Industry News

As president of Stonecom Radio, President/GM Larry Stone oversees a group of four radio stations serving the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. Before that, he spent 17 years as an Executive Producer and game-day host of “Titans Radio,” the NFL’s Tennessee Titans Radio Network.

The broadcaster came to Tennessee in 1997 to build the new radio station group from the ground up. Now, he’s frustrated and has something to say about the state of the industry.

In short, Stone laments, “We are a crisis point in radio.’

And, his ire is fueled by recent flubs and frustration with syndication partners and networks his stations are aligned with.

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Thirty years ago this summer, a Class D AM licensed to Cambridge, Mass., was acquired by an individual who converted what had been a Gospel station to a blend of what is perhaps best-described as “light Adult Contemporary Oldies and instrumentals.”

Over time, the owner added an FM translator, and signals in Maine.

Now, an expansion to Cape Cod is in play, thanks to Langer Broadcasting.

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — Since the fiscal third quarter of 2020, The Walt Disney Co. has been, in the view of MoffettNathanson Senior Analyst Michael Nathanson, “essentially a tale of three different mice.”

Say what? It’s a metaphor for three profit segments Nathanson has closely examined, following Thursday’s release by Disney of its fiscal Q1 results — a performance that beat EPS and revenue estimates as Disney+ subscriber numbers soared to 94.9 million.

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The author is executive director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com.

Commercial radio stations over the last week yanked tracks by country music superstar Morgan Wallen after his use of a racist slur went viral. Cumulus has ordered an end to radio hosts circulating election conspiracy theories that fueled the Jan. 6 riot led by extremists. WSMN firing Dianna Ploss over the summer is one of many instances of stations booting hosts for racist behavior. And, the radio industry has watched as more than a dozen noncommercial licensees have grappled the last few years with accusations by former and current staff of abuse by leadership and veteran hosts.

To their credit, many stations today are trying to do the right thing by making it clear they want to be inclusive. But making things better means also being transparent about how radio stations have contributed to the condition the nation finds itself in.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: DJing the Generational Divide]

Commercial radio’s sordid relationship with the racial line is no secret. Take, for example, WFUV this week documenting the history of what was known as Black radio. Let’s be clear though. Black radio then was a term that defined the industry that had to emerge for Black performers who were banned by larger radio stations that played white artists. What’s now the urban format was, not too many decades ago, called Black radio. Even as late as the 1990s, radio doing a pop format marginalized or entirely avoided Black artists and art forms, such as early hip-hop. More pervasively, as Danyel Smith points out, Americans’ perceptions of “crossover” music and performances were shaped by white acceptance of Black performers.

And let’s not even get into commercial talk radio, whose most prominent name, Rush Limbaugh, unleashed the floodgates of bigoted hucksterism that still influences local call-in shows.

For all its notions of mission, noncommercial radio has plenty of its own skeletons. Consider the many stations in the 1970s to 1990s that shelved longtime broadcasts of a traditionally Black art form, jazz, in favor of super-serving affluent white audiences. In this quest, stations wrung out virtually all color from their sound; it was bad enough that Chenjerai Kumanyika called out “public radio voice” in 2015. Considering the generations-long quest to cleanse public radio of its personality and culture, is it really any surprise prestige brands like WNYC became the poster children for terrible bosses and discrimination complaints? Stations to this day still struggle to create more equitable relationships with staff of color and make inroads in Black communities.

Obviously, radio is not at fault for all that ails the country. Yet we can’t have it both ways, demanding attention for positive work, but assigning blame elsewhere when radio contributes or has contributed negatively to public life by reinforcing prejudice. Radio has historically had the greatest reach of any media. At a time when accepting responsibility is becoming more common, we have a rare opportunity to be part of tendency that clears the air at last.

Still, there’s a contingent that says radio’s failures are in the past and people need to get over it. True vision in leadership, however, means acknowledging and apologizing for how business was done before, and striving to be more honest in correcting our errors. It also means openly talking about it, and sharing with audiences the steps you’re taking now to be an organization positioned to foster an equitable future. Scores of industries now understand this is a moment to atone and spark new relationships with our listeners.

The post Community Broadcaster: Has Radio Done Enough to Fix its Racist Past? appeared first on Radio World.

Problems with station political files continue to make the list of recent Media Bureau actions at the Federal Communications Commission.

It appears that the staff there is continuing to work its way through a long list of broadcasters that failed to maintain their online political files correctly.

You’ll recall that the FCC had announced consent decrees with six major broadcast companies last July and that it subsequently rattled off a series of additional settlements.

In recent days the commission has announced fresh consent decrees with Times-Citizen Communications Inc., Powell Broadcasting Co., Zimmer Radio Inc., Bott Communications Inc., River City Radio Inc., Maquoketa Broadcasting Co. and Trending Media Inc.

All are essentially the same: The broadcast owner files for a station license renewal but the Audio Division suspends the process because the online public files aren’t kept up. The licensee acknowledges this and promises to institute steps including appointing a compliance officer, creating a compliance plan and reporting back to the commission by a later date. The commission meanwhile acknowledges that the pandemic caused a dramatic reduction in ad revenues, causing the industry significant financial stress, and drops its investigation.

Money fines aren’t involved.

The post Public File Consent Decrees Multiply appeared first on Radio World.

Educational Media Foundation‘s quest to have a presence in nearly every U.S. radio market has been one of Radio’s big headlines of the last five years.

Now, EMF is ensuring its presence in two key Midwest locales.

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John Beck is iHeart’s new top guy in St. Louis. The company named the award-winning radio veteran as its market president in the gateway city.

Beck is the former senior VP at Emmis Communications, where he had oversight of several St. Louis stations.

Katy Pavelonis has been the acting market president and remains as SVP of sales.

A recipient of numerous broadcasting awards, Beck is a former president of the Missouri Broadcasters Association and now chairs its Legislative Affairs Committee; he’s also active in the National Association of Broadcasters, where he has been a board member and served on the NAB Executive Committee.

Beck launched his career at WFFM in Pittsburgh. He’ll report to Tony Coles, division president for iHeartMedia Markets Group. Coles praised Beck’s local ties and “deep roots in both the media and advertising communities.”

Send news about radio management and engineering job changes to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post iHeart Tabs John Beck for Top Job in St. Louis appeared first on Radio World.

Spanish Broadcasting System has priced its offering of senior secured notes due 2026.

The media company focused on Hispanic consumers who prefer Spanish-language media says the notes will bear interest semi-annually at a rate of 9.75% per annum and were offered at par value.

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In the words of iHeartMedia Markets Group Division President Tony Coles, he’s “one of the most respected leaders in St. Louis,” with a track record of success and a “reputation for building a winning culture.”

Now, he’s a colleague, as a former longtime Emmis Communications leader in the Gateway City has been selected as Market President for iHeartMedia/St. Louis.

Taking the role, effective immediately: John Beck.

As Market President, Beck will work closely with the programming, business, and sales teams and oversee all of the station’s on-air and digital programming as well as create new revenue opportunities.

Beck was most recently SVP of Emmis Communications in St. Louis.

In January 2018, Emmis revealed that it was exiting St. Louis, one of its most profitable markets, for $60 million. Among the stations under Beck’s purview: Legendary Rocker KSHE-FM.

By the end of 2018, Beck had transitioned to radio station co-owner. As RBR+TVBR reported, Beck had teamed with Joe Schwartz and Dana Withers in the purchase of a group of stations serving Northern Arizona under the name Stone Canyon Radio and Marketing.

Beck remains best-known for his nearly 35 years at Emmis, which saw him not only lead KSHE-FM but also KIHT-FM (now KNOU-FM), KPNT-FM & KFTK-FM. He also had oversight of WRDA-FM 104.1 under Emmis ownership. Beck joined Emmis in March 1984 to oversee KSHE after some two years at Golden West Broadcasters’ KKCI-AM & FM in Kansas City. He began his career at WFFM in Pittsburgh

“I am thrilled to be working at iHeartMedia in the town I love,” Beck said. “I look forward to working with the local staff and leadership, several of whom I already know. iHeartMedia is an amazing company and I can’t wait to tell the story and find ways to use our stations to build and promote this awesome city and region that we call home.”

Throughout his esteemed decades-long career, Beck has also been honored with an array of awards, including being named one of America’s Top 10 Radio Managers by Radio Ink and receiving a Distinguished Broadcaster Award presented by the Missouri Broadcasters Association in 2002, as well as being named The Radio Wayne Market Manager of the Year by the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB).

In addition, Beck is also heavily involved in his community, working closely with many non-profit businesses. Locally, until its reorganization in January 2021, he served on the board of the St. Louis Regional Chamber, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The American Red Cross, Heat-Up & Cool Down St. Louis, The Foundation Board of St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the Magic House, Grace Hill, Character-Plus, the Downtown St. Louis Community Improvement District and the March of Dimes.

MIAMI — He joined Univision in 2006 as the Local Sales Manager for its Los Angeles media properties, following roles at Clear Channel Communications and its Katz Media Group.

Now, he being promoted to SVP/Audio Sales and Client Solutions as part of a retooling of what Univision Communications calls its “Uforia” audio content arm.

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