Tuesday's Radio & Media News - September 3, 2013

Clear Channel Dallas Names Deidre Richter Market President Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Dallas names former Microsoft exec Deidre Richter as Market President, effective immediately. Richter will report to CCME Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio SVP of Operations Kelly Kibler Owens. As Market President, Richter will oversee the market's overall operations including programming and sales for the six-station cluster. "She will leverage Clear Channel Dallas brands, audience and all assets to provide quality programming and create new revenue opportunities from within the market," says the announcement. Richter will also oversee all station activities and events to help drive sales and achieve revenue targets. "This is a tremendous opportunity to leverage Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Dallas' unprecedented reach, vibrant personalities and ability to activate locally to deliver the most effective campaigns for our advertisers and partners," said Richter. "This is an exciting time at Clear Channel and for the incredible stations in Dallas Fort Worth. I cannot wait to get started working with the outstanding Dallas team." Says Owens, "Deidre has a proven track record of leading sales teams and organizations to success. I'm confident she will be a great leader for Clear Channel Dallas taking the market to the next level of high performance." Richter most recently was Senior Regional Sales Director at Microsoft Corporation, where she managed the company's advertising sales to other brands across a four-state region. Richter had been with Microsoft since 2000, with previous roles as a Vertical Sales Manager for Retail and Senior Account Executive. Atlanta's '790 The Zone' Launching New Morning Show Lincoln Financial Media Sports Talk "790 The Zone" WQXI-AM, Atlanta, announces that "The Locker Room with Alge Crumpler and JP Peterson" will debut for 6-10am mornings, September 5. Crumpler, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, spent 10 years in the NFL, including seven seasons as tight end for the Falcons. He has also served as an analyst for "790 The Zone" and a co-host for Falcons game day programs on WGCL-TV and WAGA-TV. Peterson is from Tampa, where he spent the past 16 years in sports radio and television. He also anchored and handled sideline work for WFLA-TV's pre-season Bucs coverage and pre-game shows as well as field reporting for NBC's "Football Night in America," as well as hosting the Rays' "Inside Pitch" and "Extra Innings" radio shows. "We are excited to launch Locker Room," says WQXI-AM Program Director Bob Richards. "The years of insight and experience Alge and JP bring to the table, coupled with a revamped program format, will help set the tone each morning for how listeners digest the world of sports and set the pace for how topics resonate throughout the day." We're told that regular guests on "Locker Room" will include Atlanta Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff, Head Coach Mike Smith, college football experts Tony Barnhart and Pat Forde, and Fox Sports NFL analyst Brian Billick, who won Super Bowl XXXV as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. The new "Zone" morning show replaces "Mayhem in the AM" which was ousted in June when LFM fired hosts Steve "Steak" Shapiro, Chris Dimino and Nick Cellini. They had aired a bit where Cellini played a computerized voice of former New Orleans Saints football player Steve Gleason, who has degenerative ALS. People who heard the bit considered it tasteless and within hours, the trio had lost their jobs. Bloomingdale's iHearts Great Britain, Partners with Clear Channel Through a unique partnership with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, Bloomingdale's will share its love for British rock and pop culture through a custom "UK Rocks" station on iHeartRadio, Clear Channel's digital radio service, featuring hand-selected music from the UK. "iHeartRadio.com will also feature video vignettes that capture the impact that Great Britain has had on fashion, music and pop culture via exclusive interviews with Alasdhair Willis of Hunter, Christopher Bailey of Burberry, singer/songwriter Emile Sande, singer/songwriter Jake Bugg, John Varvatos, historian/author Mark Lewisohn, Ray Kelvin of Ted Baker, singer/songwriter Rita Ora, Sir Paul Smith of Paul Smith," says a Bloomingdale's news release. Headlined "Bloomingdale's Loves Great Britain," the release announces, "Bloomingdale's collaborates with iconic British brands to create exclusive merchandise for him, her, children, and the home." The partnership with CCME will culminate with "intimate performances" by Emile Sande and Jake Bugg on October 10, and Rita Ora on October 17 at the iHeartRadio Theater in New York City, "celebrating all things British." Beasley Broadcast Group Closes on KVGS-FM/Las Vegas Beasley Broadcast Group has completed the previously announced acquisition of Adult Variety Hits "Bob FM 107.9" KVGS-FM, Las Vegas, from cousin GGB Las Vegas. GGB Las Vegas is an entity formed by George Beasley, Chairman and CEO of Beasley Broadcast Group. "In May 2010, Beasley Broadcast entered into an agreement with GGB Las Vegas to provide management services to KVGS-FM and KOAS-FM and at the same time secured an option to purchase both stations," says the announcement. KOAS-FM was acquired by Beasley Broadcast in August 2012. Commenting on the acquisition, George Beasley, in his BBG role, tells us, "This purchase finalizes Beasley Broadcast Group's goal of securing the FM signals of KOAS and KVGS to expand our Las Vegas cluster. We could not be more pleased to own and operate four FM radio stations and one AM station-and air five distinctive brands in this dynamic market. Under the incredible leadership of Market Manager Tom Humm, our Las Vegas team of radio professionals is poised for success." Humm adds, "Beasley Broadcast Group's strategy to offer Las Vegas five diverse radio stations has come to fruition. KVGS-FM, KKLZ-FM, KOAS-FM, KCYE-FM and KDWN-AM will continue to provide over 1.5 million Las Vegas listeners the very best in entertainment, news, traffic, information and community service on a daily basis. Our local staff is proud of our Beasley heritage and looks forward to continuing to provide listeners with excellent programming and advertisers with great solutions for reaching consumers." Nielsen's Jonathan Carson Joins Vevo as CRO Online music video service Vevo names Jonathan Carson to the newly-created position of Chief Revenue Officer. He will be based in the company's New York City headquarters and report to President/CEO Rio Caraeff. Effective immediately, Carson "will oversee Vevo's global premium sales force and network of sales partners including all advertising sales and integrated sponsorships." Carson joins Vevo after six years with Nielsen "where he helped spearhead the company's digital transformation." Most recently CEO, Digital, "Carson led Nielsen's digital and mobile strategy and operations across more than 70 countries," says the Vevo announcement. "Jonathan has built his reputation as an entrepreneur and innovator," says Caraeff. "As Vevo continues to expand on new platforms and into more territories, Jonathan is the ideal person to join our team and accelerate the growth of our business. We are very lucky to have him." Says Carson, "I could not be more thrilled to join Vevo as Chief Revenue Officer. I spent the past six (wonderful) years at Nielsen, and walked away with some important learnings. Most important: Video is king. No media format matches the power of sight, sound and motion, both for consumers and for marketers. And in our world of media fragmentation, pretty much the only certainty is that video usage will continue to increase. But the video marketplace is in the early stages of a dramatic transformation. As the TV, online, and mobile video worlds collapse into one cohesive ecosystem, we will see massive changes. There will be winners and losers in that process, but it is hard to imagine a company that is better situated to capitalize on this transformation than Vevo." Before joining Nielsen, Carson was co-founder and CEO of BuzzMetrics, the social media intelligence company, which he sold to Nielsen in 2007. Prior to BuzzMetrics, Carson founded Intercities, Inc., an interactive development firm with clients including Intel, Disney, and National Institutes of Health. In 1995, Carson co-founded OuterSound.com, a pioneering and award-winning music industry website. Kim Carrigan Joins Barry Armstrong on WRKO-AM/Boston In Boston, Talk WRKO-AM's 10am-12noon "The Financial Exchange with Barry Armstrong" adds market TV anchor Kim Carrigan as co-host. Says WRKO Program Director Bill Cooksey, "Kim is easily one of the most recognized personalities in Boston; with her charm, wit and intelligence she makes a great program even better." The show will be renamed "The Financial Exchange with Barry Armstrong and Kim Carrigan." So what does Armstrong think about this? "Kim is a tremendous addition to our program. She brings intellect, a historical perspective, and a woman's point of view to topics that require constant attention and interpretation," says Armstrong. Carrigan tells us, "I'm so pleased to be part of an established, successful program like The Financial Exchange. I love that the show is a mix of business news and consumer information. There is something for everyone." Carrigan started her career as a News Anchor, Reporter and Producer for WHO-TV, KRCG-TV, KMIZ-TV, and KQTV-TV in St. Louis, Missouri, before having successful stints in Boston. An Emmy award winning television news anchor, Carrigan has been recognized with numerous other awards. It's 'The Truth' - Seattle Conservative Talker Celebrates 10 Years Bonneville's Conservative Talk "770 The Truth" KTTH-AM, Seattle, is celebrating ten years as the home of Rush, Hannity, Ramsey and Medved among others. The station is thanking listeners by airing "Ten Years Strong" -- a celebration of KTTH's 10-year anniversary. David Boze, Michael Medved, Sean Hannity and other KTTH-AM personalities will spotlight their favorite political leaders, movies and conservative moments of the past ten years. They'll also reflect on the role of conservative talk radio in a blue state. "AM 770 KTTH is going ten years strong because the best talk show hosts in America present values-driven conservative thought in a distinctly civil and intelligent way," says Program Director Jason Antebi. "We are so proud to be the exclusive Seattle home to David Boze, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Medved, Sean Hannity, Dave Ramsey and Clyde Lewis. Here's to another ten years!" Bonneville Seattle Media Group VP and General Manager Carl Gardner adds, "KTTH serves a listening audience which is remarkably committed. They care deeply about preserving the best of our traditional American values and ways of life. The passion of the listeners is what enables KTTH to be so successful." Nationally syndicated host Michael Medved says of his Seattle station, "The most important qualities in political talk are intelligence and passion. Passion without intelligence is crazy and destructive -- intelligence without passion, boring. Fortunately the lineup at AM 770 KTTH is consistently passionate as well as smart." DC's 'All News 99.1' Says Beep Beep (Times Two) Washington DC's "All News 99.1" WNEW-FM tells us they are doubling the number of traffic reports during the peak morning and evening rush hours, airing updates every five minutes during broadcasts hosted by Lisa Baden 7-10am and Julie Wright 4-7pm. In addition to the already established "Traffic and Weather Together on the 1's," commuters will hear "Beltway Fix on the Six" traffic reports at :06, :16, :26, :36, :46 and :56 past the hour. Program Director Robert Sanchez tells us, "Using the latest technology, coupled with our access to Total Traffic Network's cameras, allows us to provide our listeners with an unparalleled level of traffic reporting with up to the minute precision. Increasing our focus on traffic information during these critical hours means WNEW listeners will get updates several minutes before it's available anywhere else on the radio." The station notes that a recent TTI Urban Mobility Report listed Washington DC as the most congested urban area in the U.S., with yearly delays per auto commuter at 67 hours, burning an excess of 32 gallons of gas. Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio Active Rock "94.9 Z-Rock" KHTB-FM, Provo-Salt Lake City, flips to "Alt 94.9" with "Everything Alternative" ... Rock "105.5 The Bone" WXBN-FM, Winchester, Virginia, has flipped to Country with a simulcast of sister Country "Z104.9" WZFC-FM. "The Bone" says goodbye at www.RockTheBone.com ... Spanish Adult Variety Hits "Juan" is in, while News Talk is out at WINK-AM, Fort Myers, Florida. The call letters have been changed to WJUA-AM for the new format. "Juan" is also being simulcast on co-owned WNPL-AM, Naples, which had aired Spanish News Talk as "Noticias 1460" ... Classic Hits WGCO-FM, Savannah, flips to Classic Country as "98.3 Hank FM" positioning as "Playing Country Legends" ... Pittsburgh Public Media has brought back Jazz to the market with the launch of "Jazz 88.1" WYZR-FM, which, while licensed to Bethany, West Virginia, covers the Pittsburgh market, as well as Wheeling, WV, and Steubenville, Ohio. Pittsburgh hasn't had a station airing a Jazz format since the sale of WDUQ-FM which flipped to NPR News Talk as WESA-FM, two years ago ... Heidi West is named midday host at Classic Rock "Rock 102" WAQY-FM, Springfield, Massachusetts, starting, September 9.