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From Radio Insight: Jenelle ‘J Belle’ Vannoy is departing Cumulus Media CHR “93.3 The Q” KOBQ Albuquerque following her show today as she prepares to move to a new station to be announced. Vannoy joined KOBQ in September 2021. She began her career on-air and in production at iHeartMedia CHR “My 93.1” KPLV Las Vegas before holding roles at WXII-TV Greensboro NC, Online Editor at Radio One Charlotte, and as a digital producer for USA Today prior to joining Riviera Broadcasting Phoenix in 2019 as Public Service Director and on-air at “Power 98.3” KKFR until her move to Albuquerque. Cumulus has not yet announced plans for her position at KOBQ. View this post on Instagram A post shared by J. Belle (@jbelleonair) more

From Radio Insight: After 38 years on iHeartMedia Classic Rock “99.7 The Fox” WRFX Kannapolis/Charlotte NC, John Isley and Billy James will no longer be hear in mornings after Friday, November 15. “The Big Show with John Boy & Billy” will continue in syndication via iHeart’s Premiere Networks on a mix of 50 Country and Rock stations including Audacy?s “Classic Rock 101” WROQ-FM Greenville SC, Cumulus?s “KZ 106” WSKZ Chattanooga, iHeart?s “96.1 The Rocket” WRKH Mobile, and Midwest?s 103.5 WIMZ Knoxville. Premiere Networks renewed their agreement to carry the show in September. WRFX has been running promos promoting the final show, while a Premiere Networks rep confirmed it will remain in syndication and streaming on the iHeartRadio app. John Isley and Billy James have been paired together since 1981 when they began hosting mornings at 107.9 WBCY Charlotte. They would move to WRFX in 1986 when the station launched its Rock format. Syndication began in 1993 after an attempt by WZGC Atlanta to move the show there and it reached a peak of over 100 stations when it moved to Premiere in the early 2000s. more

From Radio Online: Woodward Communications Inc. (WCI) has agreed to acquire four stations from Mid-West Family in Springfield, IL. The acquisition includes WNNS-FM, WQLZ-FM, WMAY-FM and WMAY-AM, expanding WCI's presence in Springfield, where it recently purchased four stations from More...

From Radio Online: Audacy's WCBS-FM/New York morning hosts "Foxx and Annie in the Morning" raised $60,078 for America's VetDogs, surpassing their original fundraising target by $10,000. The campaign, organized in honor of Veterans Day, aimed to support a local veteran by providing a trained service More...

From Radio Online: Veteran air personality Antoine Davis has stepped down from his midday slot at Bonneville's KBLX (Throwbacks and Randamp;B) in San Francisco, marking the end of over 20 years with the station in various roles. His departure is part of a round of staff reductions at the company's San Francisco operations More...

From Radio Online: WDVD-FM/Detroit Program Director Michelle Matthews exits the Cumulus Media Hot AC outlet after a little over a year, part of recent staff reductions at the company. Matthews joined WDVD in July, 2023 following an eight-year role as Operations Manager for Saga's cluster in Columbus, OH where she oversaw More...

From Radio Online: Public Radio WYSO-FM in Dayton, OH has launched a new music-only streaming channel called "Novaphonic," available online at novaphonic.fm and via HD radio. Starting November 4, Novaphonic will deliver an uninterrupted 24/7 music schedule curated by the WYSO music team, offering a blend of regional and global More...

From Radio Insight: After over 20 years across three stints, Antoine Davis has exited middays at Bonneville Adult R&B 102.9 KBLX San Francisco as part of cuts made at that cluster earlier this week. Davis first joined KBLX in 1998 as a weekend host, while also hosting nights at Rhythmic CHR 97.7 KWIN Stockton CA. He would return from 2003 to 2012 spending time in middays and afternoons and then returned in November 2014 where he would also spend time co-hosting mornings. Davis’ career also included time at KQBR Sacramento, KQOD Stockton, weekends at “98.1 Kiss-FM” KISQ San Francisco, and afternoons at KRNB Dallas between his two long rums at KBLX. Davis wrote on Instagram, “Well, as they say, nothing last forever. As difficult as this is to do, I am reaching out to let you know after 20+ years on 102.9 KBLX, it has been decided that it is time for me to move on. I want to thank you for always ing kind, considerate and loving to me all these years on the radio. This is a tough break up but, I do realize life happens to everyone. I’ll miss speaking those iconic call letters “KBLX”. I’m very proud of what I was able to accomplish and I realize I was the last link to a station we all loved and most of us grew up listening to. That being said, I hope to speak to you soon & a big warm, loving, THANK YOU.” Davis was part of a handful of other cuts at Bonneville San Francisco this week. At least one additional full-time staffer and a part-timer were affected. more

From Radio Insight: Norsan Media will be bringing its Regional Mexican “La Raza” 840 WCEO Columbia SC to FM with the purchase of 94.9 W235CH St. Matthews from Alpha Media for $300,000. The deal includes an imminent Translator Use Agreement, which will mean an imminent end to the translator’s current AAA “94.9 The Palm” programming that launched in October 2018. The station registered a mere 0.2 share in the September 2024 Nielsen Audio ratings. Norsan’s WCEO is the only Spanish language station in the Columbia market. more

From Radio Insight: Coleman Insights has launched Validate, a new attribution platform that helps radio stations demonstrate the impact of their advertising campaigns. Originally launched by Canadian station operator Pattison Media and licensed globally by Momentum Media, Coleman has gained the exclusive rights to sell and market the service in the United States. Validate helps radio stations show advertisers exactly how over-the-air advertising campaigns generate consumer impressions and drive traffic to websites. Coleman Insights President Warren Kurtzman said, “Validate will deliver remarkable results for radio stations in the U.S. For decades, advertisers have sought concrete ways to measure radio?s impact. I?ve been involved in the sales of services to radio stations for 40 years and I have rarely felt such a universally positive response to a new idea like I?m seeing with Validate.? Coleman has signed Cox Media Group and Connoisseur Media as charter subscribers to Validate. RAB members will receive discounts on Validate subscriptions. ?Radio needs tools that make the impressive results we deliver very clear for advertisers,? said Rob Babin, Executive Vice President, Radio at Cox Media Group. ?We believe Validate does that and look forward to our partnership.? ?When I first saw Validate, I knew it was something that could generate revenue for our stations,? said Connoisseur Media CEO Jeff Warshaw. ?We look forward to being among the first radio groups delivering this important information to advertisers that demonstrates the power of radio.? Coleman says that Validate combines streaming listening data with audience estimates from trusted ratings providers, using a proprietary algorithm to estimate total audience reach across both streaming and broadcast. By reporting on ad performance almost instantly, it allows radio sales teams to give advertisers real-time feedback on the effectiveness of their campaigns. A unique conversion tag further enables advertisers to track website engagement from listeners exposed to campaigns, capturing data for up to 90 days after exposure. more

From Radio Online: Coleman Insights has introduced a new attribution platform called Validate aimed at helping stations across the U.S. demonstrate the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns. Developed in collaboration with Canada-based Pattison Media and Momentum Media, Validate tracks how radio More...

From Radio Insight: The cuts at Cumulus Media have arrived in the Bay Area as the company has cut ties with a pair of longtime hosts at Sports 680 KNBR/104.5 KNBR-FM San Francisco. Former NBA forward Tom Tolbert exits afternoons at KNBR after 28 years with the station. Tolbert joined KNBR in 1996 following a seven year professional basketball career with the Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls and Canarias in Spain. He was originally teamed with Ralph Barbieri for “The Razor and Mr. T” until 2012. After hosting solo for a couple years, Tolbert then teamed at various times with Ray Ratto, John Lund, Larry Kreuger and Rod Brooks and most recently Adam Copeland. He also served as an analyst for Warrior’s games on KNBR and Audacy’s “95.7 The Game” KGMZ and earlier in his career broadcast NBA games for NBC and ABC/ESPN. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Tolbert will host a final show on Thursday, November 14. Barrett Sports also reports that midday co-host John Lund has exited. Lund joined KNBR in 2016 from crosstown KGMZ to co-host afternoons with Tolbert then moved to middays in 2019 to reunite with Greg Papa, who he previously co-hosted afternoons with at KGMZ. Lund has also hosted shows at KXTG Portland, KESN Dallas, WXYT Detroit, WEAE Pittsburgh and KZNS Salt Lake City while hosting pre- and post-game shows on networks for the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Utah Jazz and Portland Trailblazers. more

From Radio Insight: Woodward Communications is acquiring a second cluster in Springfield IL and divesting its recently purchased stations in Bloomington IL. Woodward closed on its $4.3 purchase of Neuhoff Media’s seven stations in those markets last month. In Springfield, Woodward will acquire Mid-West Family Broadcasting’s News/Talk 92.7 WMAY-FM, Rock 97.7 WQLZ, AC 98.7 WNNS, and Classic Hits “102.5 The Lake” 970 WMAY/94.7 W234CC/102.5 W273DR to join its existing cluster of Hot AC “99.7 The Mix” WXAJ, Country 104.5 WFMB-FM, “Sports Radio 92.3” 1450 WFMB. The company will spinoff Variety Hits “96.7 Bob-FM” WCVS-FM to stay within the ownership caps. Terms were not disclosed. In Bloomington, Great Plains Media will expand with the LMA of Variety Hits “97.9 Bob-FM” WBBE from Woodward. The company already owns Conservative Talk “Cities 92.9” WRPW, AC “Magic 99.5” WZIM and Country “107.7 The Bull” WIBL/92.1 W221CY. The company’s other two stations, “Rock 96.7” WIHN and Hot AC “Now 100.7” WWHX are being divested to undisclosed operators. Woodward Communications President/CEO Tom Woodward said, “We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to integrating Mid-West?s solid brands into our Springfield operations. Over a period of time our plan is to co-locate all of the stations and related operations into Mid-West Family’s current office and studios, which we believe will create synergies that will benefit our employee owners, our customers, and the community.” Woodward Springfield Market Manager Kevin O’Dea will oversee the combined Springfield cluster. O’Dea began his radio career in 1978 as an Account Executive with Mid-West Family Broadcasting?s WMAY Springfield, and recently was awarded the Illinois Broadcaster Association?s 2024 ?Vincent T. Wasilewski Broadcaster of the Year.? O?Dea will continue to report to Kelly Radandt, overall Marketing Manager for both of WCI?s radio groups based in Appleton WI and Illinois. Greg Guy of Tideline Partners advised Woodward on the acquisition of Mid-West Family, the divestitures and LMA. Bob Heymann Jr., Managing Director of Media Services Group ? Chicago, advised Mid-West Family. more

From Radio Insight: Nielsen continues its releases of the October 2024 diary surveys today. Today’s markets include monthly ratings for Akron, Bakersfield, Charleston SC, Harrisburg/Lebanon/Carlisle, and Omaha/Council Bluffs. The next three releases will feature: On Thursday, November 14: Monthly ratings for Columbia SC, Des Moines, Little Rock, Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz, Spokane, and Springfield MA. On Friday, November 15: Monthly ratings for Colorado Springs, Madison, Mobile, Toledo and Wichita. On Monday, November 18: Monthly ratings for Chattanooga and Huntsville. more

From Radio Online: Ballen Studios, led by podcast host John B. Allen (known as MrBallen), in partnership with Wondery, has launched a new podcast series, "REDACTED: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana." Hosted by Marine Corps Reconnaissance veteran Luke Lamana, the series dives into once-classified information to expose More...

From Radio Online: The SURROUND Podcast Network is launching "Sense of Space," a new podcast aimed at deepening the public's understanding of the design and architecture that shape our surroundings. Hosted by architect Ella Hazard and designer Faraz Shah, the podcast takes listeners through an exploration of how the built More...

From Radio Online: Kate Mackz and iHeartPodcasts have teamed up to launch a new podcast series entitled "Post Run High," designed as a deeper companion to Mackz's viral digital show "The Running Interview Show." The new podcast, which will release episodes every Wednesday, aims to build on Mackz's signature running-based More...

From Radio Online: Throughout the year, Premiere Networks-syndicated personalities Johnjay Van Es and Rich Berra -- hosts of The Johnjay andamp; Rich Show, gave back with their #LOVEUP charity, which focuses on children living in foster care, and Johnjay and Blake Van Es' pet project, #LOVEPUP, which More...

From Radio Online: The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced that former infielder Luis Cruz will join the team's Spanish-language radio broadcast team starting in 2025. Cruz will provide analysis alongside veteran broadcasters Pepe Yniguez and Jose Mota on KTNQ-AM, the Dodgers' flagship Spanish-language station, and the Dodger More...

From Radio Online: The Radio Advertising Bureau will hold the next installment of RAB's creative best practices presentations on Wednesday, November 20 at 1pm ET. Powered by the Radio Mercury Awards, this series of live presentations are designed to help brands and agencies create audio ads that work. "10 Creative Tips to More...

From Radio Online: Audacy names Kieran Geffert as Senior VP and Market Manager for its portfolio of brands in San Francisco. Geffert launched her career in 1991 at CBS Radio as a sales assistant for KCBS in the market. Additional roles include Account Executive, Local Sales Manager, GSM, VP of Sales, and most recently Vice More...

From Radio Insight: A little over a year after she joined Cumulus Media Hot AC 96.3 WDVD Detroit as Program Director, Michelle Matthews has confirmed her departure from the station earlier this month as part of the company’s current staff reductions. Matthews joined WDVD in July 2023 after an eight year run as Operations Manager for Saga Communications? Columbus OH cluster where she programmed AC ?Sunny 95? 94.7 WSNY and Hot AC ?Mix 107.9? WVMX from 2015 until April 2023. She previously served as Program Director of Classic Hits 103.3 KLOU St. Louis, Digital Program Director for iHeartMedia St. Louis, OM/Regional Programming Manager for Clear Channel Omaha, Wichita and Sioux City, Operations Manager for Saga Springfield IL, PD of KTOZ/KXUS Springfield MO, APD of KXPK Denver, and MD of KALC Denver during her career. She wrote, “Well, Motor City? what can I say? It has been an amazing time in your city, and I loved every single moment of it. (Well, maybe not your driving, Detroit, but we can talk about that at another time) Perfect time to discover the Lions, and everything else this town has to offer. I even got addicted to a grocery store??? My job was eliminated. So much love to everyone at Cumulus Detroit and my corporate team. I learned a ton, and so many great memories made in a short period of time. For now I am back with the family in Columbus in search of my next adventure, and have enjoyed the quality time I have had with them as we discuss what?s in store for each of us.” more

From Radio Insight: Two Spotify chart-toppers that radio is ignoring and two of the “whitest songs ever”!* Gigi Perez –*“Sailor Song”:*In my October 23 edition, I*acknowledged the obvious potential this song has for Top 40 radio. It*still*hasn’t left the top 10 on Spotify, and right now it’s #3. CHR always thrives with diversity, which is why 2024 was such an incredible year for hit music. Strong recurrents of the past year and multiple genres represented: Country – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”, Alternative – “Too Sweet”, Rap – “Not Like Us”, Retro – “Die With A Smile”, Dance – “Apple” and all the Chappell, Sabrina and Billie for a perfect amount of Pop to join it all together. “Sailor Song” by Gigi Perez appears to be ticking all the boxes of a major radio hit with its strong hook, 3 minutes long, romantic, nostalgic and massive with Gen Z all over TikTok and streaming. It just needs one or two major market stations to open the door! Current leaders are KUDD/Salt Lake City (30x/4x overnight), WPLW/Raleigh (28x/3x overnight) and KDUK/Eugene (22x, 4x overnight). Gracie Abrams –*“That’s So True”:*See comments from last week about this song here.*We?ve got an update: “That’s So True” is #1 on Spotify in America and #4 in the world, but Interscope apparently still isn’t pushing it. Yet with no radio support it finally cracked our Top 20 requests this week at #15. In recent years, a few major market stations have lead the charge in playing “album cuts” that were streaming well but not being worked by the label. Major format leaders Z100/New York and KMVQ/San Francisco are the only top 30 market stations on it. KMVQ 18 times in the past 7 days, and Z100/New York with 25 spins this week. Aside from them, WARQ/Columbia SC is the only other CHR station playing it AT ALL.**The “radio hype”*“Close To You”*is #21 in spins this week, but still isn’t in the top 70 on Spotify. We’ve only had one request ever. Spotify vs Requests vs Airplay Spins: Some of our observations might lead you to believe that we endorse anything doing well on Spotify, regardless of radio airplay or genre. A few weeks ago*we pointed out that “Timeless” by The Weeknd is getting consistent requests and appeared to be the real hit, and not “Dancing In The Flames” for which we still haven’t received any requests. *Within two weeks of a major release or Spotify success we’ll often get requests for new songs that haven’t even been on the radio while others sit on the airplay charts for months with no requests on Liveline nor drawing any streaming numbers. Why is radio even playing them? Tyler, The Creator’s “CHROMAKOPIA” is currently #1 on the Billboard 200 and every song on the album occupied the top 14 spots on Spotify upon its release. But our Top 40 audience isn?t hopping on the trend of this new Tyler album. The lead single is “NOID” and we’ve had no requests for it or any of his others. He currently occupies six of the top 30 spots in Spotify. For a Rhythmic niche, he is a major artist, but it isn?t a majority of Mainstream Top 40 listeners, though we’ve always been successful with Rhythmic nighttime records like “Not Like Us”, “Timeless”, “All My Life” and “Boy’s a liar”.* FYI: The majority of Liveline requests this year are for songs from pre-2015.* Buried Treasures of the Week: The Killers – Mr. Brightside: Both tracks featured this week are often labeled two of the whitest songs ever. Released in 2003, it became a top 10 song in 2005 where it reached #16 for the year. Today, it’s one of our ten most-requested Golds of all time. It’s the perfect sing-a-long packed with nostalgia, familiarity, and broad demo appeal. Generating nightly text and phone requests from all ages, men and women. Funny enough, a lot of people think The Killers are a British band as “Mr. Brightside” is one of the most successful songs in UK Chart history and STILL lingering in the UK daily top 50 most-streamed on Spotify. Globally, the song still rests in the top 50 in multiple countries including the US, especially after weekends of partying. As far as radio airplay, it’s still played as a Gold on nearly every Alternative station. Top 40 still plays it a fair amount in medium to smaller markets, but the top 20 markets don’t seem to believe in it. Liveline listeners are often treated with the fabulous ?Thin White Duke remix?, which you can check out here. (?and yes, we get specific requests for that one too! Read the song?s YouTube comments) Backstreet Boys – I Want It That Way:*25 years ago, the BBs solidified themselves as the biggest boyband in history and one of the most successful groups ever. The secret to this song’s longevity could be attributed to it’s production and lyrics by the legendary Max Martin, but most of the Boy’s other songs featured him too. This is a cheesy but beautiful ballad that has never died. In fact, I remember hearing it for the first time EVER as an 11 year old listening to John Garabedian Open House Party in 2012, when a group of screaming girls on a school bus requested it. Fast forward to today, it’s still widely loved and requested multiple times a week. The ONLY other song of theirs which people still request (and frequently) is 1997’s “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” which ironically was their first hit in America, after a successful early career start in Germany and Canada. AJ McClean once said in an interview that “‘I Want It That Way’ doesn’t even make any sense. Listen to the words. It has nothing to do with anything”. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Liveline with Mason more

From Radio Insight: TM Studios has launched a new custom jingle package for Audacy Hot AC “99.7 The Point” KZPT Kansas City. “TM 12-Pack Hot AC Vol. 2” is he dozen cut jingle package sequel to TM?s first Hot AC 12-Pack released in 2021. TM says the package is designed to brand effectively around the biggest artists in Hot AC and Adult CHR, sitting in the sweet spot between standing out and keeping momentum going throughout the clock hour. KZPT Program Director JR Ammons said, “We turned to TM to refresh the sound of 99.7 The Point, and they Knocked it out of the park! We?re loving the new jingles ? they fit today?s Hot AC music perfectly and people are already singing them.” TM Studios COO/Creative Director Dave Bethell added, ?I?m a big fan of JR and his programming style ? he gets it, he understands the importance and value of a sonic brand identity, it?s scientifically proven, research proven the evidence speaks for itself ? jingles are the most effective way to connect with listeners?. more

From Radio Insight: It?s my third day of Christmas radio listening this season, and I?ve just heard Christian AC KSRC (Star 101.5) Denversay something that I haven?t heard during holiday programming in recent memory. A sweeper promises that the station is ?connecting you to your favorite Christmas songs and some brand-new ones, too.? After six months, Star 101.5 is still new to a market that now has six stations in either that format or Praise/Worship. Since it?s introducing artists and (in fewer instances) songs unfamiliar outside the format, it has more reason than most to talk about new Christmas music than most stations. But it?s nice to hear a station unafraid to use the word ?new? in conjunction with holiday music, since it doesn?t happen often. I?m writing this story on Monday, November 4 ? three days after Radioinsight noted a larger-than-usual number of early holiday launches this year. So far in my listening, I would have already lost Whamageddon twice ? although the official avoidance of ?Last Christmas? doesn?t start until December 1. I?ve also heard the song I?m always most waiting for, ?This Christmas? by Donny Hathaway, on AC KBEB (The Breeze) Sacramento.* In general, I feel like I?ve heard a few different titles/versions to keep Christmas from sounding like Groundhog Day. Some of that is because I divided my listening between Christian AC, AC (also including WHUD Hudson Valley, N.Y.),and SiriusXM?s newest celebrity-hosted channel, Jimmy Fallon?s Holiday Seasoning Radio. My ?First Listen? to the earliest Christmas format flips always looks for a theme in how stations are talking about the holidays and themselves. In 2020, it was unsurprisingly somber. In 2021, it was more sentimental. In 2022, like Mainstream AC itself, there was more of a whimsy to the positioners. Think of it as ?An Observational Comedy Christmas.? Last year, Christmas stations sounded brighter. So far, that seems to be the pattern for this year as well. I?ve long appreciated holiday radio as a time when AC radio sounded its hottest and most foreground. As more AC stations across North America take up the ?feel good? positioning being heard elsewhere, it makes sense that there would be noticeable energy. Like Top 40 sister WSPK (K104) Poughkeepsie, N.Y., WHUD is a good-sounding radio station considered to be punching above its market size even before Hudson Valley became market No. 41. On Friday, the holiday music was punctuated by a ?Go Army Update,? a day before the station?s Mike Bennett was set to broadcast from outside Michie Stadium for the Army/Air Force game. Here?s WHUD with p.m. driver Andy Bale, just before 4 p.m. on November 1: Elton John, ?Step Into Christmas? John Lennon, ?Happy Xmas (War Is Over)? Mariah Carey, ?All I Want for Christmas Is You? Chuck Berry, ?Run Rudolph Run? New Christy Minstrels, ?We Need a Little Christmas? Faith Hill, ?Where Are You Christmas?? Andy Williams, ?Sleigh Ride? Dean Martin, ?Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Burl Ives, ?A Holly Jolly Christmas? Thurl Ravenscroft, ?You?re a Mean One Mr. Grinch? Eartha Kitt, ?Santa Baby? Vince Guaraldi, ?Linus and Lucy? Trans-Siberian Orchestra, ?Christmas Canon? Brenda Lee, ?Rockin? Around the Christmas Tree? Kelly Clarkson, ?I?ll Be Home for Christmas? Paul McCartney, ?Wonderful Christmastime? Idina Menzel, ?Baby It?s Cold Outside? iHeart?s Soft AC KBEB had a strong variety of imaging ? one ID declares it to be ?live from atop the North Pole.? I?ve noticed recently that stations have been doing a better job of following up on their :00 text-to-win contests. There were two different ?Christmas Cash? winners heard in the hour, and both of them talked about listening specifically to iHeart Radio ? the first time I?ve come across that in my listening.* Here?s The Breeze just before 4 p.m. on November 1 with Chris Davis: Ray Conniff Orchestra, ?Twelve Days of Christmas? Vince Vance & Valiants, ?All I Want for Christmas Is You? Crystals, ?Santa Claus Is Coming to Town? Martina McBride, ?Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow? Perry Como, ?Home for the Holidays? Toni Braxton, ?The Christmas Song? Brenda Lee, ?Rockin? Around the Christmas Tree? Goo Goo Dolls, ?Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas? Dean Martin, ?Silver Bells? Amy Grant, ?Winter Wonderland? Vince Guaraldi, ?Linus and Lucy? Beach Boys, ?Frosty the Snowman? Bing Crosby, ?It?s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas? Donny Hathaway, ?This Christmas? Percy Faith Orchestra, ?Deck the Halls? Air Supply, ?Sleigh Ride? Ronettes, ?I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus? Holiday music was indeed a good introduction to Star 101.5. (In previous years, I?ve listened to owner Pillar of Fire?s WAWZ Middlesex/Union, N.J., and WAKW Cincinnati, which also launch holiday music early.) It?s a good-sounding radio station. It was also notable to hear middayer Slim talking six times an hour (although that could have been a function of shorter songs and 55 minutes of music that hour). Here?s Star 101.5 at 10 a.m., November 4: Burl Ives, ?A Holly Jolly Christmas? Amy Grant, ?Rockin? Around the Christmas Tree? Mercy Me, ?Gloria (Angels We Have Heard on High)? Sidewalk Prophets, ?Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas? Beach Boys, ?Little Saint Nick? Chris Tomlin, ?Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)? Plumb, ?Christmas Vacation? ? cover of the Mavis Staples soundtrack song Mariah Carey, ?All I Want for Christmas Is You? Frank Sinatra, ?I?ll Be Home for Christmas? For King + Country, ?Joy to the World? Michael Bubl?, ?Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow? Harry Connick Jr., ?Sleigh Ride? BarlowGirl, ?Carol of the Bells/Sing We Now of Christmas??a vocal version Colton Dixon, ?Jingle Bells??rockin?/uptempo; a similarly hot version of ?Rockin? Around the Christmas Tree? by MercyMe played a little while later ?N Sync, ?Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays? Daryl Hall & John Oates, ?Jingle Bell Rock? SXM?s latest artist-driven channel is promoting Fallon?s new Holiday Seasoning album, featuring the Jonas Brothers on lead single ?Holiday.? The station is promising a ?12 Days of Christmas? with a different themed playlist each day, (along with a Thanksgiving-dinner playlist), but so far it?s a mix of new and old, as well as a few songs that you wouldn?t hear on Mainstream AC Christmas.* Some of Fallon?s bits are indeed observational comedy Christmas, including a rant about holiday family newsletters. (?Look, I?m glad your kids are in college, okay??) There was also a stager for a previous holiday single with Ariana Grande and Megan Thee Stallion that came about after Fallon?s collaborators heard his attempt to do the rap himself. Here?s Jimmy Fallon?s Holiday Seasoning just before 10:30 a.m., November 4: Johnny Mathis, ?It?s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas? Jimmy Buffett, ?Mele Kalikimaka? Michael Bubl?, ?Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow? Stevie Nicks, ?Silent Night? Jimmy Fallon f/Ariana Grande & Meghan thee Stallion, ?It Was a ? (Masked Christmas? Eartha Kitt, ?Santa Baby? Pogues f/Kirsty MacColl, ?Fairytale of New York? ? unedited Kelly Clarkson, ?Underneath the Tree? Temptations, ?My Christmas Tree? Pretenders, ?2000 Miles? Bobby Helms, ?Jingle Bell Rock? Andy Williams, ?Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season? Kinks, ?Father Christmas? more

From Radio Insight: Audacy has promoted Kieran Geffert to SVP/Market Manager for its San Francisco operations. Geffert has been with the CBS Radio turned Audacy cluster since 1991. During her career she has risen from sales assistant to account executive, Local Sales Manager, General Sales Manager, Vice President of Sales, and most recently Vice President of Sales for San Francisco and Sacramento. Geffert commented, “I am honored to step into this role. Having been part of this exceptional team for over three decades, I have witnessed firsthand the dedication, creativity and resilience that fuel our success. I am eager to lead our iconic brands and passionate team into this new chapter.? Audacy COO Susan Larkin added, “Kieran?s experience, leadership and deep engagement in the San Francisco market and with our team make her the perfect candidate to lead the team forward. We look forward to the continuing momentum and success she will bring to our team, listeners and advertisers across the Bay Area.? Geffert fills the San Francisco market leadership role that had been held by Stacey Kauffman until her departure last month. more

From Radio Online: Table andamp; Twine, a provider of chef-prepared, ready-to-enjoy meal deliveries, has teamed up with Overflowing Hands and iHeartMedia's Carolina Region for "A Thanksgiving to Remember" initiative. The campaign aims to bring Thanksgiving meals to families in western North Carolina and surrounding mountain areas, More...

From Radio Online: Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2025 is offering a reduced registration rate to support industry professionals affected by job loss. The special $299 "unemployment rate" registration fee is available exclusively to those who have faced unemployment since the last CRS, allowing them to participate in CRS 2025 as More...

From Radio Online: Wondercraft, an AI-driven creative audio studio, and audio management platform Frequency have partnered to streamline the creation and deployment of personalized audio ads. The new integration enables brands and media publishers to scale up personalized audio More...

From Radio Online: The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) paid tribute to industry leaders for lifetime achievements during the 2024 Giants of Broadcasting andamp; Electronic Arts luncheon and awards ceremony. The annual event took place from 11:30am to 2pm on Tuesday, November 12 at Gotham Hall in New York City. The More...