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From Radio Insight: Nielsen continues its releases of the June 2024 continuous diary market and Spring 2024 biannual ratings surveys today. Today’s markets include June monthly ratings for Akron, Bakersfield, Charleston SC, Harrisburg/Lebanon/Carlisle, and Omaha/Council Bluffs. Spring ratings for Canton, Hagerstown/Chambersburg, Lancaster PA, Lincoln, Myrtle Beach, New London, Wilmington DE, and York. Other markets coming this week: On Friday, July 26: June monthly ratings for Columbia SC, Des Moines, Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville NC, Little Rock, Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz, Spokane, and Springfield MA. Spring ratings for Gainesville/Ocala, Hot Springs, and Stockton. more

From Radio Insight: Bennett Radio Group Classic Hits “105.5 WIGY” 1240 WIGY/95.7 W239ET/105.5 W288CW Lewiston ME has cut ties with its “Breakfast Club” hosts Mark Turcotte and Sara Poulin. A post on the station’s Facebook page made on Wednesday stated, “Bennett Radio Group has had to make some tough decisions recently and we regret to inform you that today was the last WIGY Breakfast Club with Mark and Sara. We cherished our time with you on and off the air and hope you enjoyed the last four years as much as we did. All the best to you and yours.? Owner/Program Director Stan Bennett told the Lewiston Sun-Journal, “As you can imagine many small business owners have had to make some tough decisions as the cost of doing business has increased rapidly over the last 2 to 3 years. Mark & Sara are two VERY talented professionals that will be missed dearly.? Both Turcotte and Poulin are touring stand-up comedians with Turcotte joining the station soon after its relaunch under Bennett in 2020, with Poulin being a regular guest until joining him as co-host in November 2021. He told the newspaper, “I felt bad for Stan and Alison (Bennett) because of their passion for local radio. They brought local radio back to Lewiston-Auburn and made it work for four years. Cuts needed to be made and I?m sure every avenue was exhausted before making the decision. Canceling the show is a loss for the community. Breakfast Club interviews had a unique format that allowed us time to promote our guests? business, event, etc? we also got to know them as community members, moms, dads, teachers, coaches, the list goes on. We did our best to keep our listeners informed and entertained and to make our guests feel like family. When local radio goes off the air, no one wins.” WIGY will now operate jockless. more

From Radio Insight: During the worst of radio?s doldrums, radio contesting was as disheartening as its music or personality components. When promotions weren?t sidelined by budget or COVID concerns, they were almost always national contests with text-to-win codewords.* Some stations and personalities pumped more excitement into text-to-win than others. For me, there was always something missing if you didn?t hear a winner (and in a national contest, you usually didn?t). There was also the station-after-station ubiquity of nearly identical contests, not to mention that the execution was often part of a lengthy package at :00 that also included ?download our app? and ?from the 1-800-INJURED studios.? Over the last year, I feel like I?ve heard more excitement in station contesting and promotions. What I?ve encountered have mostly been proven concepts that might not have stood out a decade ago. Now, hearing some version of ?Secret Sound,? ?Beat the Bomb,? or ?Mystery Voice? is exciting again. The standbys also generate contestants even in our ?listeners don?t call radio stations for anything? age. They don?t just provide entertainment value for non-participants. They prove our listeners are still part of a shared experience. As fall approaches, I?ve been thinking more of what I?d like to hear from radio contesting. In doing so, I?m looking for a place between ?might motivate regular listeners? and ?might make the radio experience better again for superfans.? But radio needs superfans right now.* And contesting always has to walk the line between ?the few who will actually participate? and ?those who play vicariously.? Here are some thoughts, based on what I?m hearing (or not hearing now): It?s good to hear quantity and quality. What separates good and bad radio listening experiences now is the sense that something is going on vs. the feeling of ?nobody?s home and nothing is happening.? Not that long ago, the most promotionally active stations tried to have several activities going on at one time. If you are doing text-to-win, hearing people on the air winning something else offsets it. As we talk about those things that separate radio stations from streaming playlists, promotion is key. Any payoff is better than text-to-nowhere. If contests are going to be national, hearing winners from across the country can be part of the bigness that national contesting was supposed to create for radio. We were often told, by those looking to justify national contests, that listeners don?t care about Powerball being national. And on the morning after, they still want to hear if somebody won, even if it wasn?t local. Text-for-cash has built in validity–listeners do need money, listeners do want to enter by text–we’re just undercutting it. Any contest is more exciting when there?s more than one taking place in a market. I sometimes think that stations should cross-promote the contesting at sister outlets, just to create the feeling of radio having more to offer. Of course, that only works if stations aren?t simultaneously running the same group contest in different packages. Australian radio is recognized for the strength of its contesting. Some of that has been structural ? contests often play out over the course of nearly an entire hour from set-up to execution to teasing for the next hour. But it?s also tuning across the market dial and hearing something going on everywhere. Again, that?s an advertisement for radio.* It?s mid-winter in Melbourne now, and currently there is something going on with almost every major outlet, even though most are relatively straight-ahead: CHR Fox 101.9 has both a ?$5-Million Match? money song contest and a contest where two contestants will give their junker car to be crushed live at an event, with one getting $50,000. AC Smooth 91.5is giving away a trip to the Cook Islands. N/T 3AW is giving away a 10-day trip to China. Both are ?tell us why you want to go? website entries. Heritage rocker Triple-M is sending a listener on a ?Rock the Boat? cruise with Australian bands as part of its ?G.O.A.T. Song Countdown,? but also doing a $50,000 no-repeat workday. CHR Nova 100 is doing ?Pay Your Bills.? In a throwback to our pre-texting days, bills are still submitted via website and names are called on-air. Nova 100 has also made local headlines for winning at least the initial round of the breakfast battle against KIIS-FM?s now syndicated Kyle & Jackie O show with the local show they replaced. Kyle & Jackie O are doing a ?Split or Steal? contest running on KIIS-FM in both Melbourne and Sydney. ?Split or Steal? is one of the psychology-based games that became popular in the mid-?00s, but that I encounter less these days. I?m happiest when I hear the contest idea that I?m jealous of. It hasn?t happened much these days. The last big one was probably ?$50 Grand Says It?s You? ? the UK contest where listeners had to figure out if the on-air clues were about them. But I did hear one I liked in Melbourne. That was ? ?The Greatest Prize of All Time.?Classic Hits Gold 104.3 is asking listeners, also through website submissions, to submit the things they don?t have time to do. How the station will find more time for you isn?t specified on-site, but an Instagram posting asks if listeners would want “a year of paid time off.” But the concept would also lend itself to a station looking to get greater mileage out of smaller sums of cash or sponsor prizes. There should be more about the music. In the early ?00s, CKZZ (Z95.3) Vancouver, then briefly known as Crave 95.3, had a contest where listeners had to guess the intro of a song for a cash prize that decreased with every second, several years before the Song Pop app would bring a similar concept to social gaming. Recently, I?ve been returning to the UK?s Greatest Hits Radio regularly for Ken Bruce?s Popmaster quiz. (I printed a sample when I profiled Bruce last year.) Music is a unifier, and while stations may not consider it their exclusive province anymore, it seems that there are missed opportunities to contest with music ? especially Song of the Summer.*WKRQ (Q102) Cincinnati did work the top summer songs contender into a listen-to-enter contest and had its best ratings month of the year. Taylor Swift gave stations a focus last summer, and as the “Eras” tour continues, so do the promotions, from WXXL (XL106.7) Orlando to Ireland’s Beat 102-103. Part of Country radio’s resurgence last year was certainly thought to be the resumption of touring and ticket giveaways. Contestants Matter. Bruce is particularly good at getting contestants to tell their life stories, even in their first nervous moments on the air. It?s a reminder that the fun of playing along isn?t just the game itself but the investment in the contestants. That?s something else lost in text-to-win. Packaging Matters. ?No-Repeat Workday,? when there?s a contesting element attached, isn?t supposed to pay off very often. But AC CHFI Toronto is doing its version for Taylor Swift tickets if you hear a repeat, making it the ?No-Repeat Guarantee (Taylor?s Version).? Earlier this spring, Strategic Research Solutions? Hal Rood called ours a ?new golden age of contesting.? Rood and Point-to-Point Marketing?s Tim Bronsil, his collaborator on the What Workers Want study, have the advantage of being involved directly in clients? marketing efforts, not all of which are evident to the casual out-of-market streamer. And not all of the contesting that excites listeners, they noted, is coming from radio. I?m happy just to see things moving ahead, and hope there?s more to write about in the fall. more

From Radio Insight: Salem Media Group has promoted Mike Wilson to Program Director of its Sacramento trio of Christian AC “103.9 The Fish” KKFS Lincoln, Conservative Talk “1380 The Answer” KTKZ Sacremento, and Christian Preaching “The Word” 710 KFIA Carmichael/105.7 K289CT Sacramento. Wilson joined KKFS last December as Music Director and morning co-host alongside Matt Bisiaux. He was previously APD/MD for Entravision Country “101.9 The Wolf” KNTY Sacramento and co-hosted afternoons on EMF’s “Air 1” network. more

From Radio Online: With the Olympics kicking off this week, all eyes and ears will be on Paris following the biggest sporting events and the world's top athletes. iHeartMedia is NBCU's audio partner for the 2024 Summer Olympics and will be bringing games to listeners as they happen. Fans can tune-in to these events live on More...

From Radio Online: Magellan AI, an audio intelligence, analytics and measurement company, adds new cookie-less identifiers for podcast and streaming audio campaign measurement. The new identifiers provide Magellan AI's customers with enhanced measurement capabilities in a privacy-focused environment. Known for its database of More...

From Radio Online: In September 2021, WOZZ-FM/Wausau-Stevens Point, WI transitioned from Rock 94.7 to Adult Hits. Since that time, an enigmatic creature has been wandering the backwoods of Central Wisconsin, yearning for Rock. This mysterious Beast has finally seized control of the WOZZ Studios in More...

From Radio Insight: As first indicated in our 7/18 Domain Insight, Midwest Communications has flipped Variety Hits “94.7/102.9 Jack-FM” WOZZ Mosinee/102.9 W275AC Wausau WI back to Rock “94.7 The Beast“. The move resurrects the format that had been on the frequencies until its September 2021 flip from “Rock 94.7” to Jack-FM. The station is promoting core artists including AC/DC, Five Finger Death Punch, Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, Linkin Park, Metallica, Nirvana, and Shinedown. While launching jockless, the company has announced that ‘Scary Terry’ Stevens, who previously served as PD/afternoon host during its “Rock 94.7” incarnation will host afternoons from his base in Lansing MI where he serves as cluster Operations Manager for Midwest and PD/afternoon host of Classic Rock “Q106” WJXQ. more

From Radio Insight: After being forced to drop its “Kingdom 107.1” branding shortly after it launched in April after a trademark claim, Pillar Media has rebranded Christian Hip Hop 107.1 KFCO Bennett/Denver CO as “Flo 107.1“. If the name sounds familiar it is because it is the fourth iteration of the “Flo” branding on the frequency in the past decade. Under Max Media ownership, the station first took on the “Flo 107.1” moniker in January 2015 a few weeks after flipping to Classic Hip Hop first as “Fly 107.1“. The station would retain the name when it flipped to Rhythmic CHR in June 2018. After flipping to CHR “Hot 107.1” in May 2020, the “Flo” brand and Classic Hip Hop format returned in August 2021 until the closing of the sale to Pillar Media in April. KFCO had been branding just under the frequency and call letters since having to drop its original “Kingdom 107.1” identity. The station continues to feature longtime Denver personalities Senen ?Slim? Rodriguez in mornings and ?Tony V? Valdez in afternoons. more

From Radio Online: iHeartMedia names Sara McClure as Vice President of Unified Partnerships for California, effective immediately. This company division has a 22-year history of providing advanced media resources for its ad agency partners. McClure joins from iHeartMedia Sacramento, where she most recently served as the Market More...

From Radio Online: A new proposal before the FCC to create an FM broadcasting class known as "A10" is receiving mixed reactions. This proposal, aimed at enhancing coverage in rural and underserved areas, would allow for power upgrades for approximately 1,400 Class A FM stations, permitting a maximum of More...

From Radio Online: iHeartMedia appoints Steve Darnell as Metro President for its seven stations in Sacramento, CA, effective immediately. Darnell most recently served as the Area President for iHeartMedia's Pacific Area. He also served as the Market President for iHeartMedia's Fresno Market, as well as Fresno Senior Vice More...

From Radio Insight: Following the promotion of Sara McClure to Vice President of Unified Partnerships for California, iHeartMedia has named Steve Darnell as Metro President for Sacramento. Darnell moves into the Sacramento position from Fresno where he most recently was Area President overseeing Bakersfield, Fresno, Modesto, Monterey, Riverside CA, and Spokane WA. He moved into that role in January 2020 after five years as SVP/Sales years and two as Market President Fresno. Prior to joining iHeartMedia, Darnell spent eleven years as General Manager of Buckley Broadcasting?s Bakersfield cluster. Division President DJ Hodge stated, “After many years of successful leadership in our Pacific Area, it was clear early-on that Steve was the perfect candidate to lead our Sacramento Market as Metro President. Steve is the ideal choice to continue the great work done by Sara McClure, who is moving into our Unified Partnerships Division.? Darnell commented, “I?m excited for the opportunity to lead our Sacramento team and market leading iconic station brands. Sacramento is a dynamic, thriving city and I?m thankful that DJ Hodge, Hartley Atkins and Rich Bressler have entrusted me with continuing our growth in this very important market.” more

From Radio Insight: iHeartMedia has promoted its Sacramento Market President Sara McClure to Vice President of Unified Partnerships across the state of California. McClure has led the Sacramento cluster since December 2015 after a two and half year run as SVP/Sales. Prior to joining iHeart, McClure held multiple roles at Entercom Sacramento from 1998 to 2013 rising from an account executive to General Sales Manager to Director of Business Development to Director of Sales. She also held account executive roles early in her career at Sinclair Broadcasting and CBS Radio. The Unified Partnerships division “provides ad agencies with comprehensive media resources, subject matter expertise and superior advertising results for brands and government campaigns.” McClure’s duties will include “helping agencies win new advertising clients, retention of their most important relationships and the ability to earn greater yield.” iHeartMedia President of Unified Partnerships Michael Preacher said, “I am extremely excited to have Sara join our division. She will be broadening her responsibilities and offering her incredible expertise to leading agency partners throughout California.” McClure commented, “I look forward to advancing my career by joining the Unified Partnership division. This incredible team has unlimited possibilities and I?m excited to bring my scope of marketing and big idea thinking to our partners.” more

From Radio Online: In a landmark decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF) unconstitutional, a decision that has sparked immediate reactions from key FCC officials. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's Response: FCC More...

From Radio Insight: Nielsen continues its releases of the June 2024 continuous diary market and Spring 2024 biannual ratings surveys today. Today’s markets include June monthly ratings for Albuquerque, Allentown/Bethlehem, El Paso, Fresno, Honolulu, Knoxville, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Spring ratings for Johnson City/Kingsport/Bristol, Las Cruces, and Williamsport. Other markets coming this week: On Thursday, July 25: June monthly ratings for Akron, Bakersfield, Charleston SC, Harrisburg/Lebanon/Carlisle, and Omaha/Council Bluffs. Spring ratings for Canton, Hagerstown/Chambersburg, Lancaster PA, Lincoln, Myrtle Beach, New London, Wilmington DE, and York. On Friday, July 26: June monthly ratings for Columbia SC, Des Moines, Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville NC, Little Rock, Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz, Spokane, and Springfield MA. Spring ratings for Gainesville/Ocala, Hot Springs, and Stockton. more

From Radio Online: After three years of meager salary increases -- all of which lagged inflation -- is worse in 2024. According to the the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), overall radio salaries actually fell 2.5%. With inflation at 3.1% for the year, that means real wages dropped by 5.6%. But why they fell More...

From Radio Insight: Jon Pole and Andrew Dickson’s Border Broadcasting has flipped Gold AC “102.7 The Lake” WLYK Cape Vincent NY to Classic Hits “102.7 Wow-FM“. The move comes ahead of Pole and Dickson’s My Broadcasting Company completing the acquisition of AC ?Move 98.3? CFLY-FM and ?Pure Country 99? CKLC-FM Kingston ON from Bell Media. The change at WLYK moves the station into its own lane away from CFLY-FM under My Broadcasting VP/Content Rob Mise. Border Broadcasting had acquired WLYK in early 2023 for $322,000. The “Lake-FM” brand launched in March 2023 targeting Kingston ON after a couple weeks stunting with “stripper music” as “102.7 The Pole“. The new “Wow-FM” will feature Kingston market stalwarts Gary ‘Big G’ McColman and Wayne ‘Matty’ Mathews in mornings and “Throwback Nation Radio” with Tony Lorino at night. “Big G & Matty” previously spent sixteen years at Rogers Sports & Entertainment’s “Country 93.5” CKXC-FM Kingston from 2004 to 2020. more

From Radio Insight: Meredith Communications Country 96.5 KSOM Audubon/Atlantic IA has appointed Chris Varney as Sports Director. Varney joins the company after previously spending thirteen years as Sports Director at Alpha Media Grinnell IA when he was part of the company’s cuts in May. A Maryland native, Varney has also worked at KSCJ Sioux City IA and has done play-by-play for Briar Cliff University and Grinnell College sports. He was the 2023 Iowa Athletic Directors “Broadcaster of the Year”. Varney fills the opening created by Zach Collins departing to move to Indiana to pursue a career in education. more

From Radio Insight: Sacred Heart University had appointed Brad Dancer as General Manager of its “WSHU Public Radio” and its three programming services in Connecticut and Lons Island. Dancer joins WSHU after a brief stint as EVP/Research and Insights for Canela Media. He has also served as SVP/Global Data & Analytics for WWE and spent two decades at National Geographic rising to EVP/Global Data, Insights & Brand Standards. Dancer began his career in local television research for stations in Detroit, Raleigh and Washington DC. Dancer has been an adjunct professor at Roosevelt University teaching technology strategy in the performing arts and serves on the boards of All People Marketplace, Modal Learning and CT Gift of Adoption. Dancer earned his master?s in business administration from the University of Maryland and a bachelor?s degree in communications and film studies from Purdue University, where he has often been a guest lecturer. He previously served on the department of communication advisory board there. Sacred Heart University President John Petillo said, “WSHU is a unique organization whose mission is to serve our community with extraordinary programming that informs and inspires. I am confident that Dancer will foster a culture of innovation and shepherd the station into a new era of content creation that goes well beyond the radio.? Dancer commented, ?WSHU has a remarkable legacy of excellence, and I am honored to be part of this community. The collective talent and passion of the WSHU team has earned us the loyalty of our dedicated audience as well as countless prestigious awards. This uniquely positions us for success, and I am confident that, together, we will achieve even greater things.? WSHU operates three programming services. Public News/Talk on 89.9 WSUF Noyack NY, 1260 WSHU Westport, 1340 WYBC New Haven, 1400 WYBC Stamford, and translators in Danbury, Derby, and Northford CT and Selden NY. Public News/Talk and Classical music on 91.1 WSHU-FM Fairfield CT and translators in Stamford CT, Huntington Station NY, and Ridge NY. Classical music on WSUF-HD2 and a translator in Noyack NY. more

From Radio Insight: Connoisseur Media has agreed to sell Country 99.9 WFRE and News/Talk 930 WFMD Frederick MD to Williamsburg VA based Local Daily Media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Previously known as Davis Media, Frederick will become the company’s third market after it recently walked away from its purchase of JAM Media Solutions seven stations in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Muscatine IA out of Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. The company owns Country “93.7 The Dude” WNTB and AAA “98.3 The Penguin” WUIN in Wilmington NC and AAA “92.3 The Tide” WTYD and “107.9 Cannon Country” WBQK in the Williamsburg VA area. The company also operates local news platforms in both markets. Connoisseur Media CEO Jeff Warshaw stated, ?While it?s difficult for us to part with our Frederick stations, we were convinced that Local Daily Media?s management leadership and its focus in the Maryland/Virginia region could move these stations forward in a way we would be proud of. Senior management of Local Daily Media includes longtime Connoisseur partner Mike Dufort, who we have worked with closely and respect. Mike understands local radio and shares our view on the need for radio to be involved with and serve the local community.? Dufort, President of Local Daily Media followed, “With my nearly 11 years of working with Jeff and the entire Connoisseur team, I deeply understand and appreciate the care and nurturing that went into building these stations and I?m excited for the opportunity to continue along their journey to reaching even greater heights.? Local Daily Media CFO Adam Crotty said, “We?re incredibly fortunate to welcome these legendary stations, along with their talented and dedicated teams, to our growing organization. Their rich history of supporting and improving the vibrant Frederick community will undoubtedly inspire our entire team to find new ways to positively impact each community we serve.? Connoisseur Media retains its eleven stations in Fairfield County and New Haven CT and Long Island NY. It had acquired the two stations in Frederick in 2019 from iHeartMedia’s Aloha Stations Trust in exchange for its cluster in Erie PA. more

From Radio Online: Good Karma Brands has announced that WKTI-FM (94.5 ESPN)/Milwaukee will remain the official radio home of Marquette University basketball through the 2027-28 season. This longstanding partnership ensures that Marquette Golden Eagles fans will continue to enjoy coverage of their team More...

From Radio Insight: For the second day in-a-row, Mid-West Family Broadcasting has made a format change at its South Bend IN cluster as CHR “Live 99.9” WQLQ Benton Harbor MI has flipped to Alternative. Positioning as “The Alternative”, the station is spotlighting artists including The Killers, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, and Pearl Jam. The new identity debuted at 12pm today with Foo Fighters “Best of You”, Smashing Pumpkins “Disarm”, and Alien Ant Farm “Smooth Criminal”. WQLQ had debuted its CHR brand in October 2016. The station had been dropping in the ratings over the past few years from a 4.9 share in Fall 2022 to 2.7 in Fall 2023. The flip leaves Sound Management’s “U93” 92.9 WNDV-FM as the only CHR in the market. WNDV-FM had a 7.7 share in Fall 2023. The new format positions the station closest to Federated Media Rock “103.9 The Bear” WRBR, which was fifth in the market with a 5.4. The flip at WQLQ follows the company dropping its Country “96.1 The Ton” brand on 96.1 W241AD/WQLQ-HD3 in favor of a simulcast of Sports 960 WSBT on Tuesday. more

From Radio Insight: The ongoing cutbacks across Alpha Media stations has ended the 10am-12pm talk show on 1460 WHBC Canton OH as host Jordan Miller as been let go from the company. Miller has hosted “Live and Local” on WHBC for the past three years, which has now been placed by the Dave Ramsey Show. WHBC Content Director Pam Cook told the Canton Repository, “It was a really tough decision but something that had to be done due to the financial issues with Alpha Media.” Miller also hosted weekends/fill-ins at sister Hot AC “Mix 94.1” WHBC-FM and was the only cut at the two stations. Miller shared on Facebook, “My radio show on WHBC was unexpectedly cut due to financial reasons last week. A show I had for three years is over. I was shocked and stunned about the news but forever grateful for my time on air at WHBC and Mix 94.1. I in no way believe this was the decision of my bosses at the radio station, but a corporate move out of their control. No ill feelings towards the station, they gave me such a strong stepping stone if I decide to pursue radio again.” Prior to joining WHBC, Miller served as a reporter for WTOV-TV Wheeling WV and WKYC Cleveland. He also serves as editor of three weekly newspapers and runs JordanMiller.News covering the Canton area. more

From Radio Insight: Roy Leavitt’s Faith Broadcasting Inc. will cease operations of Christian AC “106.9 The Heart” KHRT-FM and Southern Gospel 1320 KHRT Minot ND on July 31. Leavitt, whose family has owned the AM since 1982 and launched the FM in 1992, said that support and advertising has fallen to a level where Faith Broadcasting is no longer able to continue operating the stations. He told KMOT-TV that they are seeking a buyer. The FM currently features programming mostly from Salem Music Network, while the AM features a full-service local morning show hosted by Jonas Nelson and a local afternoon show with Chad Olson. Nelson, who has been with KHRT since 1996, also serves as Program Director of both stations. The stations were in heavily competitive Christian marketplace in Minot with nearly a third of the signals in town featuring religious programming. In a message shared on KHRT.com, Leavitt writes: Ecclesiastes says there is a time and a season for everything. Today I’m here to let you know that the season for KHRT Radio has come to an end. In this very difficult economy that we live in, support and advertising has fallen to a level where Faith Broadcasting is no longer able to continue operating the stations. July 31st will be the final day of broadcasting for 1320 KHRT and The Heart 106.9. I want to say a huge “thank you” to listeners, prayer warriors, Sharathon givers, and the many advertisers who have helped to sustain this ministry for decades. We have appreciated your partnership in proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel as local Christian stations. May God bless you and keep you. more

From Radio Insight: Nielsen continues its releases of the June 2024 continuous diary market and Spring 2024 biannual ratings surveys today. Today’s markets include June monthly ratings for Dayton, Fort Myers, Grand Rapids, Metro Fairfield County, Tucson and Tulsa. Spring ratings for Danbury, Fort Smith, Kalamazoo, Lima/Van Wert, McAllen/Brownsville/Harlingen, Muskegon, New Haven, and Sarasota. Other markets coming this week: On Wednesday, July 24: June monthly ratings for Albuquerque, Allentown/Bethlehem, El Paso, Fresno, Honolulu, Knoxville, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Spring ratings for Johnson City/Kingsport/Bristol, Las Cruces, and Williamsport. On Thursday, July 25: June monthly ratings for Akron, Bakersfield, Charleston SC, Harrisburg/Lebanon/Carlisle, and Omaha/Council Bluffs. Spring ratings for Canton, Hagerstown/Chambersburg, Lancaster PA, Lincoln, Myrtle Beach, New London, Wilmington DE, and York. On Friday, July 26: June monthly ratings for Columbia SC, Des Moines, Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville NC, Little Rock, Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz, Spokane, and Springfield MA. Spring ratings for Gainesville/Ocala, Hot Springs, and Stockton. more

From Radio Online: iHeartPodcasts and Pushkin Industries announced a new six-part true crime podcast that will dive into the 2020 disappearance of Lydia "Dia" Abrams in the beautiful mountain town of Idyllwild, CA. Throughout the series, journalist Lucy Sherriff will reveal the culmination of her four-year investigation into More...

From Radio Online: Cumulus Media promotes Mike Hohler to Program Director for its San Francisco Bay Area Sports stations KNBR-AM (680), KGO-FM (104.5), KGO-AM (The Spread 810 AM) and KTCT (1050). Hohler is currently Assistant Program Director for the stations, and joined the San Francisco cluster in 2002 as midday producer for More...

From Radio Insight: Mid-West Family Broadcasting has flipped Country “96.1 The Ton” W241AD South Bend IN/99.9 WQLQ-HD3 Benton Harbor MI to a simulcast of Sports 960 WSBT South Bend. The flip reverses the move made in June 2021 when the translator broke off of its simulcast of WSBT to create an in-market competitor to Federated Media’s “B100” 100.7 WBYT. In the Fall 2023 Nielsen Audio ratings, WBYT had a 7.2 share with “The Ton” at a 0.9. The station is currently running promos during breaks redirecting Country listeners to co-owned “97.5 Y Country” WYTZ Bridgman/Benton Harbor MI, which is a rimshot signal at best in South Bend. WSBT, which is the local affiliate of South Bend’s Notre Dame football and basketball and South Bend Cubs basbeall, currently carries a mix of programming from Fox Sports Radio and Infinity Sports Network along with a local 5-7pm show hosted by Darin Pritchett focusing on Fighting Irish football. With just the AM signal, WSBT had a 1.4 share last Fall. more

From Radio Insight: The “WAMC/Northeast Public Radio” network based at 1400 WAMC/90.3 WAMC-FM Albany NY has announced the appointment of Sarah Gilbert as President/CEO to fill the position vacant since Alan Chartock retired in May 2023 after 42 years leading the organization. Gilbert most recently served as President and Chief Content Officer for the Chicago Council On Global Affairs following eight years at NPR where she rose from Senior Supervising Editor of Weekend Edition to Executive Producer of Morning Edition and creator and EP of the daily news podcast Up First to Vice President of News during her tenure. She spent much of her early career at the BBC based in London, Brussels and Washington DC as an editor, producer, and Deputy American Bureau Chief and at American Public Media’s Marketplace as Managing Editor. WAMC Board Chair Dorothy Reynolds stated, “We are thrilled to welcome Sarah to the helm of this incredible organization. This has been an intense and deliberative process. While the final decision rests with the Board, we are deeply grateful for the thoughtful and on-going input from WAMC staff who took time away from other obligations to work with us in this critical effort.? Gilbert said, “Coming to WAMC, with its strong staff, powerful programming, and dedicated listeners and members, is an incredible opportunity to use all my skills and experiences to continue to build, grow, and strengthen this amazing organization.” WAMC COO and Interim CEO Stacey Rosenberry added, “I was incredibly honored to be given the opportunity to lead and I now look forward to expanding the leadership team. We are first and foremost a news and information organization and Sarah?s experience, particularly in digital production, will help us diversify our delivery tools while maintaining our highest commitment to quality programming.? more