XPost: alt.radio.broadcasting

RadioInsight

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Bustos Media Expands In Tucson

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 02:00 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221469/bustos-media-expands-in-tucson/


Bustos Media is expanding its holdings in Tucson.

Bustos has agreed to acquire Regional Mexican La Poderosa 105.3 KZLZ Casas Adobes from Todd Robinsons KZLZ LLC for $1.4 million. Bustos will begin to operate the station via Time Brokerage Agreement on April 1. KZLZ is a
Class C3 operating with 580w/581m.

KZLZ will become Bustos Medias fourth brand in Tucson joining Spanish
Rhythmic Urbana 92.5 K223CI Tucson/KZLZ-HD2, Rhythmic AC 106.3 The Groove
KTGV Oracle, and Conservative Talk 1030 The Voice KVOI Cortaro.

KZLZ LLC retains 104.9 KWCX Tanque Verde and 103.3 K277CV Tucson in the
market.

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Christopher 'Boomer' Layfield Rises To Cumulus Indianapolis Operations
Manager

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 01:22 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221470/christopher-boomer-layfield-rises-to-cumulus-indianapolis-operations-manager/


Cumulus Media has promoted Christopher Boomer Layfield to Operations
Manager for its entire Indianapolis cluster.

Layfield will also add Program Director duties for AC Mix 107.9 WNTR in addition to Country 95.5 WFMS, which he has programmed sine joining the
company in April 2018. Prior to joining Cumulus, Layfield programmed iHeartMedia CHR Channel 96.1 WHQC and Variety Hits 102.9 The Lake WLKO Charlotte NC and has also programmed for iHeart in St. Louis, Richmond, San Diego, and Nashville during his career.

He had served as co-OM in Indianapolis until JR Ammons departed in January
for Audacy Kansas City. Ammons had overseen the former Entercom owned
stations in Indianapolis, while Layfield led Cumulus previous holdings from before the 2019 deal bringing the two clusters together.

In addition to WFMS and WNTR, Layfield will oversee Rock 93.9X WNDX, CHR
99.5 WZPL, Classic Hits 104.5 WJJK, and CBS Sports 1430 WXNT.

Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has promoted Christopher “Boomer” Layfield to Operations Manager for Cumulus Indianapolis’ six-station group. Layfield will lead all programming operations for
WFMS-FM (Country), WJJK-FM (Classic Hits), WNDX-FM (Rock), WNTR-FM (Adult Contemporary), WZPL-FM (Top 40), and WXNT-AM (Sports). Layfield joined
Cumulus Indianapolis in April 2018, and served as one of two Operations Managers for the cluster until January, and as Program Director for Country station WFMS-FM. He will continue to program WFMS-FM and Adult Contemporary station WNTR-FM. Layfield has previously held programming positions in
markets including Charlotte, NC, St. Louis, MO, Richmond, VA, San Diego,
CA, and Nashville, TN.

Chuck Fredrick, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Indianapolis, said: “Boomer has earned this opportunity to lead the talented people who produce the most dynamic and entertaining shows every day. Our future is bright, as
our audience growth will only accelerate with his leadership.”

Doug Hamand, Vice President, Programming Operations, remarked: “When we
were lucky enough to get Boomer to join our team as OM over WFMS, WJJK and WNDX, I thought ‘Wow, we just got so much stronger in Indianapolis!’ Now to
elevate him to lead the entire station group, including WZPL, WNTR and
WXNT the whole cluster’s bar was just raised! He is an incredible leader,
a creative programmer, and the conduit to continue super-serving this successful cluster of stations for Cumulus Indianapolis.”

 

Layfield commented: “It truly is a thrill for me to be able to work with
such a gifted group of radio pros at these iconic broadcasting brands here
in Indianapolis. Being given the chance to continue to lead these teams at
this level is something that I look forward to making the most of, working together for the benefit of our listeners and advertisers… and having fun doing it! I’d like to thank Chuck Fredrick, Doug Hamand and Dave Milner for this amazing opportunity.”

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Domain Insight 3/18: A Double Flip In Nebraska?

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 01:00 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/netgnomes/221466/domain-insight-3-18-a-double-flip-in-nebraska/


Flood Communications appears to be preparing to flip two of its stations in Central Nebraska.
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Five Things I Learned This Week About Radio and Audio

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 10:00 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/blogs/221385/five-things-i-learned-this-week-about-radio-and-audio/


If you read Ross on Radio on a regular basis, I feel I owe you one
provocative idea a week. Sometimes, the best I can do is find you an interesting new station to listen to. But last week I wrote about the debut
of Amazon’s new Amp platform, which allows users to create real-time
content and draw from Amazon’s music library. Over the last week, Amp has prompted a lot of thinking about what it offers and what broadcast radio offers. In the last few days, Ive had no shortage of realizations about
this new landscape.

People Want to Be on the Radio: AM/FM broadcasters think that there’s no untapped interest in being on the radio now because we don’t have a steady stream of 20-year-olds waiting for their first break, not that a
broadcaster would necessarily be able to accommodate them. However valid radio’s claim to “original social network” status is, our current social networks offer plenty of opportunities to be heardLondon Hyde Park’s “Speakers Corner” on every corner. And yet, there are still people who want to create radio or be “on the radio.”

Some of those people are the former or aspiring broadcasters creating radio stations through Live 365 or some other provider. They could just post
their Spotify playlists (as I do), but they want something that sounds more like classic radioa more entertaining environment and the ability to
schedule music more deliberately. But a different sort of drive to be “on
the radio” has also driven podcasters, Clubhouse users, or Amps early
users. On Wednesday afternoon when I wrote this article, I was offered
about 15 shows (based on my selected interests). Most of the hosts were, as best I could tell, not from the broadcast industry or other celebrity
content creators.

(Even before Amp, there were other ways to make radio. I know two different people creating tributes to New York’s legendary ‘80s club Danceteria. Quark Records’ Curtis Urbina has been posting Soundcloud mixes from
legendary DJ Freddy Bastone. New York radio veteran Rafe Gomez has created
the two-hour Danceteria Rewind at 8 p.m. Thursdays on Twitch. And the
amount of classic dance online obviously goes far beyond these two recent examples of my acquaintance.)

Some people are looking to capture the excitement of being on the radio
without the commitment of a career in broadcastinga continuation of doing a show on college radio, purely as an extracurricular activity. Radio used to harvest that a little more, whether it was guest DJ shows such as Look,
Mom, I’m On KXXX or even just the “I’m Sean from New Jersey and I am KXXX”
sweepers. There’s validation for AM/FM broadcasters there, but its other platforms that are trying to tap into it.

What Some People Want to Do Is Community Radio: Amp arrived with some broadcast radio veterans (Zach Sang, Kat Corbett, Graham Bunn) and some celebrities (Nicki Minaj, Travis Barker). Ive seen two different authors announce plans for shows.  Last weekend, Edison Research’s Tom Webster, who is excited about Amp, did two shows that he designed more as narrated audio documentaries than real-time radio.

I have also encountered a lot of hosts on Amp who remind me of my first
show on college radio many years ago. That night, I realized that years of hearing people talk on the radio did not immediately translate to being
able to do so myself. But I wanted to sound like my heroes. Not everybody
does. One e-mail from Amp to its users actually says “with Amp you can go live anytime anywhere. Let your personality come through without any prep work.”

Consultant Fred Jacobs talks about Amp as the potential democratization of radio. Thats already happening, I think, on Clubhouse. Over the year, that platform has become the new community broadcasterthe talk shows of a
Pacifica Radio without the infamous internal politics (at least to my knowledge). When it comes to access, Clubhouse offers democracy, now. Will
Amp do that for music? At this moment, Ron Gerber of community station KFAI Minneapolis could not do his specialty show, “Crap from the Past,” as it currently exists. But not every user needs to talk over intros and play
songs that are out of print.

Broadcast Radio Could Still Be the Greatest Showman: In general, broadcast radio’s tech rivals haven’t embraced its brand of radio showmanship. The exception is satellite radio, which came to bury broadcast, but now carries
on its traditions. Apple Music’s stations are closer to broadcast radio
than Amp, but still relatively low-key and based around shows, not formats. Where radio has been most usurped is by Pandora more efficiently offering “more music, less talk” and by Spotify blurring the distinction between the mixtape and format radio (a process that the iPod had already started). 

One interpretation is that big, bold traditional radio isnt of interest anymore, and only you and I refuse to see that. I can only point out that
in 1981, nothing was cornier than the notion of high-energy Top 40 radio.
Yet somehow Mike Joseph’s “Hot Hits” format on WCAU-FM took over Philadelphia with a stylized presentation that sounded like Top 40 in the
late ‘50s-through-mid ‘60s. A few years later, Scott Shannon used old-fashioned showmanship at New Yorks Z100, and were watching a
documentary about it now. 

Before anybody writes off the music radio era that comprises two-thirds
years of radios hundred-year history, consider that the radio drama that preceded music formats has gone through at least three cycles. I listened
to the second one as a teenager when I wasnt listening to music radio. The third cycle is the scripted podcast. As younger consumers fetishize vinyl
and prepare to rewind the cassette deck next, of course there is room for
big, bold traditional radio. But AM/FM broadcasters arent always in a
position to deliver on their legacy either.

Radio Needs the Request Line, Too: Over the last decade, we’ve come up with clever ways to augment the request line, then the request line itself
withered as usage changed. Futuri’s “Open Mic” has been one of radio apps coolest features for the last 10 years. Three weeks ago, iHeart Radio
announced its own “Talk Back” feature. Texting provides on-air personalities with a lot of their listener input, which is good because “people don’t call radio stations anymore.” Shazam has replaced the curiosity call many years ago and many times over.

And yet, I still feel the diminishment of the request line itself has been
a self-fulfilling prophesy and a loss for radio. As most people have found
out over the last two years, some of your five-business-Zooms-a-day would
work just fine as e-mail exchanges. Not all would. From programming
feedback to our importance to listeners, something is lost by not having somebody to reach out to in real time. I’d be hard-pressed to convince any owner that radio should still be in real time so that somebody can answer
the phone. But now consider that Amp, which debuted without a search button
or archived audio, cared enough about putting calls on the air to arrive
with that functionality at the start.

Sometimes People Do Call Radio Stations: Recently, I’ve been writing a lot about BBC Radio 2 and the Canadian stations now running the “join the conversation” format. This week, consultant Alan Burns announced his intention to market a similar format to the U.S., Social Radio. I don’t
know what percentage of listener feedback on Radio 2 or CKNO (Now 102.3) Edmonton, Alberta actually comes from callers (based on what I’ve heard on the air, I would peg it at about 30%). They get those calls in part because they still ask for the order.

This next observation isnt an epiphany, but something long observed.
Broadcast radio’s future depends on its willingness to engage with rivals
and to relentlessly critique itself. Watching Pandora usurp “more music
less talk” was a years-long process that I watched in slow speed while
AM/FM failed to fix the either the quality of its stopsets or the
commercial load overall. Clubhouse was an irresistible new toy for a while.
Amp might well be that by the 2-3 month mark, similar to when Clubhouse got there. As noted last week, radio hasnt offered a lot of new toys; (that
ability to leave a voice message has been one of a relative few). 

When Amp tells its listeners that there’s no need to prep, it means
something slightly different than what broadcasters do. But what happens
when broadcasters show prep isnt so compelling, either. Yesterday’s
celebrity news, however more professionally presented, is not going to be a difference-maker. And thats just one aspect of broadcast radios product. As long as radio’s tech rivals don’t want to create “boss radio,” broadcast
radio has a shot. But I’ve been saying that for a while, too.    

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Station Sales Week of 3/18

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 04:30 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221368/station-sales-week-of-3-18/


Truth Broadcasting Corporation will purchase Country Rebel 93.7 WKHF
Lynchburg VA from Chuck Marshs Lynchburg Media Partners for the
approximately $480,000 remaining on the note from Marshs purchase of the station from WVJT Inc. in April 2021. A $2000 per month Time Brokerage Agreement will take effect on April 1.

Charles Kims Pacific Star Media LLC files to purchase Conservative Talk Big
Ds Talk 1160 KBDT Highland Park/Dallas TX from Norman Adams Dallas
Broadcasting for $450,000. KBDT has been operated via LMA by the late Fred Weinbergs 1160 Investments since December 2017.

The Estate of George Domerese sells Regional Mexican La Raza 760 KMTL/97.9 K250CF Sherwood AR to Jose Carlos Morons Radio La Raza for $70,000. The
buyer has been operating the Little Rock market station via LMA.

Will Tiemans WGHN Inc. is selling one of its stations in Grand Haven MI to
West Central Michigan Media Ministries. WGHN will divest Classic Rock 93.1
WMPA Ferrysburg for $420,000. WMPA will join the buyers Christian Strong
Tower Radio network. WGHN Inc. will retain AC 92.1 WGHN-FM and Oldies 94.9
1370 WGHN/94.9 W235CM Grand Haven.

Matt Butlers Shire to Shore Communications sells AAA 95.3 The Otter WFNX
Grand Marais MN to Dennis and Lucas Carpenters Carpenter Broadcasting LLC
for $55,000. The Carpenters own the Classic Country Bob network surrounding
the Twin Cities and hold a CP for 96.9 in Grand Marais.

Brad Kennedys Kennedy Broadcasting LLC sells the CP for 101.5 New Albany MS
to SSR Communications for $30,000. As part of the deal, SSR has applied to
move the CP to Bruce MS with 280w/60m.

Rich Broadcasting divests 1240 KWIK Pocatello to Carl Watkins and the
estate of Linda Watkins for the forgiveness of money owed to Watkins.
Watkins, who owns KWIK rebroadcaster 95.3 K237FA and 96.9 K245BR K245BR had sued Rich Broadcasting for past money owed for the lease of the translators
to Rich. The parties had agreed to the transfer in 2020, however with Richs assets being held by a bank had not been able to be completed. The new agreement gives Rich up to five years to clear any liens on the stations equipment or pay Watkins $15,000. The deal values the assets of KWIK at $43,000.

Entravision sells 1430 KWST El Centro CA to El Sembrador Ministries for $325,000. El Sembrador has operated KWST with their Spanish Catholic ESNE
Radio network via Time Brokerage Agreement since February 1, 2021.

Noemy Rodriguez will acquire 94.1 KYJJ Boardman OR and 104.5 KZJJ Mesa WA
from Xana HD Solutions for $600,000. Rodriguez, doing business as Alcon
Media, operates both stations under the Regional Mexican Ke Buena brand.
The company also owns La Raza 100.1 KQFO Pasco WA and Spanish Adult Hits La Kaliente 99.5 KZLY Ione OR.

Macon County Broadcasting Company sells Country/Oldies 1050 WMNZ Montezuma
GA to Lance Teeles Buck Creek Music LLC for $65,000. The deal includes a 5
year non-compete within a 25 mile radius for seller Danny Blizzard.
Translator Sales

Canos Broadcasting will purchase 93.3 W227CG Grand Rapids MI from World
Radio Link for $100. W227CG has rebroadcast Canos Regional Mexican La
Poderosa 93.3 810 WMJH Rockford MI since 2015. A 2012 sale of the
translator to the buyer for $27,000 never closed.

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Erica Sullivan Joins Channel 93.3's Geena The Latina and Frankie V Morning
Show

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 04:20 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221426/erica-sullivan-joins-channel-93-3s-geena-the-latina-and-frankie-v-morning-show/


iHeartMedia CHR Channel 93.3 KHTS-FM El Cajon/San Diego has announced the addition of Erica Sullivan as an associate producer for the “Geena The
Latina and Frankie V Morning Show.”

Under the name Erica Shea, Sullivan has been with iHearts 102.7 KIIS-FM Los Angeles since 2015 first as midday producer and later phone screener for On
Air With Ryan Seacrest. She has served as producer for On Air With Ryan Seacrest and the weekly Vibe with EJ Tanya Rad since 2017. The Bay Area
native began her career as a board op for Empire Broadcasting Country 95.3
KRTY Los Gatos/San Jose in 2011.

Channel 93.3 (KHTS-FM), San Diego’s #1 Hit Music Station, announced today that it has hired Erica Sullivan as associate producer for the “Geena The Latina and Frankie V Morning Show,” effective, March 21, 2022.

Sullivan will work closely with executive producer Chris Martinez and
co-hosts Geena The Latina and Frankie Vinci on the top-rated “Geena The Latina and Frankie V Morning Show,” airing weekdays from 6 – 10 a.m.

Sullivan got her start in radio as a board operator at her hometown country station, 95.3 KRTY in San Jose, CA, while still in high school. A decade
later, she brings a wealth of experience to Channel 93.3, having spent the
last five years as a producer for “On Air With Ryan Seacrest,” and more recently as producer of syndicated weekend show, “The Vibe with Tanya Rad
and EJ.”

“We are excited for Erica to join our team! She brings a different element
to our show and we are confident that San Diego will embrace her,” said
Geena The Latina and Frankie V. “Her experience working with the Ryan Seacrest team will undoubtedly elevate our show. We are eager to watch her career blossom and help her grow into the superstar that she already is.”

“I could not be more excited about this opportunity to join the ‘Geena the Latina and Frankie V Morning Show’ and the Channel 93.3 team,” said Sullivan. “Since the first meeting with Geena, Frankie and Chris, I felt right at home, and I cannot wait to see what this new chapter has in store
for me!”

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Bonneville Tabs Katie Reid As Denver SVP/Market Manager

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 09:43 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221416/bonneville-tabs-katie-reid-as-denver-svp-market-manager/


Bonneville has appointed Katie Reid as its new SVP/Market Manager in Denver.

Reid joins Bonneville from Cox Media Group where she has been VP/GM of
their Jacksonville FL cluster since September 2019. She previously worked
in Coxs corporate offices in Atlanta where she has served as Executive
Director of Revenue from 2011-19. Reid also served as General Sales Manager
of 95.5 The Beat WBTS and Classic Rock 97.1 The River WSRV Atlanta for Cox
and 99X WNNX and Q100.5 WWWQ for Susquehanna.

At Bonneville Denver, Reid fills the opening created by Bob Calls
retirement at the end of 2021. She will oversee Country 98.5 KYGO, AC 101.1 KOSI, Sports 104.3 The Fan KKFN, and ESPN 1600 KEPN.

Bonneville International has named veteran radio executive Katie Reid to
lead its Denver stations. Reid is replacing Bonneville’s former Denver
Market Manager Bob Call who recently retired after more than 50 years in
the radio industry.

Previously, Reid served with Cox Media Group as VP and General Manager of
its station cluster in Jacksonville, FL. Before that, she was CMGs
Executive Director of Revenue, supporting sales teams across the company.

Katie is a dynamic leader who knows how to focus on priorities and grow business, said Bonneville International President Darrell Brown. I believe
her experience will position our stations for long-term success in Denver.

We are excited to utilize Katies many talents and know that she will help
our Denver stations strengthen their brands, added Executive Vice
President, Regional Media Operations Scott Sutherland.

I am honored to be joining the Bonneville team and work with these
legendary brands. The Denver team continues to deliver excellent results
and I am excited for this next chapter, said Reid.


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KPLX Makes Playlist Adjustment Towards Classic Country

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 09:00 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221411/kplx-makes-playlist-adjustment-towards-classic-country/


Cumulus Media Country 99.5 The Wolf KPLX Fort Worth/Dallas made a sizable playlist adjustment on Tuesday as it removed all current and most recurrent songs and moved to a gold based presentation.

Where the station previously had been featuring a current/recurrent heavy presentation with an average of one song from before 2000 per hour, the stations playlist now is centered in the 1990s through early 2010s with
songs from as early as 1980. The playlist is quite similar to what Cumulus
has been doing at 95.5 Nash Icon WSM-FM Nashville and its other Nash Icon branded stations.

While no on-air changes have accompanied the musical shift, there may be
some forthcoming as KPLX is currently searching for a morning host/co-host.
No word on how that search affects current hosts Brian Moote and Tara Ward.

The move also creates more music separation between KPLX and sister New
Country 96.3 KSCS. KSCS was in a five-way tie for seventh in the
Dallas/Fort Worth market with a 3.7 share in the January 2022 Nielsen Audio ratings, while KPLX was thirteenth with a 3.3 share.

Sean Ross took a First Listen to the changes at KPLX today as well.

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