Headlines

We've been hearing from a number of radio companies with word of how their Florida stations are preparing for Hurricane Irma, and what services they will be providing. Beasley Media Group sent us the following thorough rundown...

Radio’s invaluable service in an emergency is about to shift into high gear yet again. With Texas still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, Florida is bracing for Hurricane Irma. iHeartMedia got in touch with Radio Ink to tell us how they’re preparing.

The five-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and CBS Radio have agreed to a multi-year contract extension to keep Patriots games on Boston’s WBZ-FM, 98.5 “The Sports Hub.” The partnership began in 1994. Bob Socci and Scott Zolak will continue as play-by-play host and color analyst, respectively.

BMI brought in $1.13 billion in its 2017 fiscal year, and — for the first time — distributed more than $1 billion in royalties. The $1.023 billion that went out to songwriters, composers, and publishers was up 10 percent from last years's figure.

Cumulus and WideOrbit have made a new licensing agreement under which Cumulus will install WO Traffic and other WideOrbit products companywide. WideOrbit is expected to begin replacing Cumulus' proprietary Stratus system before the end of the year.

iHeartMedia has launched 104.5 KISS FM --  “Houston’s Best R&B.” The station will feature Urban Adult Contemporary hits, including artists like Mary J. Blige, Luther Vandross, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind and Fire, Anita Baker, and Usher. 

The Philadelphia Eagles and SportsRadio 94WIP have together raised $207, 970 with the 2017 Eagles Radiothon two-day auction, Tuesday, September 5 and Wednesday, September 6. Listeners bid on exclusive experiences involving their favorite Eagles players and 94WIP radio personalities.

Connoisseur Media CEO Jeff Warshaw likes to speak his mind, and that's exactly what he did Wednesday. During the Broadcast Finance panel, Warshaw continued his push to see more deregulation of the number of radio stations a company can own. He says without it, radio will be very challenged in 10 years. "We are fighting for survival. We absolutely need more deregulation."

Wells Fargo Director Davis Hebert, speaking at the Radio Show in Austin, Wednesday, said the market is concerned about the sustainability of iHeartMedia and Cumulus over the next two years. "It may be tough for both companies to get through 2018 without some sort of restructuring. There's not as much sand in the hourglass and there will be no significant deal volume in the near-term until iHeart and Cumulus get fixed."

On Wednesday at the Radio Show in Austin, David Field was presented with the National Radio Award by the National Association of Broadcasters. The award honors an individual who is an outstanding leader in the radio industry. In accepting the award, Field continued with his consistent theme that radio is punching below its weight.