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That's one of 20 predictions made by the team at BIA/Kelsey in a new report called What’s Next: BIA/Kelsey 2017. BIA/Kelsey Managing Director Rick Ducey predicts national brands will outpace regional and local small and medium-sized businesses in total ad spend growth targeting local audiences.

There has been a lot of information going out to radio stations about BMI and GMR lately. And in the age of digital, the communication is taking place at warp speed. If you are not receiving this important information, information that could affect your wallet, it could be because the RMLC does not have a valid e-mail for you. Take a minute of your time to send an e-mail update to Bill Velez at the RMLC [email protected]

It was certainly a quiet exit for one of radio's most well-liked executives. Not to mention he's probably one of the funniest people that ever walked the halls of a radio convention. Valle confirmed to Radio Ink he's been gone from the company for several months now. Valle switched roles in June from running radio at Univision to President of Political & Advocacy Sales. Here's what he told us last night.

Last time a story leaked out about ESPN Radio was when Steven A. Smith was rumored to be coming back from SiriusXM. That story turned out to be true, of course. Now there are reports circulating in the national press that Mike Greenberg is leaving the long-running morning show on ESPN radio that he hosts with Mike Golic.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will speak at the Aspen Institute at 11 a.m. on Friday. It will be his final speech as chairman. He's stepping down on January 20. Wheeler is expected to reflect on the lessons he learned during his FCC tenure and discuss what he'd like to see as the path ahead for U.S. broadband policy. The speech will be streamed live HERE.

Christmas was brighter for thousands of kids in Topeka this year thanks to Alpha Media joining forces with the Topeka Rescue Mission. The organizations collected thousands of items to distribute to families who otherwise might not have had any presents under the tree. Around 4,000 people were helped this year with 3,700 toys being collected for kids.

By now your head is probably spinning about what to do regarding the proposed interim license on the table for GMR recordings. And, it should be. With GMR in the PRO mix this is getting very confusing. The back-and-forth blame game between GMR and the RMLC has many managers wondering what to do as the January 31st deadline to sign their license, or face possible litigation, closes in.

On August 10, 2016, the FCC adopted a Second Report and Order that completed the 2010 and 2014 Quadrennial Reviews of the media ownership rules. On December 1, 2016, several companies filed petitions for reconsideration of the Order, including the NAB and Connoisseur.

Is Cumulus having trouble getting debtholders to buy into their refinance plan? On Wednesday, Cumulus again extended the expiration date and early tender date for its previously announced private exchange offer for its 2019 7.75% senior notes.

Bridge Ratings was in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronic Show this past week where the company conducted five focus groups with the intent of gauging a) podcast consumption patterns among current podcast listeners, and b) if new technology would reduce the friction that has limited podcasting as a reach medium.