Ben Ferguson, a radio personality, podcaster and political commentator. The program, set to debut on January 20, will be available from Monday to Friday with an additional weekly recap every Saturday. More...

From Radio Insight: It?s been a busy few months for the bilingual AC format that combines English-language Classic Hits, a few more recent Spanish-language ballads, and Spanish speaking announcers.* Through October, iHeart had replicated the success of WMIA (Magic 93.9) Miamiat only two other stations. But in the last two months of the year, there were flips at Cox?s WOEX (Hits 96.5) Orlando, Fla.,Waterloo?s KLZT-HD2 (Latino 97.1) Austin, Texas, and iHeart?s own KXXM (Mix 96.1) San Antonio, Texas,which became the first iHeart station to outright drop the CHR format, leaving a hole in the market. Finally, on January 10, Emmis switched WEPN (TJ98.7) New York, launched as a ?pop-up? Hot AC station during an ongoing search for a buyer, to bilingual AC as La Exitosa 98.7. The previous format had seemed to be positioned between iHeart?s CHR WHTZ (Z100) and Hot AC WKTU. This one was more aimed at their AC powerhouse WLTW (Lite FM), as well as Audacy?s Classic Hits WCBS-FM. The station is still powered by Radio.Cloud?s browser-based operating system, which actually got an on-air shout-out on TJ98.7. We took a ?First Listen? to La Exitosa, as well as Hits 96.5 and Mix 96.1. (We updated Magic 93.9 on a separate Miami listen last week.) As you might expect, the stations differ from each other in the same way that different owners? Mainstream ACs might. Like Cox?s AC stations, WOEX plays a few edgier new titles. It also plays only one Spanish title an hour, while La Exitosa and Magic 93.9 play a few more. * Exitosa is jockless at this writing. San Antonio and Orlando have the higher-energy jocking still found more commonly in Spanish-language radio. (I hadn?t heard Mix 96.1 near the end, but chances are now that it?s more enjoyable uptempo in that regard than its CHR predecessor.) Here?s La Exitosa 98.7 on its first evening at 11:10, January 10: DHT, ?Listen to Your Heart? (ballad version) Heart, ?Alone? Franco DeVita, ?No Basta? * Natalie Imbruglia, ?Torn? John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John, ?You?re the One That I Want? OMD, ?If You Leave? Chayanne, ?Atado a Tu Amor? Celine Dion, ?My Heart Will Go On? Bananarama, ?Cruel Summer? ?N Sync, ?Bye Bye Bye? La Quinta Estacion, ?Algo Mas? Starship, ?Nothing?s Gonna Stop Us Now? Here?s Hits 96.5 at 4:00 p.m., January 14 with Luis Angel: Fugees, ?Killing Me Softly? Marc Anthony, ?Se Esfuma Tu Amor? Madonna, ?Like a Prayer? Lauv, ?I Like Me Better? Jennifer Lopez, ?Waiting for Tonight? Bonnie Tyler, ?Total Eclipse of the Heart? Lifehouse, ?You and Me? Mariah Carey, ?Dreamlover? Kenny Loggins, ?Footloose? Katy Perry, ?Firework? Verve, ?Bitter Sweet Symphony? Dan Hartman, ?I Can Dream About You? Backstreet Boys, ?Everybody (Backstreet?s Back)? Alicia Keys, ?Fallin?? Here?s Mix 96.1 at 5 p.m., January 14: Culture Club, ?Karma Chamelon? Whitney Houston, ?I?m Every Woman? George Michael, ?One More Try? Outfield, ?Your Love? Juanes & Nelly Furtado, ?Fotografia? Phil Collins, ?One More Night? Shaggy, ?Angel? Katrina & the Waves, ?Walking on Sunshine? Gloria Estefan, ?Don?t Wanna Lose You? Backstreet Boys, ?All I Have to Give? A-Ha, ?Take on Me? Bee Gees, ?More Than a Woman? more

From Radio Insight: In its filing with the FCC for the acquisition of seven Christian AC stations from Salem Media Group, K-Love Inc. (formerly Educational Media Foundation) has revealed what network each station will carry. Four stations will join the Christian AC “K-Love” network: 102.7 KBIQ Manitou Springs/Colorado Springs, 94.9 KLTY Arlington/Dallas, 103.9 KKFS Lincoln/Sacramento, and 95.5 WFHM Cleveland. The other three will join Contemporary Worship “Air 1“: 104.1 KFIS Scoppoose/Portland, 104.7 WFSH Athens/Atlanta, and 95.9 KFSH La Mirada/Anaheim. K-Love Inc. will begin operating all seven stations via Network Affiliation Agreement on Saturday, February 1. The Salem stations have begun informing their audiences of the upcoming changes. KLTY is planning special programming for its final day on January 31. Additionally it will have a “Goodbye KLTY” event at a church on Saturday, January 25. RUMOR MILL: Is K-Love close to another multi-station/multi-market deal with another commercial station group that the company has made previous deals with? more

From Radio Online: MTV Entertainment Studios, iHeartPodcasts and 101 Studios have announced the launch of the "Yellowstone Official Podcast," an eight-episode limited series that serves as an audio companion to the critically acclaimed television series "Yellowstone." The podcast will premiere on Thursday, January 23, More...

From Radio Online: Veteran Madison personality Krista Hatcher has broadened her presence on iHeartMedia's WZEE (Z104), now airing from 2-7pm daily. Alongside her extended radio show, Hatcher continues to engage her audience through "The Madtown Mom Squad" podcast available on iHeart's platform and participates actively with More...

From Radio Insight: Champlin Broadcasting Conservative Talk “Freedom 96.9” KQOB Enid/Oklahoma City is adding Lee Matthews to host afternoons from 4-7pm. Matthews most recently served as Director of Talk Programming for iHeartMedia Oklahoma City and PD/afternoon host at 1000 KTOK Oklahoma City and “1300 The Patriot” KAKC Tulsa until being part of the company’s layoffs in November that resulted in the station eliminating all local programming. He previously also hosted mornings at KTOK. KQOB currently airs the final hour of Dana Loesch and the first two hours of Joe Pags in the 4-7pm timeslot. more

From Radio Online: Red Apple Music Networks is expanding its national syndication with the addition of "Cousin Brucie" Morrow's program, "Cousin Brucie's Rock andamp; Roll Party." The show, which airs live on Saturdays from 6-10pm ET, features the renowned personality Bruce "Cousin Brucie" Morrow, who has been a staple in the music More...

From Radio Online: iHeartMedia appoints Joyce Wirthlin as Market President for its six-station cluster in Salt Lake City, effective immediately. Since joining iHeartMedia in 1998, Wirthlin has risen through the ranks, initially serving as Vice President of Sales before her recent role as Senior VP of Sales. Prior to More...

From Radio Insight: iHeartMedia has promoted Joyce Wirthlin to Market President of its Salt Lake City cluster. Wirthlin has been with the cluster since 1998 first as VP/Sales and then SVP/Sales since 2006. She previously was a Senior Account Executive for Citadel Communications Salt Lake City. She commented, “?I am deeply honored to be appointed Market President of iHeartMedia Salt Lake City and grateful for the trust placed in me to lead this exceptional team. The people here are the core of our success. Together, we are eager to build upon our achievements and continue to shape the future of media in Salt Lake City.? iHeartMedia Division President Nick Gnau commented, “I am very excited to have Joyce leading this team in Salt Lake City. Since the day I started working with Joyce, I was impressed with her leadership, the culture she has built with her team and the deep knowledge of the market. I have no doubt that she will propel this team to the next level!” Wirthlin fills the opening created by Judy Copier’s move from Salt Lake City to become Region President for iHeart’s Orlando/Melbourne FL region. more

From Radio Insight: Red Apple Audio Networks is taking “Cousin Brucie?s Rock & Roll Party” national. Hosted by ‘Cousin Brucie’ Morrow, the show has aired on Red Apple Media’s Conservative Talk 770 WABC New York since September 2020. It marked a return to the station that made him famous as he hosted nights at WABC during the peak of its Top 40 era from 1961 to 1974. Morrow also worked in New York with stints at 1010 WINS, 660 WNBC, and 101.1 WCBS-FM along with station ownership across the northeast and spent fifteen years at SiriusXM’s “60s on 6” from 2005 to 2020. “Cousin Brucie?s Rock & Roll Party” airs live Saturdays from 6-10pm ET and becomes Red Apple’s second syndicated music show joining Joe Piscopo’s “Sundays with Sinatra”. The show includes a guest artist with previous guests including Ringo Starr, Frankie Valli, Darlene Love, Dion DiMucci of Dion & The Belmonts, Mike Love of The Beach Boys, and Ronnie Spector. Red Apple Media owner Catsimatidis said, “We are giving radio stations across America the opportunity to experience the success we have had with Cousin Brucie in New York. Brucie is passionate about his show, the music, and his listeners and that is a large part of why his fans are so loyal. Morrow added, “Cousins, being on radio again, playing the best music, and connecting with listeners is as exciting for me now as it was in 1964. The magic of radio, the beauty of theater of the mind is unduplicated. I’m looking forward to the fun we?re going to have on radio stations across America!? Red Apple Media/WABC President Chad Lopez said, “The goal with our networks is to deliver top-quality programming and nationally recognizable talent like Cousin Brucie to radio stations across the country. Brucie has unparalleled access to the artists who performed the biggest hits of the 50s and 60s, bringing listeners closer to the music they love.? more

From Radio Insight: The bankruptcy trustee overseeing the divestiture of JAM Media Solutions has found a buyer for their Muscatine IA stations. John and Joey Krieger’s Krieger Media Company will acquire Classic Country 860 KWPC/95.1 K236CF and Rock “93.1 The Buzz” KMCS Muscatine for $250,000. The Kriegers previously owned multiple car dealerships in the Muscatine area until selling them in 2022. K-Love Inc. (formerly Educational Media Foundation) will purchase 103.3 WIXM Waterbury/Burlington VT and 107.7 W299AM Lebanon NH from Northeast Broadcast & Digital for $50,000. WIXM began airing K-Love’s “Air 1” network in November ahead of the sale. Joseph and Sydney Sugg’s King & Co. Radio will purchase 49% of King-Sullivan Radio Inc. from the Deanna J. Sullivan Living Trust for $160,000. The company owns 92.1 KHPQ Clinton and 1110 KGFL/94.7 K234BV Clinton and 97.3 K247CQ Guy AR. Sid King will continue to own 51% of the company. The Suggs’ Red River Radio Inc. owns 101.9 KSUG in nearby Heber Springs. Gordon Ackley’s GARK LLC sells 96.1 WWKS Charlotte Amalie and 105.3 WVJZ Charlotte Amalie/103.1 W276CH Frederickted in the Virgin Islands to Victor Webster’s Vic Web Radio LLC for $450,000 plus 50% of the accounts receivable at closing. The deal will be paid over 57 monthly payments of $5357.14. GARK retains 102.1 WIVI Cruz Bay VI. Susan Loch’s Trinity Broadcast Associates is donating Christian/Conservative Talk 1180 WFYL King of Prussia/Philadelphia PA to non-profit Lighthouse Support. The donee is run by Daniel and Margaret Huber, who also own a network of Christian television stations “Lighthouse TV” including WBPH Bethlehem/Philadelphia and WLYH Red Lion/Harrisburg along with a number of LPTVs. Translator SalesOconee Communications Company buys 95.9 W240EK Athens GA from Kristopher ‘KJ Allen’ Kendrick’s Mopatches LLC for $20,000 . The translator has been rebroadcasting the buyer’s stations since 2011, most recently as Adult R&B “95.9 The Beat of Athens” via 810 WYZI Royston GA since July 2022. Sale WithdrawalsSummitMedia has withdrawn its $90,000 sale of 1320 WENN/92.3 W222BK Birmingham AL to Mark and Diane Snow?s Community Broadcasters of Alabama LLC. The deal had been filed in March 2024. WENN, which had been silent, resumed operations as Beautiful Music “Beautiful 1320“. more

From Radio Insight: Nielsen continues its releases of the December 2024 continuous diary market and Fall 2024 biannual ratings surveys today. Today’s markets include monthly ratings for Albuquerque, Allentown/Bethlehem, El Paso, Fresno, Honolulu, Knoxville, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Fall ratings for Johnson City/Kingsport/Bristol, Las Cruces, and Williamsport. The next three releases will feature: On Friday, January 17: December monthly ratings for Akron, Bakersfield, Charleston SC, Harrisburg/Lebanon/Carlisle, and Omaha/Council Bluffs. Fall ratings for Canton, Hagerstown/Chambersburg, Lancaster PA, Lincoln, Myrtle Beach, New London, Wilmington DE, and York. On Tuesday, January 21: December monthly ratings for Columbia SC, Des Moines, Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville NC, Little Rock, Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz, Spokane, and Springfield MA. Fall ratings for Gainesville/Ocala, Hot Springs, and Stockton. On Wednesday, January 22: December monthly ratings for Colorado Springs, Madison, Mobile, Toledo and Wichita. Fall ratings for Boise, Daytona Beach, Fort Pierce/Stuart/Vero Beach, Fort Walton Beach/Destin, Lakeland/Winter Haven, Melbourne/Titusville/Cocoa, Pensacola, Pueblo, Salina/Manhattan, and Topeka. more

From Radio Online: Cumulus Media promotes Laura Dickerson to the role of Assistant Program Director and on-air host for CHR WWWQ-FM (Q99.7) in Atlanta. Dickerson, who will continue to serve as Music Director for co-owned 104.1 KRBE in Houston will host middays on Q99.7, weekdays from 11am-3pm. Since joining Cumulus Media More...

From Radio Insight: President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Senate staffer Olivia Trusty to fill the fifth spot on the FCC. If confirmed, Trusty, who is currently a staffer for Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker, will fill the fifth spot at the FCC being vacated by outgoing chair Jessica Rosenworcel. Trusty is currently policy director on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Olivia will work with our incredible new Chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr, to cut regulations at a record pace, protect Free Speech, and ensure every American has access to affordable and fast internet.” more

From Radio Online: President-elect Donald Trump has announced his nomination of Olivia Trusty, a Senate aide, as a Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Trusty, currently serving as the policy director on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, is backed by her long experience on More...

From Radio Online: Westwood One, the long-standing official audio partner of the National Football League (NFL), is set to provide live coverage of the NFL Divisional Round playoffs this weekend on January 18th and 19th. This year marks the 38th consecutive season Westwood One has partnered with the More...

From Radio Online: Milwaukee has lost a local hero and a national treasure in Bob Uecker, who has died at the age of 90. Known affectionately as "Mr. Baseball," Uecker's voice was synonymous with Milwaukee Brewers baseball, a post he held steadfastly since 1971. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Uecker's journey in baseball More...

From Radio Insight: I have to start my look at last year’s influential stations by talking about the year before. In 2023, radio had something we hadn?t seen for a while: instant success stories at radio stations that found a hole in the market. One of them was in an existing format that the market had allowed to become unoccupied, Cox?s Adult R&B WTBV (The Vibe) Tampa.This year, that station went on to post record numbers for its frequency, as did the station that inspired it, WCFB (Star 94.5) Orlando. The other was less precedented: the Spanish-language presentation of (mostly) English-language Classic Hits on WMIA (Magic 93.9) Miami,which found an opening in a market where similar music was easy to find elsewhere, and even more available now. In October, I asked aloud why we hadn?t seen more stations inspired by Magic 93.9. Seemingly within minutes, we had them including WOEX (Hits 96.5) Orlando, Fla.; KXXM (Mix 96.1) San Antonio; and, last week, WEPN (Exitosa 98.7) New York. Each list of Intriguing Stations is meant to be not just the previous year?s winners but also successful launches, comebacks, and trendsetters. This year?s list is informed by how many of 2023?s stations remained viable or influential. If you?re wondering why I didn?t mention somebody, perhaps it?s here. Many of 2024?s biggest format launches were previous trends, from 2023 or before, still playing out: The excitement about gold-based Alternative prompted a similar Canadian mini-boom this year, led by CFGQ (The Edge) Calgary.Earlier this month, gold-based Alternative came even to ?94.3 XYZ? Fort Walton Beach, Fla. It?s not a 2023 trend, but we?re still getting new throwback Hip-Hop outlets. ROR readers were excited about the return of WJHM (102 Jamz) Orlando,joining evolving sisters WPOW (Power 96) Miamiand KQKS (KS104) Denver. There were new Classic Country outlets, including KPLZ (101.5 Hank FM) Seattle and, as 2025 began, a new personal favorite for depth and breadth, Eastern North Carolina?s WLGT/WSTK.The year also kicked off, as others have recently, with a barrage of new Jack-FMs and KCKC (Kansas City)?smove from AC to Bob FM. But if it was the ?new, new? you want from this column, there was Hitradio AI,a streaming CHR driven entirely by listeners? AI-powered submissions. Fully explaining the station demanded its own profile, so I wrote one last week. So far, the station is unhosted, but AI breaks are on the way, and there is already an AI-generated podcast. In many years, there?s not a new music-based format to write about because Top 40 co-opts any trend before it can become a format unto itself. There were a number of resurgent heritage CHRs in 2024, including WKST (96.1 Kiss) Pittsburgh and WHTZ (Z100) New York, whose No. 1 25-54 finish last fall is a column unto itself. But KIIS Los Angelesdeserves special mention for being at the forefront of a surge in ?voice of the listener? female pop, particularly as CHR?s most prominent female-programmed station. (It was also a showplace for K-Pop?s resurgence.) I also appreciated PD Beata Murphy and MD Sisanie?s continued enterprise on new music, something which I value more than ever. (Obviously, it?s hard to talk about KIIS only in music and radio terms this week, but I wanted to acknowledge its programming influence first.) I wrote about both Capital UKand BBC Radio 1in August after Britain?s heritage CHRs began posting their best London numbers in years. Hearing the battle in person last summer was a reminder that UK CHR still has superior variety because of its greater dance presence and BBC1 still including rock. In the UK, radio still rules the Ubers, and that?s in part because of an easy-to-use digital tier. (I also wrote about the battle between London?s two digital R&B Oldies outlets, something even the U.S. doesn?t have.) At the other end of the Top 40 spectrum, I?ve often cited WIXX Green Bay, Wis.,as one of the smaller-market pop-leaning CHRs that remained healthy even among the format?s travails. This year, it rated a ?Fresh Listen? as the station where Top 40 and Country most converged. WXLK (K92) Roanoke, Va.,reemerged last year as another successful version of that model, and a confirmation of the ongoing value of well-used music research. I appreciate PD Chris Ryan?s participation in the state-of-the-format dialogue this year. If I?d been writing this column 35 years ago, WWBX (Mix 104.1) Boston predecessor WBMX (Mix 98.5) would have been highlighted as one of the first Rhythmic AC stations, or maybe a few years later as one of Modern AC?s prominent stations. Last year, as a mainstream Adult Top 40, it was a market leader, largely on the strength of strong personality through the day, something other Hot ACs drifted away from because of PPM. It remains the top current-driven station at this writing. Personality also drove the success of Top 40 Nova 100 Melbourne. The expansion of Sydney?s Kyle & Jackie O to a second market prompted a ton of national media coverage, as well as the usual declarations that ?live and local? wouldn?t be enough in the face of great content. As it happened, Nova?s Jase & Lauren ? bounced from their previous station to make room for the other show ? turned out to be more than just live and local. They?re the dominant music show in the market and actually up to an 11.5 share at year?s end. Also, for Soft AC fans, co-owned Smooth FM was No. 1 in Melbourne and Sydney in that survey. I?ve written about Audacy Country sister WPAW (The Wolf) Greensboro, N.C., for its music enterprise in years past. This year, Audacy?s Country outlets as a group were among the early champions of some of the fast-breaking streaming titles that reflected the ongoing evolution of the format and its charts. At the other end of the Country format, sister*KKMJ-HD3 (95.9 Texas Country) Austin moved quickly when KOKE, a longtime column favorite, went online-only following a sale, and was seeing ratings results at year?s end. (It?s also gratifying that KOKE has, thus far, remained hosted.)*It was also gratifying to see that*WWWF (The Wolf) Long Island, N.Y.,*was still able to repatriate some of the listening displaced when Audacy exited Country in New York, even several years later. KINK Portlandhas long had a template of Triple-A with a focus on pop crossovers (and now on streaming) that each PD seems to execute a little differently. This year, it had its best ratings in more than 30 years under PDs Ken Benson and Max Dugan. KINK also inspired AlternativeCIND (Indie 88) Toronto to an evolution under PD Ian March and new owners that was similarly intended, but very different on a song-to-song basis, in part because of the ongoing strength of Canadian Alternative product. There?s usually a new take on the ?AM Gold? era among each year?s Intriguing Stations. This year it was WJIB Boston, evolving from one of the few remaining Easy Listening outlets, and streaming for the first time under new owner John Garabedian. Because of the station?s heritage, it was both older and newer than many of its counterparts. XEPRS San Diego returned to Oldies this year with a unique twist ? it was built around airchecks of former star announcer Wolfman Jack and other legendary L.A. talent. On the mainstream Classic Hits side, it was gratifying to see the growth of WLS-FM Chicago, particularly since returning its signature jingle to the air. There are always follow-up articles to “Intriguing,” and you can probably expect one covering all the Classic Hits stations I personally liked for one reason or another shortly. In the early ?00s, I was excited on Nashville trips to hear then-local WAYM (Way-FM) doing an early attempt at Christian CHR. Now, Scott Herrold of owner Hope Media says that new Spanish-language sister Vida Unida, which was still expanding as 2025 began, is finding a ?considerably younger? audience that remains loyal to radio and represents an opportunity for broadcasters. One of the gratifying developments of 2024 was the addition of station pre-sets and a market scan to the iHeart Radio app, part of the better organization of listeners? infinite choices that I?ve been hoping for. SiriusXM announced at year?s end that it would shift focus away from its app, where rapidly proliferating choices had diluted some of their ease-of-use, but I was glad it brought us Yacht Soul first. I?ve also been enjoying K-Love Popand K-Love ?80s as I delve into the Christian AC network?s new suite of side channels. The thing I would most like to write about in 2025 is a galvanizing new app that comes from helps grow radio; for 18 months, I’ve been saying that broadcasters should consider the prospect of life without TikTok in those terms. Some of the Intriguing Stations of 2024 were more about infrastructure than format. At April?s NAB, Radioinsight?s Lance Venta noted the number of new playout systems that drastically reduced radio?s back end. Within months, we got to hear those on the air. Super Hi-Fi?s AI-driven suite was added in several markets, but Beasley?s WPBB (The Shark) Tampa was a good-sounding ?Classic Rock that Rocks? outlet where you could hear it in action. 2024 was a year when some of the most-compelling radio was the radio that you didn?t want to hear, including Wayne Cabot?s bravura sign-off of all-news WCBS-AM New York. So it?s gratifying to report that Stephen King?s WKIT Bangor, Maine,found a buyer at year?s end, even if two sister stations did not, saving it from being a market-leading FM that signed off anyway (particularly since WKIT is what you?d want from an independently-owned Heritage Rock station in terms of musical uniqueness). In 2024, the great radio you really didn’t want to hear was from Western North Carolina. Pointing out radio?s necessity in an emergency–something that happened a lot for various reasons in 2024–sometimes sounds mercenary, or sometimes like it’s all we have to offer. But Asheville is a great radio market that has always had lots of great choice and sense-of-place.*Hearing Asheville?s iHeart and Saga clusters and non-comm WNCW in October was a reminder that nobody wants to be pressed into service after a disaster, particularly the broadcasters themselves who had to triage help for others when their own world was in chaos. It was also a reminder that radio works best when it is the nerve center for its community every day. * Sadly, whether in Asheville or New Orleans in 2005 or Los Angeles in 2025, all generations of listeners can now too regularly experience a Hindenburg broadcast in real time, except one that lasts for weeks, not minutes, and where announcer Herbert Morrison is himself in peril. This column was originally scheduled for last Thursday, and if it still sounds trifling to talk about mere radio programming at a moment like this, part of what keeps radio relevant to listeners is what it does under less dire circumstances, so that we can be there for them in crisis. I asked Facebook friends for their station suggestions as well. See those here, or please share your Intriguing Stations of 2024. more

From Radio Online: Cox Media Group (CMG) appoints David Abel as the new Vice President andamp; Market Manager for CMG Atlanta Radio, effective February 17. His radio career began in New Orleans, followed by an 11-year tenure in leadership roles at Cox Radio's stations in Birmingham, Orlando and Greenville. He later served as the More...

From Radio Insight: Cox Media Group San Antonio VP/Market Manager David Abel is relocating to oversee the company’s Atlanta radio properties. Abel has led Cox San Antonio since March 2019. He has also served as VP/Radio for Griffin Communications Tulsa, VP/GM for Apex Broadcasting in Charleston SC where he also held the dual role of Chief Operating Officer of their New Point Digital subsidiary, and held sales manager roles for Cox in Birmingham, Greenville, and Orlando during his career. Abel commented, “My journey with Cox Media Group started nearly 25 years ago, and it has been a privilege working alongside the many talented and dedicated team members in San Antonio and throughout our company. I am looking forward to working with CMG?s flagship radio brands and serving our team, listeners, customers, and communities throughout Atlanta.? Cox EVP/Radio Rob Babin said, “It?s always rewarding to promote from within CMG. I?m confident that David?s experience and expertise will help us achieve new milestones and drive our vision forward while we work daily to serve our audiences, clients, and talented employees at CMG Atlanta.? He will oversee a Cox Atlanta radio cluster that includes News/Talk 750 WSB/95.5 WSBB, Classic Rock “97.1 The River” WSRV, AC “B98.5” WSB-FM, and Adult R&B “Kiss 104.1” WALR-FM. In Atlanta Abel fills the opening created by the resignation of Jaliegh Long in November. more