Headlines

iHeartMedia's KISS-FM in Austin received some national attention Wednesday for a promotion called "Kiss-A-Kia." Listeners had to keep their lips puckered to the car (with a 10-minute break every hour). Whoever lasted the longest won the vehicle.

(By Paul Cramer) The term artificial intelligence often evokes images of sentient computers from Star Trek or cyborgs from The Terminator. While those are extreme examples of artificial intelligence or AI, the Oxford Dictionary gives a more pragmatic definition of AI as computers that have the capability to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, and decision-making.

Fantasy sports has become big business and very popular with sports fans. Fantasy Sports Entertainment Group is now making the FNTSY Sports Radio Network available to radio. The FNTSY Sports Radio Network is a free fantasy sports radio network dedicated entirely to fantasy sports enthusiasts. KMG Networks is handling distribution and media partnerships.

Attorneys James Sammataro and Hans Hertell, with the Miami office of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, tell Radio Ink they have successfully defended SBS in the company’s second victorious copyright trial in the last six months. The court granted a "directed verdict" in SBS’s favor before the close of day one of the trial, ruling that the plaintiffs “miserably failed” to offer any credible evidence of SBS’s alleged infringement.

The new station is called "104.5 Latino Hits (KZEP)," and it replaces HOT 104.5, San Antonio’s Rhythm and Throwback. The new format kicked off at noon on Thursday with 10,000 songs of commercial-free music. A full local programming lineup will be announced at a later date.

(By Kelly Orchard) Congratulations, you’ve been named a market manager! Now what? You have a choice to make, right now. Do you want to be recognized and remembered by your team as the best manager they ever worked for — or the worst?

The NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed a new multi-year agreement that will keep iHeartMedia Tampa Bay the home of the Buccaneers Radio Network. It's a partnership that dates back to 2004. New in 2017, games will be heard on 98Rock (WXTB-FM).

Adding to its haul of 24 awards in 2016, the Washington, DC, station has just won six National Headliner Awards. WTOP’s Web team received first place for radio-affiliated website WTOP.com, and for their commitment to the category of online planned news, with coverage of the 2016 election.

On Monday, WHLZ in Florence, SC, debuted its new Hot AC format with the launch of Q100.5, the Pee Dee’s Best Music. The station, which also changed its call letters to WQPD, stunted last weekend, playing “The Wheel of Decades,” music from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. The station is also bringing back morning team, Bob & Sheri.

The Innovation in Music Awards for Music Broadcast in major, medium, and small markets were designed to recognize those individuals who greatly encourage airplay for new artists, promote live local music, and develop and participate in activities that work to support up-and-coming musical talent.