Last week, broadcasters from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Pennsylvania gathered in Columbus, Ohio for the Midwest Broadcast and Multimedia Technology Conference (MMBTC). Thanks to the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, engineers of member stations were able to attend the conference for free. For those who were not able to attend, here are a few takeaways from the conference and reasons why you should mark your calendars for next year’s event.
With less than a month to go before the November election, we can expect more and more attack ads, some of which may lead to cease and desist letters from the candidate being attacked. These letters can raise the risk of defamation claims against broadcasters and cable companies when the ads are not bought by candidates. The use of artificial intelligence in such ads raises the prospect of even nastier attack ads, and its use raises a whole host of legal issues beyond defamation worries.
For many years, radio featured Halloween hits on October 31st only. Since Halloween has become one of the biggest and most celebrated holidays of the year, plus, its estimated that American’s will spend 11.6 BILLION this year on Halloween. Think about this: Start playing Halloween songs on Saturday, October 26th! Why you say? Here are a few reasons
Fire Prevention Week™ is October 6 – 12, 2024. This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!™ strives to educate everyone about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home.
After more than five decades of broadcasting excellence, Jackson’s beloved radio personality, Greg O’Connor (GOC), has announced his upcoming retirement. Known for his deep connection to the community and his storied career at WKHM radio, O’Connor has been a familiar voice to generations of listeners, bringing local news, sports, and morning shows to the airwaves. The announcement was made this morning (10/4).
WCMU Public Media has announced the appointment of Rick Westover as the new General Manager, effective October 1. While making the announcement, the organization points out that “with more than 20 years of experience in public media and a deep commitment to community engagement, Westover is poised to lead WCMU into a new era of growth and innovation.”
As part of their organization’s 100th year of service, the Rotary Club of Mt. Pleasant has chosen to recognize Bob & Laurie Peters of locally-owned Latitude Media with the Paul Harris Fellow Honors for the month of September. The goal is to highlight exceptional community members who show servant leadership in all that they do.
Inside Radio reported this week at Mari Dew, morning co-host at Midwestern Broadcasting’s WKLT-FM (Traverse CIty) has been found safe after surviving the floods in Western North Carolina. Dew was in the Asheville area when Hurricane Helene arrived. She had not been heard from since Friday (9/27) with co-workers, family, friends and listeners concerned for her safety.
“He was one of the best interviewers in the business, a talented pianist, and an ultimate professional with wit and creativity in sharing classical music,” Detroit Public TV, which manages WRCJ, said in a statement, announcing Felcyn’s death. “Chris and his passion will truly be missed.”
Scripps Media’s WXYZ-TV has announced that it will host a Michigan U.S. Senate debate between former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R) and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D). The live televised commercial-free debate will be on Monday, October 14, at 7 p.m. at WXYZ-TV Studios in Southfield.