The FCC’s Auction 109 of of 136 FM signals and 4 AM signals ended August 5 after eight days and 36 rounds of bidding with 97 of the potential licenses nationwide won. The auction brought in $13,770,950 in bids with a net of $12,344,110 following the use of bidding credits. In Michigan, there were six…
Nationally Recognized Musicians Support Michigan Tribal Communities Highlighting the Need for Increased Vaccinations Among Young Adults An award winning group with more than 30 million plays on Spotify is lending their music to Michigan tribal communities in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) encouraging the uptake of the COVID vaccines among young adults across Michigan. “The…
By: Karole L. White President/CEO, Michigan Association of Broadcasters Happy Birthday to Ross Biederman of Midwestern Broadcasting. On Saturday, July 31, I was on-hand for the 80th birthday party for Ross Biederman, President of Midwestern Broadcasting. The celebration was held at the barn of Chris Warren, General Manager of the company. I was honored to…
By: Seth Resler Jacobs Media Strategies Pandemic or not, radio broadcasters everywhere should be experimenting with livestreaming video. For radio stations, it can provide a new way to engage with audiences. For on-air talent, it can provide a way to continue doing a show even if you find yourself “on the beach.” (For a great…
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a package of seven fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills, including $388 million for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and $565 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) fiscal year 2024 advance appropriation. The $617 billion package passed by a 219-208 vote along party lines; the Senate has…
WKAR Public Media at Michigan State University recently launched a new podcast series, ¿Qué Onda Michigan? The WKAR original is a weekly Spanish-language news podcast hosted by Bilingual Latinx Stories Reporter Michelle Jokisch Polo and WLNS-TV Reporter Araceli Crescencio. “It’s been really exciting to hear the positive feedback from community and how thankful they are…
Midwest Family Broadcasting’s WSJM-FM (St. Joseph) has announced that longtime sports director Phil McDonald is cutting back his broadcasting committments to join Lake Michigan Catholic as Athletic Director. McDonald has been with WSJM for more than 35 years, having started as a part-timer in the 80s when he was in college. At first, he did…
The MAB has learned that Michael Sirianni, a popular West Michigan radio host, passed away July 20 after a decades-long fight with MS. During the 80s, 90s and early 2000s he worked at various West Michigan stations including WLHT-FM, WJFM-FM, WODJ-FM, WLAV-FM, WOOD-FM and WCSG-FM. Sirianni started his broadcasting career at WTRU in Muskegon. He…
By: Seth Resler Jacobs Media Strategies For decades, radio stations have used promotional appearances by their street teams as ways to engage listeners. Unfortunately, the reality is that this is a largely inefficient way to reach the audience; the numbers just don’t work. However, social media can create new value for street team appearances —…
Veteran northern Michigan reporter/anchor Dave Fortin has passed away. Fortin died July 21 at age 81. Fortin was on the television screen for over five decades. His career started at WPBN/WTOM-TV (Traverse City) in 1963 as a news anchor, reporter and sometimes a meteorologist. During his time at the station, he was known for always…