Headlines

(By Jeff McHugh) Several morning shows around the U.S. are having success with a regular feature in which personal quarrels on social media are reenacted on the air by the cast. If you are not familiar with Facebook Fights, I've linked to a couple you can listen to.

(By Ronald Robinson) There came a moment, although it was over 30 years ago, when I had what can only be described as a radio epiphany. This came in the form of a personally significant realization. I describe that particular realization in the following ways: Radio, as it was then, was a powerful and influential medium.

iHeartMedia mobilized 26 radio stations across the nation and collectively raised more than $5.6 million during the annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids national radiothon, December 7–8. The event encouraged listeners to pledge $20 per month to become “Partners In Hope” with St. Jude.

99.1 PLR/Connecticut morning team Chaz and AJ took their show to Jordan’s Furniture in New Haven Friday morning and raised $109,852.78 in cash and toys. It was their annual four-and-half-hour Chaz and AJ McDermott Chevrolet and Lexus Toy Drive. The toys were immediately distributed to five organizations.

In what is clearly one of the most impressive groups of broadcasters to ever join forces to buy a radio station, Larry Fuss (pictured here with John Tesh) has put together a team of rock stars to purchase KZZV-FM in Hanapepe Hawai’i, on the island of Kaua’i.

That's the conclusion Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker came to after meeting with Entercom CEO David Field and CFO Rich Schmaeling this week. The CBS stations have taken a beating in the press over the past 18 months, since the merger was announced. Ryvicker tells investors not to worry...Field and Schmaeling have a plan.

(By Rebecca Jacobs Goldman) You have likely heard of the FCC’s Emergency Alert System (EAS) Amber Alert, but what you may not know is that a new hue of EAS alert will now be implemented – the Blue Alert (code BLU). As the keeper of the Emergency Alert System at your station, do you know what you need to do about the new Blue Alert system?

Thursday was Mike Francesa's second to last show on WFAN in New York City, after spending 30 years on the air there. Francesa did his show in front of a live audience from The Paley Center. He'll broadcast his final show today from the studio, which it looks like from this picture with Entercom Sports Format Captain Mark Chernoff, has been named after him.

Thanks to XAPPMedia's voice technology, 300 Cumulus radio stations are rolling out Amazon Alexa skills. The company has started a consumer marketing campaign to educate listeners on how to find and enable the technology. Markets launching the Alexa skills include New York City, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Dallas.

The 12th annual Midwest Communications Radiothon for Kids raised more than $300,000 for Chilrdren’s Miracle Network and Sanford Children’s Hospital. The 24-hour radiothon on 92.5 KTWB, Q95-7, 101.9 KELO-FM, and 103.7 KRRO featured a first-of-its-kind challenge from an anonymous donor, who challenged the community of Sioux Falls to rally and surpass the previous year’s amount by $25,000.