Headlines

CNBC reports radio's biggest advertising category in on track to have its best June in more than a decade. Total vehicle sales came in at 16.7 million at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in June, versus a 17.5 million rate in May. Ford's U.S. sales rose 6.4 percent to 240,109 vehicles in June. J.D. Power and LMC Automotive expects U.S. light vehicle sales for June to rise 5 percent to 1.55 million.

And its on the campus of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania with opening comments from Kerby Confer. All ten days of the Institute are on campus, except for one day in Philadelphia at the CBS Radio studios, where sessions will be taught by Play-by-Play Announcers Merrill Reese of the Philadelphia Eagles, Marc Zumoff from the 76ers and Jim Jackson from the NHL Flyers.

The 73 year old host of "A Prarie Home Companion" taped his final show Friday and it aired Saturday. He's been hosting the show ever since he created it 42 years ago. President Obama was his final guest. Keillor has suffered two seizures in the past year. He'll remain an executive producer of the show when Chris Thile becomes host in October.

The Tom Joyner Morning Show will be back on CMG's STAR 94.5 starting Monday, July 11. Joyner was on STAR 94.5 for years until 2014 when the station decided to flip to Steve Harvey.

Last week, Greater Media announced it was dumping its sports station in Detroit after a three year run. On Friday the station officially became the "All New 105.1 The Bounce… Detroit’s Throwback Hip Hop and R&B."

WWWM-FM in Toledo, formerly known as Channel 105.5, is now Q105.5. The station will continue to be programmed as a Hot AC station, and there are no personnel changes.

(By Stan Main and Randy Lane) Strong characters are core to the success of every great radio show, television show, video, and podcast. There are four types of character-based shows and each type has its own potential. Which type are you?

(By Ronald Robinson) I may never understand. But I do appreciate how radio folks can go into the “Oh s***!” mode when they are confronted with information that challenges their traditions, dogma, and radio “truths.”

NPR CEO Jarl Mohr says it is. The former Top 40 DJ tells The L.A. Times 7.5 million people now listen to NPR’s podcasts each month, and NPR’s listening on terrestrial radio has also been trending up, with an overall gain of 16% for its signature news magazine programs. Mohr tells The Times that Podcasts are a very addictive product. "We’re seeing some very encouraging signs that younger people are coming into NPR that previously haven’t listened."