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From Radio Insight: Ahead of the pending station swap between Commonwealth Broadcasting and Seven Mountains Media, a number of frequencies have begun stunting with Christmas Music. Commonwealth’s Classic Country ?US 95.7? W239BT Glasgow/103.7 WHHT-HD2 Cave City and Seven Mountains’ 102.3 WLLI Munfordville and 98.5 W253BN Glasgow KY are now operating as “Santa 102.3/95.7“. WLLI/W253BN had been simulcasting Classic Country “Willie 94.1” WLYE-FM Glasgow. All of those stations will become part of Commonwealth in the deal. Hot AC 106.3 WOVO Horse Cave/Bowling Green, which will be moving from Commonwealth to Seven Mountains Media, has also gone all-Christmas as “North Pole Radio“. This is the second year in-a-row that WOVO has done so with that branding. more

From Radio Insight: Futuri has announced that is has released a substantial redesign of its TopicPulse, real-time content intelligence solution with the addition of AI. Futuri says, “in a media landscape where news is readily accessible, TopicPulse stands apart by providing real-time, actionable insights. Users can identify trending stories in local markets, uncover unique story angles that haven?t been covered, know what viewers will care about next and see what competitors are covering?all with a core focus on informing broadcasters about the content their audiences are engaging with right now.” They say the key benefits include: decide what content is best to run on-air, on your website, and on social media channels to keep your listeners tuning in and engaging with your station; Create custom content categories, called “smart pulses,” to track story engagement in categories that are most important to your audience; know the angles of a story that have been covered and, importantly, the angles that have not been covered, to identify and post fresh, uncovered content; track activity in select Facebook groups with ?Community Radar? feature without leaving the TopicPulse ecosystem. TopicPulse President Jay O?Connor said, ?I want to thank our customers for being so instructive on the redesign and vocal about the features that matter most to them. Our team has worked hard to deliver on those customer requests with an emphasis on the main reason customers come to TopicPulse: to find out precisely what stories their audiences are most engaged with right now.? more

From Radio Insight: Educational Media Foundation’s Contemporary Worship “Air 1” has debuted on Northeast Digital & Wireless’ 103.3 WIXM Waterbury and 98.3 W252CJ Burlington VT ahead of an acquisition of the station. WIXM has been running a redirect loop for the past two months following the move of its “Rock 103.3” WWMP brand to 102.3 Grand Isle in mid-September. The network affiliation agreement notes that EMF will pay $3500 per month for the station lease, which will terminate upon closing of its acquisition, which has not yet been filed with the FCC. Air 1 is currently heard in Burlington on Christian Ministries Inc’s 94.9 W235BE Burlington and 91.5 WGLY-HD2 Bolton. Christian Ministries also runs the Air 1 network on translators in Barre and Rutland VT. more

From Radio Online: Futuri, a provider of AI-driven broadcast solutions, has announced a major redesign of its flagship real-time content intelligence platform, TopicPulse. This update aims to provide broadcasters, content creators, and digital publishers with enhanced tools to deliver relevant, More...

From Radio Online: Chicago Cubs fans can look forward to hearing familiar voices on the airwaves, as veteran broadcasters Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer have signed multi-year contract extensions to remain the radio voices of the team on Audacy Sports WSCR (670 The Score) through at least 2025. Pat More...

From Radio Online: Trust in news media continues to wane, yet Americans recognize its critical role in sustaining a healthy democracy, according to new polls by HarrisX and Harris Poll. Despite concerns over misinformation and bias, media consumption habits remain strong among a subset of the population identified as "news More...

From Radio Online: Podcasts continue to solidify their position as a powerful medium for brands, with a recent survey highlighting the effectiveness of podcast advertising. Conducted by Veritonic, the survey provides insights into how brands can optimize their audio creative strategies to maximize More...

From Radio Online: Cox Media Group (CMG) appoints Michael Saunders as the new Director of Branding andamp; Programming for WALR-FM (Kiss 104.1) in Atlanta. He'll start this role November 25. Saunders' career includes brands such as KQBT-FM in Houston, WJLB-FM in Detroit, CMG's WCFB-FM in Orlando (2011-2016) and the launch of WWPR in More...

From Radio Online: MediaCo Holding Inc., the parent company of New York-based WQHT-FM (Hot 97) and WBLS-FM, reported significant financial growth for the third quarter of 2024, thanks in large part to its acquisition of Estrella Media. Revenue grew 363% to $29.9 million from $6.4 million, while net income rose to $54.9 million More...

From Radio Insight: Cox Media Group Adult R&B “Kiss 104.1” WALR-FM Palmetto/Atlanta GA has appointed Michael Saunders as Director of Branding & Programming. Saunders most recently served as Urban Brand Coordinator iHeartMedia and Program Director of Hip Hop “93.7 The Beat” KQBT Houston and from 2016 until earlier this year. During his tenure at KQBT he also led 97.9 WJLB Detroit for a time as well. He previously spent five years with Cox as PD of Adult R&B “Star 94.5” WCFB Orlando from 2011-16 and was the first PD of Hip Hop ?Power 105.1? WWPR New York. Other career stops for Saunders include VP/Programming for Clear Channel Detroit and PD of WPGC Washington DC, WJHM Orlando, and WBAV/WPEG Charlotte. He also founded the New York, Detroit and Florida Music Conferences and was inducted into the National Black Radio Hall of Fame. Saunders commented, “I?m beyond excited to return to Cox Media Group. I can?t wait to work with Rob Babin, Chris Eagan, Nate Reed, Elroy Smith and the entire team at WALR, KISS 104.1 Atlanta.” Cox Atlanta Director of Operations Nate Reed said, “We?re excited for Michael to join our award-winning KISS 104.1 team and look forward to the positive impact his leadership will have on culture, branding, and our community.” Cox SVP/Programming Chris Eagan added, ?We?re thrilled to welcome Michael back to the CMG family. I can?t wait to watch WALR evolve to new heights with his programming leadership.” more

From Radio Online: Michael Wallace, former anchor at WCBS 880 in New York has announced his new role at CBS News Radio following the station's closure earlier this year under its parent company Audacy. Wallace's career spans nearly two decades at WCBS 880, with additional experience at The Wall Street Journal, WDBO in Orlando More...

From Radio Online: Benztown presents an online charitable auction benefiting the Broadcasters Foundation of America and the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation. Bid on VIP experiences and signed music and sports memorabilia for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts that give back to the Radio community. Auction items include More...

From Radio Insight: Nielsen continues its releases of the October 2024 diary surveys today. Today’s markets include monthly ratings for Chattanooga and Huntsville. The next releases will feature: On Tuesday, November 19: Monthly ratings for Jackson MS. more

From Radio Insight: Inland Northwest Broadcasting Hot AC “My Radio 102.5” KRAO-FM Colfax WA has brought 24/7 Christmas music to the “Palouse” region of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho for the first time as it became “North Pole 102.5” on Sunday morning. Covering the Moscow ID and Pullman/Colfax WA area, KRAO-FM programming consultant Matt Mony said, “Bringing this format to the Palouse for the first time is a total win for INWB. I am so excited to see the listener response.” Inland Northwest Broadcasting acting General Manager Jon Carsona dded, “We?re trilled to bring this listening experience to our audience for the first time on the Palouse. This is going to become a listening tradition for families on the Palouse for years to come.” more

From Radio Online: iHeartMedia has rebranded WOKY-AM in Milwaukee as "Fox Sports 920," effective November 1. The move includes programming adjustments, with the station dropping the syndicated Bill Michaels Show from the 11am-2pm slot. That daypart now features FOX Sports Radio's "The Herd with Colin Cowherd." Additionally, More...

From Radio Online: Vox AM FM Digital Burlington's WXXX (95 Triple X) is celebrating 40 years in the market with a continuous format. "We will be doing a five-month campaign to thank listeners for staying with us and allowing us into their homes for four decades, culminating in a local event at the end of the promotion where we More...

From Radio Online: iHeartMedia WLTW (106.7 Lite FM) in New York will officially ring in the holiday season by switching to its annual all-Christmas music format on Friday, November 22, at 5pm ET, becoming New York's Christmas station. The holiday tradition will kick off with a live broadcast featuring More...

From Radio Online: After ten years of hosting "Honky Tonkin' with Tracy Lawrence," the Country singer has announced he will step down from his role as host. Starting in January 2025, the show will be taken over by the syndicated morning duo Big D andamp; Bubba, who plan to expand the program's reach and bring their signature style More...

From Radio Insight: Silverfish Media and Compass Media Networks has announced that Tracy Lawrence will step down as host of the weekly syndicated “Honky Tonkin’” at the end of the year with Big D & Bubba adding that show to their daily national morning show. Lawrence, the well-known Country artist known for songs including “Time Marches On”, has hosted the show for the past decade. Big D & Bubba will take over the three-hour weekly show that focuses on Country hits from the 1980s through 2000s. Compass says, “Big D & Bubba will bring fresh ideas, new segments, and lively energy to ‘Honky Tonkin’ while staying true to the core that Tracy Lawrence established?celebrating the best in 80s, 90s, and early 2000s country music every week on over 165 radio stations.” Big D said, ?What an amazing job T.L. has done. We?ve been fans of Tracy?s for years, and we are excited to do our best to take the show to the next level with more artist interviews, listener interaction, and some of the best country music ever made!? Bubba added, “Tracy Lawrence is genuinely one of the coolest and most talented people we?ve had the pleasure of working with. What an incredible run as the host of ?Honky Tonkin?, and we couldn?t be more thrilled about what?s coming next for Tracy! Likewise, moving forward, we are excited that we have the honor of taking over as hosts and celebrating the Honky Tonk hits that we love while getting to hang with our heroes and artist-friends, sharing amazing stories week after week! We?re fired up and ready to go!? Big D & Bubba’s Silverfish Media will continue to produce the show with Compass Media Networks handling sales and distribution. Affiliation inquiries can go to Compass’ Doug Ingold at dingold@compassmedianetworks.com. more

From Radio Insight: VOX AM/FM CHR “95 Triple X” 95.5 WXXX South Burlington VT celebrated its 40th anniversary on Saturday, November 16. To mark the anniversary the station is planning a series of giveaways over the next five months. Program Director/afternoon host Kwame Dwanka said, “We will be doing a five-month campaign to thank listeners for staying with us and allowing us into their homes for four decades, culminating in a local event at the end of the promotion where we intend to honor staff members past and present as well as give the remind the audience and eventing to remember.” WXXX signed-on for the first time at 6:00am on November 16, 1984 as a 3kW Class A signal on 95.3. It would upgrade to a Class C3 with 25kW on 95.5 in 1995 and has remained a Top 40 station since its birth. Vox AM/FM COO/Managing Partner Ken Barlow commented, “Marking a 40th birthday for any business is historic, and that holds for 95 Triple X. This radio station has been the eyes and ears of an entire generation, being the Hit Music Authority in Vermont and New York. It has a rich tradition of playing the most current music, featuring dynamic personalities, supporting countless community and public service programs, and giving away many fantastic prizes! 95 Triple has never moved from its original idea of being a radio station that serves the masses with great music, entertainment, and community service, and we’ll continue that tradition long into the future!” more

From Radio Insight: iHeartMedia rebranded Sports “The Big 920” WOKY Milwaukee as “Fox Sports 920” at the start of November. The rebrand came with a pair of lineup changes as the station dropped the statewide syndicated Bill Michaels Show from the 11am-2pm slot in favor of Fox Sports Radio’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd”. The station is also now carrying VSiN’s Sports Betting network programming from 6pm to 12am nightly although the national FSR lineup remains heard on sister “97.3 The Game” WRNW-FM. FSR programming including The Dan Patrick Show from 8-11am and Doug Gottlieb from 2-4pm remains in all other dayparts. more

From Radio Insight: As radio programmers have struggled to find product in recent years, trying to watch streaming for potential hits has been difficult, whether it?s trying to find songs that sound like ?radio records? or figuring out if a streaming or TikTok story is just a short-lived blip. Add to that now one more challenge ? the available metrics rarely agree. Ross on Radio cross-referenced both Spotify and Shazam?s top 200 songs last week with the TikTok Billboard top 50. In addition, I looked at the top 20 requests of the week from the syndicated CHR/Hot AC night show LiveLine. Looking at the songs that are top 10 in any one metric gave us just under 60 songs. Of those, only four had a significant story in all four measurements. Fewer than 20 songs hit even in three of the four categories. Requests might seem like an odd mix with streaming metrics. They haven?t been talked about much at radio, in particular because stations receive fewer and rarely have somebody to take or tally them. But, like streaming, they give an indication of listener interest before radio?s (ever-slower) callout research kicks in. Requests also provide an easier answer to the question ?but are these really my listeners?? LiveLine?s national platform means that it generates enough requests to be meaningful. Earlier this fall, LiveLine?s top 10 requests began appearing in the show?s Ross on Radio advertising. Now, host Mason Kelter is publishing a weekly column, Mason?s Observations, also driven by the show?s request data.* There are ongoing attempts to codify and condense multiple metrics on behalf of radio. Eighteen months ago, Longboard Insights unveiled its ?Power Indicator Score? with the intent of using streaming and other metrics to predict callout. More recently, Matt Bailey, formerly of Coleman Insights, is keeping track of songs? ups and downs in streaming with his new Hit Momentum Report newsletter. Even with the new tools, it?s hard to identify potential hits. Both the new streaming calculations and LiveLine?s request info are just as likely to tell you which songs aren?t generating an active response. Bailey has written a lot about trying to separate first-week superfan streaming from subsequent playability for a song.* Looking at the data makes it clear why there are so few songs emerging. TikTok has famously usurped radio as a gatekeeper, but much of what it identifies as its top hits has not yet translated into streaming and Shazams, much less radio. Yet, labels are reluctant to pursue a TikTok story, letting potential hits be culled, often before we know about them. Of the 20 songs atop the TikTok Billboard chart this week, 12 did not show up in any of our three other indicators. Only two were songs that were also ratified by all three other metrics: requests, Spotify, and Shazam. Even looking at the entire TikTok top 50, there were only four songs with across-the-board stories.* To some extent, that?s because all of the current hits by Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan have already come off the TikTok chart, although some continue to play on SiriusXM?s TikTok Radio. Also, TikTok?s top two songs last week were both bringbacks ? the Yeah Yeah Yeahs? ?Maps? (confirmed only by Shazam) and Alphaville?s ?Forever Young? (no other metrics, except that radio is already playing the song?s new David Guetta reworking). Shazam has its own older titles (recently “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House) to itself. Of the four songs that do have a story in Spotify, Shazam, TikTok, and in LiveLine requests, two are established hits. Two are songs that are already on radio?s radar, although one really only got there this week. They are: Billie Eilish, ?Birds of a Feather? ?a former No. 1 CHR hit; Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, ?Die With a Smile? ? the current No. 2 CHR hit, although one not currently being powered by many major-market Top 40s. That?s a likely indicator that it isn?t researching proportionately; ROS? & Bruno Mars, ?APT? ? Top 20 and the second largest spin gainer at CHR; Gracie Abrams, ?That?s So True? ? Two weeks ago, it looked like the ballad ?I Love You, I?m Sorry? was going to be the song that radio had to acknowledge in addition to the less-active current radio single, ?Close to You.? ?True? feels more like a radio record. It?s No. 3 Spotify, No. 15 requests, No. 16 TikTok, No. 15 Shazam. The threefers also include a mix of songs on and not yet on pop radio?s radar: Billie Eilish, ?Wildflower? ? every metric but requests, although the highest showing is No. 19 Spotify; Gigi Perez, ?Sailor Song? ? everything but LiveLine requests, No. 9 TikTok, No. 6 Spotify; Myles Smith, ?Stargazing? ? a song that has had radio callout success stories for a while, it cracked LiveLine top 20 requests for the first time this week; Oscar Maydon & Fuerza Regida, ?Tu Boda?; Tate McRae, ?It?s OK I?m OK? ? the No. 20 request on LiveLine; No. 103 Shazam and No. 145 Spotify; The Weeknd & Playboy Carti, ?Timeless?; Tyler the Creator, ?Like Him.?* In general, I?ve been of the belief that programmers, given the lack of current hits, should be trying to use metrics to put songs on the radio, not to keep them off. I was happy to see a few stations play Surf Curse?s indie-rock ?Disco? as a result of the TikTok story alone. I think a case can still be made for passive songs that help the sound of CHR/Hot AC. The challenge in digesting early active info is that songs that don?t initially sound like a radio hit very rarely have a story as swift or obvious as, say, ?Million Dollar Baby.? With stories in three metrics, ?Sailor Song? is clearly now a record people like, but for those fans, radio is now playing catch-up. * more

From Radio Insight: iHeartMedia has promoted Seattle Market President Mark Glynn to Washington Area President overseeing Seattle and Spokane. Glynn has been with iHeartMedia Seattle since 2013 serving as General Sales Manager, VP/Sales, SVP/Sales, and since November 2020 as Market President. He previously has held roles as General Sales Manager for Entercom Seattle, National Sales Manager and Digital Development and New Business Development for Northern Lights Broadcasting Minneapolis, and an account executive for ABC Radio and Clear Channel Minneapolis. Division President Nick Gnau stated, “Mark is a dynamic leader with a proven track record of success in the media industry. Since the day I met him, his passion for his team and his ability to foster a collaborative and creative work environment has been effective and impressive, making him the perfect person to lead Spokane to the success he?s achieved in Seattle.” Glynn commented, “I?m honored to lead iHeartMedia Washington. In an era where audio thrives as a powerful medium, our brands in Seattle and Spokane stand at the forefront, poised to continue our legacy of success. I am grateful for the support of our dedicated sales teams and leaders in both markets.” more

From Radio Online: Lemonada Media and Simon andamp; Schuster Audio have unveiled a new podcast, "Your Next Listen," designed to bring extended previews of popular audiobooks directly to listeners. The weekly series offers full-chapter excerpts from a diverse lineup of genres, including thrillers, memoirs, romance and more. The More...

From Radio Online: Aaron Cunningham, known in the music community as Cyfe II, is appointed Events Coordinator for Pillar Media's Denver radio stations including KFCO (The New Flo 107.1), KSRC (Star 101.5) and KPOF (AM910). In this role, Cunningham will focus on creating and curating local events designed to strengthen listener More...

From Radio Online: Aiir Inc., a provider of digital solutions for radio, has announced plans to rebrand its recently acquired Radio News AI platform (radionewsai.com) to Audio.co. The relaunch is set for the first quarter of 2025 and will feature an array of AI-driven audio services, including a new commercial production tool More...

From Radio Online: Edison Research's latest Share of Ear report for Q3 2024 reaffirms AM/FM radio's position as the leading ad-supported audio platform in the U.S., maintaining its dominance across all major demographics. The quarterly study, which surveys 4,000 Americans annually to track audio consumption habits, highlights More...

From Radio Online: Evan Haning, a veteran broadcaster whose 50-year radio career included nearly a decade as an anchor and reporter at Hubbard's WTOP in Washington, DC has died at the age of 74 after a long battle with cancer. "He loved working in radio," said his daughter, Amber Haning. "WTOP was his favorite job he ever More...

From Radio Online: iHeartMedia appoints Mark Glynn as Area President for Washington, effective immediately. In his new role, Glynn, who is currently Market President in Seattle, will add oversight of the Spokane market operations. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Sales. Prior to that, Glynn served as a Vice More...

From Radio Insight: After 35 years in morning in the Bay Area, “The Lamont & Tonelli Show” is ending at Classic Rock “107.7 The Bone” KSAN San Mateo/San Francisco following their show on Friday, November 15. The show debuted in 1989 on Rock 92.3 KSJO San Jose where they would remain until late 2002. They would join KSAN in 2003 where they remained until today. Lamont Hollywood had previously spent his career in his native Winnipeg, Manitoba where he worked at multiple stations including mornings at CITI-FM. Prior to launching the morning show, Paul Tonelli spent two years as a traffic reporter for KIOI, KNBR and KSJO. The show also features KSAN Program Director ‘Chasta Lynn’ Michaelis and APD Danny ?Baby Huey? Delmore. Chasta joined the show as traffic reporter in 2012, added midday host duties in 2017, and rose to PD in July 2021. Baby Huey has spent his entire career with the station starting as an intern in 2005 before becoming the show’s producer and added APD duties in October 2021. All of the mentions of their departure are emphasizing their final show on The Bone as opposed to being done altogether. We will update as more details become available. more