Broadcasting Industry News
Gray Picks Up Saginaw’s WNEM in $2.7B Meredith Acquisition, Will Sell Flint’s WJRT
Gray will become the United States’ second largest television broadcast group when it acquires 17 Meredith stations, including WNEM-TV (Saginaw) in a $2.7 billion deal announced in a press release on Monday (5/3). Gray currently operates WJRT-TV (Flint), which shares in the DMA 73 market with Saginaw’s WNEM. To facilitate regulatory approvals for this transaction,…
Read MorePatti Taylor Named Director of Sales at Beasley Media Group Detroit
On April 29, Beasley Media Group announced that Patti Taylor has been named Director of Sales at the company’s Detroit-based properties, including WRIF-FM, WCSX-FM, WDMK-FM, WMGC-FM and the Praise Network. Taylor most recently served as the General Sales Manager of the Motor City-based radio cluster. Previously, she was Sales Manager at both WCSX-FM and WRIF-FM…
Read MoreRTDNA Report Finds 2020 was a Dangerous Year for Journalists; Calls on Congress to Journalist Protection Act, Right to Record Police Act
During the past year, the job of seeking and reporting the truth became increasingly dangerous, according to a study released Wednesday by the Radio Television Digital News Association. Journalists were threatened, assaulted and arrested at an alarming rate while on the job and faced unprecedented levels of verbal and physical violence at the hands of…
Read MoreWKAR to Present ‘Year of Global Africa’
Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences and WKAR-TV are collaborating with MSU’s African Studies Center to present the documentary “Year of Global Africa.” The documentary film effort is a two-year celebration of MSU’s connection and cooperation with institutions, government bodies and communities locally and in Africa in various areas of research, teaching and…
Read MoreBobby Bones Comes to McKibbin Media Group Stations
McKibbin Media Group has announced the addition of the syndicated Bobby Bones Show to country-formatted stations in Jackson and Hillsdale. The Bobby Bones Show will hit the airwaves beginning on Monday, May 3 from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. each weekday on McKibbin Media Group’s iconic country music stations, 95.9 FM The Power Cow in…
Read MoreMacDonald Garber’s WLXV, WZTC Revamp Lineups
All Access reports that MacDonald Garber has made some major programming changes at two of their stations in Northern Michigan. Country-formatted WLXV-FM (Cadillac) updated its imaging with new station voice Dan Kelly and a chance to win a virtual performance from recording artist Russell Dickerson. Market veteran/PD Deano remains in mornings, Mikey Zeroe adds middays,…
Read MoreGVSU Signs New Deal with Cumulus Media’s WLAV
Grand Valley State football will air on a new dial this fall, moving to flagship station WLAV-FM (Grand Rapids) for the 2021 season. The move comes as part of a department-wide partnership with Cumulus Radio which will includes weekly shows, men’s and women’s basketball coverage and crossover special events with the various radio stations in…
Read MoreMPA Foundation’s Janet Mendler Passes at 75
The MAB has learned about the passing of former Michigan Press Association Foundation Director Janet Mendler. Mendler died April 26 at age 75 following a battle with cancer. | Mendler graduated from Dearborn High School in 1963 and earned a BA degree from Northern Michigan University and a Master’s in Journalism from the University of…
Read MoreMike Schram Joins WILX as News Director
Veteran News Director Mike Schram has joined Gray Television’s WILX-TV (Lansing) as News Director, effective May 3. A graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Journalism, he started his career in broadcast journalism as a newscast producer at WLNS-TV in Lansing. He then spent several years as a producer at sister Gray station WJRT-TV (Flint). …
Read MoreKresge Foundation Joins Listeners to Fund New Transmitter for WDET
On April 22, the Kresge Foundation and Wayne State University’s WDET-FM (Detroit) announced a foundation grant to replace the station’s aging and failing transmitter to ensure over-the-air broadcasts for years to come. Station general manager Mary Zatina said that Kresge’s grant of $150,000 complements more than one thousand donations, large and small, raised from generous…
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