Activity Stream

From Radio Online: Krol Communications hires veteran air personality Chuck Edwards as morning co-host for WHMI-FM in Detroit. He'll join Madison June for 5-10am weekdays beginning July 15. For over 20 years, Edwards had been a Country radio mainstay in Detroit, where he co-hosted afternoons with the late Linda Lee for sixteen More...

From Radio Insight: Radio One R&B Oldies “Classix 107.9” WPPZ Pennsauken NJ/Philadelphia has added veteran New York personality Shaila Scott. Scott will host middays from 9am to 2pm as she fills the midday daypart most recently held by former Program Director Jay Dixon until his exit in late 2023. Scott, who began her career at WBLK Buffalo, worked at 107.5 WBLS New York from 1988 until 1994 and again from 2012 until not renewing her contract in June 2022. In between, she was at “98.7 Kiss-FM” WRKS until its IP was merged into WBLS. A lawsuit against WBLS owner MediaCo Holdings over allegations of discrimination and retaliation remains pending. She had most recently been hosting weekends/fill-ins at Audacy Classic Hip Hop “94.7 The Block” WXBK New York. more

From Radio Insight: Translator SalesChristopher Murray’s Georgia’s Greatest Hits LLC will purchase 102.1 W271CV Atlanta from Immanuel Broadcasting Network for $530,000. W271CV operates as part of Murray’s “Fox FM” Classic Hits network across Georgia including 1260 WMDG/100.1 W261DL East Point, 1090 WBAF/104.9 W285FK Barnesville, 1370 WFDR/97.3 W247CJ Manchester, 1350 WBML/95.5 W238CG Warner Robins and 94.7 W234CQ Macon. W271CV will continue to be fed by WMDG. Station SalesJVC Media will acquire Silent 1570 WFTU/104.9 W285FX Riverhead NY from Five Towns College for no cash considerations. Instead JVC agrees to give priority to Five Towns College students for internships, participate in its cooperative education program, move the facilities to a new location, dedicate ten hours per week across its cluster for programming created by students, and change the call letters immediately. WFTU will join a JVC cluster that includes “My Country 96.1” WJVC Center Moriches, Classic Hits “Big 98.1” W251BY Patchouge/WPTY-HD2, Spanish CHR “98.5 La Fiesta” WBON Westhampton, Conservative Talk “LI News Radio 103.9” WRCN-FM Riverhead, Rhythmic Hot AC “Party 105.3” WPTY Calverton-Roanoke, and Spanish Talk “En Vivo” 1440 WLIM Medford/93.3 W227CL Port Jefferson. Sauk Valley Broadcasting Company sells Oldies 94.3 WLLT Polo IL to Peter Harkness’ White Rabbit Broadcasting with the purchase price split as $300,000 for the station assets, $500,000 for the tower site property, and $150,000 for the station real estate. The deal also includes a three year non-compete agreement for seller Anna Burns. Harkness owns local car dealerships. Journey Church of Tifton acquires 97.1 WVXY Axson and 102.3 WSIZ-FM Jacksonville GA and translators 98.1 W251AU Ocilla and 99.9 W260BU Douglas from holding companies of the estate of Victor M. Vickers for $175,000. The buyer will convert the stations to non-commercial status joining their existing network of 1340 WTIF/99.9 W260AT Tifton, 107.5 WTIF-FM, and 105.7 WFFM Ashburn. Vickers will also make a $25,000 donation to the church as part of the deal. CSN International purchase 89.9 KFRS Soledad CA and translators 90.5 K213BZ Richvale and 89.3 W207AX Burlington VT from Family Stations for $80,000. The Joanne Obermiller led WTUZ Inc.’s purchase of Full Service AC 1450 WJER/100.9 W265DL Dover-New Philadelphia OH has a price as it will pay $200,000 to acquire the station from Lauren International to join its ?Z Country 99.9? WTUZ Uhrichsville. Lauren International had acquired WJER from the estate of Gary Petricolo in February 2022 for $300,000. more

From Radio Insight: Nielsen continues its releases of the May 2024 diary surveys today. Today’s markets include monthly ratings for Columbia SC, Des Moines, Little Rock, Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz, Spokane, and Springfield MA. Other markets coming this week: On Friday, June 28: Monthly ratings for Colorado Springs, Madison, Mobile, Toledo, and Wichita. more

From Radio Online: The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data and Commerce has pushed back the consideration of legislation to preserve access to AM in automobiles. The full Committee markup of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act was cancelled and will be scheduled for a later date just minutes after it More...

From Radio Online: Sports KFNS (590 The Fan)/St. Louis will eliminate its local on-air hosts at the end of this week in favor of FOX Sports Radio's national offerings. The current local lineup includes "Hot Take Central" with Cam Janssen, Charlie Marlow and Jim Hayes (7-10am), "The Pressbox with Frank Cusumano" (10am-12pm), More...

From Radio Insight: iHeartMedia may have a pair of Spanish changes in Florida. While Corus will launch this brand to comply with following the withdrawl of their requests to keep Talk on 107.3 CFGQ-FM Calgary. This content is for Premium Annual and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. more

From Radio Online: KMKT (93.1 Katy Country)/Sherman-Denison, TX Content Director and morning host Zac Grantham (pictured) is out in a series of Alpha Media buget cuts. He had been with KMKT since 2013. Grantham joined the station from Country KKAJ-FM/Ardmore, OK where he served as Promotions Director and afternoon host. He More...

From Radio Insight: Helen LittleI had a revelation in listening to WKST (96.1 Kiss) Pittsburgh last week, as part of my Fresh Listen to that station and WHTZ (Z100) New York. It was because of p.m. driver Tall Cathy.* Tall Cathy?s five breaks that hour included some celebrity topicals (Ariana Grande finally speaking out on Nickelodeon, Joey Chestnut splitting from Nathan?s), but there was also a first break of the hour about that day being a Wednesday that felt like Thursday and another about Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes getting a standing ovation on the road the night before, then teasing that evening?s game. (I need to emphasize that the Wednesday bit had no mention at all of “hump day”; there was clearly an attempt to be creative with it.) A few months ago, I had a similar revelation listening to middayer Helen Little on WLTW (Lite FM) New York. Little did a ?handshake break? ? the first one of the show ? that was ?happy Friday,? ?got any weekend plans?? and ?it?s going to be a nice day.? Later that hour, she encouraged listeners to make time to enjoy the beautiful weather, even if it was just going to the window. Little is a great jock, was a talented programmer, and has been one of my favorite people in the business for 30 years. She is one of Lite FM?s strengths. WKST has been one of CHR?s biggest surprise comebacks. I share stories like the above very cautiously because so much of the campaign against local personality for the last 25 years has been hinged on ?couldn?t a voice-tracker do that?? Or now, ?couldn’t AI just talk about the weather and the ballgame?? Tall CathySo if you think I am being in any way reductive about either host, you are missing my point. Part of what stood out about Kiss 96.1 under PD David Edgar was how much it felt like a classic full-service radio experience. Some of what I heard (sweepers about the Paris Olympics) were different. Some breaks and sweepers just made you feel more like somebody was on duty in a way that you don?t always get now. Teams of radio scientists are clearly trying to get AI to talk about the ballgame now and sound natural, but you already have somebody on your staff who knows how to do that. As a radio fan, the breaks I?ve always quoted to other radio people are the bravura pieces of writing ? the punchlines that I remember decades later. When I wrote an article about what I would have personalities talk about ?If I Had Six Breaks an Hour,? I admit that the basics weren?t specifically among them. But I did ask for more localism, and talking about the Pirates certainly counts.* Some of this, frankly, might have been about my own ability to volley back in some conversations. I envy people who can talk to anybody about anything. As basic as it seems, I am sometimes not ready for ?nice day, isn?t it?? I always want to start the conversation further in. But I should stop and enjoy my beautiful day more often, too.* As it happens, I?m also increasingly aware of how many radio people are better at small talk on the radio than at the supermarket checkout. But as more checkout lines become self-service, I miss that interaction, too. Part of radio?s value in a post-COVID world is to provide the small interpersonal dealings that on-site co-workers no longer offer every day. The essence of personality on a WLTW-style AC has always been the brush strokes that embellish station business, even if it just reading those liners with vocal nuance.* There is a talent in being able to talk to listeners in a way that their friends and co-workers can. There is a talent in being able to entertain in a way that those friends and co-workers cannot. Radio found its place with both ?aircheck moments? ? those bits or breaks remembered years later ? and small moments. I am increasingly happy to encounter either. more

From Radio Insight: Chicago Public Media has appointed Melissa Bell as its next CEO starting September 3. Bell, the former co-founder and publisher of Vox.com, will succeed Matt Moog. Moog revealed his intent to step down upon the appointment of his successor last December. Bell previously has held roles including Director of Platforms and technology columnist for the Washington Post and Features Editor for India’s Mint newspaper. She co-founded Vox in 2014 and rose to publisher of Vox Media in 2016 where she oversaw their other publications including Eater, The Verge, SB Nation and oversaw its merger with New York Magazine and their other brands including The Cut and Vulture and acquisition of Group Nine’s portfolio including The Dodo, NowThis and Thrillist. She has been serving as a visiting fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University since departing Vox Media last year. Bell commented, “It is an honor to take on this role, where there is both a massive opportunity and an urgent necessity to strengthen the role of public media in our local communities. There is a declining trust, and more worrisome, a declining interest in news at a critical time in Chicago and for our country. There are challenges facing CPM, but they are not insurmountable. In fact, there is so much potential that comes from the collaboration between WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. I?m excited to return to Chicago to work alongside the many talented, passionate journalists and staff to build sustainable and scalable solutions for producing quality, accessible local news.? Chicago Public Media Board Chair Robert Pasin stated, “Melissa brings an incredible depth of experience as a media executive and publisher, a product leader and as a reporter. With her proven, visionary leadership and collaborative approach, Melissa will bring tremendous expertise and a strong track record of success to help Chicago Public Media develop a sustainable model for high-quality local journalism in the digital age. Under Matt?s leadership, Chicago Public Media has become a national model for the future of local news. The landmark acquisition of the Chicago Sun-Times helped to expand our reach and enhance our journalistic capabilities. Moog?s dedication and strategic vision have been instrumental in strengthening Chicago Public Media as a leader in public service journalism.? more