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Bill Gallagher, Longtime WJBK-TV Reporter Dies
Bill Gallagher, a beloved former reporter for WJBK-TV (Detroit) who spent decades covering news for the station, has died. Gallagher, 79, had been dealing with “a number of health issues,” the station reported Friday, July 24, and had been living at home in Lewiston, New York, under hospice care.
Read MoreAugust 2026 Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Annual EEO Public File Reports, Political Windows, and more
One deadline that most commercial broadcasters should be anticipating is the FCC’s Order that will set the amount of their Annual Regulatory Fees. Payment of those fees will be due sometime in September before the October 1 start of the federal government’s new fiscal year. These announcements usually come in late August or in the first few days of September.
Read MoreWXYZ-TV Hosts Day of Giving to Benefit Forgotten Harvest
It’s a need that Mike Murri, Scripps regional vice president and general manager of WXYZ and WMYD, hopes the station’s Day of Giving will address. “What stands out to me is that people in the past that have given to Forgotten Harvest now find themselves recipients. You never know when this will strike your family or when you’ll have a need.”
Read MoreFormer WSGW Reporter Bill Hewitt Passes at 78
Bill Hewitt, longtime WSGW-AM/FM (Saginaw) reporter, producer and anchor died this past Monday (7/20) at Bay City Comfort Care. Known for his early-morning shifts and steady voice, he helped keep mid-Michigan listeners informed for decades.
Read MoreWCSG Says Goodbye to Longtime News Anchor Joel Hill
After 30 years of service to the WCSG-FM (Grand Rapids) and Cornerstone University, the voice of WCSG news and longtime anchor Joel Hill is stepping away from the microphone to begin a new career path as Associate Professor of Communications at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.
Read MoreFCC Plans to Raise the 39% National TV Ownership Cap – What are the Proposals and What are the Issues?
Last week, the FCC released a draft Report and Order which, if adopted at its August regular monthly open meeting, will repeal the 39% cap that currently limits the nationwide reach of local television station owners. That cap prohibits one owner from having interests in TV stations reaching more than 39% of the nation’s TV households.
Read MoreWOOD-TV’s Ken Kolker Retires After Decades in Journalism
WOOD-TV (Grand Rapids) investigative reporter Ken Kolker has retired from the station this past week, following a long career in journalism. pursued stories with the conviction that journalism could do more than document events. At its best, he believed, it could change lives.
Read More1950s-1960s Detroit TV Kids Host Johnny Ginger Passes
WXYZ-TV reported on July 9 that Galen Grindle, the Toledo-born entertainer who became a Detroit television legend under the stage name Johnny Ginger, died on July 5.
Read MoreMichigan Public to Bring The Moth Mainstage to East Lansing
Michigan Public and Wharton Center for Performing Arts have announced that The Moth Mainstage will return to East Lansing this fall! The event will feature a lineup of writers, performers, and other unique national and Michigan storytellers, each with a ten-minute story to tell live without notes.
Read MoreFCC Consent Decree With iHeart Discusses how Exchanging Airplay for Discounts or Free Stuff Can Trigger Sponsorship Identification Requirements, Including for Songs Played in Exchange for a Band’s Appearance at Station Events
Last week, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau entered into a Consent Decree with iHeartMedia to resolve its investigation into whether iHeart violated the FCC’s sponsorship identification rules. Interestingly, iHeart does not admit that it violated any rules, nor does the FCC suggest any specific conduct by iHeart violated any rule. So why the Consent Decree?
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