Portland, Oregon’s only left wing commercial talk radio station has suddenly been switched from politics to sports. KPOJ was the first Air America affiliate in the country, according to its supporters, who learned early on Friday that the host of the locally produced morning show had just been fired by Clear Channel effective immediately. That […]
Archive | Commercial Radio
Smiley and West returns to Chicago airwaves on commercial stations
This weekend Public Radio International’s Smiley and West program returned to the Chicago airwaves. Commercial progressive talk station WCPT starting airing the program Sunday, Nov. 4, and will continue airing it on Sundays at 3 PM. WVON, a commercial AM talk station focused on the African-American community, will carry the program on Saturdays at 11 […]
Hurricane Sandy Knocks Many East Coast Radio Stations off the Air
Since yesterday I’ve been glued to TV, Twitter, and Facebook to hear and see coverage about the effects of Hurricane Sandy as it hit land in the United States. My thoughts go out to everyone who has suffered because of this storm. As the devastating winds hit and power went out, many radio stations were […]
Pitch Your Radio Story for World Radio Day
In honor of the 2nd annual World Radio Day on February 13, Fundación Comunica and the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) are creating a series of short radio pieces on the topic of radio. They are inviting radio researchers and broadcasters to submit their radio story ideas online through October 19. The resulting […]
NAB debating the future life or death of AM Radio
Inside the radio industry there has been quite a bit of hand-wringing about the AM dial. Though conservative talk stations and sports stations in big markets continue to generate ratings and revenue, there’s an increasing recognition that other AM stations aren’t doing as well. Many blame overcrowding on the dial which leads to more interference, […]
Spinning Indie Radio Station Field Trip to WPGU in Champaign
I’m always interested in visiting radio stations that defy the norm, which could mean that they play an unexpected genre or do experimental programming or are simply under the radar. As I plotted out my radio station field trip wish list in advance of my visit to Urbana-Champaign for the Grassroots Radio Conference (see Paul’s […]
Commentary: Bobby Valentine and Allen Pinkett Can’t Hear Themselves Talk
In 2012, we use more social outlets than ever to embarrass ourselves. Luckily for 20th century traditionalists, we still find outspoken individuals on the radio. This month we heard two sports moguls stir up the air, to listeners’ dumbfoundedness. On September 5, Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine appeared on The Big Show sports radio. […]
Chicago’s WXRT celebrates 40 years serving up an increasingly rare format
It’s an increasingly rare thing to find a station that has maintained its format (and call letters) for more than a decade, nevermind 40 years. This week Chicago commercial rock station WXRT begins celebrating its fortieth year on air with something called “40 years in 40 days.” Starting Monday, each day the station is highlighting […]
KOZT’s Community-Oriented Approach to Commercial Radio
Over the weekend I was driving around Mendocino County sampling the radio options. A three hour drive north of San Francisco, the region is comprised of coastal towns, mountains, forests, and inland valleys. Mendocino itself is a big tourist destination, with its quaint New England-style inns, restaurants, and charming shops. Further south, Anderson Valley is […]
Hole in the bucket? SEC charges radio host with offering “misleading” financial advice
San Diego based radio investment guy Ray Lucia faces Security and Exchange Commission charges that his seminars left attendees with a “false sense of comfort” about his “Buckets of Money” retirement strategy. The SEC complaint Order questions whether Lucia’s schemes are properly “backtested,” which the agency defines as “the process of evaluating a strategy, theory, […]