RadioInsight

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Joe Russo Returns Home To Buffalo As WGRF Program Director

Posted: 01 Jun 2021 12:05 PM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...gram-director/



After firing Program Director John Hager and its morning show in April
following racist comments made by morning host Rob Lederman, Cumulus Media
Classic Rock 97 Rock 96.9 WGRF-FM Buffalo has found its new Program
Director internally.

Joe Russo, a Buffalo native will return home to program WGRF, newly
launched Conservative Talk 1270 WHLD, and Classic Rock Z102.3 WQHZ Erie PA
after six years overseeing Classic Hits 94.9 KCMO-FM Kansas City. Russo
previously programmed CBS Radio turned Townsquare Media Variety Hits 92.9
Jack-FM WBUF Buffalo from 2005 to 2013 and spent two and half years as a
consultant for SparkNet Communications.

CUMULUS MEDIA (NASDAQ:CMLS) announces that it has appointed Joe Russo as
Program Director for 97 Rock/WGRF-FM in Buffalo, NY. Russo returns to his
hometown of Buffalo from Kansas City, MO, where he caps a highly
successful six-year run with Cumulus Kansas City as Program Director for
the top-ranked Classic Hits station in the market, 94.9 KCMO-FM. In
addition to his new role with 97 Rock, Russo will be taking the programming
helm at Z102.3/WQHZ-FM, 97 Rock’s Classic Rock brother station in Erie, PA,
and will also program Cumulus Buffalo’s new Talk1270 WHLD. Russo will
assume his new programming role with Cumulus in mid-June.

Prior to joining 94.9 KCMO in 2015, Russo was a programming consultant for
Sparknet Communications, serving radio stations in the U.S. and Canada.
Prior to that, he launched and programmed one of the most successful Adult
Hits stations in the country, with the launch of the Jack FM brand in
Buffalo in 2005.

Â*

Jim Riley, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Buffalo, said: “If there
is one programmer who truly understands the special place that 97 Rock
occupies in the Western New York landscape, it’s Joe Russo.Â*Not only did
Joe grow up listening to 97 Rock, he has years of experience programming in
Buffalo, and is one of the most successful programmers in the Cumulus
organization.Â*Joe is the ideal candidate to take the reins at 97 Rock and
is uniquely qualified to provide continuity for the 97Rock brand and build
on the station’s success for the future.�

Donna Baker, Regional Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Kansas City,
noted: “Joe’s leadership of the talented 94.9 KCMO team delivered
record-high ratings, with all dayparts currently #1 in KC. We appreciate
his contributions in KC and wish him the very best in continuing to win
with Cumulus Buffalo.�

Â*

Joe Russo commented: Growing up in Buffalo, 97 Rock set the bar. I have
been an admirer of the station throughout my career and will respect its
legacy.Â*I’m excited to be able to work with some of the best talent, not
only from Western New York, but from across the country. I’d like to thank
Jim Riley, John Dimick and Brian Philips for putting their faith in me
while we continue to grow the 97 Rock brand. I’d also like to thank Donna
Baker and Doug Hamand, who knew how important it was for me to come home.
And for the record, I eat my wings with bleu cheese, not ranch.



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iHeartMedia Appoints New Market Leadership In Salt Lake City

Posted: 01 Jun 2021 10:05 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...alt-lake-city/



iHeartMedia has announced a series of market leadership promotions in Salt
Lake City.

Judy Copier has risen to Market President succeeding the retiring Stu
Stanek. She has served as Senior VP/Sales for the past ten years after
stints at KUTV-TV and local agencies.

Joyce Wirthlin rises to SVP/Sales to succeed Copier. Wirthlin has been with
the cluster since 1998 previously overseeing sales for Conservative Talk
570 KNRS/105.9 KNRS-FM and the Total Traffic and Weather Network.

The company also retroactively announced that Jeff McCartney was promoted
to SVP/Programming for the cluster in January. McCartney has programmed CHR
97.1 ZHT KZHT since 1998 and since added similar duties at Classic Hits
94.1 KODJ and Hot AC My 99.5 KJMY.

iHeartMedia announces that Judy Copier has been named Market President for
Salt Lake City and Joyce Wirthlin has been elevated to Senior Vice
President of Sales, effective immediately.

iHeartMedia has the leading consumer reach and influence across multiple
platforms and delivers more live programming than any other media company.
As Market President, Copier will work closely with the programming,
business and sales teams for all station brands in Salt Lake City and will
also oversee the station’s on-air and digital programming as well as create
new revenue opportunities. She will report to Tom McConnell, Division
President for iHeartMedia.

Copier has been with iHeartMedia Salt Lake City for 10 years, previously
serving as the Senior Vice President of Sales. Prior to joining iHeartMedia
Salt Lake City, she held several roles with advertising agencies and was a
Sales Manager at a local CBS affiliate. Copier will be succeeding Stu
Stanek, who has been with iHeartMedia for more than 20 years and will be
retiring as Market President for iHeartMedia Salt Lake City, effective May
31.

“I am very appreciative of the opportunity to take over the reins and lead
this talented team in Salt Lake City,� said Copier. “I feel very fortunate
to have worked alongside Stu for several years and know his wisdom and
insight have been invaluable in preparing me for this role. I’m also
excited to promote Joyce to SVP of Sales – the strength of her leadership
will be a great asset. I’m proud to be part of the iHeartMedia family, one
that recognizes that our organization is built on, and succeeds because of,
the very talented people I get to work with every day.�

With Copier’s appointment to Market President, the company also announced
today that Joyce Wirthlin has been promoted to Senior Vice President of
Sales. As Senior Vice President of Sales, Wirthlin will be responsible for
overseeing all sales operations for the Salt Lake City market that delivers
a strong return on investment for clients reaching consumers through
iHeartMedia’s assets, including on-air, online, social media and live
events. She will report to Copier.

“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to lead the iHeartMedia Salt Lake
City sales team and work alongside Judy,� said Wirthlin. “We work with
amazing people, and I look forward to the continued success in Salt Lake
City.�

Wirthlin has several years of media sales experience and has been with
iHeartMedia Salt Lake City for 23 years, serving as the Vice President of
Sales for Talk Radio 105.9/570 and overseeing the station’s Total Traffic
and Weather Network.

“Stu has been one of our strongest leaders over the past two decades, and I
cant thank him enough for all of his hard work and countless
contributions,� said Tom McConnell, Division President for iHeartMedia.
“Judy has a proven track record and sets a very high bar for her team and
is the perfect candidate to transition into the MP role. I am also thrilled
to elevate Joyce to the SVPS role; she has built strong relationships with
her team members and partners through trust, respect, and hard work during
her time here. Im confident that both Judy and Joyce will continue to
elevate our Salt Lake City operation to even greater heights.�

In addition, to these changes, Jeff McCartney was also appointed to Senior
Vice President of Programming in January of 2021, rounding out the markets
executive team.



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SiriusXM Launches Black Music Month Channels And Programming Initiatives

Posted: 01 Jun 2021 08:08 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...g-initiatives/



SiriusXM and subsidiaries Pandora and Stitcher have announced a number of
programming initiatives in honor of June being Black Music Month.

SiriusXM will launch three limited-run channels. Black Music Forever Radio
(channel 105) brings the Pandora playlist to their platform with current
hits from Black artists in Pop, Hip-Hop and RB. The brand will also host
two single artist channels with The 2Pac Channel on channel 104 and the
returning The Prince Channel on channel 333.

SiriusXM, Pandora and Stitcher today announced the launch of three
exclusive limited-engagement channels, a groundbreaking original podcast,
and specialty music programming in honor of Junes Black Music Month.

SiriusXM will kick-off Black Music Month with two channels saluting
groundbreaking Black artists with The 2PAC Channel and The Prince Channel.
SiriusXM has collaborated with these iconic artists to deliver unique radio
listening experiences that can only be found on SiriusXM. Pandoras popular
Black Music Forever Station will also extend to its own SiriusXM channel,
Black Music Forever Radio.

For details on SiriusXMs limited-engagement channels and additional
SiriusXM specialty programming, please see below:

The 2PAC Channel (ch. 104) will take listeners on a comprehensive journey
through the genius of 2PACs full music career. Hear about the iconic
artists life and music, first-hand, with exclusive commentary from his
close friends and peers, including E.D.I. Mean, an original member of 2PACs
group The Outlawz. The channel will also feature an original series where
artists and celebrities will guest DJ their personal favorites from the
legendary artist.

The Prince Channel (ch. 333) will feature music from his vast catalog over
the decades, ranging from his signature funk, slow jams, psychedelic rock
and everything in between. The channel will also spotlight Prince
favorites from those who knew him best with Purple Playlists, B-sides and
live performances.

Black Music Forever Radio (ch. 105), which originated and exists as a
Pandora station, will spotlight the latest hits from current and breaking
Black artists in hip-hop, RB and Pop.

The Beatles Channel (ch. 18) will debut a four-part series, A Shot of
Rhythm and Blues: Exploring The Beatles and Black Music on June 7 at Noon
ET. Hosted by Meshell Ndegeocello, the series will explore the
relationship between The Beatles and Black music, uncover The Beatles
earliest RB heroes, and expose the many Black artists that went on to cover
the music of The Fab Four. New episodes will debut at Noon ET on Mondays
throughout the month of June.

bpm (ch. 51) and Diplos Revolution (ch. 52) will feature music and
exclusive audio from the top Black artists in Dance music such as, Aluna,
DJ Sliink, UNiiQU3, and more.

Heart Soul (ch. 48) will spotlight soulful soundtracks each weekend in
June with music from culturally iconic movies including Waiting to Exhale,
Black Panther, Judas and the Black Messiah, and more. The channel will
also feature live performances from Grammy-nominated artists, including
Golden Globe winner and Grammy nominated artist Andra Day.

Hip-Hop Nation (ch. 44) will celebrate the anniversaries of past releases
from 2 Chainz, Drake, Gucci Mane, and J. Cole, with album specials on their
respective release dates. The channel will also debut a new show,
Meez-O-Estates, hosted by 21 Savages manager Meezy and crew, dedicated to a
no-holds-barred conversation about the state of hip-hop music and culture.
Rising artist, Hotboii will kick off the Summer with a Summer Wave Special,
highlighting 10 of his favorite Summer bops. HHN will also spotlight
empowering Black music with a new playlist, Black Music Matters, each week
and air a special rewind of the best performances from the channels
original Nations Next Virtual Concert series.

Kirk Franklins Praise (ch. 64) will offer fans an interactive experience,
with the chance to engage with Kirk Franklin to build a song during Virtual
Improv with Kirk Franklin. The channel will also present A Juneteenth
Celebration with Kirk Franklin, featuring song and narration from Franklin.

Listeners can also expect take-overs from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (The
Groove, channel 50), H.E.R. (The Heat, channel 46), Monica (SiriusXM FLY,
channel 47) and a special from The Temptations, to celebrate their 60th
Anniversary (Soul Town, channel 49).

SiriusXM, Pandora and Stitcher will also present a new original podcast,
All Music Is Black Music, with the first episode debuting today. The
podcast, hosted by Selema Masekela, with narration by Dr. Dwandalyn Reece
of the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and
Culture, explores how African American music and culture have shaped the
wider contemporary music landscape.

Each episode takes listeners on a journey beginning with an artifact from
the NMAAHCs collection. Through interviews with artists, authors and
scholars, listeners will discover the stories of Black musicians and
cultural creators who have shaped todays trends, styles and genres. The
first episode explores the influence of girl groups in pop music featuring
a conversation with Kelly Rowland. New episodes will be available
bi-weekly featuring interviews from artists including Ne-Yo, St. Vincent,
Regina Spektor, and more. All Music is Black Music is now available on the
SXM App, Pandora, and Stitcher, and will also air as a weekly program on
SiriusXMs Volume (channel 106) beginning June 15, at 1 pm ET.

Additionally, Pandora launched a Black Music Month microsite today, to give
listeners an opportunity to discover, experience, and participate in the
celebration Black music. The microsite includes:

Content Quiz: Listeners can answer a series of questions that will direct
them to the newly launched Modes on the Black Music Forever station,
sponsored by Target, for the month of June. The Modes include:

The Philly Sound: Hosted by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, two of the most
prolific producers and songwriters in all of music, The Philly Sound
commemorates the 50th anniversary of their legendary label, Philadelphia
International Records. The duo will share their personal stories about some
of the best soul classics ever recorded and early beginnings of Black Music
Month with music from The OJays, Teddy Pendergrass, Phyllis Hyman and more.

Future Fi A cross-over of SiriusXMs The Heat, Future Fire will feature
some of the best emerging hip-hop and RB acts including Mooski, Coi Leray,
Giveon, and more.

Africa Now: An Afro-Pop special highlighting the best artists throughout
Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa that epitomize the Black experience of
hailing from the birthplace of civilization, featuring music from Burna
Boy, Wizkid, Davido, and more.

Pandora Playback with Moneybagg Yo: On June 24, as part of Pandoras virtual
event series, Pandora Playback will feature an in-depth conversation with
rapper Moneybagg Yo. Hell discuss his artistry, recent album A Gangstas
Pain and his music legacy, plus a special celebration of HBCU (Historically
Black Colleges and Universities) music and culture. Beginning June 17,
listeners will be able to RSVP for the free event on the microsite.

Spoken word video: Voiced by multi-talented artist Shanelle Gabriel,
Pandora showcases and highlights the influence and impact of Black music
through the power of spoken word by taking the audience on a historic
journey through the decades of deep-seeded roots Black music and culture.

For a full broadcast schedule of specialty programming celebrating Black
Music Month across SiriusXM please visit:
https://www.siriusxm.com/black-music-month. To access Pandoras microsite,
please visit: pandora.com/blackmusicmonth.

From now through June 8, non-subscribers can get most of the
above-mentioned SiriusXM channels, as part of the SiriusXM Listen Free
Event. During this event, SiriusXM will feature a sampling of over 100
SiriusXM channels including ad-free music of every kind, plus sports, talk,
news and entertainment available to non-subscribers on inactive SiriusXM
radios in their car and on the SXM App, with no credit card required. The
2PAC Channel, The Prince Channel and Black Music Forever Radio will be
available to these listeners only on the SXM App. Go to
siriusxm.com/ListenFreeEvent to learn more.



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Audacy Adds Dana Loesch To Talk Stations In Eleven Markets

Posted: 01 Jun 2021 07:52 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...leven-markets/



Audacy and Radio America have announced an agreement to bring Dana Loeschs
The Dana Show to eleven of the companys stations.

In six markets Loesch will take the 12-3pm eastern timeslot that had been
held by the Rush Limbaugh Show. Those stations are Talk 980 KMBZ Kansas
City, 840 KXNT Las Vegas, 1140/96.1 WRVA Richmond, 1330 KNSS/98.7 KNSS-FM
Wichita, 97.3 The Sky WSKY-FM Gainesville, and Word 106.3 WYRD-FM
Greenville SC.

Five other stations will add the show in delayed timeslots including
Loeschs former flagship 97.1 FM Talk KFTK-FM St. Louis as well as 1210 WPHT
Philadelphia, Talk 1370 KJCE Austin, 930 WBEN Buffalo, and 1080 WTIC
Hartford. Of those, only WPHT and WTIC have yet to announce their plans for
replacing Limbaugh.

As part of the deal, Audacy will produce and co-develop a new podcast for
Loesch.

Loesch debuted her show on KFTK-FM in 2008 where it ran until 2016. She has
also hosted television shows for The Blaze and NRA-TV and served as
spokesperson for the NRA.

Audacy and Radio America announced a multi-platform deal that will
broadcast Dana Loesch’s nationally-syndicated “The Dana Show� in eleven
Audacy markets. Audacy will also become the exclusive audio streaming
provider for “The Dana Show.� In addition, Audacy and Loesch will
collaborate on the co-development and production of her first ever original
on-demand podcast.

“The Dana Show� will replace the late Rush Limbaugh’s program from 12:00
p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET on Talk 980 AM (KMBZ-AM) in Kansas City, News Talk
Radio 840 AM (KXNT-AM) in Las Vegas, Newsradio WRVA (WRVA-AM/WTVR-HD2) in
Richmond, KNSS (KNSS-AM/FM) in Wichita, 97.3 The Sky (WSKY-FM) in
Gainesville, and 106.3 WORD (WYRD-FM) in Greenville-Spartanburg. The show
will also re-air during various times on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT (WPHT-AM) in
Philadelphia, Talk Radio 1370 (KJCE-AM) in Austin, WBEN (WBEN-AM) in
Buffalo, 97.1 FM Talk (KFTK-FM) in St. Louis and 1080 WTIC News Talk
(WTIC-AM) in Hartford.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Radio America and welcome Dana Loesch to
our broadcast and digital platform,� said Jeff Sottolano, Executive Vice
President of Programming, Audacy. “Dana is a leading conservative voice and
influencer and both her daily live show and future original podcast are
terrific additions to our best-in-class news and talk offerings.�

“I look forward to working with the great team at Audacy,� said Dana
Loesch. “Their digital platform is a great fit for my streaming and podcast
audience and their top rated radio stations are a phenomenal addition to my
loyal radio fan base.�

“During this pivotal moment in talk radio, the partnership with Audacy and
Dana’s show is exciting because it represents our shared vision on radio’s
future for the news-talk format,� said Mike Paradiso, Chief Operating
Officer, Radio America. “Audacy’s leading digital platform is also the
perfect fit for Dana’s growing digital audience. We look forward to working
closely with Audacy’s content team, led by Jeff Sottolano, to make ‘The
Dana Show’ a key element on each of their hugely successful Audacy
news-talk stations.



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Greenville Gets Awesome On 99.5

Posted: 01 Jun 2021 06:28 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...esome-on-99-5/



SummitMedia has flipped Variety Hits 99.5 Jack-FM W258CB Greenville/107.3
WJMZ-HD3 Anderson to 1980s Hits Awesome 99.5.

The move expands SummitMedias recently launched brand to a third market
following launches in Richmond and Knoxville. The station shares the same
Totally 80s and More positioning as its predecessors.

The move takes W258CB out of direct format competition with iHeartMedias
102.5 The Lake WMYI Hendersonville NC and much closer to Salem Media
Classic Hits 103.3/95.9 Earth-FM WRTH Greer/WLTE Pendleton with its 1980s
focused playlist. In the April 2021 Nielsen Audio ratings, WMYI held a 3.2
share, WRTH/WLTE a 2.6 share, and W258CB a 0.6 share.



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KRKE-FM Hustles Harder In Albuquerque

Posted: 01 Jun 2021 06:07 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...n-albuquerque/



Vanguard Media has flipped Classic Hits Sunny 101.3 KRKE-FM Albuquerque to
Classic Hip Hop 101.3 The Hustle.

Positioning as Pure Hip Hop, the move is the second format shift for the
station in a year as it segued from Soft AC to Classic Hits last year.

The move positions KRKE-FM against iHeartMedia Rhythmic AC Hot 95.1 KOLZ
(which has just changed calls to KABQ-FM). Hot 95.1 current has a 2.1 share
in the Albuquerque market, while KRKE-FMs now former Classic Hits identity
exits with a 0.6 share.



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John DiLeo Joins Townsquare Media As Danbury Market President

Posted: 01 Jun 2021 05:40 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...ket-president/



Townsquare Media has announced the appointment of John DiLeo as Market
President/Chief Revenue Officer for its Danbury CT stations.

DiLeo joins Townsquare from Hearst Connecticut Medias local newspaper group
where he was Vice President of Local Sales since July 2017. He has also
held sales leadership roles at DNAInfo.com in New York, Digital First Media
New Haven, and Supermedia.

Townsquares Danbury leadership position had been open since Mike Rich
exited to join Facebook as Director of Global Digital Rights Operations in
June 2020.

Townsquare Media Inc. announced today that John DiLeo has joined the
Company as Market President and Chief Revenue Officer for its Danbury, CT
local media cluster. Mr. DiLeo will lead the local media team and their
“Local First� strategy in Danbury, which includes two top local media
brands: WRKI-FM and WDBY-FM. He will report to Townsquare Regional Vice
President Matt Kiger.

“We are thrilled to add John to our leadership team in Danbury. His
experience in leadership, sales, digital, and his ties to the local
community will help us to achieve our goal of being the number one local
media company in our community,� said Mr. Kiger.

“I am very excited to be joining Townsquare and leading the Danbury team,�
said Mr. DiLeo. “I look forward to igniting our local market with best in
class marketing solutions, while also reaching our community with relevant,
local content. The future is bright!�

Townsquare COO Local Media, Erik Hellum added, “John is a great coach,
teacher and business leader with deep ties to the region, and we are
excited to have him join the Townsquare team.�

Prior to joining Townsquare, Mr. DiLeo spent the past four years as VP,
Sales at Hearst Media Group, overseeing their local and retail business in
the Connecticut region.