Top Radio News

Westwood One Hires Nick Fox as Country PD 24/7 Formats

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, November 21, 2019

Nick Fox

Westwood One hires Nick Fox as Country Program Director for the network's 24/7 Formats based in Denver. He joins Westwood One from Pensacola, FL where he was Program Director and midday personality for Cumulus Media's Country WXBM-FM and afternoon personality on AC WMEZ-FM. Fox has also worked in Saga's WVVR-FM and WCVQ-FM/Clarksville, TN and WABD/Mobile, which carried Westwood One's 24/7 AC programming.

"We're very excited to welcome Nick Fox to the Westwood One 24/7 Formats family," said VP/GM Network Formats George King. "Nick brings a unique set of qualities and experiences to the network. His programming, technical and creative skills will be an excellent addition to our team."

Fox added, "I am honored to join George King, and the rest of the Westwood One 24/7 Formats team. My heart belongs to country music and I'm ready to contribute to their already successful business."

Senator Blackburn, Representative Nadler Introduce AM-FM Act

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, November 21, 2019

U.S. Congress

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduces the Ask Musicians for Music Act (AM-FM) to modify existing copyright law for radio stations and musicians. In a release, Blackburn said, "The AM-FM Act will reward singers, songwriters and musicians for their hard work when their music is played on the radio." She added, the act would "end unfair practices harming the music market, and empower copyright owners with new consent rights while providing exceptions for small and noncommercial stations."

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. "The United States is an outlier in the world for not requiring broadcast radio to pay artists when playing their music, while requiring satellite and internet radio to pay," said Chairman Nadler. "This is unfair to both artists and music providers."

In response, NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith said, "NAB opposes the AM-FM Act, which could decimate the economics of America's hometown radio stations that have launched the careers of countless musicians and exposed legacy artists to a new generation of listeners.

"We're pleased that a bipartisan group of 201 House members and 25 U.S. Senators recognize this potential harm and have cosponsored the Local Radio Freedom Act, a resolution opposing any new performance fee on local radio.

"NAB's door remains open to work with the record labels to find a holistic solution to this issue that reflects the enduring value to artists and labels of local radio to our hundred of millions of terrestrial and digital listeners. Unfortunately, the record labels have shown little interest in having those discussions."

AWM Honors Six Female Leaders at Gracies Leadership Awards

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Gracies

The Alliance for Women in Media (AWM) hosted the annual Gracies Leadership Awards luncheon on Thursday to a capacity crowd at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Keynote speaker Elizabeth Smart shared her story of overcoming the trauma of her 9-month abduction, at the age of fourteen. Smart told the audience, "I don't think that you are made by what happens to you. I think you are made by the choices you make after things happen to you." She ended the speech, saying, "As I move forward with my life, I am dedicated to preventing what happened to me from happening to anyone else and continuing to empower women, and girls of all ages, as much as I can."

Six female leaders in media were honored at the event, along with the Inaugural AWM Legacy Leadership recipient, Chickie Bucco. Highlights from their speeches include:

Cumulus Media President/CEO Mary Berner
She shared how she watched more and more females rise to the top in the magazine industry but said there is still work to be done in radio. Berner shared a quote by Maya Angelou, saying, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." She continued by saying, "At Cumulus, we know better, and we are working hard to do better."

Entercom Communications COO Weezie Kramer
"Looking back on moments in my career, the times that I was able to help others find their super powers or help them achieve their ambitions, whatever that ambition may be, those are the moments that give me the greatest joy."

Univision Communications CCO Rosemary Mercedes
"It's so easy to get caught up on headlines of the day - the ‘Me Toos' and the statistics, which are not as great as they should be. But, when you expand your view and think about the century and where we were in 1901 to where we are today, it is such a wonderful time to be a woman. I know there's work to be done, but it's a great time to be a woman today."

TV One General Manager Michelle Rice
In her acceptance speech, Rice said, "So many times I have been the first - the first woman, the first person of color, the first woman of color. Maybe you have been the first. Be fearless. Your fearlessness will ensure that you will certainly not be the last."

Crown Media Family Networks EVP/Programming Michelle Vicary
"In the last few years, our industry has undergone a seismic shift. Women are more empowered than ever before, and this is in large part because other women stepped up and paved the way. I have personally had so many female mentors that have helped me along the way."

E.W. Scripps VP/Employment and Chief Diversity Officer Danyelle Wright
Company, began her speech recalling her mother telling her from a young age that she should become a lawyer. She shared, "One particular word comes to mind when I think of why I do what I do - calling. My calling is to help people, to carry other people's burdens, to stand in the gap, resolve problems, take the hits, and make things just a little better, even when it's tough on me. That's why I do what I do."

Chickie Bucco, upon accepting the Inaugural AWM Legacy Leadership Award
"When I started, it was really the Mad Men days." She continued, saying, "The people that I worked with and the people that I worked for were wonderful to me."

"This is a really important event because what it does is really our three pillars - it's recognition, it's education and it's connection," said AWM Executive Director Becky Brooks. "What a gift we have that our education is Elizabeth Smart as a keynote speaker."

WMGF (Magic 107.7)/Orlando Flips to Non-stop Holiday Music

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, November 21, 2019

WMGF-FM

iHeartMedia/Orlando flips AC WMGF-FM (Magic 107.7) to "Orlando's Christmas Station," playing non-stop holiday music. The station will air around-the-clock festive music by Bing Crosby, Michael Buble and Andy Williams, among others through Christmas Day. Air personalities Chad & Leslye, Jana, Brian Grimes and Jenny Castillo will continue to host the station's programming.

"Magic 107.7's yearly flip to Christmas music has become a staple in the Orlando community for years and are so thrilled that Central Florida Community Art's caroling choir joined us for the station flip," said Magic 107.7 Orlando Program Director Brian Mack. "It's a tradition we look forward to this year and many years to come."

SiriusXM Inks Dave LaGreca to New Multi-Year Contract

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, November 21, 2019

Dave LaGreca

SiriusXM's Dave LaGreca has signed a new multi-year contract to continue as the lead host on its pro wrestling show, "Busted Open." LaGreca is the original host of the program, which debuted on SiriusXM in 2009 as a part-time show and now airs live three hours a day, six days a week. LaGreca presided over "Busted Open"'s 10th anniversary celebration earlier this year.

LaGreca hosts the show every weekday (9am-noon ET) alongside wrestling legends Bully Ray, Mark Henry and Tommy Dreamer on the SiriusXM Fight Nation channel. Select content from Busted Open also airs as a podcast on Pandora. The SiriusXM Fight Nation channel features a lineup of shows covering the latest news and events in boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling.

Edison Research Launches "Podcast Consumer Tracker" Report

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Edison Research has delivered to clients the first and only comprehensive measure of the comparative reach of America's top podcast networks, the Podcast Consumer Tracker. Edison has been studying this rapidly evolving medium since 2006, and the Podcast Consumer Tracker represents the first successful endeavor to present a unified look at audience information at the publisher/network level.

The report also contains competitive intelligence, audience demographics, and sales targeting information for podcast publishers and networks. It currently has 10 charter subscribers, including NPR, PodcastOne, Wondery, ESPN, WarnerMedia, and other significant publishing and agency partners. Comparative rankings of publisher networks are available only to subscribers.

Among the findings of the first report:

• The Joe Rogan Experience is the leading podcast in terms of reach amongst weekly podcast consumers.
• There are significant content consumption differences between iPhone and Android users, rendering "Top Podcast" charts derived exclusively from users of either to be unrepresentative of total listening behavior.
• While the study tracks the relative reach of the top podcast networks, 54% of weekly podcast consumers have listened to an unaffiliated, independent podcast in the last week.

"This is the first study in the podcast space to tackle a universal measure of reach," notes Edison SVP Tom Webster. "There are, of course, various charts of downloads that cover parts of the overall universe, but those either reflect only a portion of the podcast audience, or they only measure publishers that opt-in. The Podcast Consumer Tracker's goal is a truly inclusive measure of the comparative penetration of the leading publishers and networks. In that, we have been highly successful."

In addition to network reach statistics, the study also provides the only nationally representative look at the purchasing and consumption patterns of podcast listeners, content preferences, and advertising targeting information across a broad array of consumer goods and services.

Entercom Names Rachel Williamson Chicago Market Manager

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Rachel Williamson

Cox Media Group's Gamut President/GM Rachel Williamson is appointed Regional President for Entercom's cluster in Milwaukee and Madison, as well as Market Manager for Chicago, beginning in 2020. She succeeds Jimmy de Castro, who is retiring. Previously, Williamson served as CMG's Director of Digital Revenue Development. Before joining Cox Media, she was the Director of National Sales at Cumulus Radio. Additionally, Williamson oversaw national and network digital sales as the Digital Specialist for the Midwest.

Williamson's other career highlights include six years with CMG as a Senior Account Executive and Sales Manager at its previously-owned Louisville stations and as a Senior Account Executive at Cox Digital Solutions (now known as Gamut) in New York. She also has held positions with Arbitron/Nielsen covering Radio Sales in the Midwest, Hubbard Broadcasting Chicago, and Forever Communications.

Concurrently, Entercom Los Angeles elevates Senior VP/Market Manager Jeff Federman to Regional President for Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside. He had been handling the duties for over a year and now the company has made it official. He joined then CBS Radio in January, 2004 from crosstown Emmis where he was VP/Director of Sales for KPWR-FM and KZLA-FM for almost five years. Federman also worked as Sales Manager for KBIG-FM and KLAC-AM in Los Angeles (1996-99). Prior to that, he was Director, Sales & Marketing for KROQ-FM (1995).

Erika Pulley-Hayes Named President/CEO of WMFE and WMFV

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Erika Pulley-Hayes

The board of trustees of non-commercial News/Talk WMFE/Orlando and WMFV/Gainesville-Ocala FL appoints Corporation for Public Broadcasting VP/Radio Erika Pulley-Hayes as President and CEO, effective January 13. She succeeds Lafontaine E. Oliver, who departed in July to lead NPR member station WYPR/Baltimore.

"WMFE-WMFV provides an important service to Central Florida, and this is an incredible opportunity to build upon the quality journalism and programming this organization delivers to the community," said Pulley-Hayes. "I am very excited to join this team and continue working to enhance the local service that engages audiences across platforms."

"We are excited to welcome Erika Pulley-Hayes to Central Florida," added WMFE-WMFV board chair Anne E. Kelley. "She is uniquely positioned to continue her record of driving innovation, now on the local level, and to further our stations' mission to engage new communities, both on our terrestrial airwaves as well as our growing number of digital platforms."

Pulley-Hayes had served as VP at Washington, DC-based Corporation for Public Broadcasting since 2005. She began her career as a legal assistant at a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company. She later managed legal operations of a small clinical research organization in Virginia.

Robyn Simone Exits WLXC/Columbia SC as Program Director

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Robyn Simone

Veteran radio programmer Robyn Simone exits as Program Director of Urban AC WLXC-FM (KISS 103.1) Columbia, SC, after a year in the post. Her previous 16-year broadcasting career includes ten years with Radio One (Urban One) Cleveland as Assistant Program Director and air personality at Urban AC WZAK and an air talent at Urban WENZ. She also worked at Radio One in Detroit.

Simone commented, "Working at Cumulus Media in Columbia, SC was a challenge, but I gained a lot of knowledge in my short time there. As the Program Director/air talent for Kiss 103.1, I'm a stronger and more knowledgeable PD because the experience. I would like to thank John Dimick and VP/Urban Programming Kenny Smoov for the opportunity and their commitment to set new standards for urban radio."

Reach Simone at Robynsimone1079@gmail.com.

Concentration of Force Unlocks Your Power

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Tracy Johnson

For those who subscribe to Sun Tzu's The Art of War, this will be familiar. Tzu was an ancient Chinese general and military strategist. His philosophies on fighting wars became a marketing playbook for many brands. One of his principles of war is to focus an attack on a narrow, defined target. It's called Concentration of Force. This concept does not imply gathering massive, overwhelming reinforcements. Rather, it's directing all available assets to at one point in a focused attack.

Advertising guru Roy Williams (The Wizard of Ads) explains how it applies to marketing: "One of the most common mistakes in advertising is to spread your ad budget across several different media so that you don't leave anyone out. But persuasion - in most instances - requires repetition and familiarity. Would you rather reach 100% of the people and convince them 10% of the way, or reach 10% of the people and convince them 100% of the way? Don't spread your money too thinly by chasing the unicorn of "media mix."

This is important on many levels. Let's unpack it with an object lesson.

Concentration Of Force Demonstrated

I was first introduced to the idea by one of my mentors, Alan Burns. Alan is a student of Learning Theory, and how it applies to influencing radio listener behavior. I've shared this simple object lesson with hundreds of clients.

Concentration of Force can be demonstrated as follows:

1. Stretch an ordinary sheet of paper tightly between both hands in front of you.This paper represents the audience's level of awareness. In order to impact listeners, a message must cut through this sheet of paper to get into their minds. It seems like it should be easy to punch through that thin sheet of paper. But is it?
2. Have someone place the palm of their hand in the center of the paper. The five fingers in the center of the paper represents five different marketing messages a brand may be trying to "teach" a listener. No matter how hard a partner presses on the center of the paper, they will not be able to penetrate the single sheet of paper.
3. Now demonstrate Concentration of Force. Ask them place one finger on the sheet of paper, and apply just a little pressure. They cut through immediately.

The lesson: It's only possible to teach listeners one thing at a time. Then, and only then, can we introduce another concept. It's the fastest way to build a meaningful brand as a station, a radio show or a personality.

Teach The Radio Audience It would be great to perform a show, demonstrate personality, talents and abilities, and wait for the audience to discover the magic. Sorry, it hardly ever works like that. Personalities (and station brands) would be better served investing all time and resources on a single key message. Perfect it and become known for that thing. When the audience learns that one thing, teach them something new. Concentrating resources means having a keen focus on doing fewer things well. Resolve to only be active if we make an impact. This will allow you to think bigger and plan further in advance.

Imagine a new idea for an on-air feature. Based on learning theory and Concentration of Force, what strategy will have greater impact? This is where the hand-wringing begins. How often should that new feature be scheduled? Daily? Weekly? Once in awhile? Most of the time, program directors and personalities go with what feels right. Or what seems logical. But science provides a better plan.

Concentration of Force And Learning Theory

Most stations and radio shows create too much content, cluttering the station with multiple brand messages and benefits. As a result, they never connect with the audience because they spread their force across too many areas. Building a successful brand happens in stages. But we want overnight success. Trying to rush into listener hearts and minds usually produces an opposite, and often negative, effect. Nothing sticks.

Consider how children learn. It's impossible to teach a young child algebra. They must first learn to multiply and divide. And before that, they must learn to add and subtract. Of course, they can't do that until they understand how numbers relate. But they won't grasp that concept until they learn to count. Understanding happens in stages.

They learn those math concepts requires repetition. Teaching children addition with flash cards seems like an endless exercise in frustration. Card after card produces a blank expression. Until suddenly, one day, it all clicks. They get it. And you're wondering how that happened. It was repetitive exposure to the cards.

Social psychologists have proven it takes 12 exposures to content for a respondent to be able to recognize it well enough to have a response. Twelve exposures! Now factor in listening levels much lower than you think. Then consider that most listeners use the radio in the background. How long does it take for a contest, game, promotion or feature to become famous? Much longer than we think.

Learning Theory and Programming Features

Now imagine a variety of contests, promotions, features or games on the air. Maybe there are five games rotating on a morning show, each airing once a week. How long does it take to get traction?

• Fans who tune in every single day figure it out in 12 weeks... if they happen to tune in at the right time. But you know most P1 listeners tune in only 2 days per week. Yes, you read that right. Your fans tune in 2 days per week.
• Fans tuning in 3 days per week (above average) learn it in about 17 weeks... again, if they catch you in the right quarter hours every time.
• If they tune in 2 days per week (the P1 average), it takes almost 20 weeks.

Note that this is assuming the game is played at the same time, as listeners tend to be habitual, pattern listeners. Rotate the game through different quarter hours, and it's unlikely the game will ever become familiar enough to become popular.

The Mind Clutter Effect

Add to that the mind clutter of managing so many different elements. The competition for attention adds another barrier to listener understanding. That's why stations should grow their brand one element at a time. Put it in place, establish it, promote it and become known for it. Then add something new. You may argue that a show becomes redundant by scheduling the same features at the same time every day. That's a valid point only if the feature isn't good. That's another reason to be selective.

If it's really a hit, it's hard to burn it out. One client has been running a benchmark feature four times each morning for more than 14 years. It's the strongest, most identifiable part of the show. After 14 years, it's just now starting to show fatigue in listener research. The point: Worry about burn in, not burn out. Great features can run for years. If and when fatigue sets in, start a new feature!

Conclusion

A friend of mine is a personal trainer. Every time a new client comes in for a first time consultation, they are asked what they want to achieve. Usually, the client wants to lose a few pounds, firm their legs or butt or just "look better". The trainer listens, then ignores what the client says they want. He puts them on a program to train the core muscle group first. The first few weeks are spent exclusively on working the abs and deep core muscles.

Why? To be effective in reaching their desired results, they must first build a foundation, one step at a time. Concentration of Force leads to faster progress. Concentration of Force is a real thing. If you watch for it, you'll see it everywhere. Don't you think it's time to apply it to your radio show?

This article is a special Radio Online contribution from Tracy Johnson, CEO, President of Tracy Johnson Media Group

Popcorn Psychology Podcast Joins Spreaker's Bloom Program

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The podcast Popcorn Psychology has officially joined Spreaker's Bloom Program. Hosted by three licensed therapists: Ben Stover, M.A., L.C.P.C., Hannah Espinoza, M.A., L.C.P.C., and Brittney Brownfield, M.S., L.C.P.C., Popcorn Psychology breaks down and analyzes popular movies and characters from the perspectives of a child, individual, and marriage and family therapist.

With the goal of decreasing the stigma of mental health and therapy, the show launched in April 2018 as a result of the hosts being shocked by the public's reaction to "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

"We were astonished that people didn't like the movie because of the portrayal of Luke Skywalker. As therapists, his character made so much sense to us based on symptoms of PTSD," said Hannah Espinoza, co-host and co-creator of Popcorn Psychology. "We couldn't stop talking about how accurately the character was portrayed in terms of mental health, so Ben - who has a DJ background - had the brilliant idea to start a podcast."

In the year and a half since their debut, they've release nearly forty episodes with their unique perspective on some of the most beloved and iconic movies from the U.S.

Study Finds Radio Drives First Time Customers to Websites

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, November 19, 2019

iHeartMedia

LeadsRx, a marketing attribution software company and iHeartMedia conducted a large attribution study to help advertisers in the auto industry drive more shoppers to businesses. The findings were shared Tuesday during the "Turbocharge Your Radio Spots. The Top 5 Attribution Secrets Discovered From Over 300 Automotive Advertisers" workshop at the Automotive Analytics & Attribution Summit in Palm Beach, FL.

In 2018, the automotive industry accounted for $1.2 trillion in motor vehicle sales and parts sales in the U.S. The study upends common advertising misconceptions about the ways consumers shop online for cars and highlights radio's key role in driving immediate and measurable results for automotive businesses.

The study found that radio reaches new potential customers; the majority of radio attributable web traffic is from new customers who had never previously visited the site; endorsements drive two times the response and produces optimal results because radio is a companion; and the top factors for successful radio marketing are reach and frequency. In addition, the study uncovered several best practices in how to plan an effective automotive radio campaign leveraging dayparts, days of week, ad length and the number of radio stations included in the campaign.

"The iHeartMedia/LeadsRx study provides a great deal of insight and helps automotive advertisers to get the quantifiable results they need to develop the most effective advertising strategy," said iHeartMedia Executive VP/Automotive Business Development and Partnerships John Karpinski. "Importantly, the use of attribution upended several commonly held industry misconceptions as to what makes for a successful advertising campaign. We are now fully committed to marketing attribution to drive 100 percent of our automotive advertising business."

There are several misconceptions about the most effective media, days, time, advertisement length and advertising budget in regards to automotive ads. iHeartMedia/LeadsRx's study uncovered five important takeaways:

• Radio drives immediate web traffic response for automotive advertisers. Automotive advertisers earned an average 17 percent lift in web traffic attributable to radio marketing. In addition, the web traffic response is immediate - within 10 minutes of hearing a commercial.

• For optimal results, advertisers should air ads seven days per week versus just on specific days. Those who advertise seven days a week saw +90 percent greater results than those who advertised three to four days per week. Automotive advertisers running only in the second half of the week are missing out on the opportunity to capture online shoppers in the early portion of the week.

• Car shopping aligns with radio listening because car shopping is primarily a daytime activity, which is also when radio has its largest audience. The study found web traffic response to advertising is two times greater from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. than in evenings or overnight.

• The study found that automotive advertisers who found the best results used multiple ads of varying lengths. Campaigns with multiple ad lengths outperformed campaigns with single ad lengths by over two times. Advertisers seeking to build additional reach and frequency with a limited budget may see improved results by adding :05s and :15s ads to existing schedules, when the message applies.

• Overall, the most important determinant for a successful market campaign is reach and frequency - that is, the number of people who hear your ad, and the number of times they hear it. Running 10 commercials per day using a mix of ad lengths, dayparts, stations and days of the week can lead to a two times greater web traffic response rate.

"iHeartMedia is taking a leadership role in the broadcast industry by leveraging marketing attribution in strategic-level discussions with its advertisers," said LeadsRx CEO AJ Brown. "The goal of any attribution study is to demonstrate how to make campaigns more effective and this study confirms that advanced attribution helps automotive businesses to plan, measure and evaluate their advertising."

To receive the complete iHeartMedia/LeadsRx marketing attribution study "Five Secrets for Automotive Advertisers" please visit https://leadsrx.com/automotive-study to download a copy.

Granum Communications President/CEO Herb McCord Dies

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Herb McCord

Sad to report that Granum Communications President/CEO Herb McCord has died. He was 77 and had suffered from heart and kidney issues over the past year. McCord, who co-founded Granum in 1990, received the Ward L. Quaal Leadership Award from the Broadcasters Foundation of America in 2015 for his management of the company. Before launching Granum, McCord served as VP/Radio at Greater Media for ten years.

In an e-mail sent Tuesday, former HD Radio Alliance Corporate Affairs President Peter Ferrara, who was also a founding partner and COO at Granum, said, "It is with great sadness that I tell you Herb passed away early this morning. He had been struggling with serious health issues recently and had been going downhill steadily the past year. His son, Michael, was with him as he died peacefully under the care of Hospice."

Beasley Media CEO Caroline Beasley said McCord was a "thoughtful and treasured leader in the radio industry, he joined our board in 2001 and played an important role in shaping the company's success. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. He will be greatly missed."

Radio Reaches 90% of Adults Leading Up to Thanksgiving

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Westwood One

Westwood One's latest blog looks at ways both brick and mortar and e-commerce retailers can capture consumer attention ahead of the holidays. With the National Retail Federation projecting a +4% increase in spending per consumer during this year's holiday shopping, advertisers have the opportunity to generate impressive sales using broadcast radio.

Radio advertising drives retail results with consumer reach
According to Nielsen, 90% of adults 25-54 are reached by AM/FM radio in the week leading up to Thanksgiving. 91% of adults 25-54 are reached the week of Christmas, making it the prime advertising vehicle for reaching shoppers trying to find last minute gifts.

Radio reaches consumers on the path to purchase
When consumers are in their cars, 88% of ad-supported audio time spent goes to AM/FM radio, according to Edison Research's latest Q3 2019 Share of Ear. Shoppers hear AM/FM radio commercials that influence the stores they visit and brands they buy.

AM/FM radio drives store traffic
A recent study from the Radio Advertising Bureau and Dial Report shows that across categories, there was substantial store traffic lift among those who were exposed to AM/FM radio campaigns. Home improvement retailers saw a 7% lift in store traffic. Quick service restaurants, lunchtime and dinner destinations for hungry shoppers needing to refuel, saw a 23% lift. Beauty retailers and car dealers saw the greatest lift of 32% each.

Radio delivers digital impact for e-commerce retailers
Three digital case studies prove AM/FM radio increases site traffic, is effective at converting awareness into digital purchases, and drives significant website visitation.

AM/FM radio has a proven track record for retail
According to multiple Nielsen return on advertising investment studies, AM/FM radio generates an average of $16 of retail sales for every $1 of radio advertising.

iHM/Connecticut Names Vanessa Wojtusiak VP of Marketing

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Vanessa Wojtusiak

iHeartMedia appoints Vanessa Wojtusiak as Vice President of Marketing for its clusters in Hartford and New Haven, CT, effective immediately. She joins iHM/Connecticut from Nexstar-owned ABC affiliate WTNH-TV where she most recently served as the director of audience development and executive digital producer. Wojtusiak has also served as the national director of social marketing for iHeartRadio, an online marketing manager for WHTZ-FM (Z100)/New York and the marketing assistant for WXKS-FM (Kiss 108)/Boston.

"Vanessa started her love for media right here at iHeartMedia Connecticut and we are so pleased that her career has brought her full circle and back home," said iHeartMedia Hartford Region President Steve Honeycomb. "Her experience and continued spiritedness for our products will be a tremendous asset as she leads our marketing efforts here in Hartford and New Haven."

"I am thrilled to be back home where I started my entire media career 18-years ago," added Wojtusiak. "Radio has been my longstanding passion and a medium that still has a meaningful and powerful presence in local communities - holding a special place in my heart. I can't wait to keep elevating the iconic local brands alongside a very talented team."

Wojtusiak has also previously held marketing positions throughout her career for various companies, including Boston's WBCN-FM as well as Capitol Music Group and Virgin Records. She began her career at iHeartMedia Connecticut and is a graduate of Lasell College.

RADIO.COM Local News Content Integrates w/Google Assistant

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, November 19, 2019

RADIO.COM

Entercom is bringing its local news audio content to "Your News Update," news listening hosted by Google Assistant. Through the partnership, local content from RADIO.COM's News outlets will be featured as part of the "Your News Update" platform. These include WINS-AM & WCBS-AM/New York, KNX-AM/Los Angeles, WBBM-AM/Chicago, KRLD-AM/Dallas, WWJ-AM/Detroit, KYW-AM/Philadelphia, KCBS-AM/San Francisco and KMOX-AM/St. Louis.

"Your News Update" showcases a mix of short news stories chosen in that moment based on users' interests, location, history and preferences, as well as the top news stories from around the world including those from Associated Press, FOX News, Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter, among others.

"We are excited to be a partner with Google Assistant on the launch of the Your News Update platform," said Entercom VP/Corporate Business Development David Rosenbloom. "We are the unrivaled #1 radio news platform with award-wining content, and the integration with Google Assistant will make it easier than ever for listeners to hear the premium audio content that they expect from us wherever and whenever they want it."

NAB Launches ''Broadcast Essentials'' Education Program

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, November 19, 2019

NAB

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is introducing "Broadcast Essentials," a new online educational program for radio and television stations designed to help new station employees in small and medium markets navigate the industry with the knowledge, tools and resources needed to succeed. The first edition, "Radio Employee Onboarding Suite," is available now and complements employee initiation programs with crucial information for new radio station hires, including:

• A primer on radio station licenses and content delivery methods
• A typical radio station's organizational chart
• Information on content and revenue streams
• An introduction to how commercials are created, scheduled and aired
• Details on radio's role in the local community and economy

"Navigating the broadcast business can be intimidating for first-time employees, with so many different industry terms, regulations and workflows," said NAB Executive VP/Industry Affairs Steve Newberry. "We are pleased to offer NAB members this complimentary new resource designed to equip new employees with information they need to succeed in their new roles."

Additional "Broadcast Essentials" educational programs are scheduled for release in the coming months and address a range of topics pertaining to radio and TV station operations. "Broadcast Essentials" is free for NAB members. Non-members can also purchase the series company-wide or per station/cluster.