Headlines

The bedding retailer jumped from 26th to seventh on the Media Monitors weekly spot chart, airing 29,305 commercials on radio stations all across the country last week. GEICO held steady at number one (44,796) followed by The Home Depot (33,574), Indeed (33,369), Wendy's (31,428) and JC Penney (29,715).

It took more than just the luck of the Irish for Blarney Stone Broadcasting To Win Best Small Business Award from the Michigan Small Business Development Center. It was just one of 12 companies from around the state selected to receive the award – from a field of 5,500 small businesses.

The flip in Savannah took place this past Friday. Cumulus changed from NASH Icon to Hot AC (102.1 The Sound, The New Sound of Savannah) on WZAT-FM. The syndicated Bert Show will air in morning drive.

International news-clipping service Grabien is releasing two new production tools. The tools provide a way for producers to clip the news in real time, as well as from a searchable archive of full-length news programming.

Late on Friday, SAG-AFTRA sent out a press release demanding Spanish Broadcasting System "engage in good faith bargaining with its on-air employees who face unfair treatment by the company." SAG-AFTRA says the problems are taking place at L.A. radio stations – La Raza (KLAX/KXOL – 97.9 FM) and La Mega (96.3 FM).

Typically listening to the News/Talk format tapers off once an election ends but as Nielsen points out that has not happened as of yet. Nielsen says News/Talk listening remained strong during the month of February

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga claims 32 year old Jacqui Helbert was fired for violating journalism ethics. The Times Free Press is reporting that local lawmakers complained about how Helbert reported on a on a state transgender bathroom bill.

(By Bob McCurdy) It has been a wild week of media news, led by Verizon, AT&T, Enterprise, GlaxoSmithKline, GM, Walmart, Pepsico, and J&J’s boycott of Google and YouTube due to their inability to safely “traffic” Web advertising. The environment in which some of their banner and video ads were served make commercials airing in radio’s more controversial programs akin to appearing in Ozzie & Harriet.

(By Jeff McHugh) You must share your authentic point of view with the audience for your radio show or podcast to be memorable. Your point of view includes opinions, emotions, inner thoughts, and/or personal stories. Most media personalities share their point of view cautiously, timidly and politely. Most are afraid of upsetting someone. 

After we ran our story yesterday updating you on Bubba The Love Sponge's latest counter-claims against the ratings firm, we heard from Nielsen bright and early in the morning. Their statement was short and sweet: