Some radio groups are angling to capture a bigger slice of local online listening with their own dedicated apps geared to a specific market or region. It’s not just in the big cities either. Two new apps have debuted – one in Washington, DC and the other in Boise, ID. “We are planning for the time when the radio moves from the dashboard to the back seat as autonomous driving solidifies,” says Darrell Calton, CEO of Iliad Media Group. Read more

Devin Steel joins Radio One hip-hop/R&B “Hot 107.9” WHTA Atlanta as Program Director. Steel was most recently Senior VP of Programming for iHeartMedia Memphis, where he also served as PD and afternoon host at hip-hop/R&B “K97” WHRK. He exited the cluster in July 2020. Steel succeeds Tap Money, who departed last month. Read more

Veteran programmer Tim Herbster is named Director of Music Programming and Brand Manager for Entercom AC “B101” WBEB and classic hits WOGL (98.1) Philadelphia. Herbster was most recently Senior VP of Programming for iHeartMedia’s Pacific Northwest region, exiting in November of 2020 as part of company-wide cuts. He succeeds Shelly Easton, who left Entercom’s Philly cluster in January. Read more

Peter “Kane” Deibler, who previously hosted the nationally-syndicated “The Kane Show,” died on March 6 after a long illness. He was 43. “The Kane Show” was syndicated by Premiere Networks and was heard in DC, Baltimore, Tampa, Harrisburg, Louisville and Memphis. The program was discontinued in April 2020 and was relaunched as “Your Morning Show” without Deibler.  Read more

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan for COVID-19 relief approved by the Senate over the weekend includes $175 million in emergency assistance to public radio and TV stations, a move that was quickly applauded by public broadcasters. The Senate passed the bill with a 50-49 vote. It will go back to the House for a vote early this week, where it is expected to pass. Read more

Special programming features to mark the one-year anniversary of the pandemic include Bloomberg Radio’s “A Year Like No Other” monthlong daily series that kicks-off Monday, March 15 and WXPN Philadelphia’s “Songs That Got Us Through The Year,” which will air Monday, March 16. Bloomberg Radio and WXPN join others in observing the year of the pandemic. Read more

Summit American has decided to temporarily take AC KJUL Las Vegas off-air, citing financial difficulties in the wake of the pandemic. “Radio stations are expensive to operate and if you don’t have advertising you can’t pay the bills,” President/GM and morning host Scott Gentry says. “When the economy of Las Vegas comes back, so will we. I promise.” Read more

“95.1 FM Chicago” moving to a streaming-only presentation… WVEZ Louisville rebranded as “Mix 106.9.” … Beasley Media Group celebrates International Women’s History Month… WABC New York welcomes Basketball Hall Of Fame’s Nancy Lieberman to the “Bernie and Sid” show on International Women’s Day…WDJX Louisville raises $102,573 during its 12th Annual Norton Children’s Hospital Radiothon… WNAP Philadelphia goes silent. Read more

Former Vice President Mike Pence will voice a four-part documentary about the life and career of groundbreaking conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh for Fox News Media's streaming service Fox Nation. Pence, a former talk radio host himself, will narrate “Age Of Rush,” a limited docuseries which debuts March 10. Read more