Cumulus To Pay $540K Fine For Failing To I-D Sponsor

The FCC has reached a $540,000 settlement with the former owner of a New Hampshire country radio station that broadcast 178 commercial announcements supporting the Northern Pass project without identifying the sponsor.

According to the Manchester Union-Leader, the FCC says its settlement with Cumulus Media, former owner of Dover-based WOKQ 97.5 FM is the largest ever involving a single station for violating sponsor identification laws.

“Radio and television stations that are paid to air any announcements or other content are required to clearly disclose the payer’s identity,” FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc said. “While failure to disclose these identities generally misleads the public, it is particularly concerning when consumers are duped into supporting controversial environmental projects.”

Click Here to read FCC Decree

The settlement resolved an investigation into whether WOKQ violated the FCC’s sponsorship identification rules. The station broadcast 178 announcements in support of the Northern Pass hydro-electric energy project without identifying the sponsor of those announcements, in this case Northern Pass Transmission LLC., a company with a financial interest in the project.

The Northern Pass energy project is a $1 billion proposal to run 180 miles of new power lines from Canada through New Hampshire. According to Will Wiquist, a spokesman for the FCC, the Enforcement Bureau began its investigation after receiving a consumer complaint alleging that WOKQ had broadcast an announcement for the Northern Pass project in September 2011 without identifying who sponsored the announcement.

Investigators found that the station had broadcast multiple versions of the announcements from May through October 2011 that referenced the Northern Pass project, but none of them expressly identify Northern Pass Transmission LL as the sponsor.

Wiquist said he was not authorized to reveal what individual or group filed the initial complaint.

Brian Lang, general manager at WOKQ, referred all requests for comment on the settlement to Atlanta-based Cumulus Media, the station’s owner when the announcements aired.

Cumulus Media referred all calls on the settlement to their public relations firm, Goldin Communications, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday night.

Cumulus Media sold WOKQ in 2013 to Townsquare Media, based in Greenwich, Conn.

Under the terms of the settlement, which takes the form of a consent decree, Cumulus Media Inc. subsidiaries Cumulus Radio Corporation and Radio License Holding CBC, LLC will pay a penalty of $540,000 and will enter into what is termed a “robust compliance plan” covering 195 stations across the country.

The plan includes appointing a compliance officer, enhanced operating procedures, employee training on sponsorship identification laws, and a hotline for reporting violations of the compliance plan.

Houston Radio: Mega 101 FM Extends Tony Luna As PD

Tony Luna

CBS Radio’S KLOL 101. FM MEGA 101 F has announced Tony Luna will continue his role as Program Director for the popular Spanish station as part of a multi-year contract extension.  Luna has been the driving force, taking the station to its highest weekly cume for Spanish radio in the market.

Charese Fruge, Vice President, Programming, CBS Radio Houston, stated, “In the short time I have worked with Tony he has proven to be a great leader, as well as a strategic and successful programmer. The Mega brand is a monster in the Houston Hispanic community and that is largely due to Tony and his team's passion for its culture”. We couldn't be more thrilled to have him committed to Mega 101 for several more years.”

Luna’s radio career started at age 15 as an on-air personality at Super Q-104 in Puerto Rico. From there, he became the music director for Cosmos 94 in Puerto Rico where the reggaeton music movement started back in the 90’s. He also served as the program director of WSKQ and WPAT in New York City for 10 years.

KLOK 101.1 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage

“We have built an incredible and winning team and I am beyond ecstatic to be part of the CBS Radio family,” said Luna. “I’m looking forward to many more years to come.”

Boston Radio: Ramiro Joins HOT 96.9 FM

Greater Media’ WBQT HOT 96.9 FM has announced popular radio personality, Ramiro “The Freakin’ Puerto Rican” Torres, is joining HOT 96.9’s GetUp Crew morning show with Pebbles, Melissa and Wiggy in Boston.

Ramiro

Ramiro most recently hosted mornings at WJMN. He has also worked on television as host of Community Auditions and as a correspondent for NESN’s Red Sox Final.

“To say I’m excited about joining Pebbles, Melissa and Wiggy on HOT 96.9 would be a MASSIVE understatement!” said Ramiro. “I’d like to thank everyone at Greater Media including Peter Smyth, Mary Menna, Scott Morello and the man who’s been responsible for every single opportunity I’ve had in my career, Cadillac Jack.  I can’t wait to become part of your morning routine again!”

“Ramiro is quick-witted, a quick study, and an all-out superstar,” said Director of Programming Cadillac Jack. “Greater Media remains committed to building out our team of “A” talent, and this addition truly testifies to that, further bolstering our already strong lineup! I’ve known Ramiro for his entire work life (and more than half his natural life) and can say unequivocally that listeners will welcome him to HOT 96.9 in a big way, as he joins Pebbles, Melissa and Wiggy to round out a team of Boston personalities that people from all backgrounds have grown to know and love.”

WBQT 96.9 FM (22.5 Kw) Red=Local Coverage

“Ramiro is the consummate professional and I am thrilled that he is joining the GetUp Crew,” said VP/Market Manager, Mary Menna. “He has such a long history with both listeners and clients who will all be excited to welcome him back to the Boston airwaves every morning.”

HOT 96.9 ranked # 4 with W 25-54 and #3 with Adults 18-34 in the most recent Fall Nielsen Ratings Period.

NBC Wants To Drop Boston Affiliate WHDH

NBC announced Thursday that it will end its affiliation with Boston’s Channel 7 WHDH-TV and open a new Boston station, owned by the network, in 2017, according to The Boston Globe.

The announcement from NBC came Thursday in an employee memo acquired by the Globe, and stated that the network plans to create a local news team to staff the new station. The memo did not specify where the NBC Boston station would broadcast from, but WHDH-TV owner Ed Ansin told the Globe that the network had plans to move programming to WNEU-TV, an NBC-owned station in New Hampshire that currently broadcasts Telemundo.

Ansin said the move isn’t final, as he plans to fight NBC’s decision on the grounds that the move violates a Federal Communications Commission agreement with the network, the Globe reported. He cited concerns as to whether the move to a smaller media market would best suit public interest, as NBC has committed to producing a certain amount of free broadcasting.

“I have a feeling a year from now we will still be the NBC affiliate,” Ansin told the Globe. “That’s how serious we think the violations are.”

7News Boston WHDH-TV

Station owner Ed Ansin says he's fighting to keep that from happening.

"We intend to contest NBC's plans," said Ansin.

Ansin says NBC's planned TV divorce could violate an agreement Comcast made with the FCC to let the cable giant buy NBC five years ago.

Comcast promised to make sure people could continue to get NBC programming free over the air without being forced to buy cable.

NBC tells WHDH its programs will air on a signal broadcasting from Merrimack, New Hampshire. But as a map based on FCC information shows, that signal doesn't reach half of the city of Boston and millions of viewers farther south.

"They have the right to buy a station, change affiliation. That's their privilege. They don't have a right to violate the agreement between Comcast and NBC and the affiliates, and the government," Ansin said.  "This is clearly not in the public interest.  They will have half the coverage area of Channel 7. They will reach less than half of the population."

Billy Joel To Relaunch SixiusXM Channel

Billy Joel dropped by “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Wednesday night to announce that the Billy Joel Channel will return to SiriusXM Radio starting Jan. 15.

Newsday reports Joel told Fallon he will be more involved in this incarnation and that it will be “not just me, but stuff I like,” adding that he may also show up as a disc jockey on the channel, as BJ the DJ, doing impressions of New York DJ legends Cousin Brucie and the late Scott Muni.



He and Fallon also discussed their plan to take over WLNG 92.1 FM in Sag Harbor some night where they would perform their favorite doo-wop and rock classics unannounced, an idea hatched at a party at Howard Stern’s house where Joel and Fallon sat around a piano all night.

Joel, 66, also announced that he will add another show to his record-setting run at Madison Square Garden on July 20. However, sales information hasn’t been released yet.

Joel kicks off the third year of his Madison Square Garden residency Thursday night and he invited Fallon to perform a song with him. Then they performed the Rolling Stones’ “Beast of Burden” together, with Fallon adopting a Mick Jagger accent.


(The studio audience was also treated to an impromptu a cappella version of “The Longest Time,” featuring Joel and his band, Fallon and the show’s other guest Oscar winner J.K. Simmons.)

Atlanta Radio: The Bert Show Introduces Newest Cast Member

He's Brian Moote, a Seattle stand-up comic, actor and radio host.

Moote, replaces former No.2 man Jeff Dauler, who resigned in Jeff Dauler resigned in November from the Bert Show on WWWQ 99.7 FM Q100 (and syndicated in 17-markets) after 14 years to join rival station Star 94.  Dauler's new morning star on WSTR is expected to start in February.

Moote is a Washington state native who grew up on a farm and  moved to Atlanta last month.  He was so eager to join the Bert Show Thursday morning, he was at the mic at 5:15 a.m., even before his boss Bert Weiss showed up.



He is married to Katie Waissel, a singer who finished seventh on the “X Factor” in the U.K. in 2010. They had been living in Los Angeles, though for a time he had commuted to do radio in Seattle. He was doing stand-up comedy and “auditioning [for acting roles] relentlessly and being told no for no reason.”

Now that he’s in Atlanta, “we have an apartment that has a pool and I have already found out the hard way that winters in Atlanta mean that the pool is just for looks and that hypothermia is real. We don’t have any children because we have a one bedroom apartment with a ton of breakable stuff.

San Antonio Radio: KTFM Rebrands As Energy 94.1 FM

Alpha Media/San Antonio has announced the rebranding of Top40 KTFM 94.1 FM as Energy 94.1.

Blondie & Nugget

Listeners will continue to hear their same favorite air personalities including, Blondie and Nugget in the Morning, DJ Grooves in middays, Tony Cortez in afternoons, and Auggie 5000 in the evenings. KTFM first signed on the air in San Antonio in 1969 at 102.7. In 2005, KTFM landed on "94.1 as Jammin'" and by 2010 became CHR "Puro San Antonio" station.

Alpha Media Senior VP/Market Manager Lance Hawkins commented, "We are ecstatic to start the year with a new chapter of the KTFM frequency and refresh this brand's identity in the form of Energy 94.1."

KTFM 94.1 FM (40 Kw) Red=Local Coverage

"By launching Energy 94.1 we believe we can generate enough noise to differentiate ourselves in a crowded San Antonio top 40 marketplace. The birth of this new brand will also reinforce Alpha Media's commitment to live and local radio. San Antonio is a unique market, and this presented us with the perfect opportunity to custom design a radio station that truly sounds like the community it serves," added Energy 94.1 PD Pat Cerullo.

Anya Grunman Named NPR VP/Programming

Anya Grundman

Anya Grundmann is NPR's new Vice President of Programming and Audience Development, it was announced Thursday by NPR CMO and Senior Vice President for Audience Development Emma Carrasco and Senior Vice President of News and Editorial Director Michael Oreskes, to whom Grundmann will jointly report.

She has been in the new role on an interim basis and was selected following an extensive national search.

In this position, Grundmann will lead NPR's programming center to create and acquire the highest quality content offerings that will engage and grow public radio's audience on Member stations across the country, and inspire new levels of engagement with audiences on digital platforms. During the six months Grundmann was in the interim role, she oversaw the launch of several major additions to NPR's content development pipeline, including the debut with NPR News of the Hidden Brain and NPR Politics podcasts and the upcoming second season of Invisibilia, as well as an on-air promotion campaign for All Things Considered.

"Anya has distinguished herself from both a creative and audience development perspective for many years. She is ideally suited to develop a comprehensive content development strategy that guides the growth and direction of NPR programs for the next decade, taking into consideration changes in our nation's demographics, audience behaviors and competitive media landscape," says Carrasco.

"I'm thrilled to be working with the incredible journalists and creative storytellers of our day to develop and support programming that our audiences will find smart, fun, deeply engaging and important to their lives," says Grundmann.

Recently named one of Billboard's Women in Music for a third consecutive year, Grundmann comes into her new position after eight years as the head of NPR Music, where she and her team established NPR Music as a powerhouse in digital innovation and creative experimentation, and an industry leader in multi-genre music discovery that reaches more than 20 million people every month.

iHM Appoints Kelly Kibler EVP/Multi-Cultural Marketing

Kelly Kibler

iHeartMedia announced Thursday that Kelly Kibler, previously Executive Vice President of Operations for the company’s Texas Major Markets, has taken on a new role as Executive Vice President of Multi-Cultural Marketing for the iHeartMedia Markets Group.

In this new position, Kibler will work with groups across the company to leverage iHeartMedia’s unparalleled reach and unmatched ability to target and communicate to its culturally diverse audience. She will work closely with Liz Blacker, EVP of Multi-Cultural Strategy and Sales for iHeartMedia’s National Sales, Marketing and Partnerships group, to coordinate and execute multi-cultural advertising opportunities at the market level, and work with iHeartMedia’s National Programming Group to develop custom programs utilizing the company’s on-air talent for the benefit of marketers and advertising partners at the market level.  Kibler will report to Hartley Adkins, Executive Vice President of Operations for Major Markets.

The bilingual Kibler has over 20 years experience in the broadcast industry, beginning her career in 1991 at Telemundo.  She has had great success as a market leader, and in her most recent role as Executive Vice President of Operations for the Texas Major Markets she led a number of key initiatives across iHeartMedia.  In addition, Kibler has led a number of iHeartMedia markets, serving as Market President in Las Vegas, San Diego and Dallas before her tenure as Executive Vice President of Operations.

During the transition to her new role Kibler will continue to oversee the Texas Major Markets.

“Kelly has been a constant innovator in this company and is the perfect choice to head up our focused multi-cultural advertising efforts at the market level,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc.  “Her success as Executive Vice President of Operations, as well as in her role as a sales leader and Market President – and her leadership of numerous iHeartMedia initiatives -- have enabled her to grow her career here with us, and we look forward to her using all of her experience and relationships to build this new capability for our company.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to take on this new position at iHeartMedia, using the tools and experience we’ve developed in Texas and applying them across our 158 markets in a space that continues to grow in both importance and footprint across America,” said Kibler.

Nielsen: Consumers Say Streaming Music Is Too Expensive

According to Nielsen Music’s annual 360 report, which polls 3,000+ US music fans, the price of Spotify and other services remained a significant barrier to entry for millions of people in 2015. Almost 50 percent say streaming music is too expensive.

The survey discovered that, despite the fact 75% of music fans listen online in the US each week, and 44% do so on a smartphone, they are very price conscious.

Of those who currently use streaming services, 83% said cost was their top reason for choosing a platform.

Millennials Turning More Negative On News Media

Younger generations tend to have more-positive views than their elders of a number of institutions that play a big part in American society. But for some institutions – such as churches and the news media – Millennials’ opinions have become markedly more negative in the past five years.

Since 2010, Pew Research reports Millennials’ rating of churches and other religious organizations has dipped 18 percentage points: 55% now say churches have a positive impact on the country compared with five years ago, when nearly three-quarters (73%) said this. Views among older generations have changed little over this time period. As a result, older generations are now more likely than Millennials – who are much less likely than their elders to be religious – to view religious organizations positively.

Pew adds Millennials’ views of the national news media also have grown more negative. In 2010, four-in-ten Millennials said the national news media was having a positive impact on the way things were going in the country, a far more positive view than among older generations (just 27% of Silents and Baby Boomers and 29% of Generation Xers said this).

But now, Millennials’ evaluations of the news media have grown more critical and are currently on par with older generations: Just 27% now say it has a positive impact, compared with 26% of Xers and Silents and 23% of Boomers.

QGoLive App Fires Up Four Additional Markets

KMG Networks, a division of Krantz Media Group, Harris Media, the producer of Control Room Pro, a suite of game-changing digital production field and studio tools, and AdLarge Media, which provides ad sales representation, announced major market affiliations with CBS’s WFAN-AM/NY, Bonneville’s WTOP-FM/Washington DC, dominant news outlet iHeartmedia’s WIOD-AM/Miami, legendary news station WHO-AM and sports outlet KXNO-AM/Des Moines. Several more major market stations and national platforms will be announced shortly.

“Most of the new digital and mobile programs for broadcast radio are consumer-facing,” observed Lee Harris, Founder of Harris Media.  “We focused on the development of cutting edge newsroom and radio station field tools that expedite the gathering of news-related material for anchors and streamlined the field reporting process.”

“All of these media outlets have the same things in common: they are the leading stations in the market within their format, and they have a constant focus on presenting their content with the best sound quality possible,” said Gary Krantz, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Krantz Media Group.  “QGoLive allows reporters to send reports from the field, the stadium, or anywhere else, in broadcast-ready, digital quality from any device,” Krantz added.

“Our partnership with QGoLive gives us the opportunity to offer our advertisers access to some of the biggest audiences in radio,” stated Gary Schonfeld, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of AdLarge Media. “These powerhouse radio stations increase the value to our advertisers who want to connect with listeners in major markets.”

QGoLive is a mobile App for broadcast-quality, live field reporting on an iPhone, iPad, Android, or laptop, featuring the ability to insert recorded clips into live shots.  While designed for news/talk stations, the Live Report Pro App works for any station that has air personalities or reporters in the field.  Stations are using it to bring in remote talk show hosts, sideline reporting, and even to broadcast high school sports.

ESPN Radio Adds espnW Hosted Weekend Show

Kate Fagan, Jane McManus and Sarah Spain

ESPN Radio will launch a new weekend lineup beginning Saturday, Jan. 9, highlighted by the debut of espnW’s The Trifecta with Spain, Jane and Kate on ESPN Radio.

The program, which will air Saturdays, noon – 3 p.m. ET, will be hosted by espnW writers Kate Fagan, Jane McManus and Sarah Spain as they discuss the latest headlines with a distinct perspective on sports that only espnW can provide. The show represents a continued collaboration between ESPN Radio and espnW focused on adding diverse voices to ESPN Radio’s programs.

Fagan will also co-host Will & Kate with ESPN contributor Will Cain, airing Sundays from 7 – 10 a.m. The show, which will launch Sunday, Feb. 14, will take a look at topical societal issues in sports by hosts who often find their opinions to be at opposite sides of the table. Also, Spain will host a new podcast, That’s What She Said, based on her espnW digital animated column, beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19, and available on ESPNRadio.com.

“ESPN Radio is excited to bring our listeners a diverse lineup of voices that should reach all our sports fans,” said Louise K. Cornetta, ESPN Radio program director II. “Our collaboration with espnW continues to grow with the addition of The Trifecta, which will offer three of the most prominent female voices in the business.”

Added David Roberts, vice president, network content: “There is a wealth of talent at ESPN, and we are extremely delighted to maximize this strength by offering diverse, distinctive and dynamic voices across our audio platforms 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Additional programming will continue to debut throughout January and February. Also debuting January 9 - 10 will be Rothenberg, Wallace & Golic Jr. (Saturdays, 5 – 8 p.m.) -- featuring ESPN New York 98.7FM’s Dave Rothenberg with ESPN.com NBA reporter Michael Wallace and Mike Golic Jr., son of Mike & Mike co-host Mike Golic Sr. – as well as Izzy & Amin (Sundays, 10 a.m. – noon), an NBA-focused program hosted by ESPN NBA reporters Israel Gutierrez and Amin Elhassan.

In addition, a Sunday edition of the Chicago-based Dickerson & Hood (4 – 7 p.m.), will begin February 14. Booger & Burns, a podcast hosted by the SEC Network’s Anthony “Booger” McFarland and Peter Burns, will premiere as a full show beginning Sunday, Feb. 21, from 10 p.m. to midnight.

The full schedule also includes mainstays like John Clayton’s Inside the Huddle, The Sporting Life, Dari & Mel, Marty & McGee, Robin Lundberg, The Coach & Bretos and NBA Lockdown: Insiders with Marc Stein, Elhassan and Brian Windhorst.

Jingle Ball 2015 Was Social Media Hit

iHeartMedia Thursday shared the latest social media engagement data from its annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2015 Tour Presented by Capital One, which took place in 11 cities across the United States between December 1 and 19.

The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour -- the season's biggest music event, which captures the music and holiday spirit of the iHeartRadio app with performances by this year’s biggest recording artists -- garnered almost 11 billion social media impressions. In fact, the 2015 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour increased 67 percent over last year, putting the record-breaking tour ahead of both the Big Game Halftime Show and the Academy Awards, and neck-and-neck with the Grammy Awards.

Each stop of the 2015 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour -- which included Dallas; San Francisco/Oakland; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; Boston; New York; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Miami/Ft. Lauderdale; and Tampa -- continued to build buzz, with Z100's Jingle Ball in New York taking the crown for the most social interactions garnering more than 3.5 billion social media impressions. Overall, the social traction skewed mostly female (71 percent) as well as younger, with Generation Z and Millennials driving the bulk of the action as 85 percent of those taking to Twitter, Facebook and most were under the age of 34.

Other noteworthy statistics include:

• Pop ruled iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball Tour social shares; the Top 5 artists of the tour were: One Direction, Selena Gomez, 5 Seconds of Summer, Demi Lovato and The Weeknd.
• Many social media users chose to share their favorite hashtags while watching the show. On the night of Z100’s Jingle Ball in New York, #iheartradiojingleball trended worldwide, nationally and locally in over 30 cities in the US including New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Cleveland, Columbus and Tampa. Other trending topics included #z100jingleball, #Y100jingleball, #kiss108jingleball and Sixth Harmony.

 Additionally, the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2015 Tour made a splash with fans at home with an incredible 19 million music lovers watching and listening across the Yahoo stream, iHeartMedia’s radio stations and on the iHeartRadio app, and through the special broadcasts on The CW Network.

SC Radio: Hillman Named Alpha DoB Development

Allyson Hillman

Alpha Media/Savannah-Hilton Head announced that Allyson Hillman has been named Director of Business Development.

Allyson has close to 30 years’ experience in the broadcast industry; 22 in the Detroit market both with Cumulus and as a manager with iHeart Media. With experience in radio, television, internet, digital and outdoor industries; Allyson’s strengths include revenue generating ideas, inventory pricing and management, recruiting and developing strong sales teams, prospecting new business and increasing revenue from existing accounts.

Alpha Media EVP, Bill McElveen commented on the announcement, “We are happy to have Allyson join our live and local team and excited to see her experience put to work.”

Alpha Media VP/Market Manager, Gigi South added, “After a long search, we believe we have found the very best fit for the future growth of our cluster. Allyson has a history of achievement driven by her success in team and business development. Welcome to the family, Allyson!”

“It’s wonderful to be with a company that is so focused on Live and Local RADIO! I can’t wait to get started with this new innovative group here in Savannah-Hilton Head,” remarked Allyson.

Ryan Seacrest Accepts Variety Digital Award

Ryan Seacrest accepted Variety’s inaugural Digital Impact Leadership Award at the publication’s annual Entertainment Summit Thursday at CES.

In Las Vegas to get the honor just as the final season of “American Idol” kicks off, Seacrest pointed out the continued importance of his roots in radio. He is the longtime host of nationally syndicated “On Air with Ryan Seacrest” for iHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS-FM.

“Radio is how people can connect with the stars, as well as really engage in the great events we offer, such as the iHeartMedia Music festival,” said Seacrest, adding that he enjoys how the daily nature of his radio gig “makes people feel comfortable with me.”

Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, presented the honor to Seacrest. He noted that there are more radios in the marketplace than smartphones or PCs, and radio enjoys nearly 100% penetration with the key millennial demographic.

“As moms are taking kids to school, they are listening to the radio, so from day one they are growing up with it,” said Pittman.

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