Headlines

Just days after Nielsen sent out a press release touting AQH growth for radio since its enhanced CBET product was rolled out, consultant Richard Harker has unleashed a series of blogs criticizing the ratings firm and PPM. In his latest blog, Harker asserts that the more robust encoding from Nielsen is causing stronger tones and some listeners are now able to hear those tones.

That's exactly half of what the campaign needs by June 30. The folks behind the SAVE KPLU campaign say everything is on track to raise the money needed for 88.5 FM in Seattle to become an independent, community-licensed station.

Radiate Media, which provides traffic solutions in the United States, has announced that it has entered into an option agreement to sell all of its assets to Global Traffic Network, a supplier of traffic information to broadcasters in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the UK.

That's what Cumulus-owned WWWM-FM is doing to rebrand its HOT AC station in Toledo. Market Manager Andy Stuart said: "The Star name never took hold in the market and did not convey all of the improvements we made to the station, especially the announcers and music selection. The brand name Channel gives us a real opportunity to show that we are making Toledo radio great again. "

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is partnering with Univision to host the annual St. Jude Promesa y Esperanza (Promise and Hope) radio event Thursday and Friday.

A hearing over iHeartMedia's debt began in State District Judge Catherine Striker's court in San Antonio Monday. iHeart is suing 15 bondholders who, the company says, are trying to force it into bankruptcy by triggering bond defaults that would require $15 billion of its $20 billion debt to be repaid quickly. The bondholders do not like that iHeart set up a subsidiary called Broader Media and transferred 100 million privately traded shares of Clear Channel Outdoor. They say its a shell company and they want the shares returned to the Outdoor division. At the hearing, iHeartMedia Senior VP and Treasurer Brian Coleman said the transfer is part of a strategy called "Project Indigo."

And that includes keeping Ronn Owens in his original timeslot (minus one hour) and not moving him to KSFO. Cumulus says the change in plans was due to "listener outcry."

The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation has announced the winners of the 2016 Celebration of Service to America Awards. The awards recognize outstanding community service and the winners will be honored at a dinner in Washington, D.C., June 21. Cox Radio Miami won the award for individual campaigns, projects or programs, and CBS Radio in Southfield, MI, won the Service to Children award.