News

As we reported back in August, Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan is making another attempt at taking the company private. He's offering shareholders $4.10 per share, which amounts to approximately $46.5 million. The Emmis Board of Directors has formed a special committee of "disinterested directors" to evaluate that proposal. On Friday, Smulyan gave the board a two-week extension, until September 30, to respond, "at which point the proposal will expire without any further action of any party."

Hubbard Radio Seattle has named Joe “Jeetz” Reder as Afternoon Drive Host at Rock 98.9 KVRQ. Jeetz spent over eight years working the airwaves for 99.9 KISW/Seattle, before moving to, wait for it, Anchorage, Alaska, where he as PD and on afternoon drive. He also had a stop in Sin City doing mornings at KXTE.

It was a five-day affair by the duo as they spearheaded the fundraising on behalf of 101.9fm THE MIX / WTMX Chicago for the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago during its 17th annual fundraising efforts. The final total: $986,673. It was the 17th year for the fundraiser.

It won’t surprise many people that Greater Media Senior Vice President Heidi Raphael has been named among the class of 2016 Women of Influence in Western New York by Buffalo Business First. The much-admired executive will be honored during a special luncheon, Thursday, September 22 at the Millennium Hotel in Buffalo, New York.

J.T. “The Brick” has been hired by Entercom's 95.7 The GAME (KGMZ-FM) as midday host beginning Monday. J.T. worked for six years at KTCT 1050-AM as host of the Oakland Raiders pre and post-game radio shows.

The Carroll County Times reports family members said Dark died of cancer at the age of 82. Dark had been on the air in Maryland for more than 50 years, including 30 years at Baltimore's WCAO-AM.

It’s been one year since Mary Berner took over Cumulus, and when radio executives converge on Nashville next week, for the Radio Show, they'll get their first full explanation of how things are going at one of radio's largest companies. Mary Berner is on the cover of our special Radio Show issue and the new CEO did not shy away from any of our questions.

On Thursday, CBS Chairman and CEO Les Moonves answered questions at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference. The majority of his 43 minutes on stage was dedicated to television, however radio did come up, and here's what Moonves had to say.

Community Broadcasters has hired Jerry Hannahs as its new Fort Walton Beach GSM. Hannahs returns to the market in which he began his radio career. He moves to Community Broadcasters from West Virginia where he was Market Manager for Forever Media.

It's the final of the big three labels that Pandora was trying to nail down for its new streaming service. CEO Tim Westergren said, "Warner has been a tremendous partner to Pandora and we're thrilled to expand the relationship in a way that truly supports both of our businesses and the artists we serve."