Radio News

Urban One shares soared by 102.1% on Wednesday, with big gains coming in the afternoon hours. After-hours trading shows a decline, but it still represents a super surge for the media company super-serving African American consumers.

Is COVID-19 killing more than a handful of radio stations in Q1? The latest U.S. broadcast station totals from the FCC show another drop in the number of licensed radio stations during the quarter. Meanwhile, the number of FM translators licensed for broadcast continues to surge.

RBR+TVBR first learned of a headset for iPhones and iPads using the Lightning interface that brings FM radio broadcasts to users, using no data, in April 2018— ahead of that year's NAB Show. There, a demo yielded what so many in the radio world wanted — in addition to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. It is now known that Apple is no longer supporting the Soundot app.

The Victor Valley is officially ensconced within the vast Los Angeles DMA. But, "local" TV is hardly local, and newspapers are largely focused on San Bernardino, to the south, or Southern California's more populous communities. One radio group decided to tackle the local news void, both on-air and online.

Urban One shares skyrocketed in the summer of 2020. While values have receded since that big surge, they are still nearly four times the average price for UONE seen before June 1. However, there's a slight problem with Urban One, and the Nasdaq stock market has sent the company a notice that it needs to remedy it. Otherwise, it could face delisting.

What can broadcasters expect with respect to D.C. regulation in January 2020? David Oxenford of Wilkinson Barker Knauer offered a detailed look at what's important to radio and TV station owners and managers.

A Form 314 filing transferring three FM stations stripped off ownership by Ed Stolz due to nonpayment of ASCAP royalty fees to a new owner has been made. The filing was submitted by the stations' receiver, and the buyer is a non-secular broadcast ministry with a significant presence in the American West.

"While 2020 challenged us, you and your team demonstrated the importance of local broadcasting and what it means to give back," the NAB says. As this year concludes, the NAB Leadership Foundation is asking you to telling your station's story during the 2021 Celebration of Service to America Awards.

In July 2010, Curtis Media Group acquired a heritage AM station that for much of the 1960s and 1970s offered a high-energy Top 40 presentation.  The station had been a Radio Disney O&O, taken silent in January 2010. In recent years, an FM translator was added, and Sports Talk was installed. Now, the company led by Don Curtis is parting ways with the Triad duo.

Subscription-free sports betting audio content is poised to reach more listeners on more devices. That's the promise VSiN and iHeartMedia are sharing, as the nation's No. 1 audio media company has expanded its partnership with the Las Vegas-based sports information network dedicated to bettors and wagering statistics. The result is a loss for SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

With Monday's news that Emmis founder and CEO Jeff Smulyan has formed a $200 million "blank check" company that could very well merge with a media company focused on sports bettor content, RBR+TVBR revisits a recent InFOCUS Podcast interview with Bill Adee, of VSiN.LISTEN HERE

The $200 million "blank check" company with a forthcoming stock to be traded on the Nasdaq market will see two key figures at Emmis Communications in lead roles. Its board includes three others — an ex-Indianapolis mayor, an individual tied with Shamrock Communications in the early 1990s, and a "retired" ESPN Audio chief.

Gene Loving has owned radio stations under the Max Media banner for some 30 years, and since 2001 has been in partnership with two Norfolk-area veteran television executives. Most recently, a big venture capital firm held a majority stake of Max Media. That's just changed, to the benefit of Loving.

Bell Media has adopted its third national radio brand, ditching local branding known for years in such markets as Vancouver for a name that's clearly designed to attract advertisers across the nation of Canada. It's something seen in Australia and Great Britain, to some extent, too. Our editor wonders when U.S. radio groups will follow suit in this commentary.

A Class B AM licensed to Salt Lake City, and an unbuilt FM translator at 94.5 MHz in Draper, Utah, are among the assets that have been licensed to Vic Michael. He's been trading translators across the Southwestern U.S. over the last several months, and Michael is at it again. This time, it sees his Utah LMA partner converting its operation to a purchase.