Radio News

After being warned, the licensee of a low-power FM radio station serving Marion, Ohio, in the midst of a license revocation hearing tied to a misrepresentation issue still does not have legal counsel. It must lawyer up by July 27, or it will lose its license, the FCC has declared.

Take a drive down Dinah Shore Blvd. in Cathedral City, Calif., and you may spot a vintage radio station home, with studios once used by the likes of Frank Sinatra. The company now operating out of this facility has just inked an agreement that's decided to give its AM with heritage market branding some more "FM revitalization."

"ZoneCasting," seen by some as an "addressable advertising" and hyperlocal opportunity for Radio and a harbinger of sales rate doom by others, is something a collection of independent broadcasters want the option to use at their respective stations. And, they've come together in an attempt to convince the head of the NAB, Curtis LeGeyt, to amend his position on the matter.

In 2003, the father of the late husband of Beth Neuhoff founded Neuhoff Communications, which today owns 20 radio stations, in addition to sixteen locally focused digital music, information and entertainment sites. It properties can be found in Illinois and in Indiana. Soon, Ms. Neuhoff will be saying goodbye to her day-to-day oversight of the company.

The NAB has filed reply comments with the FCC that once again demonstrate its view that the Commission's proposed Fiscal Year 2022 regulatory fees "subject local radio broadcasters" to a cumulative 13% rate hike.

The NAB has filed comments with the FCC in response to its NPRM concerning various options for the use of TV channel 6 spectrum. In its comments, the broadcast media advocacy and lobbying group argued that the existing 13 "FM6" stations licensed as VHF Channel 6 should be allowed to continue operation as presently authorized.

The winners will be announced October 19 at the Marconi Radio Awards Dinner held during NAB Show New York. It's a move from the Radio Show, the now-defunct autumn conference co-produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau and NAB until the pandemic.

For 20 years, not every licensee has followed the FCC's online political file rules, resulting in Consent Decrees for many. Add Connoisseur Media, led by Jeff Warshaw, to the list of operators settling a political file filing snafu with the signing of a decree.

Thanks to its grandfathered status, a Cumulus Media FM serving the Central Coast of California enjoys 105,000 watts of power, with a Class B signal stretching from Thousand Oaks to the south to San Luis Obispo to the north. Today, that facility is Classic Hits KRUZ-FM, and this station, along with its three siblings focused on Ventura County, now have a new Operations Manager.

Here's a positive takeaway from the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Radio report: Activity from actual, fully-paid advertising dominates for the first time in a while, pushing iHeartMedia-related promotional spot plays off the latest list.

It's the licensee of WBLS and "Hot 97" in New York, and a partnership that sees Rahsan-Rahsan Lindsay serve as CEO and Jeff Smulyan hold a massive, minority interest in the station formerly owned by his Emmis Communications. Both stations were cited by the FCC for political file issues. Now, they've each signed consent decrees to resolve the matter.

In June 2020, it obtained the right to acquire a Phoenix-area FM translator as part of a deal that gave a group run by Vic Michael ownership of a Pennsylvania property. But, it instead sold it for $60,000. Now, a deal has been reached that will see Family Stations get this mini-FM from the party it sold it to nearly two years ago.

It's a tiny FM station serving the Haitian community in West Palm Beach. Despite its small stature, it must follow FCC rules — including allowing a badged FCC Enforcement Bureau in when making an unannounced visit. Only, that didn't happen, and now the licensee could be fined for its refusal.

The war of words between GeoBroadcast Solutions, the company behind ZoneCasting, and the NAB and SBAs opposing the technology has heated up. Late Wednesday, GBS offered a response while claiming the State Broadcasters Associations letter sent to the FCC opposing ZoneCasting was written by the NAB's general counsel.