Federated Media Executive Changes Announced. Federated Media South Bend General Manager Brad Williams is promoted to COO of Talking Stick Communications, and Fort Wayne, Indiana, General Manager Mark DePrez is named COO of Pathfinder Communications. Talking Stick and Pathfinder both operate under the Indiana-based Federated Media umbrella. Williams will oversee the South Bend, Warsaw and Goshen markets while DePrez will oversee Fort Wayne and Auburn. Both promotions coincide with the departure of Federated Media COO Tony Richards, who is starting his own group, Kensington Digital Media. Says Federated Media CEO Alec Dille, “Both Brad and Mark have risen through the ranks at Federated. Brad started as an account manager at WTRC in 1987, just after graduating from college. Mark came to the company as WOWO GSM in 1994. With tremendous success along the way, they are well prepared to lead our companies toward unprecedented growth.” Richards, says Dille, “will continue to work with Federated Media in an advisory capacity and will be assigned to special company projects and initiatives. We will be forever indebted to Tony for his 36 years of service to this company.”
ESPN Audio Announces Organizational Changes. ESPN Audio has new positions for Jim Roberts and Patrick Polking. ESPN says the changes to its Audio Division are intended to strengthen and align responsibilities. Roberts will transition from Senior Director of Affiliate Sales to Senior Director Deportes Local Radio Group. He will continue to lead Deportes Dallas as well as responsibility for the relationship with all Deportes Radio affiliates. Senior Director Audio National Accounts Patrick Polking will transition to Senior Director II of Distribution and Business Development, overseeing the development and execution of strategies to further monetize ESPN Audio’s products. Polking will also add the management of terrestrial distribution to his responsibilities and continue to oversee digital distribution. Due to the growth in usage of ESPN Audio properties, Senior Director II of Radio Content Scott Masteller will collaborate with Dave Austin, who was recently promoted to Manager of ESPN Digital Audio Group, to ensure ESPN Audio is aligned in the production of its digital audio.
Former College Hoops Coach Joins DC’s ‘ESPN 980′ As ‘Insider’. Former Maryland men’s basketball coach Gary Williams joins Red Zebra’s “ESPN 980″ WTEM-AM, Washington DC, as College Basketball Insider, appearing weekly on the midday “Sports Fix with Kevin Sheehan and Thom Loverro” and the afternoon “Sports Reporters with Andy Pollin and Steve Czaban.” Director of Programming Chuck Sapienza tells us, “Adding Gary to our team solidifies our dominance in the area of College Basketball coverage. He is ‘must listen to’ radio and adding his expertise on the entire sport of college hoops is a big win for ESPN 980′s listeners.” And says Williams, “ESPN 980 has always been a huge supporter of mine. I’m very excited to be joining their team this year. I am looking forward to a great college basketball season with ESPN 980 as their College Hoops Insider.”
SoundExchange Distributes Record $292M Royalties for 2011. SoundExchange says that for the fourth quarter of 2011, it distributed $89.5 million with more than 18,000 payments, bringing total 2011 estimated royalty payments to $292 million, up 17% from 2010. The royalties are paid by Internet radio, satellite radio and cable TV music-only channels for their use of sound recordings, and are distributed by SoundExchange to recording artists, record labels, and a non-featured artist fund. “Our growth is encouraging news for the industry, and for the performers who put their heart and soul into the music we enjoy every day,” says SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. “This past year, we’ve taken stock of our strengths, and the challenges and opportunities ahead, and have looked for even more ways to improve how we serve the music community. We’re optimistic about the industry’s future, and about the tremendous value SoundExchange promises to deliver in the years to come.”
Nick Cannon Returns to Radio.
Nick Cannon returned to the air Tuesday (Jan. 17), hosting his morning show on CBS Radio CHR-Top40 “92.3 Now” WXRK-FM, New York, for the first time since his recent hospitalization for kidney problems. Cannon’s special guest, in a telephone hookup, was Howard Stern who had been heard on 92.3 in its prior incarnation. Stern’s last show on 92.3 was December 16, 2005. Cannon said his doctors originally thought he had gotten acute mountain sickness while in Aspen over the holidays with wife Mariah Carey. Stern and Cannon have now settled their former feud. Cannon was mad at Stern after he felt Stern had insulted Carey and questioned Cannon’s radio skills. But they will soon be colleagues on America’s Got Talent. And Cannon said he’s happy Stern got AGT moved to New York, his home.
‘Wojo and Samuelsen’ Get A ‘Ticket’ in Detroit. Bob “Wojo” Wojnowski is teaming with Jamie Samuelsen for a 6-8pm show on Sports Talk “97.1 The Ticket” WXYT-FM, Detroit, starting next week. “Wojo” is a columnist for the Detroit News and former co-host of the “Stoney Wojo” show on WDFN-FM, Detroit. Samuelsen is a former WCSX-FM personality. Says Wojnowski, “I enjoy broadcasting, entertaining and occasionally whining, and I am excited about the chance to do it again on a regular basis. In 20-plus years as a Detroit News columnist, and 15 years on Detroit radio, I have deep connections and passions about the teams and the fans.” Samuelsen adds, “I’m thrilled to join the team at 97.1 The Ticket. I can’t wait to get back on the air to talk sports with the most passionate fans in America. Wojo has been a great friend of mine for a long time, and the chance to work with him every day makes this opportunity even better.”
‘Spin-FM’ Comes to Greenville, SC Davidson Media Group brokered WOLT-FM, Greenville, SC, debuts a new Top 40-targeted all mix format called “Spin-FM,” a service of Jamtraxx Media in Chicago. “Spin-FM” will be aired during a large portion of the broadcast week, but is not a fulltime format. WOLT Operations Manager Craig Debolt is overseeing the station, but Jamtraxx VP of Operations Rob Austin is programming the “Spin-FM” segments, airing: Monday–Friday 6pm–6am; Wednesday-Friday 1-2pm; Saturday 12m-9am and 2p-9p; and, Sunday midnight-6am and 7pm-midnight. Austin says the primary target is 18-24 females and secondarily 18-34 females. They will be competing with Entercom CHR-Top 40 “B93.7″ WFBC-FM.
‘New Country ‘Blake FM’ Debuts in Amarillo, Texas. KATP-FM, Amarillo, is now New Country “101.9 Blake FM” replacing “Kat Country” with a more traditional Country format. KATP-FM is a former Gap Broadcasting station that was acquired by Townsquare Media. Folger Media President Joel Folger, who is consulting, says “101.9 Blake FM” is “another in a long line of top performing products that Folger Media has created. We’re excited about what the station is going to do, not only in Amarillo but in other markets soon.” He says the new “Blake” comes two years after Folger Media debuted “Oklahoma’s New Country Jake FM” at KJKE-FM, Oklahoma City. Joining Folger on KATP-FM’s launch is “Jake” programmer Kevin Christopher.
Sarah Colmark Appointed GM of Dallas’ ‘Classical 101.1 FM’. Classical KHFM-FM, Albuquerque, Station Manager, Program Director and midday host Sarah Colmark is appointed General Manager of “Classical 101.1 FM” WRR-FM, Dallas, starting in early February. KHFM-FM says it’s “fully committed” to continue the Classical music format. “We are confident that we will continue to grow the station’s commitment to classical music, our community involvement, and our website and, with the help of khfm community partners, the music stream and its features on the Internet.” KHFM-FM is launching an outreach to find a new Program Director.
64% Favor FCC Regulation of TV and Radio Indecency. More Americans than ever believe the FCC should be allowed to regulate objectionable content on television and radio, as the U.S. Supreme Court debates whether the government should retain that power. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American Adults shows that 64% support the FCC regulating profanity, violence and sexual content on TV and radio. Twenty-four percent (24%) do not think the FCC should have this power, while another 11% are undecided. The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on January 10-11, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
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