Radio News

The first 10 days of November will be full of third quarter earnings reports, and the nation's No. 1 audio media company will be sharing its results for the three months ending Sept. 30, 2020 after the Closing Bell on Nov. 9.

A group of Lone Star State radio stations is embarking on New Directions. This means the East Texas broadcast facilities will no longer be led by Paul Coates, who has teamed up with former U.S. presidential candidate and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in ownership of stations in Arkansas and Branson, Mo.

The Commission is directing the Media Bureau to open a filing window for new FM reserved band applications and seeks comment on imposing a limit of 10 applications filed by any party in this window.

An AM/FM combo, along with an FM translator and a tourist-focused glossy magazine, are being added to the Black Diamond Broadcasting portfolio. For radio industry observers, the crux of the deal involves a Class A FM serving such cities as Beaverton, Mich.; an AM serving the Saginaw-Bay City-Midland, Mich., market; and an FM translator covering Midland. 

According to Cox Media Group, its latest appointments "build on the great foundation of the Radio team while accelerating the company’s drive to entertain, serve and build its local communities." And, it will see it take a renewed focus on its six Country stations as its Director of Operations in Houston is appointed Country Format Leader.

The Independent Broadcasters Association (IBA) has announced a partnership with dk east associates, a media specialty accounting firm, to conduct a financial analysis of independent broadcaster operations.

In June, Family Stations obtained the right to acquire a Phoenix-area FM translator as part of a deal that gave a group run by Vic Michael's Mountain Community Translators ownership of a South Williamsport, Pa., property. It is now known that Family Stations is not moving forward with the option, as Michael has found a different buyer in the Valley of the Sun.

Until the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Urban One's share price was mired in the low-$1 range. Then, speculators sent UONE skyrocketing — a boost in value that would fade within weeks. Even so, Urban One's share value today is much higher than before June 11. As such, early participation in an exchange offer and consent solicitation was a success.

First launched as Washington Ag Network in 2015, the Pacific Northwest Ag Network offers farm news and information producers across Washington. Now, that programing is available for radio stations across the Northwest.

For 100 years, it has been a ratings and revenue generator -- even when it unexpectedly lost its morning anchor in August 1983. Now, on the eve of its centennial amidst a year-long celebration, KDKA in Pittsburgh is getting an FM signal. It's the result of another somewhat legendary Pittsburgh radio brand's shift to a different FM translator.

In early 2018, it seemed like Bustos Media had received no objections to its plan to build an FM translator in Portland, Ore. It turns out there was a dissenting party -- one that didn't speak up on the grounds that Bustos never offered public notice of its plan. The Media Bureau shrugged its shoulders, but the dissenter appealed. Now, it's victorious, because of Bustos' mistake.

Serving McDowell County and surrounding counties since May 9, 1949 is a Class D 5kw facility with 51 watts at night. In recent years, it's benefited from a FM translator. Now, this AM and FM translator are being spun to a new owner — a company with 75% ownership by two well-known individuals across the broadcast TV business.

What does 2021 and beyond look like for radio groups that are struggling in markets saturated with an array of competition? Are D.C. leaders moving forward on key issues impacting radio? These questions were part of a lively Hispanic Radio Conference LIVE virtual panel discussion conducted Thursday.

How did Flagler Broadcasting find sales and revenue success through the pandemic? VP/GM David Ayres shares all with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson in this freshly produced InFocus Podcast, presented by Dot.FM. LISTEN HERE

While some may argue it was the programming, and others may blame the signal in an era of FM and digitally delivered audio, one thing's for certain: two AM radio stations owned by Cumulus Media will never appear again in a Nielsen survey. That's because Cumulus has surrendered their licenses to the FCC.