Radio News

"As consumers have spent more time at home throughout the pandemic, headphones really have become an integral device in our daily lives," the U.K.-based research house Futuresource finds. "Households have spent more time multitasking." What defines their audio choices?

As "ALT 98.7," KYSR has become Southern California's leading Alternative station, winning a head-to-head battle with Audacy's KROQ. Jeff Fife, known to listeners as "Woody," is part of ALT's winning recipe. The executives at iHeartMedia are acknowledging this by keeping him under contract for six more years.

The company formerly known as Entercom "is possibly approaching a major achievement in its business." That's the positive declaration on Audacy from influential financial watchdog Simply Wall St., which put a spotlight on the podcast purveyor and linear and digital audio entity.

Investors can now buy and sell shares in Audacy, the company formerly known as Entercom, under its new ticker symbol. Company C-Suite executives virtually participated Friday in the NYSE's Opening Bell ceremony, and the event immediately followed an exclusive chat with Audacy CMO Paul Suchman conducted on Clubhouse by Radio Ink Editor Ed Ryan.

One of its morning hosts, against his own better judgment, made comments about how his toaster settings corresponded to the skin tone of some African American female celebrities. That proved to be a grave error, which has now cost Cumulus Media's WGRF-FM "97 Rock" in Buffalo its Program Director and its entire wake-up program.

In February 1998, Chuck Cotton took on the role of President/GM of what was then AMFM Inc.'s Oahu-based Hawaiian radio stations. Cotton is now gone from "Island 98.5" and iHeart's other Hawaii radio brands. Succeeding him is a new Market President, who takes the role April 9.

In November 2019, AGM indicated it was buying a Class A FM licensed to Arvin, Calif., that can reach Bakersfield. It is now known that the deal never closed. Now, this FM is going to a woman in Glendale, Calif., who is agreeing to pay more than what AGM had planned to spend.

In June 2013, David Walker agreed to purchase a FM serving the Lubbock, Tex., market. Today, it is the "Red Dirt Rebel," focused on Texas-flavored country music. Walker hopes it will continue to serve as a home for this local music. But, that will only come with more financial stability. His Walker Radio Group has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

As first reported by Streamline Publishing's Radio Ink, Bustos Media Holdings has agreed to purchase an FM radio station with a broadcast tower due east of Portland, Ore. Until recently, covering the Rose City wasn't possible. Now that it is, Bustos isn't waiting for the deal to close to attract new listeners. What's the purchase price? We have the answer!

While TV has been, along with print media, major services consumed by the hearing impaired, radio has been left out. American University's NPR Member station, across town in Northwest Washington, has changed that -- thanks to ENCO.

He's been a fixture at a group of stations in Los Angeles owned and operated by Audacy. He stayed with the stations, which include "93.1 Jack FM," "K-Earth 101," KNX, "94-7 The Wave," "97.1 Amp," and KROQ, through Entercom's tax-free merger with CBS Radio. Now, this sales leader is heading north.

Until now, its collection of radio stations has been represented on a national level by Gen Media Partners. That's changing, thanks to an agreement signed this morning by this Hispanic media company's COO, Albert Rodriguez. What's the new national representation firm for Spanish Broadcasting System?

For nearly four and a half years, he has been linked with a group of Cumulus Media stations comprised today of WSBN-AM "ESPN 630" and highly regarded Talker WMAL-FM in Washington, D.C. Before that, he led sales for iHeartMedia's D.C. and Baltimore stations. Sadly, his current post at Cumulus will be his last, as Ken Roberts has passed away.

On July 27, the FCC will conduct an auction of AM and FM broadcast construction permits. What do individuals or groups seeking to participate need to know? The auction is comprised of more than 100 new FM CPs, and four AM stations serving the St. Louis market that replace a now-defunct quartet.

The FCC this summer will conduct an auction of some 136 vacant non-reserved band allotments in the FM broadcast service, adding a small group of stations to the cancelled Auction 106 that had been set for March 2020. Where are these FMs? RBR+TVBR took a look for you.