Prior to the start of the season opening Michigan Wolverine Football game on September 4, play-by-play announcer Jim Brandstatter and analyst Dan Dierdorf announced they both will be retiring at the end of the season. Brandstatter has been heard on Michigan radio in some form since 1987. He was previously the color analyst while Frank…
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the last week (8/28-9/3), with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. In a significant win for television broadcasters, a federal district court in…
Scripps Media’s WXYZ-TV (Detroit) has launched its annual “If You Give a Child a Book …” campaign, supported by the Scripps Howard Foundation. In a release, the station says “we believe giving children books can take them to new places, open their imaginations, fuel big dreams, plant the seeds for future success and help break…
iHeartMedia has branded long-time sports outlet WMAX-FM (Holland/Grand Rapids) from “ESPN 96.1” to “96.1 The Game.” Although the station will continue to air programming from ESPN, the new branding includes the Michigan Sports Network’s “X’s and Bro’s” hosted by Anthony Bellino for mornings and “The Huge Show” hosted by Bill Simonson for afternoons. These changes…
Beasley Media Group/Detroit made several announcements this past week. The company (8/31) has promoted Jade Springart to the Program Director position at 101 WRIF-FM. She will begin her new position immediately. Springart, who has been with the station for the past 15 years and started working at the station as a promotions intern, most recently…
On August 26, the FCC released its 2021 Regulatory Fee Order, which can be found here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-21-98A1.pdf. The efforts of various State Broadcast Associations, including your MAB as well as the NAB were very successful, and as a result: The proposed regulatory fees for broadcasters dropped by about 9%. As a result, the FCC’s large…
This fall, the classical music side of Interlochen Public Radio (IPR) and the Traverse Area District Library (TADL) will launch a new partnership as part of an initiative to bring more classical music into the local community. The new series will take place every second Sunday of the month at 1 p.m. in the McGuire…
Gray’s WILX-TV (Lansing) has announced an updated look and lineup this past week. The station has launched new on-air graphics, including a new red logo and tagline Breaking News & First Alert Weather. This coincided with the appointment of Darrin Rockcole as First Alert Chief Meteorologist. Rockcole, who retired from television news last July after…
By: Seth Resler Jacobs Media Strategies These days, the news is full of emergencies — from foreign entanglements to weather-related catastrophes. At this point, there’s no excuse for getting caught off guard if a disaster strikes in your market. This is particularly true if your radio station is using its “live and local” presence to…
Dr. William E. Coté, a retired journalism professor who influenced the careers of hundreds of Michigan State University students and a member of the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame, died this past Monday (8/30) at age 81. Coté was born July 14, 1940 in Jackson, MI, the son of Mervin and Maybelle (Crosthwaite) Coté. He…