Broadcasting Industry News
Fred Jacobs Stepping Back at End of the Year
“I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of years now, and I’m ready for a change,” said Fred Jacobs. “I appreciate all the opportunities I’ve had over the years, and the people, organizations, and companies we’ve worked for and collaborated with. From the early days of the company and the birth of the Classic Rock format to our focus on technology in the 2000s, it’s been quite a journey.”
Read MoreWRIF’s Dave & Chuck The Freak Expand to Grand Rapids
Cumulus Media’s WLAV-FM (Grand Rapids) announced this week the debut of “Dave & Chuck the Freak” as its new morning show. The program originates at Beasley Media Group’s WRIF-FM (Detroit), has been on-the-air since 2001, starting at CIMX-FM (Windsor, Ontario) before moving to WRIF in 2013.
Read MoreRadio Notes: An Early Christmas Flip in Lansing and WKZO Expands to Battle Creek
A few radio changes in our state that have seen some press this past week. The first one reported by WILX-TV (Lansing) that Macdonald Broadcasting’s WXLA-AM/W227DO (Lansing/Easy 93.3) flipped to its seasonal all-Christmas music presentation at midnight on November 1, making the station one of the first in the state to do so this year.
Read MoreMichael Courier Joins WZZM as Weekend AM Anchor/Weekday AM Reporter
Courier began his television news career at KVIA-TV in El Paso, Texas, where he spent three years covering stories across the Borderland. During his time there, he served as a morning reporter, traffic anchor and fill-in news anchor. He also produced and anchored the station’s midday newscast.
Read MoreWNEM-TV Welcomes New Anchor Caroline Klapp
WNEM-TV (Saginaw) has announced the arrival of Caroline Klapp to its on-air team. Klapp joins from sister Gray Media station WNDU-TV in South Bend. She is anchoring at 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts alongside Chet Davis.
Read MoreFormer WXYZ VP/GM Jim Osborn Passes Away at 96
Osborn served as vice president and general manager of WXYZ-TV from 1972 to 1979. During his tenure, WXYZ-TV, then owned and operated by ABC, grew into the top-rated station in the Detroit market and became recognized as one of the nation’s powerhouse television stations.
Read MoreWLEN’s Julie Koehn Named Legendary Radio Manager of the Year at NAB Marconi Awards
Julie Koehn, President and CEO of Lenawee Broadcasting Company and Southeast Michigan Media, has been named the 2026 Legendary Radio Manager of the Year by the National Association of Broadcasters. Koehn received the honor Tuesday evening in New York City during the annual NAB Marconi Radio Awards.
Read MoreMatt Hanlon Passes at 63
The MAB is passing along the sad news that longtime Michigan broadcasting executive Matt Hanlon passed away unexpectedly this past Tuesday (10/20) from an apparent heart attack. He spent decades in radio management, sales and operations, overseeing major market clusters and helping develop regional programming networks. Hanlon was perhaps best known for his leadership at Citadel Broadcasting, where he served as Midwest Division President.
Read MoreWKAR Debuts Curious About Civics as Election 2026 Draws Near
WKAR Public Media at Michigan State has launched the latest in the Curious About series of video shorts for educators and caregivers to share with teens. In Curious About Civics, WKAR youth hosts talk with experts to explore core tenets of the system of government that has served this country for more than 250 years.
Read MoreHope College, Michigan Sports Radio Partner for Audio Broadcasts of Football and Basketball Games
Michigan Sports Radio and Hope College are committed to broadcasting Hope-Calvin matchups in football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball during the 2026-27 academic year, plus possible Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and NCAA Division III Championships postseason action for the Flying Dutch.
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