Radio News

For a generation of NPR readers, the name Carl Kasell is synonymous for morning newscasts delivered during the pubcaster's signature Morning Edition program, and for his role as the judge and official scorekeeper for "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!," NPR's news quiz show. Kasell on Tuesday lost his battle with Alzheimer's disease, and died at the age of 84 in Potomac, Md.

The National Football League and SiriusXM have agreed to a five-year extension of their broadcasting and marketing agreement. That's good news for SiriusXM subscribers, and extends an arrangement dating to 2004. And, for SiriusXM, there's a particular sweetness to the new deal, as it will become the exclusive third-party audio provider of every NFL game across North America. What does this mean to SiriusXM subscribers?

For a decade, Bruce Danzinger has acquired, developed, and managed radio stations in a host of medium-sized markets across the eastern U.S. On April 24, Danzinger struck a deal to land the latest radio station for his Vox Media Companies. The paperwork was filed with the FCC on Friday.

On May 25, RBR+TVBR shared the story of Mario Rangel, a key employee at South Texas Radio and the chief of the Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department in Uvalde, Tex. Rangel had just departed the elementary school when a gunman entered and opened fire. His daughter was safe; 19 Robb Elementary students perished. One month later, economic challenges silenced South Texas Radio. Now, its stations have been sold.

In October 2016, a radio industry veteran left the business. He joined an Austin-based marketing and advertising shop, serving as a senior account manager. The radio bug just bit him again: He's just been named a Market Manager for a cluster of iHeartRadio stations in a top 50 market.

Townsquare Media has taken a step to help fill what it perceives to be a local news and information void, with the launch of a local, regional, and statewide service for those within the State of Washington.

Media integration is a very important topic for advertising and marketing executives seeking to build brand awareness and sales with multicultural consumers. But, is radio an important part of the media mix right from the start? This Hispanic Radio Podcast with Zubi Advertising's Isabella Sanchez provides some answers.

When it comes to NPR affiliates, WPLN-FM in Nashville is one of the better known Member stations, thanks to its strong news reporting. What is lesser known across the nation is its AM sibling, a Class B with an "international" flair. Soon, however, that offering, featuring BBC World Service programming 24/7, will be a thing of the past. The Hippie's parent is taking over.

Broadcast media stocks were largely swept up in a red tide on Monday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1.3%, and Nasdaq was down 2%. That's not to say there weren't improvements: Townsquare Media climbed 7.4%, and there's a clear reason why this gain was seen.

A Class A FM that went silent in July will soon resume broadcasting, and from a new tower. It's thanks to a deal that saw Scott Fybush serve as the broker, and the market's main public broadcasting service provider emerge as the buyer.

Here's a new bit of data, courtesy of Borrell Associates, that will certainly jump start your week: Traditional media is more popular with small and medium-sized business owners than some of the most commonly used forms of digital media. This includes AM and FM radio, advertisers say.

The popular Premiere Networks syndicated radio host shares her thoughts in this second of a special two-part conversation with Jackson Weaver and Keith Samuels, conducted for their "Media Insultants" podcast. Weaver offered excerpts for the RBR+TVBR InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, and we are pleased to share them with our audience. LISTEN HERE

A Class B FM serving much of Cape Cod and Nantucket likes things "Cool," owing to this Classic Hits station's branding. It just got something decisively uncool from the FCC's Enforcement Bureau: A Notice of Violation. Blame it on "spurious emissions."

It's been an interesting seven days for Kohl's. The retailer's CEO exited last week to join Levi Strauss & Co. The announcement came as Kohl's stock is at its lowest value since the worst part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gass' exit didn't have any bearing on Kohl's marketing plans. In fact, it stepped up its Spot Radio efforts.

For $47 million, SummitMedia made it known to the U.S. broadcasting industry that it aims to play ball. It purchased 19 stations in four markets from The E.W. Scripps Co. -- a move that will allow Summit to grow yet will not significantly transform the operation. Perhaps that's exactly what Chairman/CEO Carl Parmer and SVP/Programming Bill Tanner have in mind.