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Local or syndicated is one of the most difficult decisions a manager or programmer can make. Syndicated talent brings the buzz of a well-known name, the access to major artists and entertainers, and high production quality. Yet that national star cannot drive your auto association’s new car or open a new club or venue.

(By Ronald Robinson) Radio, for the most part, is made up of the moderates – those who go along with the ingrained or imprinted traditions, keep their heads down, and who also realize the diminishing returns that come from challenging any of the litany of radio’s vaunted edicts.

In a big night for the company, iHeartMedia received 11 Stevie Awards at the 11th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service in Las Vegas. The awards honor companies that set the industry’s highest standards of excellence for sales, business development, contact centers, and customer service.

The increase was driven by national, which was up 19%, while local was down 4%. Breaking down national, spot revenue was up 14% while national network business was up 26%. Here are the details on the Entravision quarter...

Entravision CEO Walter Ulloa was very complimentary about Entravision's syndicated network lineup on the company earnings call, Thursday night. That content includes Erazno y la Chokolata (who will appear on the March 27 cover of Radio Ink Magazine), Alex El Genio Lucas and Eduardo Piolin Sotelo. Ulloa says that lineup has a lot to do with Entravision's advertising success.

As Entravision’s President & Chief Operating Officer, Liberman will continue to lead the management and operation of all of Entravision’s radio, television and digital media properties, and will continue to report directly to CEO Walter Ulloa.

And even more news from Entravision as the company announces the purchase of a company called Headway, which provides mobile, programmatic, data and performance digital marketing solutions primarily in the U.S., Mexico and Latin America. Here's what Entravision CEO Walter Ulloa said about the deal.

Entercom and CBS Radio have established pricing for a seven-year, $500 million senior secured term loan B to be issued in connection with their merger. The loan will be issued to refinance Entercom’s capital structure, with proceeds used to repay its existing term loan and redeem its preferred stock, as well as pay transaction fees and expenses.

The gang at the musicFIRST coalition isn't going to like this. The NAB just announced 13 Representatives and three Senators have joined as cosponsors of the resolution that opposes "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local broadcast radio stations. The Local Radio Freedom Act now has 142 cosponsors in the House and 15 in the Senate.

(Eric Rhoads) Imagine for a moment that your transmitter went down for five days. How would you still make significant contact with your listeners to keep them engaged, to communicate with them, and to get them back once you got back on the air? You say it could never happen? Perhaps not, but sometimes the best plans do go wrong.