Central Michigan University has named Jim Rademaker Interim General Manager of WCMU Public Media. The appointment comes following former WCMU general manager Ken Kolbe’s announcement that he was joining WGVU in Grand Rapids as their general manager. Rademaker joined WCMU in December 2015 as director of development and community engagement. He was promoted to assistant general manager… read more
MediaBrew Communications Marquette, LLC has agreed to purchase radio properties and new media businesses serving the Upper Peninsula of Michigan from Great Lakes Radio, Inc. The group includes stations WFXD (FM & HD) (Marquette), WKQS-FM (Negaunee), WRUP (FM) (Palmer); and translators W291CJ (Marquette), W260AG (lshpeming), W248BU (lshpeming) and W286BC (Marquette). The application for the transfer… read more
According to a report in InsideRadio, the American Gaming Association (AGA) has issued a new set of self-regulations for sports betting advertising and marketing. Its new “Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering” has parallels to restrictions placed on alcohol advertising. The new code comes on the first anniversary of the Supreme Court striking down the Professional… read more
E.W. Scripps’ WXYZ-TV (Detroit) held its 40th annual Brightest and Best celebration at its studios on May 11. The celebration recognizes the academic achievements of local graduating high school seniors. Each year, the station invites more than 200 honorees and their families to attend. This year’s celebration included a Twitter scavenger hunt. Students also had the opportunity… read more
via Jacobs Media Strategies: “What we learned at Techsurvey 2019” Without question, mobile devices and smart speakers have changed the way people consume media. While new audio competitors to radio have emerged, the industry has responded. Today, most radio stations have mobile apps, and there are a growing number of stations providing their stream and… read more
Longtime WKAR Radio on-air personality Earle Robinson has died. His death was reported by the station on May 13. His work at WKAR began with a music program in 1974, but he’s best remembered for bringing sports news to listeners, first on a call-in show co-hosted with Jim Adams, then later hosting Sportstalk by himself. … read more
On May 13, Nexstar Broadcasting’s WOOD-TV (Grand Rapids) unveiled its new state-of-the-art studio. The studio improvements enhance the viewing experience and give journalists advanced storytelling tools. The set, designed by a Nexstar internal team including WOOD team members, features more than 200 LED video panels that provide seamless canvases to create and innovate. Newscast producers… read more
On May 14, the MAB hosted its annual State Capitol Advocacy Day, an event that brought many broadcasters to Lansing to meet with the state lawmakers on the issues affecting our industry. Overall, MAB members met with 54 legislative offices during the Advocacy Day. We discussed the need to reform public notice, our support for… read more
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adopted a new rule requiring that prescription drug advertising on TV contain certain price information. Specifically, the HHS will require TV ads for prescription drugs covered by Medicare or Medicaid to include the list price for a month’s supply or for the usual course of therapy,… read more
On the heels of last month’s announcement that TV broadcasters in the Top 40 TV markets will be launching Next-Gen TV services by the end of 2020, Detroit’s WMYD, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company announced May 15 plans to launch the new broadcast TV technology in a collaborative effort that will also involve Graham… read more