Headlines
Mikey Esparza Joins KFM-BFM San Diego
Midwest TV Rock “100.7 KFM-BFM” KFMB-FM San Diego has announced the addition of Mikey Esparza’s “Mikey Show” for afternoons from 3-730pm starting Thursday, July 27. Esparza previously has worked in the market at “Rock 105.3” KIOZ in nights and mornings and Alternative “FM 94.9” KBZT in mornings from 2010-2012. In recent years he has hosted a podcast and co-hosts the syndicated Rock All Night. To make room for Esparza, the station has moved Assistant Program Director Robin Roth from nights to middays to fill the vacancy created by Sara Perry’s exit earlier this month, while Program Director Mike Vasquez moves from afternoons to nights. Dave, Shelley, and Chainsaw remain in mornings. 100.7 KFM-BFM is thrilled to announce the additio...Read More
WFLA Adds Second Translator
iHeartMedia News/Talk 970 WFLA Tampa is now being heard on 102.9 W275AZ Wesley Chapel South FL bringing the station to FM in Tampa proper. W275AZ joins 96.7 W244BE Brandon covering the New Port Richey area in airing WFLA’s programming on FM. W275AZ had been carrying the Classic Hip-Hop “Throwback Tampa Bay” along with 94.5 W233AV Gulfport and 105.9 W290BJ West Tampa. 102.9 and 105.9’s signals overlapped making it redundant to keep in the trimulcast. Chief Engineer John McMartin discussed the launch of W275AZ on WFLA’s morning show.
KTZR Tucson Flips To Fox Sports
iHeartMedia has flipped Conservative Talk 1450 KTZR Tucson AZ to Sports “Fox Sports 1450“. KTZR is currently running the entire national Fox Sports Radio lineup with the exception of Dan Patrick from 6-9am which is currently being filled by a replay of Clay Travis’ “Outkick The Coverage”. Patrick’s program currently airs on Cumulus’ “Sports Radio 1290” KCUB but will move to KTZR on September 12. KTZR will continue to serve as flagship for the American Hockey League’s Tucson Roadrunners. KTZR previously carried syndicated talkers including Glenn Beck, Michael Savage, Buck Sexton, and Alex Jones.
Chickenman Comes To Earwolf
Dick Orkin’s classic short-form radio series Chickenman is coming to Midroll Media’s Earwolf podcast network. Earwolf will make twenty episodes of the the series available starting Wednesday, August 2. The remainder of the library will be accessible on the subscription Stitcher Premium service. Chickenman is one of seven new additions to the Earwolf portfolio announced in honor of today’s 500th episode of Scott Auckerman’s Comedy Bang Bang. Chickenman was launched in 1966 by then WCFL Chicago Production Director Dick Orkin and quickly went into national and global syndication with 273 episodes produced. Podcast industry leader Midroll Media has unveiled its late-summer lineup of new programming for comedy network Earwolf, including a first-of-its-kind improvised mus...Read More
Hip-Hop Record Execs Purchase Rochester Translator
A new Urban station appears to be on its way to Rochester NY after the $650,000 purchase of 105.5 W288CS Fairport by Bluelight Communications. Bluelight is a partnership of Lester Pace and Manny Bella. Pace spent 17 years as National Director of Promotions for Interscope Records and also worked on-air in the 1990s at Radio-One Urban 97.9 KBXX Houston. Bella owns record promtions company Citiboy Entertainment and has also served as Senior VP of Urban Music at Atlantic Records and General Manager of Motown Records. W288CS holds a CP to move to downtown Rochester with 250w/153m from the top of the Xerox Building where it will rebroadcast an HD subchannel of Entercom’s 98.9 WBZA. It currently rebroadcasts Sports “The Team” 1310 WRSB Canandaigua/1590 WOKR Brockport. That stati...Read More
WUFO Buffalo To Relaunch As Power 96.5
Visions Multi Media Group will relaunch Gospel/Urban AC “Mix 1080” WUFO Amherst/Buffalo NY with R&B Oldies and Classic Hip-Hop as “Power 96.5” on Wednesday, August 2. The move will correspond with the launch of the station’s new translator, which will operate with 35w vertical/174m. The station will continue to carry the syndicated Tom Joyner in mornings and Michael Baisden in afternoons. The move follows a series of recent staff additions at the station. DJ Huk-Her will join the station for a 5pm mix show, while DJ Spin will serve as Mixshow Coordinator and host a 5-9pm show on Saturdays. DJ Kholes has been named Promotions Director. As we reported in our 7/11 Daily Domains, local management at Townsquare Media’s crosstown Urban/Urban AC 93.7 WBLK,...Read More
FCC Report 7/23: Salem Denied Two Cleveland Translators
Dismissals Media-Com Inc. News/Talk 100.1 WNIR Kent/Akron OH has been granted its Petition For Reconsiderations against two subsidiaries of Salem Media to relocate two translators from Angola IN and Battle Creek MI respectively to 99.9 and 100.3 in Cleveland where they were to rebroadcast Conservative Talk "1420 The Answer" WHK and Christian Preaching "1220 The Word" WHKW. Media-Com petitioned that the new translators would create interference for its listeners within their contours. Salem purchased 99.9 W260CY (then 99.1 W256CO Angola) and 100.3 W262CY (originally 100.5 W263CS Battle Creek) from Friends of Christian Radio for $50,000 each last year. Stay tuned for a big San Diego AM downgrade and nearly 150 translator modifications ahead of the filing freeze.
WRIF’s Dave & Chuck The Freak To Syndicate To Boston
Beasley Media Alternative “Alt 92.9” WBOS Brookline/Boston will add the Dave & Chuck The Freak morning show based at sister Rock 101.1 WRIF Detroit. Dave Hunter, Chuck ‘The Freak’ Urquhart and Lisa Way have been at WRIF since May 2013 after previously hosting mornings at Bell Media Alternative “89X” 88.7 CIMX Windsor ON/Detroit from 2001-2012. The show will debut on WBOS on Monday, July 24. Beasley Media Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: BBGI) announces the company’s Detroit-based WRIF-FM Dave & Chuck the Freak Morning Show will now be simulcast on ALT 92.9 /WBOS-FM in Boston beginning on Monday, July 24th, 2017. The consistently rated #1 award winning morning show will be heard in both markets from 5:30am-10:3...Read More
What The 2017 Summer Song Won’t Be
In Germany, the Summer Song 2017 battle is already decided. On Billboard, “Despacito” has been No. 1 for so many weeks that it would seem like they’re only holding off on the coronation to try and keep the suspense going. I’m still not ready. I like that a Spanish-language hit could be Song of the Summer (as has been happening around the world for years, see that German list). I like seeing Luis Fonsi have an English-language hit after nearly 20 years. I don’t like that the title translates to “Slowly,” in this summer of tempo deprivation. But we have reached the point where a lot of the songs that were contenders at summer’s outset have peaked or fallen away. Some of them were records I would have much preferred to do better. And the list says something about the current state of pop musi...Read More
Steve McKay To Program Cumulus’ WGNI/WKXS Wilmington
Cumulus Media has tabbed Steve McKay as Program Director of AC 102.7 WGNI and Classic Rock “94.5 The Hawk” WKXS Wilmington NC. McKay, who has been mostly out of the radio industry for the past decade, joins Cumulus from Beasley Media Classic Hits 100.1 WJRZ Manahawkin NJ where he was hosting weekends. He is best known for his runs programming Entercom Hot AC “94.9 The Point” WPTE Norfolk from 2002-2006 and Greater Media Rhythmic Oldies “95.7 Jammin’ Gold” WEJM Philadelphia in 1999-2000. He has also programmed CHR’s 93.5 WSBG Stroudsburg and 97.1 WBHT Wilkes-Barre PA and worked in sales for Max Media Norfolk during his radio career. McKay fills the position previously held by Jackie Jordan until her exit in May. Cumulus Media announces that it...Read More
Station Sales Week Of 7/21
Station Sales Shamrock Communications is selling Alternative 104.1 KRZQ Fallon/Reno NV to John Burkavage’s Big Horn Media for $200,000. Burkavage was the previous General Manager of Shamrock’s Reno cluster until retiring in 2015. He also spent a decade with Entercom as the Market Manager of its Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Greenville/Spartanburg clusters. He is currently operating the station via LMA, while Shamrock retains its other three FMs in the Reno market. After going silent rather than converting its satellite dish, Continental Broadcasting Corp. of Arizona sells 1480 KPHX Phoenix to Cedar Cove Broadcasting for $100,000. In the Atlanta suburbs, Multicultural Broadcasting sells Brokered Caribbean 1430 WGFS Covington GA to Light Media Holdings for $50,000. Jon Yinger’s...Read More
Wilhite & Wall To Go National Via Rockcastle Media
Former WYCD Detroit, WTNR Grand Rapids, and WDAF-FM Kansas City morning hosts Darren Wilhite and Tim Wall are bringing their show to national syndication starting Monday, September 4. Rockcastle Media Networks will handle distribution and services for the program. The show will be delivered via FTP with stations retaining full control of playlist, stopsets, and imaging. Wilhite & Wall currently air on a trio of stations in Arkansas: “96.7 The Coyote” KCYT Fayetteville, “B99.5” KMTB Nashville, and 107.1 KTHS-FM Berryhill. Rockcastle Media Networks announces “Wilhite & Wall” to its lineup of affiliate-friendly, listener-focused programming beginning Monday, September 4th. “Darren [Wilhite] & Tim [Wall] are born entertainers who not only understand the a...Read More
