Headlines

Raleigh station "99.9 The Fan" will continue its “Fan Town Hall” series with the topic “Do today’s African-American athletes bear any responsibility to commenting on today’s social issues?” The event is tonight at 7 p.m. and will include a panel of sports luminaries.

MediaPost has the details from London-based advertising researcher Warc, which is predicting the 2017 U.S. advertising market to grow at its fastest pace in six years. Warc is upgrading its earlier forecast for growth from 4.9% to 6%. The company says radio will decline 2.8%

(By John Garziglia) Every four years, the FCC is required by law to review its ownership rules and determine whether the limitations are “necessary in the public interest as a result of competition” and to “repeal or modify any…no longer in the public interest.” The FCC finally released the results of its 2010 and 2014 Quadrennial Reviews in a 100-plus page opus titled “Second Report and Order.” Warning: there are few rule changes.

(By Bob McCurdy) What’s the most effective way to schedule campaigns that limit commercial decay while maintaining consistent exposure and share-of-voice? Airing the messaging across as many dayparts and days as possible.

(By Jeff McHugh) Bloomburg Businessweek recently reported on how television stations are adding more hours of local news coverage to their daily schedule.The problem for TV is how to fill that airtime. Here's where you can jump in front of the camera, steal the spotlight, and create some effective marketing buzz for your show.

Still more fallout in Philadelphia over a fake caller that 97.5 The Fanatic host Mike Missanelli says he was unaware was the made-up "Dwayne from Swedesboro."

102.9 The Whale and The Talk of Connecticut (1360 WDRC, 1420 WMMW, 1240 WWCO, 610 WSNG) had a record-breaking radiothon, Thursday, raising $145,000 for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai was one of the two dissenting votes (see next story) in the FCC's Media Ownership Rules decision that was officially filed Thursday. Pai says that the Commission failed to reassess its media ownership regulations every four years and dispose of outdated rules, as instructed by Congress.

And Commissioner Michael O'Rielly lays the blame for keeping the Media Ownership Rules much like they've been since the 90s right at the feet of FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler.

It's no secret that the NAB was pushing for changes to be made to the Media Ownership Rules, so it should come as no surprise that the organization is pretty upset now that the FCC has made it official that there will be no changes.