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RadioInsight

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Chicago Tribune: Former WTMX staffer sues Eric in the Morning host Eric Ferguson, alleging radio star coerced sexual favors

Posted: 27 Sep 2021 11:55 AM PDT https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-eric-ferguson-lawsuit-wtmx--20210927-nclsmlrjvnefln7zcstffijtcm-story.html



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Java Joel Murphy Joins Mix 94.1 Canton As Content Director

Posted: 27 Sep 2021 09:58 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/213380/java-joel-murphy-joins-mix-94-1-canton-as-content-director/


Alpha Media Hot AC Mix 94.1 WHBC-FM Canton OH has appointed Java Joel
Murphy as Content Director/afternoon host.

Murphy most recently spent fourteen years at iHeartMedia CHR 96.5 Kiss-FM
WAKS Akron/Cleveland in multiple roles including APD/MD and Program
Director from 2017 until his exit last year. During his tenure in
Cleveland, Murphy also served as Music Director of Variety Hits 106.5 The
Lake WHLK from 2011 to 2015.

Prior to Cleveland, Murphy hosted nights at 103.5 Kiss-FM WKSC Chicago and worked on-air at stations including WPXY Rochester, WWHT Syracuse, and WXXX Burlington.

Murphy succeeds Gabe Carillo, who departed for an as-yet announced position elsewhere earlier this month.

Alpha Media-Canton is proud to announce that Joel Murphy will be stepping
into the role of Content Director and Afternoons at Mix 94.1/WHBC. He
replaces Gabe Carillo, who exited WHBC-FM earlier this month.

“We are excited to have Joel to take Mix 94.1 to new levels. I am excited about his creativity, passion and tenacity.” comments Operations Manager,
Bo Matthews.

Murphy remarks, “Glad to be a part of a company that cares about local
radio. Big thanks to Market Manager, Larry Gawthrop, Phil Becker and the
man who brought me to Northeast Ohio fifteen years ago, Bo Matthews.
Honored to be able to help lead this legendary brand!”

Murphy joins the Alpha family after 15 years with iHeartRadio/Cleveland, serving as Program Director/Afternoons for the last 4 years. Previous stops along the way also included Chicago IL, Rochester NY, Syracuse NY, and
Montreal PQ.


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Reno's Rodeo Relaunches As Willie 96.9/97.7

Posted: 27 Sep 2021 09:41 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/213375/renos-rodeo-relaunches-as-willie-96-9-97-7/


Reno Media Group is relaunching Classic Country The Rodeo 96.9 K245BV
Reno/97.7 K249ES Carson City/KLCA-HD3 Tahoe City as Willie at 3pm today.

The station will continue to focus on Country hits of the 1980s and 90s,
but will add some further gold from artists such as Johnny Cash, George
Jones, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, and Glen Campbell.

Willie – a new kind of country radio station rides into Reno at 3 p.m. today (Monday, Sept. 27) with songs not heard on other radio stations.

“We play songs mostly from the 80s and 90s by great stars like Alan
Jackson, Brooks and Dunn, Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Shania Twain, George Strait and Randy Travis,” said Dan Fritz, program director of Willie, which broadcasts at 96.9 in Reno and 97.7 in Carson City. “And we also pay respect to beloved country icons like Johnny Cash, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty,
Glen Campbell, and so many more.”

Fritz said Willie is a “different kind of country radio station” because it plays songs “you just don’t hear on the other country stations” in Northern
Nevada.

“We don’t play bubblegum pop country that you hear over and over and over again almost everywhere else,” he added. “We play only the really good stuff.”

“If you want to hear ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie’, ‘Friends in Low Places’, ‘Gone
Country’, ‘Fancy’, ‘Always on My Mind,’ and ‘I Like It, I Love it’, there’s
only one place – here at Willie. We honor the great real country music, the music that made most of us fall in love with country music.”

Fritz said Willie will play only limited commercials.

“We obviously need to keep the lights on, but our purpose is to honor the great legends of country music,” he explained. “And we honor these fabulous artists by playing lots and lots of great music without lots of interruptions.”


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WROZ Enters Farewell To Fun Week Ahead Of Sale Closing

Posted: 27 Sep 2021 08:06 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/213369/wroz-enters-farewell-to-fun-week-ahead-of-sale-closing/


Hall Communications AC Fun 101.3 WROZ Lancaster PA will sign-off on
Thursday, September 30 at 5pm as Educational Media Foundation closes on its $1.725 million purchase of the station.

Ahead of the sign-off, WROZ is holding Farewell To Fun Week with the
station bringing back former staffers and spotlighting events from the
stations history. The station

At closing, morning hosts Dennis Mitchell and Michelle Cruz, Program
Director Ronnie Ramone, evening host Vince Knight Augello will exit.
Mitchell and Cruz had co-hosted mornings since 2007 after previously being teamed together at Cat Country 106.7 WCAT Harrisburg. Mitchell also
programmed CHR FM 97 WLAN-FM Lancaster. Cruz has worked on-air at stations including WQXA York and WIOQ and WXXM Philadelphia. Ramone has been with
WROZ since 2006 after stints at WWKL/WNNK Harrisburg and WLAN-FM Lancaster.
He has programmed WROZ since January 2020. Augello joined WROZ as a
promotions assistant in 2014 before joining the airstaff in 2018.

The 101.3 allocation has evolved to multiple brands over the years from Beautiful Music Nice 101 WNCE until 1992, then AC 101 The Rose WROZ, and
Fun 101.3 since May 2015. Hall had owned the station since 1977. The
company is also in the process of selling “ESPN 92.7” WONN-FM Starview and 1490 WLPA/92.5 W223CH Lancaster to Forever Media for $400,000.

Sean Ross wrote a Final Listen of WROZ last month.




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WCTC Becomes Fox Sports New Jersey

Posted: 27 Sep 2021 07:04 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/213366/wctc-becomes-fox-sports-new-jersey/


Beasley Media has flipped 1450 WCTC/93.5 W228DY New Brunswick NJ from
News/Talk to Sports Fox Sports New Jersey.

WCTC will air the national Fox Sports Radio programming lineup while
continuing to carry Rutgers University football and basketball and Somerset Patriots baseball. The flip comes weeks after WCTC launched its new FM translator in August. Beasley states that all fulltime WCTC employees will remain with the station.

Beasley Media Group announces 1450 WCTC-AM WCTC-X1 W228DY 93.5 has
officially launched FOX Sports New Jersey. The new format went into effect
at midnight on Sunday, September 26, 2021.

The station will air the entire FOX Sports Radio lineup, apart from a few
hours on the weekend, in which it will feature local programming. During
the respective seasons, FOX Sports New Jersey will continue to air Rutgers football and basketball games plus The Somerset Patriots baseball games.

The new on-air line-up will feature:

Monday through Friday:

6am-9am ET 2 Pros and a Cup of Joe with LaVar Arrington, Brady Quinn and
Jonas Knox.

9am-12pm ET The Dan Patrick Show

12pm-3pm ET The Herd with Colin Cowherd

3pm-6pm ET The Doug Gottlieb Show

6pm-7pm ET Straight Outta Vegas with R.J. Bell

7pm-10pm ET The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard Rob Parker

10pm-2am ET The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon

2am-6am ET The Ben Maller Show

Weekends

Saturday:

2am-6am ET The Jonas Knox Show

12pm-2pm ET Up On Game with LaVar Arrington, TJ Houshmandzadeh and Plaxico Burress

2pm-4pm ET The Joy Taylor Show

4pm-7pm ET Steve Hartman 8-year NFL veteran Geoff Schwartz

7pm-10pm ET Brian Noe 13-Year NFL Veteran and NFC Champion Ephraim Salaam

10pm-2am ET Aaron Torres Jason Martin

2am-3am ET Straight Outta Vegas Weekend Ed. with Bernie Fratto

Sunday:

3am-6am ET Bernie Fratto

12pm-1pm ET FOX NFL Sunday Simulcast

1pm-5pm ET Steve Hartman 6-Year NFL Veteran Rich Ohrnberger

5pm-8pm ET Dan Beyer 6-Year NFL Tight End George Wrighster

8pm-11pm ET Covino Rich

11pm-2am ET Arnie Spanier Chris Plank

“1450 WCTC is a heritage radio station serving Central New Jersey for 75 years,” said Beasley Media Group Senior Vice President and Regional Market Manager Dan Finn. “In 1947, WCTC began airing Rutgers Football and this has continued to this day. In addition, 21 years ago, we started airing the Somerset Patriots baseball franchise which is now a AA New York Yankees affiliate. It really made sense to dedicate the rest of our programming to sports and FOX Sports Radio is the best sports programming out there. In addition, 1450 WCTC just began simulcasting on 93.5 FM expanding our
coverage area. It’s a very exciting time for WCTC, especially during our
75th anniversary.”

“For decades, some of the most popular content on WCTC has been local
sports programming and we’re now excited to offer our audience the best possible 24/7 sports content,” said Beasley Media Group Chief Content
Officer Justin Chase. “FOX Sports has an amazing line-up of hosts like Dan Patrick, Colin Cowherd, Doug Gottlieb and more and we know the sports fans
in New Jersey will enjoy them as much as we do.”

“The opportunity to partner with a historic station in a region full of passionate sports fans excites us greatly,” said Don Martin, Senior Vice President of Sports Programming for Premiere Networks and Scott Shapiro,
FOX Sports Radio Vice President of Sports Programming in a joint statement. “It’s an honor to join WCTC during its celebratory 75th anniversary!”

All current fulltime WCTC employees will remain with the station.


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The X 100.1 Reno Heading To Retirement

Posted: 27 Sep 2021 05:59 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/213363/the-x-100-1-reno-heading-to-retirement/


Lotus Communications AAA The X 100.1 KTHX-FM Dayton/Reno NV is teasing it
will head into retirement this evening after 31 years in the market.

The AAA brand and KTHX calls debuted on 101.7 in 1990 before moving to 94.7
in 1994 and finally 100.1 in 1997. The Reno News Review reports that the
brand will be retired at 5:15pm this evening prior to a new format
launching on Thursday, September 30 at 10:00am.

Lotus Reno General Mike Murray told the News Review, “I’ve been through a format change in the past and it feels like you are losing a member of you family I think that there’s going to be quite a few people that will have similar feelings, and of course we understand. It’s a difficult transition here, too.”

In explaining the rationale for the change, Murray explained, When people
are looking for deeper cuts or longer versions of songs, they are typically finding them. They are digging out their own music library or they are
going to stream some of that stuff, He continued, We’re looking to attract
a new audience that can appreciate a wide variety of music, maybe a little newer.”




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A-Train Bids Farewell To 102.1/105.3 The Shark

Posted: 27 Sep 2021 04:45 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/213343/a-train-bids-farewell-to-102-1-105-3-the-shark/


Aaron A-Train Lapierre has announced his departure from Townsquare Media Classic Hits 102.1/105.3 The Shark WSAK Hampton NH/WSHK Kittery ME after nineteen years with the station.

Lapierre joined WSAK/WSHK in 2002 as a promotions assistant before moving
up to afternoon host the following year. He has hosted mornings since 2014
and paired with Townsquare Portsmouth NH Director of Content Sarah Sullivan since 2018.

In a blog post announcing his departure, Lapierre stated he is leaving the station to join the United States Postal Service fulfilling a lifelong
dream of being a mailman.


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Jason Spicoli Joins Nikki Oswald In Mornings At Sweet 98

Posted: 27 Sep 2021 04:00 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/213341/jason-spicoli-joins-nikki-oswald-in-mornings-at-sweet-98/


NRG Media Hot AC Sweet 98 KQKQ-FM Council Bluffs IA/Omaha NE debuted a new morning show today.

Jason Spicoli, who had hosted mornings at Iowa Western Community Colleges
Rock 89.7 The River KIWR Council Bluffs/Omaha since July 2004, has joined
KQKQ to accompany Nikki Oswald in mornings. Spicoli fills the opening
created by Laura Blenkushs departure in July for personal reasons.

Oswald joined KQKQ-FM in October 2018 from the Music Director/afternoon
host position at NRG Media Country “Froggy 98.1” KFGE Lincoln NE.

Hot AC KQKQ (Sweet 98.5) announced the launch of “Nikki Spicoli Mornings” to debut on Monday, September 27th at 6 a.m.

The new show pairs current KQKQ morning host, Nikki Oswald, with Jason
Spicoli who joins from crosstown non-comm, 89.7 The River, where he was the host of “Spicoli’s Morning Fiasco” for the past 18 years. Oswald has been
hosting Sweet 98.5 mornings since late 2018 and was previously with NRG
Media in Lincoln, NE.

NRG Media OM and KQKQ PD, David Adams, commented, “Jason’s passion and creativity, partnered with Nikki’s enthusiasm and authenticity as well as their undeniable chemistry should make for a very engaging show! Nikki
Spicoli Mornings is sure to connect with the Sweet 98.5 audience in an impactful and meaningful way.”

Oswald added Ive known Jason for a hundred years (15, actually) and I am
PUMPED to have an old radio friend join me in the mornings on Sweet 98.5.
As two Nebraska kids who grew up listening to Sweet 98.5 this is the
dream. Super excited to bring high energy back to morning radio in Omaha.

Spicoli remarked “Ecstatic is an understatement! I grew up listening to
Sweet 98.5 and this is THE STATION that got me hooked on radio. Im grateful
to be here, teamed up with the highly talented Nikki Oswald to shake up
your mornings! Thank you to GM Mark Shecterle and David for giving me this golden opportunity!”

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