Cumulus started 2012 with a couple of format flips. AC “Journey 94.1″ WNNF-FM, Cincinnati, is now “94.1 Great Country” — launching with “10,000 Country hits in a row.” With the format change, there’s also a new Program Director. Dale O’Brian is tapped to program the new Country format. O’Brian most recently was PD and morning host at Hot AC “Mix 94.5″ WMXL-FM, Lexington. The flip in Cincinnati followed by 12 hours the launch in Birmingham of new CHR-Top40 “99.5 The Vibe” at WZRR-FM, where the Classic Rock format that was aired comes to an end. “The Vibe” will go head-to-head with “103.7 The Q” WQEN-FM, offering what Cumulus calls “a choice for contemporary hits” without mentioning “The Q” by name.
WJOX-AM and WJOX-FM split. It’s a friendly divorce — as the two stations go with separate programming offering twice as many choices for Sports Talk fans in Birmingham. WJOX-AM is now branded as “690 The Fan” and offers ESPN Radio in the daytime and Fox Sports Radio from 6pm to 6am. WJOX-FM continues its same lineup, unchanged, which includes some ESPN Radio at night. A recent report from Birmingham, picked up by others, erroneously said that “690 The Fan” would continue its former simulcast with WJOX-FM. And, yes, they are Cumulus stations — another change by the company for 2012.
The FCC fines radio stations in two markets a total of $22,000 for EEO violations. Specifically, the Commission says the stations failed “to comply with the recruitment and self-assessment requirements” of the Commission’s EEO policy.
Max Media’s Norfolk cluster was hit with $8,000 in fines, while Clear Channel’s Greenville, SC, cluster is assessed a total of $14,000. The FCC doesn’t accuse the stations of disciminating, only insufficient advertising of available jobs. The Norfolk stations, says the FCC, filled five of 14 full-time vacancies by relying “solely on Internet websites and word-of-mouth referrals and vacancy postings on the employee board to fill those vacancies” during a two-year period. In South Carolina, eight of 13 full-time vacancies were filled only using “Internet websites and word-of-mouth referrals” in violation of the FCC’s recruitment requirements. “These failures reveal a continuing lack of self-assessment,” says the Commission’s Notices of Apparent Liability for Forefeiture.
WVKO-AM, Columbus, Ohio, will flip to progressive Talk, starting Monday (Jan. 2). An LMA that provided religious programming ends, and a new LMA for the Talk format is beginning. The new lineup features Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz, Thom Hartmann, Mike Malloy, Bill Press and Leslie Marshall, according to the station’s website, which is promoting: “Central Ohio welcomes Progressive Talkers.”
Spanish Broadcasting System appoints Andrew Polsky as VP of Digital Sales of SBS Interactive, responsible for driving the overall growth of SBS’s Digital Media business including www.lamusica.com, www.mega.tv and the 21 SBS radio station websites. Polsky will also ensure that SBS’s Digital Media programs are integrated into the network’s “Original Content Strategy.” Prior to joining SBS, Polsky served as Digital Sales Manager for CBS Corp. where he was responsible for digital sales on television, radio and interactive division sites for five years. “Andrew is a great addition to our strong Digital Media team,” commented SBS Consolidated Operations CRO Albert Rodriguez. “His extensive experience and knowledge of the U.S. Hispanic market will help generate additional growth for SBS’s online community and deliver the best applications, services and programs for our valued audience.”
“SportsRadio 610″ KILT-AM, Houston, is dropping the syndicated Jim Rome in favor of a new local show in the midday slot (11am-2pm) that Rome has recently occupied. The syndicated sports talker has been a fixture at KILT-AM for more than a dozen years, but declining ratings are blamed for ending that relationship. Rome’s syndicated show will be replaced by a new local show hosted by Mike Meltser and Brad Davies called “MAD Radio” set to start next week with the new year. The new show will take a 10am-2pm slot. Meltser currently hosts a 10am-11am show. KILT-AM Program Director Gavin Spittle says Rome’s ratings “have slid to the point where a change is necessary.” He notes that radio “is a performance-based business, and we have exhausted our options.” Spittle adds, “We like Jim and thank him for all he has done for the station. He has been a huge fan of SportsRadio 610, and we have been huge fans of Jim Rome.
Arbitron says that Clear Channel’s Seattle Sports KJR-AM and KNBQ-FM simulcasted all programming, including commercials, during the December 2011 report period, and report users may appropriately combine AQH estimates for the two stations. Total Line Reporting is available in the December Radio Market Report for stations simulcasting for the entire Fall quarter. Although KJR-AM and KNBQ-FM simulcasted throughout the December 2011 report period, audience estimates for the two stations are reported individually in the December report because the stations began simulcasting after the start of the Fall quarter. Arbitron will report audience estimates with combined listening under KJR-AM effective with the January 2012 report period.
As previously reported by TPMedia, Geraldo Rivera’s new daily talk show is still expected to join the lineup at KABC-AM, Los Angeles, although it is not starting there January 3 when it debuts on WABC-AM, New York. Several reports are now speculating that Geraldo hits L.A. radio January 30. Most of the published reports cite the Orange County Register’s Gary Lycan, who believes he’s found something to confirm that date: “Phillips emailed, without naming names, that ‘I’ll be on from 9 a.m.-noon Jan. 3-27th, 9 to 10 a.m. from Jan. 30th on, and pinch-hitting for other KABC hosts whenever they get a raging case of the gout.’” Lycan, of course, had expected Geraldo to start on both WABC-AM, where he will be based, and KABC-AM, January 3, until Cumulus announced the new KABC schedule, with no mention of Rivera. But, as we reported, when the new KABC lineup was officially announced, Silver indicated (when asked), there may still be an announcement of Geraldo at KABC-AM, and urged: “Stand by for news on that.”
Talk WGN-AM, Chicago, plans to air weekend “best of” shows featuring weekday hosts. Robert Feder at Time Out Chicago writes, “Fans of Jonathon Brandmeier, Garry Meier and the other weekday stars of WGN-AM (720) soon will be able to hear their favorites on weekends, too.” Feder reports that the “New Year will bring a realignment of WGN’s Saturday and Sunday afternoon, late-night and overnight schedules,” including the “best of” shows.” WGN Program Director Bill White tells the veteran Chicago media reporter, “We think it will be a great alternative to the infomercials and paid programs that air on Chicago’s other talk stations. Of course we continue to provide live and local news, weather and traffic reports 24/7.”
Cumulus is moving the longtime Classic Rock KGGO-FM, Des Moines, morning team Lou Sipolt and Heather Burnside to News Talk clustermate “98.3 Wow FM” KWQW-FM, while installing the syndicated Bob and Tom on KGGO-FM. The changes are set for January 2. Says Cumulus SVP of Programming Mike McVay, “We’re excited to be able to bring 20-plus years of morning success to our News Talk station and can completely eliminate the music on their show in favor of more of why Des Moines area listeners want to listen to Lou and Heather. It’s for them and what they have to say. Bob and Tom’s show is better suited for the Classic Rock that is played on KGGO and will better position both stations for the future. There is no better time than the week that starts with the Iowa caucus to launch these new morning shows.”
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