Charlotte Radio Fans Hope to Preserve Some of WBT-AM’s History
Since Urban One transitioned news/talk WBT, Charlotte from its primary broadcast frequency at 1110 AM to 107.9 FM back in December, radio history buffs have been wondering what will become of the AM transmitter property and, more importantly, its historic transmitter building that was retrofitted as a bomb shelter 
in the early 1960s. WCNC-TV reports that local radio fan Johnny Caudle has launched a Change.org petition to save some of the history. He tells WCNC-TV, “I heard the land was for sale and knowing the radio background industry the way I do, I know that that probably means the towers are going down and the place is going to be bulldozed and redeveloped. So, I started thinking we need to save something.” Caudle says he’s not trying to kill any deal that would see the land developed but just wants “to preserve something.” The story indicates the property has an assessed value of $3.5 million. Urban One has not made a public statement about the future of the property. See the WCNC-TV story here.
continue to lead the Mobile market. Cumulus operations president Bob Walker comments, “We are excited to expand Don’s role in the region. He is an accomplished leader that helps markets focus on how to help clients grow their business with unique partnerships with our brands and our digital solutions. We are eager to see the impact he will have on the broader region.” Boyd’s new oversight will include sports talkers KKND-AM, New Orleans “The Ticket 106.7” and WXQW-AM, Mobile “Jox Mobile.”
Top Podcasts chart for the month of June based on U.S. unique monthly audience for participating networks. It bumps The New York Times’ “The Daily” to #2, NPR’s “NPR News Now” to #3, and “Up First from NPR” to #4. Other moves of note include DailyWire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” dips two places to #9, while Silverloch’s “The Dan Bongino Show is steady at #14. 
posture. ABC did not come to the Federal Communications Commission asking for anything. The Commission compelled ABC to file the Petition for Declaratory Ruling at issue here, directing the network to explain why the government. should not dictate which political candidates may appear on The View—even though the Commission itself resolved that very question in ABC’s favor more than two decades ago, ruling in 2002 that The View is a bona fide news program not subject to the equal opportunities requirement.
edition of the show will emanate from Jay Leno’s Garage, with special guest, Jay Leno. Wolfe says, “For 20 years we’ve never tried to fit into a radio format. We’ve simply tried to make people laugh. The cars brought people to the show, but the stories, characters, the guests and the friendships are what kept them coming back every Saturday. We’re grateful to everyone who’s been part of the journey and excited to welcome a whole new audience.” iHeartMedia division president Eddie Martiny states, “John Clay Wolfe has built one of the most entertaining and engaging programs in radio, and we’re excited to expand his reach across our platform. Growing ‘The John Clay Wolfe Show’ to nearly 120 iHeart stations is a testament to the strength of the show and our shared commitment to delivering compelling, relevant programming to our listeners. We’re proud to partner with John and look forward to continuing this incredible growth together.”
“570 NewsRadio.” Yahoo! is reporting that Rogers says the closures will mean layoffs for 80 employees of the stations. Other simultaneous staff reductions at Rogers are costing another 150 people their positions. These cuts are revenue based as Rogers spokesperson Zac Carreiro states, “The media business continues to face headwinds driven by declining advertising revenue and changing audience habits. These changes are part of our plan to focus our investment in areas that will drive growth long-term. After a thorough review of our radio stations, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to close six radio stations in four markets due to declining audience and revenue trends.” Rogers will continue operate 44 radio stations in some 30 markets. 
morning drive host Sid Rosenberg. In addition to Rosenberg, this year’s class includes: Bill Ritter – journalist/ anchor – WABC-TV, New York; Rosanna Scotto – journalist/anchor – WNYW-TV (FOX 5), New York City; Dan Miner – station manager – WCKM-FM, WCQL-FM, WWSC-AM & FM, and WDKM-FM, Glens Falls; Pete Cloutier – morning co-host & sales – WCKM-FM, Glens Falls; Chuck Samuels – VP & general manager – WHAM-TV, Rochester (retired); and Bob Krummenacker – VP & General Manager – WBNG-TV, Binghamton (retired).
station streaming, nearly 3x the next closest format; 2) One in four Americans now identifies as a “News Fanatic,” checking the news five or more times a day and actively seeking deeper context – not just headlines; 3) News/talk listeners are more loyal than sports fans. Fifty-four percent are primary listeners who spend most of their listening time with news/talk, compared with 41% for sports; 4) Trust remains news/talk’s biggest advantage. Local news radio is trusted by 84% of listeners – higher than broadcast TV, national news radio, or social media; 5) The audience has significant buying power. Median household income is approximately $95,000, with listeners over-indexing for net worth above $2 million; and 6) The advertising works. Among ad-exposed consumers, news/talk campaigns drive 56% awareness, 47% consideration, and 49% purchase/conversion, while Audacy campaigns generate an average 24% lift in website traffic, with some categories seeing increases as high as 67%. 
FCC officials. Gomez filed a petition for mandamus with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia seeking to compel action by the FCC on such petition. Instead, of responding to the mandamus petition, on June 22 the Commission filed its response and included a copy of an unpublished letter dismissing the News Distortion Petition that was signed by the Acting Chief of the Media Bureau on delegated authority.
testifying against his former boss in cases revolving around Stormy Daniels – has apparently made up with President Donald Trump. Or so says WABC owner John Catsimatidis. He tells the 
If your station is outside the top 50 markets, you already know the pressure points. A mature workforce stretched thin. Fewer applicants for on air and production roles – specifically the younger creators who don’t see radio as their first creative outlet. And a competitive landscape where streaming, satellite, and podcasts divert attention with the gravitational pull of a black hole.
Radio, local talk and coverage of University of Nebraska sports. Walnut Media president Patrick Combs says, “This is an incredibly exciting moment for our company and for sports fans across the region. We are proud to add this historic signal to our group and are excited to offer not only top-notch sports content but also give Husker fans a powerful regional signal.” The station will become the Omaha market’s radio source for Huskers athletics including football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball and “Sports Nightly.” Walnut Media vice chair Nick Seline adds, “We are pleased to add one of the largest and most historic stations in the Midwest to our growing media family. This investment will give us added ability to serve both our listeners and our advertisers.”
anniversary by celebrating 250 remarkable Philadelphians whose lives and legacies have shaped the city, the nation, and our history. The event features a live panel discussion moderated by station personality Solomon Jones that includes: Michael Coard, host of Radio Courtroom, attorney, and founder of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition; Karen Warrington, award-winning news director and arts advocate; Dr. Anthony Monteiro, scholar and founder of The Saturday Free School for Philosophy and Black Liberation; and Rev. Carolyn Cavaness, pastor of Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church.