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From Radio Online: Active Rock KCAL-FM/Riverside announces two additions to its daily on-air lineup. Nikki Preston (pictured) will take over the 9am-2pm slot beginning August 30. No stranger to the area, Preston previously worked as a morning show producer for sister Classic Hits KOLA-FM for several years before heading down to San Diego to work … more

From Radio Online: Total Traffic andamp; Weather Network (TTWN) inks a new multi-year partnership for TTWN to be the provider of traffic content for Cumulus Media. In addition to an existing weather content partnership, TTWN will now also provide its real-time traffic reports and data to the company's 441 radio stations. Additionally, TTWN's 24/7 … more

From Radio Insight: For roughly twenty years, basically as long as there’s been Modern AC, “Cities 97” KTCZ Minneapolis has been darting back and forth around the place where that format and Triple-A converge. About five years ago, it landed in a place I really liked, finding the songs in Triple-A that deserved to cross to pop, playing them in aggressive rotations, and interspersing a few songs from Pink or Bruno Mars that were compatible sonically, if not in terms of artist image. Then the pop component kept growing. Cities never relinquished its name. It was still early on a few Triple-A or Alternative titles. But it was clearly a Hot AC station, elbowing rival KSTP-FM (KS95) as that station crowded Cities’ heritage CHR sister KDWB. One might have wished them to instead target those Modern AC fans disenfranchised by KS95, but the PPM ratings strategy of the time was to cram in multiple stations around the biggest hits. And owner iHeart Media was doing pretty well with a similar strategy in Dallas. Last Friday, Cities was positioning itself as “more music, more variety.” Monday, August 20 at Noon, it repositioned itself as “Uniquely Twin Cities,” beginning with a relaunch promo voiced by former PD Lauren Macleash. The promo promises “some music you haven’t heard in a while” and music discovery “that can come from anywhere.” Sweepers declare the station “born in 1984, reborn in 2018.” It’s worth noting that Cities was already playing the recent Death Cab for Cutie song last week, and it’s still playing Maroon 5, “Girls Like You” today. Pink is still there, too, but in the first few hours, the biggest change was hearing gold like David Gray, “Babylon” or Amy Winehouse, “You Know I’m No Good” where the Cities of 18 months ago might have played a Taylor Swift or Katy Perry song. Cities has also played currents from Leon Bridges and Amy Shark, two of the “should crossover” type songs that the station specialized in five years ago. The Cities’ change reflects how there’s not quite the incentive to play the female pop juggernauts of the last decade that there might have been a few years ago. Or to remain open to receive incoming mom-friendly music from KDWB—there isn’t so much of that at the moment. The change also reflects the power of heritage brands at this challenging time for broadcast radio. iHeart also recently relaunched its Rhythmic Top 40 KUBE Seattle brand as well. When Cities veered more pop a few years ago, its hip credentials as the market’s aspirational brand had been challenged by the more eclectic non-comm Triple-A KCMP (the Current). KCMP isn’t going anywhere, but today’s change basically gives Cities the opportunity to re-set as “hipper than it was.” And I’ll take “uniquely Twin Cities” over “more music, more variety” anytime. Here’s Cities on Friday, August 17, just before 2 p.m. All-American Rejects, “Gives You Hell” Pink, “Try” Onerepublic, “Connection” (with a New Music stager) Green Day, “Time Of Your Life” James Bay, “Hold Back the River” Jason Mraz, “Have It All” Matchbox Twenty, “Unwell” (staged with a rollover sweeper promoting a “major announcement” at Noon on Monday) Halsey, “Bad At Love” Train, “Hey, Soul Sister” John Mayer, “New Light” Lorde, “Royals” Spin Doctors, “Two Princes” Death Cab for Cutie, “Gold Rush” Maroon 5, “Girls Like You” Fun, “Some Nights” And here’s Cities 97 after the relaunch today (August 20) at Noon: U2, “Beautiful Day” American Authors, “Best Day Of My Life” New Radicals, “You Get What You Give” Adele, “Rolling in The Deep (Live)” Jack Johnson, “Upside Down” Coldplay, “Clocks” Bad Wolves, “Zombie” Sheryl Crow, “Every Day Is A Winding Road” Fun, “Carry On” Michael Frente & Spearhead, “Say Hey (I Love You)” Theory of a Deadman, “Wicked Game” Soul Asylum, “Runaway Train” O.A.R., “Peace (Studio C Version)” Amy Winehouse, “You Know I’m No Good” Jason Mraz, “Have It All” Gin Blossoms, “Hey Jealousy” The post First Listen: Cities 97.1 Minneapolis appeared first on RadioInsight. more

From Radio Insight: They are positive stories for CHR at a time when CHR needs positive stories. WJFX (Hot 107.9) Fort Wayne, Ind., rebounds sharply and goes No. 1, among published stations in the market, up 4.8–8.2. WDDJ (Electric 96.9) Paducah, Ky., is up 18.3–23.4, second only to its sister Country station, WKYQ. (That’s the usual hierarchy in the market, but sometimes WDDJ has only a 16 share.) Both WJFX PD Robbie Mack and WDDJ PD Mark Summer are among the PDs who have most actively engaged with this column over the years. Mack is a graduate of WDJQ (Q92) Canton, Ohio, during that station’s run as one of CHR’s musically unique radio stations. Q92 found its own records, and there are usually one or two enterprise titles on Hot 107.9. So I’m usually rooting for both stations. That said, I have the experience all the time of listening to acquaintances’ CHR stations all the time these days and not wanting to tell them about it, lest they ask what I thought. It’s probably the records, not what’s between them, that I’m reacting to so viscerally. But I’m never quite sure. I don’t schedule CHR for a living, so when I hear, say, Halsey, “Now or Never,” next to Camila Cabello, “Never Be the Same,” I’m not sure whether I have a philosophical disagreement with the person at the helm, or whether he or she sat at the scheduler and had nothing to play besides two like-sounding midtempo EDM ballads. I wish I could tell you that Hot 107.9 and Electric 96.9 were almost entirely uptempo with only a few murmuring ballads or stuttering, chopped-up vocals. Instead, they’re choosing mostly from the same music as everybody else, although mostly is a significant difference these days. Much of the difference was in brush strokes, which reinforces the importance of brush strokes at this difficult moment for CHR. Here’s one difference I noted. In the hour of each station I monitored, there was only one Post Malone song. Two weeks ago, I monitored a major-market CHR battle. One station played both “Psycho” and “Better Now” within a half-hour of each other. The other played both of those and “Rockstar” in the same hour. When I checked a monitor, all three songs were still in the top 10. When radio programmers threw up their hands a few years ago on artist separation, they saw it as acknowledging an audience that didn’t care about such piddly details. I asked my three 20-something, very rap-friendly office-mates if they were okay with three songs by any artist. “No, it’s too much,” they said. So what were the little touches I heard? A lot of them were presentational. Both stations were heavily imaged around summer. Both were locally hosted during the midday hours I monitored. WDDJ had a few talismans of classic CHR. I heard a reference the “fun and games” department. Summers did a top-of-the-hour crossover break with the afternoon host of the sort you don’t normally hear any more because the midday-to-afternoon transition rarely involves two people in the same studio. WJFX’s timbre was more conversational — not unlike Q92, which has always had an “every shift is a show” feel. (The station is also a syndicated Burt show affiliate.) And while both stations are working with the available hits, Hot 107.9 in particular seems to have a few more of the songs that break up the same-sounding product that dominates CHR right now. In this hour, it was Jason Mraz. But it could have been Twenty One Pilots, “Jumpsuit.”* WJFX is starting to play teen pop act Prettymuch, “Summer on You.” A few months ago, Mack was early on In Real Life’s “Tattoo (How About You)?” Here’s WJFX just before 11 a.m., August 6: Alessia Cara, “Growing Pains” Imagine Dragons, “Demons” Cardi B, “I Like It” (the :00 ID song) Bruno Mars, “That’s What I Like” Taylor Swift, “Delicate” Camila Cabello, “Never Be the Same” DJ Khaled, “No Brainer” Zedd & Alessia Cara, “Stay” Post Malone, “Better Now” The Weeknd, “I Feel It Coming” Jason Mraz, “Have It All” Dua Lipa, “New Rules” Maroon 5 f/Cardi B, “Girls Like You” Drake, “In My Feelings” Halsey, “Bad at Love” Here’s WDDJ at 1 p.m., August 10: Bruno Mars f/Cardi B., “Finesse” Taylor Swift, “Delicate” Imagine Dragons, “Believer” Charlie Puth, “The Way I Am” Post Malone, “Psycho” Max, “Lights Down Low” Khalid, “Love Lies” Selena Gomez, “Same Old Love” Zedd f/Maren Morris, “The Middle” Camila Cabello, “Havana” Ariana Grande, “No Tears Left to Cry” Shawn Mendes, “Mercy” DJ Khaled, “I’m the One” Then, out of curiosity, I decided to check in with CKOI Montreal, the station that had done so much to perk up the previous summer. I’d come across CKOI on Sunday morning on a driving vacation, and been excited by how different it sounded, and how it still found tempo. So I decided to listen to the same stretch on Sunday morning, nearly a year later. Some of the CKOI difference was, in part, due to Canadian regulations that limit both spin count and familiar hit music in French-speaking markets. There was, and remains, a lot of gold, not all of it played all the way through (a remnant of how CKOI used to skirt a requirement on English-language hits by playing a minute or so of a half-dozen of them). A lot of the songs that make the station stand out now are the same ones it was playing a year ago. With lower spins by legislative fiat, CKOI gets to 800 spins on most of its songs over the course of a year, not by the time they reach power. Here’s CKOI just before 11 a.m. on August 12: 5 Seconds of Summer, “Youngblood” Ofenbach, “Katchi” Bloodhound Gang, “The Bad Touch” Pearl Jam, “Better Man” Portugal. The Man, “Feel It Still” Sonique, “It Feels So Good” Shawn Mendes, “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back” Justin Timberlake, “Can’t Stop the Feeling” Loud Luxury f/Brando, “Body” House of Pain, “Jump Around” Liam Payne & J. Balvin, “Familiar” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Can’t Hold Us” 2 Freres, “Leo Gagne” (like a lot of the station’s French music over the years, a song with a folk/pop feel) Alice Merton, “No Roots” (a song that CKOI was helping to break internationally a year ago) Nico & Vinz, “Am I Wrong?” Calvin Harris f/Dua Lipa, “One Kiss” New Radicals, “You Get What You Give” The post When CHR Wins, Despite the Music appeared first on RadioInsight. more

From Radio Insight: As it battles in court with Entercom, United States Traffic Network will shut down its radio service. In response, Cumulus Media will move its traffic and weather services to iHeartMedia’s Total Traffic & Weather Network under an exclusive multi-year deal. In Cumulus’ second quarter earnings report issued earlier today, the company took a $4.8 million write-off due to nonpayment from USTN. According to an internal memo, USTN will wind down audio reports at the end of this week and deliver its final data report in September. Total Traffic & Weather Network (TTWN), the leading trusted provider of real-time traffic, weather, news and sports content to television, radio, in-vehicle navigation and mobile devices reaching 98% of American Commuters monthly, today announced a new multi-year partnership for TTWN to be the exclusive provider of traffic content for CUMULUS MEDIA. In addition to an existing weather content partnership, TTWN will now also provide its award-winning, real-time traffic reports and data to CUMULUS MEDIA’s 441 radio stations nationwide. Additionally, TTWN’s 24/7 News division will provide news support, including anchored news and reporting services. “Our affiliates’ success is our top priority,” said Jack Dunkle, Senior Vice President, Affiliate Sales for Total Traffic & Weather Network. “Our partnership with CUMULUS MEDIA brings together two industry leaders to provide radio listeners best-in-class traffic, news and weather information. We appreciate CUMULUS MEDIA’s trust in us as a content provider, and are thrilled to continue to grow our long-term partnership.”Total Traffic & Weather Network (TTWN), the leading trusted provider of real-time traffic, weather, news and sports content to television, radio, in-vehicle navigation and mobile devices reaching 98% of American Commuters monthly, today announced a new multi-year partnership for TTWN to be the exclusive provider of traffic content for CUMULUS MEDIA. In addition to an existing weather content partnership, TTWN will now also provide its award-winning, real-time traffic reports and data to CUMULUS MEDIA’s 441 radio stations nationwide. Additionally, TTWN’s 24/7 News division will provide news support, including anchored news and reporting services. “Our affiliates’ success is our top priority,” said Jack Dunkle, Senior Vice President, Affiliate Sales for Total Traffic & Weather Network. “Our partnership with CUMULUS MEDIA brings together two industry leaders to provide radio listeners best-in-class traffic, news and weather information. We appreciate CUMULUS MEDIA’s trust in us as a content provider, and are thrilled to continue to grow our long-term partnership.” The post United States Traffic Network To Shut Down Radio Services; Cumulus To Move To Total Traffic & Weather Network appeared first on RadioInsight. more

From All Access: ERIC WONG, AYELET SCHIFFMAN, GREG MARELLA, BRAD HARDIN, GUY ZAPOLEON, ERIK BRADLEY, J.B. KING, NAN FISHER, DENNIS BLAIR, SCOTT BURTON, KEVIN ZINGER, MARNI HALPERN, DARICE LEE, BILL DUNN, … more

From All Access: CUMULUS MEDIA has signed an exclusive multi-year deal with iHEARTMEDIA's TOTAL TRAFFIC & WEATHER NETWORK for traffic content. The deal adds traffic to CUMULUS' existing … more

From All Access: Entercom Adult Hits KCBS (93.1 Jack FM)/LOS ANGELES has unveiled the lineup for its 13th annual charity concert, “JACK’s 13th Show.” 311, ALIEN ANT FARM, EVERCLEAR, NEON … more

From Radio Online: Bonneville's KOSI-FM/Denver adds crosstown KWOF-FM morning personality Jenny D as morning co-host to current personality Sean Henry following the Labor Day holiday. This marks a return to the cluster as Jenny D has worked as an air talent in the past at co-owned Country KYGO-FM. "As a Colorado native, wife, and mother … more

From Radio Insight: Urban One has appointed Charese Fruge as CHR Format Captain and Program Director of “Radio Now 92.1” KROI Seabrook/Houston TX and “Radio Now 100.9” WNOW-FM Speedway/Indianapolis IN. Fruge most recently served as VP/Programming for CBS Radio Houston until her exit in late 2016. She also held progamming duties for the company in Las Vegas, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco during her tenure which began in 2009. She has also programmed KALC Denver and KYSR Los Angeles. She will be based in Indianapolis and fills the opening created by Buster Satterfield’s departure to WFLZ Tampa in May. In Houston, DJ Riddler will remain in the APD/MD position, a role he also held under Fruge at the now-defunct “Hot 95.7” KKHH Houston. The post Charese Fruge Joins Urban One As CHR PD/Format Captain appeared first on RadioInsight. more

From All Access: ISLAND RECORDS has promoted EVP/GM ERIC WONG to Chief Operating Officer (COO). He will run operations for the entire label. “ERIC’s long and successful background in the … more

From All Access: MOM + POP MUSIC has promoted VP/Radio Promotion DAVID JACOBS to WEST COAST General Manager, effective immediately. JACOBS came to MOM + POP in 2015 after stints at EPIC and ATLANTIC RECORDS. … more

From All Access: Big morning show changes in the Mile High City, as JENNY D crosses the street from the KSE RADIO VENTURES Country KWOF (THE WOLF) to join the wakeup show at BONNEVILLE AC KOSI/DENVER, where … more

From All Access: WILLOBEE CARLAN, NEVADA PUBLIC RADIO OM/PD for Triple A KVNV (NV89)/RENO, was inducted into THE NEVADA BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME at THE FOUR SEASONS in LAS VEGAS on SATURDAY, … more

From Radio Online: Midwest Communications adds Aaron Santini as Operations Manager of Rock WABX, Country WLFW, AC WIKY and CHR WSTO-FM/Evansville, IN, beginning September 17. He comes to MWC from MacDonald/Garber's heritage WKHQ/Traverse City-Petoskey, MI. Prior to that, Santini served 11 years as Brand Manager for Cumulus in Cedar Rapids, IA. He … more

From All Access: Programming veteran CHARESE FRUGE has been named URBAN ONE Top 40 Format Captain and will also handle PD duties for Top 40s KROI/HOUSTON and WNOW/INDIANAPOLIS. CHARESE is already on duty and … more

From Radio Insight: Bonneville AC 101.1 KOSI Denver has announced that ‘Jenny D’ Hopkins is joining the station as morning co-host. Jenny has served in the same role for KSE Media Ventures Country “92.5 The Wolf” KWOF Brookfield/Denver since October 2015. She has also worked at Country 98.5 KYGO and Westwood One. She will join current morning host Sean Henry. Bonneville International Corporation’s KOSI 101.1, Denver’s Most listened to radio station, is pleased to announce the addition of crosstown KWOF-FM morning personality Jenny D to the KOSI 101.1 morning show as a co-host to current personality Sean Henry. “As a Colorado native, wife, and mother to two young daughters, Jenny is the perfect addition to work alongside Sean, allowing us to create entertaining content that is limiting to a solo host.” Remarked Lawson. “Her Enthusiasm, energy, personality and character will fit right in with our team,” added Lawson. This marks a return to the cluster as Jenny has worked as an air talent in the past at KYGO-FM. Bonneville Denver VP/GM, Bob Call, said, “We have had our eye on Jenny ever since she interned with KYGO a decade ago. Listeners adore her as she brings the real life experiences of being a wife and a mom to the radio every morning. Denver is home for Jenny and we are excited she is making the jump up the dial to KOSI. Jenny D added, “I am so excited to be joining the KOSI family! As someone who grew up here I have always loved the music and spirit of KOSI * now I get to add my crazy energy to an already amazing group of people!” Jenny joins KOSI after the Labor Day holiday. The post Jenny D Jumps From KWOF To KOSI Denver appeared first on RadioInsight. more

From All Access: CUMULUS MEDIA has released its first financial information after its emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, showing net revenue for JUNE 4th-30th at $95 million and net income at $4.98 million … more

From All Access: TOWNSQUARE Alternative WRRV (92.7/96.9)/HUDSON VALLEY, NY's MIKE@NITE has exited to TOWNSQUARE Top 40 KENR (107.5 ZOO-FM)/MISSOULA, MT as Brand Manager. Meanwhile, WRRV Brand Manager BILL … more

From All Access: MIDWEST COMMUNICATIONS/EVANSVILLE, IN has tapped AARON SANTINI as OM for its four-station cluster, which includes Country WLFW, AC WIKY, Top 40 WSTO, and Classic Rock WABX. He succeeds RUSTY … more

From the FCC: Remarks Of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai At Rio Rancho Cyber Academy, Hosted By New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, Rio Rancho, New Mexico CHAIRMAN PAI SPEECH https://www.fcc.gov/edoc/353707

From All Access: The 11th annual "RISING THROUGH THE RANKS: WOMEN IN RADIO MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM" has concluded, as 29 scholarship recipients were welcomed at the BMI … more

From All Access: Each year on AUGUST 20th, NATIONAL RADIO DAY recognizes the great invention of the radio. On the NATIONAL DAY CALENDAR website, it is noted that "in the late 19th century, it became … more

From All Access: BOB LAMEY has announced his retirement as radio play-by-play announcer for the NFL's INDIANAPOLIS COLTS. LAMEY called the COLTS games for 31 out of the team's 35 years in … more

From Radio Online: The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), in conjunction with BMI and the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) Group, announces the successful completion of the eleventh annual Rising Through the Ranks Women in Radio Management andamp; Leadership Training Program. Twenty-nine scholarship recipients were selected on August 15-16 … more

From Radio Online: Syndicated "The Kane Show," hosted by Peter "Kane" Deibler and originating from iHeartMedia's WIHT-FM (Hot 99.5)/Washington, DC, announced today the launch of three new podcasts: "The Kane Show's Last Resort," "The Kane Show Remix" and "The Kane Show Presents: Ghosted." Kane's show also features co-hosts Riley, Rose, John and … more

From Radio Online: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced grants totaling $1.3 million for three public media stations to launch Urban Alternative formats to connect with young, multi-cultural audiences. The grants to KPVU/Houston, WNSB/Norfolk and KUVO/Denver, will support their transitions to new locally customized formats … more

From All Access: The 11th annual RISING THROUGH THE RANKS: WOMEN IN RADIO MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM has concluded, as 29 scholarship recipients were welcomed at the BMI NASHVILLE Offices on … more

From All Access: ENTERCOM Top 40 KLUC/LAS VEGAS has a rare, full-time afternoon-drive opening. The station is looking for someone with a minimum of three to five years' experience preferred, but not … more

From All Access: KATY PERRY and KAABOO DEL MAR are partnering with MUSICARES to launch the official KATY PERRY Cares Pass program. Starting today, Katy Perry fans now have the opportunity to purchase a KATY … more