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RadioInsight

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WFMU Acquires New York Translator

Posted: 23 Jul 2021 12:19 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/211044/wfmu-acquires-new-york-translator/



Auricle Communications Freeform 91.1 WFMU East Orange NJ is acquiring its
New York City translator.

Auricle will purchase 91.9 W220EJ Weehawken NJ from Living Way Ministries
for $374,000. The translator, which operates with 10w/244m from 4 Times
Square in Manhattan, has rebroadcasted WFMU since signing on in July 2017.
It helps extend WFMUs New Jersey based signal into Manhattan and parts of
the adjoining boroughs.

WFMU is also heard on 90.1 WMFU Mount Hope/Middletown and 91.9 W220EG New
City NY.



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Fresh Listen: Bob & Sheri on K104.7

Posted: 23 Jul 2021 12:00 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/ross/210997/fresh-listen-bob-sheri-on-k104-7/



It was an unusual sequence of events. 

In mid-April, syndicated morning show hosts Bob Lacey & Sheri Lynch
announced that they were leaving WLNK (107.9 the Link) Charlotte, N.C., the station that had been the Bob & Sheri show’s home base for 29 years,
through three different brands of AC and Hot AC. 

In late April, Radioinsight reported that the Link rebranded as Hot AC Mix 107.9 under PD Terry Foxx. The new station moved afternoon hosts Matt
Harris and Ramona Halloway to mornings. In the mid-’00s, WLNK’s success with personality in both drive times became a model for many stations in
the AC format, but waned (at least for a while) with the advent of PPM measurement in the 2010s. 

On May 9, Bob & Sheri announced they would be moving to gold-based AC WKQC (K104.7) on July 17. That move sent morning team Phil Harris & Melany Myers
to afternoons, and to an 8:30-10 a.m. workday kickoff slot. Now K104.7 was
the station with morning teams in both dayparts (and one particular morning team in both dayparts).

On July 20, the June PPM numbers for Charlotte came out, and both stations
were up. K104.7 rebounded 4.9 – 5.5 – 6.0, returning to No. 2 in the market. The new Mix was up 3.1 – 3.1 – 5.0, its best showing in nearly three years, according to Radioinsight’s Chris Huff. That prompted a fresh listen to Bob & Sheri and to both K104.7 and Mix 107.9 in afternoons.

When I listened on Monday, July 18, K104.7 had structured the hour into
three main morning-show content blocs — two national, one local — allowing it to still play 9-10 songs. The team were also heard on sweepers and
teasers during the music blocs, basically serving as their own imaging
voices, and on endorsement spots. 

The first bit was the daily “Can You Believe This” feature, today celebrating summer’s halfway point with an “Ultimate Summer Bucket List” of
activities. Lynch read off the activities — picnics, catching fireflies, a small-town parade, going to a daytime movie, while Lacey and morning-show director (rather than producer) Max Sweeten said which ones they’d be interested in. 

One of the show’s running jokes is Lynch teasing Lacey about being cranky. When they got to “making s’mores,” Lynch already knew Lacey would hate doing that. Lacey insisted that he had more nuance than merely loving or
hating something. “You disrespect s’mores and you look down on people who like them,” she shot back.

The second bit was an upscale dating coach’s “seven signs of a low-quality man”: He insists on going 50/50 on dates; he makes you feel self-conscious about commitment; he lacks manners. On issues of manners (another
long-running topic), the team members agreed. The top two warning signs
were teased to the next break.

The local break was Lynch talking about flying back from a trip to visit
her mom in Utah. In the airport for the trip home, she was next to a large group of vacationers flying to Carowinds, and how surprisingly proud she
was to hear them talking about visiting Charlotte as if it was Las Vegas or Orlando. “This is home,” said Lacey. 

Phil & Mel had their own topical bit about manners that afternoon — a
couple who were offering tiers of food and drink at their wedding based on
the cost of the gift, as well as the resurgence of the wedding industry and
the inevitable rise in postings of bridezillas behaving badly on social
media. Bob & Sheri had a presence in afternoons, too — both a morning recap promo and a rollover sweeper teasing the next morning.

In the mornings, after Bob & Sheri’s handoff, Harris was by himself on the air and over the intros — not a second morning show. He was teasing that Myers would be back on the air that afternoon. In that particular stretch,
she didn’t say why she was out, but she had just returned from surgery, following an early diagnosis of breast cancer. She writes about it here.

I recently included K104.7 in a profile of gold-based ACs that had
essentially filled the Classic Hits franchise in their markets. (One of the points that Bob & Sheri themselves made in the K104.7 announcement is that
the new station would be a better fit.) In the hour of afternoons I heard,
the music seemed particularly pumped up, almost like a Friday afternoon kickoff. Here’s the station at 4 p.m. on July 19:

Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean”
Maroon 5, “One More Night”
Buggles, “Video Killed the Radio Star”
Scandal, “The Warrior”
Gorillaz, “Feel Good, Inc.”
Aerosmith, “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)”
Whispers, “Rock Steady”
38 Special, “Hold On Loosely”
Gotye, “Somebody That I Used to Know”
Bangles, “Manic Monday”
Genesis, “That’s All”
C & C Music Factory, “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)”
David Bowie, “Modern Love”
Prince, “I Would Die 4 U”
Spin Doctors, “Two Princes”


The new Mix 107.9 bills itself as “’90s, 2000s, and today.” On the occasions I’ve heard it, there’s been a lot of tempo-based gold as well, particularly of the late ‘90s/early ‘00s sort that is now starting to resurface at Hot AC. In the 4 p.m. hour, Madison James, most recently with
WSTR (Star 94) Atlanta, was teasing the station’s 5 p.m. “Happy Hour Mix” and encouraging listeners to persevere through that one last endless Zoom meeting. (“You could be back in the office and having to look at them face
to face.”) She was also talking about recent interviews with Elle King and Duncan Laurence.

Here’s Mix just before 4 p.m. The 5 p.m. mix that followed was led off with Ed Sheeran’s “South of the Border” into Billie Eilish’s “Therefore I Am.”

Aerosmith, “Crazy”
Olivia Rodrigo, “Déjà Vu”
Coolio, “Gangsta’s Paradise”
24kGoldn f/Iann Dior, “Mood”
Alessia Cara, “Scars to Your Beautiful”
Lewis Capaldi, “Before You Go”
Fray, “Over My Head (Cable Car)”
Pink, “All I Know So Far”
Michael Jackson, “Black or White”
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Andy Grammer, “Keep Your Head Up”
Evanescence, “Bring Me to Life”
Duncan Laurence, “Arcade”




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Forever Media Acquires Rest Of Hall's Central Pennsylvania Stations

Posted: 23 Jul 2021 11:38 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/211041/forever-media-acquires-rest-of-halls-central-pennsylvania-stations/



Following the $1.7 million sale of AC Fun 101.3 WROZ Lancaster PA to Educational Media Foundation, Hall Communications has sold the rest of its Central Pennsylvania cluster to Forever Media.

Forever will purchase the Sports simulcast ESPN 92.7 WONN-FM Starview and
1490 WLPA/92.5 W223CH Lancaster for $400,000. The stations will join
Forevers existing operations in York that include Classic Rock Rocky 98.5
WYCR York-Hanover, Country Froggy 107.7 WGTY Gettysburg, and Classic Hits
Happy 93.7/95.3 1320 WGET/93.7 W229DK Gettysburg and 1280 WHVR/95.3 W237EN Hanover.



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93.3 The Dawg Brings Classic Hip Hop To Cookeville

Posted: 23 Jul 2021 08:59 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/211038/93-3-the-dawg-brings-classic-hip-hop-to-cookeville/



Stonecom has launched Classic Hip Hop 93.3 The Dawg W227EC
Cookeville/WKXD-HD2 Monterey TN.

The station is focusing on music from the late 80s through early 2000s. Operations Manager Marcia Lee told Upper Cumberland Business Journal, “We
are excited to bring a new musical genre to the Upper Cumberland. We’ve worked really hard to develop this one-of-a-kind station for those who grew
up with this music.”

The translator, previously located on 100.9, had been rebroadcasting
NewsTalk 94.1 1600 WUCT Algood/94.1 W231DG Cookeville.



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iHeartMedia COO Darren Davis To Depart At End Of 2021

Posted: 23 Jul 2021 08:17 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/211036/iheartmedia-coo-darren-davis-to-depart-at-end-of-2021/



iHeartMedia has announced that Darren Davis will step down as Chief
Operating Officer of the companys Digital Audio Group at the end of the
year.

Davis began his programming career at WASH-FM in 1997 after rising through
the ranks from intern to programming assistant. After spending three years
as OM of CBS Radio Houston, he returned to Clear Channel in 2002 as
Regional Vice President of Programming for Clear Channel Detroit and then Chicago and worked his way up through the ranks as Senior Vice President of Programming and to his previous role as Senior Vice President and EVP of National Programming Platforms before being named President of the companys Networks Group in 2014. He moved into his current role of COO of the
Digital Audio Group overseeing the company’s podcasting businesses, the iHeartRadio app, station websites, newsletters, digital services and advertising companies such as Jelli, RadioJar, Unified, Voxnest and Triton Digital in February of this year.

In an internal memo, CEO Bob Pittman and President/COO Rich Bressler note
that Davis will remain with the company as an advisor following his exit.
They state that Davis will focus on other projects including real estate development, local community projects and traveling with his family.

Team,

We want to share some news with you about Darren Davis, Chief Operating
Officer of our Digital Audio Group. Darren, who is a longtime and valued member of iHeart senior management, has decided to step down from his role after nearly three decades with our company, effective January 1, 2022.

Anyone who knows Darren knows he has a deep love for iHeart and a true
passion for our business and our success, and he’ll be continuing with the company as an advisor when he steps down as Chief Operating Officer next January.

Darren first joined our WASH-FM in Washington, DC as a programming team
intern in 1992, and in essence has grown up through our organization – continually taking on new roles and more responsibility and becoming a critically important contributor as part of our senior team. Now, after
almost 30 years with iHeart, Darren is looking forward to spending more
time on a variety of other projects he’s passionate about, including real estate development, local community projects and traveling with his
family. Although his day-to-day operating expertise will be missed, we appreciate all he’s done for our company and are very pleased that he will continue his association with us, albeit on a more limited basis.

Darren will remain active in his role through the end of the year, and he
will be working closely with Conal Byrne, CEO of our Digital Audio Group, through the balance of 2021 to continue our momentum and to effectively organize the Digital Audio Group for the future.

We know you will join us in thanking Darren for his many contributions to building iHeart, and in wishing him the best of luck on this new path!

Bob and Rich




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Station Sales Week Of 7/23

Posted: 23 Jul 2021 04:30 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/211018/station-sales-week-of-7-23/



Alarado Media sells 700 WARB/105.9 W290DG Dothan AL to Brian Baker and
Anthony Donelsons Good Guys Broadcasting for $32,500. The buyers have been operating the stations via LMA since January 2020 as Hip Hop Vibe 105.

Amigo Multimedia sells Spanish Christian Onda 1190 KNUV Tolleson/Phoenix AZ
to La Promize Company LLC for $500,000. An LMA took effect on June 10. Not included in the sale is KNUVs translator 107.5 K298CK Phoenix. The
translator must rebroadcast KNUV until January 2022.

WP Broadcasting sells Coyote Country 92.7 KRSY-FM La Luz, ESPN 103.7 KNMZ Alamogordo, and Talk Alamo 1230 KRSY/101.9 K270CS Alamogordo NM to Katlyn
and David Grices Exciter Media for $29,000. The Grices Assurance Rental Properties will acquire the stations property for $60,000.

My Town Media swaps My Country 101.7 KHST Lamar MO to Michael Landes for
Fox Sports Joplin 1340 KSEK/107.9 K300DE Pittsburg KS. KSEK currently simulcasts 1560 WMBH/101.5 K268CP Joplin MO.

Gabriel Broadcasting purchases AC The Arrow 1070 KSKK Verndale MN and the
CP for 101.3 K267CU Verndale from De La Hunt Broadcasting for $200,000. The seller will retain KSKKs current translator 94.7 K234CQ Staples. The buyer
owns multiple Christian stations in St. Cloud MN.

Randy Sheffield is acquiring Robert Wayne Bishop Sr.s 50% stake in Beach
Radio Inc. Classic Hits Beach 95.1 WBPC Ebro/Panama City FL for $1 giving Sheffield 100% equity in the station.

Diana Nutter’s Natchez Broadcasting sells Gospel/Blues Live 97.7 WTYJ
Fayette and 1240 WMIS Natchez MS to Malcom and Tamika Inniss New Vision Broadcasting for $175,000.

Christmas Brick Foundation donates 88.3 KMUR Bullhead City AZ to Advance Ministries.
Translator Sales

Screen Door Broadcasting sells 94.9 K235BK Tulsa OK to Broken Arrow
Catholic Radio for $350,000. The translator already rebroadcasts the buyers Catholic St. Michael Catholic Radio 102.9 KPIM-LP Broken Arrow.

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