Activity Stream

From Radio Insight: Cumulus Media’s Kansas City cluster is set to undergo some changes. “107.3 Kansas City’s R&B and Hip Hop” KMJK North Kansas City is promoting it will soon change frequencies. The station is holding an event at a local brewery on Thursday, September 28 where it will announce its new home at 4pm. While Cumulus has two dominant stations in Classic Hits 94.9 KCMO-FM and Classic Rock “101 The Fox” KCFX having a combined 20 share in the August 2023 Nielsen Audio ratings, the remainder of the cluster ranks 16th or lower in the market. KMJK is sixteenth rising 2.0 to 2.4 last month on a signal that is weaker on the Kansas side of the markt. Rock “105.1 The X” KCJK rose last month 1.6 to 2.2. CHR “95.7 The Vibe” KCHZ with a signal stronger in Kansas than Missouri dropped 2.0 to 1.6. Variety Hits “102.5 Jack-FM” K273BZ/KCMO-HD2 fell 1.7 to 1.3. Conservative Talk 710 KCMO/103.7 K279BI rose 0.7 to 1.0. more

From Radio Online: Triton Digital has unveiled its U.S. Podcast Ranker, covering the data from July 31 to September 3. This report showcases the performance of the SiriusXM Podcast Network, which has secured the top spot in the Top Sales Networks Report for August. The network More...

From Radio Insight: Educational Radio Foundation of East Texas is acquiring 104.7 KKTH Bosque Farms/Albuquerque NM from Delmarva Educational Association for $400,000. ERFET, which also operates as Encouragement Media Group, will begin operating KKTH via LMA on October 1. The station currently airs Spanish Christian “Buenas Nuevas” network based at 830 WUMY /105.5 W288DJ Memphis. The buyer operates multiple Christian brands in the Tyler/Longview TX market including Christian AC 89.5 KVNE, Contemporary Worship “Lift Worship” 91.1 KGLY, Christian Preaching “The Well” 94.3 KZWL/95.3 KWLL, and Spanish Christian “Fuzion” 102.3 KLFZ/103.1 KHFZ. The company is also about to close on acquisitions in the Shreveport LA market that will bring KVNE and Fuzion programming to that market. With “Fusion” also heard on 97.7 KGFZ Lufkin, we’re told to expect that to also launch in Albuquerque. more

From Radio Online: Loud Media flips Classic Hits WKVL/La Follette, covering Knoxville, to 90s andamp; 2000s Throwbacks as "104.9 KVL." The station is playing artists such as Destiny's Child, Jay Z, Danity Kane, Digital Underground, No Doubt, Nas, New Kids On The Block, Fergie, Kanye West, Kevin Rudolph, Lil Jon, Seal, More...

From Radio Insight: The UK based Podcast Radio Network has launched on Beasley Media Group properties in four markets. Beasley has flipped “Fox Sports Charlotte” 94.7 W234BY/103.7 WSOC-HD3 Charlotte NC, Classic Hip Hop “The Bounce” 101.5 W268AH Bonita Springs/96.5 W243BM Suncoast Estates/103.9 WXKB-HD2 Cape Coral/Fort Myers FL, Sports “The Roar” 93.5 W228CJ/99.1 W256EA/WCSX-HD2 Detroit, and Business “Money Talk 1010” WJBR Seffner/Tampa FL to “Podcast Radio US“. The Podcast Radio US programming consists of short segments from various podcasts with our brief sampling including clips of Alan Alda interviews with Paul McCartney and Carol Burnett, someone discussing how glass is made, a conversation about the steel industry, and a promo for WRIF Detroit host Meltdown’s show. more

From Radio Insight: With the upcoming sale of “105.7 The Red Dirt Rebel” KRBL Idalou/Lubbock, a domino effect of station moves will follow. Plus Seven Mountains Media telegraphs upcoming changes across Northwestern Pennsylvania. This content is for Premium Annual and Premium Monthly members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. more

From Radio Online: Veteran Rochester, NY radio personality Terry Clifford signed off the air on Friday for the final time. Clifford, co-host of the "Bee Morning Coffee Club" on WBEE-FM, is retiring after 37 years on the Country outlet. The Auburn native's radio career spans more than 40 years, including a stint on More...

From Radio Insight: Loud Media is continuing its changes in Knoxville with the launch of 90s/2000s Hits “104.9 KVL” WKVL Greenback/Knoxville. The launch follows the move of the station’s former Classic Hits “104.9 Lake-FM” WPLA format to 1400 WGAP/105.9 W250DJ Maryville as ?Fun 105.9?. It also coincides with the station’s move from rimshotting Knoxville from the north of town to the south with 439w/361m. Compass Media Networks? Anna & Raven morning show remains on the 104.9 signal with the new format launch. 104.9 KVL also will add Gemini XIII’s The TJ Show for afternoons. The first hour of “104.9 KVL” featured: Destiny’s Child – Lose My Breathe Jay Z w/ Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind Danity Kane – Damaged Digital Underground – Humpty Dance No Doubt – Hella Good Nas – I Can New Kids On The Block – The Right Stuff Fergie – Clumsy Kanye West – Flashing Lights Kevin Rudolph – Let It Rock Lil Jon – Play No Games Seal – Crazy Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good Nelly – Shake Your Tailfeather more

From Radio Insight: After slightly over three years as APD/MD at iHeartMedia CHR “Channel 95.5” WKQI Detroit, Sean Strife is preparing to move on to another locale. Strife, who also hosts middays at WKQI, shared on his Instagram story that today is his last day at the station and “something else is coming”. He joined WKQI in June 2020 after a year as APD/MD at iHeart CHR “Z104” 104.1 WZEE Madison WI. He has also worked for the company as Program Director of “Hot 95.7” KOSY-FM Cedar Rapids IA, producer for 102.7 KIIS-FM Los Angeles and On Air With Ryan Seacrest, host at Sports “AM 570” KLAC Los Angeles, and in promotions at iHeartMedia West Palm Beach. He also was on-air at University of Florida’s “Rock 104” WRUF-FM Gainesville FL. iHeartMedia posted the APD/MD position at WKQI last week seeking “an incredible APD/on air host. Creates, produces and announces topics on the radio, including music, entertainment, politics, news, weather, sports, traffic and other topics of interest.” more

From Radio Insight: Translator SalesiHeartMedia will purchase 107.9 K300CP Denver from Hope Media Group for $500,000. iHeartMedia has operated the translator since it launched in 2015 with it currently rebroadcasting 95.7 KDHT-HD2 Denver simulcasting Rock 107.9 KBPI Fort Collins. As part of a settlement to their long legal battle from their divorce, Hector Guevara and Centro Cristiano de Vida Eterna will transfer two Houston translators to ex-wife Sara Franco’s SDK Franco LLC. Franco will receive 92.5 K223DH Houston and 105.3 K287CK Angleton TX. SDK Franco previously received 92.5 K23CW Houston and 105.3 K287BQ Houston from CCVE in 2020. Station SalesCatherine Joanna Flinn sells 103.9 KHGA Earle AR to the Bobby Caldwell Revocable Trust for $250,000. The station is currently operated as part of her father’s Flinn Broadcasting Corporation. Caldwell owns stations across eastern Arkansas mostly under the name East Arkansas Broadcasters. Johnson Broadcast Ventures sells Gospel 1270 WMPM/94.3 W232DO Smithfield NC to Jose Steven Lara’s Gorilla Broadcasting for $220,000. A Time Brokerage Agreement will take effect ahead of closing. Gorilla owns multiple Regional Mexican stations under the “El Gallo” brand. more

From Radio Online: Most U.S. local news consumers want journalists to ask tough, but respectful, questions of candidates and regularly fact check those running for office. That was one of many key takeaways from a fact-finding research project on trust in elections coverage, commissioned by the Radio Television More...

From Radio Online: Netflix has announced their new reality show, "Surviving Paradise," will premiere on October 20. In the announcement it was shared that Hot Radio Maine's night host and Maine's own Hayley Smith-Rose is going to be one of twelve contestants competing for $100,000. The premise of the new Netflix show More...

From Radio Online: WDVE/Pittsburgh held their 16th-annual "DVE Rocks for Children's Radiothon" and raised over $1.06 million in support of UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. The "DVE Rocks for Children's Radiothon" raised vital funds that enable UPMC Children's Hospital to provide the highest level of care to More...

From Radio Online: Former U.S. Senator from New York state Alfonse D'Amato joins Talk WABC/New York as a regular contributor. D'Amato will provide insights from his years of political service across WABC's talk programs, including Cats andamp; Cosby, the afternoon drive show co-hosted More...

From Radio Online: Country radio executive Charlie Cook, who is VP, Country, for Cumulus Media, was honored by the Academy of Country Music (ACM) with the ACM Service Award. Cook was presented with the award by former ACM Award winner Chris Janson at the 16th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors, dubbed the More...

From Radio Online: Atlanta Country radio host James "Moby" Carney, who was inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame in 2011, has lost his battle with stage 4 stomach cancer. He was 69. Moby was a 40-year veteran air personality who worked in Rock radio for ten years then moved to Atlanta and WKHX (Kicks 101.5), More...

From Radio Online: Burt Sherwood, whose long career in radio spanned over 70 years including on-air work as a WMCA/New York "Good Guy" in the station's Top 40 days died peacefully in hospice care in Sarasota, FL on September 21. He celebrated his 95th birthday this past May. Sherwood previously served as General More...

From Radio Online: NAB Show New York is introducing the new Broadcast Content Summit, offering customized tracks for radio and television. Produced by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), this exclusive conference scheduled for Thursday, October 26, is tailored for More...

From Radio Online: SummitMedia appoints 15-year programming vet Matt Cooper as Program Director and afternoon talent for WCYQ (100.3 The Wolf). He comes to Knoxville from the company's cluster in Louisville where he was the Assistant Program Director, Music Director and afternoon personality on WQNU (Q103.1) for More...

From Radio Insight: Super Hi-Fi, the global leader in AI-powered radio experiences for radio broadcasters and digital media platforms, today announced the launch of VoiceIQ, the first AI-powered mastering and post-production technology designed exclusively to take voice recordings from any device and convert those files into studio-quality masters without the need for any manual intervention. Any audio use-case that requires high quality voice production in near-real time can now use VoiceIQ to simplify their workflow; generate more consistency across various production platforms; and significantly enhance the overall quality of the outputs. ?A number of our customers, particularly in the broadcast space, have been asking for much more speed and flexibility when it comes to voice recording and mastering,? said Brendon Cassidy, Chief Scientist, CTO, and co-founder of Super Hi-Fi. ?VoiceIQ is the solution for each of those requests, offering incredible efficiency while maintaining the extremely high quality of the hand-tuned mastering outputs that our customers require for their broadcast needs.? VoiceIQ automatically solves the most common problems found in today?s voice track recordings: noise in the files; gaps of silence at the edges; inappropriate and inconsistent equalization for production use; non-optimal dynamic range; low recording volume; and much more. Using an entirely new array of Super Hi-Fi?s audio analysis and machine learning processes, VoiceIQ eliminates these and other audio artifacts, and near-instantly converts each voice track into a fully production-ready file for use across almost any broadcast need. ?As radio broadcasters and media platforms look to streamline and scale up voice production, VoiceIQ unlocks extraordinary capability? said Zack Zalon, CEO and co-founder of Super Hi-Fi. ?The supply chain and production of radio-quality voice has now been dramatically simplified to drive significant value and product innovation opportunities for an array of use cases.? VoiceIQ is applicable across a wide range of services, providing the opportunity to turn today?s plain audio into tomorrow?s storytelling devices. Broadcast Radio: VoiceIQ fits seamlessly into existing radio broadcast stacks and integrates an entirely new layer of quality and efficiency to the voice production process. The technology creates outputs that are virtually indistinguishable from existing manual mastering processes. Streaming Music Services: As voice becomes more critical to the music listening experience, VoiceIQ can simplify and scale the voice creation and production process. Music+News, Music+Ads, Music+Artist Commentary are just a few examples of how VoiceIQ can streamline the content creation process. Audio Advertisers: For publishers and distribution platforms alike, VoiceIQ scales production with instant, high quality mastering, to provide more content diversity and more revenue. With the launch of VoiceIQ, Super Hi-Fi continues to evolve the audio landscape and provide a toolbox of innovation for companies using music and voice to create exceptional listening experiences for their customers. VoiceIQ is available to use as part of Super Hi-Fi?s fully integrated Automated Production Suite, or as a standalone service for integration into almost any existing production stack. more

From Radio Insight: SummitMedia has announced that Matt Cooper is moving to Country “100.3 The Wolf” WCYQ Oak Ridge/Knoxville TN as Program Director and afternoon host. Cooper joins WCYQ from sister Country “Q103.1” WQNU Louisville where he has served as Assistant Program Director and afternoon host since February 2020. Cooper previously spent five years in nights at Hubbard Country “B105.1” WUBE Cincinnati and has also worked at Hot AC 101.9 WTMX Chicago, Hot AC “99.1 The Mix” WMYX and CHR “103.7 Kiss-FM” WXSS Milwaukee and in Rockford IL during his career. He also tracks afternoons at SummitMedia Hot AC “103.7 Your Variety” WURV Richmond and CHR “Today’s Hits 97.3” WPYA Birmingham. He will be teamed in afternoons at WCYQ with incumbent co-host Hanah May as he succeeds Brian ?Opie Joe? Creason in both positions. Opie Joe had been with the cluster since 2011 He previously hosted mornings at the station when it was known as ?Q100.3? until its 2019 rebranding and rose to PD of WCYQ and the former Classic Hits “Awesome 93.1” WNOX in December 2022. Prior to joining WCYQ, Creason had stints at WAME and WFMX Statesville NC, WYYD Lynchburg VA, and WSLC-FM Roanoke VA. SummitMedia LLC welcomes new Program Director and afternoon talent Matt Cooper to 100.3 The Wolf (WCYQ). Cooper comes to Knoxville from Summit?s Louisville, Ken., cluster, where he was the Assistant Program Director, Music Director, and afternoon personality on Q103.1 (WQNU) for three years. Before that, he was the evening host on Country station WUBE in Cincinnati, Ohio. “I’m so excited to be part of this great team in Knoxville. This is such a cool city, and I can’t wait to get out and explore. Thank you so much to SummitMedia for this opportunity. I’m ready to get started,? Cooper said. Cooper brings over 15 years of programming and on-air experience for top-rated radio stations. “Matt has been an incredible asset in Louisville and comes to Knoxville ready to make an impact. He is consumer-focused and results-driven. His talent and drive make him a great fit to lead the team,? said Randy Chase, Executive Vice President of Programming. Cooper joins Hanah May weekday afternoons from 3 to 7 p.m. on 100.3 The Wolf. more

From Radio Online: WXYT-FM (97.1 The Ticket), the flagship of the Detroit Lions, launches a new weekday morning show. The Audacy Sports outlet elevates Jim Costa to new morning host alongside current morning co-host Jon Jansen. "Costa andamp; Jansen" will be heard weekdays from 6-10am ET beginning in More...

From Radio Online: iHeartPodcasts and The Meteor launch "In Retrospect," a new weekly series that transports listeners back in time to the iconic pop culture moments of the 80's and 90's. The program is hosted by journalist Susie Banikarim and New York Times editor Jessica Bennett. Each week the duo revisit a pop More...

From Radio Insight: Audacy Sports “97.1 The Ticket” WXYT-FM Detroit has announced its new morning show for when Mike Stone steps down from the slot at the end of the NFL season. Jim Costa, who has served as an evening/weekend/fill-in host at the station since February 2021, will move up to mornings alongside Jon Jansen. “Costa & Jansen” will debut in February 2024. He also hosts a sports betting podcast ?Cash The Ticket? with WXYT-FM afternoon host Mike Valenti. Costa previously spent five years at iHeartMedia Sports “ESPN 96.1” WMAX-FM Grand Rapids as Program Director and afternoon co-host with ‘Big Drew’ McCarthy and was Sports Director at Central Michigan University’s 91.5 WMHW Mount Pleasant MI. Audacy has announced a new weekday morning show for 97.1 The Ticket (WXYT-FM), the flagship radio station of the Detroit Lions. The station has elevated Jim Costa to new morning show host alongside current morning show co-host Jon Jansen. ?Costa & Jansen? will be heard weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET beginning in February 2024, following the conclusion of the Lions season. ?I’m thrilled that Jim Costa will be the next co-host of the 97.1 The Ticket morning show,? said Debbie Kenyon, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Detroit. ?Jim has spent the last few years building a great relationship with his listeners. We look forward to the talents of Jim Costa and Jon Jansen entertaining and informing the Detroit sports audience and can’t wait to see how the show evolves in 2024.? ?This is a dream come true for me,? said Costa. ?My whole career, I’ve chased the chance to build a show on 97.1 The Ticket. I grew up listening to this station and rooting for these teams. To start the conversation in Detroit every morning is special. Jon Jansen and I are a good contrast; we play off each other well, and I’m excited for the show we will create along with Heather and the entire morning show crew.? Costa joined 97.1 The Ticket in February 2021. Most recently, Costa hosted nights, weekends, and primetime fill-ins. Additionally, he served as the studio host for the Detroit Lions, Red Wings, Pistons, and Tigers. Costa also co-hosts the popular sports betting podcast ?Cash The Ticket? with afternoon drive host Mike Valenti. Before joining the station, he hosted afternoons in Grand Rapids with the ?Big Drew and Jim? show for five years. Costa succeeds Mike Stoney, who recently announced he will step down from his role in early 2024. ?Jim is a hard worker, is always prepared, and has a great passion for Detroit sports,? said Jansen. ?He’ll be a great addition to our team in the morning, and I’m looking forward to working with him.? Jansen is an 11-year NFL veteran offensive tackle, University of Michigan football captain and national champion, and 2011 Michigan Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Throughout his playing career, he worked with and in the media in many different capacities, including writing articles for the Washington Times and Detroit Free Press and co-hosting the Monday Night Live show on Comcast cable. After retiring from the NFL, Jansen spent three years with the Big Ten Network, where he co-hosted studio shows, sideline reported at games, and served as a color analyst from the booth. He currently serves as a co-host of the ?Michigan Football Tailgate? pre-game show and a color analyst of the games. Jansen also works within the Athletic Department on various projects, including his top-rated podcast, ?In the Trenches.? In addition to his duties at Michigan, he continued his broadcasting career with Sirius XM as a host of shows on the ESPNU and Big Ten channels. He joined 97.1 The Ticket in 2020. more

From Radio Online: Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio has issued a reminder that the 'Behind the Mic Mentorship' window for applications will close this Sunday, September 24. This program is designed specifically to support the growth and evolution of women on-the-air. The 'Behind The Mic Mentorship' program is a More...

From Radio Online: Wondery will launch a new limited audio series, "Class of '88." Hosted by actor Will Smith, the podcast collaboration takes a celebratory look back at the year that defined the global cultural phenomenon of hip-hop. Listeners will hear interviews with the artists that helped define the genre, More...

From Radio Online: Nina Montgomery is elevated to Program Director Hot AC KQHN (Q97.3 FM) and AC KRMD (Lite Rock 100.7) in Shreveport, LA. A staple in Shreveport radio for over twenty years, she'll continue to serve as Program Director of co-owned Urban AC KVMA (Magic 102.9), a post she'd held for over 14 years, and More...

From Radio Insight: What happens following Tuesday’s revelation that Good Karma Brands will conclude its LMA of Emmis Communications? ?98.7 ESPN? WEPN-FM New York when its contract comes to an end in August 2024 will tell a lot about the state of the industry going forward. Who would be interested/willing to buy 98.7? The New York Post reported that Emmis was looking for $50 million for the 98.7 facility. The last full-powered FM signals sold in New York were the 2019 sale of Cumulus’ 95.5 WPLJ along with five other stations to EMF for $103.5 million and Emmis’ sale of 97.1 WQHT and 107.5 WBLS to MediaCo for $91.5 million in cash, a $5 million note, and 23.72% of the new company. Both deals would be in line with Emmis’ current asking price before continued deprecation of station values. Under the current ownership caps, which under the Democratic led FCC are unlikely to change, both Audacy and iHeartMedia are at the limit of FMs owned in New York. That would leave in-market options in MediaCo, SBS, and Telemundo/Univision to potentially grow. With Radio One in growth mode, do they see an opening to say bring back “98.7 Kiss-FM“? Would a suburban operator such as Connoisseur Media or Press Communications see viability in adding a full market station? You can’t completely rule out another non-commercial buyer, but it would be very hard for another Christian network to find an audience at the price that Emmis would be seeking with EMF, VCY America, and Hope Media Group already in the market on FM. Similarly, between the purchase price, acquiring and building real estate for studios, and staffing a new station, you’d be looking at around $75 million in expenditures just to operate the facility before a single penny in revenue comes in. Does that leave someone like billionaire John Catsimatidis to pair with his 770 WABC or another entity not currently in radio with a business model that can use a 24/7 audio outlet to reach consumers as potential buyers? That leads into whether there still is a viable format hole in the New York market? We’ve seen multiple attempts at Alternative Rock and Country come and go over the past few decades. Unless there is a buyer who is looking at running that format as a loss-leader, it makes them unlikely. A cluster strategy could see a MediaCo wanting a music format such as Variety Hits that could chip away at iHeart AC “106.7 Lite-FM” WLTW and Classic Rock “Q104.3” WAXQ along with Audacy Classic Hits 101.1 WCBS-FM to boost their Adult R&B 107.5 WBLS in demos, but otherwise any music format would be looking to be middle-of-the-pack at best without a major investment in talent and marketing. New York has two non-commercial Talk stations in 93.9 WNYC-FM and 99.5 WBAI, but commercial Talk remains on AM between iHeart’s 710 WOR and the aforementioned WABC. But outside of Catsimatidis potentially moving his product to FM, Talk formats take time to build an audience and would require an even bigger investment in talent and marketing making it an very expensive proposition. Can a startup FM brand breakthrough in our modern crowded audio landscape? There are currently seventeen stations in the New York market above a 2.0 share. The newest brands of those seventeen are Audacy’s “New 102.7” WNEW, which adopted that brand in July 2018, but has been a variation of AC going back to 2007 and Univision Spanish CHR “X96.3” WXNY, which launched in 2009 but its format was moved from another signal under a different name “La Kalle 105.9“. Many other brands launched since then have gone away such as “Alt 92.3” WNYL, “94.7 Nash-FM” and “New York’s Country 94.7” WNSH, “New Rock 101.9″ WRXP or have failed to take off like WEPN-FM, “K-Love” 95.5 WPLJ or “94.7 The Block” WXBK. What would make a new format on 98.7 any different? Unlike WFAN, the “ESPN 98.7” format was not specifically designed to be a top player in the market. Under the operation of ESPN Inc. from 2012 until 2021, the station made sure to keep national ESPN Radio programming in key dayparts such as morning drive since the primary purpose of the station was to promote and expand the national ESPN brand, not just be a New York centric outlet. It wasn’t until December 2022 that Good Karma went completely local in morning drive as it expanded the station’s local output to sixteen hours weekdays, while Audacy’s WFAN remains of the few live & local 24/7 stations in the country. The business model under Good Karma is also different. While the company operates “ESPN Radio” Sports stations in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Madison, Milwaukee, New York, and West Palm Beach, it has remained on AM and streaming only in three (and soon all) of its four biggest markets. The company handles all local ad sales for ESPN.com and in July took over all sales operations for the national ESPN Radio platform. It has built alternate revenue models such as keeping all on-demand content in Cleveland and Milwaukee under paywalls. WEPN-FM had a weekly CUME audience in the August 2023 Nielsen Audio ratings of 462,100. WFAN’s streaming ratings are broken out separate from the AM/FM signals showing a CUME of 217,900. If WEPN-FM can convert half of its audience to streaming and get the other half to listen on 1050 WEPN it would be saving its reported $12-13 million in annual LMA fees while keeping its current audience. That’s not out of the realm of possibility, while continuing to grow as a digital media asset more in line with Good Karma’s overall business model. Since signing the lease in April 2012, ESPN and Good Karma have reportedly paid nearly $130 million in LMA fees. A few months later, CBS Radio paid $75 million outright for 101.9. Emmis has already received twice the value of the station through the deal. Any proceeds they receive for selling the license to another buyer will be a major bonus. Are station valuations in the biggest market still what they were when WPLJ and WQHT/WBLS were sold four years ago? Are there any buyers out there who see value in launching a new FM in New York? Is there an audience for a new format? And most importantly will anyone care about the new product launched? As we get answers to these questions over the next year, it will tell us a ton about the viability of continued growth in broadcast radio. more

From Radio Insight: Cumulus Media has announced that Nina Montgomery will expand her duties in Shreveport LA adding the Program Director role for Hot AC “Q97.3” KQHN and AC “Lite Rock 100.7” 1340 KRMD/100.7 K264AS. Montgomery has served as PD/midday host at Adult R&B “Magic 102.9” KVMA-FM since 2010 after previously programming sister Hip Hop 99.7 KMJJ. She has also hosted mornings at KMJJ and KRVV Monroe, and had on-air roles at KYEA and KJLO Monroe. Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has promoted Nina Montgomery to Program Director of the company?s two Adult Contemporary stations in Shreveport, Hot AC-formatted Q 97.3 FM Today?s Best Music Mix (KQHN-FM) and AC-formatted Lite Rock 100.7 FM (KRMD-AM). She will continue to serve Cumulus Shreveport as Program Director of the top-rated Urban AC station Magic 102.9 The Classic Soul Station/KVMA-FM, a position she has held for over 14 years, and as Midday On-Air Host for Magic 102.9 The Classic Soul Station. Tish Boden, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Shreveport, said: “I am so excited about this deserved and earned promotion for Nina. Nina taking on these additional leadership roles as Program Director for Q 97.3 FM and Lite Rock 100.7 is a win for Cumulus Shreveport. She has done a phenomenal job programming Magic 102.9 FM for over 14 years. Nina is a proven leader in the Shreveport Market.” Kenny Smoov, Vice President, Urban Formats, Cumulus Media, commented: “Nina is a hardworking and creative programmer that deserves a chance to spread her wings and tenacity to a new challenge and format! I know she will fly high! #GoGetEmNina.? Nina Montgomery remarked: “I am thrilled for this opportunity to work closely with such a great group of talent. My gratitude to the leadership team at Cumulus Media for entrusting me with these phenomenal brands. From working closely with our sales team, to finding creative ways to generate revenue, to playing the music that speaks to our target audience, each day will bring new opportunities. As we grow our reach and solidify a stronghold in our community, we will make great radio and have fun doing it!” more

From Radio Insight: Coxswain Media Variety Hits “93.5/94.7 Frank-FM” 93.5 WFRQ Harwich Port/94.7 W234DP Hyannis MA has revamped its programming to feature a broader playlist. The move comes with a positioning change from “Cape Cod’s Greatest Hits” to “Frank Plays It All”. Program Director Steve McVie states, ?’Frank plays it all’ means exactly that. We’re mixing music from every kind of genre, from every decade. It’s like having a playlist with a thousand of your favorite songs all in one spot. We’re ditching the old playbook and playing hits from the 1960s all the way up to today. That means you’ll hear everything from rock and country to R&B, hip hop and pop. You?ll hear all those songs that bring back fond memories.? The changes at WFRQ include Rob Walker as imaging voice. The veteran programmer/jock had been tracking afternoons at the station, but will also be heard in evenings. Billy Teed moves up from nights to afternoons. Longtime Cape Cod, Boston and Fort Myers personality Ralphie Marino is hosting a new “Saturday Night Dance Party” on the station. Frank-FM, a popular Cape Cod, MA radio station, announced a change in programming format to reach a wider audience and offer a new listening experience to Cape Cod listeners. Steve McVie, Program Director for Coxswain Media, explains: ?’Frank plays it all’ means exactly that. We’re mixing music from every kind of genre, from every decade. It’s like having a playlist with a thousand of your favorite songs all in one spot. We’re ditching the old playbook and playing hits from the 1960s all the way up to today. That means you’ll hear everything from rock and country to R&B, hip hop and pop. You?ll hear all those songs that bring back fond memories.? “Our aim is to create a Frank-FM that suits today’s radio listeners. We want to surprise you with a playlist that you can’t find on Spotify, Apple Music, or satellite radio. We’re proudly local, and we’re here to serve you with a wide range of media services,” adds Steve Chesare, CEO of Coxswain Media. The diverse playlist aims to reach listeners of all ages, from Baby Boomers to Gen Z and everyone in between. Frank-FM is operated by Coxswain Media, a locally owned and operated media company. ?In a world where musical tastes are all over the map, Frank-FM is your go-to station for a mix that suits everyone. Celebrate the best of the past, present, and future in music, all on Frank-FM!? exclaims McVie. Frank FM broadcasts to the mid and lower Cape on 93.5 and to the upper Cape at 94.7. more