News

(By Tracy Johnson) The measure of what makes a great program director is changing. And it will be changing even more in the very near future. Increasingly, the most important task for programmers is managing talent.

It's always a good idea to have facts on your side when you decide to personally attack someone. And in this case, management at one station in Cleveland, it appears, believed this host went too far.

Yesterday we reported on KAVV's owner Paul Lotsof who decided to use his radio station to advance his personal agenda. He did not agree with a law on the books in Arizona and he ran PSA's saying so. After it was posted to Facebook this week, the community backlash was instant (it's important to note that Lotsoff had been airing the PSA's for the past two years).

iHeartMedia announced Wednesday that JoJo Turnbeaugh has been named Regional Senior Vice President of Programming for Denver. iHeart Denver includes radio stations spanning six markets, including NewsRadio KOA, 103.5 The Fox, Channel 93.3, and KBCO in Denver, as well as Springs Y96.9 and My 99.9 in Colorado Springs, and KISS 96.1 in Fort Collins.

Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame DJ and The Bone 107.7/KSAN-FM midday personality Steven Seaweed is retiring. His last broadcast will be June 30. Seaweed debuted in Rock radio on KLRB-FM in Carmel, CA, on New Year’s Eve, 1972.

Donny Hudson has been with Spanish Broadcasting for 18 years holding many management positions, including SVP of Sales, LSM and D.O.S. SBS has named him VP/GM in Miami replacing Carolina Santamarina who's moving to SBS Portafolio.

As CMG’s new Sr. Director of Human Resources,  Ashley Peterson will support all of CMG’s corporate client areas, in addition to Rare and CMG’s Washington D.C. News Bureau. She will work out of the company’s Atlanta headquarters.

Saga is selling its TV stations in the Joplin, MO – Pittsburg, KS and the Victoria, TX television markets for an aggregate price of approximately $66.6 million. Saga is also buying WCKN (FM), WMXZ (FM), WXST (FM), WAVF (FM), WSPO (AM), W261DG and W257BQ in Charleston, SC and WVSC (FM), WLHH (FM), WALI (FM), W256CB and W293BZ, serving the Hilton Head and Beaufort, SC radio markets, from Apex Media Corporation for $23.0 million.

Kelly Ransford is iHeartMedia’s new Director of Event Marketing in the Mile High City. The company is known for its marquee events in the city, including Channel 93.3’s Big Gig and Keggs and Eggs, The KBPI Rock n’ Roll Car Show, The 97.3 The KBCO On Tap series, and the newly created Denver Broncos Block Party.

John Oliver's campaign against FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is turning ugly. Not only is the FCC comment section full of fake comments, there are also death threats against Pai. The Chairman is getting ready to reverse Net Neutrality adopted under Thomas Wheeler. The Washington Free Beacon has the specific, and quite vulgar, comments posted against Pai.