Radio News

An FM translator that's moving from Fairport, N.Y., to the center of the Western New York city of Rochester has just been sold to a New York City-based entity. The facility is currently delivering the market with CBS Sports Radio programming and is branded as "The Team."

The Adult Alternative format of Northern Kentucky University's WNKU, which airs on three stations in the Cincinnati market, is now officially in jeopardy. That's because the school has agreed to sell the last of the trio of facilities used for WNKU, and the buyer is considering all formats, with revenue and ratings the key criteria.

Paging Flo & Eddie: A quintet of Congressional leaders are on your side. With the NAB-backed Local Radio Freedom Act now boasting 206 co-sponsors in the House and 23 in the Senate and little, if any, interest in H.R. 1914 (The PROMOTE Act of 2017) or the better-known "Fair Play Fair Pay Act" (H.R. 1836), a California Republican in the House of Representatives is now taking aim at pre-1972 copyrights.

The efforts of California Rep. Darrell Issa and Rep. Marsha Blackburn to bring new performance rights fees to radio stations appear to be as successful as those in the Senate designed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. 

The owner of a Class A radio station in rural Seward, Alaska has been issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $66,000 for what the FCC says are "numerous apparent violations" of its rules — including actions that undermine the effectiveness of the Emergency Alert System.

In addition to the nominations of Jessica Rosenworcel and Brendan Carr to serve as Commissioners on the FCC, Chairman Ajit Pai awaits a confirmation by the U.S. Senate. That's because President Trump has nominated Pai to serve another term at the Commission, which supersedes his ascension to the chairmanship. While noting that over the past several years "you have come to know me and where I stand," he shared several perspectives from outside the Beltway, and noted that the stories of many "stay with me." In short, " they fuel my passion to help deliver digital opportunity to all Americans and advance the public interest."

In a sign of the times, Wisconsin's "most powerful radio station" is getting a translator as it attempts to lure FM radio listeners who rarely, if ever, go to the AM band. We've got an RBR+TVBR Observation on the subject, which begs the question if radio companies should just turn off AM stations already.

The allure of smart speakers continues to attract the attention of consumers, bucking the wider audio market's slowdown and even reinventing Amazon as the world's largest audio equipment vendor. However, that's just the beginning of a wider market transformation, with voice personal assistants (VPAs) at the heart of a new CE land grab, according to a comprehensive new market report from Futuresource Consulting.

Hundreds of media and telecom industry experts, insiders and entrepreneurs will gather Wednesday and Thursday to highlight the most far-reaching issues affecting minority entrepreneurs and underserved communities, as the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) holds its 15th annual Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference, “Financing America’s Future.”

Shares of iHeartMedia slid by 8.6%, to $1.60, on Wall Street Tuesday as investors reacted negatively to news that it is considering a counteroffer to its ongoing attempt to complete a debt swap that has thus far seen scant interest from note holders.

In a transaction filed with the FCC today and finalized June 30, Scranton, Pa., based Shamrock Communications has agreed to sell the rimshot facility serving Nevada's second-biggest market. The buyer is quite familiar with the station: He built the property and is the since-retired GM of the company's cluster in this market.

Looking for insight on radio’s regulatory and economic future? Make plans to be in Austin, Tex., on Sept. 6 for the 2017 Radio Show, produced by the NAB and the RAB. Leading financial forecasters and radio group executives will provide insight on where radio stations are from a "dollars to D.C." perspective in a session led by Scott Flick, a partner at the Pillsbury law firm.

There's a big cola brand out there that wants thirsty consumers to consider its array of drinks this summer, and it has taken to radio spots to stamp this message in the minds of shoppers across the U.S. It's not Coca-Cola, but its big longtime rival.

A big Class C3 noncomm to the north of Houston is trading hands. As a result, its current Spanish-language religious "Vidavisión" radio programming will soon be coming to an end. While the facility will continue to superserve Hispanics, with similarly themed non-secular programming, the new owners will be installing English-language religious programming. That's the top deal in RBR+TVBR's TRANSACTIONS TODAY for Monday, July 17.