Headlines

CEO Alfred Liggins says his company's final $35 million investment in the MGM casino in National Harbor, Maryland, will be made just before it opens at the end of this year. Eventually, Radio One will own 6.6% of the casino. Liggins said, "It's now real."

That's on a same-station basis and when you add in the recent purchase of WLVQ-FM in Columbus, which Saga began operating in November of 2015, the radio revenue increase jumps to 13.1%. The company also reported free cash flow increased 35.4% to $4.9 million for the quarter. So what did CEO Ed Christian say about the quarter?

Emmis' fourth quarter includes December, January, and February, and CEO Jeff Smulyan reported revenue was down 6% to $36.4 million from $38.8 one year earlier. For the full year, radio revenues were $169.2 million, compared to $176.3 million in the prior year, a decrease of 4%.

The Radio Advertising Bureau says 101 radio spots and campaigns have made it to the finals of the 2016 Radio Mercury Awards, which honor outstanding radio created by advertising agencies, production companies, radio stations, and students.

CFO Rich Bressler (pictured) and Senior Vice President and Treasurer Brian Coleman reported to investors that iHeartMedia's total debt remains at $20.7 billion. That's basically the same as the final debt total at the end of 2015. The company has $979 million on hand and the largest use of cash in Q1 was interest on the company's debt. iHeartMedia paid $549 million in interest.

Great news coming out of radio's #18 market. Interim CEO and Executive VP/CFO Caroline Beasley (pictured) told investors the revenue at the company's Tampa cluster was up over 30%, while the entire market was up 12%.

Entercom Kansas City sports talkers Danny Parkins and Carrington Harrison of KCSP-AM were slightly unhappy that their hometown Kansas City Chiefs picked Tyreek Hill in the recent NFL draft. Last year, Hill pleaded guilty to punching and choking his pregnant girlfriend and received three years probation for the crime. Parkins and Harrison chose the power of radio -- and the loyalty of a radio audience -- to turn what they believed was a negative into a very big positive.

CBS Boston has the details about long-time WBZ traffic reporter Scott Eck who will now be known as Kristen Eck after announcing the gender transition on Wednesday. “This has been a journey of sorts that I’ve been on for the last 40 years of my life."

The Christian and conservative focused media company reported a total of $64.6 Million in Q1. Total revenue increased 4.4% while broadcast revenue increased 4.2% to $48.5 million from $46.5 million.