News

Bloomberg Business has the details about how Amazon is ramping up investment in podcasts and other radio-style shows. The online company offers the audio programming through Audible, which it acquired in 2008.

It's just the way of the world in radio these days. Managers need to push their people as hard as possible, to get as much work out of them, while keeping them happy and on the team. It works for some people and doesn't work for others. On the programming side, you do your own shift, voicetrack for other markets, cut a few spots, and complete whatever else the boss needs. Thirty-year Cincinnati vet Bobbi Maxwell said that that life wasn't for her and quit.

Mark Ramsey calls Hivio the first and only audio future festival and it will be held in Los Angeles on June 2 and 3, 2016. It's the 4th year for the event and Ramsey says it brings together people from radio, online radio, podcasting, talent, agencies, social media, platforms, and more.

Broker Michael Bergner tells Radio Ink that the Wilks stations being sold to Radio One and Saga in Columbus have closed. Radio One closed on its $2 million purchase of the former WHOK-FM and WZOH-FM. And Saga closed on its $13 million acquisition of WLVQ-FM. The sales were originally announced back in November.

Two days full of exciting sessions and artist performances are days away from kicking off at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. It's also the venue Radio Ink will once again present the Top Country Radio Program Directors with their awards for programming outstanding country radio stations across the U.S. Big Machine Label Group has announced the musical lineup for its Wednesday luncheon, which will be headlined by Jennifer Nettles.

John Boyle is the new Operations Manager and Program Director for NASH FM 92.3/WRKN-FM and 106.1 the Underground/WZRH-FM in New Orleans, replacing Ray Mariner. Boyle moves to New Orleans from Melbourne where he was PD at Cumulus’ 95 ROCK/WSJZ.

Futuri Media has reached an agreement with Cumulus to provide the company with four of its platforms: Listener Driven Radio, Takeover, TopicPulse social media monitoring, and TopLine sales research. The technology will be implemented in 27 of Cumulus’ largest markets with additional markets and stations to follow.

After taking some time to try his hand as marketing director for Six Bends Harley Davidson in Fort Myers, Jeff Hickox is back in radio with Beasley Broadcasting. Hickox had been with Beasley for two decades, mainly on the air, before the move to Harley.

The Alliance for Women in Media and its foundation are proud to announce its 2016 National Board of Directors. Many board members, along with nearly 50 industry executives, participated in judging the record number of 2016 Gracies entries on January 30 and 31.

It's called The Grammy Fund for Music Creators and it's a Political Action Committee just put together by the Recording Academy and announced yesterday. In a blog post about the new PAC Daryl Friedman, chief industry, government and members relations officer for the Recording Academy, said "Broadcasters, tech companies and other large corporations are pocketing the profits from music, while music creators don’t always receive fair compensation for their work."