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Harold Austin is a partner at Global Media where he oversees all aspects of Global Media’s portfolio of Hispanic-based clients, with special emphasis on music testing, callout, and focus groups. Austin is an award-winning radio programmer and consultant with more than 25 years of experience in multiple formats...

That's according to Steven Passwaiter, the director-business development for Kantar Media's Campaign Analysis Group. In an Ad Age interview Passwaiter says that increase has a lot to do with how radio's biggest company, iHeartmedia has set up shop in Washington this year, specifically targeting political campaigns and explaining how radio can target voters.

Panel handouts and sessions from Country Radio Seminar 2016 are now available for this year’s attendees to view and stream. All content can only be accessed through www.CountryRadioSeminar.com. This past year’s CRS convention took place Feb. 8-10, 2016 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville, Tenn.

Media Monitors released its update on the primary election and the spots candidates ran on the radio in its monitored markets between February 26 and March 6. Hillary Clinton ran the most ads, totaling 6,815. 3,738 ran from her campaign, 2,906 from her Super PAC Priorities USA ACTION, and another 171 were purchased by the SEIU COPE (Service Employees International Union). Bernie Sanders was in 2nd place followed by Ted Cruz.

We've certainly given plenty of ink to the controversy surrounding the FCC's plan to allow AM stations on the same frequency as Clear Channel AMs to retain power at night. As broadcast attorney David Oxenford points out in his latest blog there are plenty of other issues up for discussion regarding the Commission's AM Revitalization plan and comments are due this month.

NRG Omaha sports talker Nick Bahe was a guest on his own radio show Monday. Bahe told his listeners the tumor that has kept him off KOZN-AM since February 17 is benign and he plans to return to his shift this week. His February 16 segment, where he announced he was taking health leave to have a tumor removed from his chest, generated nearly 17,500 podcast plays. Bahe is one of Radio Ink’s 2015 Top 30 Local Sports Talkers in America.

Recognizing the consistent growth and importance of the Hispanic market, on Monday iHeartMedia launched Rumba 106.5, calling it "Tampa and Sarasota's Spanish Tropical-formatted station." The 106.5 dial position became available after iHeart moved its country station in that market to 92.1. Rumba's lineup will include Angel Johnny during middays, with the entire on-air lineup being announced in the near future.

Napa (#9), O'Reilly (#7), and AutoZone (#6) are now all in the Top 10 of the latest Media Monitors weekly run of radio ads. GEICO remains number one for the week of February 29, having run over 38,000 commercials. Burger King runs up to number two from 13th. The home of the Whopper aired just under 30,000 spots. Coming in third with 27,447 was McDonald's. And rounding out the top five were MetroPCS with 23,000 and H&R Block at 22,574.

iHeartMedia's WDVE-FM in Pittsburgh was awarded the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals' 2015 English Radio Station of the Year Award at the organization’s Momentum16 Awards. The award recognizes radio stations that demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Nominations were received from more than 170 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals nationwide.

The new two-hour weekly program will be hosted by Johnny Stone who says this is not a countdown show. "Stone Cold Country captures everything you love about country music and celebrates the lifestyle of its artists and listeners. You will get to know the true personalities of country music superstars and their music.”