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(By Ryan Wrecker) I’m not sold on the idea that we should only be held accountable to our own standards. I think if we could see the number of podcast downloads for the guys across the street, it would bring out the competitive nature in programmers and personalities — and drive us to do better. It would even help us gauge where we stand as an industry.

Radio imaging and voiceover company Benztown is lending a helping hand to the students of Dan Vallie's National Radio Talent Institute. In addition to providing financial support as a national sponsor, Benztown will provide every student with a USB drive loaded with Benztown audio production components to give them tools to help launch their careers.

Jazz public radio station WBGO/Newark, NJ, has received two national awards from Public Radio News Directors Incorporated. PRNDI recognizes the best of local public radio news in a wide array of categories, and has recognized WBGO every year for the past 20 years, awarding the station 86 times since 1998.

Bay Area stations KOIT-FM (96.5 KOIT) and KUFX-FM (98.5 KFOX) have welcomed Karina Farias to the fold as Music Director. Farias joins the Bonneville cluster from Bryan Broadcasting in College Station, Texas

Pittman and Bressler say the companies that disagree with the NAB position have argued for more strategic and targeted reform. "Leave the FM subcaps intact and eliminate only the AM subcaps, allowing for more ownership of AM stations." Pittman and Bressler told their team they support that position.

The Pittman/Bressler memo ends with a note to iHeartMedia presidents about the need to be on the lookout for stations the company might buy if more deregulation passes. Even though the company opposes deregulation, Pittman and Bressler believe that when the company fixes its balance sheet, which it's in the process of doing, it will be "the biggest buyer of additional stations."

The radio industry is divided when it comes to more deregulation. That's the opinion of iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman and CFO Richard Bressler who sent out a company note Monday detailing why the company opposes the NAB's plan to push the FCC for more deregulation. That opinion is not shared by the NAB.

Veteran sports radio executive Eric Spitz is leaving CBS Sports Radio and joining SiriusXM as VP of Sports Programming. Spitz will be involved in the daily operation of SiriusXM’s sports channels, including the hiring of talent, programming development and live sports scheduling.

Former Georgia Association of Broadcasters president Ellis Lanier “Lanny” Finch passed away the morning of June 22 following serious surgery. Finch was a longtime GAB board member, GAB board Chairman, GAB Director of Sales, and later on, the President of the GAB.

Larj Media and The Young Turks Network have joined forces to co-produce a series of new podcasts that will be distributed on Panoply. TYT Network is an  online talk, news, and entertainment network. Larj Media is a podcast production house started by Tina Nole.