Radio News

Attention, Northwest Florida radio listeners. You are about to witness the birth of a brand-new radio station. As a result, you are about to witness the death of an FM translator presently using the signal to bring "AM revitalization" to an Urban AC. That's because a full-service station on that frequency is being added to the FCC's FM Table of Allotments.

A former McKinsey & Company management consultant who later served as CFO of HD Radio developer iBiquity Digital Corp. has agreed to a two-year contract extension as Jeff Smulyan's No. 2 leader at Emmis Communications.

The Chairman/CEO of NRG Media has been named a 2017 MIW Trailblazer by The Mentoring and Inspiring Women (MIW) in Radio Group. Mary Quass will receive the ninth annual MIW Radio Group Frances Preston Trailblazer Award on Sept. 6 during the 2017 Radio Show Wednesday Headliner general session.

Here's the skinny on The E.W. Scripps Co.'s Q2 earnings results, released early Thursday: Net income fell by 4 cents per share, despite an increase in operating revenue. Its TV revenues are flat, but its radio division suffered a 5.2% dip in its revenue. Even worse, the TV division saw a 6.6% dip in its segment profit, while the radio division's profit tumbled by 25.5% in Q2. 

The FCC on Thursday adopted a hearing designation order pertaining to an FM radio station in north-central Michigan to determine whether the station's license renewal application should be granted. The station has operated just one day a year since it was initially licensed in 2010, most recently on Oct. 17, 2016. It's owned by Radioactive LLC, led by the flamboyant former CEO of Tribune Co., Clear Channel and Jacor Communications.

Is Saga the "teflon" media company? Perhaps. Its stock is in positive territory after reporting Q2 results showing a slight dip in its net income on statistically flat net revenue. Saga CEO Ed Christian and CFO Sam Bush provided much color in their quarterly conference call on what ails the company, and also attributed its recent uncharacteristic stock dip to an "AI" flaw.

The first filing window for AM broadcasters to obtain new FM translator stations officially closed yesterday, concluding another chapter in the FCC's ongoing efforts to revitalize AM radio. According to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, more than 1,000 AM stations took advantage of it.

The head of a formidable group of radio stations targeting African-American consumers would love nothing better than new rules that would allow a company to own more stations. He made the revealing comments during Urban One's Q2 earnings call, which saw several members of the investment community listening in.

Starting Jan. 1, 2018, distribution, inventory management and sales of CBS News Radio and its associated programming will shift from Cumulus-owned Westwood One to Skyview Networks. Company executives tell RBR+TVBR the shift from longtime partner WW1 "has absolutely nothing to do" with Entercom's acquisition of the CBS Radio properties and is the result of due diligence on the part of the long-standing audio news operation.

Pandora Media investors continued to sell their shares on Tuesday, as the streaming audio company's stock closed down 3.4%, to $8.65. The dip could be tied to a series of price target hair cuts from Wall Street analysts.

Here's something to share with the programming team, and with the person who cuts your station's checks. A new radio station prep service that features, at its core, a daily feed of call-in comments from listeners intended to “spark” further audience engagement has been launched by United Stations Radio Networks.

Here's the good news for beleaguered Pandora Media shareholders: The company's total consolidated revenue in Q2 saw a 10% year-over-year increase. Additionally, its gross profit increased as did its all-important advertising revenue. What's disconcerting is the company's dip in total listener hours.

Late last week, the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) learned that RMLC-represented stations were awarded a more-than-60% discount off of the SESAC radio station license rate card. The RMLC points out that SESAC had offered stations that chose not to arbitrate only a 5% discount. "In contrast, many of the RMLC-Represented Stations that chose to participate in the arbitration, and that overpaid SESAC on an interim basis since 2016, will now receive a combined credit worth tens of millions of dollars," the RMLC says.

Marketron, a provider of business software solutions and services to the media industry, has completed its purchased RadioTraffic, a traffic and billing system used by approximately 1,000 radio stations. Closing of the deal took place today, with Media Services Group serving as broker.

ABC Radio and Skyview Networks have agreed to an early extension of their content, ad sales, affiliate sales and audio distribution agreement. This early renewal means their close relationship will continue through 2026.