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From Radio Online: The radio and broadcasting community mourns the loss of Andrew "Tiny" Aasen, a former star of "The Marconi Show" in the 2000s, who passed away recently at the age of 43. Known for his vibrant humor and warm presence, Aasen was not only a celebrated broadcaster but also a dedicated medical professional. More...

From Radio Online: The Alliance for Women in Media (AWM) has announced the 2025 National Board of Directors and Officers. "As we prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Gracie Awards -- five decades of recognizing the incredible achievements of women across all media -- strong leadership is More...

From Radio Insight: 1960s Top 40 talent turned broadcasting executive Gary Stevens passed away on Monday, February 17 at the age of 84. Stevens worked on air at stations including WWOW Conneaut OH, WCKR, WAME and WFUN Miami, WIL St. Louis, WKNR Detroit, and WMCA New York from 1959 through 1968. After a stint in Europe selling American television shows internationally, Stevens returned stateside to join Doubleday Broadcasting as a manger where he would spend time leading KRIZ Phoenix and KDWB Minneapolis where he helped move the station from AM to FM before being named President of Doubleday Broadcasting through 1985 growing the company to include stations including WHN and WAPP New York, WLLZ Detroit, and WAVA-FM Washington DC. Stevens then would move into radio station brokerage and served on the Board of Directors of many companies and organizations including Radio Advertising Bureau and the Electronic Media Ratings Council. His final position was serving as interim Chairman of Saga Communications in 2022. Stevens’ daughter Kris Sexton shared the following* Gary Stevens (Gulfstream, FL and New Canaan, CT), a pioneering force in the radio industry, passed away on February 17, 2025, in Delray Beach, Florida, at the age of 84. Born on April 5, 1940, in Buffalo, New York, Gary’s passion for broadcasting began early. He launched his on-air career in 1959 at WWOW in Conneaut, Ohio, while on break from college. His early years in radio took him to WCKR and WAME?known as “Whammy in Miami”?as well as WFUN while he was a student at the University of Miami. In 1961, he moved to WIL in St. Louis before making a name for himself at WKNR (“KEENER”) in Detroit in 1963. Gary became a household name in April 1965 when he joined WMCA in New York City as one of the “Good Guys,” the station?s beloved group of on-air personalities. Hosting a weeknight show from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., he quickly became a favorite among teenagers who tuned in on their transistor radios. His influence extended beyond U.S. airwaves when, in 1966, he hosted a daily American music program for pirate radio station Swinging Radio England that operated from May to November of that year. In September 1968, Gary retired from his role as a disc jockey and relocated to Switzerland and London, where he launched a company selling US TV programs to broadcasters across Europe and the Middle East. After starting a family abroad, he returned to the United States in 1971 when Nelson Doubleday Jr. recruited him to manage KRIZ, a Phoenix-based radio station. In 1975, he moved to Minneapolis to oversee KDWB 63 AM and played a pivotal role in acquiring its FM counterpart at 101.3 for one of the first-ever simulcasts across both bands. His leadership and vision led to his promotion as President of Doubleday Broadcasting in 1977, where he remained until 1985. During his tenure at Doubleday Broadcasting, Gary managed stations across major markets, including WLLZ (“Wheels”) in Detroit, KWK in St. Louis, KPKE (“The Peak”) in Denver, WAVA in Washington D.C., as well as WAPP (“The Apple”) and WHN in New York City. He made waves in the industry when WAPP launched its groundbreaking “Commercial Free Summer” promotion?a bold move that shook up traditional advertising models and garnered national attention. When Doubleday decided to sell its broadcasting assets in 1986, Gary transitioned into media investment banking as Associate Managing Director at Wertheim Schroeder & Co., Inc., where he brokered major radio transactions. Later striking out on his own, he became President & CEO of Gary Stevens & Co., specializing in radio station investments. He also served on several boards, including the National Association of Broadcasters, the Radio Advertising Bureau, the Electronic Media Ratings Council and several public companies, including Saga Communications, where he served as Lead Director, leaving an indelible mark on the industry he loved so much. He is survived by his wife Frankie; his children Kristin (Stevens) Sexton, Christopher Stevens, and Victoria (Stevens) Chapman; and his grandchildren Georgina and David Chapman III. He was predeceased by his parents Gertrude and Leslie Grossman and his brother Arnold J. Grossman. Gary Stevens’ legacy lives on through the countless listeners he entertained and the industry professionals he mentored throughout his remarkable career. more

From Radio Online: Scott Childers, a veteran broadcaster with over three decades in the radio industry, has embarked on a new chapter in his career as the Operations Coordinator for Jazz 90.9 WDCB in Chicago. Childers, who was previously with WLS-AM in various capacities including fill-in news anchor, reporter, and substitute More...

From Radio Online: 34-year veteran programmer Chris Crowley departs iHeartMedia in Charlotte and Raleigh, where he served as Program Director for Classic Rock WRFX-FM (99.7 The Fox) and Alternative WEND-FM (106.5 The End) in Charlotte, as well as Classic Rock WRDU and Alternative W237BZ (ALT 95.3) in Raleigh since October, More...

From Radio Online: The Center for Sales Strategy (CSS) appoints Beth Bowers, a veteran with over 25 years of experience in media sales, as the new Senior Vice President of Sales. Bowers, formerly of Cox Enterprises, brings a wealth of expertise from her tenure as Chief Revenue Officer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and More...

From Radio Insight: There are a lot of panels I?m looking forward to at next week?s Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, February 11-13. In recent years, our remaining conventions have sometimes wanted to talk about almost anything else. This year, there are at least five panels on some combination of charts, streaming, and the radio/label relationship. Those topics are often intertwined. This year, they?re particularly unavoidable. Those five panels delve into the amount of music coming from beyond Music Row, the increased presence of coastal labels in Nashville, the increased amount of music shared between Country and CHR, what ?Mainstream Country? means now, and, in particular, how and when Country radio should acknowledge streaming.* The fifth and final panel is called ?Evolving the Playlist: F*#@ the Format.? (The word in question is not ?flush,? but I didn?t want my headline to end up in your SPAM filters.) The description encourages programmers to ?learn how to exploit huge moments in the genre by adapting your approach to add dates, charts, sonic trends, brand support and more.? * To some extent, that?s already happened. One of the panelists is Audacy regional VP/programming Drew Bland. In October, prompted by a Ross on Radio article about whether CHR labels were working midchart songs too long, asked why Country songs like Zach Top?s ?I Never Lie? and Riley Green?s ?Worst Way,? both with fast-developing streaming stories, were still waiting their turn at radio behind current, less active singles. Since then, prompted, in part by support from Audacy?s Country stations, both those songs are scaling the charts sooner than they might have. That meant that Green?s ?Damn Good Day to Leave? peaked at No. 7 (he had just come off a duet No. 1 with ?You Look Like You Love Me? that had already streamed past the intended hit). Top?s ?Sounds Like the Radio? was pulled at No. 12, rather than new label Leo 33 waiting to at least get its first single into the top 10.* Both those decisions represented a change from chart business as usual. A few years ago, superstar singles started to find a consistent exemption from the 40-50 weeks that could go to working a single title at Country radio. Songs like ?You Look Like You Love Me? or Koe Wetzel & Jessie Murph?s ?The High Road? were confirmation that a second, faster path now existed for reaction records by non-superstars with streaming stories. So do we need to flush the format (or worse)? And are we really talking about the format or the chart game? For the past few years, I?ve usually gone into Country Radio Seminar, and always come out of it, with an appreciation for the record/radio relationship in Country, especially as it crumbles elsewhere. I once resented the amount of time that went into working some passive titles. Once there were more reaction records, I was happy for the balance. Also, for the amount of music in play, particularly compared to CHR. Both the Green/Langley and Wetzel/Murph duets are reminiscent of the Country radio I grew up with, where fast-breaking reaction records were common. In that Country radio, a No. 7 single also read as a solid hit to me, and No. 12 was pretty good for a new artist, especially if it set up an even bigger song. I?m glad if we?re getting away from the ?customer service survey? approach to the charts, where anything other than No. 1 isn?t acceptable. That said, most of the panel descriptions essentially ask a similar question of radio: ?How can we help you become more comfortable with streaming data?? I?m glad fewer PDs are still dismissing streaming data as ?the other,? but that question lands differently if you?ve seen Top 40 labels and PDs become almost entirely dependent on streaming data, and having fewer, not more hits as a result. Country is far healthier because both streaming and callout are still influences.* For the same reason, I?m hoping the influx of both artists and labels from beyond Music Row continues to refresh Country but doesn?t obliterate that balance. I?m also hoping that it doesn?t make the product situation at Top 40 any more severe. If coastal labels devote further attention to Country, does it make them less inclined to create pop hits that don?t at least feature Jelly Roll as a guest artist? I?m happy for the multi-format hits that Country and Top 40 have created together. I?ve noticed that, after the crossover summer of 2023, Top 40 radio is generally happier to play a record that radiates from streaming to both formats simultaneously than they are one that crosses from Country to Top 40 (e.g., Morgan Wallen?s ?Love Somebody?). I?ll be curious if the mostly-CHR panelists on Friday?s ?We?ve Got Some Help? are doing that on purpose. I have thought some of these things about Country radio going into CRS before. At the rate that things are evolving, I?m expecting my POV may well be different in 10 days. I?m looking forward to reporting back to you from and after the panels, as well as from Thursday morning?s CRS Research Presentation, If you?re at CRS, I?m excited to see you there. If not, look for reports @rossonradio next week. more

From Radio Insight: Seven Mountain Media has appointed ‘Dan Thomas’ Slivensky as Operations Manger for their Altoona and Johnstown PA clusters. Thomas joins the company from iHeartMedia Anchorage where he has worked in sales for the past six years. He previously has held programming positions as Operations Manager for Results Radio in Chico CA and Townsquare Media Grand Junction CO, and Program Director of KKBZ Fresno and Tati Broadcasting and KWHL Anchorage. Thomas commented, “I’ve long admired Seven Mountains Media?s commitment to live, local radio and their dedication to serving communities, clients, and listeners. The choice was easy after meeting with Market Manager Bobbie Castellucci and Chief Programming Officer JC Burton. Their leadership shines bright, and they have built a highly successful group of stations. I look forward to contributing to the growth of these properties alongside such a talented team and continuing to deliver exceptional radio experiences to our audience.” Seven Mountains Chief Programming Officer JC Burton said, “We?re thrilled to welcome Dan Thomas as Operations Manager for Altoona and Johnstown. Dan?s relentless work ethic, diverse experience, and passion for radio make him the perfect fit for this role. His journey through the industry has shaped him into a true leader. We?re excited to see the impact he?ll make in our stations and communities.” more

From Radio Insight: Chris Crowley has exited as Program Director for iHeartMedia’s trio of Alternative ?106.5 The End? WEND Salisbury and Classic Rock ?99.7 The Fox? WRFX Kannapolis in the Charlotte market and Classic Rock 100.7 WRDU Wake Forest/Raleigh NC. He also hosted afternoons at WRFX and WRDU before moving to mornings at WRFX following the departure of John Boy & Billy from the station last November. Crowley joined iHeart in September 2021. He previously held roles as Director of Content for Townsquare Media Buffalo NY, Program Director of KGON Portland, WCMF Rochester, WARO Fort Myers, and KUJZ/KNRQ Eugene OR plus time as a consultant at Jacobs Media. Crowley commented on LinkedIn: After 34 incredible years in radio?thank you, Mark Murphy, for giving me my first shot at 101.3 KGOT?last week I got the news: my time with iHeart Media, and likely my radio career, has come to an end. While I?m not shutting the door completely, I?ve grown to love Charlotte and its amazing people so much that my days of packing up and moving are officially over. I?m incredibly proud of my time at iHeart, especially at WEND, where I had the privilege of working alongside the brilliantly talented Woody & Wilcox Show. Together, we hit the highest ratings in the brand?s history?a highlight I?ll always cherish. A huge thank you to Lisa Worden, Garner Goin, and Steve Geoffries for your insight, guidance, and for always being willing to listen. And to Chris Rozak, the epitome of a team player, thank you for being an outstanding colleague. My future may be a bit uncertain at the moment, but I know this: whatever?s next will turn out for the best. It always does. more

From Radio Insight: Emerson College AAA 88.9 WERS Boston has announced the addition of Alex Parker as afternoon host and Programming Assistant. Parker, who will use just her last name on air, had been working at the college as a Social Media Content Specialist. She previously held on-air and production roles at WPLM-FM Plymouth MA and WAAF and WZLX Boston. She commented, “I?m kinda screaming that I get to write this quote right now. It?s actually surreal to be fulfilling a goal of mine to make it on-air full-time in the city that I adore, at the station that inspired my passion for radio and embraced my love of music. I?m wicked excited to be afforded the opportunity to hang out with the one-of-a-kind WERS listenership on the Boston airwaves.? Brand Manager Ken West stated, “Parker is a local who brings a deep love of music, experience in commercial and non-commercial Boston radio, and proficiency in social media. She?s ready to connect with the WERS audience through her passion, music knowledge, and fun personality. WERS General Manager added, “Part of our mission is to provide companionship as we navigate through our hand-picked playlists. Parker is an excellent storyteller. Adding her to the equation means our audience gains the kind of wit, warmth and realness of a trusted friend. I can?t wait for her to get started.? WERS had been utilizing fill-in hosts in afternoons since Phil Jones’ departure last March to become Operations Manager of Classical 99.5 WCRB. more

From Radio Online: The Radio Vendor Alliance (RVA), in collaboration with the Independent Broadcasters Association (IBA), is set to host a thought-provoking webinar titled "Is Video the New Audio?" on Thursday, February 20, at 1pm ET. This 45-minute online workshop is part of a series of Lunch and Learn sessions designed to More...

From Radio Insight: After launching Collective Heads last month, co-founder Jimmy Steal will join Tim Richards as Co-Content Director of Alpha Media Country “98.7 The Bull” KUPL Portland. Richards has served as Content Director through his consultancy since January 2024. Richards commented, *?I asked Jimmy as we were launching Collective Heads if he?d be interested in Co-Programming The Bull as part of our new endeavor. I was beyond excited that he was into it, and we?re now off and running in Portland.? Steal, who most recently served as Vice President of Branding & Content for Hubbard Radio’s WTMX and WTBC-FM Chicago, previously served as EVP/Programming for Emmis where he also programmed Hip Hop KPWR Los Angeles. Steal commented, “I?m very happy to join Alpha Portland SVP Marlet Manager Robert Dove, Alpha Executive VP of Content Phil Becker and Collective Heads Partner/ KUBL Co-PD Tim Richards and the entire 1st class Alpha Portland team! I look forward to helping the Bull brand optimize every opportunity possible.” Alpha Media Portland SVP Market Manager Robert Dove said, ?I?m excited to have Jimmy Steal join Tim Richards as CO-PD of KUPL/The Bull in Portland. I?m confident with all their programming successes between them, they will help elevate The Bull.? more

From Radio Insight: The Nebraska Broadcasters Association has announced that it will induct Dennis and Kathi Brown, Dale Johnson, Mike McKnight and Dave Wingert into its Hall of Fame on August 12 during its annual convention. Our first husband & wife owner/operator inductees, Dennis and Kathi Brown met while working at a Colorado radio station. Sharing a passion for radio and a dream of ownership, their 1991 purchase of KCSR AM in Chadron, Nebraska saved the station from going under. Strongly focused on community service, Dennis and Kathi grew KCSR through a dedicated team of local employees that paved the way for them to buy KBPY FM in 2011. Beyond their strong commitment to local news, weather, high school sports and more, Kathi has helped countless businesses grow through advertising solutions. Dennis has been a tireless advocate for radio broadcasting on Capitol Hill and is a three-time Chairman of the NBA Board of Directors. Dennis and Kathi remain actively involved in station operations every day, taking great pride in serving the Chadron area. In a Nebraska radio career now spanning 51 years, Dale Johnson is a highly respected source of radio news in Lincoln. After his early years as an announcer in Holdrege, Kearney, Omaha and Grand Island, Dale spent 38 years as news director for Lincoln?s KFOR before joining Nebraska Public Media in 2023 where he currently serves as morning host and news reporter. Dale?s unique ability to build trust with interviewees has allowed him access to Nebraska?s biggest newsmakers, earning numerous industry awards from AP, RTDNA, the NBA and UPI. In 2005, Dale was the only Nebraska media member to accompany Governor Dave Heineman on a trade mission to Cuba. Dale enjoys giving back as a frequent guest speaker on writing and conducting interviews at the University of Nebraska ? Lincoln (UNL) College of Journalism and Mass Communications. When Mike McKnight joined Omaha?s WOWT TV in 1977, he never dreamed that 49 years later he?d still be holding people accountable as a one-man watchdog through his tireless investigative reporting. An advocate for the truth ? despite threats often made against him ? Mike has taken on big business, government agencies, sketchy contractors and others with a knack for gathering evidence and righting wrongs with professionalism and integrity. One of Nebraska?s most respected reporters, McKnight has earned regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and an Eric Sevareid Award along with numerous awards from AP, the NBA, Omaha Press Club and others. Mike was on the ground floor of establishing courtroom camera access in Nebraska, and to this day, enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists at UNL through tips and feedback on their weekly live newscasts. With an on-air resume covering 60 years and still counting, Dave Wingert has touched numerous radio audiences with his energy, wit and infectious personality. While his career includes stops in Kansas City, Seattle and ten years in national syndication as ?Dave ?Til Dawn,? Wingert made Omaha radio his home through his presence on KQKQ, KGOR and KLTQ before becoming the morning show host in 2016 on ?Boomer Radio? ? KOBM FM ? where he continues entertaining his loyal ?Wingy? fans to this day. Beyond his on-air effervescence, Dave is known for giving his time and talents to support the community through fundraising efforts for the Durham Museum, Omaha Community Playhouse and The Salvation Army to name a few. Through vast changes in technology, formats and ownership, Wingert?s legendary career shines on. more