Headlines

USRN announced it has closed a deal to acquire the assets of Universal Comedy Network, and that the assets of the national program supplier are completely owned by USRN effective immediately.

On Friday, a federal judge threw out the U.S. Department of Justices interpretation of the BMI consent decree. He ruled BMI is free to engage in the fractional licensing of musical works.

Galaxy CEO Ed Levine says, “This idea has been percolating for some time. We think we’ve come up with a model that can generate guaranteed revenue for the partner broadcaster with no risk."

(By Bob McCurdy) It’s been said to see the future consult the past. So we did, digging into our files from 2006, re-acquainting ourselves with the key issues and headlines of the day.

(By Laurie Kahn) It better be! Remember when people worried about how neat their lobby was for people coming in to do business? How first impressions were so important? Your website is even more important, as people come uninvited, globally, and 24/7.

(By Ronald Robinson) A question open for debate is as follows: Is radio operating (generally) under a “worst case” scenario? I have been hearing that bantered about in the affirmative for some decades – more vigorously in the last 10 years or so. I do not, however, believe that proposition to be categorically true. This, because I also believe radio’s situation can get worse…much worse.

Alpha Media Peoria has launched G102.3 “The Throwback Station!” WNGY, which was previously Energy 102.3. Artists on the station will now include The Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Destiny’s Child, and similar artists. Weekday mornings will kick off with Brooke & Jubal.

As we reported back in August, Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan is making another attempt at taking the company private. He's offering shareholders $4.10 per share, which amounts to approximately $46.5 million. The Emmis Board of Directors has formed a special committee of "disinterested directors" to evaluate that proposal. On Friday, Smulyan gave the board a two-week extension, until September 30, to respond, "at which point the proposal will expire without any further action of any party."

It was a five-day affair by the duo as they spearheaded the fundraising on behalf of 101.9fm THE MIX / WTMX Chicago for the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago during its 17th annual fundraising efforts. The final total: $986,673. It was the 17th year for the fundraiser.

It’s been one year since Mary Berner took over Cumulus, and when radio executives converge on Nashville next week, for the Radio Show, they'll get their first full explanation of how things are going at one of radio's largest companies. Mary Berner is on the cover of our special Radio Show issue and the new CEO did not shy away from any of our questions.