RadioInsight

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FCC Approves 157 Applicants For Upcoming Auction

Posted: 03 Jun 2021 11:36 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...oming-auction/



The FCC has approved 157 bidders to participate in the upcoming Auction 109
of 136 FM signals and 4 AM signals on July 27.

Of the 157 bidders, fifty applicants have been marked as incomplete with
deficiencies needing the be fixed in order to proceed. All of the
applicants will still need to make their upfront payment by the June 16
deadline in order to participate in the auction.

One applicant, 2820 Communications Inc. was rejected. As a non-commercial
licensee of two stations in Illinois, the groups applications were
mutually-exclusive with bids from commercial applicants making them
unqualified for bidding.

The biggest item in the auction continues to be the Class B 107.9 in
Sacramento CA. Among the approved bidders for the allocation are
Bonneville, 3D Built, ColdTrainMedia LLC, Educational Media Foundation,
Estrella Broadcasting, Nelson Gomez, Mansion Holdings LLC, VCY America, and
Tracy K Wood. Those are only the bidders with completed applications.
Other bidders with incomplete applications such as Entravision, iHeartMedia
and Salem have also selected to go for that allocation.

Other signals of note are the four St. Louis area AMs whose licenses were
revoked in March 2020, the 104.1 Sanger TX allocation surrendered by
Cumulus in 2013, a class A on 106.9 in Fort Walton Beach FL, a class C1 in
Pembroke GA that will cover parts of the Savannah market, a class A in
Keeseville NY covering Burlington VT, and two class As on the East End of
Long Island NY (94.5 Sagaponack and 103.3 Shelter Island).



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The Best and Worst of Whats Lost

Posted: 03 Jun 2021 10:15 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/ross/208715...of-whats-lost/



What are the most loved and hated Lost Factor songs? The ones that were
hits at the time that people came not to like over time? The songs that
people disliked even then? The ones that readers still love and cant
understand why theyre lost?

One of the gratifying aspects of the Lost Factor, our ongoing look at the
difference between a song’s hit status then and its airplay now, is that
the series has taken on a life of its own in Facebook discussions, thanks
to a number of fans, including Slate’s Chris Molanphy and Superior Music’s
Mara Kuge.Â*

Last week, there was a thread on Kuge’s page that began with a discussion
of the all-time Lost Factor champion, “Theme From ‘A Summer Place.’� That
led her Facebook friend Brian MacDonald to suggest that 1971/1974s “Once
You Understand� by Think must be one of the “most lost [songs], outside
music-trivia friends/fans.� “I’ve only heard it on American Top 40 reruns,
and I’ll put that next to the dueling versions of ‘The Americans’ as Top 40
songs nobody really wanted to hear between Donny Osmond and Aerosmith,�
Kuge responded.

“Yeah, most lost and loved at the time would be the really fun challenge,�
said MacDonald. “Its easier to think of lost songs that people wish never
really existed in the first place.�

We can answer both of those questions for you.

And more.

And then we have a question of our own for Ross On Radio readers.

We made one key decision. The songs we’re going to look at are based on
Lost Factor calculations from 1970-94. The average “Lost Factor� scores for
the early ‘60s dwarf most other songs. If we included those songs, the
clear “most loved/most lost� winner would be “A Summer Place.� Since the
frame of reference for many readers begins between the late ‘60s and the
early ‘80s, we narrowed the camera angle. We’re still hoping to do an
all-time top 100 tally from 1960 to the late ‘90s or early ‘00s later this
year.
Biggest Hits That Became “Lost�

To MacDonald’s question of “most loved and lost at the time,� we looked at
all songs with a Lost Factor of 5.0 (with rounding) or higher, then we
ranked them by which songs were the biggest hits, based on their year-end
placement. We weren’t looking for the highest “Lost Factor� rankings;
instead, we were ranking the biggest hits that had a medium-to-high “Lost
Factor.�

When you rank the songs that way, they have relatively low Lost Factor�
scores. “The Way We Were� is only an 11. “Alone Again (Naturally)� just
cracks a 5.0 with rounding. But they are the songs that people liked for a
while, then eventually turned against. Some big hits are lost to time
because the listeners that grew up with them are no longer part of radio’s
target audience. That is not the case here. These songs weren’t “lost� as
much as “de-accessioned.â€�Â*
1 – Barbra Streisand, The Way We Were
2 – Roberta Flack, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
3 – Chicago, Look Away
4 – Gilbert OSullivan, “Alone Again (Naturally)�
5 – Debby Boone, You Light Up My Life�
6 – Johnnie Taylor, “Disco Lady�
7 – Osmonds, “One Bad Apple�
8 – Barbra Streisand, “Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)�
9 – Sammy Davis Jr., “The Candy Man�
10 – Hot, “Angel In Your Arms

Some songs here feel more megahit than others. Hot’s “Angel in Your Arms�
feels very ephemeral now, perhaps because of having the least well-known
artist, but it was top five for the year, as was every song here. Chicago’s
“Look Away� seemed like a very dubious choice for No. 1 song of 1989, but
it was No. 1 for the year, and so were the two songs above it.
Songs That Were Polarizing Even Then

Were there really “songs that nobody wanted to be hits in the first place�?
The answer is never “nobody,� of course, when you’re dealing with hits of a
certain magnitude. But there are songs that attracted a greater level of
derision than others, even when popular.Â*

The songs on this list are ranked by Lost Factor. The judgment that they
were polarizing even as currents is my own. A certain amount of
polarization is inherently built into any lost hit. I was looking for songs
that sparked a discussion beyond “my taste/not my taste.� “Dynomite� by
Bazuka and “Jungle Fever� by the Chakachas are both goofy ‘70s
instrumentals with high Lost Factors. The former was obnoxious to many, but
harmless. In 1971, “Jungle Fever� was dirty and controversial. That’s why
it’s the one that made this list.Â*
1 – Wayne Newton, “Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast�
2 – Chuck Berry, “My Ding-a-Ling�
3 – Paul Anka, “(You’re) Having My Baby�
4 – Chakachas, “Jungle Fever�
5 – Mac Davis, “One Hell of a Woman�
6 – Clint Holmes, “Playground in My Mind�
7 – Michael Jackson, “Ben�
8 – Melissa Manchester, “Don’t Cry Out Loud�
9 – Sammy Davis Jr., “The Candy Man�
10 – Charlene, “I’ve Never Been to Me� (the only ‘80s title, but it first
charted in the ‘70s)
Top 10 Superstar Supernovas

Molanphy has written about the grade inflation experienced by superstar
artists, especially when it comes to high album debuts. In general,
superstar acts and/or follow-ups to smashes often seemed to benefit from
grade inflation.Â*

Non-industry people often assume that record hype, legal or otherwise, is
the only reason that disposable pop songs (read “anything I don’t like�)
become hits. Often, however, it was the faltering superstar single that was
likely to get the biggest label push, especially in the mid-‘80s, when
labels began to expect at least four hits, and maybe six or seven, from any
major album. It’s noteworthy that unlike our previous ‘70s-dominated lists,
these songs all come from the ‘80s and particularly the early ‘90s, when a
lot of our ‘80s superstars were losing steam.

These are songs by major artists and consistent hitmakers that felt like
they most benefited from an artist’s name and career momentum during their
chart run, but faded quickly. A few felt like legit hits to me at the time
(particularly “Twist of Fate�). Others were quickly identifiable as “work
recordsâ€� even then. Â*
1 – Olivia Newton-John, “Twist of Fate�
2 – Janet Jackson, “Because of Love�
3 – Donna Summer, “Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)�
4 – Madonna, “This Used to Be My Playground�
5 – Michael Bolton, “Time, Love and Tenderness�
6 – Michael Jackson, “In the Closet�
7 – Madonna, “Deeper and Deeper�
8 – Genesis, “No Son of Mine�
9 – Paula Abdul, “The Promise of a New Dayâ€�Â*
10 – Meat Loaf, “Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through�
The Best Lost 45s

There are two ways of looking at MacDonald’s “most loved and lost
question.� You can look, as we did, as the biggest hits that faded from
favor. Or you can ask the far more subjective question of what the best
songs are that somehow became lost.Â*

If I made that list, it would include a lot of early ‘70s R&B songs like
“Starting All Over Again� by Mel & Tim or “Power of Love� by Joe Simon that
don’t have any of the usual Lost Factor hallmarks. They’re not by teen
idols or MOR acts, they’re not instrumentals or novelties. They’re not
goofy or risible in any way. They just didn’t become pop hits in every
market at the time. But my list would include “How Do I Make You� by Linda
Ronstadt, too.

So we’re turning the job of “Best Lost Factor� songs over to you. On June
30, I’m going to publish a list of my favorite Lost Factor songs from
1970-94, by choosing from the Top 100 Lost Factor Songs of the 1970s, the
Top 100 Lost Factor Songs of the 1980s, and the Top 60 of 1990-94. You’re
encouraged to submit a top 5 list by June 25 to .
Thanks for all your support of the Lost Factor so far; now we’re looking
forward to your input.Â*



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NAB To Induct All Things Considered Into Hall Of Fame

Posted: 03 Jun 2021 09:41 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...-hall-of-fame/



The National Association of Broadcasters have announced it will induct NPRs
All Things Considered as this years entry into the NAB Hall of Fame.

Celebratings its 50th anniversary on-air, the award will be accepted by
current Executive Producer Cara Tallo and host Ailsa Chang on Monday,
October 11 during the NAB Show in Las Vegas.

“All Things Considered� (ATC), the flagship news program of NPR, will be
inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting
Hall of Fame at the 2021 NAB Show, held October 9–13 in Las Vegas.
Executive producer Cara Tallo and host Ailsa Chang will accept the award at
the NAB Show Welcome event on Monday, October 11 at 9 a.m. PDT.

ATC made its debut broadcast 50 years ago on May 3, 1971, airing on 90
public radio stations. Now broadcasting live every weekday for two hours
and for one hour every Saturday and Sunday, ATC is the most listened-to,
afternoon drive-time news radio program in the country.

Hosted by Chang, Audie Cornish, Mary Louise Kelly and Ari Shapiro and on
weekends by Michel Martin, ATC airs coverage of the most important news of
the day, reports from NPR correspondents in the U.S. and around the world,
thoughtful commentaries, interviews with newsmakers and features on arts,
music and entertainment.

ATC has been honored with some of journalisms highest honors, including the
George Foster Peabody Award, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award
and the Overseas Press Club Award.

“For a half a century, ‘All Things Considered’ has engaged, educated and
entertained countless listeners about the news and culture affecting our
lives, while serving as a showcase for the importance of public radio,�
said NAB President CEO Gordon Smith. “It is a fitting tribute that we
induct this landmark program of radio history into the Broadcasting Hall of
Fame as it celebrates its 50th year on the air.�

The NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame recognizes radio and television
personalities or programs that have earned a place in broadcasting history.
Explore the complete list of past inductees here.

Registration for the 2021 NAB Show and the co-located Radio Show and Sales
and Management Television Exchange (SMTE) is available here.



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Dominic 'Zakk' Zaccagnini Departs KSAN

Posted: 03 Jun 2021 07:37 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...-departs-ksan/



Dominic Zakk Zaccagnini has announced his departure as Program
Director/afternoon host at Cumulus Classic Rock 107.7 The Bone KSAN San
Mateo/San Francisco.

Zaccagnini joined KSAN in July 2015 as APD/MD/Afternoon Host from sister
97.9 WLUP Chicago and was promoted to Program Director in November 2016.
During his career he has also held on-air and programming roles at WRRK
Pittsburgh, WTFX Louisville, WMFS Memphis, WTPT Greenville, KSJO San Jose,
and WZGC Atlanta as well as hosting the national “Zakk Jack� morning show
on Fox Sports Radio from 2010-2012. Zaccagnini has also been part of radio
coverage for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, and Kansas City
Chiefs broadcasts.

Zaccagnini had been working remotely from his native Pittsburgh for the
past month but is no longer filling the duties that also included Music
Director for Westwood Ones Steve Gorman Rocks, part-time host at Sports 680
KNBR/104.5 KNBR-FM San Francisco, and hosting a Kansas City Chiefs pregame
show for KCFX Kansas City.

Zaccagnini writes, I wish my friends in San Francisco all the best. Im
especially grateful to the Lamont Tonelli Show and Chasta for making the
extraordinary a reality. Together, we made 107.7 The BONE the
highest-performing and smallest-staffed major market radio station in the
company. I leave KSAN currently ranked #1 in our target demographic (Men
25-54) for 20 of the past 29 months – a feat accomplished only once in the
prior 2 years.

To read more about these bottom-line results, please visit
www.zakkonline.com. Im excited and ready to begin my new adventure with you
as early as July 1, 2021. Feel free to contact me at 312-550-4940 to
discuss how we can make your station as unique and (even more) successful
as the legendary KSAN.



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More Audacy News Retirements: KCBS' Stan Bunger & WINS' John Montone

Posted: 03 Jun 2021 06:55 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...-john-montone/



The sudden rash of retirements from longtime on-air staffers at Audacys
All-News stations continues.

Stan Bunger announced on Tuesday that he will retire as morning anchor at
740 KCBS/106.9 KFRC San Francisco on June 11. Bunger is on his second
tenure at KCBS where he has anchored mornings since July 2000. He also
worked as an anchor from 1982 to 1992, with stops in-between at KRLD Dallas
and television anchoring at KICU San Jose and KRON San Francisco. Steve
Bitker, who served as morning sports anchor alongside Bunger, retired last
month, while longtime co-anchor Susan Leigh Taylor retired in July 2020.

Rumors are true: I have an expiration date. Im making it public this
morningmy final morning anchoring the @KCBSRadio Morning News will be
Friday, June 11. Its been a spectacular honor and privilege but Im ready
for whats next in life. Including sleeping in!

- Stan Bunger (@BungerKCBSRadio) June 1, 2021



John Montone retired this morning from 1010 WINS New York. Montone had been
with WINS since 1982 serving as morning street reporter for most of his
tenure.






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Spencer Bynes Appointed Area President For Five iHeartMedia Texas Markets

Posted: 03 Jun 2021 06:13 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...texas-markets/



iHeartMedia has appointed Spencer Bynes as Area President for its stations
in five Texas markets.

Bynes will oversee the companys stations in Beaumont, Bryan/College
Station, Corpus Christi, McAllen, and Waco. It marks a return to the
company for Bynes as he previously served as Director of Talent Management
from 2004 to 2009 overseeing sales training. He most recently served as
Vice President, Business Development Southern Region for Lee Hecht
Harrison.

iHeartMedia announced today that Spencer Bynes has been named Area
President for the Texas area and will oversee the Beaumont, McAllen, Waco,
Corpus Christi and Bryan markets, effective immediately. iHeartMedia Texas
has a strong cross-platform presence and includes a number of iconic brands
and franchises — both broadcast and digital — encompassing more than 29
stations comprised of music, talk and news formats.

iHeartMedia has the leading consumer reach and influence across multiple
platforms and delivers more live programming than any other media company.
As Area President, Bynes will work closely the programming, business and
sales teams and oversee all of iHeartMedia’s radio stations in the
Beaumont, McAllen, Waco, Corpus Christi and Bryan, Texas markets. He will
report to Nick Gnau, Division President for iHeartMedia.

“Spencer has been a proven leader throughout his career, his energy is
contagious and his ability to develop teams and talent are unmatched,� said
Gnau. “I am extremely excited for Spencer to lead these markets and expand
our community efforts as well as our revenue and rating footprint in the
great state of Texas.�

Bynes joins iHeartMedia Texas from Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH), where he most
recently served as Vice President of Business Development in the Southern
Region. Prior to joining LHH, he was Managing Partner and Co-Founder of
Accendo International Consulting. In addition, Bynes was also part of the
iHeartMedia family for five years (from 2011 to 2016) and served as the
Director of Talent Management and Talent Acquisition before leaving to
launch his consulting business. He has more than 25 years of demonstrated
business acumen and proven strategic and tactical success in a diverse
group of industries.

“I am excited about my return to iHeartMedia,� said Bynes. “The growth and
transformation of this organization have been phenomenal. I am looking
forward to working with my team to build sustainable, long-term growth for
our clients and shareholders.�



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Lotus Broadcasting Acquires Sinclair's Four Stations In Seattle

Posted: 03 Jun 2021 04:32 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...ns-in-seattle/



Sinclair Broadcast Group is selling its four radio stations in Seattle to
Lotus Broadcasting for $18 million.

The deal will see Lotus acquire News 1000 KOMO Seattle/97.7 KOMO-FM
Oakville, Hot AC Star 101.5 KPLZ Seattle and Conservative Talk 570 KVI
Seattle.

Founded in 1962 with the purchase of 1330 KWKW Los Angeles, Lotus currently
owns 44 stations in nine west coast markets: Bakersfield, Boise, Fresno,
Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Onxard/Ventura, Reno, Sacramento and Tucson. The
company also has low-power television properties in Houston and Phoenix.

Sinclair had acquired the Seattle radio stations as part of its 2013
acquisition of Fisher Communications. The company has no other radio
properties.

Lotus Communications announced today they have entered into a definitive
agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.s wholly-owned subsidiary,
Sinclair Television Group Inc., whereby subject to FCC approval, Lotus
Communications Corporation will acquire Sinclairs radio stations in the
Seattle, Washington metropolitan area for an aggregate purchase price of
approximately $18 million in cash and other considerations. the deal
includes News Radio KOMO 1000 AM 97.7 FM, KPLZ Star 101.5 FM, and Talk
Radio KVI 570 AM.

Lotus First SVP Jim Kalmenson commented, “We are excited to work with the
amazing staff at KOMO, KPLZ, and KVI. These are legendary stations which
share Lotus’s vision of producing local programming to serve the community,
enhance local neighborhoods, and support our home town businesses. Seattle
is home to several excellent broadcasting companies who have made this a
great radio market.�

Richard A. Foreman Associates. Inc initiated the transaction and acted as
exclusive broker representing Sinclair Broadcast Group