• [RadioInsight] Drake Hall Memphis Moves To WIVG

    From RadioInsight via rec.radio.broadcas@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jul 7 17:05:11 2021
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    RadioInsight

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    Drake Hall Memphis Moves To WIVG

    Posted: 07 Jul 2021 01:10 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/210481/drake-hall-memphis-moves-to-wivg/



    After launching on Flinn Brocadcastings 87.7 WPGF-LP Memphis in January,
    Drake Hall Memphis Radio will relocate to 96.1 WIVG Tunica MS on Thursday,
    June 8.

    The move comes as most of the LPTVs operating radio services on 87.75MHz
    are required to cease analog broadcast operations on July 13 rendering them unable to operate as pseudo-radio signals. Hall, a longtime morning
    personality on Rock 103 WEGR and 98.1 The Max WXMX in the Memphis market, debuted the station in January with a live morning show from 7-9am, his
    daily podcast from 9-10am, and best of segments mixed with Classic Rock the remainder of the day.

    WIVG currently simulcasts Flinns Sports 56 560 WHBQ/98.5 W253DF Memphis.



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    Sandra Miller Joins WYFM As Midday Host

    Posted: 07 Jul 2021 12:57 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/210484/sandra-miller-joins-wyfm-as-midday-host/



    Former 97.5 WONE-FM Akron APD/morning co-host Sandra Miller has joined
    Cumulus Media Classic Rock Y103 WYFM Sharon PA/Youngstown OH as midday host.

    Miller spent 22 years at WONE-FM from 1998 until exiting last October.
    During her tenure she hosted middays from 1998 to 2013, was morning co-host alongside Jeff Kinzbach from 2013 until his retirement last fall, and was promoted to Assistant Program Director in 2016. She also spent seven years
    at Akron Public Schools AAA 91.3 WAPS.

    Miller fills the midday slot that had been held by Lynn Davis until her retirement in May after 31 years at the station.



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    I Missed The Jock Break: What Did I Miss?

    Posted: 07 Jul 2021 09:00 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/ross/210211/i-missed-the-jock-break-what-did-i-miss/



    These days, any broadcast personality who cracks a mic has to answer the question “why are you here?” Every break is an opportunity to show what radio has to offer, beyond a jockless playlist.

    I hear a lot of breaks that do not make the case for radio. I hear a lot of “coming up, these three artists” and “here’s a news item you already heard
    this morning.” Doing station business often means alternating between “download our app” and “tell Alexa to play … ” in a way that asks for the
    order but does little to motivate it. Often those breaks are a few minutes
    away from identically worded promos for station apps or smart speakers.

    But over the last 15 months, I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by the number of stations that still “do radio.” I’m happy when I hear somebody advocating for the music or just frontselling it creatively, and I’ve heard both on WXRT Chicago over the last year. I’m happy when I learn something about the market. Even hearing about station remotes is exciting again,
    because it’s radio and America back in business. I have something to write about enthusiastically each week. I just don’t have enough of it.

    Last week, radio and podcast observer James Cridland told me about the
    German Spotify user who has been creating playlists that replicate some of
    the world’s major radio stations. Many of the streams are based on such
    big, full-service state-owned outlets as BBC Radio 2, but there are also
    U.S. non-comms such as KEXP Seattle and WXPN Philadelphia. That discussion
    led the two of us to wonder if radio stations should offer unhosted
    versions of their own music, rather than let listeners go elsewhere for it.

    It also made me want to scrutinize what was between the records. The
    Spotify user chose mostly big, iconic radio stations. Some, like BBC Radio
    2, seem to be far more about an overall experience which, in turn, unifies
    an eclectic bunch of songs. You may not always be in the mood for Radio 2’s ongoing listener dialogue. But what mood would you have to be in to specifically search out faux-Radio 2’s playlist of Bertie Higgins, the
    Kaiser Chiefs, Talk Talk, and “Achy Breaky Heart”?  

    I listened to two of the stations replicated on Spotify. Then I listened to
    two mainstream stations in my orbit through a similar filter. 

    BBC Radio 6Music is a longtime Cridland favorite. I hadn’t heard its eclectic/indie music format in a while. The 3 p.m. hour was split unusually between two hosts, Lauren Laverne and Mary Anne Hobbs, with a three-minute newscast in the middle. What they talked about was almost entirely the
    music — tour dates, today’s releases, forthcoming releases, new compilations, historical info about what they just played 

    There was clear enthusiasm for the music. Emma Noble’s new neo-disco “We’re
    Gonna Live Forever” was set up with an interview from the artist explaining the song and backsold by Laverne checking off the things she liked about
    the song: “Isley [Brothers] overdriven guitar, tick. Jazz flute solo, tick. Stellar vocal, tick. Weekend concept, extra tick.” Crossplugs for other presenters were usually tied to front- or backsells (“that’s one you heard first with … ”).

    Almost all the talk on non-comm Alternative KCMP (the Current) Minneapolis
    was about the music as well. Morning host Jill Riley was wrapping up a
    feature about musical couples from X to Sonny & Cher. (She joked that she
    was going to play Cher’s other duo, the ill-fated Allman & Woman.) Midday host Jade was excited about having a new Garbage song to play; she was
    sorry that the Tame Impala tour was back on, but no longer coming to the
    Twin Cities.

    Both the Current and Radio 6 hosts did multiple artist teasers, but usually attached to some sort of factoid teaser for at least one of the songs in question, never just a litany of artist names. Both were trying to send you
    to the station site or apps, but always tied to content, such as Riley’s interview with Jakob Dylan. There was lots of station business. It was
    never rote. (I also didn’t hear my other peeve — jocks teasing intriguing-sounding topics that turned out to be only “you can see this
    story on our site.”)



    I hadn’t intended to write about Top 40 WIXX Green Bay, Wis., for this
    column but I came across market veteran Scott Stevens filling in for PD
    Corey Carter in middays. Stevens was doing Carter’s “Tell Me Something Good” feature, mostly via listener texts. The overall feel was very much along the lines of a Radio 2 topic, or one of the hourly “join the conversation” starters on CKNO (Now 102) Edmonton, Alberta, whose Radio 2-like format has been copied throughout Canada in recent years.

    Good news from WIXX listeners included rescuing a baby woodpecker, and news that a listener’s sister was having a baby — the first of six siblings to do so. There was a listener who had just booked a wedding venue; that
    allowed Stevens to mention that she was listening on the station app from
    Fort Wayne, Ind. An ER nurse was getting her first four-day weekend since COVID. A female caller had taken her first Harley ride at age 41 with a new boyfriend; she illustrated her retelling by making motorcycle noises. 

    Stevens’ own good news was that both his daughters had cleaned their rooms, including the one who might normally stash a ham sandwich in the closet. Stevens also read a promo about wanting to come to your kids’ youth league games and bring snacks from a sponsor. WIXX p.m. driver Fife’s “handshake break” was about the movie F9. When he saw the first Fast and the Furious film 20 years ago, it sent him drag-racing out of the theater parking lot.
    Now, his wife said he was putting the turn signal on too early. 

    Unlike WIXX, I had specifically tuned in veteran WMMR Philadelphia to use longtime night host Jacky Bam Bam as a ringer. His is a stylized act of the sort not often enough heard now and hard to replicate in print,
    particularly the twists and turns that one break might go through. JBB’s handshake break began with a produced introduction (“it’s time to pry open the lid on the coffin”), and tied in the current heatwave (“if you need to know, I’m shirtless tonight”), followed by a daily devotional (“the past is
    behind us, learn from it; the future is ahead, prepare for it; the present
    is here, let’s live in it!”). That call to carpe diem despite the heatwave was all an elaborate setup for “let’s plug in the AC … DC!”

    JBB was playing AC/DC’s “Sink the Pink” so he could talk about what an overlooked album Fly on the Wall was on its 36th anniversary. (“The critics called that album a disaster … It was a great album if you know it.”) He also played Slaughter’s “Up All Night” for that album’s anniversary. There
    was also the same renewed promotional energy I’ve been enjoying hearing in
    my recent listening. JBB had just done a Verizon remote that reunited him
    with his “fulltime vampire family.” Later that night, he was going to open the “prize coffin” for tickets to a Rolling Stones tribute band.

    To some extent, hearing KCMP’s Jade advocate for favorite new songs or JBB praise overlooked albums is the classic rock-radio experience. Two decades
    ago, satellite radio set out to make broadcast radio seem dated. Now, what
    I like about a channel like SiriusXM’s The Spectrum is that you hear jocks talk about music like the ones you grew up on. I’m always happy when I encounter that on broadcast radio as well. (WIXX wasn’t talking about
    music, but in tenor and intent, it was a classic CHR experience.)

    I understand how Cridland could want “the music that BBC Radio 6Music
    plays, but without the earnest chat, news bulletins promos for other
    things, and other clutter.” There is a lot of content on the station by rock-radio standards. I’m not a regular listener to 6Music; I needed the guided tour. Cridland is as big a fan of that format as anybody. If he just wants the music, I understand, and at least he wants Radio 6’s music. (The Spotify playlists also concentrate on a station’s regular format, meaning
    the primary music mix is available even when stations like Radio 2 are in specialty programming.) 

    If you’re cynical about radio, I don’t know if I’ve shared anything to make
    you say, “I need to check this out again.” It’s hard to share a jock break
    out of context, and what I’m specifically looking for is to hear them in a classic radio context. What I can say is that nothing I heard in this particular listening sounded tossed off. 



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    Audacy Announces Plans To Expand Digital News Coverage

    Posted: 07 Jul 2021 07:09 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/210471/audacy-announces-plans-to-expand-digital-news-coverage/



    Audacy has announced it will launch a new centralized digital team
    dedicated to news.

    The company will add over 50 journalists in eight unspecified newsrooms to produce an array of fresh audio and local reporting that will be
    distributed across the Audacy network. The digital news team will also
    launch longform podcasts from the local news brands, an national weekly
    podcast highlighting the most pressing story of the week utilizing content
    from their stations, and custom newsletters and in-app content.

    Audacy announced a multiplatform transformation for its news brands that
    will allow the company to offer more original digital news content as well
    as in-depth reporting to complement breaking news broadcast coverage.

    As part of the transformation, Audacy will launch a new centralized digital team dedicated to news and add over 50 journalists in eight of its
    newsrooms across the country. This coordinated, multi-platform focus will
    allow the company to produce an array of fresh audio and local reporting
    that will be distributed across the Audacy network. The new resources will enable the creation of original podcasts and other specialty digital
    content that will add to the body of trusted local reporting that Audacy
    news and news/talk brands deliver to millions of listeners daily.

    “The past year has underscored the crucial role of journalism and the
    demand for trusted quality content has never been higher,” said Jeff Sottolano, Executive Vice President of Programming, Audacy. “Audacy’s local news brands have been delivering on-demand news and information for decades
    and are now poised to build on that foundation. While other news
    organizations are downsizing, this further investment will allow us to
    leverage the credibility of our news brands to expand our reach and
    engagement while continuing to deliver the premier coverage our audience is accustomed to and relies on.”

    The multiplatform transformation will also see the launch of original
    longform podcasts from local news brands; an original national weekly
    podcast that highlights the most pressing story of the week and draws on reporting and interview content from across the Audacy network of news
    brands; daily in-depth podcasts and on-demand audio that explore local
    stories and issues that most affect listeners’ lives; as well as custom newsletters and in-app experiences that offer audiences a chance to explore areas of interest and interact directly with Audacy brands. Additional
    details will follow in the coming months.

    Audacy is the No.1 local news platform in the country, operating more than
    two dozen news stations across the U.S. Its award-winning news portfolio reaches over 16-million listeners monthly via broadcast, digital and
    connected devices and delivers the highest weekly reach of all-news
    listeners in 26 markets nationwide. Audacy’s news brands are honored year after year with major awards from the RTNDA and the NAB.



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    Constantine Maroulis Joins WABC As Entertainment Reporter & Weekend Host

    Posted: 07 Jul 2021 05:05 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/210467/constantine-maroulis-joins-wabc-as-entertainment-reporter-weekend-host/



    John Catsimatidis, Chairman/CEO of Red Apple Group and subsidiary Red Apple Media has announced that 77 WABC Radio will launch a new variety
    entertainment program with two-time Tony nominated artist Constantine
    Maroulis. The Constantine Maroulis Show Cuz Saturday Night Rocks! will air Saturdays from 5 to 6 p.m., beginning this Saturday, July 10, 2021.
    Maroulis will also join the station as 77 WABC Radio’s Entertainment Reporter.

    Maroulis, a native New Yorker, has a longstanding reputation in music,
    first coming into the public eye as an American Idol finalist. He has been nominated for a Tony award for his work on Broadway. The new program will combine Maroulis’s expertise and passion to create Cuz Saturday Night
    Rocks!, an entertaining weekend program featuring hits from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s and interviews with some of the most noteworthy musicians,
    artists, and influencers.

    “I will be bringing the high energy and music that fans enjoyed from my American Idol performances and starring roles on Broadway,” said Maroulis. “What will be new for fans are my interviews. I look forward to having artists on my show and sharing behind the scenes stories with the audience while I spin amazing songs.”

    On Mondays and Fridays, Marouliss Entertainment Reports will be heard on
    Bernie Sid In The Morning, 77 WABC’s highly rated morning show, and on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, he will deliver a weekend-focused segment,
    Pop Rocks 60.

    “Constantine is an immense talent both as a performer and storyteller,” noted Catsimatidis, CEO of Red Apple Media, Inc. and 77 WABC. “77 WABC has worked with him on several specials and charity events, so we are sure The Constantine Maroulis Show Cuz Saturday Night Rocks! will be a homerun with audiences in New York and around the world. We look forward to sharing this
    new show and his other contributions to our schedule all week long.”

    Maroulis added, “John has made wonderful changes to 77 WABC, both in programming and technological abilities since he bought the station. The
    new Studio 77 multimedia broadcast space he built is out of this world. I can’t wait to grip the mic, roll cameras, and get going!”

    77 WABC, one of the most revered radio broadcast stations in the country,
    has become a leader in digital production, distribution, and syndication
    via investments in programming and technology since being acquired by Catsimatidis’s Red Apple Group.



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    David Bartley Joins WGNI/WKXS As Program Director

    Posted: 07 Jul 2021 05:03 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/210465/david-bartley-joins-wgni-wkxs-as-program-director/



    Cumulus Media has announced the appointment of David Bartley as Program Director of AC 102.7 WGNI and Classic Rock 94.5 The Hawk WKXS Wilmington NC.

    Bartley transfers to WGNI from Cumulus CHR Q105 WQGN-FM Groton/New London
    CT where he has served as PD since November 2015. He has also served as APD
    of News/Talk 600 WICC Bridgeport. He has also worked on air at WDAQ
    Danbury, WEBE Bridgeport, and was morning show producer/midday host at KC
    101 WKCI New Haven.

    CUMULUS MEDIA announces that it has appointed David Bartley as Program Director of Wilmington, NC, Adult Contemporary radio station 102.7
    GNI/WGNI-FM and Classic Rock station 94.5 THE HAWK/WKXS-FM. Bartley most recently served as Program Director for CUMULUS MEDIA’s CHR Q105/WQGN-FM in New London, CT. Bartley was previously Assistant Program Director of WICC
    600 AM and was on-air, weekends on WEBE108 in Bridgeport, CT. Prior to
    that, he was the local content/morning show producer and handled early
    middays at WKCI-FM in New Haven, CT from 2011-2013.

    
Eric McCart, Vice President/Market Manager, CUMULUS MEDIA-Wilmington, NC, said: “It was immediately clear that David is the right fit and we’re very excited to have him on board in Wilmington to lead our heritage brands. His depth of programming experience will complement our team of incredible
    media professionals.”

    

Bartley said: “I’m excited to be a part of the Cumulus Wilmington family
    and they have welcomed me with open arms! I am very excited for the next chapter in my radio career with two heritage stations in the Wilmington
    market, and look forward to new beginnings in the Port City. Big thanks to
    Eric McCart, Barry Fox, and John Dimick for giving me this opportunity.”




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    Annaliese Lemieux-Kaplan Joins 97.3 The Eagle For Mornings

    Posted: 06 Jul 2021 01:55 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/210447/annaliese-lemieux-kaplan-joins-97-3-the-eagle-for-mornings/



    Max Media Country 97.3 The Eagle WGH-FM Newport News/Norfolk VA has
    announced the addition of Annaliese Lemieux-Kaplan as morning co-host
    starting July 19.

    Lemieux-Kaplan joins WGH-FM from Saga Communications Charlottesville where
    she served as MD/morning co-host at AC Z95.1 WQMZ and midday host at
    Country C-Ville Country 92.7 WCVL since January 2019. She has previously
    worked at Rhythmic CHR Hot 96.7 WXZO and Hot AC Star 92.9 WEZF Burlington
    VT.

    At WGH-FM, Lemieux-Kaplan will join Cash Warren in mornings filling the
    opening created by the exit of Carly Quinn last month.

    Max Media of Hampton Roads’ 97.3 The Eagle (WGH-FM) adds a Co- Host to The Eagle Morning Show beginning Monday, July 19, 2021. Annaliese
    Lemieux-Kaplan joins Cash Warren for Hampton Roads’ only live, local
    country morning show, weekdays from 5am – 10am. She was most recently
    Morning Co-Host / Music Director at WQMZ-FM in Charlottesville, VA.

    “I knew immediately that Annaliese was perfect for the show the first time
    we spoke,” commented Max Media Vice President of Operations and Programming Eddie Haskell. “She is a natural on the air, is amazingly social media
    savvy, and understands and reflects the values of the female country audience.”

    “It is such an honor to be moving up to a Top 50 Market and entering the amazing world of country radio,” remarked Lemieux-Kaplan. “I want to thank my incredible radio mentors for their support during my job search. Eddie,
    Cash and the Max Media team I’m ready to win. Virginia is for RADIO LOVERS!”

    97.3 The Eagle is Hampton Roads’ Number One for New Country since 1990,
    with live and local personalities all day.

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