December 2021
Where Does Your Radio Station’s Data Live?
By: Seth Resler Jacobs Media Strategies From time to time, I encounter radio stations who are doing a good job of capturing listener data, but are not storing all of that data in a single central location. Instead, they have some contacts stored in their email database, some in their text message database, some in…
Read MoreLegendary Former CKLW Music Director Dies
A woman credited with launching the music careers of many rock bands as the music director for CKLW-AM (Windsor-Detroit) (aka The Big 8) has passed away. Rosalie Trombley, a pioneer in Canadian radio died peacefully Tuesday (11/23) at the age of 82, according to reports from the station. Trombley started her career as a switchboard…
Read MoreWION and Local Communities Team Together for Annual “Treasures for Troops” Project
Now in its 8th year, WION (Ionia) Radio’s “Treasures for Troops” collected items on behalf of Blue Star Mothers Chapter #188 of Ionia, Montcalm and Kent Counties and was a success! WION’s broadcast week was November 15th through 19th with broadcasts and call-ins from the Village Market of Muir, Young Chevrolet-Buick-GMC of Ionia and the…
Read MoreGray Television Closes on Meredith Stations
As anticipated, Gray Television closed on its previously announced acquisition of Meredith Corporation’s Local Media Group (“Meredith”) and its 17 television stations in 12 local markets for $16.99 per share in cash, or $2.8 billion in total enterprise value. Gray’s portfolio of television stations now serve 113 local markets reaching approximately 36 percent of U.S.…
Read MoreWHTS’ Jackie Green Crowned Mrs. America 2022
WHTS-FM (Grand Rapids) morning show co-host Jackie Blankenship (known on-air as Jackie Green) has been crowned Mrs. America 2022. She won the Mrs. America Pageant in Las Vegas the weekend of November 20-21. Blankenship’s road to the crown was somewhat complicated, telling WZZM-TV, “I actually was first runner up, I was second place. But the…
Read MoreLongtime WDIV Anchor Steve Garagiola Announces Retirement
Longtime WDIV anchor and reporter Steve Garagiola has announced his retirement after 27 years with the station. Garagiola made the news public in a Facebook post on Wednesday (12/1) and here’s what he had to say: Those of you who know me well, know that I am not one for long emotional goodbyes. So, I have…
Read MoreDr. Oz Decides to Run for the Senate – What to Do When Your On-Air Employee Decides to Run for Public Office
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP On Tuesday (11/30), we were deluged with press inquiries about Dr. Oz’s declaration that he was going to seek the open U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania – with many questions as to whether his syndicated television program would subject stations that aired it to equal time obligations. The…
Read MoreBeasley Celebrates 60th Birthday!
On December 2, Beasley Media Group (BMG) employees across the country gathered to celebrate the company’s official 60th anniversary in broadcasting. Late BMG Founder George G. Beasley, who passed away in June this past year due to complications from COVID, officially launched the company with the unveiling of his very first radio station, WPYB-AM in…
Read MoreDetroit Rock Radio Personality John O’Leary Dead at 67
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, the MAB learned of the tragic death of Detroit radio personality John O’Leary. O’Leary, who was 67, had been missing for nearly a week. Friends told the Detroit Free Press that he wasn’t returning phone calls and was missing meetings about upcoming projects all while his Facebook page went dormant. O’Leary…
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