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Broadcasting visionary Ed McLaughlin passed away last Thursday night, in Palm Beach, FL. He was 91. McLaughlin -- who was to be honored with the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Broadcasters Foundation of America’s Golden Mike Award dinner, March 5, was the man who launched Rush Limbaugh into syndication. In 2010, McLaughlin was the recipient of Radio Ink's Lifetime Achievement Award.

That's the focus of a panel at the 2018 Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference being held March 13-14 in Miami. The panel will be moderated by Tomás Martinez, CEO and owner of Solmart Media. Martinez is responsible for managing the company’s three Southwest Florida stations: WZSP-FM, WZZS-FM, and WTMY-AM.

Peter Doyle (pictured) has been Audio Division Chief at The FCC for nearly 17 years. He'll turn over the reigns to Albert Shuldiner and become a Senior Advisor during the transition. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said, "Peter’s sixteen-and-a-half year run as Division Chief has been truly outstanding. He worked tirelessly to ensure fair and efficient licensing of the radio service."

The FCC has entered into a Consent Decree to resolve its investigation into Kedner Maxime was operating a pirate radio station on 102.1 and 89.1 MHz from two different locations in Broward County, Florida.

Don't go launching your pirate radio station just yet. Even though the dysfunctional government in Washington cannot get its act together, the FCC will still be open. The FCC's Director of Media Relations Brian Hart said on Friday that if the government does shut down, "because of available funding, the Federal Communications Commission plans to remain open and pay staff at least through the close of business on Friday, January 26.”

(By Bob McCurdy) I've always found that the best way to make a sales point is to have someone else make it for you. Supporting information or an endorsement that comes from independent, well-informed sources is typically more readily accepted as fact. So what do the following respected media/marketing executives have in common?

(By Jeff McHugh) Question: If your show is on the air from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m., what time does your morning show start? Answer: Your show starts whenever your listener tunes in.

Chris Leonard is President of The Hawaii Association of Broadcasters. He also owns radio stations in Hawaii and was part of an NAB panel Thursday about the role broadcasters play in times of emergency. Leonard was just waking up when the alert that Hawaii was about to be hit by an incoming ballistic missile came in on his phone. Minutes later Leonard was in his car headed to his station when he heard his station air the chilling alert that "this is not a drill."

Houston was hit hard in 2017. Hurricane Harvey, and the flooding that followed, wreaked havoc on that city. CMG has three stations in Houston, and they remained on the air the entire time, providing vital information to listeners. And that's because CMG Houston Market Manager Mark Krieschen has a detailed plan that his team practices every year.

​As last year’s horrific disasters, from hurricanes to earthquakes, demonstrated all too acutely, the importance of radio in providing lifesaving information and communications cannot be denied or compromised. Is your station ready?