News

John Skipper has stepped down as president of ESPN and co-chair of the Disney Media Networks. A portion of his resignation letter read: "I have struggled for many years with a substance addiction. I have decided that the most important thing I can do right now is to take care of my problem." The substance Skipper is addicted to was not reported.

Radio One in Washington, D.C. has announced the reunion of Tony Perkins and Donnie Simpson. Effective January 16, The Donnie Simpson Show featuring Simpson and Perkins, can be heard on MAJIC 102.3 and 92.7 FM Monday through Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The popular news show will see Mary Louise Kelly succeed Robert Siegel as co-host starting January 17. She will partner up with Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro. Kelly replaces Kelly McEvers, who has been co-host of both All Things Considered and the Embedded podcast.

Dave Fogel is joining Kim Berk to co-host mornings on WLS-FM in Chicago. Berk’s former morning co-host Brant Miller, a local TV weatherman, will anchor weather on WLS-FM and WLS-AM. Fogel co-hosted mornings at the station from 2010 through 2013. He joins WLS-FM from WJMK-FM in Chicago, where he co-hosted mornings for the past five years.

Beasley Media Group have announced that T Gentry will be returning home as Operations Manager and Program Director of Kicks 99 for the company’s Augusta-based cluster on Monday, December 18. Gentry spent the past three years serving as Beasley's Tampa Operations Manager and Program Director at 99.5 WQYK-FM.

Skyview Networks was launched by Ken Thiele and Dave Chamberlain during the 1995-1996 NBA season. The goal was to get the games broadcast to markets outside Phoenix. They've come a long way since that idea was launched over 20 years ago.

Cumulus Media has appointed Roger McCoy as Program Director for Country radio station NASH FM 92.9/WLXX-FM in Lexington, KY. McCoy will also be on-air host on NASH FM 92.9 weekdays from 3-7 p.m. McCoy was most recently evening personality for iHeartMedia station 92.5 WESC-FM in Greenville, SC.

There are now three Country stations in the Denver market with the iHeart flip from Active Rock (which was moved to 107.9). The new station is called "106.7 The Bull, Colorado’s New Country station," which will try to compete with Bonneville Country powerhouse KYGO. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment owns 92.5 The Wolf in the Denver market.

Amazon.com ran 38,478 commercials on radio stations across America last week, according to Media Monitors. That was over three thousand more than GEICO, which took the second spot. Macy's jumped from 56th to third with 33,142 commercials. Walgreens was next airing 30,761, followed by JC Penney with 30,227.

New York City Country station NASH FM 94.7 (WNSH-FM) raised $113,638 for Children’s Miracle Network during its Miracle for the Kids live broadcast on Friday, December 15. Market Manager Chad Lopez said, “This year it was critical for everyone at NASH to hit a fundraising milestone and we’ve done it. I couldn’t be more grateful to each and every one of our listeners."