RadioInsight

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Pulse-FM Raleigh Seeking New Program Director As Jud Heussler Preps
Departure

Posted: 10 Mar 2021 01:28 PM PST
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...eps-departure/



Curtis Media Group CHR Pulse-FM 96.9/102.5 96.9 WWPL Goldsboro/102.5
WPLW-FM Hillsborough NC is seeking a new Program Director as Jud Heussler
will be departing the station at the end of the month for a new opportunity
within in industry to-be-announced.

Heussler joined the Raleigh market station in 2017 after previously
spending eight years at Entercoms Kiss 98.5 WKSE Buffalo NY rising from a
part-timer out of high school to APD/MD. Heussler writes, It’s been an
honor to hold of the reins of Pulse FM for over 4 years. We’ve achieved so
many milestones, from ratings success, major community events, great client
initiatives and beyond. So thankful to Lisa McKay (Former Director of
Programing) for reaching out to me all those years ago and Trip Savory
(President) and David Stuckey (VP/GM) for their trust running this great
station. I’m excited for my new opportunity and will be able to share
details soon.�

PULSE-FM 96.9/102.5 (CHR) in Raleigh-Durham, NC – Market #37 has an
immediate opening for a Program Director/Airshift. As Program Director,
you must be extremely organized, and have solid on-air skills with the
ability to make our listeners the star as well as be a great talent coach.
We are a Live and Local station, with talent in the building! You must
love radio and be enthusiastic every day about our ability to make a
difference in our listeners’ lives. Applicants must be expressive, polite
and responsive face-to-face, on the phone, with social media and in writing
to listeners, clients and staff. Requirements for the position include
proven success as a Program Director in a PPM market.

If you think you are the perfect candidate for this position and are ready
to contribute in a team environment, please send your resume, aircheck,
references and imaging samples to Curtis Media Sr VP and Station GM David
Stuckey at to apply. All inquiries and
correspondence will be kept in strict confidence. Please, no phone calls.

Curtis Media Group is North Carolina’s largest independent radio
broadcasting company, operating 57 AM and FM signals across the state of
North Carolina in Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro – Winston-Salem – High Point,
Greenville – New Bern, Jacksonville, Boone, Lenoir, Morganton, and
Goldsboro. Curtis Media Group also operates the North Carolina News
Network, NC Sports Network, Triangle Traffic Network, Southern Farm
Network, The ACC Sports Journal, ACCSports.com, and Curtis Marketing Group
which produces events including the North Carolina Wine Festivals and the
Man Expo.




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Jonah Griss-Bush Joins WNSH's Kelly Ford In The Morning

Posted: 10 Mar 2021 10:53 AM PST
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...n-the-morning/



Jonah Griss-Bush has joined Entercoms New Yorks Country 94.7 WNSH Newark
NJ/New York as co-host and content producer for Kelly Ford in the Morning.

Griss-Bush most recently worked at Hubbard St. Louis where he and Stacey K
Boyer teamed in afternoons and mornings at Country 92.3 WIL and mornings at
Variety Hits 106.5 The Arch WARH between 2017 and their exit last March. He
and Boyer also spent nearly six years in mornings at at CHR “Hot 101.7�
KHTH Santa Rosa CA. The New York native began his career as a Promotions
Assistant at CHR 92.3 Now WNOW-FM and later served as a producer and hosted
mornings on KRockRadio.com/WNOW-HD2.

Entercom welcomes Jonah Griss-Bush as morning show on-air host and content
producer for New York’s Country 94.7 (WNSH-FM) in New York. Griss-Bush will
join “Kelly Ford in the Morning� and will be heard alongside host Kelly
Ford, effective immediately.

“We’re excited about adding Jonah’s fun personality to our popular morning
show program,� said John Foxx, Brand Manager, New York’s Country 94.7. “His
experience entertaining audiences as they get ready for their days ahead
will set him up for success in his new role, and we look forward to him and
Kelly delivering must-listen content to our listeners together.�

“Im excited to join the Entercom family and honored to be alongside Kelly
Ford in my favorite city in the world,� said Griss-Bush. “I grew up
listening to New York City radio, so to be on these airwaves is a dream
come true.�

A native New Yorker, Griss-Bush joins Entercom after most recently serving
as a morning show host for Hubbard Broadcasting in St. Louis. Prior to that
role, he held on-air positions for Hot 101.7 in Santa Rosa, CA; 98Q in
Danbury, CT and K-Rock Radio in New York. Griss-Bush also previously served
as a producer for CBS Radio from 2010 to 2012 and a promotions assistant
for now sister station ALT 92.3 (then 92.3 NOW) from 2009 to 2012.



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Fresh Listen: WCTK (Cat Country 98.1) Providence, R.I.

Posted: 10 Mar 2021 10:00 AM PST
https://radioinsight.com/ross/205720...rovidence-r-i/





There are two types of Country radio stations at the moment. Some are
structured like pop radio’s Hot AC stations — with relatively tight
rotations and libraries. They are the “new country� stations born from the
format’s all-ages boom around 2013-14. Others are more like Mainstream ACs,
not in music style, but in structure — slower rotations, more era variety.

“New Country� stations have had challenges recently. Even two years ago,
listeners were unexcited about current country product. Plus, the glacial
pace of the country charts meant that the most-spun songs on “new country�
radio were no less than 35 weeks old. Now that country listeners are
streaming more, for those listeners most interested in “new country,� what
radio plays doesn’t sound so new.

Two years ago, I was in a Twitter conversation that included Hall
Communications VP/programming Bob Walker, then PD of WCTK (Cat Country
98.1) Providence, R.I. I was deriding those stations that promised “new
country� but played recurrent country. But WCTK was never that. At the time
I wrote, “I like @CatCountry981 because of its variety, its listenable
rotations, and its presentational energy. You only talk about ‘new music’
when you’re actually playing it, and most of your powers are actually
currents.�

Last August, Walker moved his homebase to Hall’s WPCV (Country 97)
Lakeland, Fla. Kevin Palana became PD of WCTK and Classic Hits WNBH (Big
101.3) New Bedford, Mass. I still like Cat Country 98.1 because of its
variety, its presentational energy, and its listenable rotations. And its
powers are still true currents. Cat Country 98.1 never surrendered the
“hits in reasonable rotation, plus variety� template. Power rotation is
still 51x a week. A few gold titles go as far back as “Friends in Low
Places.�

In the just-released January Nielsen ratings, WCTK was the second-biggest
Country station in a PPM market, up 7.4-8.1 6-plus, behind only WCOL
Columbus, Ohio’s 6.4-8.6. Cat Country 98.1 has also been able to hold its
market’s country-listener coalition together, even as the audience
contracts in some once-reliable markets. Unlike many such markets, Cat
Country is Providence’s only Country station, but like other Southern New
England cities, there are plenty of other Country-radio choices within
earshot.

When I did a “Fresh Listen� to WCTK on Feb. 24, with Palana on the air as
“Kevin Lawrence,� I heard two of the things I always like hearing on radio,
especially now — listener voices and local geography (and some sweepers
that combined the two). Sweepers were generally light and offbeat, one
ID’ed WCTK as “your handscrubbin’, social distancing, stayin’ put station.�
And it may be just the juxtaposition of the Keith Urban, Chris Janson, and
Kenny Chesney, but there seemed to be an overall attempt to keep things
lyrically and presentationally upbeat in this time of audience need.

Here’s Cat Country just before 3 p.m. on Feb. 24:

Rascal Flatts, “Rewind� (2014)
Carrie Underwood, “Before He Cheats� (2005)
David Nail, “Whatever She’s Got� (2013)
Luke Bryan, “Down to One� (Current)
Jake Owen, “Beachin’� (2013)
Blake Shelton, “Minimum Wage� (Current)
Michael Ray, “One That Got Away� (2018)
Thomas Rhett, “Star of the Show� (2016)
Travis Denning, “After a Few� (Recurrent)
Parmalee, “Already Callin’ You Mine� (2013)
Dierks Bentley, “Gone� (Current)
Old Dominon, “Paint the Grass Green� (Never a single nationally, but
recurrent here)
Keith Urban, “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me� (2002)
Dustin Lynch, “Momma’s House� (Current)
Chris Janson, “Good Vibes� (Recurrent)
Kenny Chesney, “Happy Does� (Current)
Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now� (2009)
Kelsea Ballerini, “Hole in the Bottle� (Current)


I hope that both the “Hot AC� and “AC� template survive at Country radio. I
hope those stations billed as “new country� can do what it takes to compete
with streaming for that franchise. Both types of stations would be better
served if Country were finally willing to split into two charts; now, it’s
as if the CHR stations that played “Watermelon Sugar� last summer are
expected to keep it in power until the Mainstream AC stations that are
playing it now can close out the panel.

In the meantime, many of the music stations that are most thriving are
those that are programmed for our current environment with relaxed
rotations and more variety. That’s an advertisement for the AC template at
Country, and so is the success of Cat Country 98.1.



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Danielle Murr To Depart WEEI's Greg Hill Show

Posted: 10 Mar 2021 09:07 AM PST
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...reg-hill-show/



After fifteen years as part of the Greg Hill Show on Rock 107.3 WAAF and
since July 2019 on Sports 93.7 WEEI-FM Lawrence/Boston, Danielle Murr has
announced she will exit at the end of the week.

In announcing her impending departure, Murr wrote, My friends, today is
bittersweet as a I announced my departure from my role as co-host of The
Greg Hill Show. Ive been fortunate o have a broadcast career that has
spanned over a decade and a half on two legendary radio stations: WAAF and
WEEI. Ive loved working in radio, and have made long lasting friendships
that Ill carry with me forever. Despite being offered incentives to stay,
its time for me to follow a new path and pursue the other passions Ive been
developing throughout my life. I look forward to listening to the morning
show with fondness and pride, and connecting with all of you through social
media and my podcast to discuss common interests, such as plants, animals,
food, lifestyle, and so much more. Im grateful to have been part of the
impactful history of the Boston media industry, humbled by the amount of
incredible fans weve collected over the years, and excited to see where the
future takes all of us. Prior to joining Hills morning show, Murr worked as
a traffic reporter and newscaster for Metro Networks and Regional Traffic
Director for Westwood One.

Hill and former New England Patriot Jermaine Wiggins will remain in
mornings.












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Y98 St. Louis Makes Morning Show Changes As Jen Myers Rises To APD

Posted: 10 Mar 2021 08:46 AM PST
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...-rises-to-apd/



Entercom Hot AC Y98 98.1 KYKY St. Louis has made some changes to its on-air
lineup.

After fifteen years as part of the morning show, and as co-lead for the
past year, Jen Myers has moved into a new role as Assistant Program
Director of KYKY and AC 102.5 KEZK and moved to middays on KYKY as of March
1. With the move of Myers, co-lead Tim Convy exits the station. Convy, a
stand-up comedian and keyboardist for the band Ludo, joined KYKY in 2019
after previously co-hosting mornings at CHR Now 96.3 KNOU from 2016 to 2018.

Julie Tristan, who has hosted middays at KYKY since February 2020 has moved
to mornings with incumbents Kevin Berghoff and Lance Hildebrand. Tristan
co-hosted mornings at iHeartMedia Classic Hits 103.3 KLOU from 2015 until
March 2019. She also was part of the Steve DC Show at 101.1 WVRV in the
mid 2000s and was a host and anchor at KSDK-TV from 2007-2015.

Haze, who moved from the now defunct KNOU to KYKY last November, remains in
afternoons.












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San Francisco Giants Extends KNBR Deal

Posted: 10 Mar 2021 08:28 AM PST
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...nds-knbr-deal/



Cumulus Sports 680 KNBR/104.5 KNBR-FM San Francisco has announced a five
year extension with the San Francisco Giants keeping the baseball franchise
on the stations through 2025.

680 KNBR has carried Giants games since 1979 during its time as an NBC
owned Full Service AC. The station moved to Sports in 1990 and added the
simulcast on 104.5 in 2019. The new deal will add in-market streaming of
Giants game broadcasts.

San Francisco Giants and KNBR today announced a multi-year extension to
keep Giants games on the Sports Leader through 2025.

For more than four decades, the Giants/KNBR partnership has featured nearly
7,000 regular season broadcasts and some of the most monumental events in
Giants history, including the 1989 World Series, the opening of Oracle Park
in 2000, the 2002 World Series, Barry Bonds’ pursuit of the all�time home
run record and the 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Series Championships.

“We are excited that KNBR will continue to deliver Giants baseball on the
radio to Giants fans everywhere,� said Giants President and CEO Larry
Baer. “Led by the best broadcast team in all of Major League Baseball in
Jon Miller, Duane Kuiper, Mike Krukow and Dave Flemming, we are thrilled
that our partnership will continue to deliver top caliber play�by�play
broadcasts, the pre�game “Kruk Kuip Show,� the “Post Game Wrap� and the
off-season’s “Hot Stove League� through at least 2025.�

“We’re elated that Giants baseball and KNBR will continue to be the Bay
Area’s favorite summer soundtrack for years to come,� said Doug Harvill,
Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus Radio. “Between KNBR’s powerful
AM/FM signals and our streaming platforms, we look forward to providing
fans with multiple options to enjoy every Giants game.�



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Dana Wessel Joins 93X's Half-Assed Morning Show

Posted: 10 Mar 2021 07:00 AM PST
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...-morning-show/



Cumulus Media Rock 93X 93.7 KXXR Minneapolis has announced the addition of
Dana Wessel as Executive Producer of their Half-Assed Morning Show.

Wessel most recently co-hosted mornings at Alternative Go 96.3 KQGO
Edina/Minneapolis with Ben Holsen until their exit last summer. He has also
previously worked at Sports 100.3 K-Fan KFXN-FM and ESPN 1500 KSTP as well
as served as a Soccer contributor to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

CUMULUS MEDIA announces that it has appointed Dana Wessel as Executive
Producer for 93X/KXXR-FM’s Half-Assed Morning Show. Wessel will also be
heard on the show, which features an ensemble cast. A popular fixture on
Twin Cities radio, Wessel’s 15-year radio career includes roles as
producer, on-air host and sports writer at stations including KFAN,
AM-1500/KSTP-AM, and Go 96.3, where he was most recently morning show host.
93X’s Half-Assed Morning Show airs on 93X, Minnesota’s Rock Station, Monday
through Friday from 5:40am-9:00am.

Â*

Derek Madden, Program Director, 93X/KXXR-FM, said: “We are really fired up
to add someone to the Half-Assed Morning Show who’s been a Twin Cities star
in the morning in his own right. We talked with a number of great people
about this opening, but nobody fit our brand of insanity quite like
Dana.Â*He feels like a part of The Brotherhood already.Â*Thank you to Shelly
Wilkes, Brian Philips, Troy Hanson, Doug Hamand, and Dave Milner for
helping to make it happen.�

Madden added: “I’m so excited for the show to embark on this next
chapter.Â*This must be what it’s like when The Avengers add another
superhero to the group. I think.Â*I don’t watch those movies.â€�

Dana Wessel commented: “I am thrilled to get to continue doing radio right
here in my hometown, especially with such a legendary show. I used to be
late for high school because I didn’t want to get out of my car and turn
off the Half-Assed Morning Show.Â*To now be working alongside Nick and Josh
really is a dream.Â*My high school self would have fainted if he knew this
would happen one day.�




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Townsquare Media Completes Buyout Of Oaktree Capital's Shares

Posted: 10 Mar 2021 04:40 AM PST
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...pitals-shares/



Townsquare Media has announced it has completed its planned buyback of all
of Oaktree Capitals stake in the company.

Townsquare had originally planned on buying 10 million of Oaktrees shares
now with an option to purchase the rest within fifteen months at $6.40 per
share. Instead it has completely purchased all of Oaktrees 12.6 million
shares and warrants, comprising 1.6 million shares of Class A common stock,
2.2 million shares of Class B common stock, and 8.8 million warrants.

Townsquare Media was formed in 2010 when Oaktree merged its two radio
investments Regent Communications and Gap Broadcasting after Regent emerged
from Chapter 11 bankruptcy giving Oaktree a majority stake in the company.

Townsquare Media, Inc. (NYSE: TSQ) (the “Company� or “Townsquare�)
announced today that it repurchased the entirety of Oaktree Capital
Management L.P.’s (“Oaktree’s�) 12.6 million shares and warrants of the
Company at $6.40 per security, and subsequently retired those securities.
On January 25, 2021 the Company had stated it would repurchase a minimum of
10 million securities from Oaktree. In total, the Company repurchased 100%
of Oaktree’s 12.6 million shares and warrants, comprising 1.6 million
shares of Class A common stock, 2.2 million shares of Class B common stock,
and 8.8 million warrants. The purchase price of $6.40 per security
reflected a 39% discount to the closing price of the Class A common stock
on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, and a 19% discount to the pre-announcement share
price. Based on current share counts, the transaction is expected to be
immediately accretive on a free cash flow per share and adjusted earnings
per share basis in excess of 70%. At 10 million securities, the repurchase
would have been accretive by approximately 50%. The aggregate purchase
price for the securities was $80.4 million and was funded with cash on
hand. In addition, the Company will pay Oaktree a $4.5 million consent fee
related to the transaction in four installments, the first of which is due
on April 1, 2021. Following the repurchase, the Company has approximately
16 million securities outstanding, inclusive of common stock and warrants.

“We could not be more pleased to share that given our strong cash position,
we were able to repurchase 100% of Oaktree’s ownership interests in
Townsquare, capturing a strong return for our shareholders. This is a
beneficial transaction for our investors and the Company. The Oaktree share
repurchase is significantly accretive on an earnings per share and free
cash flow per share basis in 2021, and entirely eliminates Oaktree’s
ownership overhang for current and potential shareholders,� said Bill
Wilson, Townsquare’s Chief Executive Officer. “We thank Oaktree for their
long-term support of our Company. We look forward to discussing our fourth
quarter and year-end 2020 results as well as our first quarter 2021 outlook
on our earnings call next week.�

Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc. served as financial advisor to the Special
Committee in connection with the repurchase.




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Hawk Flies Into Juneau

Posted: 10 Mar 2021 04:30 AM PST
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...s-into-juneau/



Frontier Media LLC has launched Sports Hawk 107.9 K300AB/KSUP-HD2 Juneau AK.

The station gives Juneau its first Sports formatted station carrying
programming from Fox Sports Radio. The station will also carry play-by-play
of the Seattle Mariners and Seattle Seahawks.

K300AB had been rebroadcasting Classic Hits 1380 KXJ KXXJ. That station has
moved its programming to new sign-on 93.3 K227DP Juneau.







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The Return of Punch Wars: Palm Springs Easy Listening Battle

Posted: 09 Mar 2021 07:10 PM PST
https://radioinsight.com/ross/205930...tening-battle/




There are not a lot of markets with an Easy Listening station or even an
Adult Standards outlet left. Thanks to translators, Palm Springs has both
on FM. Independently owned KWXY has been a favorite of aircheckers for
decades, thanks to its retro presentation, and just for persevering as Easy
Listening. Over the last 11 years, KWXY has been on three different FM
frequencies and intermittently on AM only.

Alpha’s KDES-HD2 (107.3 Mod FM) is the current occupant of the second of
those frequencies. It takes the lounge approach to adult standards that
took root in the early ‘00s, led by Michael Bublé, the Rod Stewart covers
albums, and the swing-dance revival. In one of the long-running disputes of
the Adult Standards format, Mod FM is song-driven and plays contemporary
covers of standards. KWXY’s sweepers emphasize “original songs from the
artists who made them famous.�

In fact, reader Roger Schwarz, who drew my attention back to KWXY vs. Mod,
was drawn to the “old time station war,� even though, he notes “Mod 107
doesn’t appear to retaliate.� Many of KWXY’s sweepers conjure ‘60s and ‘70s
easy listening (“the difference is delightful,� declares one). Others are
more like the famous Top 40 WIXY Cleveland sweepers of the ‘60s. “Last hour
Mod 107 played 17 songs. KWXY played 20 songs.� Another calls it “the
little station with a lot of swagger.�

Mod’s imaging refers to it as both the “unforgettable sound� and
“unmistakable� sound of 107.3 Mod FM as well as “the new standard.� The :00
ID says it’s “from the modernism capital of the world, Palm Springs,
California.�

On March 5, it was announced that KWXY had been sold. So we didn’t just
take a Fresh Listen to the stations. We brought back Punch Wars — in which
we try to monitor a format battle through the ears of those program
directors who once scanned the dial to see whether they or their competitor
were playing a better song. There hasn’t been a Punch Wars column recently
in part because there haven’t been as many head-to-head station wars. The
last one we wrote about was Top 40 KYLD vs. KMVQ San Francisco a decade
ago. But Mod vs. KWXY certainly qualifies in its ferocity.

In Punch Wars, songs are matched as close to each other as possible for
timing. If one station is in a music sweep and one is in a stopset, the
punch goes to the station that’s playing music. Decisions are meant to be
based on programming judgment, not favorite songs. That’s a challenge in a
format that hasn’t done significant music testing for decades, but with 21
rounds of competition there were only two times that I declared a toss-up.

Here is what happens when the great radio punch war meets the Great
American Songbook. Winners are italicized.

Song 1: Floyd Cramer, “San Antonio Rose� (KWXY) vs. Sergio Mendes, “The
Fool on the Hill� (Mod)

Both instrumentalists are an important parts of pop history. Mendes feels
like he has more currency now, both because of his ‘80s comeback and syncs
over the years.

Song 2: Ace Cannon, “Tuff� (KWXY) vs. Sophie Millman, “Fever� (Mod)

The early ‘60s Cannon instrumental was the interesting choice. Millman’s
cover of “Fever� was more hard-core jazz than the Peggy Lee pop hit, which
would have bested all comers. I called this a toss-up.

Song 3: Lou Rawls, “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine� (KWXY) vs.
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, “They Can’t Take That Away From Me� (Mod)

Enduring and relatively recent hit vs. all-time standard. I went with
Rawls, but it was the toughest call of the hour.

Song 4: Les Brown, “Anything Goes� (KWXY) vs. Bobby Darin, “Mack the Knife�
(Mod)

“Mack the Knife� is another signature for the format and a beats-all-comers
song. “Beyond the Sea� would have been, too.

Song 5: Barbara Lewis, “Hello Stranger� (KWXY) vs. Rachel Price, “I Love
You Madlyâ€� (Mod)Â*

MOR/R&B from the ‘60s vs. a scatty, very stylized 2009 cover of a Duke
Ellington song. I went with Lewis but if your tastes are more lounge or
more Great American songbook, you might have chosen Price.

Song 6, Nat King Cole, “For Sentimental Reasons (I Love You)� (KWXY) vs.
Tom Jones, “Thunderballâ€� (Mod)Â*

Also a tough call. Went with the standard, but Jones was an interesting
choice.

Song 7, KWXY stopset vs. Etta James, “I’d Rather Go Blindâ€� (Mod)Â*

Love hearing James claim her place as one of the great voices of the
format. Plus the punch always goes to the station in music.

Song 8, Jackie Gleason, “I Can’t Get Started� (KWXY) vs. Merle Haggard,
“You’re Nobody ‘Till Somebody Loves You� (Mod)

An early-‘50s instrumental from Gleason’s era of instrumental stardom vs.
Haggard’s cover of Dean Martin. Both interesting. I called it a toss-up.

Song 9, Dean Martin, “Sway� (KWXY) vs. Mod’s stopset

“Sway� is one of the format’s signature songs (even more so if you heard it
interpolated into a British dance hit in the ‘90s).Â*

Song 10, Peter Paul & Mary, “Blowing in the Wind� (KWXY) vs. Mod’s stopset

Mod’s stopsets, four minutes, are brief by any other standards, but gave
KWXY time to get in two extra songs.

Song 11, Krista Ricci, “Walk On By� (KWXY) vs. Della Reese, “Don’t You
Know� (Mod)

My generation knew Reese first as a TV star; I learned about her pop and
gospel stardom retroactively. Her signature pop hit was taken from a
Puccini melody, a year before Elvis Presley’s operatic change-of-pace with
“It’s Now or Never.� Reese won against an instrumental cover of the Burt
Bacharach song, but the Dionne Warwick hit would have beaten anything,
especially now.

Song 12, Herb Alpert, “This Guy’s in Love With You� (KWXY) vs. Michael
Bublé, “An Evening in Roma� (Mod)

KWXY’s “no covers� promos also take issue with Bublé, but “This Guy� would
have beaten anything.

Song 13, Roger Williams, “Born Free� (KWXY) vs. Sting, “Nice Work if You
Can Get It� (Mod)

Again, I went with the ‘60s hit; you might have gone with the more classic
song.

Song 14, Frank Sinatra, “My Funny Valentine� (KWXY) vs. Dinah Washington,
“September in the Rain� (Mod)

Song 15 Cannonball Adderley Trio, “Mercy Mercy Mercy� (KWXY) vs. Frank
Sinatra, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin� (Mod)

Sinatra plus a classic song wins for each station in turn.Â*

Song 16, Tony Bennett, “Stranger in Paradise� (KWXY) vs. Mod’s stopset

Song 17, Jimmy Haskell, “A Shot in the Dark� (KWXY) vs. Mod’s stopset

The latter song is another ‘60s movie theme.

Song 18, Richard Clayderman, “When a Man Loves a Woman� (KWXY) vs. Haile
Loren, “Danger in Loving You� (Mod)

In this case, the punch goes to a 2015 torch song original.

Song 19, Mel Torme, “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea� (KWXY) vs.
Jack Jones, “The Mood I’m In� (Mod)

I learned the Jones song growing up because it was a staple of ‘60s TV
variety shows. This one is probably a generational/sentimental choice.

Song 20, Frank Pourcel, “Theme From ‘M*A*S*H’� (KWXY) vs. Diane Schuur,
“What a Difference a Day Makes� (Mod)

Another lounge remake wins against an easy instrumental.

Song 21, Judy Collins, “Send in the Clowns� (KWXY) vs. Tony Bennett, “Old
Devil Moon� (Mod)

I went with the (again, relatively) recent pop hit. Some readers would
likely go with any well-known standard by Tony Bennett.

The final total was KWXY 11, Mod 8, with two toss-ups. That said, if you
remove those punches won while rivals were in stopsets, it’s a dead heat
(or, being Palm Springs, a dry heat) with seven songs each.Â* Ultimately,
the station you prefer may come down to the “great songs vs. hit singles�
discussion. And it’s great to see that continuing in any way in 2021.


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Entercom Acquires Podcast Advertising Platform Podcorn

Posted: 09 Mar 2021 04:41 PM PST
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...tform-podcorn/




Entercom has announced it has purchased podcast advertising platform
Podcorn for $22.5 million.

Entercom will pay $14.6 million upfront and performance based payouts over
the next three years. Podcorn joins Cadence13 and Pineapple Street Studios
in Entercoms podcast business portfolio. The company focuses on matching
niche creators and micro-influencers with brands for sponsorship
opportunities.

In a blog post announcing the sale, Podcorn founders Agnes Kozera and David
Kierzkowski wrote, We started Podcorn with a vision to democratize podcast
advertising and to make it easier for podcasters and brands of all sizes
and budgets to find each other and collaborate on native branded content.
Our mission was to build the infrastructure for direct podcaster/brand
collaborations. We wanted to create an open platform for brands to
discover, select, and collaborate directly with the larger ecosystem of
independent podcasters, while podcast creators could have direct access to
sponsorship opportunities and the tools to monetize and manage their own
brand deals.

Entercom (NYSE: ETM), home to premium podcast companies Cadence13 and
Pineapple Street Studios, today announced the acquisition of Podcorn, the
largest marketplace for brands to find and collaborate with the most
relevant podcasters to create native advertising and branded content at
scale. The transaction values Podcorn at $22.5 million today, with an
upfront cash payment of $14.6 million and a performance-based earnout over
the next three years.

“The acquisition of Podcorn expands Entercom’s product offering for
advertisers and builds on our position as one of the country’s three
largest podcast publishers and the #1 creator of original, premium audio
content,� said David Field, Chairman, President and Chief Executive
Officer, Entercom. “By making it easier for brands to collaborate with
targeted podcast creators of all sizes, we are addressing an important
market opportunity in the fastest growing segment of media.�

Podcorn’s marketplace includes nearly 40,000 creators and has facilitated
thousands of podcast ad campaigns. Podcorn creates an infrastructure for
enabling direct podcaster and advertiser relationships, surfacing the most
relevant matches to scale native branded content, drive higher ROI for
brands, and enhance how podcast creators monetize their content. Podcorn
was founded by Agnes Kozera and David Kierzkowski following the successful
acquisition by Google of their previous company FameBit, the leading
marketplace for video influencers where brands and YouTube stars
collaborated for branded content. Kozera and Kierzkowski will continue to
lead Podcorn, joining Entercom’s leadership team.

“Given the success that podcasters and brands have seen on Podcorn, we’re
excited to join Entercom’s growing audio platform to accelerate our vision
and help brands and podcasters succeed in an even bigger way,� said Agnes
Kozera, Co-Founder, Podcorn. “Together, we hope to provide the most
effective podcast influencer marketing solution for brands and become the
largest driver of brand deals for podcasters of all sizes.�

The acquisition fills an industry-wide gap in helping brands of all sizes
tap into the hard-to-access micro-influencer community. Podcorn offers
highly immersive, native formats for brands to authentically reach engaged
audiences, such as host reads at scale as a way to maintain and elevate
rate and ROI, and drive podcast market growth. The marketplace connects
advertisers to podcast creators through workspaces where they can craft the
ideal relationship and explore deeper formats including reviews, unboxings,
guest interviews, panels and topical discussions, which provide true
listener value. While Podcorn provides brands with a self-serve platform,
it also offers a full-service option that unlocks more managed support and
consultation to help them accelerate, curate and manage their podcast
campaigns to exceed their KPIs.

Podcorn’s marketplace of niche creators will complement Entercom’s existing
critically-acclaimed roster of the largest and most influential podcasts,
while helping it identify talented new creators. With Cadence13 and
Pineapple Street Studios, Entercom is one of the three largest podcast
publishers with the industry’s most award-winning, critically acclaimed
content, and consistently has the most shows ranked in the top 100 on
Triton’s U.S. Podcast Report.

“Introducing Podcorn’s marketplace of nearly 40,000 creators to our robust
podcast audience network will enable advertisers to target the right
listeners with the most effective media available to brands today – custom,
host-read, branded audio content at scale,� said J.D. Crowley, Chief
Digital Officer, Entercom.

Podcasting has been steadily expanding and diversifying programming – and
widening audiences – consistently in the past decade. There are now more
than 2.5 million podcasts, 60% of which were created in the past two years.

“Remarkably, only a fraction of podcasts generate revenue. We want to
change that,� said Crowley. “Bringing together independent creators,
chart-topping talent and advertisers under one roof, and providing the
tools to streamline collaboration, transparency and efficiency provides
greater value for advertisers, creators and listeners alike.�