News

WGN Radio’s Vice President of Content & Programming Todd Manley will now add Station Manager to his title at the Tribune- owned station. Manley will oversee the long-term strategy and day-to-day management of WGN Radio on all platforms. In addition WGN-TV President/General Manager Paul Rennie adds WGN Radio to his oversight. Manley will report to Paul Rennie.

Howard Stern's exclusive SiriusXM channel, Howard 100, will turn "all interviews, all the time," starting midnight December 18, and run through New Year's Day. Howard 101, will be dedicated to the show's greatest highlights from the year. Howard 101: Everything Else will feature his top comedic moments with the Wack Pack, prank phone calls, and stunts.

WLS in Chicago will move more conservative come January 1. The husband-wife team of Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano, who host middays, will be replaced by the syndicated Chris Plante Show (9-11), and Rush Limbaugh will be broadcast live (11-2 Chicago time). One year ago, Sirott and Murciano replaced Jonathon Brandmeier.

iHeartMedia’s New Alternative station in the Motor City will debut The Woody Show on January 3. Senior VP of Programming Tony Travatto says, “The show is real and funny and we think it’s a perfect fit for ALT 106.7.

Joan Mestres is a senior marketing consultant for Hubbard Interactive in St. Louis. Mestres decided running PSAs for a local charity just wasn’t enough. She got creative, stayed persistent, and created several ideas for the Greater Missouri Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Not only did her ideas raise funds for the organization, they produced revenue for the station.

According to Nielsen, PPM data shows News/Talk reigned supreme once again as the number one radio format. And that comes as no surprise with so many natural disasters, the political landscape in Washington, and listeners' desire to know what's going on in their local communities.

The NAB reports that with the addition of five more members from the House of Representatives, 220 now support the Local Radio Freedom Act, two more than needed to constitute a majority. The resolution opposes any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge on radio stations. Here are the five new members.

According to the Chicago Tribune, former Chicago radio host Roma Wade recently sold her 2,200-square-foot Chicago condo for $770,000. Along with her late husband Don, the condo on Lake Shore Drive was purchased back in 1995 for $265,000. The couple worked at WLS together from 1986 to 2012. Don died of brain cancer in 2013 at the age of 72. Wade now lives in Florida.

Townsquare Media Jersey Shore heritage radio brands 94.3 The Point (WJLK), 92.7 WOBM, 105.7 The Hawk (WCHR), and Beach Radio 1160/1310 (WOBM-AM) have been busy during Q4 2017 with a variety of cause-marketing initiatives, helping raise more than $200,000 for local causes. This includes local food and toy drives, fundraising walks, and radiothons. 

Country radio specialists Mike O’Malley and Becky Brenner have announced that their 24th annual pre-CRS seminar will take place on Monday, February 5, 2018 at the Music City Center, Downtown Nashville, from 10:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The A&O&B team will present the first highlights from their 13th annual online perceptual study, “Roadmap 2018.”