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From Radio Online: Cumulus Media's KMJ (News Talk 580 and 105.9) has announced the upcoming retirement of longtime Fresno radio personality and current afternoon co-host E. Curtis Johnson. His final show will air Friday, May 30, marking the close of a 49-year career in broadcasting. Johnson has co-hosted KMJ's afternoon drive More...

From Radio Insight: E Curtis Johnson will retire from hosting afternoons on Cumulus Media News/Talk 580 KMJ/105.9 KMJ-FM Fresno CA on Friday, May 30. Johnson joined KMJ in March 2023 to host afternoons with Philip Teresi after a long career in programming including stints in Fresno programming Rock “105.1 The Blaze” KKBZ from 2019-2023, serving as Director of Programming for One Putt Broadcasting from 2008-2014 and 28 years as PD of Rock 103.7 KRZR from 1989 to 2007. He has also programmed in his career in Bakersfield, Modesto, and San Luis Obispo CA, Anchorage and Fairbanks AK, and Columbia SC along with holding on air roles in San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Oxnard/Ventura during his 49 year career. Johnson commented, “I was truly excited to get the gig here at KMJ at little over two years ago. I’ve enjoyed working with Philip and the entire staff has welcomed me as one of their own. I thought I’d be here longer, but some unexpected health issues made the decision to retire the right choice for me. It was a hard decision to make, but I’m comfortable that I’ve made the right call for my quality of life. I will miss this team.” KMJ Program Director Blake Taylor said, “It was great working with a true professional who brought great insights and a unique skill set to our audience. We’re going to miss E. I trust he’s going to take full advantage of the time off. He deserves it!” Co-host Philip Teresi added, “E. Curtis Johnson gave me my first job in radio. It was an absolute pleasure to have this full-circle experience, sharing the past two years with him as my partner on KMJ. There are many places in the Valley where E. made his mark, and the entire industry is better for his contributions. I wish my friend and mentor nothing but the best in his next chapter. But it IS weird that I still don’t know the guy’s first name.? more

From Radio Online: Hanah May has signed off from SummitMedia's Country WCYQ-FM (100.3 The Wolf) in Knoxville, TN. She joined the station in 2023, initially co-hosting mornings with then Program Director Brian "Opie Joe" Creason. Following Creason's departure, May teamed up with Matt Cooper, and the duo shifted to middays in More...

From Radio Online: Cleveland's WAKS-FM (96.5 Kiss FM) has announced updates to its weekday on-air schedule, highlighted by the return of a familiar voice. LeeAnn Sommers is stepping into the 10am-2pm slot, replacing Krystle Elise, who exits the CHR outlet. Sommers will continue her existing roles within the iHeartMedia More...

From Radio Online: After the format change at Daytona Beach's WROD-AM andamp; FM from Rock to News/Talk, "Wilson in the Morning" has found a new home at Gorilla Broadcasting's 96.1 The Rooster (WCEH-AM andamp; W241CO), serving Hawkinsville, Warner Robins, and Macon, GA. Wilson previously held the PM Drive slot at WROD-AM and W283DS for More...

From Radio Online: United Stations has entered a national sales partnership with yaman.AI, the latest venture from radio creative leader Yaman Coskun, to deliver advanced AI-powered and human-driven creative tools to radio stations, agencies, and podcasters across the U.S. Through this agreement, United Stations will act More...

From Radio Online: Westwood One, the official network audio broadcast partner of the NCAA, will provide live coverage of the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's College World Series from USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK. The network's coverage begins Thursday, May 29, at 12pm ET and will include play-by-play of More...

From Radio Insight: Last week, Liveline celebrated its fifth anniversary with an extensive look back at the show’s history, top throwback requests and biggest hits. We also talked about the vital power of being live and interactive, how we’ve grown in the past six months, and signing our 40th affiliate (followed by #41 this week). This month Liveline debuted six nights a week live on our first Canadian affiliate, CFLY (98.3 Fly FM) Kingston, Ontario. Since the announcement, we’ve had dozens of people asking how a Canadian affiliate navigates the rules which require stations to play at least 35% Canadian music. PD Sara Johnston and GM Rob Mise have been extremely generous in upping their Canadian airplay in other dayparts so that Liveline wouldn’t have to change a thing. They also insert two CanCon songs during the show in one of their spot breaks every hour. There are also Cancon titles from The Weeknd, Drake, and other artists that listeners request anyway. Our commitment to playing the hits for all our affiliates hasn?t had to change at all. New Music This WeekMorgan Wallen, Tate McRae – “What I Want”: Without a doubt, this is the biggest release of the past two months. A collaboration that caused lots of controversy but also stirred up a lot of hype among their fanbase, and pop music fans in general. Morgan’s album “I’m The Problem” has 37 tracks, all of which occupied the Spotify charts upon release. It’s now been 12 days and we’ve had time to find out which ones the fans really love, as many of the other tracks have fallen or not resonated. “What I Want” has been Spotify?s #1 every day since itits’s release and is showing all the signs of being a summer smash. Within a week, it showed up in our Liveline Top 20 Requests and is already #22 in Top 40 airplay. Although not as uptempo as last summer’s “I Had Some Help” with Post Malone (which is still in and out of the Liveline and Spotify Top 20), this new single is a sure sign that country music’s place on Pop radio has far from faded, providing the important diversity of styles which the format needs. Jessie Murph – “Blue Strips”: From Huntsville Ala., this emerging 20-year-old superstar has one of the most unique voices right now. It’s her highest-charting song ever at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The lyrics are about getting revenge on a former partner who mistreated her, by flaunting her wealth and success. This includes buying a mansion in Malibu, visiting a strip club where she is throwing $100 bills at one dancer and $1 bills at another whom she implies her ex cheated on her with. It’s fun, it’s sassy and an anthem for any woman going through a breakup or just feeling rebellious as summer approaches! Currently #24 on Spotify in America, #18 on Top 40 airplay and #17 on Liveline last week! It’ll be interesting to see what Country radio does with it, given Murph?s history at that format, as well as Country?s own issues with not always acknowledging streaming hits. Buried Treasures of the WeekJVKE – “golden hour”: A song extremely under-appreciated by radio three years ago. It was always massive on Liveline and even reached #1 for a few weeks. JVKE had no interest in being part of a big record label, and with the lack of high-pressure hype is likely the reason for the song’s plateau on Top 40. But as we’ve learned in recent years, labels are now putting very little into artist development. They sign artists with an existing large number of followers, streams, and good social media, but don?t necessarily do much for them after. “golden hour” was a Top 5 song on Spotify and remained in the Top 20 for months. It’s extremely romantic, beautifully written and produced (by him) and had all the potential to be a multi-format #1 song. It reached #10 on Billboard and Top 40, #13 on Hot AC and #18 on AC. It?s still an ultra-familiar song that we continue to get requests for and have always considered one of the staple “Liveline songs”. Fleetwood Mac – “Dreams”: The oldest song ever featured in this section but wait! Remember when a man drinking Cran-Raspberry juice while skateboarding and lip syncing to this song on Tik Tok brought it back in 2020? https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjQJKt7b/ The original video now has 14.5 million likes and 96 million views. A handful of Top 40 stations actually brought it back as a Power and even without full panel airplay it got to #29 on the airplay charts. It was a strange time during the pandemic when TikTok was rapidly impacting the charts and what radio played. Now almost five years later, the song continues to be a Gen Z favorite. This week, it’s #20 on Spotify in America where it’s currently the oldest song in the Top 100, also having been on the chart for 1,602 days straight. It was released in 1977 and peaked at #1 that year and #12 in 2020. We still get requests for it. Easily one of the biggest and most widely known songs in history. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Liveline with Mason more

From Radio Online: BIA Advisory Services is forecasting a 5.7% increase in Louisiana's advertising revenue in 2025, excluding political spending, pushing the total to $2.6 billion. The announcement came as part of a presentation delivered at the Louisiana State Broadcasters (LAB) Convention in New Orleans, offering fresh More...

From Radio Online: Comedian and content creator Hope Woodard is bringing her viral self-discovery movement to the podcast world with the debut of "Boysober," a new original series from iHeartPodcasts. Released today, May 28, the show explores themes of modern relationships, self-worth, and personal growth through weekly More...

From Radio Online: A new custom survey from Edison Research sheds light on exactly when Americans start their day -- providing new context to the morning routines famously captured in Dolly Parton's hit song "9 to 5." While the lyrics speak of stumbling to the kitchen for a "cup of ambition," the survey now confirms what time More...

From Radio Online: Hope Media Group (HMG), the nonprofit organization behind Christian media brands KSBJ, WayFM, and Spanish-language Vida Unida, has officially opened its new 50,000-square-foot headquarters at Valley Ranch, a growing mixed-use development in East Montgomery County in Texas. Designed More...

From Radio Online: BIN: Black Information Network has announced a new, multi-year collaboration with The Obama Foundation aimed at advancing youth engagement and amplifying civic leadership within the Black community. The partnership marks BIN's first collaboration of its kind and unites both organizations' commitments to More...

From Radio Online: After a brief hiatus, veteran air personality Matt Pinfield is returning to KCSN-FM (88.5 FM, The SoCal Sound) in Los Angeles, bringing his storied voice and deep music knowledge back to the airwaves. Pinfield will make his on-air return Friday, May 30 at 5pm, joining Marc "Mookie" Kaczor on "The Drive." More...

From Radio Insight: “100.3 The Wolf” WCYQ Knoxville midday co-host Hanah May departed the SummitMedia station last week to pursue a new career opportunity. May had joined WCYQ in February 2023 to co-host alongside then-Program Director Brian ?Opie Joe? Creason. He would be succeeded by Matt Cooper that September with the duo moving to middays in September 2024. She previously worked at the company as a promotions assistant while attending the University of Tennessee before spending six months as a reporter at WTVC-TV Chattanooga before joining the on-air lineup. more

From Radio Insight: iHeartMedia CHR “96.5 Kiss-FM” WAKS Akron/Cleveland has made changes to its on-air lineup. LeeAnn Sommers, who previously worked at the station in the early 2000s, has returned to WAKS to track 10am-12pm. Sommers continues to host mornings at “Throwback 99.1” W256BT/WMMS-HD3 and afternoons at Country 99.5 WGAR. Sommers has spent the majority of her career since the 1990s in Cleveland with time also spent at 92.3 WZJM, 94.9 WQMX, 100.7 WMMS, 104.1 WQAL, 106.5 WMVX, and 107.9 WENZ along with a five year run in Denver. She replaces Krystle Elise in the timeslot. Longtime WAKS personality Allen Colon will return to the weekday lineup from 6-9pm. Colon had been hosting weekends on the station along with afternoons on “Throwback 99.1“. With his addition, “The V-Bros” based at WXKS-FM Boston will be cut back to 9-11pm. The remainder of the station’s lineup remains the same with Elvis Duran in mornings, Ryan Seacrest from 12-2pm, and the Jeremiah Show in afternoons. more

Colorado Public Networks & NPR Sue Trump Over Funding Ban by Lance Venta, Radio Insight May 27, 2025 National Public Radio and three public radio networks in Colorado have filed a lawsuit against President Trump and his administration over his executive order on May 1 to stop all federal funding to NPR and PBS. NPR, Aspen Public Radio, Colorado Public Radio and KSUT Public Radio are challenging the order for violating "the expressed will of Congress and the First Amendment's bedrock guarantees of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of association, and also threatens the existence of a public radio system that millions of Americans across the country rely on for vital news and information." Full story: https://radioinsight.com/headlines/301201/colorado-public-networks-npr-sue-trump-over-funding/

From Radio Online: Red Apple Music Networks (RAMN) has unveiled a special two-hour Independence Day music program designed to celebrate America and entertain radio audiences nationwide. The 4th of July Music Special, hosted by radio icon Bruce "Cousin Brucie" Morrow and 70's music star Tony Orlando, will be available to radio More...

From Radio Online: Christian FM Media President Jon Hamilton is calling for a shift in perspective following Moody Radio's recent decision to nationalize programming and reduce local content -- a move that has sparked strong reactions throughout the Christian radio industry. In a commentary addressing the industry-wide More...

From Radio Online: A new blog post from Pierre Bouvard, Chief Insights Officer at Cumulus Media | Westwood One, highlights the powerful role AM/FM radio plays in building brand awareness and driving media effectiveness. Backed by marketing science, the post emphasizes that the ultimate goal of advertising is to increase More...

From Radio Insight: For the first time since his stroke in January, Matt Pinfield will resume his regular airshift at Cal State University Northridge AAA “88.5 The SoCal Sound” KCSN Northridge/Los Angeles and Saddleback College’s 88.5 KSBR Mission Viejo CA. Pinfield will make his return to the station co-hosting with Program Director Marc ‘Mookie’ Kaczor on Friday, May 30 at 5pm. He will then resume his daily show hosting from 4-6pm weekdays on Monday, June 2. Pinfield said, “I am so excited and looking forward to getting back to work and on the air talking about music and doing what is truly in my heart. Lucky to be alive ? I came out of that coma and woke up grateful and, to no one?s surprise, quoting lyrics. I really missed it. Love my friends, family and coworkers ? so much to catch up on!!!” He would spend two months in intensive care following a coma caused by pneumonia that he caught following his stroke. Pinfield first joined KCSN/KSBR to host 2-6pm in March 2024. Best known for his time as host of ?120 Minutes? at MTV from 1995-1999 and 2011-2013, Pinfield began his career in radio at Alternative ?FM 106.3? WHTG-FM Eatontown NJ from 1984-94 and would later spend time at ?92.3 K-Rock? WXRK and 101.9 WRXP New York, multiple SiriusXM channels, and mornings at 104.5 KFOG San Francisco. He also was hosting a Sunday night new music show on Meruelo Media?s 95.5 KLOS Los Angeles and Westwood One?s ?Flashback? at the time of his stroke. Kaczor siad, “Matt?s passion has always been there. It all started in his youth, bringing seven-inch vinyl records on the school bus; DJing in clubs up and down the Eastern Seaboard; sharing music with us on the nation?s top radio stations; and becoming a companion and household name, while hosting some of the most popular shows on MTV during its heyday. He?s a tastemaker, an artist advocate and a friend. I can hardly wait until he?s back on air.? General Manager Patrick Osburn added, “That cat has nine lives! We were thrilled to have him join our prime-time line-up in 2024 and we?re certainly thrilled to have him back. To hear the whole story of what happened, how it got fixed, and what comes next, be sure to tune in Friday, May 30, to Mookie?s PM drive show. He and Matt will play some great tunes and tell the story! You won?t want to miss it!” more

From Radio Insight: As recently as last year, the Summer Song derby was always good for artist comebacks, from Kid Rock to Enrique Iglesias to Hozier, eventually getting to the point where a song about summer doesn?t even have to be involved. Connie Francis, an unlikely comeback even by the standards of the TikTok era, has been propelled back into pop culture by an album obscurity, but she did have a summer hit about summer around the same time. Connie Francis?s ?Vacation? was not the Summer Song of 1962. Billboard?s retroactive calculations say that was the dreary ?Roses Are Red (My Love)? by Bobby Vinton. Regular ROR readers know that my ?Summer Song? criteria include ?must be uptempo or otherwise summery in some way.? They also know that I don?t consider Billboard to have the final, binding say every year. But if Connie Francis remains in the conversation for longer than, say, Lesley Gore, why not consider her actual summer song alongside ?Pretty Little Baby?? Over successive Song of Summer handicaps, I?ve been wondering when streaming was going to throw the field of contenders into disarray. Two years ago, it helped revive a four-year-old Taylor Swift album cut. Last year, it helped my summer winner overtake the strongest field in years; it also helped make ?A Bar Song (Tipsy),? the type of record that no format had quite embraced, a song welcome almost everywhere, rather than nowhere.* To some extent, what streaming has given us this year has been disruption. The once-standard practice of lining up superstar acts about 6-8 weeks ahead of Memorial Day has already claimed some intended candidates, which were under immediate scrutiny because of low or rapidly declining streaming numbers, and slowed others. (I have thoughts on that as well this week.) It isn’t just established acts that have fallen out of contention in recent weeks; there was also near-instant-judgment on Zara Larsson?s ?Pretty Ugly.? A month ago, the most obvious hit that streaming had unleashed was Alex Warren?s ?Ordinary.? That song seems poised to dominate through the summer and beyond. (It?s also at No. 2 on Billboard and seems like the kind of hit that could stay all summer if it gets to No 1, unless there?s something else phenomenal.) I?m still not sure if ?Ordinary? meets my tempo rule. Or Jessie Murph?s ?Blue Strips.? Or Charli XCX?s back-from-the-web ?Party 4 U.? Or Morgan Wallen & Tate McRae?s ?What I Want.? A month ago, I was bemoaning the lack of anything as obvious as Post Malone & Wallen?s ?I Had Some Help.? If I had thought you would be in the mood for yet another ROR column bemoaning the state of pop music, I already had the title ?The Merry Month of Meh? standing by.* But on April 25, I was listening to BBC Radio 1 and heard ?Undressed? by Sombr, making this the second year in a row I had actually gotten to hear a major Summer Song contender on the radio first. (Last year, it was Post/Morgan on SiriusXM Hits 1.) Since then, I’ve been liking the field more, and not just because of one song. The best part about ?Undressed? is that it?s not the only mainstream uptempo song that streaming has legitimized, despite an uneven track record. There?s also Ravyn Lenae?s ?Love Me Not,? Role Model?s ?Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,? and D4VD?s ?Feel It.? (The other Sombr hit, ?Back to Friends,? goes more in my midtempo pile, but is obviously phenomenal itself.) At the very least, any of them borne out as hits will fill the quirky uptempo-pop slot that Hozier?s ?Too Sweet? did last summer (and for months thereafter). I?m also excited about the prospect that 2025?s Song of Summer might come from Hip-Hop. There?s roughly equal support from Facebook friends for ?Undressed,? ?Ordinary,? ?Sally?? and Drake?s ?Nokia.? I love that the biggest uptempo song from a heritage artist in that group comes from one who was earnestly being encouraged to quit the business a year ago. I also love seeing Doechii?s ?Anxiety? atop CHR at the moment, although there?s speculation whether the excitement of ?rap song that samples Gotye? will sustain all summer.*The other heavily discussed combination of Hip-Hop and major artist is Doja Cat?s ?Jealous Type,? which for the last month has existed only in online snippets that recall Janet Jackson?s mid-?80s hits. Other songs worth mentioning: In the UK, Calvin Harris & Clementine Douglas?s ?Blessings? is shaping up as a top contender there and is also on Hits 1 in North America. Benson Boone?s ?Mystical Magical? is an object lesson for me in why songs defy snap judgment. I didn?t like it on New Music Friday. Two weeks later, I heard it on three very different stations around the world, and now it sounds like a candidate. There?s also the first week bafflement of Rihanna?s ?Friend of Mine.? I?ve struggled over whether to include it here. I?m not entirely ruling out the possibility that we might get beyond its initial sonic provocation in the way we did with ?SexyBack.? With the greater Hip-Hop presence, it also feels like Moliy X Silent Addy f/Shenshea’s “Shake It To The Max” could also make its way to CHR from Hip-Hop and Rhythmic. ?Leave Me Alone? by Renee Rapp is a great last-minute entry, and her existing fanbase reminds me of Sabrina Carpenter 18 months ago or Gracie Abrams before “That’s So True.” (Update: It’s no longer the newest entry, MGK’s “Clich?” came out Friday morning.) Going into summer, Wallen/McRae is the fastest-developing Country crossover, although Shaboozey’s “Good News” is picking up speed. It shouldn’t be a zero-sum issue, but at this writing it feels like there’s more Hip-Hop than Country (or Country Hip-Hop) for the first time in a while. It might be that Top 40 PDs became wary of Country titles, although their resolve buckled quickly last summer. The biggest hybrid for now is actually No. 2 on the Adult R&B chart right now: 803Fresh?s ?Boots on the Ground.?*Then there’s the summer bid from*Gary Le Vox, Akon, and De La Ghetto, “Hold the Umbrella.” The uptempo hits from established artists with significant momentum now include Sabrina Carpenter?s ?Busy Woman,? Ariana Grande?s ?Twilight Zone,? and Tate McRae?s ?Sports Car.? The latter is another song that kicked in with me thanks to airplay. I have dozens of left-field Song of Summer candidates of my own. You’ll find them, along with all the major contenders on my*Big Hits Energy*playlist. And what are your picks? more

From Radio Insight: Aiir has announced the release of its cloud-based music scheduler. The company says that the scheduler requires no software to be installed, allows multiple users, multiple stations, and formats. For launch, the company is making the service available for free until the end of September 2025 with pricing then starting at $60 per month (?40+VAT in the UK). The scheduler currently exports logs to PlayoutONE, WideOrbit, Myriad, PlayIt Live, and Station Playlist, with support for more playout systems to be added. Aiir CEO Ricki Lee said, “After extensive beta testing, showcasing our music scheduler at the NAB Show where it won a ?Best in Show? award, it?s now publicly available for everyone to use. We soft-launched it a week ago and already have over 100 radio companies using it around the world. You can get started quickly by importing your data from existing popular music scheduler systems.? more

From Radio Online: NPR and three Colorado-based public radio outlets filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday against President Donald Trump, challenging the constitutionality of his May 1 executive order that seeks to halt Congressionally appropriated funding to NPR and PBS. The suit, filed in the U.S. More...

From Radio Online: Aiir Inc., a New York-based provider of radio station software and services, has announced the public launch of what it calls a "world-first" innovation: a fully cloud-based music scheduler for radio stations. The new Aiir Scheduler is designed to modernize music programming by eliminating the need for More...

From Radio Insight: National Public Radio and three public radio networks in Colorado have filed a lawsuit against President Trump and his administration over his executive order on May 1 to stop all federal funding to NPR and PBS. NPR, Aspen Public Radio, Colorado Public Radio and KSUT Public Radio are challenging the order for violating “the expressed will of Congress and the First Amendment?s bedrock guarantees of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of association, and also threatens the existence of a public radio system that millions of Americans across the country rely on for vital news and information.” The executive order directed the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop directing public funds to to NPR and PBS as well as indirect funding by ensuring that station licensees do not use Federal funds for NPR and PBS. The order stated, “Which viewpoints NPR and PBS promote does not matter. What does matter is that neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.” The text of the lawsuit can be read here. NPR CEO Katherine Maher released the following statement regarding the lawsuit: This morning, NPR and Aspen Public Radio, Colorado Public Radio, and KSUT Public Radio filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s May 1, 2025, Executive Order seeking to cease all federal funding to NPR and PBS. The Executive Order is a clear violation of the Constitution and the First Amendment’s protections for freedom of speech and association, and freedom of the press. It is an affront to the rights of NPR and NPR’s 246 Member stations, which are locally owned, nonprofit, noncommercial media organizations serving all 50 states and territories. Today, we challenge its constitutionality in the nation’s independent courts. Public media was established to inform the American public and uphold American democratic values. The President’s Executive Order is directly counter to Congress’s long standing intent, as expressed in the Public Broadcasting Act, to foster vibrant institutions that achieve that mission, serving all Americans independent of political influence. The Order threatens the existence of the public broadcasting system, upon which tens of millions of Americans rely for vital news, information, and emergency alerts. For decades Congress has, in its bipartisan fashion, promoted, supported, and protected the speech of all Americans ? including NPR, our Member stations, and other noncommercial radio stations. The United States Congress established the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, recognizing that broad access to free, high-quality, independent noncommercial and educational public radio and television programming was both a public good and civic necessity, critical to fostering an engaged and informed citizenry as provided for under the First Amendment. The Act, which provides for the creation of programming of “quality, diversity, creativity, excellence, and innovation,” is a testament to Congress’s foresight. It created the infrastructure for a public radio system that reaches nearly 99% of the U.S. population over the airwaves. It provides for the resources for local newsrooms to serve their communities, children’s shows that educate and inspire, arts and cultural programming that preserves and celebrates national heritage, and storytelling that challenges and connects. President Trump has repeatedly expressed his disapproval of editorial decisions reflected in programming offered by NPR and PBS. He has disparaged NPR’s news and other content as “left-wing propaganda.” His Executive Order states that our coverage is not “fair, accurate, or unbiased,” building on prior statements making clear the President’s disapproval of NPR’s news coverage and editorial choices. The intent could not be more clear ? the Executive Order aims to punish NPR for the content of news and other programming the President dislikes. This unlawful Executive Order directs federal agencies, as well as the independent nonprofit Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), to withhold all federal funding from NPR and PBS. It also directs CPB to “cease indirect funding to NPR and PBS” by mandating that local public radio and television stations not use federal funds to acquire NPR or PBS programming. This is retaliatory, viewpoint-based discrimination in violation of the First Amendment. The Supreme Court has ruled numerous times over the past 80 years that the government does not have the right to determine what counts as “biased.” NPR will never agree to this infringement of our constitutional rights, or the constitutional rights of our Member stations, and NPR will not compromise our commitment to an independent free press and journalistic integrity. NPR has a First Amendment right to be free from government attempts to control private speech as well as from retaliation aimed at punishing and chilling protected speech. By basing its directives on the substance of NPR’s programming, the Executive Order seeks to force NPR to adapt its journalistic standards and editorial choices to the preferences of the government if it is to continue to receive federal funding. NPR is a non-partisan news organization that adheres to and upholds the highest standards of public service in journalism. NPR ensures the integrity of its reporting through multiple, rigorous safeguards. We maintain an editorial firewall that protects against interference in editorial decision-making, and we require all editorial staff to adhere to stringent ethics policies set out in the NPR Ethics Handbook. Over the past half century, NPR has been widely recognized for our independent voice, pioneering style, and journalistic excellence. NPR is the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, Edward R. Murrow awards, National Press Club awards, and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia award for exceptional journalism, in addition to dozens more recognizing NPR’s creativity, innovation, and excellence in podcasting, music programming, and digital production. While NPR is not a public radio station, nor does it operate one, we produce, acquire, and distribute news and cultural programming integral to the hundreds of independently owned and operated public radio stations around the country and to an informed public. For more than 50 years, programs like Morning Edition and All Things Considered, Planet Money, and Tiny Desk Radio, have served generations of Americans. Today, more than 43 million Americans come to NPR each week through a network of local public radio stations dedicated to serving their communities. Aspen Public Radio has grown from broadcasting daily hog prices from the University of Wyoming into one of the most relied upon news institutions in the Roaring Fork Valley. Colorado Public Radio (CPR) is home to CPR News’ daily “Colorado Matters” interview show, CPR Classical, and Indie 102.3 music. And KSUT Public Radio, originally founded by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, serves 14 communities in the Four Corners region, and four Federally Recognized Tribes. NPR also provides critical infrastructure services to 379 public radio stations and more than 1,200 radio signals. Radio is one of the most resilient forms of public safety communications: it reaches the most remote corners of our nation, and is reliable even when all others fail. As the organization selected by America’s public radio stations to manage the national Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS), NPR operates the backbone for public radio emergency alerting across the country. PRSS enables vital information and federal emergency alerts to reach nearly every American, including those who live in the most remote corners of our nation. NPR’s programming and services are core to the overall health of American public radio. If stations are prohibited from using public funds to acquire NPR programming, our widely-respected reporting on veterans affairs, science, health, and education could disappear from local airwaves. If NPR cannot receive funds for broadcast infrastructure, station service areas will shrink, dismantling universal service. And without public dollars, NPR’s investment in rural reporting initiatives, collaborative regional newsrooms, and award-winning international coverage would all be at risk. Public broadcasting is an irreplaceable foundation of American civic life. At its best, it reflects our nation back to itself in all our complexity, contradictions, and commonalities and connects our communities across differences and divides. For more than fifty years, NPR has reported from town halls, living rooms, and main streets across the nation, alongside our troops abroad, and from the outer edges of scientific and cultural change. As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of our founding, NPR looks forward to continuing to explore, explain, and attempt to elucidate the great American experience. We stand for constitutional rights, a free press, and an informed public, and we file today on their behalf. more

From Radio Insight: Hoosier AM/FM will cease operations on “Fox Sports 1350” WIOU Kokomo IN on Saturday, May 31. The station =AZWseebY4YlemJgqc1yEMxcSryi5QreYJHuVWM4pTK4d-Apzmfk61hFMEvhXJHL7_10b0jCUR4y3xkk2UYgqHtNr2qRLyPpd-Bfc1HKgPYg145cGDMlcs2NikckRFVUnTyqtwJNi0yCuQAOdB9wITYvLFXzNaDP54H1dK9K_UwYC1A60q5BwlWAfhGkT2_bCVXw&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R"]shared, “At the end of the broadcast day May 31, 1350 WIOU will cease operations. We thank you all for the support you have given the station through the years, and hope that when you think of WIOU in the future, you will smile.” WIOU, along with co-owned AC ?Z92.5? WZWZ Kokomo and ?Rock 98.5? WMYK Peru, has been operated under LMA by 3 Towers Broadcasting since last August. At the time a deal was announced selling the stations to the company, but that has not yet been filed with the FCC. Kokomo High School sports will move from WIOU to WZWZ. more

From Radio Insight: Impact Radio LLC’s duo of Classic Rock “B-Rock 100.9” WBNO and Classic Hits “Q96.5” 1520 WQCT/W243DP Bryan OH lost their studios over the holiday weekend as a fire broke out in the building overnight on Saturday, May 24 taking the stations off-the-air. The Village Reporter reports that the fire started around 4:00am with the building unoccupied at the time. It took responders from six towns to put out the blaze, with the building deemed a total loss. The station wrote on Facebook, “By now most of NW Ohio has heard the news. Our work home suffered a devastating fire last night that has left the building and our hearts completely gutted. It is for all intents and purposes a total loss. Thankfully nobody was in the building when the fire broke out so the best news we can report is nobody was injured. B Rock and Q 96.5 and 1520 AM have been the heartbeat of the community since the 1960s and many of us that have worked there have called the building a second home for 10,20,30 plus years so are shattered by this fire. We are family and that family extends to listeners,advertisers,schools,non profit organizations and many more. You have built us and kept us going for over 60 plus years and we are so grateful and so thankful for all of you. The love that we have felt in the hours since the fire has been overwhelming. So to all of you that texted or called or emailed or posted on social media?thank you so very much!! The next question now is where do we go from here and what do we do next? Well we have been in touch,of course,with our amazing owner and we are so happy to tell you that we are going to rebuild!! We aren?t going anywhere!! The road may be long and the journey may be a long and winding road(apologies to the Beatles) but B Rock and The Q means too much to all of us. Now what that looks like on what time table,well we just don?t know yet. But stay tuned!! We know that we can count on NW Ohio for love and support because that?s what we do here in our corner of the world. We are there for each other in tough times. So follow this page. Share this page. Get others following this page. And that includes the Q 96.5 page too. Thank you again from all of us at B Rock and Q 96.5. From these ashes,we will rise again. Bigger and better than ever before.” more

From Radio Online: Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) has officially opened the application window for its seventh annual "MIW Elevating Women in Programming Mentorship." This year-long program, designed to foster female leadership in radio broadcasting, provides one woman in programming with a unique opportunity for More...

From Radio Online: Christian FM Media Group has announced that longtime morning show duo Scott and Sam will continue their roles across both the "Today's Christian Music" and "Today's Worship Music" networks. The pair has become a staple for Christian FM, known for their engaging mix of humor, More...