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In the first several 2017 issues of Radio Ink magazine we have in-depth interviews with companies driving real digital revenue to radio. The Radio Advertising Bureau says digital is the fastest growing ad category for radio revenue, and there are no signs of it slowing down. In 2017 managers should be prepared to scoop up every digital dollar available. Radio Ink Magazine is prepared to help you do just that.

On Wednesday, Nielsen released stats on the top smartphone apps of 2016. Facebook took the top spot in 2016. The Facebook app had more than 146 million average unique users each month. Facebook Messenger came in second with over 129 million. YouTube was third with more than 113 million. Nielsen says Apple Music was 9th with over 68 million unique users per month this year.

(Eric Rhoads) Radio is a recurring theme as artists around the world have spoken of the special moments in their careers. It’s not unusual to this day for country artists to thank “God and radio” when accepting awards. And for good reason. Radio remains, in spite of all the other new influences impacting music discovery, a special place for musicians.

(By Fred Lundgren) On Christmas Eve morning, the electricity went off at our house and panic spread among our younger guests. First, the TV sets went dark. Then, the desktop computers began to die as back-up batteries failed. For a while, we were reassured by the sound of familiar alarms, but then suddenly, total silence. Could this be the end? Is this the apocalypse?  

News 5 in Cleveland reports former 92.3 The Fan host JG Spooner is alleged to have taken thousands of dollars in rent down payments on a home he didn't own. The 36-year-old is being charged with two counts of felony theft. Police say he took $7,000 in rent payments from seven people.

TuneTracker Systems has released a new remote broadcasting product the company says is designed to make remotes more fun, "by clearing away the most burdensome obstacles to doing on-location broadcasts: bulk, complication, and expense."

Columbia, South Carolina, that's where Alpha Media launches Rock 99.7 on a translator. The format will feature artists such as Green Day, Kings of Leon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Blink 182.

Alpha Media’s Fredericksburg, VA, cluster of WFLS, WVBX, WWUZ and WNTX, teamed up with the Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots Foundation to collect toys for area for the holidays, and on December 10 a truckload of toys and cash were delivered to the Spotsylvania Towne Centre for the finale event.

A recent Nielsen Scarborough study found that newspapers reach 69% of the population every month, that's 169 million adults. And digital is helping newspapers engage with the younger population. So does this all result in revenue turning the corner for newspapers?

(By Wayne Ens) Who’s telling radio’s story in your market? There’s a lot of noise about all things digital, but you need to shout radio’s story loud and clear. Here's the best way to establish your credentials as a marketing expert, and to tell the story of radio’s role in the new media economy.