Headlines

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.

Neil Portnow is the CEO of the Recording Academy, the trade organization that represents music creators, including artists, songwriters, producers, and studio professionals. Portnow knows radio's biggest decision-makers are in Austin this week and he took that opportunity to write an op-ed piece asking the radio industry to "reassess its relationship with artists and listeners, both of whom have many other ways to connect."

This goes back to the claims made by SAG-AFTRA on August 29 regarding alleged anti-union actions in Los Angeles. SBS Chairman Raúl Alarcón says, "The recent allegations trumpeted by the Union against our company are not only totally false and malicious, they are, in fact, an insult to the talented and professional on-air personnel the Union claims to represent."

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai gave the radio industry an update on long-standing rules radio has to follow that are outdated and need to be changed or eliminated. Pai spoke about several specific rules that are on their way out and gave an indication on when they might be gone.

The FCC Chairman also updated the radio industry on his progress to shut down pirate radio operators. He says, thanks in part to the vocal support of Commissioner O’Rielly, the FCC has substantially stepped up its enforcement efforts against pirate radio stations. And here are the numbers...