Radio News

As first reported by RBR+TVBR on Dec. 20, a major provider​ ​of​ ​FM​ ​and​ ​AM​ ​transmitters​ ​in business since 1959 — and a 40-year player in the transmitter sales arena — has been acquired by a global manufacturer of FM transmitters based in Ferrara, Italy. ​​Elenos is now the owner of Broadcast​ ​Electronics​ ​(BE)​. In an attempt to try to answer some of the many questions about the deal, BE Director of U.S. Sales and Marketing Jeff Wilson spoke with Elenos Group President Leonardo Busi and BE President/CEO Tom Beck.

What happens if your AM radio station fails to sign off at sunset, as required by its license? Just as JLF Communications LLC. It just got a Notice of Violation for failure to do just that at an AM it owns in the Houston market.

Pandora Media shares are starting the first full week of 2018 by flirting with a record low, sending shares to nearly half of its one-year target estimate set by Wall Street financial analysts.  The downward action for "P" comes on the heels of a blistering report from Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne, who believes growing ad revenue is 2018 "is no longer a given" for Pandora. His comments come just two days before Pandora's appearance at an important investment community conference.

"It's the same old song, but with the same exact meaning since you've been gone." To the surprise of no one, iHeartMedia on Thursday yet again extended the deadline for participation in its term loan offers and exchange offers crafted on March 15, 2017.

Emmis Communications founder and Chairman/CEO Jeff Smulyan, who has also been the leading smartphone FM chip advocate and launched the NextRadio app, will share his ideas and advice on how to secure radio station access to smartphones in an exclusive one-on-one discussion with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson at the 2018 Hispanic Radio Conference. For details, click here.

Can't wait for the elimination of the FCC's main studio rule? You're in luck. The end is just days away, the Commission revealed in a brief announcement released Thursday. The rule's demise came at the Commission's October 2017 Open Meeting, despite fiery dissent from the two Democratic Commissioners.

The NAB is now accepting entries for its annual Crystal Radio Awards, which honor outstanding community service. This year's winners will be revealed at the We Are Broadcasters Celebration scheduled for Tuesday, April 10 during the 2018 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

With no comment from CBS News Radio, Skyview Networks or Hubbard Radio regarding the defection of top-rated all-News WTOP-FM in Washington, D.C. from CBS to ABC News Radio after more than 75 years of affiliation, Black Rock solidified its existing relationships with three key radio broadcasting companies.

For 10 years until June 2014, Tim Sabean served as Sirius XM's SVP for the Howard Stern Channels, responsible for the development and growth of the satellite radio offerings. As of today, Sabean is now an employee of Westwood One, and has taken a newly created role at the Cumulus Media-owned operation.

The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF) is now accepting entries for the 2018 Celebration of Service to America Awards, which recognize outstanding community service by local broadcasters.

New Year's Eve was a successful night of transition for Skyview Networks' Network Operations. "We were fully staffed and onsite New Year’s Eve to transition CBS News Radio’s affiliates to our distribution platform," Skyview says. There was also a big transition at WTOP in Washington, D.C. regarding its top-of-the-hour news: CBS News Radio is gone.

While much attention in recent months has been given to the end of most FM radio broadcasts in Norway, with signals now available only in DAB, the future of AM radio has only been discussed in a positive light. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is a strong believer in its power and importance, particularly in rural communities. In Great Britain, it's another story -- and many are shutting down in weeks.

A station once sold, and reacquired, by the company led by Hispanic radio broadcaster Amador Bustos is once again being sold. Two other AMs, all in the Pacific Northwest, are also being divested by Bustos Media Holdings. Three asset purchase agreements were submitted in one Form 314 filing made Thursday by Bustos, with one non-profit serving the Hispanic community landing the stations. 

In mid-April, Tejas Broadcasting agreed to sell a Class C1 100kw FM serving Amarillo, Tex., to Viva Media LLC. Nine months later, the station's new owner has been handed a Notice of Violation from the FCC for not having a functioning Emergency Alert System (EAS) system at this station. It also appears a second Viva station lacked an operable EAS system.

What winning retailer is a champion of radio spots for its pre-Christmas last-minute register ringing, shopper-securing efforts? It is one of three brick-and-mortar brands that can be found in the Media Monitors Spot Ten Radio report for the week ending Dec. 24, 2017.