News

iHeartMedia Boston announced new agreements with programmers Michael Vinci, Lance Houston, and DJ Pup Dawg. Vinci is named APD and Music Director of KISS 108; Houston signed a new long-term deal as PD for 101.7 The Bull; and DJ Pup Dawg signed a long-term agreement to continue as APD and Music Director for JAM’N 94-5.

Tom Sullivan has been in syndication for nearly a decade and that will continue after inking a new deal with Talk Media Network. Sullivan's flagship station is KFBK in Sacramento where he's been the top-rated talk host since July 1998. Fox News Radio was previously syndicating Sullivan.

LaGrega worked for United Stations Radio Networks for nine years as Vice President of Affiliations/Sales. Before that he worked at ABC Radio Network for 30 years. He'd been dealing with health issues for about a year and USRN COO Jim Higgins tells Radio Ink that, while on vacation with his family, his heart just stopped working

Emmis' first quarter includes the months of March, April, and May and during those months Emmis' pro-forma revenue was down 6.7% from $42.7 million to $38.7 million. Emmis’ Austin and St. Louis clusters outperformed their markets while New York and Indianapolis underperformed.

Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan said the deal to sell KPWR-FM in Los Angeles to the Meruelo Group for $82.75 million has been approved by the FCC and should close over the next two months. Emmis announced the sale in May and Meruelo started an LMA on July 1. Once the sale of Power 106 closes, the company’s senior credit facility debt will be reduced by approximately 50%.

Yvon Grand-Champ of Mattapan, Massachusetts, is caught operating at 106.3 MHz from the Revelation Pentecostal Holy Church. Howard Bryan is accused of running a pirate station at 89.7 in Paterson, New Jersey, from his home. And Orlando Morillo is nailed by the FCC for an unlicensed station at 94.9 from his house in the Bronx. The FCC has been cracking down on pirate radio stations.

That's according to The Detroit Free Press as the Detroit sports talk star sits in the Fancesa chair in New York filling in today (he also subbed for Francesa Wednesday and Thursday). Valenti is a ratings magnet for The Ticket in Detroit. Both WFAN and The Ticket are owned by CBS (for now of course). The 36-year old Valenti is a New York native.

The NAB says four more members of the House of Representatives and another Senator have signed on as cosponsors of a resolution opposing "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local broadcast radio stations." The Local Radio Freedom Act now has 199 cosponsors in the House and 23 in the Senate.

iHeart Media Area President Chris Walus exits as the company reorganizes the Delaware and Eastern Shore of Maryland operations. Walus was with iHeart for eight years, managing 11 stations in Wilmington/Dover, DE, and Salisbury/Ocean City, MD. He said he's ready for his next media adventure and can be reached at 302-750-6946 or [email protected]. 

iHeartMedia San Antonio announced that Kyle Due is the new PD for Country station KJ97 and Classic Country 92.5/93.3 The Bull. He'll also host weekday afternoons on KJ 97. Due has worked as both an on-air talent and programmer for iHeartMedia for the past 16 years, and most recently served as PD for WAEB and WZZO in Allentown.