FEMA and the FCC announced that this year’s Nationwide EAS Test is scheduled for October 4, 2023 (with a back-up date of October 11 in case there is a real or threatened event that occurs around October 4). FEMA will transmit the nationwide test of the EAS at 2:20 pm EDT on October 4, 2023 using the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), the Internet-delivered warning system that has been required for broadcasters for about a dozen years.
The MHSAA will coordinate audio broadcasts of championship events in a variety of sports formatted for over-the-air use for the 2023-24 school year. The MHSAA will again offer a rights fee waiver program for the school year to network affiliates wishing to originate postseason tournament events.
Macdonald Broadcasting’s WKCQ-FM (Saginaw) longtime morning host Jim Kramer has officially retired after 35 years with the station. Kramer took a leave of absence for medical reasons in February with Operations Manager Jason Addams filling in.
The Society of Broadcast Engineers, the association for broadcast and multimedia technology professionals, announced the results of the 2023 election for the national board of directors. Ted D. Hand, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, ATSC3, DRB, was elected to his first one-year term as president, which will commence on Sept. 28, 2023.
Grand Valley State athletics has announced that three of its 2023 football games will be live on WXSP-TV. WXSP-TV will serve as the exclusive live in-market television partner for the Lakers. The slate of games on WXSP-TV will begin with the home opener set for Saturday, September. 9.
Adell Broadcasting has flipped the format of its WFDF-AM (Detroit) from talk to fulltime sports featuring ESPN Radio programming. Station staffers were told of the change on August 11. Station staffers were told of the change on Friday afternoon (Aug. 11) via email.
Gray Television’s WLUC-TV (Marquette) reports that former station Chief Engineer John “Jack” Truitt died August 9 at the age of 89. Truitt was the chief engineer at WLUC for 38 years, from 1960 until 1998.
Cumulus Media announced July 31 that it has appointed Michelle Matthews as Program Director for its Hot AC station WDVD-FM (Detroit). Matthews was previously Operations Manager/Brand Manager for Saga Communications in Columbus, OH.
On July 31, Family Life Broadcasting System closed on its $10 million acquisition of WDRQ-FM (Detroit) from Cumulus Media and launched its Christian network programming on the station at midnight under new WUFL call letters.
On July 31, Billy Sours’ Whiskey Sours Broadcasting and Productions closed on its $140,000 deal to buy WYPV-FM (Mackinaw City) from John Yob’s Mitten News. The station had been silent since March 31 and returned to the air August 2 as WSBX, featuring a classic rock format.