News

Lee Hammer has been the Program Director at KNBR 680 for the last 12 years and was Program Director for KNBR 1050 (KTCT) for over 19 years. On Thursday, Cumulus promoted Hammer to the newly created position of Vice President, Sports Play-by-Play Programming for San Francisco. Hammer has been named one of Radio Ink's Best Program Directors since 2013.

Paul Douglas and Jordana Green have been named the new afternoon drive hosts on WCCO-AM in Minneapolis. They begin August 1 and they replace John Williams who took a position with WGN in Chicago.

As Gordon Smith heads into his eighth year as president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, many in our industry are glad that position carries no term limits for the former Senator. Smith is very popular among the NAB radio membership and his calmness, stability, and professionalism serve the radio industry very well (in addition to the great team he has working for him). Smith is among Radio's 40 Most Powerful People and has been ever since he took the NAB leadership job eight years ago. His official ranking on the list will be revealed next week when our Top 40 issue mails.

That’s DJ Hot Sauce, AKA Roderick Grover, who has been appointed Program Director for the Urban station in Florence, SC. DJ Hot Sauce was previously Mix Show Coordinator and on-air personality for WGCI-FM in Chicago. Prior to that, he held radio positions in Montgomery, Milwaukee and Shreveport.

(By Eric Rhoads) Here’s a news flash, in case you missed it: Madison Avenue advertisers are mostly not enamored of radio. Yes, there are some loyal ones who continue to spend, but, right or wrong, most believe the world has moved on and that things like radio are antiquated.

Kelly Ripa is going on vacation and on-air personality Sisanie will team up with Ryan Seacrest to co-host ABC’s Live With Kelly and Ryan while she’s away. Look for her on August 7. Sisanie co-hosts On Air with Ryan Seacrest.

Rockcastle Media Networks has signed Country morning show Wilhite & Wall to its lineup of programming as of September 4. Rockcastle was launched in April 2016 by network veteran Will Sterrett. The network also carries The MusicWeek Countdown, The Neon Beat with John Christopher, and the short-form features Think Fast! and The Motivation Minute with Greg Knapp.

(By Georgia Beasley) Technology has allowed for more sharing in all aspects of Millennials’ lives. We share photos on the “cloud,” we ride-share in Ubers, and we share our once-personal moments through social media. This approach is no different in the workplace and exactly the environment that allows Millennials to excel.

(By Curt Krafft) A radio station that contradicts itself. A station that does one thing but promotes just the opposite. A station that sends out a signal reassuring the listeners that it's giving them what they want. A station with a tower, a transmitter, and a license to broadcast....from the Twilight Zone.

The multi-Grammy Award-winning country band will perform at the NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show, on Thursday, September 7. The event is part of the 2017 Radio Show, held September 5-8 at the JW Marriott Austin and produced by the National Association of Broadcasters and Radio Advertising Bureau.