Industry News

Instreamatic, known for its voice AI platform designed to manage, measure and monetize the “conversations between brand and consumer,” has successfully concluded a Series A funding fundraising effort.

Progress Ventures led the round, joined by Accomplice and Google Assistant Investments.

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The owner of a Class A FM radio station serving a rural portion of the Rocky Mountains has agreed to assign this property, along with its four FM translators, to one of Colorado’s largest non-commercial licensees.

To make it happen, this non-comm operator is trading an AM serving the city of Pueblo, along with its FM translator.

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In 1959, a 23-year-old up-and-coming disc jockey from Haverhill, Mass., took on the role of morning co-host for a legendary Top 40 radio station owned by Gordon McLendon serving North Texas. He’d go by the name “Irv Harrigan” — a name used by other air personalities over the next 25 years as part of other incarnations of the Charlie & Harrigan program.

This voice, however, would go on to a notable career at KVIL and, later, at KLUV before retiring in June 2005.

Now, the Radio industry has lost one of its most beloved air personalities for all time, as Ron Chapman has died. He was 85, the Dallas Morning News reports.

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On April 13, Univision Communications revealed that, after years of rumors, it had reached an agreement with Mexico media pioneer Televisa that will result in the combination of the two multimedia conglomerates.

To create the binational radio, TV and digital giant, investors were brought to the table. They include the SoftBank Latin America Fund, The Raine Group and Google, with a combined $1 billion infusion from these entities agreed to.

It appears Google’s involvement with what will become Televisa-Univision goes beyond a simple investment.

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As part of its efforts to improve diversity within the ranks of the communications and tech industries, the Federal Communications Commission has set April 28 for its diversity symposium and virtual fair.

The Tech and Communications Diversity Opportunity Symposium and Virtual Fair will be held online on Wednesday, April 28 from 12–6:45 p.m. EDT. The symposium and fair is designed to provide information, resources and support to diverse communications businesses including those focused on legacy communications industries — like radio, TV, cable and satellite — as well as  technology-oriented industries seeking business opportunities as vendors, suppliers or partners. The commission is particularly seeking to support small businesses, minority- and ethnic-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, LGBTQ-owned businesses and disabled-owned businesses.

[Read: New NAB Committee Will Address Diversity and Inclusion]

Two informative panels from 12–3:45 p.m. will kickstart the symposium. The first panel, Your Tax Dollars at Work: Government Programs and Initiatives, will feature a discussion with representatives from federal, state and local government agencies on financing and procurement opportunities and trends. This session will highlight diversity requirements and standards; training, education and consulting opportunities; as well as mentoring, incubation and apprenticeship programs.

The second panel, entitled For We Have Promises to Keep: Private Sector Programs and Initiatives, will include representatives from private sector companies that will discuss procurement opportunities and trends, new and updated funding sources, as well as discounted opportunities for diverse communications businesses.

The afternoon event will include a Virtual Fair from 4–6:45 p.m., which will feature one-on-one confidential consultations offering individualized advice on a number of strategies and initiatives including supplier and vendor tactics, financial support options and mentoring and incubation programs. The Virtual Fair is open to owners, managers and employees of diverse communications businesses.

The symposium is being co-sponsored by  the Media Bureau, the FCC’s Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE) and the ACDDE member Internet Association. Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel will welcome symposium participants while Edith McCloud, acting national director of the Minority Business Development Agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, will deliver keynote remarks.

The symposium will be presented as a Zoom webinar. More information and the full agenda can be found here.

The post FCC Online Event to Advance Diversity in Tech and Communications appeared first on Radio World.

The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), and the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) Group will conduct its 13th annual Rising Through the Ranks program as a virtual event.

The program will be split into five days and will be taking place each Tuesday of the month of August, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. CT beginning August 3, 2021. As in years past, BMI will offer 20 scholarships for this year’s program. These scholarships will cover the cost of the professional development course, which is designed to foster and educate current and emerging female radio managers within broadcast radio.

“BMI has been a proud supporter of ‘Rising Through the Ranks’ since its inception,” said Dan Spears, vice president, industry relations, BMI. “Working with our MIW and RAB partners over the years has shown how vital this initiative is in providing the future female leaders the tools they need to succeed in the radio industry. We look forward to when we can host the program at BMI’s Nashville office once again, but until then, we’re thrilled that it is back this year as a virtual event.”

“Once again, MIW is thrilled to participate in the Rising Through the Ranks program,” said Ruth Presslaff, board president of the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Group. “We meet so many women who are passionate about radio, and who continue to pay it forward by supporting the network they’ve built with each other, programs to help other women, as well as contributing to the industry with their strong performance. This event may be virtual, but the results will be real!”

“Rising Through the Ranks is a priceless opportunity for our scholarship recipients and we are excited to be bringing the event back this year,” noted Erica Farber, president and CEO, Radio Advertising Bureau. “With the tools and experience we’ve all had with virtual events, we know that this year’s program will be as engaging and inspiring as our in-person event.”

This year’s agenda and speaker lineup will be announced at a later date.

Scholarship applications and registration are available on www.rab.com and will be accepted April 26, through 6:00 p.m. CT on May 28, 2021. Scholarship recipients will be notified of their selection by the week of July 1, 2021. To find out more information, go to the RAB’s Rising Through the Ranks page here.

The latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Radio report is out, and it shows a big new entrant to the latest review of the top brands using AM and FM radio to reach consumers.

It’s a quick service restaurant chain, and it is the only one on the latest report.

And, it’s not the Golden Arches.

While McDonald’s has been an active user of broadcast media in recent months, it is Wendy’s that is alone in the QSR category in the latest report from iHeartMedia-owned Media Monitors.

It arrives with some 31,806 spot plays, landing Wendy’s at No. 9.

Meanwhile, Indeed rises to the top as Progressive continues its audio media dominance with the overachieving voiceover artist obsessed with the bulbous walrus.

The latest Media Monitors Spot Ten TV report is out, and it looks like a QSR that’s heating it up at spot radio is equally fond of reaching consumers via spot television.

It’s a key takeaway from a report that shows auto insurance giants dominating the top five.

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The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has selected the person who will be responsible for the development and implementation of “a multi-faceted communications and messaging strategy to advance awareness of public media and its value to American society.”

Taking the VP/Communications position is Brendan Daly.

“Brendan is a strategic communications leader with a proven ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders,” CPB Chief Operating Officer Michael Levy said. “His skill set and experience will be valuable assets as we look to increase communication across the public media system and with the American people.”

Daly is widely known for his nine years (2002-2011) as Communications Director for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Most recently, he served as Chief Communications Officer for the Recording Industry Association of America. Prior to that, he served as Senior Director of Communications for Save the Children Action Network and as Executive VP for Ogilvy Public Relations.

Daly has a print journalism background, and began his career as a reporter for the Waterbury Republican-American in Waterbury, Conn.

From our Who’s Buying What page: AEQ reports that Radio Granma in Manzanillo, Cuba, has installed an AEQ Forum digital console.

Radio Granma “offers a wide variety of programming to its listeners, with old phonographic records of great popular interest, and a large participation of amateurs of all artistic styles, singers, instrumentalists and intellectuals,” AEQ stated in a press release. The station is managed by ICRT, the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

ICRT also uses AEQ codecs, consoles and automation systems in other locations throughout Cuba including Arena consoles and BC2000D routers in Havana.

Radio Granma is one of 10 regional stations that will use the Forum IP console.

Users and suppliers are welcome to send news about recent installations to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Radio Granma Installs AEQ Forum appeared first on Radio World.