News

No surprise here and it's really not even close. Pandora's brand awareness among 12-plus listeners is over 80%, according to the latest Infinite Dial study. That compares to 67% for Apple Music, 65% for iHeartRadio, and 52% for Spotify.

Based on the 18-plus population surveyed in the 2016 Infinite Dial survey, 84% continue to use AM/FM radio as their primary source for audio in the car. Surprisingly the CD player is next at 56%, followed by an MP3 Player or the listeners' own digital music at 38%. Online radio comes in next at 21%, followed by satellite radio at 19%. And when consumers are asked how often they use an audio source, AM/FM dwarfs online radio 54% to 8%.

The Copyright Royalty Judges have made it officially official. The rates webcasters must pay to air songs on the Internet are now set through 2020 and have been officially filed. As you already know, the rate for commercial subscription services in 2016 is $0.0022 per performance. The rate for commercial nonsubscription services in 2016 is $0.0017 per performance. The 2017-2020 rates will be adjusted to reflect the increases or decreases, if any, as measured by the Consumer Price Index. If you would like to read the entire ruling, GO HERE. It's 222 pages long.

iHeartMedia Phoenix is adding Brooke Hoover as new morning show co-host on KNIX's Ben and Matt Show, joining Ben Campbell and Matt McAllister Monday-Saturday mornings 5-10:00 a.m. Hoover joins KNIX from iHeartMedia Raleigh. She spent more than four years on the Bob and The Showgram show at G105, where she co-hosted and served as Assistant Producer.

The January 2016 Triton Digital January ranker is out and it shows the month had 4.5 million active average sessions, which is slightly up from December, (M-F 6A-8P). When compared to January 2015, average active sessions grew 14% (M-F 6A-8P) and 11.3% (M-Sun 6A-Mid).

The new NAB conference is called the "Digital Futures Exchange" and it will be will be held April 17 at the show in Vegas. The NAB says this conference will showcase "emerging trends and best practices for broadcasters to leverage successful digital content strategies and drive new revenue." The conference will feature presentations by analysts such as Pew, BIA/Kelsey, and the Local Media Association.

The name of the new podcast is "Embedded," and it's hosted by "All Things Considered" co-host Kelly McEvers. In each episode, McEvers and other NPR reporters are embedded newsmakers around the world, including Texas biker gangs, police on Skid Row, the makers of a negative political ad, and the people most affected by El Salvador's gang war.

Westwood One has announced a new partnership with podcaster Jason Stapleton, host of the top-rated podcast, The Jason Stapleton Program. The show is one of the largest liberty-minded podcasts in the world.

710 ESPN, a Bonneville Seattle station, and MLB's Seattle Mariners have agreed to a multi-year contract extension and the station will continue as the home of Mariners baseball. The Mariners have been broadcasting on 710 ESPN since the station’s transition to an all-sports format in 2009. KIRO-AM was also the team’s flagship station from 1985 – 2002.

Marta DeLisi has returned to Beasley's WJBR-FM in Wilmington as GSM. DeLisi says radio is her life but Beasley is her home. “Over the past 14 years, I’ve worked in several radio positions at stations throughout the Philadelphia and Wilmington media markets, but my greatest accomplishments were when I have worked for Beasley."