News

Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold -- from the syndicated Bob & Tom morning show -- are among the five broadcasters going into the Indiana Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony slated for November 17. Brad Byrd, Ed Roehling, and Bill Shirk are the others.

New cars are no longer the only way to get a taste of SiriusXM Radio. Used-car buyers all over the country are getting a chance to test drive the radio service. And, SiriusXM just announced another big deal.

Michael Pettiette gets the promotion to VP and D.O.S. He moves up from Regional Director of Digital Sales for the six-station cluster. He'll now lead the CBS Radio Houston teams responsible for both digital and over-the-air revenue for the entire cluster.

The newest radio station in Southwest Florida from the Beasley Media Group is called "Playa 98.1" and will be heard on WRXK-HD2. The format is a mix of Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata, and will feature music by Marc Anthony, Juan Luis Guerra, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Luis Enrique, and other Latin artists. The station kicked off with 10,000 songs in a row.

That's what Wayne Bradley told The American Mirror in Detroit and posted to his Facebook page. Bradley posted, "I was put on hiatus at 910AM Superstation the weekend Donald Trump came to Detroit. I have not been allowed back on the air since." He then urges his fans to contact station owner Kevin Adell. We were unable to reach anyone at the radio station last night to get a comment.

In addition to being heard on 97.1, Emmis' News-Talker KFTK-FM in St. Louis can now also be heard on FM 98.7 and AM 1490. The additions will increase the reach of KFTK-FM to the extended St. Louis metropolitan region. 1490-AM was Yahoo Sports and FM 98.7 is a brand new frequency on a translator.

Veteran executives Erin Callaghan, Jamie Moffat, Curtis Qualls, and Tina Segerstrom have joined the sales division of tech company Futuri Media. All will hold the title of Account Manager.

No press release to make the announcement, just a tweet from CEO Daniel Ek. “40 is the new 30. Million,” was Ek's post Wednesday night. By comparison in the streaming space, Apple Music has 17 million paying users, Tidal said in June it had about 4.2 million paying subs. Pandora hopes to convert many of its 78 million users to paying subs once it joins the pay-to-play streaming space.

Podcasts are becoming so popular, there's a show going national that helps listeners find new podcasts. Starting October 6, NPR will begin distribution of WAMU-FM's The Big Listen. Hosted by Lauren Ober (pictured), The Big Listen introduces listeners to new podcasts they might have never heard of.

CBS Radio DFW is having one of its best years ever, with both ratings and revenue up nicely. At the helm is Market Manager Brian Purdy. According to people who work for him, Brian is more than a numbers manager, he truly cares about his employees. One of the ways he keeps his team motivated is by holding breakfasts or happy hours where the staff celebrates its "Rockstar of the Month."