News

(By Stan Main and Randy Lane) Strong characters are core to the success of every great radio show, television show, video, and podcast. There are four types of character-based shows and each type has its own potential. Which type are you?

(By Ronald Robinson) I may never understand. But I do appreciate how radio folks can go into the “Oh s***!” mode when they are confronted with information that challenges their traditions, dogma, and radio “truths.”

NPR CEO Jarl Mohr says it is. The former Top 40 DJ tells The L.A. Times 7.5 million people now listen to NPR’s podcasts each month, and NPR’s listening on terrestrial radio has also been trending up, with an overall gain of 16% for its signature news magazine programs. Mohr tells The Times that Podcasts are a very addictive product. "We’re seeing some very encouraging signs that younger people are coming into NPR that previously haven’t listened."

WYCD-FM Detroit host Linda Lee celebrates her 20th year on the air at the station, making her the longest-running female country music air personality in Detroit history. CBS Detroit Market Manager Debbie Kenyon said, “Linda’s longstanding career with WYCD is a testament to her talent and ability. She truly is one of the greatest air personalities in the business.”

James Robinson is General Sales Manager for iHeartMedia St. Louis, and he's a 2016 graduate of the NAB Education Foundation’s Broadcast Leadership Training program. The course is a 10-month Executive MBA-style program that targets senior-level broadcast executives who aspire to advance as group executives or station owners.

(By Stacey Lynn Schulman) Earlier this week, Nielsen released its latest Total Audience Report, revealing significant increases in time spent with media. The media day has now expanded to 10h 39m on average, a +10% year-over-year growth rate. So where is radio in this new mediated existence? Let me explain.

The NAB made it clear it was not happy with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's plan to leave the current ownership rules in place. It is now taking another step to keep the pressure on Wheeler to keep the issue alive and moving in a different direction.

In 2000, Adnan Syed was convicted of the 1999 murder of his former girlfriend Hae Min Lee. He has always said he was innocent. All his appeals failed. Forbes reports Baltimore judge Martin Welch vacated Syed’s conviction and acknowledged the role the podcast played in putting the spotlight on this case.

The Wall Street Journal says Apple is in talks to acquire Jay Z's streaming company Tidal to bolster its Apple Music service because of Tidal’s strong ties to artists such as Kanye West and Madonna.