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From Radio Insight: Musician and former Bonneville Classic Rock “98.5 KFOX” KUFX San Jose morning host Greg Kihn passed away on Tuesday, August 13 at the age of 75 following a battle with Alzheimer?s disease. A native of Baltimore, Kihn would make his mark through the Bay Area music scene with hits including “The Breakup Song” and “Jeopardy“. After joining KUFX in 1995 has host of a late night show, Kihn would move to mornings at the station the following year and remained until 2012. He also briefly hosted syndicated night show. Kihn also published six novels and was a breeder of rare praying mantises. more

From Radio Insight: Mississippi State University has relaunched AAA “World Class Radio” 91.1 WMSV Starkville MS as “91.1 The Junction“. WMSV states that the new branding takes the name from the area on campus where fans tailgate prior to MSU football games combined with the AAA format’s blending of musical genres. The station serves as a learning laboratory for students across nearly all colleges on campus, providing experiential, or hands-on learning opportunities in radio operations and broadcasting, news and sports reporting, writing and weather forecasting. General Manager/morning host Neil Price says, “?It?s a junction where different forms of music come together with local to international news. We aren?t just music. We are a conduit for information for the community. We?re here to support MSU and our community. It?s more than just music, it?s a public trust.” MSU Office of Public Affairs and University Television Center Associate Director David Garraway followed, “We redeployed our resources to create a relevant news source for our community. We?re making long-term strategic investments to last us decades and remain a community presence in this area for the next 30 years and more.? more

From Radio Online: SiriusXM will provide coverage for next week's Democratic National Convention, which begins Monday, August 19 at the United Center in Chicago. Zerlina Maxwell will kick things off on Progress (channel 127) on Monday morning at 7am ET with her show, "Mornings with Zerlina" live from More...

From Radio Online: Triton Digital releases its July, 2024 (July 1-28), U.S. Podcast Ranker. iHeart Audience Network earned the #1 spot again on the Top Sales Networks Report for July, with 66.4 million Average Weekly Downloads and 18.4 million Average Weekly Users. SiriusXM Podcast Network came in More...

From Radio Online: Phillip Turpin is named to the newly created position of Chief of Technology for Hope Media Group where he will be responsible for the ministry's software strategy and the development of digital products. His tech career spans decades, from the early days of the Internet in telecommunications to leading More...

From Radio Insight: Matt Bailey, formerly of Coleman Insights? callout subsidiary Integr8 Research and author of Graphs About Songs, has launched The Hit Momentum Report. The weekly subscription service uses a “proprietary A.I.-calculated algorithm to evaluate streaming data to identify those songs most likely to be mass-appeal hits for radio” specifically for pop formats such as CHR, Hot AC, AC, and Rhythmic CHR. Bailey states, ?Streaming ought to be radio?s killer music tool: Spotify alone has 83-million weekly users in the U.S. and their data reflects all of them. Unfortunately, you?ll typically find whatever new releases artist stans are bingeing topping those streaming charts?not the real hits. The Hit Momentum Report?s proprietary Momentum Index gauges how songs are streaming over time to find the songs the rest of your audience knows and loves.? The report includes commentary on songs to indicate how listeners are consuming the music, ?I wanted this resource to be easy to use, so it clearly breaks out which songs are Currents, New, and Recurrents. The Hit Momentum Report isn?t a spreadsheet. It tells the story of how listeners are consuming today?s biggest hits.? Bailey spent fifteen years at Coleman Insights as a Senior Research Analyst and President of the Integr8 Research arm. He also has been a copywriter for WFSH Atlanta and worked on-air at WSB-FM and WSRV Atlanta. More information can be found at Bailey’s Graphs About Songs. more

From Radio Online: iHeartPodcasts, Universal Television (UTV) and Wolf Entertainment have announced a collaboration to produce a new unscripted true-crime podcast series titled "Law andamp; Order: Criminal Justice System." This series marks the iconic "Law andamp; Order" franchise's first venture into investigative journalism and is set More...

From Radio Online: Cumulus Media promotes 30-year media vet Carolyn Chauncey to Senior Vice President, Marketing and Podcasting. In this new role, she'll lead the Cumulus Podcast Network's day-to-day operations, content acquisition, editorial and production. Chauncey will continue to direct corporate marketing More...

From Radio Insight: Hope Media Group has appointed Phillip Turpin to the newly created position of Chief of Technology where he will oversee a comprehensive software strategy and the development of digital products. Turpin joins Hope Media Group from Dave Ramsey’s Ramsey Solutions where he served as Senior Director and then Executive Director of Product Engineering since 2015. Turpin said, ?I am extremely excited to join Hope Media Group’s mission to bring more people to the feet of Jesus through a deep and meaningful relationship with Him.*I believe technology can be used to bolster that relationship by meeting people where they are with what they need to help them see Jesus as the one true Hope in this world.? Hope Media Group CEO Joe Paulo adds, ?Expanding our leadership team into the technology arena is critical for the future growth of the ministry. We?re tremendously energized by the potential to transform lives through innovation and Phillip?s background, expertise and passion are a perfect fit for where we want to grow. I?m so excited God has brought Phillip to Hope Media Group.? more

From Radio Online: Podcast cross-promotion is increasingly recognized as a critical tool for growing audiences, yet many podcasters treat their audio promos as an afterthought, leading to ineffective results. Addressing this gap, Amplifi Media is teaming up with industry experts to present new research More...

From Radio Insight: Nielsen continues its releases of the July 2024 diary surveys today. Today’s markets include monthly ratings for Birmingham, Buffalo/Niagara Falls, Fort Myers, Greenville/Spartanburg, Richmond, Rochester, and Tucson. Other markets coming this week include: On Thursday, August 15: Monthly ratings for Albany/Schenectady/Troy, Allentown/Bethlehem, Dayton, Fresno, Grand Rapids, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. On Friday, August 16: Monthly ratings for Bakersfield, Honolulu, Knoxville, Omaha/Council Bluffs, and Tulsa. more

From Radio Online: WABC/New York is sending a news team and video crew to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) next week in Chicago. Throughout the convention, WABC will deliver the news from the Convention floor, with up-to-the-minute reports and on-the-spot interviews. Video clips will be posted More...

From Radio Online: August is Black Business Month, a time to recognize the importance of more than 3.5 million Black-owned businesses that play a crucial role in the U.S. economy. iHeartPodcasts is taking the time to showcase podcasts that offer resources, advice and personal stories to support the next generation of Black More...

From Radio Insight: Milwaukee Radio Alliance Alternative “FM 102.1” WLUM Milwaukee has announced the passing of Justin ‘Ian McCain’ Cooper at the age of 54 following a brief illness. McCain has been APD and afternoon host at WLUM since 2011, while also serving as Digital Program Director for their cluster. VP/Programming and Operations Michelle Rutkowski said, “Ian’s passing has created a massive void in our hallways and our hearts. His spirit, his love of music, his sheer volume, and his wickedly funny wit have left an indelible mark on the MRA, our partners, and our listeners. It’s been our absolute privilege to have called him our co-worker and, more importantly, our friend for the last 13 years.” A native of Omaha, he previously held roles at WKQX and AOL Music in Chicago, KJMY/KSOY and KJQN Salt Lake City, KSLI Lincoln NE, KMYZ Tulsa, KNRX Kansas City, KJDE Omaha, and Saga Des Moines. A spokesperson for the family said, “We want to thank all of the people who knew and cared for Justin. Milwaukee welcomed him in with open arms and he returned that embrace with all of his heart. We so appreciate all of the love and support the City has always given him, and now to us in this heartbreaking time.” more

From Radio Online: MetaRouter inks a strategic partnership with Magellan AI. This collaboration to enhance ad performance tracking, provides marketers with the tools to optimize their advertising strategies while upholding high standards of data privacy. The new partnership seeks to address these needs by combining More...

From Radio Online: Edison Research announces the Top 50 U.S. podcasts among weekly listeners, ages 13 and over, for the second quarter of 2024. Edison Podcast Metrics measures the relative audience size of all podcasts and podcast networks; this includes networks and shows that have not opted into other industry rankers. More...

From Radio Insight: The ongoing cutbacks at Corus have led to the demise of News/Talk 900 CHML Hamilton ON. CHML ceased regular programming operations this afternoon with the company posting the following statement on the station’s social media platforms, “We want to extend our profound gratitude to all of our listeners, valued advertisers and community partners – thank you for your steadfast support throughout the years. Your loyalty and this community have been the foundation of our station’s legacy, and we deeply value the connection we’ve shared with you. After decades of service to our remarkable community, we are announcing the closure of the 900 CHL radio station. This decision, though incredibly difficult, has been made after careful consideration and is necessary following years of financial losses. The shift of advertising revenues to unregulated foreign platforms, combined with the difficult regulatory and competitive landscape, has forced us to make the difficult decision to close. We will always cherish the rich history and the countless moments that defined CHML. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey.” CHML has operated since 1927. Corus continues to operate Hot AC “Energy 95.3” CING-FM and Classic Rock “Y108” CJXY-FM in the Hamilton market. more

From Radio Insight: iHeartMedia Albany NY Area President Howard Greiner is relocating to Nashville to serve as Metro President overseeing operations in that market. Greiner has led iHeart’s Albany NY region, which also includes Poughkeepsie NY and Sussex NJ, since November 2021. He previously spent his career mostly in the outdoor advertising business based in Nashville, including running his own HCG Consulting. During his career, Greiner has served as President/CEO of US Outdoor from 1997 to 2000 and Buntin Out of Home Media from 2000 to 2018. ?Nashville is an extremely important market for iHeartMedia,? said Hartley Adkins, President of the Markets Group for iHeartMedia. “Howard continues to demonstrate strong leadership and that combined with his expertise in media, advertising and sales, I am confident he will build upon the incredible success and strong reputation that iHeartMedia Nashville has with its listeners, advertising partners and the community.? more

From Radio Online: NPR is gearing up to provide multimedia coverage of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which will take place in Chicago from August 19-22. NPR will provide in-depth reporting, analysis and live coverage of the convention through various platforms. The network will also offer More...

From Radio Online: Are 1,000 impressions on social media the same as 1,000 impressions on TV, online video or AM/FM radio? Adelaide, an attentiveness measurement firm, says no. They conclude there is a significant difference in advertising attention across media platforms. This week's Cumulus Media | Westwood one Audio Active More...

From Radio Online: Seven months after initially filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Audacy finds itself compelled to file an emergency motion in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) contunes to delay approval of the company's More...

From Radio Online: iHeartMedia appoints Howard Greiner as Metro President in Nashville, effective immediately. He joins the Nashville cluster from the company's group in Albany, where he most recently served as the Area President overseeing all programming, business and sales teams for Albany, Poughkeepsie and Sussex, NJ. More...

From Radio Insight: Kansas Broadcast Company has made a pair of branding changes at its recently acquired stations in Western Kansas. Classic Rock “U-Rock 102.5” KKCI Goodland has rebranded as “RockIt 102.5“. No programming changes accompanied the rebrand as the station continues to feature its daily morning “Daily Blitz” Sports talk show from 7-8am, Goodland High School athletics, Northwest Tech basketball, and Denver Broncos football. “Fox Sports 730” KLOE Goodland flips to Oldies “730 Gold“. KLOE will feature the “Good Neighbor Hour” from 6-7am with local news, events, and interviews and a simulcast of the Morning Blitz from 7-8am. Operations Manager Joel Navarro tells us that the new format is focusing on pop songs from the 60’s thru early 80’s with core artists including Chicago, Little River Band, Franki Valli and The Four Seasons, and The Carpenters. The Kyle Bauer led Kansas Broadcast Company acquired KKCI and KLOE along with stations in Colby, Dodge City and Liberal KS as part of the bankruptcy auction of Rocking M Media. more

From Radio Online: ARC Software has announced the renewal of its licensing agreements with two major clients: United Stations Radio Network (USRN) and Motor Racing Network (MRN). ARC Software's platform provides features tailored to meet the specific needs of media and broadcasting companies. Among its offerings are advanced More...

From Radio Online: K297BI (Classical 107.3) in St. Louis and eclectic community outlet KSQD in Santa Cruz, CA announced a strategic partnership with AirKast. This collaboration aims to enhance the mobile app experience for listeners, blending technology with public media's rich tradition of community connection. Both stations More...

From Radio Online: Danny Parkins announced today that his final day on Sports WSCR-AM (670 The Score) in Chicago will be Friday, following a 24-hour 'Cubs for a Cure' radiothon aimed at raising $1 million for cancer research. His last "Parkins andamp; Spiegel" show airs Wednesday, with the radiothon scheduled for Thursday and More...

From Radio Insight: Nielsen begins its releases of the July 2024 diary surveys today. Today’s markets include monthly ratings for for Baton Rouge, Louisville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, and Puerto Rico. Nielsen has also reissued the Spring quarterly ratings for Fort Pierce/Stuart/Vero Beach FL. Other markets coming this week include: On Wednesday, August 14: Monthly ratings for Birmingham, Buffalo/Niagara Falls, Fort Myers, Greenville/Spartanburg, Richmond, Rochester, and Tucson On Thursday, August 15: Monthly ratings for Albany/Schenectady/Troy, Allentown/Bethlehem, Dayton, Fresno, Grand Rapids, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. On Friday, August 16: Monthly ratings for Bakersfield, Honolulu, Knoxville, Omaha/Council Bluffs, and Tulsa. more

From Radio Insight: Lotus Communications is adding a fifth FM in the Fresno market via a swap for one of their AMs. Lotus will acquire 94.3 KOKO-FM Kernan CA from TEG Broadcasting in exchange for 1600 KGST Fresno. TEG, led by Tarnvir Singh Bisla and Sukhdev Dhillon, had purchased KOKO-FM from the estate of Art Laboe’s Big Broadcasting last year for $330,000. Dhillon was also a partner in the “Radio Punjab” network that has been leasing KGST from Lotus since 2022. Dhillon and Mohan Cheema had agreed to purchase KGST and 1490 KWAC Bakersfield in 2022 for $850,000, but were unable to close on the acquisition. KOKO-FM, which was formerly operated by Laboe as Rhythmic Oldies “Jammin 94.3“, joins a Lotus Fresno cluster that also includes Rhythmic CHR “Q97.1” KSEQ, Regional Mexican “La Buena 101.9” KLBN, “Rock 105.1” KKBZ, and Spanish CHR “Exitos 107.1” KHIT. more

From Radio Online: The Broadcasters Foundation of America (BFOA) has announced a significant partnership with Dr. Steven M. Zeitels and the Voice Health Institute (VHI) to offer information about laryngeal and voice care to broadcast professionals across the U.S. This collaboration underscores the importance of vocal health in More...

From Radio Insight: Younger listeners like older music. Newer songs have had a harder time getting traction in recent years, particularly as radio loses both its monopoly and enthusiasm for breaking music. Those formats that have seen upticks in current product, most notably Country and now Top 40, are seeing those benefits unevenly, even after a few years in Country?s case. For those reasons, even contemporary formats are often reaching back for some titles from the ?90s, including songs that are older than the younger end of their target audience. That was what Ross on Radio found when we looked at the oldest songs getting significant play at 10 major formats, from CHR to Classic Hits, as well as key stations in those formats.* Specifically, we looked for the oldest title in Mediabase?s top 200 of each of those formats. (For some formats with deeper libraries, we also looked further down.) For individual stations, we found the oldest title playing at least 3x last week, enough that a song?s airplay likely does not come entirely from mix shows, special weekends, or all-request lunch hours. While spins vary from week to week on library titles, it was still possible to see a pattern at most stations of regular rotation titles emerging around the same time period, even if each week?s ?oldest title? is likely a little different. As with our recent look at the newest songs on various Classic Hits stations, the oldest song on a given station doesn?t tell the entire story. For that, you?d have to analyze an entire week?s spins by era. But how far a station goes back is still a policy statement. Classic Hits WCBS-FM New York, despite its push into the 2000s, still plays ?Brown Eyed Girl.? KOLA Riverside, Calif., which has helped lead the move forward, does not. If new music sees a significant surge, libraries can change quickly. In the early days of CHR?s mid-?90s comeback, some stations relied heavily on ?70s disco and ?80s MTV titles. The change became clearest when PDs no longer felt like they needed ?Brick House? or a ?Flashback Weekend.? But CHR?s excitement over new music hasn?t yet translated into the sort of depth yet that allows stations to drop a throwback song for a newer title. Here?s a look at the oldest songs on 10 different formats. Country: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band?s ?Fishin? in the Dark? (1987) has been cheerfully confounding the efforts of radio stations to lock down the ?New Country? image through at least 4-5 different sea changes at Country radio. It?s still the No. 190 most-played song at the format. The next oldest is Garth Brooks? ?Friends in Low Places? at No. 160.* Looking at individual stations: KKWF (The Wolf) Seattle does go back to ?Fishin? in the Dark.? New Classic Country Rival KPLZ (Hank-FM) has a handful of ?70s titles ? the oldest in recent weeks was Willie Nelson?s ?If You?ve Got the Money? (1976) ? but also plays songs as recent as 2020. WXTU Philadelphia: Garth Brooks, ?The Thunder Rolls? (1991). KYGO Denver has been one of the most aggressive purveyors of the new streaming-driven Country. ?Friends in Low Places? did get a spin last week, but the oldest song at the 3x level is ?Somebody Like You? by Keith Urban (2002). Top 40: Britney Spears? ?Baby ? One More Time? (1998) is the oldest song getting significant CHR airplay, at No. 111 this week. For those CHRs playing fewer than 100 titles, the second-oldest song is TLC?s ?No Scrubs? (1999) at No. 77. Both of those are songs that have become reliable Mainstream AC titles over the year. * WHTZ (Z100) New York: Spice Girls, ?Wannabe? (1997) WXSS (Kiss 103.7) Milwaukee: TLC, ?Creep? (1994) KMVQ (Now 99.7) San Francisco?s oldest title over three spins this week is Kylie Minogue?s ?Can?t Get You Out of My Head? (2002), although ?N Sync?s ?Bye Bye Bye? (2000) makes an appearance with two spins. A lot of older titles can pop up occasionally on KMVQ; I heard Bob Marley?s ?Could You Be Loved? (1980) on April 20. Hot AC: TLC figures into Adult Top 40?s oldest gold, too, but it?s an album earlier for 1995?s ?Waterfalls? at No. 130. In the top 100, ?Baby ? One More Time? is the oldest title (No. 78). WNEW (New 102.7) New York: New Kids on the Block, ?You Got It (The Right Stuff)? (1988) KBIG (104.3 My FM) Los Angeles: Red Hot Chili Peppers, ?Under the Bridge? (1992) WTMX (101.9 the Mix) Chicago: With the newly relaunched Throwback 100.3 next door, Mix goes back to ?All the Small Things? by Blink-182 (1999) and also gives a few spins to the single before it, ?What?s My Age Again.? Mainstream AC: It?s been at least a decade since many Mainstream ACs chose January 1980 as an arbitrary cut-off. The oldest song in the top 200 is Pat Benatar?s ?Hit Me With Your Best Shot? (fall 1980). If you dig to the top 300, the oldest song becomes Michael Jackson?s ?Rock With You? (late 1979/early 1980).* WLTW (Lite FM) New York: Elton John, ?Your Song? (1970) ? at the other end, Lite is playing SZA?s ?Saturn? as a current. WSB-FM (B98.5) Atlanta: Eurythmics, ?Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)? is one of several songs from 1983. B98.5?s new end is also often hotter than comparable stations, but Atlanta has no straight-ahead Classic Hits outlet. KKMJ (Majic 95.5) Austin: Gloria Gaynor?s ?I Will Survive? (late 1978/early 1979) is the oldest title, but Blondie?s ?Heart of Glass? from a few months later is a power. Classic Hits: Despite the format?s ongoing modernization, Van Morrison?s ?Brown Eyed Girl? (1967) was still the No. 109 song last week, with Elton John?s ?Tiny Dancer? (1971) close behind at No. 118. In this case, newest is relevant as well, and that would be Santana f/Rob Thomas?s ?Smooth? (1999) at No. 197. KRTH (K-Earth 101) Los Angeles: Despite its own ongoing modernization, K-Earth still goes back to ?Tiny Dancer.? WMJI (Majic 105.7) Cleveland: Having an Adult Hits station next door has allowed it to successfully lean older, going back to the Beatles? ?Twist & Shout? (1964, even if it?s 1986, too). Majic plays only a handful of ?90s titles, but one of them, Aerosmith?s ?I Don?t Want to Miss a Thing,? takes us to 1998. WGRR Cincinnati: Buffalo Springfield?s ?For What It?s Worth? (1967) beats ?Brown Eyed Girl? by a few months. Classic Rock: As a whole, Classic Rock is more willing to steer into the late ?60s/early ?70s than a still very age-conscious Classic Hits format. But at the oldest end, the Rolling Stones? 1966 ?Paint It Black? (No. 161) is only about 18 months older than ?Brown Eyed Girl.?* WMGK Philadelphia: Rolling Stones, ?(I Can?t Get No) Satisfaction? (1965). WZLX Boston: ?Paint It Black,? but would have been ?Satisfaction? last week. WAXQ (Q104) New York: Animals, ?House of the Rising Sun? (1964) Active Rock: As Active, Heritage, and Classic Rock move closer together, the oldest song in Active?s top 200 is Led Zeppelin?s ?Immigrant Song? (1970). If you go into the top 300, you can find Zeppelin?s ?Ramble On? at No. 293; they also represent the oldest songs on several stations: WIYY (98 Rock) Baltimore: Led Zeppelin, ?Whole Lotta Love? (1969) WRIF Detroit: Led Zeppelin, ?Communication Breakdown? (1969); last week it would have been ?Whole Lotta Love.? KXXR (93X) Minneapolis: Black Sabbath?s ?War Pigs? (1970) nudges out album-mates ?Iron Man? and ?Paranoid? by spinning 6x vs. 4x last week. Alternative: Individually, it?s not unusual to hear many Alternative stations go pre-grunge. At the margin, however, it?s Alice in Chains? ?Man in the Box? (released 1990) at No. 125 that is oldest. Nirvana?s ?Smells Like Teen Spirit? (1991) is No. 23, however.* WNNX (99X) Atlanta: At this gold-based Alternative, single spin titles can go back to Nick Drake?s ?Pink Moon? (1972), but the oldest 3x title is also 1979?s ?Heart of Glass.? KROQ Los Angeles: Dramarama?s ?Anything, Anything? (1985) transcends time and space in Southern California. WWDC (DC101) Washington, D.C.: Beastie Boys, ?No Sleep Till Brooklyn? (1986)* Hip-Hop/Mainstream R&B: Just as Mainstream Top 40 has embraced throwbacks, they?re a significant part of many contemporary Hip-Hop/R&B outlets as well. Dr. Dre?s ?Nuthin? but a ?G? Thang? (1992) is the No. 119 song at the format. All three of the stations I looked at in a cluster with an Urban AC, which is usually playing adult-friendly classic Hip-Hop as well. WEDR (99 Jamz) Miami: 2Pac, ?Dear Mama? (1995) WERQ (92Q) Baltimore: Aaliyah, ?One in a Million? (1996) WJMH (102 Jamz) Greensboro, N.C.: Jay-Z, ?Dirt Off Your Shoulder? (2003) Adult R&B: The center of the format has become the ?90s and early ?00s, but there are still enough spins to make Bobby Caldwell?s ?What You Won?t Do for Love? (1978) the No. 197 song at Adult R&B. If you go down to No. 250, you?ll find Al Green?s ?Let?s Stay Together? (1971).* Because of ?Quiet Storm? and other ?Love Song? shows, many stations have scores of songs getting 1-2x spins a week that predate the oldest regular rotation title. That includes WHUR Washington, the station that launched the ?Quiet Storm,? where Smokey Robinson?s 1975 R&B hit of that name plays 5x a week. WVAZ (V103) Chicago: Stevie Wonder?s ?Isn?t She Lovely? (late 1976) gets three spins, but all in overnights. The Isley Brothers? ?Footsteps in the Dark? (1977) is the oldest title with more of a spread. WBLS New York: Depending on whether you look at last week or this, the oldest songs are S.O.S. Band?s ?Take Your Time (Do It Right)? or, from a few months later in 1980, Stephanie Mills?s ?Never Knew Love Like This Before.? WAMJ (Majic 107.5/97.5) Atlanta: It came to prominence as one of the format?s newer-leaning stations. The oldest 3x a week title is Al B. Sure!?s ?Night & Day? (1988), a few months into the ?new jack swing? movement. more