Headlines

On Thursday, the iHeartCommunications Board of Directors decided not to pay $138 million in interest payments. The reason for this latest decision, according to an SEC filing, is that discussions are continuing with lenders, noteholders, and financial sponsors regarding a comprehensive debt restructuring.

At the beginning of each month we like to take a close look at how radio's biggest ad category is performing. New vehicle sales were off by 2.4% in February, compared to a year earlier. The drop in sales is being blamed on consumers losing interest in compact cars, mid-size sedans, and full-size cars. Here's how all the big companies performed.

Bloomberg is out at 1200-AM in Boston and a completely conservative lineup is in, moving over from 1430-AM, which is now Spanish Contemporary Rumba. "TALK 1200, Boston’s Conservative Talk," will feature Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Buck Sexton, and Mark Levin, and simucast on 94.5 HD2.

Alpha Media Portland announced a multi-year partnership with Bloodworks Northwest as the naming rights sponsor for their state-of-the-art live performance studio. The Bloodworks Live Studio will host musical artists, public figures, and events for all seven Alpha Media, Portland radio stations.

The focus of the "Shazam For Radio" webinar is to give broadcasters the tools to get their audiences excited about interactive, collectible content using Shazam. Sun Broadcast CEO Jason Bailey is moderating. This free webinar is being held Thursday, March 22 at 1 p.m. EST. Register HERE.

CBS News Radio’s World News Roundup will celebrate 80 years on the air with special programming on Tuesday, March 13. The programming will explore the first broadcast in 1938, its significance to the history of radio at the time, and how World News Roundup has evolved to remain relevant today.

Country Radio Broadcasters announced today that they are accepting applications from interested parties wishing to be considered for the 2018-2019 Country Radio Seminar (CRS) Agenda Committee. Applications can be found by visiting Country Radio Seminar’s website. The application deadline is Friday, March 30, 2018.

Big 94.5 Country, Country 106.9, and 580 WIBW joined together to raise $76,040 with the Envista Credit Union St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Radiothon, February 22-23. This is the third year that the Alpha staff has teamed up for this event, raising almost a quarter of a million dollars altogether.

Voting has opened for The Conclave’s First Annual Conclave Radio Awards honoring the radio industry’s best stations. The Conclave Radio Awards are determined exclusively by the nominations and votes of radio industry professionals at large and will recognize stations in Major, Large, Medium, and Small Markets.

As iHeart inches closer to a restructure, possibly within days, the iHeartCommunications Compensation Committee has approved millions of dollars in bonuses for three iHeart executives: CEO Bob Pittman, COO Richard Bressler, and General Counsel Robert Walls. Here are the details...