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This deal with the BCCA will allow Marketron customers to share real-time credit information about industry advertisers with members of the BCCA, which is the media industry’s credit association.

And that's not bad news when compared to other media in the latest Standard Media Index report. Overall, SMI says ad spending was up 6.8% in 2016, and of course the big gainer was digital, jumping 13.3% for the year. However, that's a far cry from what digital gained in 2015, which was 50%.

In a speech to the FCC staff yesterday, newly appointed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai laid out one of his top priorities: bringing the benefits of the digital age to all Americans. Pai said there is a digital divide in this country — between those who can use services from cutting-edge communications services and those who can not.

As it did with the 114th Congress, the NAB is aggressively pursuing members of the 115th Congress to support the Local Radio Freedom Act, which is legislation opposing new performance royalties on radio stations for playing music. Similar resolutions were introduced in both the House and Senate on Tuesday.

Texarkana’s Classic Hits station – HITS 105 is taking all Madonna songs off the air indefinitely after her comments over the weekend at a women's rally. General Manager Terry Thomas, says “banning all Madonna songs at HITS 105 is not a matter of politics, it’s a matter of patriotism.

Chicago media writer Robert Feder took to his blog Tuesday to tell readers he will no longer be publishing Chicago radio station revenue numbers. And he's blaming it on a market manager who he says complained to the accounting firm that Feder was publishing his declining numbers.

Here is our complete interview with Radio Ink's 2017 Radio Executive of The Year, Beasley Media Chief Executive Officer Caroline Beasley...READ IT

Baseball's Miami Marlins and iHeartMedia have signed a multi-year extension that will keep WINZ-AM in Miami the exclusive radio station for all 162 regular season games and 15 spring training games. The Marlins and iHeartMedia have been broadcast partners since 2013.

The unemployment rate is now available for CRS 2017, which will be held Feb. 22-Feb. 24 in Nashville, Tenn. at the Omni Hotel.  The special rate will provide access to more than 30 on-site educational panels and round-table discussions, as well as CRS sanctioned after-hours events.  The rate does not include access into the already sold-out New Faces show.

Ajit Pai is the new Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. The White House made it official on Monday. Pai said he was deeply grateful to the President of the United States for designating him the 34th Chairman of the FCC.