News

According to BIA/Kelsey's updated 2017 U.S. Local Advertising Forecast, radio stations in New York will receive about $992.2 million of the $13.7 billion spent on local media. Direct mail will receive the most ($3.57 billion), digital came in second ($1.78 billion), followed by TV over-the-air ($1.73 billion), mobile ($1.54 billion), then radio ($992.2 million).

From Borrell & Associates' most recent 12-week study of small businesses, this question: Do local businesses buy advertising on feelings or facts? This week's chart illustrates what 2,293 of them are doing. Using a sliding scale of "100% Gut" to "100% Data," Borrell asked the business owners to indicate how they decided to buy media.

Kay Olin's long and extremely successful radio career started by accident. She had just graduated from Agnes Scott College as a political science major and was working as a receptionist down the hall from RKO TV/Radio Reps in Atlanta. One day she asked what they did because they looked like they were having so much fun. The response was: “Do you want to work here?” She said yes and was hired.

Radio was well represented Tuesday at the annual Gracie's Luncheon in New York City. At this all-star table were the NAB's John David, ABC Radio's Steve Jones, talk show host Joan Hamburg, Radio Ink Publisher Deborah Parenti, CBS Radio's Chris Oliviero, the recently retired Harvey Nagler from CBS News Radio, Heather Cohen from the Weiss Agency, and Broadcast Attorney Frank Montero.

WMJX-FM in Boston won a Gracie Tuesday for MAGIC 106.7’s Exceptional Women radio show. Show host Sue Tabb (pictured right) and producer Kendra Petrone received the Gracie in the “Soft News Feature” in honor of their “Then You Stand” submission. Exceptional Women has now earned 25 Gracies, in addition to 20 local and national awards.

The highly rated midday personality and host of WPGC95.5’s Sunni In The City is moving to mornings as part of the Joe Clair Morning Show. Sunni has been on-air for WPGC since January 2011. Prior to joining WPGC, she enjoyed success as a #1-rated air talent in Detroit as well as New York and Miami.

The Southern California Broadcasters Association has published its Quarterly Market Guidance Report for the third quarter of 2017. The organization says Southern California’s estimated gross domestic product will exceed $1.5 trillion in 2017, making it the 16th largest economy in the world with Los Angeles County alone ranking 21st with a gross domestic product of $644 billion.

Tara Nickerson has been named GM for Cromwell's eight stations in Decatur, replacing Chris Bullock. Nickerson has been with Cromwell for 14 years as PD and Operations Manager. Cromwell President Bud Walters said, "We're thrilled that Tara can accept this position. There were 35 applicants. She's been interim manager since mid-may and doing a wonderful job."

U.S. podcast advertising revenues are expected to come in at over $220 million in 2017, according to the first-ever IAB Podcast Advertising Revenue Study. That's an increase of 85 percent over the $119 million total from 2016. So what kind of ads are advertisers most likely to run? Here's your answer...

This year at the Conclave attendees will get to ask a panel of high-level radio executives ‘almost’ anything. The panel will include: Kevin LeGrett, President/Southwest Division iHeart Radio; Peter Bowen, VP/Market Manager Cumulus Chicago; Bill Hendrich, EVP/Radio Cox Media and Greg Strassell, SVP/Programming Hubbard Radio. The Conclave is July 26 through 29.