Radio News

At Noon PT on Tuesday, KFMB-AM in San Diego concluded its run as an News/Talk station under TEGNA ownership and, before that, as a Midwest Television-owned property. But, there is most certainly a spoken word future for the venerable station serving America's Finest City. It's thanks to iHeartMedia.

In a sign of optimism that coronavirus concerns will have tempered in six weeks, Entercom Communications has confirmed that its annual shareholders' meeting will move forward at Hotel Sofitel Philadelphia. Among the agenda items: A non-binding "Say on Pay" vote. Want to know what David Field earned in 2019? We have the answer, and it's a big jump from 2018.

For a generation of TV viewers, "Eddie Haskell" is a beloved character on the 1950s classic sitcom Leave it to Beaver. For radio listeners, the name Eddie Haskell is also one associated with a Country veteran who has just departed iHeartRadio for a position at Max Media in the Tidewater region of Virginia.

A letter of support from the head of The Radio Television Digital News Association, which is gathering resources and best practices from newsrooms across the country and sharing them, is just the starting point for an industry on the frontlines of the global COVID-19 coronavirus crisis hitting home for millions of Americans.

Addressable advertising. It's a key desire among marketers and brand managers who have shifted much of their money to Google and Facebook. The TV industry is poised to claw back some of those dollars, thanks to NEXTGEN TV. For some, this puts traditional radio -- minus streamed delivery of live broadcasts -- at a disadvantage. However, the radio industry may have its answer.

The sell-off of stations licensed to High Plains Radio Network continues. This time, it involves three FMs acquired by the Monte Spearman-led broadcasting company in April 2016. Who is the buyer, and is he making a profit some four years later?

It's now time for those interested in participating in the MIW Group's annual Mildred Carter Mentoring Program to submit their application for consideration. The 2020 program is, as always, a virtual opportunity for women in the radio industry to continue learning from some of its most accomplished professionals.

One week ago, it became known that the cyber-attack that took place six months ago at Entercom Communications also impacted Radio.com users. It took a filing made with the State of California in Sacramento to make the information public.

The Hispanic Radio Conference, originally scheduled for March 25-26 at the Intercontinental at Doral Miami, has been shifted to mid-October due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. "We decided this was the most prudent course of action considering the severity of the current situation and out of concern for our attendees, sponsors, and staff."

Salem Media Group's Q4 2019 results were full of mixed results, based on adjusted earnings analyses. But, what is Salem anticipating for Q1 2020? Its first quarter outlook isn't projecting any positive growth. This could further exacerbate anxious investors, which have sent shares of many media companies -- including that of Salem -- to stunning lows.

While Saga Communications' shares are down in the long-term, the radio industry pure-play focused on medium- and small-sized markets may be on safer terrain than some bigger companies, given their limited exposure to live events and sports programming. That said, Saga was down slightly in Q4, according to its just-released results.

The Hispanic media company that will soon see new majority ownership and the departure of CEO Vince Sadusky is welcoming a new SVP and Head of Government Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility to its offices in the Nation's Capital.

In late 2017, Monte Spearman and his High Plains Radio Network were singled out by multiple brokers as an active buyer. Today, Spearman is an asset shedder, with multiple asset sale agreements seen in recent weeks. On Thursday, another station sale from HPRN was submitted for FCC approval.

Salem, which specializes in Christian-themed media and Conservative secular Talk radio programming, has set May 6 as the date for its annual shareholders meeting in Ventura County, Calif. The news comes one day after Salem's board declared a dividend.

In December 1947, a Class D AM signed on the air in Niagara Falls, N.Y. It boasts a signal that covers much of Buffalo, to the south, and Niagara Falls and St. Catharines, Ontario, in Canada. Today, it airs a Full Service format -- at least for now. The station has just been sold.