Headlines
KLHB Corpus Christi Goes Wild
My Home Team Media flipped Sports “ESPN 105.5” KLHB Portland/Corpus Christi TX to Rhythmic CHR “Wild 105.5” at the start of August. The station joins a crowded hit radio battle in the market including Malkan Interactive Rhythmic CHR “Hot Z 95“, recent Mainstream CHR launch “Power 103.3” 107.7 KOUL/103.3 K277BL, ICA Radio’s “Planet 102.3” KKPN, and KLHB sister “The Beach 96.5” KLTG. Dakota ‘Kasper’ Mendenhall has joined KLHB as Program Director/Afternoon Host. Mendenhall previously worked at My Home Team Media Hot AC “Fun 99.7” KBZD Amarillo prior to its sale and flip to Christian AC “Radio By Grace” and sister “Fun 98.3” KICA-FM Clovis NM.
FCC Report 8/20: St. Louis STA Filing Violates FCC Rules
Dismissals BDJ Radio Enterprises Christian Talk “Faith Talk 1010” KXEN St. Louis’ application to drop power from 50kW day to 10kW day for six months via Special Temporary Authority was denied for violating FCC rules governing STA filings. KXEN sought to drop power “in order to determine whether the potential benefits of reducing KXEN(AM)’s utility costs will outweigh the potential loss of listenership”. As the request was strictly made for economic reasons and not technical the FCC rules that it violates Section 309(f) of the Communications Act of 1934. KXEN is currently licensed to operate with 50kW day/500w nights. Inspiration Time’s application to modify 105.9 W290BI Erie PA to operate with 180w/256m was dismissed as it violates the working agre...Read More
Reading Gets Loud With Hip-Hop
Major Keystone LLC has signed on Rhythmic CHR “Loud 99.3” W257DI Reading PA fed via Cumulus Media’s 100.7 WLEV-HD4 Allentown. Running commercial-free for the remainder of the summer, the station is positioning itself as “Reading’s Hip-Hop Station”. Operating with 100w/-24m, the translator covers all of Reading and its adjacent suburbs. The new format gives Reading its own younger skewing hit based station as the market was previously reliant on stations from the nearby Allentown, Lancaster, and Philadelphia market. Major Keystone LLC purchased W257DI from Spanish American Civic Association For Equality for $15,000 earlier this year.
Jimmy Barrett Moves From WRVA Richmond To KTRH Houston Mornings
Jimmy Barrett is leaving mornings at iHeartMedia News/Talk 1140 WRVA Richmond VA after 16 years to move to the company’s 740 KTRH Houston. Barrett will join Shara Fryer as co-anchor of “Houston’s Morning News” from 5-8am weekdays. He fills the opening that was last held by the late Matt Patrick prior to his passing last month. Barrett also spent time at WJR Detroit and has served as public address announcer for the Detroit Tigers and Richmond Flying Squirrels. He also previously served as WRVA Program Director. Newsradio 740 KTRH is happy to announce that Jimmy Barrett will join Houston’s Morning News on Mon., Sept. 11, co-anchoring with Shara Fryer 5-8 a.m. weekdays. Barrett comes to KTRH from Richmond, Va., where he served as the morning host for iHeartMedia’s New...Read More
ESPN New York 98.7 Revamps Middays & Nights
ESPN’s “ESPN New York 98.7” WEPN-FM is swapping hosts in two of its dayparts. Alan Hahn will move from the 10am-1pm “Hahn, Humpty & Canty” show to nights from 7-10pm starting Monday, August 21. The midday show will be renamed just “Humpty & Canty” as former New York Islanders goalie Rick ‘Humpty’ DiPietro and former Dallas Cowboy/New York Giants defensive end Chris Canty will be joined by current night host Dave Rothenberg. Beginning Monday, Aug. 21, ESPN New York 98.7FM’s Alan Hahn will host The Alan Hahn Show – weekdays 7- 10 p.m. ET – where he will discuss the biggest topics in New York sports. Hahn has hosted Hahn, Humpty & Canty (weekdays 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET) since 2014. The re-named Humpty & Canty will continue...Read More
Rude Departure At 680 The Fan Atlanta
Dickey Broadcasting Sports “680/93.7 The Fan” WCNN North Atlanta/W229AG Atlanta morning host Christopher Rude has exited after 15 years with the station as the station has decided not to renew his contract. Rude joined WCNN in 2002 after a long run at “96 Rock” 96.1 WKLS. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that co-hosts Chris Dimino and Nick Cellini will remain in place in mornings with a new name to be unveiled next month to replace “The Rude Awakening” moniker currently in use.
Station Sales Week Of 8/18
Clearwater Communications sells AC “Big Hits 99.3” WKTJ-FM Farmington ME to Kathadin Communications for $525,000. The buyer owns Sports 1240 WSYY and Hot AC “The Mountain 94.9” WSYY-FM Millinocket ME. After taking Sports “ESPN Hawaii” 850 KHLO Hilo/790 KKON Kealakekua HI silent rather than repoint their satellite dishes, Pacific Media Group is donating the two stations to King’s Cathedrals and Chapels with a $195,000 valuation. Cristian Martinez acquires Regional Mexican “Maria 1380” KVSM Santa Maria CA from Ether Mining Company for $300,000. The price will include the purchase of KVSM’s translator 102.1 K271BV Orcutt from Edgewater Broadcasting, however the amount being paid for the translator nor the actual filing of that purchase were incl...Read More
Chris Clare To Program Nash-FM 94.1 Cincinnati
Cumulus Media Country “Nash-FM 94.1” WNNF Cincinnati has named Chris Clare as its new Program Director. Coming from the same role at Binnie Media’s “99.9 The Wolf” WTHT Auburn/Portland ME, this marks a return to Cincinnati for Clare as he previously hosted nights and afternoons at defunct “96.5 Star Country” WYGY from 2004-2006. He has also programmed KCIL Houma LA and “Cat Country 98.7” WYCT Pensacola FL in his career and worked on-air in Denver, Indianapolis, and New Orleans. Clare fills the opening created by Chris Lynn’s exit in June. He recently joined Futuri Media as a partner integration specialist using his birth name of Chris Huneke. Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed Chris Clare as Program Director for WNNF/NA...Read More
WHAN Drops WTJU Simulcast To Launch Local Community Format
University of Virginia’s 91.1 WTJU Charlottesville VA has opted out of its LMA with Fifth Estate Broadcasting’s 1430 WHAN/102.9 W275BQ Ashland VA. The LMA, which began in February 2015, was set to run until February 2018 and included an option for UVA to purchase the station. The station has now flipped to a locally programmed Community based AAA branded as “The Mator“. WTJU programmed WHAN/W275BQ in an attempt to reach nearby Richmond, but the station was 20 miles north of the city and barely reached its intended market. The station also carried programming from the Richmond based Virginia Commonwealth University’s WVCW.org at night. In a memo to WTJU staffers, General Manager Nathan Moore stated: I’m writing today to let you know that WTJU’s broa...Read More
Keith Hotchkiss Promoted To iHeartMedia North Ohio Region President
iHeartMedia has promoted Keith Hotchkiss to Region President for its North Ohio region overseeing all operations in the Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown, Lima, Ashland, Mansfield, Marion and Defiance markets. Hotchkiss most recently served as Director of Sales for the Virginia/Carolina region and Market President of the company’s Charlotte NC cluster. Prior to moving to Charlotte as Director of Sales in 2014, Hotchkiss spent 15 years at the company’s Cleveland cluster working his way up from Account Executive to General Sales Manager of CHR “96.5 Kiss-FM” WAKS and Rock 100.7 WMMS. iHeartMedia announced today that Keith Hotchkiss has been named Region President for North Ohio, effective immediately. iHeartMedia North Ohio has a strong cross-platform presence and includes...Read More
Mijo Joins Power 96 Miami For Nights
CBS Radio CHR “Power 96” 96.5 WPOW-FM Miami has announced the addition of Miguel ‘Mijo’ Irizarry for nights. Irizarry joins WPOW-FM from Mainestream Media Rhythmic CHR “Hot 104.7” WHTP Portland ME where has was Music Director/Afternoon Host. He has also worked at Cumulus Media’s “Hot 106.3” WWKX Providence and Beasley’s “Wired 96.5” WRDW-FM Philadelphia in his career. He fills the opening created by the move of Ivy Unleashed to afternoons last month. Miguel “Mijo” Irizarry will join the air staff of CBS RADIO’s Power 96 (WPOW-FM) in Miami beginning Monday, August 28. He will host weeknights from 7:00 PM to Midnight and engage with listeners across the station’s social media channels. The announcement was made by Rob Mo...Read More
KXTG Portland Dismisses Dino Costa
Dino Costa’s tenure at Alpha Media Sports “750/102.9 The Game” KXTG Portland lasted longer than his run at KFNS St. Louis last year. Alpha cut ties with the afternoon host at KXTG after just two months with the station due to multiple offensive comments that drew the ire of MLS’ Portland Timbers and the University of Oregon Ducks, both of whose games air on the station. A transcript of comments made in June leaked on Monday in which he suggested that Black Lives Matter protesters should be run over with cars. "You know these protests where they shut down the road, they lie in the road? If I'm the cops, I wave the traffic on. Listen, as soon as one or two of these sumbitches are run over you'll see the entire, in unison, everybody be up off the street. When people ar...Read More
