News Briefs - Dec. 14, 2012

San Diego's 'Mighty 1090' Returns, Revamps. Sports Talk "XX 1090 AM" XEPRS-AM, San Diego, will return to its former "The Mighty 1090" identity with the return of Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray "BR" Smith after a ten-month absence. The duo will host 3-6pm afternoons beginning December 17. Kaplan and Smith will continue their morning TV show and their Union Tribune column. Says VP and Market Manager Norm Feuer, "When I got here in September I was determined to build the best Sports Talk station possible. The moves we announce today are the culmination of that determination which started with our announcement of a three-year Padres renewal. Scott and BR's 12-year heritage as a must listen to program was at the top of my list." Feuer also announced that the syndicated Jim Rome will join 1090 AM on January 2. Rome is changing networks in 2013, and will air exclusively on XEPRS-AM. "Jim Rome has been the highest rated network personality in this town for nearly a generation," says Feuer, "and he's now going to be part of our superstar line-up." Also joining the new lineup will be current personalities Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton, who will move to 6-9am mornings for the first time and Darren Smith who will move into the 12noon-3pm shift. Also in the new lineup will be Coach John Kentera hosting 6-9pm.

Alan Furst Named Program Director for Houston 'News 92 FM'. Alan Furst is named Program Director at Radio One's "News 92 FM" KROI-FM, Houston. Furst, who officially starts January 7, is the station's first PD. Since "News 92 FM" started just over a year ago, programming responsibilities have been covered by consultant Ed Shane in conjunction with with Radio One's corporate programming staff. Radio One RVP Doug Abernathy, Market Manager for the company's stations in Houston and Dallas, makes the announcement that Furst, a former consultant for Shane Media, who has more than 20 years in Texas radio markets, will be KROI-FM's first PD. "Alan is exactly the programming pro we've been looking for. He's got the talent, the drive, the enthusiasm, and, most importantly, a track record of success. He knows the market, he knows the format, and we are confident Alan can deliver big results." Furst tells us, "I'm thrilled to return to Houston and join News 92 FM. Radio One has put together a great team and the energy in the building is electric. We're going to build something very big and very special that will become a force in the nation’s fourth largest city."

Chio Resigns from 'Wired 96.5' Philadelphia. Beasley "Wired 96.5" WRDW-FM, Philadelphia, morning host Chio.announces his resignation. The announcement was made on-air Friday morning. Chio has been part of the "Chio, Shila and Tingle in the Morning Show." Shila and Tingle will remain in mornings. Beasley Philadelphia VP and General Manager Natalie Conner says, "We appreciate the contributions Chio has made to Wired 96.5, our listeners and to the Philadelphia community while a member of the Wired 96.5 on-air staff, and we all wish him the very best in the next phase of his successful career."

Detroit's '89X' Promotes Jay Hudson to Program Director. Bell Media Detroit-Windsor Ontario Canada names Jay Hudson as Program Director of Alternative "89X" CIMX-FM. Hudson has been the station's Music Director and evening host for the past six years. He will now move into the 3-7pm shift, formerly held by Cal Cagno, who will take over mornings on "89X" alongside new morning host Rusty Thomson. VP and General Manager Eric Proksch made the announcement of Hudson's promotion. Hudson tell us, "I have to thank Bell Media and GM Eric Proksch for believing in me and allowing me to have this opportunity. I'm very fortunate to have a strong team around me that loves to win as much as I do, and I’m eager to help keep moving the station forward."

ESPN Deportes New York to Air 2013 Mets Games. The New York Mets and "ESPN Deportes 1050 AM" WEPN-AM, New York, announce that the new Spanish Sports Talk station will broadcast Mets games in Spanish for the 2013 season. Under the agreement, WEPN-AM will broadcast 150 regular season games, including select spring training and postseason. Coverage will also include pre-game and post-game shows. "We are thrilled to launch our new partnership with ESPN Deportes, which has become a destination station for Hispanic sports fans in New York," says New York Mets EVP of Business Operations Dave Howard. "Through ESPN Deportes, we look forward to building our connection with Spanish-speaking fans." WEPN-AM VP and General Manager David Roberts adds, "Our commitment to serving the Hispanic sports fan is a top priority for our company. We are delighted to join forces with the Mets organization for this comprehensive and wide reaching opportunity."

Clear Channel Tampa Names Fernando Bauermeister GSM. Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Tampa names Fernando Bauermeister as General Sales Manager, effective January 1, responsible for all sales operations and partnerships for CHR-Top40 WFLZ-FM, "98 Rock" WXTB-FM and Urban "95.7 The Beat" WBTP-FM. Bauermeister will join Clear Channel Tampa from Clear Channel Orlando, where he's currently the GSM for Hispanic WRUM-FM, that he helped launch in 2005, and assembled "a winning sales team that last year took the station to the No. 2 local billing position." He's been in the radio industry for more than 20 years, with past experience including on-air, morning show producer, Account Executive, LSM and GSM. "I'm very excited to join the Clear Channel Tampa team," says Bauermeister. "They have outstanding radio stations and assets that I'm looking forward to leveraging for our advertisers and partners." Tampa President and Market Manager Sam Nein tells MHBC News, "We are very excited to have Fernando join our Sales Management team at Clear Channel Tampa. He has a very strong track record of performing at a very high level. He is a proven leader and we are confident he will be a great addition to our already strong team here in Tampa."

Tuna for Breakfast? No, not tuna fish – Top 40 legend Charlie Tuna who will be heard in mornings at KYNO-AM, Fresno, starting Monday (Dec. 17). KYNO-AM flipped from Talk to Classic Rock last month and has been running jockless. Tuna, whose program is voice-tracked from his home in Los Angeles, says that KYNO-AM will offer "the syndicated show I do that runs five hours. They will be airing three hours of the show. We put the show together here, but it’s customized for every station with their call letters. The show sounds really local. And because we deliver the show the night before, it’s very topical."

TargetSpot Partners with AdsWizz. TargetSpot partners with AdsWizz, a provider of digital audio technologies, to connect to the TargetSpot advertising network. TargetSpot will enable AdsWizz partners to seamlessly connect to the TargetSpot advertising network. The new properties joining the network include digital pureplay and streamed AM/FM radio groups at both the major metro and regional level, including 1.FM, Hall Communications and Rich Broadcasting. "TargetSpot's research shows the value of targeted advertising to the Digital Audio listener," says TargetSpot CEO Eyal Goldwerger. "We are excited to expand our Network through our partnership with AdsWizz and offer our advertisers greater reach across more premium properties." AdsWizz President Alexis van de Wyer, meanwhile, tells us that "Publishers choosing AdsWizz technology have increasing expectations. They want to optimize both the monetization of their streams and the quality of their listener experience. I'm excited about the ramp up of this partnership as it combines the strength of the TargetSpot advertising network with AdsWizz technology to best serve our joint customers."