Cumulus Makes Programming Changes In Atlanta, Indy

• Scott Lindy Now PD at WKHX Atlanta
• Stephen Giuttari To PD At WFMS
• Greg Frey Goes Corporate

Greg Frey

Cumulus Media announces that Stephen Giuttari has joined the company as Program Director for Country station WFMS 95.5 FM in Indianapolis, replacing Scott Lindy, who moves to Atlanta as Program Director for Country-formatted WKHX 101.5 FM and as Corporate Program Director for Cumulus.

Greg Frey moves from his WKHX Program Director position to Cumulus Corporate, where, as newly named Corporate Program Director, he will focus on Cumulus’ portfolio of Country stations and growing Country product line.

"This move recognizes Scott's multiple-platform experience. We are excited to bring him to Atlanta as a Corporate PD and PD of a personality-oriented station like WKHX.

Stephen Giutari

"Steve Giuttari is a bright programmer whose level of success and maturity made him the perfect choice to lead a heritage station like WFMS." He added: “Greg has done a great job with WKHX. His focus, as a Corporate PD, now becomes one of building our Country platforms and working to improve our various products.”

Dave Crowl, Regional Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Cincinnati said: “We are excited to welcome Steve and his winning track record  to the WFMS/Indianapolis team.”

Giuttari comes to Cumulus from Townsquare Albany, where he was Country Format Leader and Brand Manager for WGNA.

Scott Lindy

Giuttari said: "I am honored to be joining a company that truly understands how to connect with the listener in so many ways, and I thank Mike McVay and Dave Crowl for this incredible opportunity. I am very much looking forward to working with the great staff at the legendary WFMS in Indianapolis."

Lindy said: “It’s rare to be given a chance to lead a team as dedicated as the group of professionals at the legendary 95.5 WFMS. Saying that I will miss working with everyone at WFMS is a vast understatement, only offset by knowing that I can continue to be a resource for them and that they will be working with an extremely talented programmer, Steve Giuttari. My gratitude goes out to Mike McVay for the opportunity to return to Atlanta as a Corporate Program Director and as PD of the award-winning KICKS 101.5.”

The Dickeys To Get Handsome Payouts

No need to worry about the next gig for the Dickey Brothers.

Each will be geting generous parting checks from Cumulus Media as they head-out the door.

According to a SEC filing, former CEO Lew Dickey, who actually transitions to a new post as "Vice Chairman" is receving a package totaling $4.35 million. That's triple his current base salary of $1.45 million.  The package also includes 18 months of company benefits, such as health and dental.

John Dickey, who has actually "left the building" will get $1.75 million, double his base of salary of $875K.

Incoming CEO, Mary Berner will be getting an annual base salary of $1,450,000 to start.  Her agreement is for three years and contains a provision for automatic extensions of one-year periods thereafter.  Her salary will be received "from time to time" by the cumulus Board.

Chicago Radio: Robinson, Kapone Go Live On WGCI-FM

iHeartMedia/Chicago has announced that Frankie Robinson is now hosting a new midday show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tone Kapone will host a new afternoon show 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on  WGCI 107.5 FM.

“I’m thrilled we were able to recruit two of the hottest on-air personalities in Hip-Hop,” said Matt Scarano, Market President for iHeartMedia Chicago. “They live and breathe the lifestyle and thanks to their vast community ties, Frankie and Tone are plugged into what’s happening in Chicago. They are committed to being #1 and I have no doubt they’ll get the job done!”

Robinson began her career at WGCI-FM more than ten years ago as traffic reporter before hosting evenings on the station. Most recently, Robinson was Midday Host at WPWX-FM in Chicago.

“My life has truly come full circle,” said Robinson. “With God’s help, I am about to make history. Not just for me, but the entire city of Chicago – my city!”

Tone Kapone, a Chicago native, began his career as an intern and quickly moved up the ranks to afternoon drive personality at WPWX before landing his dream job at 107.5 WGCI-FM.

“This is something that has been a long time in the making and words cannot explain my excitement to be a part of the 107.5 WGCI-FM team,” said Kapone. Kapone has many industry awards to his credit, including being named one of the “Top Ten 10 Afternoon Radio Personalities in Chicago.”

WGCI 107.5 FM (3.7 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

The 107.5 WGCI-FM week day on-air includes: Kyle, Kendra G and Leon 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.; Frankie Robinson 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tone Kapone 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and DJ MoonDawg 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Orlando Radio: iHM Places The Top Three

Good programming continues to strengthen the brands of three iHeartMedia stations during the latest Nielsen PPMs for Orlando. Again WRUM is #1 (6+AQH Total Week, Total Persons) moving 6.8—7.4.

Clustermate AC WMGF 107.7 FM spiked with a 5.2—6.6 performance to take the runner-up spot and iHM's Top WXXL 106.7 FM wobbled a bit 6.6—6.4, but that's good enough for  #3 during September.

Last month, CBS Radio's Classic Hits WOCL 105.9 FM tied with Cox Media's Classic Hits WMMO 98.9 FM. However, WMMO dropped almost a full share in September 6.4—5.5, to leave Sunny 105.9 FM standing at #4 (6.4—6.3). The #5 spot is held by Cox Media's WCFB 94.5 FM which had a nice showing 5.4—6.2.

Orlando September 6+ Shares Total Week, Total Persons

25-54: WRUM...WTKS tied WCFB...WXXL...WMGF

18-34: WXXL...WPYO...WRUM tied WMGF...WWKA

18-49: WXXL...WRUM...WTKS tied WCFB...WMGF

Cume: WMGF-FM 531,600...WXXL-FM 520,900...WOMX-FM 442,600...WMMO-FM 437,400...WOCL-FM 380,600

Monsters In The Morning Real Radio 104.1 FM

Top 5 Morning Shows 25-54:

1. The Monsters WTKS Real Radio 104.1 FM
2. Johnny's House WXXL 106.7 FM
3. Obie & Lil' Shawn Morning Show WPYO 95.3 FM
4. Steve Harvey WCFB 94.5 FM tied John Musa & Jenny Castillo WRUM 100.3 FM

Boston Radio: The Sports Hub Is Tops With Men

CBS Radio’s WBZ 98.5 FM The Sports Hub was the runaway winner in the summer Nielsen Audio Ratings period, finishing first overall in the Boston market with an 11.3 share in the Men 25-54 demographic.

That easily outdistanced the runner-up, Classic Hits WROR 105.7 FM, which earned a 6.9 in the three-month summer period from June 18-Sept. 9.

WEEI 93.7 FM, the market’s other highly rated sports station, tied for fourth with fellow Entercom station WAAF 107.3 FM with a 6.2 share. CBS Radio's WZLX 100.7 FM, a CBS Radio was third (6.3).

The Sports Hub has been the highest-rated station in Boston for 11 of the last 12 three-month ratings periods.

Boston 6+ AQH Total Week, Total Persons Share

25-54: WBZ-FM, WROR...WXKS...WZLX..WMJX

18-34: WKLB...WXKX...WBQT...WJMN tied WBZ-FM

18-49: WBZ-FM...WXKX...WKLB...WMJX...WBQT

Cume: WMJX-FM 1,450,900...WXKS-FM 1,200,500...WROR-FM 1,123,600...WKLB-FM 886,100 ...WBMX-FM 826,500

Click Here for Topline numbers for 23 other Nielsen PPMs Markets.

Milwaukee Radio: Classic Hits WRIT-FM Get Bigger

Classic Hits WRIT 95.7 FM gained again in Milwaukee's radio ratings race, recording an 11.2 share of the overall listening audience (6+ AQH Total Week), according to Nielsen PPMs numbers released Wednesday..

The latest ratings numbers from Aug. 3 through Sept. 9 — show the oldies station continuing to widen its overall lead, after posting a 10.5 share the month before. iHeartMedia's WRIT has been No. 1 overall for the past five months.

Country station WMIL 106.1 FM and news-sports-talk WTMJ 620 AM tied for No. 2 overall, with a 6.7 share. WMIL was unchanged from the previous month, while WTMJ was up from a 6.4 share, despite the Brewers' season-long swoon.

News-talk WISN-AM (1130) was fourth with a 6.3 share, down from 6.7 in the previous period, while rock station WHQG-FM (102.9) posted a 6.1 share, down from 6.4.

In the middle of the latest ratings period, WZTI-AM (1290) flipped from "rhythmic oldies" to "True Oldies," focusing on songs from the 1950s through the late 1970s. The switch might explain the station's jump from a 0.4 share to a 0.7 share.

Milwaukee-Racine 6+ Shares Total Week, Total Persons

Cume: WRIT-FM 580,000...WMYX-FM 469,300...WMIL-FM 378,400...WKLH-FM 377,200...WTMJ-AM 353,100

Click Here for Topline numbers for 23 other Nielsen PPMs Markets.

Miami Radio: Miko Grimes OUT At Sports WQAM

Miko Grimes

Miko Grimes will no longer serve as a radio host on WQAM 560 AM, the station's program director said Wednesday.

Grimes, wife of Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes, was arrested Sunday outside Sun Life Stadium before the Dolphins’ game against the Buffalo Bills on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

The Sun-Sentinel reports Grimes, 40, of Davie, did not make her usual appearance on Monday’s "Big O Show" on CBS Radio-owned WQAM with host Orlando Alzugaray.

“I can confirm she is no longer an employee at our station,” WQAM program director Ryan Maguire said Wednesday night. “Other than that, I have no further comment on the matter.”

Before Sunday's game, Miko Grimes attempted to walk through an area near the southeast gate at the stadium that was restricted, where police had formed for crowd control, according to an arrest report.
Officers said they gave her several loud verbal warnings to stop, but she kept going. After an officer grabbed her by her right arm, she broke away and continued, yelling obscenities at them, the report said.

When officers attempted to subdue her, putting her in a bear-hug, she resisted. Officers tried repeatedly to subdue her but Grimes, now on the ground, flailed her arms and kicked, according to the report.

After officers handcuffed her and lifted her to her feet, she suddenly jerked her head backward, head-butting an officer, the report said.

Social media pictures and video of the arrest show Grimes being pinned to the pavement by officers.

Contacted by cellphone on Monday morning, Miko Grimes was asked by a reporter how she was doing.

“None of your f------ business,” she said.  “Don’t call my phone again.”

Atlanta Radio: Jamie Dukes Departs WZGC-The Game

Jamie Dukes

Jamie Dukes, one of the most popular hosts on WZGC 92.9 FM The Game, announced Wednesday he was leaving the station.

Dukes apparently has tired of a commute that ate up more than three hours of his day every day. According to Rodney Ho at ajc.com, he took three weeks off recently to deal with shoulder, neck and back problems stemming in part from spending too much time in the automobile.

Dukes said tmanagement at the CBS Radio-owened station was unwilling to allow him to do his mid-day show with Rick Kamla from his home even part of the week. Without that option, he couldn’t handle the commute anymore. “This is really about my health,” he said. “It’s not worth it if I can’t work smarter.”

The 51-year-old Dukes spent 10 years in the NFL including eight seasons with the Atlanta Falcons as a center from 1986 to 1995.

He will continue to contribute to the NFL Network and work with Sirius/XM on Saturdays.

His departure was low key. He didn’t want to turn his final show into the “Jamie Dukes farewell show.” He waited until his final segment at 1:40 p.m. to break the news to the fans. And go figure – Kamla wasn’t even in the studio to hug it out with Dukes.

San Diego Radio: MLB Padres Sign Don Orsillo

Don Orsillo

Boston Red Sox announcer Don Orsillo signed on to broadcast select Padres games on radio and television next year, the team announced Wednesday.

Orsillo, 46, was let go by the New England Sports Network NESN for reasons that have not been disclosed.

"We are excited to add Don to our broadcast lineup," said Padres President and CEO Mike Dee, a former Red Sox executive.

"Over his 15 years broadcasting Major League Baseball, Don has established himself as one of the premier play-by-play men in the game," Dee said. "We look forward to both his fun-loving personality and outstanding play- calling ability resonating with Padres fans during what we expect will be a very long career in San Diego."

In 2017, Orsillo will become the Padres lead television announcer on Fox San Diego, succeeding Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Enberg, who plans to call games for one more season and then retire. They'll be joined in the broadcast booth by longtime analyst Mark Grant.

On the radio side, the Padres announced that Ted Leitner will return for his 37th season, with Jesse Agler joining him. Eduardo Ortega will do Spanish language play-by-play for a 31st year, along with former Padres catcher Carlos Hernandez.

Ted Leitner will return to the radio booth in 2016 for his 37th season behind the microphone for the Padres. He will be joined by Jesse Agler, who, in his third season as a member of the Padres broadcast team, will move from his role as the lead host of Padres Social Hour into a full-time broadcasting role.

Eduardo Ortega, celebrating his 30th season as the Spanish-language voice of the Padres in 2016, will return to the booth for an expanded schedule of Spanish-language telecasts on FOX Deportes San Diego. He will be joined once again by former Padres catcher Carlos Hernandez in the role of color analyst.

Sean Atkins Named New MTV President

Sean Atkins

(Reuters) -- MTV, the music and reality-TV focused television network owned by Viacom Inc, on Wednesday named veteran media executive Sean Atkins as its president.

Atkins, who will replace Stephen Friedman, joins MTV from Discovery Communications Inc, where he was an executive at its digital media and strategy unit.

He also has executive experience at HBO and Yahoo Inc, MTV said.

Viacom has been plagued by declining ratings for its youth-centric TV channels such as MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon, and advertising revenue has now fallen in its U.S. cable business for four straight quarters.

Viacom's core demographic, younger viewers are increasingly shifting to digital platforms such as tablets and smartphones for their entertainment fix.

Atkins will report to Doug Herzog, president of Viacom Music and Entertainment Group.

SiriusXM To Launch Fox News Headlines 24/7 Monday

SiriusXM and FOX News has announced that FOX News Headlines 24/7 will launch on October 5th. Broadcast live from FOX News headquarters in midtown Manhattan, the new channel will provide SiriusXM subscribers with real-time headlines on breaking news, national stories, politics, business, entertainment, sports, social media trends, and more. SiriusXM listeners can tune to channel 115 to get all the news they need for their day ahead – 24/7/365.

Bill Hemmer

Whether they're in their car, at work, or on-the-go, SiriusXM listeners will now have constant access to live around-the-clock news, as it happens, in 15 minute cycles. This innovative, first of its kind national news endeavor will be staffed by a committed team of FOX News journalists and contributors who will utilize the network's vast resources across the FOX News platforms to report on what listeners need to know at home and around the globe.

Overseen by FOX News Senior Vice President of News Jay Wallace, FOX News Headlines 24/7 will feature constantly updated segments on major news events, business, the latest sports scores and entertainment stories, as well as reports on what topics, personalities and memes are currently trending on major social media platforms.

Shepard Smith

FOX News anchors Shepard Smith and Bill Hemmer will welcome listeners in the channel's opening weeks, bringing their trusted journalism backgrounds to SiriusXM listeners across the country. The first voice to be heard on the new channel will be that of Hemmer, co-anchor of FOX News Channel's America's Newsroom. He'll kick off the day's top news stories on FOX News Headlines 24/7 starting at 6:00 am ET.  Shepard Smith, anchor of Shepard Smith Reporting and the network's chief news anchor and managing editor for breaking news, will be on at 6:00 pm ET for an hour.

In commenting on the announcement, FOX News Chairman & CEO Roger Ailes said, "Our goal is to continuously deliver original breaking news product to our viewers. This up-to-the-minute national breaking news channel, combined with SiriusXM's reach, is a natural partnership and extension for the FOX News brand."

Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM, added "FOX News Headlines 24/7 is unlike any national news experience you'll find on radio. The news never stops, and now SiriusXM listeners can have the very latest information at their fingertips – everything from Hollywood to Wall Street to Main Street – refreshed every 15 minutes, 24/7, 365 days a year. We're thrilled to collaborate with FOX News to deliver this unique experience to SiriusXM subscribers around the country."

FOX News and SiriusXM already broadcast three dedicated satellite radio channels, including: FOX News Channel, featuring an audio simulcast of the most watched cable news network, on channel 114; an audio simulcast of FOX Business Network on channel 113; and FOX News Talk on channel 450, which offers opinion programming from popular FOX News personalities such as Brian Kilmeade, Alan Colmes, John Gibson and Tom Sullivan.

Chicago Radio: WDRV Launches Rocktober Cash Contest

There's nothing like cash to celebrate Rocktober.

Hubbard's WDRV 97.1 FM The Drive will be awarding cash this month during it's "Grand Band" promotion.

Three times every weekday during the month, when the band of the day is played, listeners can text to win $1,000.

To announce the month-long giveaway, The Drive posted a video of a recent programming "meeting".

Tidal To Host Benefit Concert

(Reuters)  --  Jay Z's global streaming music service Tidal on Wednesday announced a super star charity concert in New York to celebrate reaching one million subscribers, six months after it launched.

Jay Z, his wife Beyonce, Prince, Usher, and Nicki Minaj will headline the Oct. 20 concert in Brooklyn, with tickets going on sale on Wednesday, firstly to Tidal subscribers. The concert will also be streamed live for both subscribers and non-subscribers via Tidal.com.

Tickets for the concert are priced between $74 and $244, and all proceeds will go to the non-profit group New World Foundation, which works with community organizations on issues including civil rights, social justice, poverty and education. Viewers watching online can also donate during the live stream.

Tidal launched in March offering only paid subscriptions, billing itself as the first of its kind music streaming service owned by artists, but it has struggled to compete against more established rivals Spotify, Pandora, both of which offer free streaming services supported by advertising, and Apple Music.

Rapper and entrepreneur Jay Z, who purchased Tidal from Swedish company Aspiro for $54 million earlier this year, said in April that the service, which is backed by top names like Madonna, Rihanna and Chris Martin, had more than 770,000 subscribers.

In a celebratory Tweet on Tuesday on the eve of the concert announcement, Jay Z wrote: " 'Nothing real can be threatened, nothing unreal exists' Tidal is platinum. 1,000,000 people and counting. Let's celebrate 10/20 Brooklyn."

(8/16) TIDAL to match 100% net gross proceeds during pre-sale period. Monies go to TIDAL X 1020 FUND @ New World Foundation #TIDALX1020 @HTC

— TIDAL (@TIDALHiFi) September 30, 2015

Tidal has faced its detractors in the music industry, with artists ranging from rapper 50 Cent to British rocker Noel Gallagher. British folk band Mumford and Sons said independent bands need support more than Tidal's already wealthy artists trying to make more money.

Fire Sale At SFX Entertainment

SFX Entertainment, a purveyor of electronic dance music (EDM), is currently exploring a fire sale of its assets, sources told the New York Business Journal.

The New York-based company, known for producing live events and festivals, overpaid for a number of properties it acquired over the years and "now the value has bottomed out," one source noted.

Between the inflated price tags of its M&A deals and a sliding stock price, the assets of SFX (NASDAQ: SFXE) could be made available at a huge discount.

CEO and founder Robert Sillerman, who founded the company in 2011, went on a two-year shopping spree, inking deals as a way of solidifying his position in the EDM space. In all, he's estimated to have spent more than $1 billion on acquisitions.

Among the assets it bought over the years that may be up for grabs include:

• Beatport, a music download website,
• Totem OneLove Group Pty Ltd., a producer of Australian electronic music festivals,
• ID&T, an Amsterdam-based producer of dance music festivals that put on the Sensation event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in 2014,
• Flavorus, a ticketing company,

Shares of SFX fell 7.5 percent on Monday on the heels of reports that a downpour outside of Atlanta stranded many festival goers of one of SFX's events. The TomorrowWorld festival, which took place over the weekend in Chattahoochee Hills, left SFX holding the bag regarding refunds and lost concessions from what was expected to be a major event with 190,000 people attending over the course of three days.