iHeartMedia/Detroit elevates Senior VP/Sales Colleen Grant to Metro President for its six-station cluster there, including AC WNIC-FM, Hip Hop WJLB-FM, Classic Rock WLLZ-FM, News WDFN-AM (BIN 1130), CHR WKQI-FM (Channel 955) and R&B WMXD-FM (Mix 92.3).
Last week, Liggett Communication’s WSAQ-FM (Port Huron) held its annual “Roof Sit” to benefit the St. Clair County Child Abuse and Neglect Council (CAN Council) and raised a record $179,000!
On September 15-16, Townsquare Media’s WCRZ-FM (Flint) once again hosted its annual “Let’s Make Miracles Radiothon” to benefit Hurley Children’s Hospital. This year’s effort raised $82,105 for the hospital! This was a 22.8% increase over the prior year.
On September 20, Alpha Media flipped its WGER-FM (Saginaw) from an adult-CHR format to rock, rebranding as “106.3 The Core.” The station is focused on rock/alternative music from the ’90s & ’00s. The playlist will include artists like Rage Against The Machine, Pearl Jam & Soundgarden, Blink 182, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Sublime.
As we wrote in several of our recent weekly summaries of regulatory issues for broadcasters, the FCC released a Public Notice the week before last announcing that regulatory fees must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on September 28.
On September 15, Detroit Public Television’s WTVS-TV debuted a one-hour documentary, “Detroit Remember When | A Tribute To Long-Time Detroit Personality And Philanthropist Dick Purtan.” This special documentary highlights Purtan’s life on and off the air, told through audio and video clips, archival film and interviews with Purtan, his family, friends and colleagues.
“We are excited to announce our new lineup, which is full of news anchors who are seasoned and well known in the community,” said Debbie Kenyon, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Detroit. “This new slate will allow WWJ to continue its mission of keeping listeners informed of breaking news and the top stories of the day.”
Northern Michigan University’s WNMU-TV (Marquette), in a continuing effort to advance conversations surrounding mental health, will host a “Facing Suicide: Town Hall” at 7 p.m. Eastern Tuesday, September 27, in NMU’s Northern Center. A panel of Upper Peninsula mental health professionals will discuss suicide awareness and prevention.
For decades, radio stations have relied on Nielsen (previously Arbitron) for data about their listeners. But with the rise of the internet, advertisers now expect more data about the consumers they are reaching than ever. As broadcasters compete with Google, Facebook, and Pandora for ad buys, they need to be prepared to offer more data than just what Nielsen provides.
The US Water Alliance has announced that the Great Lakes News Collaborative is a winner of its annual US Water Prize. The US Water Prize recognizes the individuals and organizations that are driving innovation in the water sector and imagining new possibilities in water.