News

The changes keep rolling out from Entercom's HQ in Philadelphia. On Monday, the company launched "The New 94.1 The Sound," a Soft Rock format replacing Country format KMPS-FM. As part of the change, host Deanna Lee will be moving over to 100.7 The Wolf, Entercom's country station in Seattle. It does not appear any other employees have been asked to stay.

As quickly as Entercom flipped out of the Country format in Seattle, Hubbard jumped in. Hubbard has flipped its Rock format to "New Country 98.9 FM," using the slugline: “Nobody Plays More New Country.”

It’s a spin-off! NPR is launching The Indicator from Planet Money, a new podcast that brings insight and context to the worlds of business and economics. The Indicator takes the signature Planet Money storytelling approach and delivers it faster, in shorter podcasts, more frequently.

Included in tax reform legislation passed by the Senate was the preservation of advertising deductibility for businesses. NAB CEO Gordon Smith expressed his happiness for that decision. “NAB commends the Senate on passage of comprehensive legislation to modernize the U.S. tax code. Importantly, this bill preserves the full and immediate deductibility of business advertising, which serves as a key driver of economic activity and job creation."

The company’s news division is producing two long-form year-in-review programs: The Year in Review – The Big Stories, anchored by First Light host Evan Haning; and The Year in Review – People, Sports and Entertainment, anchored by America in the Morning host John Trout.

Incredible! 96.1 KISS collected enough toys to fill 59 buses during the 14th annual Stuff A Bus drive, surpassing last year’s total of 57 buses. The new and unwrapped toys will benefit the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program.

In a fantastic effort, the New Country 92.3 personalities’ "Bikes, Balls and Barbies" campaign exceeded their goal of collecting 10,000 toys. The 36-hour toy-drive marathon was broadcast live over the air and on Facebook Live, and benefited the Salvation Army in St. Louis.

99.5 The Wolf (KPLX-FM) raised $230,477 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during a series of events, November 30 through December 3. The station hosted their annual 99.5 The Wolf’s Hunt for a Cure, Country Cares for St. Jude Kids® Broadcast, November 30 and December 1, raising $215,477 for the hospital.

iHeartMedia Norfolk, which recently flipped a CHR station to Alternative Rock, has hired Brett Ballard to program the station. He'll also host afternoons. Ballard joins the Norfolk Market from WTKX in Mobile where he was PD at WTKX. He also programmed WRKH in Mobile and WFFX in Hattiesburg, Mississippi for iHeart.

CBS News is reporting that former New York City public radio host John Hockenberry, who left his show earlier this year, is being accused of sexual misconduct by an author and some of his former colleagues.