RadioInsight

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WAMU Seeks To Sell Bluegrass Country

Posted: 08 Jul 2016 11:45 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/blog/headli...grass-country/



American Universitys Public News/Talk 88.5 WAMU Washington DC has announced
it plans to sell or shutdown its Bluegrass Country digital and
HD/translator fed service.

WAMUs Benae Mosby told Washingtonian that the brand has been running in the
red since it was moved from a specialty show on the primary station to a
full-time digital platform in 2007. The stations deficit was $142,000 in
the 2016 fiscal year. Should I buyer not be found by the end of the year
WAMU will shut the service down.

Bluegrass Country currently airs on WAMU-HD2 as well as 105.5 W288BS Reston
VA which serves Washington proper, 93.5 W228AM Frederick MD and 93.5 W228AB
Paramount/Hagerstown MD.

WAMU’s Bluegrass Country History and Origins

From 1967 through today, WAMU has been a proud supporter of bluegrass music
and its culture, which has been part of the Washington region for many
years. A large migration from Appalachia occurred during the 1940s, making
Washington the capital of a blossoming bluegrass music scene. Bluegrass
became a defining sound for many in the area and, by the 1960s, 70s, and
80s, was a hotbed for musicians such as Buzz Busby, Leon Morris, The
Country Gentlemen, and later, the Seldom Scene and Johnson Mountain Boys.

Bluegrass music had a limited presence on commercial radio so hosts and
ethnomusicologists Gary Henderson and Dick Spottswood approached WAMU with
a proposal for a half-hour educational bluegrass show. Bluegrass Unlimited
debuted on July 3, 1967.

In addition to Spottswood and Henderson, WAMU’s bluegrass hosts and
producers over the years have included well-respected broadcasters,
musicians, authors, and ethnomusicologists who specialize in bluegrass and
roots music: Eddie Stubbs, Jerry Gray, Ray Davis, Katy Daley, and Lee
Michael Demsey.

From 1967 through the 70s and 80s, generous support from the bluegrass
community allowed WAMU to expand. Today, WAMU’s Bluegrass Country is a 24/7
bluegrass music service broadcasting at 105.5 FM, HD on 88.5-2, and
streaming on bluegrasscountry.org. Bluegrass Country’s social media
includes a YouTube channel with over 4.4 million views.

What’s Happening and Why?

During the last 20 years, the Washington area has once again undergone
tremendous demographic shifts attracting millions of new residents. WAMU
has seen listenership to the main news station steadily increase, making it
one of the most-listened-to radio stations in the Washington, D.C. market.

To clarify and further understand this shift in demographics, WAMU
commissioned a study from an independent media strategic consulting company
to develop a five-year strategic plan. This process made it clear that news
and information is what the majority of listeners want and expect from
WAMU. A similar independent public media consulting company analyzed WAMU’s
Bluegrass Country, and concluded that we could not expect similar growth in
listenership and financial support for this service over the next five
years.

Next Steps

As a result of these two studies, we’ve had to make a difficult business
decision. In order to focus our financial resources and creative energy on
news and information, we will have to part ways with our bluegrass service.

We’re proud of the bluegrass legacy WAMU helped build over the past 49
years and our first choice is to find a new owner for the service. We are
consulting with WAMU’s Bluegrass Country morning host and managing producer
Katy Daley, the Bluegrass Country team, key supporters, and other
interested parties. A public search has been launched for a new group or
individual willing and able to take over the service.

If we are unable to find a new owner, however, we will end the service
December 31, 2016.

In the meantime, WAMU will celebrate the bluegrass legacy and continue our
support for WAMU’s Bluegrass Country.

As we move forward, we are committed to an open and transparent process for
our listeners and members. Please visit this page for occasional updates.
If you would like to share your thoughts and opinions with us, please email
.

For Members

WAMU’s Bluegrass Country is no longer accepting new donations as it is
seeking a new owner and plans to transfer the service or cease broadcast on
December 31, 2016. Contributions previously made to Bluegrass Country will
continue to support the service in the coming months. If you have a
question about a donation, please contact us via email at
.

To donate to WAMU, please visit wamu.org/support.

For Interested Owners

If you are interested in becoming a new owner, please review the Request
for Proposal (RFP)



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Kristi Lee Rejoins Bob & Tom Show

Posted: 08 Jul 2016 08:46 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/blog/headli...-bob-tom-show/



After quietly exiting the syndicated program at the beginning of the year,
co-host Kristi Lee is rejoining the Bob Tom Show.

Lee rejoins Tom Griswold, Chick McGee, Donnie Baker, and Scott Polanski as
the core of the program. Lee spent 28 years with the program prior to her
departure soon after the retirement of co-host Bob Kevoian at the end of
2015. Lee will make her return to the program on Monday, July 11.

Westwood One’s popular radio comedy The Bob Tom Show sees the return of
longtime show member Kristi Lee. Beginning July 11, Kristi Lee joins cast
members Tom Griswold, Chick McGee, Donnie Baker, Scott Polanski, and an
ensemble of comedy hosts and guests as the Show continues to entertain
morning audiences across the country and worldwide on the American Forces
Radio Network. “It’s great to have Kristi back on the Show� said The BOB
TOM Show co-founder Tom Griswold.

Kristi Lee noted I am thrilled to be back on The BOB TOM Showeven though I
fully expect to be interrupted by the boys on a regular basis…again�.



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Station Sales Week Of 7/8

Posted: 08 Jul 2016 08:28 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/blog/headli...es-week-of-78/


Station Sales

Vanguard Media is selling Silent 1550 KQNM Albuquerque NM to Immaculate
Heart Radio $250,000. KQNM has been silent since the end of September 2015
pending the sale of it. Immaculate Heart already has a CP to upgrade 98.9
K255AU Corrales NM to 70w vertical/1246m rebroadcasting KQNM.

Carolina Christian Radio sells 1180 WLTT Carolina Beach/Wilmington NC to
James and Maxine Utleys CLI Radio LLC for $53,000. CLI currently operates
Carolina Christian Radios 1490 WWIL Wilmington via LMA as Gospel Gospel Joy
1490.

L. Topaz Enterprises sells the CP for 103.9 KKUJ Monument OR to Xana Oregon
for $15,500.
Translator Sales
Station State Seller Buyer Price To Rebroadcast Station State
Seller Buyer Price To Rebroadcast 95.3 K237FJ Thief River Falls MN
Edgewater Broadcasting DeWayne Kvande $25,000 92.1 WMIS-FM Blackduck
93.3 W227CY Easton NY Northeast Gospel Broadcasting Cram Communications
$50,000 1540 WSIV East Syracuse 95.7 W239AY Cordele

96.1 W241BK La Grange GA Family Stations Prieto Broadcasting $80,000
88.7 WFRP Americus

1080 WFTD Marietta 106.7 W294BT Killearn FL Edgewater Broadcasting
Natkim Radio $55,000 91.9 WKVH Monticello 106.5 W293AL Saranac Lake NY
Saranac Lake Radio Saga Communications $45,000 106.3 WNBZ-FM Saranac
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Thunder Tampa Bay Returns To Classic Rock

Posted: 08 Jul 2016 08:00 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/blog/headli...-classic-hits/



Update 7/8: After a little over a month with Classic Hits, iHeartMedias
trimulcast of 94.5 W233AV Gulfport/St. Petersburg, 99.1 W256CT Bayonet
Point/New Port Richey and 105.9 W290BJ West Tampa/100.7 WMTX-HD2 Tampa has
reverted back to its former Classic Rock programming.

Original Report 6/3: iHeartMedia Classic Rock Thunder Tampa Bay translator
trimulcast of 94.5 W233AV Gulfport/St. Petersburg, 99.1 W256CT Bayonet
Point/New Port Richey and 105.9 W290BJ West Tampa/100.7 WMTX-HD2 Tampa has
transitioned to Classic Hits.

The transition comes with a new Premium Choice airstaff. Drew Thomas,
afternoon host of sister 107.9 WSRZ Sarasota is in mornings. Q104.3 WAXQ
New Yorks Mark Coppola is in middays with Country 99.5 WGAR Clevelands Kat
Jackson in afternoons. WMJJ Birmingham afternoon host JT is in nights.

Over the past three months, Thunder has dropped from a 1.4 share to 0.8
share. The flip places Thunder closer to Cox Media Groups 107.3 The Eagle
WXGL and Beasley Medias Q105 104.7 WRBQ.



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A Movement Leading To A Revolution

Posted: 07 Jul 2016 02:50 PM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/blog/blogs/...-a-revolution/



Since I started traveling to radio conventions a few years ago never have I
seen a group as energized for the audio medium as those here at the 2016
Podcast Movement in Chicago.

The group of aspiring and established podcasters, marketers and network
sales are all here for one thing. Their love of creating audio content
regardless of format. Thats not to say theyre not looking to be commercial
operations. The most packed rooms were those directed towards growing and
monetizing your audience.

The morning started with three keynote addresses. Two of the speakers came
from the public radio podcasting space: Snap Judgments Glynn Washington and
Death, Sex and Moneys Anna Sale. Washingtons first words were clear about
his motives, I dont care about podcasting!. He said theres not enough money
in podcasting yet for him to care about it as a medium. He dedicated his
keynote to storytelling and how the burgeoning podcast space needs to allow
trust people to tell their own stories as opposed to relying simply on
experts.

Sale used her keynote to compare the ten steps of starting a podcast to
having a baby. However, both she and Washington working for WNYC Studios
focused much of their speeches on the ability to work and iterate
development with co-workers and production team members, something that
many of the independent creators in the room do not have access to.


@annasales pitch to @WNYC for @deathsexmoney #PM16
pic.twitter.com/ugReBGv9ho

- LoveCanberraPodcast (@LoveCBRpodcast) July 7, 2016


They were followed up by filmmaker and prolific podcaster Kevin Smith.
Smith had the room enthralled with stories of how he came to podcasting,
fell into his first sponsorship deal with Fleshlight, and how telling a
close friend to podcast not only saved him from wanting to kill himself but
then led to the creation and starring in AMCs Comic Book Men TV show.


Kevin Smith first speaker this morning to focus on self-expression. You
don’t need to have radio production to be viable. #PM16

- Podcasting Insight (@PodcastInsight) July 7, 2016



It doesnt take talent to use a medium. @BenAffleck gets paid to stand
around and tell people hes Batman. @ThatKevinSmith #pm16

- Jenna (@bite4size) July 7, 2016


After a lunch break, I sat in on two radio industry targeted panels. Edison
Medias Larry Rosin went over the most recent Infinite Dial research. As a
refresher on the data, Rosin stated that 150 million people (or 55%) of
people 12 and over are aware of the term podcasting. Of those 98 million
have listened to a podcast, 57 million in the past month, 35 million in the
past week. The average podcast listener listens to 5 podcasts per week
totaling four hours and ten minutes. While podcasting has only 2% of total
share of ear listening, among those that have listened to a podcast that
number jumps to 32%.

At the AM/FM/Podcasting panel led by Amplify Medias Steven Goldstein, Rosin
summed up the problems facing commercial radio in the podcasting space,
Podcasting is a show, while radio programs a format. Public Radio meshes
well with that as they are used to creating diverse content. Thats not to
say there isnt hope on the horizon. Hubbard Medias Greg Stassell said that
while radio is still mass appeal, it should find reasons to develop
podcasts meaningful to the audience. Programmers should be receptive to
ideas from the local podcast community to find programs that fit with their
target demographics and brands.

The energy on the first day of the panel is full of people looking to share
ideas. Nobody has a sense of dread or entitlement that Ive seen at recent
radio conventions. These are people that want to bring new ideas to the
audio landscape and are here to fill the niches that radio has long
forsaken. The radio community has a lot to offer to podcasters and vice
versa. They are not our enemy, they are the next generation of radio.



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June 2016 Nielsen Audio PPM Ratings Day 3

Posted: 07 Jul 2016 02:14 PM PDT
http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=...e=75862 030d3