Radio News

The NAB has revealed no less than 50 finalists for the 31st annual NAB Crystal Radio Awards. The honors recognize radio stations for their "outstanding year-round commitment to community service," and among the AMs and FMs singled out are a Top 40 station in South Florida, a heritage News/Talker in the Twin Cities, and an Urban One hip-hop leader in Big D.

Entercom Communications will release its Q4 2017 financial results before the market opens on March 8. Comps could be interesting, as Entercom completed its Reverse Morris Trust-fueled merger with CBS Radio during the quarter. Meanwhile, the industry is very curious as to what iHeart's Q4 plans are as bankruptcy talk increases.

“Digital audio is on the verge of massive growth," says Pandora Media CEO Roger Lynch. "Music consumption is increasing, podcasts are gaining popularity and voice-activated devices are quickly becoming mainstream." For Pandora, seeing the benefits of this increased consumption may come at a slower pace than its peers. The streaming audio pioneer's total revenue increased 7% in Q4. It also has a lower net loss. But, is that good enough for investors? Based on post-Closing Bell activity on Wall Street, the answer may be "yes."

A Report and Order that could make your lives easier will no longer be up for debate and discussion at Thursday's February Open Meeting of the FCC's Commissioners. That's because there is nothing left to debate — all five Commission leaders no longer believe it is necessary for broadcast TV and radio stations to maintain paper copies of FCC rules.

From baseball to football, and from basketball to motor sports, Hispanic consumers are "major league" fans. They represent a huge opportunity for sports teams, their merchandise, their venues — and their broadcast media sponsors. Still, many radio stations are unsure as to how to connect with, or fully tap into, the growing Hispanic sports market and its vast potential. A Hispanic Radio Conference session will go a long way toward providing big answers on "deportes" delivery.

Arizona State University has emerged as a key higher learning institution for those who seek a degree without having to attend its campuses across the Grand Canyon State. The Tempe-based school's marketing efforts largely include radio, and a new recruitment push has led ASU to increase the number of spots it has placed on AMs and FMs tracked by Media Monitors.

Its stock price is slowly recovering from reaching its lowest price in two years on Dec. 4. It ended the month of January with an appearance at the NobleCon 14, Noble Capital Markets' 14th annual investor conference and microcap showcase on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Now, Salem Media Group has been singled out as one of the "Best and Brightest Companies to Work For®" in the country. 

A man considered by many to be "a pioneer broadcaster" has died. Ray Moran, founder of Lubbock-based radio and TV station owner Ramar Communications, was 82. His death was on Feb. 11, KJTV-34 reports; industry trade publications became aware of the news on Tuesday.

The CEO of a radio broadcasting company based in the Houston-Galveston market has just been gifted a Class C3 FM facility that can be heard in three states. The value of this donation has been left up to a third-party appraiser.

Beleaguered streaming audio company Pandora Media will release its fourth quarter 2017 results on Wednesday following the Closing Bell on Wall Street. What can investors expect from Pandora? Zacks Equity Research offered a preview based on its own estimates and research on the company's stock. 

There's been a ton of press in the last week about Unilever, and how it's very concerned about the safety of its brand messages in digital venues including YouTube and Facebook. Our editor-in-chief has something to say to them, and by popular demand we're sharing it again with you as a Presidents' Day bonus: Radio is your safe place for your brand messages and the strong ROI growth you've been fretting about in the digital world.

Don't want to deal with that FCC Broadcast Mid-Term Report anymore? An NPRM that could nix them is on tap for the Commission's February Open Meeting. Tired of having to maintain paper copies of Commission rules? A Report and Order up for consideration at this meeting could have you going green on this requirement.

On January 30, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that tentatively concluded that the Commission should eliminate a decades-old requirement that broadcasters routinely file paper copies of station contracts and certain other documents with the agency. It's now time for you to comment on the NPRM.

For those who believe Townsquare Media wants out of the radio business, perhaps this transaction sends a contrarian message to Wall Street and its competitors. In a deal announced ahead of the company's Form 314 filing with the FCC, it has agreed to acquire "The Rock of Central New York". This gives Townsquare five stations in this upstate market.

Among the many e-mails that arrived this week at RBR+TVBR was an item about a digital media Leviathan that immediately struck a chord. It involved teens, and their ever-shifting social media habits. The takeaway: Teens and Tweens are fleeing Facebook. Sound familiar, radio?