News

The ceremony was held by the Country Radio Broadcasters, Tuesday, at the Marriott Nashville. This year’s Country Radio Hall of Fame inductees in radio are Tim Closson, Charlie Ochs, and Mel Owens, and in the on-air category Joe Wade Formicola (posthumously), Linda Lee (posthumously), Jim Mantel, and The Good Morning Guys (Todd Harding, Susan Moore, Brian Gary).

(By Barry Cohen) It may sound like posturing, but unless you are selling in Death Valley, or a town with a population of only 40, you are in charge of who has access to your assets. Your audience is your product -- not your signal, not your talent, not your programming.

(By Dick Kalt) While the new hot term UX, for “User Experience,” is mostly associated with online engagement on commercial websites, it has just as much relevance to radio — but nobody really thinks about that. Now more than ever, broadcasters must realize that user experience involves far more than just playing the music they think people want to hear.

Blue Alerts can be used to warn the public with actionable information related to a law enforcement officer who's missing, injured, or killed in the line of duty, or when there's an imminent credible threat to an officer. The Blue Alert option would be used by authorities to notify the public through radio and TV of threats to law enforcement and to help apprehend dangerous suspects.

He's been dead for three years (6/15/14) yet the family feud over radio icon Casey Kasem rages on. The latest twist is a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Kasem's widow against his three children. Jean Kasem is accusing Kerri, Mike, and Julie Kasem (from a prior relationship) of participating in a “homicidal guardianship scam” that directly led to his death.

WCBS Newsradio 880AM will present “Celebrating 50 Years of News: A Night of New York Stories” on Tuesday, August 8 at the PlayStation Theater in NYC’s Times Square. The famed station is bringing in some of NYC’s most notable celebrities in news, sports, politics, and entertainment to help celebrate. Tickets go on sale June 23.

The conservative talkers, numbering more than 60, will use the two days to pressure President Trump to stay the course with his immigration policies and Congress to follow suit. This will be 11th annual Hold Their Feet to the Fire radio row event.

Digital subscribers to Radio Ink have already received our latest issue, which includes our interview with "Super Agent" Heather Cohen, who is also on our 2017 Most Influential Women in Radio list. Print subscribers will start to see their copy in a few days. If you would like to subscribe to Radio Ink and have it downloaded to your device immediately, including this issue, GO HERE. Have your copy before the boss. Get an entire year of Radio Ink digital for only $49.00.

The meeting was arranged by Kizart Media Partners and included the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, who met with P&G executives at their Cincinnati headquarters. The initiatives discussed have not yet been announced publicly, however they included concerns from the African American community, according to Kizart.

Podcast outfit Midroll Media has brought in Amy Fitzgibbons as Vice President of Marketing; Laura Mayer joins as Executive Producer for Midroll; and David Murray becomes Vice President of Finance and Strategy. Fitzgibbons comes to Midroll from PhotoShelter; Mayer joins the company from Panoply; and, Murray joins from The E.W. Scripps Company.