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From Radio Insight: First on RadioInsight: iHeartMedia is conducting a double-flip in the Tampa Bay area on Thursday, July 18. Spanish CHR “Rumba 106.5/102.9” WRUB Sarasota/W275AZ Tampa will move to the full-market signal of 95.7 WBTP Clearwater, while Hip Hop “95.7 The Beat” will move in reverse to 106.5 and 102.9 and flip to Classic Hip Hop positioned as “The Suncoast’s Throwback Station”. WBTP began stunting at 3pm with non-stop Bad Bunny as both stations are running sweepers between songs promoting the moves. WBTP has been struggling since Cox Media Group’s launch of Adult R&B “101.5 The Vibe” last September hovering in the mid 1’s shares. Due to lack of a signal in the northern parts of the market, WRUB currently holds a 0.8 share in the Tampa/St. Petersburg market. The move will leave Beasley Media Rhythmic CHR “Wild 94.1” WLLD as the only current based Hip Hop station in the market. The move of “Rumba” to 95.7 will give the brand additional coverage as it goes from the worst signal of the three Spanish CHRs in the market to the best with its 100kW/185m Class C1 signal covering more of the market than Beasley’s “92.5 Maxima” WYUU Safety Harbor’s Class C2 signal and Spanish Broadcasting Systems’ “El Zol 97.1” WSUN Holiday’s Class A signal. WYUU currently has a 1.9 share, while WSUN is at a 1.1 share. more

From Radio Insight: Skyiew Networks’ B-Dub Radio has announced the addition of five recent affiliation additions. In addition to the previously reported debuts in afternoons on Hubbard’s “98.9 The Bull” KPNW-FM Seattle and nights on Alpha Media’s “Free Country” 98.3 WCCQ/102.3 WXLC in suburban Chicago, B-Dub Radio has also been added for nights at Cox Media Group Country “K95.5” KWEN Tulsa OK and Foxfur Communications “92.1 The Wolf” WOLF-FM Syracuse NY as well as Saturday nights on North American Broadcasting’s “Country 103.9” WJKR Columbus OH. Host Bryan ‘B-Dub’ Washington was quoted, “I still wake up every day feeling absolutely blessed to have a team of people that believe in what I do. From our affiliate partners to the team at Skyview Networks, I?m so thankful.? more

From Radio Online: iHeartPodcasts and its new Women's Sports Audio Network is teaming up with veteran sports journalist Sarah Spain to launch "Good Game with Sarah Spain,"' a new daily podcast breaking down the biggest stories in women's sports. Hosted by longtime ESPN sports journalist and former college heptathlete Sarah More...

From Radio Online: Carter Media and High Aspirations are hosting the 3rd Annual Debbie Dee Backpack Drive on Friday, July 26 from 6am-6pm at High Aspirations in Kansas City. CM and HA will accept new backpacks to benefit High Aspirations and other local male mentoring programs in the Kansas City area. "The Debbie Dee More...

From Radio Online: B-Dub Radio, through its syndication partner, Skyview Networks, has announced its recent growth across multiple new markets with the addition of five radio affiliates. Through the program's newly expanded network, host Bryan "B-Dub" Washington can now be heard on KPNW-FM/Seattle, WXLC-FM andamp; WCCQ-FM/Chicago, More...

From Radio Online: Veteran personality Maria Garcia, who had aired in Miami, New York and the Long Island area, died on Friday, July 12, at the age of 52. Garcia, a Miami native, began her career in her hometown, holding positions at WINZ-AM, WIOD-AM and WHQT-FM. In 1996, she relocated to New York, where she worked as a news More...

From Radio Insight: A trio of markets have seen new Spanish language brands launch on HD Radio subchannels in the past few weeks. iHeartMedia launched “La Mezcla 94.9-HD2” on WZTU-HD2 Miami Beach. The station is running Spanish Mixes and promoting itself as “La Casa de los Miami Dolphins”. No word yet on whether the Dolphins will be moving their gameday broadcasts from Spanish CHR “T? 94.9” WZTU to their HD2 after one year on the primary signal. MediaCo debuted Regional Mexican “La Buena 97.1” WQHT-HD2 New York. The format had been unavailable in New York since Univision’s “Que Buena 92.7” WQBU-FM Garden City flipped to Spanish AC in 2019 and was subsequently sold. The station is utilizing programming from MediaCo’s recent acquisition of Estrella Media including the KBUE/KBUA/KEBN Los Angeles based Don Cheto morning show running live in middays and ‘El Pap?’ in evenings. Omega Media Broadcasting launched Spanish CHR “Rumba 107.3 HD2” on Rubber City Radio’s 107.3 WNWV-HD2 Elyria/Cleveland OH. Omega Media Broadcasting head Daniel Melendez previously programmed TSJ Media’s network of stations in Ohio including the former “Mega 87.7” WLFM-LP Cleveland. more

From Radio Online: First Dallas Media Inc. has closed on its previously annouinced purchase of 50kW Country KRMX-FM (92.9 Shooter FM) serving the Waco, TX market from Mandamp;M Broadcasters of Waco. The purchase price was $1.35 million. The buyer is headed by Ben Lovvorn, who owns broadcast properties in the Dallas market. The More...

From Radio Insight: What was the best year for music of the 2000s so far? Ross on Radio readers have had fun discussing whether 1983 was better than 1984. They?ve debated the worst years of pop music. Many share my optimism about the uptrend that we seem to be experiencing at the moment.* When I asked Facebook friends about the best year of the 2000s ? any year between 2000 and now ? there was, not surprisingly, a lot of love for the turbo-pop era of the late ?00s/early ?10s. It was Top 40?s last clear moment of dominance, and a recent peak for a mother/daughter coalition that has long dissolved. But there are also a lot of votes for the year 2000 ? the apogee of the teen-pop era before it was again upstaged by Hip-Hop on one side and Linkin Park-type rock acts on the others. There are votes for 2003, where pop?s post-American Idol comeback becomes visible. * There are a number of ?Yeah!? votes for 2004-05. To read Tom Breihan?s Stereogum recaps of No. 1 hits is to see that era recast as a golden era for hip-Hop and R&B crossovers that would be compromised a few years later, as hip-Hop gave way to not just turbo-pop but, well, turbo-hop, where lyric mattered less, and rap was just another production element. There?s even a vote for 2014-18, which I think of as the falling-apart time for hit music, and an era conspicuously absent even as Top 40 reaches out for more throwbacks. But I?ve learned over the last five years, particularly in writing the ?Lost Factor? columns about how songs endure, that every year and every song is somebody?s favorite. There are a number of votes for 2024 as the best year of the century so far. That would be a lofty achievement. So far, 2024 is encouraging just for being better. As this column took shape, I realized it was often years of promise I liked best. Whether you think the best records were in 1983 or 1984, watching the resurgence of Top 40 in 1983 was its own excitement. Similarly, writing this column has brought me to remember how much I liked 2008, just before Top 40?s explosive resurgence.* It was the year I began consistently writing about the song of summer (?I Kissed a Girl? beat out ?All Summer Long? for me) after a few on-and-off-years; Rihanna?s imperial period was taking hold with one great single after another;* Britney Spears was beginning a musical upswing of several years; * Hip-Hop and R&B were still major influences on Top 40. R&B artists were just experimenting with dance and pop elements (Rihanna?s ?Don?t Stop the Music,? Chris Brown?s ?Forever,? Ne-Yo?s ?Closer?) in a way that didn?t yet portend turbo-pop consuming everything in its path. (The same would happen to pop/punk eventually.) One radio station could and would still break a record and artist singlehandedly, as WHTZ (Z100) New York did with Miley Cyrus? ?See You Again?; The holdovers from the modern AC-era of the early decade (?I?m Yours,? ?Viva la Vida?) seemed like part of a balanced diet and not like signs of a doldrums. I?m hoping we feel that way about all the Triple-A music of the moment; Finger Eleven?s ?Paralyzer? seemed like a blueprint for what hit guitar-rock could sound like on Top 40 (instead, there was nothing like it, seemingly ever again, as CHR, Alternative, and Active pulled apart);* It came for many others a year later, but for me 2008 was the breakthrough year for Lady Gaga, since Canadian stations embraced ?Let?s Dance? 4-6 months earlier than their U.S. counterparts.* At least one reader didn?t want to pick a favorite moment. For KQKY (Hits 106) Kearney, Neb.?s Mark Reid, the best year is always today. ?I don?t think about what the best period, era, or year was. I?m more focused on now.?* Musically, I?m enjoying ?now,? too. The best eventual outcome would be for 2024 to be remembered as the year that a pop-music comeback took hold for several years? time. There?s a lot of the unseen in that, but for now going from ?Top 40 will never matter again? to ?hmmm, could happen? is its own optimism (just as it was in the mid-?90s). * For those ROR readers who didn?t have trouble spotlighting a favorite era, here are their thoughts on the 2000s in rough chronological order: ?As far as pop and Top 40, 2000 or 2001. Things started going downhill in late 2001. More extremes (either hip-hop or rock). By 2003, it was all hip-Hop and rock with little pop to paste it together? ? Jeremy Andrews ?For CHR, 2000. For Alt, 2004??Will LaTulippe ?2000: ?NSync and the boy-band era? ? Lee Family Broadcasting?s Ben Reed. WWZY (Boss 107.1) Monmouth/Ocean, N.J., PD Robby Bridges also votes for 2000.* ?SoulDecision?s ?Faded? came out in the year 2000, so why are we even asking this?? ? Chris Cruise, host of Throwback 2K. ?Gonna say 2002-04 with some great songs those years from Nickelback, Avril Lavigne, the best moment of Kelly Clarkson?s life, Usher?s ?Yeah,? Outkast?s ?Hey Ya!?? ? Tony Pizza ?There was something about 2003: ?Hey Ya,? ?The Way You Move,? ?Ignition,? ?Milkshake,? ?Rise and Fall,? ?Rock Your Body,? ?Are You Going to Be My Girl,? ?Beautiful,? ?Stacy?s Mom,? ?In da Club,? ?Bring Me to Life,? ?Can?t Stop,? ?Clocks,? ?Crazy in Love,? ?Frontin?,? ?Get Busy,? ?I Know What You Want,? ?I?m Still in Love With You,? ?It?s My Life,? ?My Immortal,? ?Me Myself and I,? and ?Move Your Feet? by Junior Senior? ? Ellis B. Feaster, WPOZ Orlando ?2003-05 was a really good for pop music. I was DJing, often every weekend, and music packed the floor. Songs like ?Crazy in Love,? ?In da Club,? ?Without Me,? ?Mr. Brightside? and more??Josh Markovitz of Washington, D.C.?s iHeart stations. ?It is 100 percent without question 2004. The American Idiot songs, ?Float On,? ?Take Me Out,? all the Hot Fuss songs, Velvet Revolver??The rock perspective on the time of ?true.alt? resurgence from Connoisseur Communications? Keith Dakins. ?For me, it was 2004-05, because we had huge hits with Kelly Clarkson, Maroon 5, Alicia Keys, and Usher??programming/A&R veteran Hosh Gureli, now with Primary Wave, who qualifies those comments by saying that the ?80s remain his favorite era overall. ?2005 was a strong year for Urban and Rhythmic Top 40 radio. Throwback stations are playing those songs heavy now??Brian Paiz, iHeart, Raleigh, N.C. ?I?ve found that 2005 has more albums that I go back to than any other year in the aughts??Steve Reynolds, Premiere Radio Networks ?I liked 2007 to 2010. I was back at Magic 98.3 The format seemed to refresh itself??Jeff Rafter, Press Communications* ?2008 or 2009 ? the rise of Katy Perry and Lady Gaga? ? Craig Russell, PD KHBT (The Bolt) Humbolt, Iowa ?The turbo-pop years, 2009 specifically??Steve Sobczuk ?I added more songs to my iTunes library from 2009 (788 songs) and 2007 (746 songs) than any other year of the new millennium so far, by quite a large margin, since the third-highest year has less than 600 songs??Ken Bays ?Nothing will ever beat 2009-12. Look at every CHR station?s list of golds now and see how many of them are from that four-year period. That we are still playing so many of those songs after more than 12 years really speaks about the longevity, quality, and demand for that style of music??Mason Kelter, host of the syndicated LiveLine ?For me, it would be 2009-10. I was at CBS with 92.3 Now launching in New York and sat in on the music meetings ??broadcast engineer Mike Erickson ?Probably 2010-15. But we can?t overlook what?s happening now??Greg Carpenter, WLIF (Today?s 101.9) Baltimore ?For pop hits, my favorite window is 2011-2013, with a peak in 2012, but there are great songs in all three years??Slate?s Chris Molanphy ?2024 has been the best post-pandemic. Before that, 2014-2018? ? VirtualJock.com?s Jason Kidd, bucking the current wisdom about those years. ?2019: More innovative songs that point to our musical future than any other recent year. Some obvious ? Lil Nas X?s ?Old Town Road,? Billie Eilish?s ?Bad Guy,? Lizzo?s ?Truth Hurts.? Some less obvious, like Tones and I?s ?Dance Monkey.? There?s plenty of fluff in 2019, too, but those songs are harbingers? ? researcher and music analyst Matt Bailey ?Out of the last five years, 2021 and 2024 were the best: ?Levitating,? ?Heat Waves,? ?Stay,? ?Good 4 U,? ?Kiss Me More,? ?Industry Baby,? ?Peaches,? ?Bad Habits.? All solid hits that still get played a lot today. Right now, we have the most diverse and upbeat sound that Top 40 has had in years: ?I Had Some Help,? ?Espresso,? ?Too Sweet,? ?A Bar Song (Tipsy),? ?Million Dollar Baby,? ?Good Luck, Babe!? ?Birds of a Feather,? ?Beautiful Things,? ?We Can?t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).? Talk about monster hits?–Kelter ?2024: Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, and that giant, epic Beyonc? record? ? Steacy Easton ?Seconded for 2024. There are some great radio-friendly songs out this summer??Tom Green, veteran of UK and now Middle East radio ?This has been a great year for pop, Sabrina Carpenter finally breaking through with three bona-fide hits already in 2024. When is the last time an artist did that who is not Beyonc? or Taylor Swift??? Gureli more

From Radio Online: Benztown's "Sunday Night Slow Jams" celebrates 30 big years on-air Wednesday. Creator, producer and host R Dub! first aired the show on July 17, 1994 -- when he was just 16 years old -- at a tiny AM station in the middle of the Tucson, AZ desert. Today, "Sunday Night Slow Jams" is heard on over 200 radio More...

From Radio Online: Scholarship recipients for this year's Rising Through the Ranks program presented by the RAB, BMI, Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. and Xperi have been selected. As previously announced, this year's program will be hybrid, starting with a virtual session taking place on August 13, leading up to More...

From Radio Insight: Ranch Radio Marketing Group conducted a frequency swap at its Kerrville TX stations on July 1. Classic Rock “The Raptor” has moved to 96.5 KFXE Ingram and 93.9 K230AL Boerne/KRNH-HD4, while Country “The Fox” moves in reverse to 106.5 K293CY Kerrville/KRNH-HD3. Both stations feature local morning shows and programming from Westwood One the remainder of the day. Rob Savage anchors mornings on “The Raptor“, while Jason Cruz does so on “The Fox“. Ranch Radio Marketing Group also owns Classic Country “92.3 The Ranch” KRNH, Classic Hits “106.1 The River” KKVR, and Conservative Talk “Hill Country Patriot” 102.1 K271CH/104.3 K282BI/KRNH-HD2. more

From Radio Insight: Miami, New York and Long Island area personality Maria Garcia passed away on Friday, July 12 at the age of 52. A native of Miami, Garcia began her career with positions in her hometown at 940 WINZ, 610 WIOD, and 105.1 WHQT. She would relocate to New York in 1996 as a news writer and traffic reporter for 880 WCBS before joining Cox CHR 106.1 WBLI in October 1997 as morning co-host alongside Steve Harper. Garcia then moved back to Miami to join Cox Hot AC “97.3 The Coast” WFLC from 2006 to 2009. She has since spent time back in New York and Long Island with time at 97.5 WALK-FM and 98.3 WKJY on Long Island, WCBS, 770 WABC, 1010 WINS, and “FM News 101.9” WEMP, WNYW-TV, and CBS News Radio based in New York. Garcia was a two-time Gracie Award winner, and recipient of other industry honors and awards. She is survived by her son Ethan shared with ex-husband Andrew Kalb. more

From Radio Insight: Saga Communications Rock “Lazer 103.3” KAZR Pella/Des Moines IA is seeking ne Program Director and afternoon host following the departure of Andy Hall at the end of June. Saga Des Moines Operations Manager Leigh McNabb is conducting the search for KAZR’s next programmer seeking someone with major daypart air experience and programming knowledge who has “interviewed an artist you?ve had to bleep?” and “done a stage announcement for thousands of crowed-out fans?” Interested persons can find more information at the Saga Careers Portal. Outside of a nine month run as Program Director of KQWB Fargo in 2003-04, Hall spent nearly 25 years at KAZR. He joined the station in 2000 and spent time as APD/MD and hosted nights and afternoons before rising to Program Director in September 2000. Hall started his career at “93X” KXXR Minneapolis and has also served as public address announcer for the Des Moines Buccaneers and Iowa Wild minor league hockey teams and the NBA G-League’s Iowa Wolves. Hall shared on Facebook earlier this month, “25 years is a hell of a run. Especially considering the vast majority was spent at the same station. Today was my last day at Lazer 103.3. And instead of treating it like a funeral, I?m choosing to appreciate all the great people I?ve met, the excellent shows I?ve seen, the money I helped raise for worthy causes, and the big projects I?ve been blessed to be part of (METALLICA!!!!) Dream big, friends. You can do anything you set your mind to – and it?s never too late. I?m living proof, as I set sail to my next adventure for the benefit of my family, my health, and my future. It?s time to re-prioritize these things above all else. I?m not prepared to share just where I?m headed and what I?ll be doing yet?thank you for your understanding. I thank anyone who ever gave me a shot. Whether you hired me, listened to me, met me, or worked alongside of me?I gave you everything I had to give, day in and day out, and never took one minute of it for granted. Thinking back on my time, I?m truly humbled and grateful for it all. I wouldn?t change a thing. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life for all these years. And thank you for being a part of mine.” more

From Radio Insight: David Kantor will retire as CEO of Urban One’s Radio One and Reach Media divisions at the end of 2024. Kantor co-founded Reach Media with Tom Joyner in 2002 and joined Radio One when it acquired a 51% controlling stake in Reach Media in 2004. Radio One would expand its ownership stake in Reach Media to 80% in 2012 and merge its internal Syndication One division into the company. Kantor would then add the oversight of the entire radio station group in 2015. Prior to launching Reach Media, Kantor started his career as a local programming and sales researcher and then held roles at Satellite Music Network where he would rise to President followed by time as President of ABC Radio Networks, where he oversaw the launch of Joyner’s national morning show, ESPN Radio and Radio Disney. He then was SVP/Network Operations for AMFM Inc. where he would launch their network from 1996 until its 2000 sale to Clear Channel. Radio One has yet to comment on its plans for the radio division. News of Kantor’s retirement was first reported by Radio Ink. more

From Radio Insight: Key Networks is partnering with Gary Bernstein’s Oceanic Tradewinds and “Q99.7” WWWQ Atlanta Program Director Louie Diaz to launch a four hour weekly syndicated mixshow “The Mix Factory“. Key Networks states, “The Mix Factory ? Top 40, a revolutionary new Mix show format for Contemporary music stations. The un-hosted, four-hour music Mix show is built for stations that want to make their weekends sound exciting. The show includes 44 minutes of music per hour and is complete with flawless beat-mixing of only the most memorable moments of each research-tested song.” Louie Diaz comments, “The Mix Factory – Top 40 is a feel-good Mix show great for PPM and diary markets. The Mix Factory – Top 40 takes the biggest Top 40 hits, remixes some of the hit songs while keeping the integrity of the song intact. The four-hour Mix show also features “Music Factory Flashback” party songs in each segment.? Key Networks CEO Dennis Green commented, “I?m delighted to be working with Louie Diaz and Gary Bernstein to bring The Mix Factory – Top 40 to stations across the country. When it comes to producing a music mix show for CHR/Top 40 stations, there is no one that is more innovative and does it better than Louie D! If your station is in this format and wants the best mix show for their station, you need to grab The Mix Factory – Top 40.? Bernstein added, “Dozens of stations have been patiently waiting for this launch for a very long time. Because The Mix Factory ? Top 40’s music presentation is so fresh, versatile, and user friendly, it creates such a unique solution for stations who want to localize their own mix and make their station sound great and stand out.? Stations are suggested to contact Dennis Green at dennis@keynetworks.com for more information regarding the show. more

From Radio Insight: iHeartMedia has promoted Rhonda Gerrard to Area President for its Nebraska-Iowa Area including oversight of stations all operations across the Omaha, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Ogallala, and Sioux City markets. Gerrard has served as VP of Sales for the area since July 2022. She has been with the company since 2016 previously serving as Omaha market General Sales Manager, SVP/Sales, and Region SVP/Sales. She began her career as an account executive at KFOR/KFRX Lincoln and later was an account executive at KMOX St. Louis, General Sales Manager for Clear Channel Omaha from 1999 to 2005 and Director of Sales and later General Manager of NRG Media Omaha between 2005 and 2012. Gerrard commented, “It is an honor and privilege to take the reins of the Nebraska-Iowa area and lead this incredibly talented group in employing iHeartMedia?s cutting edge assets to drive listener engagement, community outreach and client outcomes.” Division President Shosh Arbomovich stated, “I am thrilled to announce Rhonda as our new Area President. Her insightful knowledge of the industry, combined with her sharp skillsets, will undoubtedly drive our team?s growth and development throughout the Nebraska-Iowa Area and throughout iHeartMedia. Her fresh perspective and unwavering dedication to excellence will make her an invaluable asset to our community, our partners, and our listeners.” Gerrard takes the position that had been held by Taylor Walet since August 2022. more

From Radio Online: Gorilla Broadcasting has agreed to acquire WCEH-AM (610) andamp; W241CO (96.1) in Hawkinsville, GA as wells as WDXQ-AM (1440) andamp; W244CL (96.7) in Cochran, GA from Shanks Broadcasting for $390,000. Gorilla is is headed by Steven Lara and owns stations in Georgia, South Carolina and North More...

From Radio Online: iHeartMedia appoints Rhonda Gerrard as Area President for its Nebraska-Iowa Area, effective immediately. She'll be responsible for all operations across the Omaha, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Ogallala and Sioux City. Gerrard will continue to report to Division President Shosh Abromovich. She's a More...

From Radio Online: Urban One's Radio Division CEO David Kantor will reportedly retire at the end of 2024. Kantor currently oversees Radio One's 57 stations across 13 markets and manages Reach Media's suite of syndicated programs. He has been with the company since 2004. Kantor's career began in local radio research, More...

From Radio Online: Key Networks has partnered with Oceanic Tradewinds to launch "The Mix Factory - Top 40," a new Mix show format for contemporary music stations. The unhosted, four-hour music Mix show is built for stations that want to make their weekends sound more exciting. The show includes 44 More...

From Radio Online: Marketron and BIA Advisory Services are partnering for a webinar on 2024 local media spending on July 25 at 2pm ET. The event will be presented by Marketron CEO Jimshade Chaudhari and BIA Advisory Services VP of forecasting Nicole Ovadia. There is no cost to attend this event. In this webinar, Ovadia More...

From Radio Online: The latest report, "Sports Audio Report: Female Fans" from Edison Research, SiriusXM Media and GroupM explores the unique audio listening habits of U.S. female sports fans and shows how they interact with sports beyond the field. Sports audio plays an integral role in female sports More...

From Radio Online: The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has taken a significant step in its ongoing challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) local radio and television ownership rules by filing an initial brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The NAB argues that the current More...

From Radio Insight: The latest report, Sports Audio Report: Female Fans with Edison Research, SiriusXM Media, and GroupM explores the unique audio listening habits of U.S. female sports fans and shows how they interact with sports beyond the field. Sports audio plays an integral role in female sports fandom ? 57% of female sports fans ?frequently? or ?occasionally? listened to sports audio content in the last year. Findings were presented in a webinar by Salma Aly, Manager of Research at Edison Research and Sophie Anderson, Associate Director, Podcast Sales Marketing at SiriusXM Media. Top findings among women sports fans include: The majority of females are sports fans: 57% of the U.S. female population age 13+ consider themselves to be sports fans; an estimated 83 million Americans. Female fans use sports to keep their family ties strong: 70% of women sports fans agree that sports brings their family closer together compared to 66% of male sports fans. Female fans leverage sports for social connections: 58% of female sports fans socialize with other people while watching or listening to sports content. Male sports fans are more likely to have cried because of the outcome of a sporting event than female sports fans: 25% of male sports fans say yes, they have cried and 20% of female sports fans say yes, they have cried. Men and women rally behind women?s sports: 32% of male sports fans are following more women?s sports or athletes more than they were five years ago; 26% of female sports fans are following women?s sports or athletes more compared to five years ago. Top findings among women who listen to sports audio: Female fans devote significant time to sports audio content: 33% of female sports fans listened to sports audio content in the last week; 37% of female sports audio listeners spent 5+ hours listening to sports audio in the last week.? Female sports audio listeners are more likely than male sports listeners to listen to sports audio with others: 80% of female sports audio listeners ever listen to sports audio with other people compared to 73% of male sports audio listeners. Female sports audio listeners are turning to podcasts to seek new perspectives: 59% of female sports audio listeners and 67% of female sports podcast listeners say yes that they consume sports audio to hear unique perspectives on sports topics not covered in other media. There is an opportunity with female sports audio listeners as they lack a wide variety of content: 35% of female sports audio listeners agree that there aren?t enough sports audio programs that give different perspectives; 34% agree that there aren?t enough audio programs that cover the sports they like/follow. Aly said, “Like our former first lady Abigail Adams once wrote, ?Remember the ladies.? This is something that we still need to keep in mind, especially when we are creating sports podcasts. We know women really love sports so having more variety and representation for women sports is a must for the industry.? Click here to download the Sports Audio Report: Female Fans. more

From Radio Insight: It began with a social-media question about two Bob Seger hits. ?I have a friend who claims to have never heard ?Night Moves? nor ?Against the Wind? in the 43 years he?s been alive. Is this scientifically possible?? Post by @todgoldberg View on Threads It?s a fun question for radio programmers to ponder. Both songs are older than that particular listener, a friend of author Tod Goldberg. Then again, both songs were top-five hits at the time. Both did well enough to go to recurrent, and then to radio stations? gold libraries in multiple formats ? often the first test of a song?s long-term endurance. When we looked at the ?Lost Factor? ? our measure of the enduring nature (or lack thereof) of various hits ? several years ago, both ?Night Moves? and ?Against the Wind? were getting more than a proportionate amount of airplay to the hits they had been in 1976 and 1980 respectively. They had a score of 0.06 and 0.1 respectively; higher than 1.0 would have been ?lost.? Airplay for those songs hasn?t changed significantly in the four years since I began calculating the Lost Factor. Today?s Mediabase panels represent different stations (and a different number of them) than the stats from the now-defunct Broadcast Data Systems. But airplay has remained surprisingly stable. ?Night Moves? got 680 spins last week (vs. 691 when first measured.) ?Against the Wind: had 499 then; 487 now. ?Against the Wind,? as some posters noted, was briefly in the movie Forrest Gump. The listener in question had seen the movie, but not registered the song. When I asked my daughter if she knew it, she immediately replied, ?Yes, it?s in Forrest Gump.? But then she added that she couldn?t conjure more than the title. After a year, Threads has at best diluted, but not displaced, Twitter/X. That said, Threads has turned into a surprisingly robust place for music discussions. Goldberg’s original Seger post drew about a hundred comments. For at least a few respondents, those songs had never left radio.* Post by @boojobonez View on Threads But there are plenty of reasons somebody might not know ?Night Moves? and ?Against the Wind? ? including a number specific to that song.* At Classic Hits in particular, there is only one consensus Seger title, and that?s ?Old Time Rock & Roll? ? a mid-charter in 1979, but a song with a few years? extra currency in listeners? frame of reference thanks to the movie Risky Business. It?s also one of the most enduring ’70s songs as Classic Hits whittles down the decade overall. At Classic Rock, ?Turn the Page? has become the enduring Seger song, but even its spins are diluted by the Metallica cover that younger-leaning rock stations play. The person in question was born a year after ?Against the Wind? was a hit (and four years after ?Night Moves?). Despite the resurgence of ?Bohemian Rhapsody? around that time, discovering music from ?before your time? didn?t happen with the same regularity that it does now. And even now, it doesn?t happen consistently. And Classic Hits is dealing with a target audience that often wasn’t around for “Summer of ’69” as a current, much less songs 5-7 years older. In 1994, when that listener was 13, a lot of their peers were listening to Alternative, Hip-Hop, or both. The stations playing those songs at the time would have been Classic Rock or Mainstream AC. (In that era, Seger wasn?t yet an ?Oldies? artist, although ?Old Time Rock & Roll? was, for obvious reasons, one of the first songs added when Oldies stations did begin playing the ?70s). It?s also worth noting that Seger?s music was conspicuously absent from streaming services until 2017. Before then, I remember seeing at least one article suggesting that Seger was damaging his place in the classic rock canon. My guess is that the passage of time is a bigger culprit ? when I began testing music in Canada 15 years ago, Supertramp and Queen were both similarly huge and enduring ? but that article did come to mind. In general, people are inconsistent with the songs that they know and don?t. It depends on when they started listening to pop music, what their parents listened to, and whether they were away from the radio at some point (e.g., summer camp). Also, as the response to Lost Factor made clear, the songs that endure now are somewhat different if you have access to SiriusXM vs. relying on what large-market stations still play. Everybody has been made to feel old at some point by the song that their kids didn?t know was a remake. Mine was the Sweet Sensation late-?80s version of Diana Ross & the Supremes? ?Love Child,? and the person who didn?t know it was only a few years younger than I was. Streaming, syncs, and the rise of Classic Rock/Classic Hits radio among younger radio listeners have helped listeners with a lot of songs ?before their time,? but the entire history of hit music is still a lot of songs to learn. Listeners want to bond through music. Some of that is finding friends who like the same music, but there?s also an expectation that friends will have the same frame of reference. For one responding poster, ?Eight Miles High? by Husker Du should have been a common-currency song. But for most people, even the semi-hit by the Byrds is obscure now, despite its historical significance as early psychedelia. Post by @scottkmurphy View on Threads Similarly, the closest I?ve ever come to being shouted down in social media was when I asked if Wilco was known enough to count as ?dad rock.? Even if their fans were now of a certain age, I didn?t think their commercial mainstream footprint was large enough to have become now unhip. But there was certainly a quorum among the original poster and his friends. It was also likely generational, most of what I would have thought of as ?dad rock? (including Seger) involved bigger hits, but it was also a generation older than Wilco. I went to school in Southeast Michigan at the height of Seger?s stardom. There, his musical footprint was massive ? going deeper than the hit singles and back well before his 1976 breakthrough with Live Bullet and then the Night Moves album. There are about 20 Seger songs in my phone; none of them are ?Night Moves? or ?Against the Wind,? both of which are permanently fried for me, even as I encounter them less often on the radio.* It’s interesting to note that Seger?s most truly lost hit was also his most recent, relatively speaking. ?Shakedown? was No. 1 in 1987 and the No. 9 song of the year, but with a lost factor of 2.6 (well above the threshold) and a song rarely encountered on broadcast radio. That song is back in the Shazam top 200 because of the new Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, although there were bigger boosts for ?The Heat Is On? by Glenn Frey and ?Hot in the City? by Billy Idol. The former disappeared from the radio over time; the latter has been lost for years. Perhaps in a year, we?ll be wondering how somebody could not know any of those songs. more

From Radio Insight: Cumulus Media has announced that Shreveport LA VP/Market Manager Tish Boden will relocate to Fayetteville NC in the same role effective August 1. Boden joined Cumulus Shreveport in February 2019 as Director of Sales and rose to VP/Market Manager in December 2020. She previously served as SVP/Sales for iHeartMedia Jacksonville, and General Sales Manager for iHeart New Orleans and Cumulus Myrtle Beach along with Market President for Power 92.3 Inc. in Atlanta and account executive for Univision Las Vegas. She began her career as an AE and on-air at Citadel Broadcasting Little Rock. Cumulus Media SVP/Operations Mark Sullivan said, ?Tish Boden has been an impactful leader with a strong record of success. I?m happy for her to be closer to her family and happy for our team in Fayetteville, as they are welcoming a strong leader. I?m also grateful for the time that I had to work alongside Cheryl Salamone and thank her for her meaningful contributions to the company and to the Fayetteville community. We wish her the very best in her retirement.? Boden commented, “I truly appreciate all the amazing talent in Shreveport and the phenomenal people I?ve worked with there. I am very excited about the next chapter and look forward to joining the awesome team at Cumulus Fayetteville and building on the great success that Cheryl leaves behind. Thank you to Mary Berner, Bob Walker, and Mark Sullivan for this opportunity.? Boden fills the position held by Cheryl Salomone, who announced her retirement earlier this year. more

From Radio Insight: As Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio complete their merger, the combined organization has named Pam Johnston as President/CEO. Johnson recently resigned from her position as General Manager of News at Boston based GBH ahead of her taking this position. She was at GBH from Jun 2020 until May. She began her career in commercial television as a producer at WMTW Portland, WRAL Raleigh, and then Assistant News Director and News Director at WLVI Boston. After a couple years at Lahey Health and Gather.com, she joined PBS’ Frontline as Senior Director of Audience Development in 2012 before rising to Senior Director of Strategy & Audience in 2018. She will begin her new role on August 19 with the first mission to launch an “inclusive engagement process, steeped in listening and learning, which will involve staff and reporters, underwriters and supporters, and the community at large?to develop a new name and brand as the organization continues to bring together its teams, operations, and an enhanced slate of programming.” Former RI PBS President David Piccerelli and The Public’s Radio President/CEO/General Manager Torey Malatia, who have been serving as co-CEOs since the merger approval will remain on for a transition period. Board Co-Chairand former chair of The Public’s Radio Elizabeth Delude-Dix stated, “?The possibilities before us for public media in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts are incredibly exciting, and Pam Johnston has the passion, expertise, and creativity to build a world class organization. Pam is a visionary leader who has a deep understanding of audience engagement, practical expertise in digital transformation, and innovative ideas for the future.? Co-Chair and former RI PBS chair Dave Laverty commented, “Since announcing this merger, the overwhelmingly positive feedback from our team, viewers, listeners, and beyond has reinforced our belief that we will be stronger and more dynamic together. Pam recognizes the magnitude of this opportunity and will be ready on day one to bring people together, and leverage our collective strengths to lead a more powerful and trusted public media source to better serve the community.? Johnson added, “My passion for public media?s mission and service to our local community has never been stronger. I am honored to be stepping into this role at such a vital moment. At a time when trust in the media is eroding and societal gaps are widening, public media can play a critical role in fostering understanding, goodwill, and connection. I believe that here in Rhode Island we have the team, talent, and resources to redefine the very best of what public media can be.? more

From Radio Online: Cumulus Media appoints Tish Boden to Vice President and Market Manager for its cluster in Fayetteville, NC, effective August 1. She steps into the role held by Cheryl Salamone, who announced her retirement earlier this year. Boden moves to Fayetteville from the company's co-owned group in Shreveport, where More...

From Radio Online: Audacy Podcasts inks a strategic partnership with Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey to handle sales, distribution and production for their series "Office Ladies." The show had previously been with SiriusXM since its launch in October, 2019. "Office Ladies" will move to Audacy on August 14 on the Audacy app and More...