WVFM Named WMU Flagship
Midwest Communication’s WVFM-FM (Kalamazoo) has been named the Bronco Flagship station for Western Michigan University football, hockey and men’s basketball beginning this fall. The 33,000-watt 106.5 FM signal which reaches Western Michigan fans throughout the region, serving Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Battle Creek. “Midwest Communications has been a tremendous broadcast partner of WMU Athletics as…
Read MoreMichigan House Approves Final End of Emergency Powers of the Governor Act
The Michigan House voted on Wednesday (7/21) to approve a citizen initiative by Unlock Michigan to entirely remove the 1945 law, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used to make controversial COVID-19 orders in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. The Michigan Senate approved the initiative last week. Because the measure came to lawmakers as a…
Read MoreHow to Build Radio Station Remote Kits for the Digital Age
By: Seth Resler Jacobs Media Strategies As a radio broadcaster, back in the day, my favorite event of the summer was the day that the Warped Tour came to town. As an alternative rock radio station, the Warped Tour inevitably had a dozen or so bands that we wanted to interview. So a team of…
Read MoreWILX-TV Announces Sports Team Changes
Gray Television’s WILX-TV (Lansing) has announced that longtime Lansing sports reporter Fred Heumann will take on the role of co-Sports Director with the WILX Sports Team on August 1, 2021. Heumann will play a pivotal role in the day-to-day operations of the sports department. “We are fortunate to have Fred and Tim Staudt’s decades of…
Read MoreWCSX-FM Morning Personality Big Jim O’Brien Signs Multiyear Renewal Deal with Beasley
Beasley Media Group has renewed a multiyear deal with WCSX-FM (Detroit) morning personality Big Jim O’Brien. The veteran Motor City on-air personality, who has been officially serving as the morning host for the past six years, has worked at the station for a total of 18 years. “It’s been an honor to create Big Jim’s…
Read MoreCould a Supreme Court Decision Affect Disclosure Obligations on Political Advertising?
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP Last week, we wrote about two dissenting opinions in a Supreme Court decision that highlight the debate that is underway on the principles that govern defamation liability in the United States. While we are reviewing Supreme Court decisions that could have an impact on broadcasters, including on political advertising, we…
Read MoreLongtime Michigan Broadcaster Don Backus Retires
Veteran Michigan Broadcaster and broadcast equipment marketing professional Don Backus has announced his retirement. Backus spent two decades on the station side, in ownership, management, sales, on-air and news. He is also known for this work representing companies like Rohde & Schwarz, ENCO, BE and Audio Broadcast Group. Backus attended Michigan State University in East…
Read MoreMore Michigan Congressmen Sign LRFA
The MAB is pleased to announce another cosponsor has signed on to H.Con.Res.33, the House Local Radio Freedom Act. Congressman John Moolenaar (R-4) has joined fellow Representatives Jack Bergman (R-1), Debbie Dingell (D-12), Fred Upton (R-6) and Tim Walberg (R-7) in support of the resolution. The NAB reports that they are up to 159 cosponsors…
Read MoreAllen Media Buys Gray Television’s WJRT-TV
Gray Television, Inc. has reached an agreement to divest WJRT-TV, its ABC affiliate for the Flint-Saginaw, Michigan television market, to Byron Allen’s Allen Media Broadcasting, LLC for $70 million dollars in cash. Gray’s sale of WJRT-TV facilitates regulatory approvals for its pending acquisition of the Local Media Group division of Meredith Corporation by removing the…
Read MoreIt’s Time for Radio to Rethink Contesting
By: Seth Resler Jacobs Media Strategies Perhaps no other medium still relies on contests as much as the radio industry. When I was a Program Director many years ago, I held a weekly staff meeting that revolved around the question, “What are we giving away on the air this week?” For many radio stations, not…
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