Headlines

The deadline for the BMI Founders Award for Radio Broadcasting scholarship competition has been extended through April 1st, 2017. The second annual program will award up to $5,000 for the best original essay response entry.

Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council co-founder David Honig called it big news when we spoke to him by phone Tuesday as the 8th annual MMTC Broadband and Social Justice Summit concluded. Honig said all three FCC Commissioners in attendance; Chairman Pai and Commissioner's Clyburn and O'Rielly agreed to move forward on the Media Incubator.

The total is still a relatively small number when compared to radio's $14.7 billion in annual ad revenue, however the good news is digital revenue for radio is still growing, big-time. And it appears small-market broadcasters are really starting to kick it into gear.

The new report on digital revenue from the RAB and Borrell also says stations are becoming less dependent on banner ads and selling other forms of digital advertising. We asked Gordon Borrell to expand on exactly what radio stations are now selling that's helping them become more successful bringing in digital dollars.

For Hispanic broadcasters, a comprehensive digital strategy is becoming more about survival than just making budget. Hispanic consumers are not only the biggest group of smartphone and tablet users in the country, they’re spending more time online. As the Hispanic population grows younger, even more of your audience will be dependent on these devices for their entertainment, news, and information.

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn called last Friday "take out the trash day" when referring to Chairman Ajit Pai reversing decisions made by former Chairman Thomas Wheeler without offering any explanation. On Tuesday, the Chairman took one of Clyburn's suggestions about his planned reforms and implemented it.

The ABC News Radio special series is called America’s Fentanyl Crisis. Senior Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas (pictured here wearing a hazmat suit to get a sense of the challenges police face) reports on the crisis from New England, which ABC says is ground zero of the Fentanyl epidemic.

The NAB is reporting that another four members of Congress have joined as cosponsors of a resolution that opposes "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local broadcast radio stations. The Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA) now has 127 cosponsors in the House and 10 in the Senate.

The renowned St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital finds itself on the end of more radio support. This time it’s 95.3 The Bull, Portsmouth NH's New Hit Country. The second annual Country Cares For Kids Radiothon raised over $26,000.

The Alaska station KBRJ – 104.1 on the dial – did an amazing job with their 20th Annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon. To the tune of almost $90K!