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Feel Free to Contact Me With Any Comments or Questions at aaron.waisler@gmail.com or Comment on This Post! KEEP RADIO ALIVE!!

UPDATES FROM THE WORLD OF RADIO

Hello Blogosphere,

I think it is time to update you on some of the goings-on in the radio world in the past few months.

It was announced today that Tribune Company, the long-bankrupt owner of the famous WGN radio among other assets, has finally emerged from bankruptcy. Tribune is now under the ownership of senior creditors including Oaktree Capital Management (no stranger to radio...also owns Dial Global Radio Network and station owner Townsquare Media), JP Morgan Chase, among others. Tribune has been in bankruptcy for the longest time because of a hostile takeover by Chicago real estate mogul Samuel Zell back in 2007.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the media coverage of Hurricane Sandy. In my opinion, radio did an incredible job of getting the word out to the listeners. Here are some of the aspects: Many New York radio clusters were struggling to get by themselves due to equipment failures and evacuations. For example, on Long Island, the Connoisseur Media cluster (KJOY, B-103, etc.) switched in to all news mode...part with their own staff and part using another outlet. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Connoisseur Long Island has a deal with Cablevision's local news channel, News 12, which allows the former to carry the latter's feed during an emergency like this. Another example was Cumulus Media's WABC-AM. This legendary station broadcasted its former sister station, WABC-TV, which is now owned by Disney, due to its deal with them and the former ownership. Other stations such as the legendary WOR utilized the feed of WNBC-TV. Overall, great effort by the media industry as a whole.

About two months ago, the controversial Michael Savage show has come back on the air...but, here's the kick: It is on a new network. Mr. Savage won a legal dispute with his former syndicator, Talk Radio Network. Now, Cumulus Media Networks, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cumulus Media, has graciously signed a contract with Mr. Savage to air his political talk show on over one-hundred of their 500+ stations. Shortly after this announcement, Cumulus Media announced that they will add Mr. Savage's show to their NYC flagship station, 77 WABC.

I want to wish all of my readers a happy and prosperous new year! I hope you are enjoying yourself! Stay safe and I will see you in the New Year!

Stay tuned tomorrow as I dedicate a special post to looking back on 2012 in radio! I hope you will join me!

See ya Later!

Hello Blogosphere,

This starts the hiatus for Radio...Its Not Dying People. I am going away to school and may not be able to post on a regular basis. I apologize for this hiatus...but it is needed. Just because I put my blog on hiatus doesn't mean that you should put your radio on hiatus. In fact, its just the opposite.

Please keep listening and KEEP RADIO ALIVE!!

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Aaron Waisler
Blogger Extraordinaire


Feel Free to Contact Me With Any Comments or Questions at aaron.waisler@gmail.com or Comment on This Post!

 KEEP RADIO ALIVE!!

Another Top 40 in Atlanta? Really?

This is the most abrupt format change I have seen in a really long time. Here in Atlanta, what used to be "Project 9-6-1", suddenly flipped from a well-liked true alternative rock station, to a hip-hop/top-40 station dubbed "Power 96.1" (See original article here.). This comes as the owners of the station and 4 other stations in Atlanta, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, is making a lot of staffing and programming changes in the Atlanta market specifically.  Clear Channel Media and Entertainment is the division of global media giant Clear Channel Communications that handles all of the company's 850 radio stations and several digital services. This is only one of a few changes CC is making regarding programming. The other half has to do what is now "WILD 105.7". Speculating reports state that CC will move the alternative format that used to be on the 96.1 frequency, to 105.7. The WILD brand will reportedly disappear from the Atlanta market (See what the discussion boards of RadioInfo have to say.).

My original thought is "Why add another Top 40 station when we already have many stations in Atlanta adhering to this format?" For example, Q100, owned by rival Cumulus Media, is a hit top-40 station. Another station considered top 40 is WSTR, "Star 94", owned by another rival Lincoln Financial Media. What we really need in the ATL is a true classic hits/classic rock station. 97.1 The River is more variety and 106.7 flipped to all-news (See earlier posts). That was the last true oldies/classic rock station left in Atlanta. WE NEED A NEW ONE!! The last thing we need is another top-40 station!!!

However, I have to say that Power 96.1 sounds great!! Clear Channel is so far doing great!! Its available in Atlanta on 96.1 and worldwide on iheartradio.com.

Please feel free to give your opinion or ask questions by commenting on this article or emailing me at aaron.waisler@gmail.com.

Feedback Needed

Dear Blogosphere, I am strongly considering writing a newsletter related to media and the media business. However, I need your feedback. Please fill out this form in its entirety so I can better format the newsletter if the decision is made to create it. Thanks so much!! Feel Free to Contact Me With Any Comments or Questions at aaron.waisler@gmail.com or Comment on This Post! KEEP RADIO ALIVE!!

New York's Oldest Station....SOLD!!

Those of you...especially from New York....who read this blog may know of a station known as 710 WOR. Many of you also may not know that it was founded in 1922 and owned since the 1980s by a little-known company by the name of Buckley Broadcasting, dba Buckley Radio. This company was started by the Buckley family in the mid-1900s and is one of the last few family-owned radio and media owners in the country.

Yesterday, news came out that the legendary WOR has ended the era of family-owned independent radio to be sold to radio mega-conglomerate Clear Channel Communications, who already owns 5 stations in New York City. This news comes about one year after the 2nd Generation of Buckley family ownership, Rick Buckley, died suddenly from a brain embolism. This deal is pending FCC approval and will be taken over through a Local Marketing Agreement, an agreement that basically says that a particular station will still be owned and licensed by the original owner, but operated on a daily basis by a third party, by Clear Channel Communications until they obtain full ownership upon FCC review.

So, with that, there goes the last legacy family-owned station in New York City. Who knows what Clear Channel has in store for WOR...probably all syndicated national shows. When and if any line-up changes occur, I will be sure to share them with you all right her on Radio...It's Not Dying, People!!!

If you want some more information, please visit All Access. 

Feel free to contact me with any questions at aaron.waisler@gmail.com or comment on this post. I will try to respond. Thanks and, as always, KEEP RADIO ALIVE!!!

NBC Finally Got the Message!!

Who's excited for the 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony tonight? I know I am!! However, I don't know if I will be planted in front of my television in time for the prime-time broadcast. Many of you also may be doing other things that don't permit them to be in front of their television tonight. So...NBC. the U.S. Olympics rights-holder, finally got the message after all of the flak they received for not streaming the magestic opening ceremony. THE CLOSING CEREMONY WILL BE ONLINE-LIVE!! I am so glad for this because I don't know if I can wait till the prime-time TV broadcast, especially after all of the performers who are scheduled to appear. I can't miss that!!

It stars at 4pm on-line and 7 or 8pm on TV, depending on your local NBC affiliate. I will be watching...WILL YOU?

Feel free to contact me at aaron.waisler@gmail.com or comment on this post if you have any questions or comments. I would love to hear from my readers!!