News

(By Kevin Neathery) You, like me, probably landed in radio sales on your way to or from somewhere else. You probably began as a rep on the street armed with a one-sheet spot package and a dirge list of discarded “accounts” no one else could sell. You bloodied your nose, learned the business, grew your billing, and one day, boom, someone “leaves” (poor devil) and you are the new Sales Manager!

(By Adrian Zupp) I don’t always remember birthdays. But from the time I was 11 I’ve remembered March 8, 1971. That’s the date of the “Fight of the Century,” when Muhammad Ali, just two fights returned from government-imposed exile, fought Joe Frazier to try and grab back his heavyweight championship belt.

Original Country Gold with Rowdy Yates has joined the roster on Country Legends 97.1 (KTHT FM) in Houston, and will air Saturdays, 7 p.m. to 12 midnight beginning June 11. Yates worked in Houston from 1994-2011 and is best known for his afternoon drive show on KILT-FM, Rowdy’s Ride Home.

Cox Media Group has announced that their Ohio Market VP Julia Wallace will be retiring from the company at the end of the year. Wallace joined Cox in 2000 as Managing Editor of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. The search for Wallace’s successor will begin immediately. In the interim, Rob Rohr, CMG Ohio’s General Manager, will oversee the operation.

The former Abacast CEO merged his company with WideOrbit in June of 2014. As part of the transaction, Green stayed for two years as VP of streaming for WideOrbit. That agreement has come to an end and Green says he's moving on. "I’ve been a startup mentor, advisor, board member, and executive and I’m interested in these types of roles going forward." Green can be reached at [email protected]

The Baltimore Orioles welcomed FOX Sports Radio’s Steve Gorman and his brother Jim Gorman to Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 5 to help raise awareness for the Multiple System Atrophy Coalition. The Steve Gorman SPORTS! host threw out the first pitch at the Yankees-Orioles game, and the brothers were recognized by the O’s for their efforts to raise money and awareness for MSA, which Jim was diagnosed with in 2014.

Cumulus Media announced Tuesday that John “Online” Mingione has joined the WPLJ-FM weekday morning program, Todd & Jayde in the Morning as Street Ranger and Video Vigilante. The show airs weekdays on 95.5 WPLJ from 6-10 a.m.

This one will come as no surprise. Although nothing has been filed with the court yet, SoundExchange has stated it plans to appeal the recently approved CRB webcasting rates that went into effect this past January.

Today NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith will participate on a panel for the White House's "Making Health Care Better Series: Mental Health." In 2013, NAB launched the "OK2Talk" mental health awareness PSA campaign to encourage greater dialogue about mental health issues, especially by families with children.

The E.W. Scripps Company, which owns 34 radio stations in eight markets, has acquired Stitcher for $4.5 million. Over the years, Stitcher has morphed into a platform for podcasts, now providing streaming for more than 65,000 of them. Stitcher will operate as part of Midroll Media, which Scripps purchased about a year ago. Twelve Stitcher employees will join the Midroll team.