Radio doesn’t have a content problem. It has a strategy problem.
And that problem starts with a dangerous assumption: that the competition is equal.
It isn’t.
Streaming platforms win on personalization, scale, and control. They give listeners exactly what they want, when they want it, with near-infinite choice. That’s their game—and they’re very, very good at it.
Radio is not.
Yet for years, the industry has quietly tried to compete on that same battlefield. More music. Fewer interruptions. Tighter rotations. Less personality. The thinking is simple: if we sound more like streaming, we can win back audience.
But that logic ignores one critical truth: when you fight on someone else’s strengths, you lose.
iHeartMedia’s Q104.3 New York announced Monday that Jim Kerr’s Rock & Roll Morning Show will add co‑hosts Christin Marks and Trevor Marden as part of a push to strengthen its morning drive programming.
Kerr remains lead host while Marks and Marden join to broaden on‑air chemistry, music features and audience engagement. Marks brings on‑air news experience, extensive music knowledge and a sharp, relatable voice to the show; Marden has served as the program’s executive producer for the past six years and transitions into an on‑air co‑host role.
Station executives said the lineup change is designed to boost ratings and advertiser appeal in the key morning daypart by combining rock music, celebrity interviews and local lifestyle segments. An on‑air start date and promotional details were not disclosed.
"I'm thrilled to launch the next era of the 'Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show,'" said Eric Wellman, Program Director for Q104.3. "You've got a legend like Jim Kerr paired with the sharp, Brooklyn semi-hipster, news anchor and rocker Christin Marks and Trevor Marden, a heavy-metal-loving suburban New Jersey dad. That mix brings serious personality, humor and edge to mornings in New York. It's fresh energy for Q104.3, and I can't wait to hear what happens when these three hit the air together."
A 2nd‑grade field trip to WWJ in Detroit set Jim Kerr’s career path: he began broadcasting at 14 in Ypsilanti and has been on the air ever since.
Kerr worked at stations in Howell and Ann Arbor before joining WORJ, a progressive rock outlet in Orlando. He returned to Detroit at 18 to join WKNR’s airstaff, then at 19 became morning host at WDAI in Chicago. By 20 he was on legendary WLS, and at 21 he became New York’s youngest morning show host at WPLJ. Kerr has led morning shows on six New York City stations, including 15 years at WPLJ and, as of 2018, 15 years at WAXQ.
Long active in civic and charitable work, Kerr served 32 years on the board of HeartShare Human Services of New York and sits on the board of the SAG‑AFTRA Foundation; he is also a vice president of SAG‑AFTRA.
Kerr is the longest‑running morning radio personality in New York City history.
Peter Alexander, NBC News’s veteran chief White House correspondent, is leaving the network after 22 years to join MS NOW as a daytime anchor and chief national reporter, people familiar with the move told the Los Angeles Times on Saturday.
Alexander, 49, confirmed his departure on the Saturday edition of Today — which he co-hosts with Laura Jarrett — saying he was moving on but not naming his next employer. The Los Angeles Times report says he has signed with MS NOW for a daytime anchoring slot and the role of chief national reporter; an MS NOW representative declined to comment.
A longtime fixture at NBC, Alexander covered multiple administrations from the White House and has appeared across the network’s morning and evening programming. His exit marks a high-profile shift in network news talent as cable outlets continue to seek experienced journalists to bolster daytime lineups.
NBC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The timing of his start date at MS NOW and details of his new program were not disclosed.
Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir suspended all operational activities of a reserve battalion involved in detaining and assaulting a CNN team in the West Bank, and ordered the unit withdrawn and reassigned to training pending review, the military said Monday.
The battalion, made up of hundreds of reservists formerly of the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda unit, will remain in reserve service while undergoing a process to “reinforce its professional and ethical foundations,” the military said. It will return to operations only after the process is complete and with Central Command approval.
The move came about 48 hours after CNN aired footage of the incident in the Palestinian village of Tayasir, where soldiers detained reporter Jeremy Diamond’s team as they covered an attack by settlers who had set up an illegal outpost. Video shows a soldier placing CNN photojournalist Cyril Theophilos in a chokehold, knocking him to the ground and damaging his camera.
Commanders described the disciplinary action as unusually swift and broad, reflecting mounting concern within Israel’s security establishment over escalating settler violence in the West Bank. The military official also said additional measures will be taken against individual soldiers involved in the encounter.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned Friday that the NFL could lose its antitrust exemption if it places too many live games behind streaming paywalls, saying the agency is scrutinizing how leagues’ deals with streamers differ from traditional “sponsored telecasting.”
The exemption, granted under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, lets teams pool TV rights into leaguewide packages. Carr told The NY Post the law applies to “sponsored telecasting,” and questioned whether distribution on platforms like Netflix or YouTube TV qualifies. “If it’s something else, then it’s not clear that the antitrust exemption applies,” he said. Carr also told Semafor there is “a point at which… they’ve just put too many games behind a paywall, and then that whole exemption collapses.”
The FCC last month solicited public comment on how the shift from broadcast TV to streaming has affected consumers — a possible precursor to deeper review. The agency highlighted rising costs for fans, who may spend as much as $1,500 annually to follow every pro football game, and noted that sports rights fees have “exponentially increased” since the 1960s. A recent Fox News survey found 72% of sports fans believe major events should remain on free broadcast TV.
Brendan Carr
Carr framed streaming fees as a new form of paywall that has made finding and watching games more fragmented and expensive, blaming the need for multiple subscriptions. Netflix raised subscription prices this week, including its premium plan to $26.99 and its ad-supported tier to $8.99, underscoring cost pressures for viewers.
Carr said any enforcement action could involve the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission or Congress, though he acknowledged there is “no concrete idea in mind” yet. He also raised the related question of whether broadcasters should be allowed some form of collective bargaining similar to leagues’ negotiated rights packages.
The NFL has argued that streaming increasingly replaces traditional broadcasters and described its distribution as accessible and fan-friendly. The FCC contrasted the modern rights market with 1961, when the NFL’s two-year deal with CBS was worth $9.8 million, compared with current deals valued at more than $10 billion per year.
Nineteen broadcast meteorologists have left traditional TV roles to join the Digital Weather Network (founded 2022), underscoring a growing shift of weather talent toward independent streaming platforms.
Why it’s happening: many meteorologists cite greater editorial control, higher earning potential from subscriptions and targeted ads, and the ability to build direct relationships with audiences. The move also reflects industry pressures at local TV — budget cuts, consolidation and staff reductions — that have reduced job security and airtime for specialized reporting.
What the Digital Weather Network offers: a national streaming-first platform that aggregates forecasters’ shows, livecasts and specialty weather programming across apps and social channels; opportunities for subscription revenue, branded sponsorships and programmatic advertising; and centralized production and distribution that lets individual meteorologists scale beyond a single local market.
Impact and implications: for viewers, the shift can mean more in-depth, on-demand and niche weather content (severe-weather streams, climate explainers, regional forecasts). For local stations, departures of experienced forecasters risk eroding local trust and on-the-ground familiarity. For the meteorologists, success depends on audience retention, platform monetization and competition from other streaming outlets and social media.
Broader trend: the DWN’s recruitment of 19 forecasters since 2022 reflects a wider media move where specialized journalists and presenters increasingly trade legacy-broadcast reach for digital-first independence and diversified revenue streams.
The FCC and Justice Department’s approval of Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna has intensified debate over whether large broadcast mergers threaten the future of local news and the diversity of viewpoints on television.
The deal would create a broadcaster owning more than 250 TV stations and reaching about 80% of U.S. television households. To clear the transaction, FCC Chair Brendan Carr waived a 2004 congressional cap that prevents any single broadcaster from reaching more than 39% of viewers, a move that has drawn criticism from members of both parties who warn the waiver risks concentrating too much power in the broadcast market.
Supporters of the waiver argue the cap is outdated given the rise of streaming, social media and Big Tech platforms that now capture much of advertising scale and audience attention. Former FCC advisers and industry voices say consolidation may be necessary for broadcasters to attract sufficient ad revenue to sustain local news in a fragmented media landscape.
Opponents counter that past consolidation often led to newsroom cuts and homogenized content, reducing local reporting and limiting the plurality of perspectives available to viewers. The 39% rule was originally intended to prevent such dominance and protect localism and viewpoint diversity.
Politico reports broadcast viewership has fallen dramatically over decades — from networks commanding over 90% of U.S. audiences in the mid-20th century to roughly 20% today — intensifying pressure on station owners to find scale. The debate now centers on whether larger broadcast groups can preserve local journalism or will accelerate its decline through centralized operations and cost-cutting.
Radio BroadcastingColorado public‑media merger talks: Community Radio for Northern Colorado (KUNC/The Colorado Sound) is exploring a merger with Denver‑based Rocky Mountain Public Media (KUVO/The Drop), with parties aiming to close by the end of June. Staff were told there would be no job cuts, though business operations will likely shift to Denver; CRNC and RMPM officials say the deal would strengthen public‑media service and resilience in the region. The Bohemian Foundation also pledged a $3.5 million facility for CRNC in Fort Collins as talks continue.
Ownership Caps: FCC is considering removing long‑standing local and national broadcast ownership caps, a move supporters say would modernize rules and help broadcasters scale, but critics warn it could accelerate consolidation and lead to newsroom job cuts. Proponents argue relaxed limits would let stations invest in digital platforms, achieve economies of scale, and compete with streaming giants. Opponents contend larger ownership groups will centralize operations, standardize content and cut staff to realize cost synergies. Analysts expect a rise in mergers and acquisitions if caps are lifted, with potential newsroom reductions depending on deal structures, required divestitures, and any legal or congressional challenges; timing and scale of job impacts remain uncertain.
Media Industry
Nexstar-Tegna merger: Nexstar’s proposed acquisition of Tegna advanced amid regulatory and shareholder moves, with Nexstar securing additional financing and Tegna shareholders backing the deal. The merger, if completed, would create the nation’s largest local‑TV group by stations and viewers, prompting heightened antitrust scrutiny and potential divestiture talks as regulators weigh local‑news concentration and advertising market effects.
Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger: Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery continued high‑level discussions about a potential combination, with executives exploring asset alignments, streaming consolidation and cost synergies to better compete with Netflix and Amazon. The talks remain exploratory; sources say major structural and branding decisions, regulatory hurdles and content overlap are key sticking points.
U-S News
Airport security lines: Long TSA security waits persist across U.S. airports amid a partial Department of Homeland Security funding lapse that has left many officers unpaid or absent. Travel hubs reported hours‑long lines and high callout rates at some airports, forcing airlines and federal officials to take temporary measures while President Trump signed an executive action to get TSA employees paid. The staffing shortfall has raised flight‑miss and disruption risks during spring travel.
U.S. to let Russian oil tanker reach Cuba: TWH said it had “no problem” with a sanctioned Russian tanker, the Anatoly Kolodkin, delivering fuel to Cuba amid the island’s acute energy shortages. The vessel has been tracked en route to Matanzas as Cuba faces blackouts and curtailed imports; the president’s comments followed media reports the U.S. would allow the shipment. The move draws scrutiny because the tanker and parts of its voyage have been subject to sanctions or monitoring.
Final Four set: UConn stuns Duke: UConn rallied from a 19‑point deficit and won 73‑72 when freshman Braylon Mullins buried a deep 3‑pointer at the buzzer, knocking off No. 1 seed Duke and clinching a Final Four berth. The dramatic finish — a midcourt loose ball, a hurried shot with 0.4 seconds left — produced one of the tournament’s most memorable endings and sends UConn to the national semifinals alongside Illinois, Arizona and Michigan.
Major League Baseball fans across the country are increasingly frustrated and vocal over limited access to live games, citing rising blackout restrictions, fragmented streaming services, and soaring ticket prices that keep many longtime supporters on the outside looking in.
Supporters in both small markets and big cities say the current mix of regional sports network blackouts, exclusive platform deals, and paywalled streaming tiers has made following their teams more expensive and unpredictable. Fans report missing nationally televised matchups because of regional rights, being forced to subscribe to multiple streaming apps to catch a full season, and encountering blackout messages that block local broadcasts despite paying for services. Season-ticket holders and casual viewers alike point to weekend packages that cost hundreds of dollars, parking and concession hikes, and fewer affordable seats as barriers to attending in person.
The frustration is driving organized pushback: online petitions demanding broader national streaming windows, social media campaigns calling for blackout reform, and fan groups lobbying teams and MLB for transparent, fan-friendly media deals. Independent watch parties and community streaming cooperatives have sprung up in neighborhoods shut out of live feeds, while local newspapers document the dwindling turnout among younger fans at ballparks.
League and team officials defend current agreements as necessary for revenue that supports player salaries and franchise stability, and note recent experiments with broader streaming windows and special national broadcasts. Still, many fans say incremental changes don’t address the root problem: a patchwork system that prioritizes fragmented broadcast revenue over consistent, affordable access.
If unaddressed, advocates warn, the access gap could erode generational fandom—young fans less able to follow teams may never become long-term attendees or subscribers—threatening attendance, local sponsorships, and the civic ties that baseball historically nurtured. Fans are calling for clearer blackout policies, consolidated streaming options, and pricing safeguards to ensure that watching and attending games remains possible for the broad public that once defined America’s pastime.
UConn defeated top-seeded Duke in the Elite Eight after Braylon Mullins hit a deep 3-pointer in the final second, capping a 19-point comeback and prompting contrasting radio reactions from the teams’ announcers.
Duke play-by-play announcer David Shumate, stunned by the buzzer-beater, immediately called for a technical foul on UConn, alleging Malachi Smith ran onto the court with time remaining: “Malachi Smith ran off the bench! That should be a technical!” The claim was not raised again as Duke conceded the loss.
UConn announcer Mike Crispino reacted with raucous celebration, shouting in disbelief and excitement: “It went in! Mullins delivers! Bedlam, bedlam here!” His outburst captured the elation of Huskies fans after the dramatic finish.
The sequence — Mullins’ game-winner, Duke’s disputed protest, and UConn’s jubilant response — encapsulated the swing from deflation to euphoria in one of March Madness’s most shocking endings.
TODAY co-host Craig Melvin was reportedly “absolutely devastated” after NBC chose Hoda Kotb — not him — to conduct Savannah Guthrie’s first interview about her missing mother, insiders told the Daily Mail.
Craig Melvin
Insiders told the Daily Mail Melvin, the Today show co-anchor since 2018, expected to handle Guthrie’s interview ;ast week about her 84-year-old mother, Nancy, who disappeared Feb. 1, and viewed it as a career-defining moment. Executives instead selected Kotb, who had been filling in, leaving Melvin surprised and upset, sources said.
Colleagues described him as shaken and questioning his role after being bypassed; one insider said he felt he “had earned that spot” after replacing Kotb when she stepped back in 2025. Another source said Melvin was not even asked to conduct the interview, which compounded his frustration.
The reported snub has prompted concern among staff about Melvin’s confidence and future on the show, with sources saying the episode transformed him from “confident to uncertain overnight.” NBC did not immediately comment.
Community Radio for Northern Colorado (KUNC 91.5 Fort Collins; The Colorado Sound on KJAC 105.5 Denver and translators) is exploring a merger with Denver-based Rocky Mountain Public Media (KUVO 89.3, The Drop 104.7 KUVO-HD2), with parties aiming to finalize a deal by the end of June, sources told BizWest.
Staff have been told no jobs will be cut, though business operations are likely to shift to Denver, and the organizations are undertaking due diligence before moving forward.
The talks follow funding pressures across public broadcasting after Congress cut Corporation for Public Broadcasting support. KUNC — which had received nearly $453,000 annually from CPB — laid off 10 employees (about 25% of its 38-person staff) last September.
CRNC President and CEO Tammy Terwelp said the merger would deepen service to Northern Colorado and strengthen public media resilience, while RMPM CEO Amanda Mountain said the consolidation would expand public trust and connections across Colorado.
Separately, the Bohemian Foundation pledged a new $3.5 million, state-of-the-art facility for CRNC in downtown Fort Collins, including upgraded technology, new studios and a community gathering space under a no-cost 10-year lease.
Officials say listeners should notice no immediate changes while the organizations complete due diligence and firm up operational details.
A K-shaped economy unfolds when a single economic event—like rising inflation or higher energy prices—pushes different groups onto completely different paths. One part of the economy continues to grow, building momentum and wealth, while another begins to fall behind, facing tighter budgets and harder choices. The result is not a shared recovery, but a widening divide. In this environment, the split becomes visible quickly. Higher-income households and larger, well-capitalized companies often find ways to keep moving forward. They may absorb higher costs, pass them along to customers, or benefit from rising asset values like stocks or real estate. Their spending doesn’t stop—it shifts, adapts, and in some cases even accelerates.
At the same time, a different reality takes hold for more vulnerable groups. Middle- and lower-income consumers feel the immediate impact of rising costs—especially essentials like gasoline, food, and housing. Small and local businesses, already operating on thinner margins, begin to feel the pressure as customer traffic slows. What was once steady demand becomes unpredictable.
KGY has a long history in Olympia, going back to Saint Martin’s College (now Saint Martin’s University). It was there that Benedictine monk Father Sebastian Ruth began experimenting with radio, and when the FCC first started licensing radio stations, KGY was one of the first stations in Washington State to be licensed. “In fact, the three letter call stations are a heritage, the oldest around,” Kerry said.
In 1939 Nick Kerry’s great-grandfather Tom Olsen, an Olympia native, purchased the business. In 1960 KGY moved to its current location on Marine Drive overlooking Budd Inlet and neighbor to Swantown Marina and Hearthfire Grill.
It was built on pilings and has dramatic views of Budd Inlet and the Olympic Mountains. “This was the perfect location for an AM tower. The radials went into the saltwater which they believed created a stronger signal,” said Kerry.
Barbara Olsen Kerry ran the stations until the mid-2000s and today the family continues to remain owners, the majority of whom live in Olympia.
➦In 1922...WWL-AM, New Orleans signed-on.
Circa the '50s
After receiving permission from the Vatican, the Jesuits at Loyola University started WWL on March 31, 1922, with a piano recital and a three-minute request to listeners to support construction of a new classroom building on campus. The advertisement above says the 10-watt transmitter was “made from $400 worth of spare parts from a Government War Surplus Ship. The studio audience — 20 Loyola students —- gave a spontaneous cheer at [the] conclusion of [the] historic broadcast.”
The advertisement also claims other firsts. For instance, the 1922 broadcast of a recording of John McCormack singing “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” is claimed as the first music broadcast in the South.
Over the years, WWL moved to different positions on the dial and steadily increased its power. In 1938, WWL boosted its signal to 50,000 watts, sending the sounds of New Orleans across much of North America.
WWL became a CBS affiliate in 1935. During World War II, Loyola University offered WWL’s facilities to train soldiers in radio operations. The station also produced wartime radio programs. WWL again allowed the government to use its facilities in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
WWL-AM avoided the turn toward rock in the 1950s and became well known in the region for its broadcasts of local Dixieland jazz bands and big band music. The Leon Kelner Orchestra was popular for its broadcasts from the Roosevelt Hotel’s Blue Room. The broadcasts were heard far and wide over WWL’s 50,000-watt signal. The LPB radio history site says comment cards were received from as far away as Finland.
In 1971, the station started a long-running overnight country music show targeted at long-haul truck drivers called “The Road Gang.”
Loyola sold the WWL stations to separate companies in 1989. WWL-AM and WLMG-FM are now owned by Audacy.-Faded Signals
➦In 1936...Backstage Wife, a soap opera radio program that details the travails of Mary Noble, a girl from a small town in Iowa who came to New York seeking her future, moved fro the Mututal Broadcasting System to NBC Radio.
Vivian Fridell had the title role from 1935 until the early 1940s. It was then taken over by Claire Niesen, who played Mary Noble for 14 years, until the end of the series. Mary's husband, Larry Noble, was portrayed by Ken Griffin, then James Meighan and finally, Guy Sorel. The music was supplied by organist Chet Kingsbury.
The program continued on for the next 23 years. Claire Niesen played the title role for the last 17 years.
➦In 1937...Charles Wesley Leonard born (Died – August 12, 2004). Known as Chuck Leonard. he was a radio personality at 77WABC during the 1960s and 1970s. His deep voice and smoothness resonated across 38 states for 14 years at ABC.
Chuck Leonard
During his over 40-year career in broadcasting, Leonard worked virtually every shift and played all styles of music at stations including WWRL, WABC, WXLO, WRKS, WBLS, WQEW, WNSW-AM and WJUX. He has been inducted in the Museum of Television & Radio and is known as the first African-American disc jockey to work on a mainstream radio station.[1
Leonard began at ABC's flagship New York radio station, Musicradio 77WABC, under program director Rick Sklar in 1965. He broke the color barrier for all who followed — the first African-American to cross over from black R&B radio to (then-mostly white) mass-appeal radio.
Leonard began in the 11 p.m. to midnight slot, and continued working late nights and Sundays at the station until November 27, 1979. He did the 10:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. shift following “Cousin” Bruce Morrow and later George Michael.
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