News

(By Bob McCurdy) The following continues the education theme of the past several weeks. These snippets have been culled from various sources. All can help build on a “Why radio” story and are worth knowing and sharing with clients.

(By Randy Lane) When many of us started in radio, dead air was a cardinal sin. I still have the dreaded dream of being on air, the music runs out, I can’t speak, I can’t find a song or commercial, and I can’t find anything to fill the dead air. As it turns out, dead air is actually good!

Former CBS Radio Executive Dan Mason is eager for the new football season to start. The newly named Chairman of Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN) is looking forward to an August launch of a radio network featuring all the talent, numbers, and analytics that VSiN is known for on other platforms.

Employees at KCRW in Santa Monica voted to recognize SAG-AFTRA as their labor union. The online vote was conducted according to an election agreement reached between SAG-AFTRA and KCRW.

(By Ronald Robinson) All the canaries, once ensconced in radio’s coal mines, are gone. Talent was inserted instead. Even before the Great Deregulation Apocalypse of the mid-‘90s, radio’s ownership and leadership had stopped paying any attention to the canaries that were passing out.

iHeartMedia Des Moines’ 1040 WHO has just had Van Harden and Bonnie Lucas inducted into the Iowa Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. The Van and Bonnie Show has played an important role in the community for 24 years.

Jeffrey A. Schatz is joining Pacific Media Group as General Manager-Island of Hawaiʻi. Schatz will be working directly with both the Kona and Hilo markets.

Houston listeners will now hear Matthew Jarecki as night drive host for SportsRadio (KILT-AM). Prior to joining Entercom, Jarecki was a morning host on KLJX-LP in Flagstaff, AZ.

Stephen Lieberman is the new General Sales Manager of Radio One DC sports station The Team 980 WTEM-AM, which brings his career full circle.

The man of many roles — TV/Radio host, comedian, actor, producer, rapper, writer, philanthropist, children’s book author, and activist — Nick Cannon, will join the hip hop station as host of Nick Cannon Mornings.