Headlines

For the first time in over a decade the Houston Astros will be on the radio in Acadiana. Delta Media Corporation announces 103.7 The Game is the home for the defending American League Wild Card Champions for the upcoming 2016 Major League Baseball season.

The original dispute between NBN and Sheridan began when NBN claimed Sheridan failed to justify a "secret" methodology for allocating its parent’s corporate overhead to AURN, including a $500,000 annual “salary” of Ronald Davenport Sr (pictured). NBN also claimed Sheridan provided invoices to AURN six to eight weeks after the end of every month but forced AURN to pay at the beginning of each month, "thereby advancing itself funds before incurring any actual expenses for the coming month."

According to the court filing that has lead to the public dispute between NBN and Sheridan Broadcasting, NBN claims Sheridan has used, and is using, its control of AURN to siphon funds from the partnership to subsidize and prop up Sheridan’s operations. NBN claims Sheridan improperly extracted more than $6 million from AURN.

From FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai (pictured) to former CBS Radio President Dan Mason to our Medallas de Cortez Awards, the 2016 Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference is sure to be our best ever. Join us in beautiful Fort Lauderdale Florida on March 22 and 23 at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six for a two-day event that will surely give you the advantage over all of your competitors when it comes to the exploding Hispanic market and Hispanic radio. Take a look at the agenda HERE. Register HERE.

In a 20-page court filing there are a lot of denials by Todd Clem (Bubba The Love Sponge) in the lawsuit he's facing from Nielsen for alleged ratings tampering. Clem admits to having a friendship with a cooperating panelist but denies he gave the panelist specific instructions on what to do.

The most recent court filing from NBN Broadcasting CEO Chesley Maddox-Dorsey (pictured) comes after a 2015 settlement between NBN and Sheridan Broadcasting, which is owned by the Davenport family. American Urban Radio Networks, formed in 1991, was co-owned by both groups. Back in October, both sides reached a confidential agreement. The settlement was a “divorce” and complete separation on or before March 1, whereby either Sheridan or NBN would acquire the entire AURN network. Then everything went off the rails.

Bob Holladay owns six stations in the Florida Keys. He's appealed to the County Planning Commission after that board shot down his plan for a 199-foot radio tower on Upper Sugarloaf Key. Holladay recently moved the stations’ studios and requested approval to build the tower there.

Wisconsin Public Radio's Whad’ Ya Know? will end its 30-plus years run on June 30. The weekly two-hour program, hosted by Michael Feldman, at its peak aired on over 300 stations.

The Mighty 1290 KOIL in Omaha has changed its name to News Talk 1290 to go along with other recent lineup changes in 2016. In January, News Talk 1290 replaced Bob Bruce, who returned to KXEL, with Matt Tompkins weekdays 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Tompkins has years of talk radio experience in Omaha and as a nationally syndicated host on Sirius XM. Sean Hannity has recently returned, leading into Mark Levin in afternoon drive.

This is Part 2 of our interview (read Part 1 HERE) with Randy Michaels. Michaels is a radio encyclopedia, and that includes understanding the history and, perhaps, the future of the AM band. We asked him to give us his opinion on the FCC's plan to let smaller AM stations maintain power at night, which will lead to interference with the larger class A clear channels. He says the band is doomed.