Headlines

Longtime KCTR Billings morning man Paul Mushaben has been suspended after posting a blog called "Indian Basketball." Mushaben's blog suggested the need for an all-Native-American basketball tournament because Native American fans had become so unruly and disrespectful that it was no longer a safe situation.

(By Bob McCurdy) Several weeks back, a noteworthy study was released that demonstrated the synergetic nature between AM/FM radio and TV. The study, conducted by Nielsen and commissioned by Westwood One, focused on a major motorcycle manufacturer’s NCAA basketball and NFL football radio and TV advertising campaign.

(By Buzz Knight) As I'm returning from my first visit to the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville I'm thinking, What took me so long to go? What a terrific experience CRS is. Just as I had always heard, this is a can't-miss event.

Peoria station 104.9 The Wolf (WXCL) raised $66,362 with John & Jaymie’s Radiothon for St. Jude Kids with Chick-Fil-A Peoria. Broadcasting for two days – February 2-3 – for 12 hours each day, the funds lifted The Wolf’s 27-year total to nearly $7 million.

LoneStar 92 and 97.9 LITE FM have surpassed last year’s total from their two-day St. Jude Radiothon. Patrons at 7-Eleven/Alon stores in West Texas were able to raise $70,000 to donate to the cause. This is the 20th year for LoneStar 92’s St. Jude Radiothon.

Friday was not a good day for Cumulus. A U.S. District Court judge rejected the refinancing plan Cumulus hoped would help reduce its $2.4 billion debt load. Here's what Cumulus had to say about the judge's ruling.

Buyers want to know all about you, often before your first meeting. They demand, and receive, your ratings, your demographics, and your digital analytics. With so many platforms reporting information about you, do the numbers that define your station add up? Are advertisers able to see the real story behind the many different metrics?

That's what CFO Richard Bressler says, and he attributes that to iHeartMedia's massive scale and transformation into a multi-platform media company over the past five years. Bressler says iHeartMedia uses a master-brand strategy to increase the value of its radio stations and other brands, and Pixar is a great example.

And now to the item everyone wonders about. iHeart's debt. CFO Richard Bressler said, while staying focused on maximizing the value of the business, the company continues to look for ways to strengthen its capital structure. So how much debt does iHeart now have? Here's what Bressler had to say on the Thursday earnings call...

As expected, the FCC on Thursday approved an order that expands the site locations where FM translators can rebroadcast AM radio stations. The amended rule provides greater flexibility for an AM station to place a rebroadcasting FM translator in a location where it will better serve its AM station’s listeners. All three commissioners now on the FCC voted in favor of the order.