News

Bob Coburn was the voice of the longtime syndicated rock program called Rockline. KLOS has been his radio home since 1980 and the radio station announced Sunday Coburn has died of lung cancer after being diagnosed earlier this year. The station says Coburn was not in pain and he was surrounded by his family. (Picture courtesy KLOS website).

Steve Rooney, a popular radio personality on Mix 107.5/Clovis, NM, died near his home in Portales, Saturday night, when the vehicle he was driving encountered ice on the roadway, according to a news release from New Mexico State Police. He was 45.

With GM Dave Vagle retiring after managing Hubbard’s Alexandria, MN, market for 27 years, the company has chosen Derek Falter to take his place. Falter will oversee KIKV-FM and KULO-FM in Alexandria and KKWS-FM, KWAD-AM and KNSP-AM in Wadena.

Emmis Austin Radio’s seven radio stations are neck deep in the spirit of giving these holidays, helping out Central Texas charities. Each station supported the local community through the following efforts...

Amarillo’s 100.9 The Eagle doesn’t do things by half measures – especially when it comes to helping the community. On December 5 through 9, the station raised over $10,000 for the High Plains Food Bank with their 14th Annual Turkeys or $20. Pretty simple concept: The Eagle asked listeners to bring a turkey or a $20 bill during the food drive held in the parking lot of Market Street United. And consequently, 152 turkeys tumbled in.

97.1 WASH-FM (Washington DC) announced Friday that its 2nd annual WASH For Kids Radiothon raised $484,004 for the Children’s National Health System, which provides pediatric care in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. (Up from $326,492 raised last year.)

Portland’s 98.7 The Bull (KUPL) is the latest station to come to the aid of the universally admired hospital with their 3rd Annual St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Radiothon, December 8-9. The grand total raised was an amazing $187,560.

(By Bob McCurdy) Over the past 10 days, I streamed Pandora as I occasionally do around Christmas. They have a nice Classical Christmas channel, but the listening experiences this year were bizarre and rather unpleasant.

West Palm Beach’s 850 WFTL helped the West Palm Beach Walk to Cure Arthritis raise over $40,000, December 3.

Founded in 1973, when WWKI personality Dick Bronson took a call from a laid-off worker who couldn’t provide Christmas for his family, and sent him half the contents of his wallet and encouraged his listeners to do the same, We Care was born. The Kokomo, IN, community responded magnificently and the organization has been thriving since. In fact, 44 years later, We Care raised a total of $436,192.26 for 2016 and now supports five Kokomo nonprofits.