Colorado Media Newsroom
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From Radio Online: Christian KNWS (Life 101.9) in Waterloo, IA has announced the addition of Ashley Owen to its team. Owen joins the station as the new Assistant Program Director and will also be taking on the role of an on-air host. Jessie Browning, the Program Director of Life 101.9, stated, "We are thrilled to have More...

From Radio Insight: Socorro Torres’ Torres Media Group has agreed to acquire Adult R&B “Magic 94.5” KWBT Waco TX from Jerry Lenamon’s Kennelwood Radio LLC for $400,000. The station had been operated via LMA by Edwards Media since at least 2018. The current R&B format launched in October 2023 following the move of its former Hip Hop brand “The Beat” to M&M Broadcasters’ 107.3 K297CC Waco/KRMX-HD4 Bellmead. A new LMA with the buyer will take effect on Saturday, February 1 with KWBT flipping to Regional Mexican as “La Grande 94.5“. The new brand will be programmed by consultant Daniel Melendez who tells us, “The Waco market continues to grow and with only one Regional Mexican station in the local market we figured it was time to give Waco a second full power signal and not on a translator like it had been done in the past. We will start with non-stop music and include the night show ?Desvelados? that currently airs in 15 cities in the US that I currently host.” Melendez also says the station will launch his Spanish Rhythmic “Rumba” brand on one of the station’s HD subchannels. more

From Radio Insight: CRS 2025 is proud to honor Mark ?Hawkeye? Louis, host of mornings on Cumulus KSCS/Dallas, as the recipient of the prestigious Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award.*The award, named after the late Tom Rivers, recognizes individuals in country radio who exhibit outstanding public service and humanitarian efforts. Hawkeye?s charitable work has made a significant impact over the past two decades. His involvement with Cook Children?s Hospital began in 2002, and he has served as a camp counselor for the hospital?s Camp Sanguinity for cancer patients and as a board member from 2004 to 2006. He led the launch of KSCS?s first radiothon in 2014, which, along with sister station KPLX, has raised nearly $4.5 million to date, including over $1 million in 2023 alone. In 2023, Hawkeye auctioned his lifelong collection of more than 17,000 baseball cards, raising over $10,000 for Cook Children?s Hospital. Beyond his work with the hospital, Hawkeye supports numerous causes, including veterans? initiatives such as the annual 10,000 For The Troops program, which collected over 152,000 handmade cards in 2023, and Pets For Vets, which raised $20,000 to train service dogs for disabled veterans. As an avid runner and a long-time board member of the Dallas Marathon, Hawkeye also helps raise funds for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. His enduring commitment to community service and public good exemplifies the spirit of the Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award. The presentation of the Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award will take place during the New Faces of Country Music? Show, one of CRS?s most highly anticipated events. A limited number of tickets remain and can be secured by contacting Ashley Bourque at Ashley@crb.org. Any unsold tickets will be available for purchase on-site. Adding to the excitement of CRS 2025, the event will feature the return of*Elaina Smith, host of Westwood One’s Nights with Elaina, as the*emcee for the New Faces of Country Music?*Show, sponsored by ACM and St. Jude Children’s Research, for the fifth consecutive year. Known for her engaging personality and strong connection to the country music community, Elaina?s continued involvement highlights CRS?s dedication to creating a memorable and dynamic experience for attendees. CRS 2025 will also introduce a new initiative, the Strings for Hope: The Unwind Experience, a hands-on activity designed to promote mindfulness, support survivors, and give back to the community. This meditative experience invites attendees to untangle recycled instrument strings, contributing to the creation of handcrafted jewelry by Strings for Hope, a nonprofit empowering survivors of trauma and adversity. Aligned with CRS 2025?s focus on mental health and wellness, this calming activity fosters mindfulness and reduces stress amid the busy conference. Additionally, programs funded by Strings for Hope provide trauma survivors with creative outlets to rebuild confidence, find purpose, and improve mental well-being. CRS 2025 promises to deliver an unforgettable event filled with meaningful programming, exciting performances, and opportunities to connect within the country music community. more

From Radio Online: iHeartMedia is expanding its My Cultura Podcast Network with a new weekly series entitled "Dos Amigos," featuring actor, producer, and activist Wilmer Valderrama. The network, dedicated to elevating Latinx voices and stories, will premiere the podcast on January 30. Valderrama, known for his roles in "NCIS," More...

From Radio Online: Wave Sports andamp; Entertainment (Wave) is set to launch a new original series titled "Straight to Cam," featuring WNBA sensation Cameron Brink. The Los Angeles Sparks forward will co-host the series with Sydel Curry-Lee, offering a weekly exploration of pop culture, sports, and lifestyle topics. The series More...

From Radio Online: Saga Communications and Rick Rumble have reached an agreement to extend his tenure as host of the morning show "Rumble in the Morning" on Rock WNOR (FM99) in Norfolk-Virginia Beach through 2027. This contract extension coincides with Rumble's 30-year anniversary at the station, a significant milestone he More...

From Radio Online: Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2025 is set to honor Mark "Hawkeye" Louis, the morning host from Cumulus Media's KSCS in Dallas, with the Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award. This award, named in memory of the late Tom Rivers, celebrates figures in Country radio who demonstrate exceptional public service and More...

From Radio Insight: Nielsen continues its releases of the December 2024 continuous diary market and Fall 2024 biannual ratings surveys today. Today’s markets include December monthly ratings for Chattanooga and Huntsville. Fall ratings for Atlantic City/Cape May, Augusta GA, Fort Wayne, Lexington/Fayette, Munice/Marion, Roanoke/Lynchburg, Sussex, Trenton, and Worcester. The next three releases will feature: On Friday, January 24: December monthly ratings for Jackson MS. Fall ratings for Cheyenne, Fort Collins/Greeley, Modesto, Morristown, Oxnard/Ventura, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria/Lompoc, South Bend, and Victor Valley. On Monday, January 27: Fall ratings for Appleton/Oshkosh, Corpus Christi, Fayetteville (NW Arkansas), Fayetteville NC, Flint, Green Bay, Lansing, Reading, Reno, Saginaw/Bay City/Midland, Shreveport, Tyler/Longview, and Youngstown/Warren. On Tuesday, January 28: Fall ratings for Albany GA, Ann Arbor, Beaumont/Port Arthur, Bloomington IL, Brunswick, Dothan, Killeen/Temple, Montgomery, Peoria, Quad Cities, Salisbury/Ocean City, Savannah, and Springfield MO. more

From Radio Insight: While no official announcement has been made, iHeartMedia Conservative Talk 710 WOR New York has relaunched its morning show as “Mendte In The Morning” hosted by Larry Mendte. Mendte joined WOR in August 2023 as News Director and morning news anchor. A longtime television newscaster, Mendte has previously worked in New York as a weekend anchor at WABC-TV in the 1980s and then at WPIX from 2010-12 as a commentator and occasional anchor. He also hosted weekend shows at 770 WABC under former owner Cumulus. He is best known for his time in his native Philadelphia where he was a television newscaster at at WCAU-TV from 1997-2003, KYW-TV from 2003-2008 until being fired for accessing his former co-anchor?s email, and then hosting mornings on Merlin Media?s short-lived Conservative Talk ?IQ 106.9? WWIQ in 2012. He also was the first co-host of the syndicated ?Access Hollywood? in 1996 and hosted mornings at 1450 WILM Wilmington DE. “Mendte In The Morning” takes the place of the morning show hosted by Len Berman and Michael Riedel until their exits in iHeartMedia’s November layoffs. more

From Radio Online: Krantz Media Group President and CEO Gary Krantz, a prominent figure in the media industry with a distinguished career spanning over four decades, has died. He was 65. Krantz was renowned for his contributions to broadcast radio, digital media, and content syndication. He died on January 21 in Manhattan, NY, More...

From Radio Insight: Superadio?s Hip Hop mixshow ?Radio Bassment? with Eric ?DJ E-Rock? Nagrampa has been added at Perry Broadcasting’s stations in four markets. The show will be added at Hip Hop “Power 103.5” KVSP-FM Anadarko/Oklahoma City, “105.3 K-Jamz” KJMM Bixby/Tulsa, “105.3 Kiss-FM” 1340 KQIS Bethel Heights/Fayetteville AR, and “Foxie 103 Jamz” WFXA-FM Augusta GA. Host DJ E-Rock commented, “We?re excited to join forces with Perry Broadcasting to bring Radio Bassment to these amazing cities. Each market has its own rich cultural vibe and deep appreciation for music. We?re eager to connect with new audiences in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Fayetteville, and Augusta, sharing the passion and energy that drive Radio Bassment.? Perry Broadcasting VP/Radio Programming Terry Monday said, “?The Bassment show was a no-brainer after hearing it. I’m always concerned when shopping for new content. It even makes the process more difficult when you’re trying to replace a show that has been airing for more than 15 years. I listened to a few other mix shows and was not totally pleased. Once I heard the Basement, I felt like it would be the perfect fit for all three of my markets (Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Fayetteville, AR, and Augusta, GA). I was pleased to hear the show had chart topping music, lots of personality from DJ E-Rock, as well as a social media presence from the show’s content. The Bassment is sure to keep the consistent sound and entertainment integrity on all of my stations.? more

From Radio Online: KYW Newsradio, a staple in Philadelphia, celebrates its 60th anniversary this year with a series of special events and programming aimed at honoring its long-standing commitment to the community. Known for its coverage and dedication to local news, KYW Newsradio will introduce new features and More...

From Radio Online: Cumulus Media's Westwood One is set to provide live coverage of the NFL Championship Sunday on January 26th. This marks the 38th consecutive year that Westwood One has partnered with the NFL as its official audio broadcaster. The day will kick off in Philadelphia at 2:00pm ET, More...

From Radio Online: Tubi, the ad-supported streaming service from Fox Corporation, has announced today a new partnership with iHeartMedia to bring the radio show and podcast "The Breakfast Club" to its platform. This marks the first time the morning show will be available both on-demand and through a dedicated free ad-supported More...

From Radio Online: Syndicated Radio Bassment has announced a partnership with Perry Broadcasting, expanding its reach to four additional markets. The new collaboration will introduce the show's blend of music and culture to audiences on KVSP-FM in Oklahoma City, KJMM-FM in Tulsa, KQIS-AM in Fort Smith-Fayetteville AR and More...

From Radio Insight: After previous television simulcasts on Revolt TV and BET, Premiere Networks’ “The Breakfast Club” based at Hip Hop “Power 105.1” WWPR-FM New York and hosted by DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, and Jess Hilarious is returning to video with a dedicated FAST channel on Fox’s Tubi. The daily show will be available on-demand, with the continuous channel featuring curated clips and highlights. Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson said, “?The Breakfast Club’ transcends morning shows with honest conversations at the heart of culture. At the core of our partnership with iHeartMedia is a shared interest in content that reflects culture and a passion to bring this influential and entertaining show to Tubi’s massive audience for even more fans to discover. iHeart President of Entertainment Enterprises John Sykes concurred, “The Breakfast Club has become a beacon of popular culture for millions in America on air, online, and socially. This new partnership with Tubi extends the reach of this iconic franchise to new TV audiences everywhere? more

From Radio Insight: Milwaukee Radio Alliance Country “Froggy 100.3/107.3” W262CJ Milwaukee/W297BY Franklin/WLDB-HD3 Mlwaukee has introduced its on-air lineup. Julie Davidson, who has been with the company in multiple roles since 1996, will host middays from 10am-3pm. Davidson also hosts weekends at sister AC “B93.3” WLDB and previously had a long run in middays at that station until 2015. Program Director Gordon Mays will host afternoons from 3-7pm. Mays joined the station at its launch in November. He previously was Director of Programming and Content and PD/midday host of Country ?95.3 The Bull? WRTB Rockford IL. Mays began his career at WKQX/WLUP Chicago in promotions and on-air roles before spending three years hosting nights at CBS Rock 94.1 WYSP Philadelphia from 2008-11 followed by five years in weekends/fill-in at Country 92.5 WXTU. He would join WRTB as afternoon host in 2017, and also spent some time filling in at WUSN Chicago. Mays also hosts middays at sister Alternative “FM 102.1” WLUM. The station previously added Silverfish Media and Compass Radio Networks’ “Big D & Bubba” for mornings. more

From Radio Insight: Krantz Media Group Founder and CEO Gary Krantz died on Tuesday at the age of 65. Krantz spent his entire career in radio syndication first spending fifteen years at MJI Broadcastng from its founding in 1981 rising to VP/General Manager. He joined Chancellor Media’s AMFM Radio Networks in 1997 as EVP/Programming remaining through the company’s merger with Clear Channel’s Premiere Networks until 2005. Krantz was the President of Liberal Talk syndicator Air America followed by Chief Digital Media Officer for Westwood One/Metro Networks. Krantz founded Krantz Media Group in 2010 with his current projects including serving as Managing Partner of “Podcast Radio US” and Podcast Israel Media LTD., Senior Advisor to media investment firm Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips and broadcast technology company Geo Broadcast Solutions, as well as an advisor to Red Apple Audio Networks and Sustainable Media Center. In a statement from his family shared to RAMP, they state, “?Gary was known for his sense of humor, his style, and his generosity. He loved Bruce Springsteen, the beach, and his three kids. He spent much of his time embracing life. He would say, ?I could never just stay home at my apartment, because when you walk outside, that?s when things happen.?” He is survived by his mother Lila Krantz, brothers Scott and Mark Krantz, and his three children Michael, Jane, and Jacqueline Krantz. Services for Krantz will be held on Sunday, January 26 at 2:30pm at Riverside Memorial Chapel on 180 West 76th Street in New York. In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations be made to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in Krantz’s memory. more

From Radio Online: LAist Studios is set to premiere "The Other Moonshot" on January 29, a new podcast series that brings to light the pivotal yet overlooked contributions of three Black aerospace engineers to the Apollo missions. Hosted by Joanne Higgins, the four-part series will delve into the stories of Charlie Cheathem, More...

From Radio Insight: Nielsen continues its releases of the December 2024 continuous diary market and Fall 2024 biannual ratings surveys today. Today’s markets include December monthly ratings for Colorado Springs, Madison, Mobile, Toledo and Wichita. Fall ratings for Boise, Daytona Beach, Fort Pierce/Stuart/Vero Beach, Fort Walton Beach/Destin, Lakeland/Winter Haven, Melbourne/Titusville/Cocoa, Pensacola, Pueblo, Salina/Manhattan, and Topeka. The next three releases will feature: On Thursday, January 23: December monthly ratings for Chattanooga and Huntsville. Fall ratings for Atlantic City/Cape May, Augusta GA, Fort Wayne, Lexington/Fayette, Munice/Marion, Roanoke/Lynchburg, Sussex, Trenton, and Worcester. On Friday, January 24: December monthly ratings for Jackson MS. Fall ratings for Cheyenne, Fort Collins/Greeley, Modesto, Morristown, Oxnard/Ventura, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria/Lompoc, South Bend, and Victor Valley. On Monday, January 27: Fall ratings for Appleton/Oshkosh, Corpus Christi, Fayetteville (NW Arkansas), Fayetteville NC, Flint, Green Bay, Lansing, Reading, Reno, Saginaw/Bay City/Midland, Shreveport, Tyler/Longview, and Youngstown/Warren. more

From Radio Online: Cumulus Media has officially appointed Steven M. Galbraith, an experienced investor and financial strategist, to its board of directors. This addition comes as part of the company's ongoing efforts to enhance its strategic planning and growth initiatives. Andrew W. Hobson, the Chairman of Cumulus Media, More...

From Radio Online: FCC Chairman Brendan Carr today announced a series of appointments to key acting leadership positions within the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), including the designation of an Acting General Counsel and Managing Director. These changes come as part of a broader initiative to ensure the FCC More...

From Radio Online: Cumulus Media promotes Pete Mundo to Vice President of News/Talk, providing content counsel for the company's 43 News/Talk-formatted radio brands across the U.S. He takes the reins as VP of News/Talk from Bill Hess, who has held the position since 2015 and continues as Operations Manager of Cumulus More...

From Radio Insight: Since the inception of “Mason’s Observations” in October, we’ve called attention to many songs with big streaming numbers and validated audience reaction,*all*of which have become real Pop radio*hits*and remain our top requests. They will evolve into strong recurrents and golds. The following is a list of songs that were huge way before radio airplay, but huge on Spotify and Liveline requests since their release, still big or moving up the Top 40 chart: Sabrina Carpenter –*Taste*(her third #1) ROS? & Bruno Mars –*APT*(soon to be #1 on Top 40) Gracie Abrams –*That’s So True*(#7 this week) Chappell Roan –*Pink Pony Club*(finally Top 10 after 10 weeks, we were getting top 5 requests for it when it was #45 in airplay) The Weeknd & Playboi Carti*TIMELESS*(#13, +628 spins (after 13 weeks radio finally realized that*Dancing In The Flames*was a stiff) Gigi Perez –*Sailor Song*(#23 after 13 weeks, but STILL in the Spotify and Liveline Top 10) Conversely, these are upward moving songs in the airplay Top 30 for which we?ve never received a single request: Addison Rae –*Diet Pepsi (#8) Damiano David –*Born With A Broken Heart (#15) Akon –*Akon’s Beautiful Day (#17) LISA –*Moonlit Floor (#20) Teddy Swims –*Bad Dreams (#21) Ross on Radio?s*Sean Ross notes that some well-researched stations like New York?s Z100 and San Francisco?s Now 99.7 have moved up ?Diet Pepsi? recently and still have significant airplay on the Weeknd?s ?Dancing in the Flames,? Overall, though, I believe that songs that don?t generate requests or stories in Spotify, Apple Music, or Shazam regardless of airplay rankings are not hits and certainly nobody?s favorite songs.*Songs with no audience passion are gambles and cracks in the armor of power programming. Bad/weak songs destroy music radio?s relevance. What would stations be playing if there was no airplay data? Where would program directors look to find the hottest emerging new music? How could any other data source show or even predict the long-term, listener-passionate songs, without knowing who else is playing it on the radio? Voila – Spotify, Apple Music, Shazam*and if you’re in a big market reaching a large audience, research and requests! * Back when he was the PD who successfully launched Z100 (from worst to first in 90 days), Scott Shannon called these kinds of programmers ?penguins,? people who just follow others around. Legendary Top 40 programmer Bill Drake conceived several breakthrough programming concepts we universally take for granted today; among them* ?stopsets?, ?music sweeps?, and most significantly the concept of ?tune-outs?, those songs which turn off listeners and motivate them to turn off the station. Using these concepts and by restricting stopsets to four minutes each (and only two per hour), the Drake stations dominated in New York, Chicago, LA, and dozens of copycat stations nationwide. The point is that airplay data is not a measure of audience passion. And songs with no demonstratable audience passion are gambles and open cracks in the armor of power hit programming.* *Since the inception of “Mason’s Observations” in October, we’ve called attention to many songs with big streaming numbers and validated audience reaction, ALL of which have become real Pop radio hits and remain our top requests. In addition, every song we’ve seen with no passion or movement on has suddenly gone away and never advanced up the charts.* Scroll down to see this week’s list of the Top 20 requests. What?s New: Billie Eilish – “WILDFLOWER”: From the highly acclaimed HIT ME HARD AND SOFT album, “Birds of a Feather” has become Billie’s biggest pop radio hit to date. Now starting its 33rd week in the Top 40, Interscope is apparently pushing “Chihiro” as the album’s third single. Odd considering the consistent strength of the album’s “Wildflower” which hasn’t left the Spotify Top 50 since its release in May 2024 (currently #18). “Chihiro” is #122 and we’ve never had a single request for it. As far as radio airplay goes, “Wildflower” is #40 on Pop with KMVQ/San Francisco, KJYO/Oklahoma City, KLLY/Bakersfield, WVBX/Fredericksburg, and both KKRZ and KBFF/Portland, as the only stations playing it more than 25 times this week, while “Chihiro” has one spin in all of America. It’s nice to see radio choosing the right cut. Let’s just hope it picks up! Women seem to LOVE it. Bad Bunny Update: Last week, we mentioned “DtMF” from the new album by Puerto Rico?s Bad Bunny. Cuts from the album still occupy most of the Spotify Top 20, with #1, #4 and #5 being held by him. We still haven’t received any requests for the songs yet, but he IS extremely popular and there’s something to learn from an all-Spanish language album being the biggest musical release of 2025 in America so far. What will radio do with it? Every so often a non-English song hits the mainstream top 10, ever since Kyu Sakamoto?s 1963 Billboard #1 hit ?Sukiyaki? (sung in Japanese). It was the world?s biggest single of all time, selling 13 million. And who can forget megahits ?Gangnam Style? (in Korean) and ?The Macarena? (in Spanish).* You just never know. Buried Treasures of The Week OutKast – “Ms. Jackson”: For reasons unknown, a few of their biggest hits have been getting a lot of requests on Liveline the past few months. “Hey Ya!“, “Roses” and “The Way You Move” have become timeless classics, but despite their initial popularity and relevance after all these years, they don’t compare to 2001’s “Ms. Jackson” which finished at #33 on our list of 2024’s most-requested Golds. It’s just a really cool song for all ages, men and women. It reached #1 on Billboard and Rhythmic radio, but only #13 on Top 40 (back in the early 2000s when Rhythmic radio dominated Mainstream in most large markets. Add it to the list of GREAT but forgotten songs, which only people who closely watch the charts, experience DJ parties/clubs and have unique listener-driven data would become aware of how powerful a song like this is. Many successful Mainstream stations DO still play it. In the past week: KIIS/Los Angeles 4x, WBBM/Chicago 9x, WKQI/Detroit 4x, WKFS/Cincinnati 11x. Plus, usually 5 spins on Liveline (once a night, with live phone call requests).* Akon – “Lonely”: Heartbreak. Depression. Abandonment, three things that nearly everyone feels and relates to. Whether you’ve been cheated on or lied to, broken up with, rejected or are dealing with a sad event in your life, “Lonely” is one of Akon’s signature pieces, garnering 775 million Spotify streams. It’s launched his career and is his second most-popular song, right behind “Smack That” featuring Eminem (which has 1.2 billion streams and finished #23 on our most-requested Golds of 2024 list. In 2005, it reached #4 on Billboard, Pop and Rhythmic airplay. In the past two weeks, no Top 40 stations have played it. That’s because they don’t have the benefit of seeing listeners requesting it, sharing their stories and emotions like Liveline does. It would be compelling to know what a music test reveals about these old songs. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Liveline with Mason more

From Radio Insight: Cumulus Media has announced the promotion of Pete Mundo to Vice President of News/Talk for the company where he will “provide content counsel” for the company’s 43 stations in the format. Mundo will continue to serve as Program Director and morning host at 710 KCMO Kansas City/95.7 KCHZ Ottawa KS where he has been since 2018, first as APD/morning host and then rising to PD in February 2020. Mundo has previously served as a freelance anchor for CBS Sports Radio, WCBS, WFAN, and Fox News Radio. He also served as a play-by-play host for Wagner College football and women?s basketball. He has also worked as News & Sports Director for Omni Media Group in Woodward OK and operated HeartlandCollegeSports.com dedicated to the Big 12 Conference. Mundo succeeds Bill Hess in the role. Hess will continue as Program Director at 105.9 WMAL-FM Woodbridge VA/Washington DC. Cumulus Chief Content Officer Brian Phillips said, ?Pete has risen to stardom quickly with his on-air performance and innovative program architecture in Kansas City. Pete is among our most dynamic leaders, in ANY format. It also matters that Pete is Bill Hess?s hand-chosen successor, as Bill returns to oversight of our News/Talk flagship WMAL, in the nation’s capital. Bill has served with distinction in this corporate role, and Cumulus News/Talk is positioned for continued success under Pete?s leadership.? Mundo commented, “I’m thrilled for the opportunity more

From Radio Insight: I have to start my look at last year’s influential stations by talking about the year before. In 2023, radio had something we hadn?t seen for a while: instant success stories at radio stations that found a hole in the market. One of them was in an existing format that the market had allowed to become unoccupied, Cox?s Adult R&B WTBV (The Vibe) Tampa.This year, that station went on to post record numbers for its frequency, as did the station that inspired it, WCFB (Star 94.5) Orlando. The other was less precedented: the Spanish-language presentation of (mostly) English-language Classic Hits on WMIA (Magic 93.9) Miami,which found an opening in a market where similar music was easy to find elsewhere, and even more available now. In October, I asked aloud why we hadn?t seen more stations inspired by Magic 93.9. Seemingly within minutes, we had them including WOEX (Hits 96.5) Orlando, Fla.; KXXM (Mix 96.1) San Antonio; and, last week, WEPN (Exitosa 98.7) New York. Each list of Intriguing Stations is meant to be not just the previous year?s winners but also successful launches, comebacks, and trendsetters. This year?s list is informed by how many of 2023?s stations remained viable or influential. If you?re wondering why I didn?t mention somebody, perhaps it?s here. Many of 2024?s biggest format launches were previous trends, from 2023 or before, still playing out: The excitement about gold-based Alternative prompted a similar Canadian mini-boom this year, led by CFGQ (The Edge) Calgary.Earlier this month, gold-based Alternative came even to ?94.3 XYZ? Fort Walton Beach, Fla. It?s not a 2023 trend, but we?re still getting new throwback Hip-Hop outlets. ROR readers were excited about the return of WJHM (102 Jamz) Orlando,joining evolving sisters WPOW (Power 96) Miamiand KQKS (KS104) Denver. There were new Classic Country outlets, including KPLZ (101.5 Hank FM) Seattle and, as 2025 began, a new personal favorite for depth and breadth, Eastern North Carolina?s WLGT/WSTK.The year also kicked off, as others have recently, with a barrage of new Jack-FMs and KCKC (Kansas City)?smove from AC to Bob FM. But if it was the ?new, new? you want from this column, there was Hitradio AI,a streaming CHR driven entirely by listeners? AI-powered submissions. Fully explaining the station demanded its own profile, so I wrote one last week. So far, the station is unhosted, but AI breaks are on the way, and there is already an AI-generated podcast. In many years, there?s not a new music-based format to write about because Top 40 co-opts any trend before it can become a format unto itself. There were a number of resurgent heritage CHRs in 2024, including WKST (96.1 Kiss) Pittsburgh and WHTZ (Z100) New York, whose No. 1 25-54 finish last fall is a column unto itself. But KIIS Los Angelesdeserves special mention for being at the forefront of a surge in ?voice of the listener? female pop, particularly as CHR?s most prominent female-programmed station. (It was also a showplace for K-Pop?s resurgence.) I also appreciated PD Beata Murphy and MD Sisanie?s continued enterprise on new music, something which I value more than ever. (Obviously, it?s hard to talk about KIIS only in music and radio terms this week, but I wanted to acknowledge its programming influence first.) I wrote about both Capital UKand BBC Radio 1in August after Britain?s heritage CHRs began posting their best London numbers in years. Hearing the battle in person last summer was a reminder that UK CHR still has superior variety because of its greater dance presence and BBC1 still including rock. In the UK, radio still rules the Ubers, and that?s in part because of an easy-to-use digital tier. (I also wrote about the battle between London?s two digital R&B Oldies outlets, something even the U.S. doesn?t have.) At the other end of the Top 40 spectrum, I?ve often cited WIXX Green Bay, Wis.,as one of the smaller-market pop-leaning CHRs that remained healthy even among the format?s travails. This year, it rated a ?Fresh Listen? as the station where Top 40 and Country most converged. WXLK (K92) Roanoke, Va.,reemerged last year as another successful version of that model, and a confirmation of the ongoing value of well-used music research. I appreciate PD Chris Ryan?s participation in the state-of-the-format dialogue this year. If I?d been writing this column 35 years ago, WWBX (Mix 104.1) Boston predecessor WBMX (Mix 98.5) would have been highlighted as one of the first Rhythmic AC stations, or maybe a few years later as one of Modern AC?s prominent stations. Last year, as a mainstream Adult Top 40, it was a market leader, largely on the strength of strong personality through the day, something other Hot ACs drifted away from because of PPM. It remains the top current-driven station at this writing. Personality also drove the success of Top 40 Nova 100 Melbourne. The expansion of Sydney?s Kyle & Jackie O to a second market prompted a ton of national media coverage, as well as the usual declarations that ?live and local? wouldn?t be enough in the face of great content. As it happened, Nova?s Jase & Lauren ? bounced from their previous station to make room for the other show ? turned out to be more than just live and local. They?re the dominant music show in the market and actually up to an 11.5 share at year?s end. Also, for Soft AC fans, co-owned Smooth FM was No. 1 in Melbourne and Sydney in that survey. I?ve written about Audacy Country sister WPAW (The Wolf) Greensboro, N.C., for its music enterprise in years past. This year, Audacy?s Country outlets as a group were among the early champions of some of the fast-breaking streaming titles that reflected the ongoing evolution of the format and its charts. At the other end of the Country format, sister*KKMJ-HD3 (95.9 Texas Country) Austin moved quickly when KOKE, a longtime column favorite, went online-only following a sale, and was seeing ratings results at year?s end. (It?s also gratifying that KOKE has, thus far, remained hosted.)*It was also gratifying to see that*WWWF (The Wolf) Long Island, N.Y.,*was still able to repatriate some of the listening displaced when Audacy exited Country in New York, even several years later. KINK Portlandhas long had a template of Triple-A with a focus on pop crossovers (and now on streaming) that each PD seems to execute a little differently. This year, it had its best ratings in more than 30 years under PDs Ken Benson and Max Dugan. KINK also inspired AlternativeCIND (Indie 88) Toronto to an evolution under PD Ian March and new owners that was similarly intended, but very different on a song-to-song basis, in part because of the ongoing strength of Canadian Alternative product. There?s usually a new take on the ?AM Gold? era among each year?s Intriguing Stations. This year it was WJIB Boston, evolving from one of the few remaining Easy Listening outlets, and streaming for the first time under new owner John Garabedian. Because of the station?s heritage, it was both older and newer than many of its counterparts. XEPRS San Diego returned to Oldies this year with a unique twist ? it was built around airchecks of former star announcer Wolfman Jack and other legendary L.A. talent. On the mainstream Classic Hits side, it was gratifying to see the growth of WLS-FM Chicago, particularly since returning its signature jingle to the air. There are always follow-up articles to “Intriguing,” and you can probably expect one covering all the Classic Hits stations I personally liked for one reason or another shortly. In the early ?00s, I was excited on Nashville trips to hear then-local WAYM (Way-FM) doing an early attempt at Christian CHR. Now, Scott Herrold of owner Hope Media says that new Spanish-language sister Vida Unida, which was still expanding as 2025 began, is finding a ?considerably younger? audience that remains loyal to radio and represents an opportunity for broadcasters. One of the gratifying developments of 2024 was the addition of station pre-sets and a market scan to the iHeart Radio app, part of the better organization of listeners? infinite choices that I?ve been hoping for. SiriusXM announced at year?s end that it would shift focus away from its app, where rapidly proliferating choices had diluted some of their ease-of-use, but I was glad it brought us Yacht Soul first. I?ve also been enjoying K-Love Popand K-Love ?80s as I delve into the Christian AC network?s new suite of side channels. The thing I would most like to write about in 2025 is a galvanizing new app that comes from helps grow radio; for 18 months, I’ve been saying that broadcasters should consider the prospect of life without TikTok in those terms. Some of the Intriguing Stations of 2024 were more about infrastructure than format. At April?s NAB, Radioinsight?s Lance Venta noted the number of new playout systems that drastically reduced radio?s back end. Within months, we got to hear those on the air via Super Hi-Fi on Beasley?s Classic Rock WPBB (The Shark) Tampa, as well as the aforementioned TJ98.7, which actually plugged Radio.Cloud on air. 2024 was a year when some of the most-compelling radio was the radio that you didn?t want to hear, including Wayne Cabot?s bravura sign-off of all-news WCBS-AM New York. So it?s gratifying to report that Stephen King?s WKIT Bangor, Maine,found a buyer at year?s end, even if two sister stations did not, saving it from being a market-leading FM that signed off anyway (particularly since WKIT is what you?d want from an independently-owned Heritage Rock station in terms of musical uniqueness). In 2024, the great radio you really didn’t want to hear was from Western North Carolina. Pointing out radio?s necessity in an emergency–something that happened a lot for various reasons in 2024–sometimes sounds mercenary, or sometimes like it’s all we have to offer. But Asheville is a great radio market that has always had lots of great choice and sense-of-place.*Hearing Asheville?s iHeart and Saga clusters and non-comm WNCW in October was a reminder that nobody wants to be pressed into service after a disaster, particularly the broadcasters themselves who had to triage help for others when their own world was in chaos. It was also a reminder that radio works best when it is the nerve center for its community every day. * Sadly, whether in Asheville or New Orleans in 2005 or Los Angeles in 2025, all generations of listeners can now too regularly experience a Hindenburg broadcast in real time, except one that lasts for weeks, not minutes, and where announcer Herbert Morrison is himself in peril. This column was originally scheduled for last Thursday, and if it still sounds trifling to talk about mere radio programming at a moment like this, part of what keeps radio relevant to listeners is what it does under less dire circumstances, so that we can be there for them in crisis. I asked Facebook friends for their station suggestions as well. See those here, or please share your Intriguing Stations of 2024. more

From Radio Insight: Cumulus Media has appointed Paul Farnham Jr. as its new VP/Market Manager in Shreveport/Bossier City LA. Farnham most recently spent just under a decade as Sales Manager for Townsquare Media Lafayette LA. He began his career at Cumulus Shreveport where he held multiple sales roles including Key Account Manager, Local Sales Manager, General Sales Manager, and Director of Sales between 2003 and 2014 followed by a brief stint at WAFB-TV Baton Rouge. Paul Farnham, Jr. said, “Returning to Cumulus Shreveport is an incredible opportunity. The properties here are truly outstanding, and I’m excited to build on the remarkable success already established in this vibrant market. Our listeners and advertisers are the heart of our community, and I look forward to continuing to deliver exceptional value and engagement for them. Together, we’ll elevate our presence and make a lasting impact.” Cumulus SVP/Operations Mark Sullivan added, ?I am so pleased to work with Paul again as he returns home to both the market and the company. We?ve enjoyed many successes together and I look forward to many more in the years to come!? Farham Jr. fills the opening created by Tish Boden’s move to Fayetteville NC last July. more

From Radio Online: Cumulus Media appoints Paul Farnham, Jr. as the new Vice President and Market Manager for its five-station cluster in Shreveport-Bossier City, LA. Returning to his hometown, Farnham brings a deep connection to the area. His career with Cumulus Media began in 2003, and over an 11-year period, he advanced More...

From Radio Online: TuneIn in collaboration with Sony Pictures Television, has announced the premiere of the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions Exhibition Game. This special event, free to all listeners, will feature the top three Jeopardy! champions from the recent season. The exhibition game is More...

From Radio Online: Podtrac, a podcast analytics and marketing platform, has unveiled two new tools aimed at helping podcasters grow their audiences and optimize promotional strategies: Smartlinks and Apple andamp; Spotify Rankings. Smartlinks, a major addition to Podtrac's toolkit, allows podcasters to create custom links that More...