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    The majority (58%) of core radio listeners are very, or somewhat, familiar with artificial intelligence and are very concerned with its use for cloning on-air personalities’ voices. Listeners are less worried about using AI to record commercials and station identifiers. These are among the early findings of Techsurvey 2024 shared by Jacobs Media with Inside Radio. Read moreHere’s How Listeners Feel About Radio Using AI In Station Programming.

    Inside Radio News

    Binnie Media makes two executive promotions as Faith Francis ascends from Executive VP of Sales to COO and Heath Cole is elevated from VP/Programming to Executive VP of Programming & Operations. Francis has been with the company since 2012, joining as Regional Sales Manager. Cole joined Binnie Media in June 2019 as Team Captain at its West Lebanon, NH stations. Read moreBinnie Media Promotions: Faith Francis Named COO, Heath Cole To EVP/Programming.

    A former VP of Digital at rhythmic CHR “Hot 97” WQHT New York has sued station owner Mediaco for alleged retaliation and discrimination in violation of  New York State’s human rights and labor laws. Stanley Pillman III says he was discriminated against on the basis of his race and eventually fired after reporting that evening host Funkmaster Flex and Senior VP of Sales Gwynet Charles-Bryant were involved in “potential kick-backs and theft of company funds.”  Read moreFormer Head Of Digital At New York’s ‘Hot 97’ Files Discrimination Suit.

    Buoyed by an improving economic outlook, the ad giant Magna is revising its outlook for this year. It predicts total U.S. ad spending will climb 6.7% compared to a year ago, which is a one-point upgrade from its December forecast. When political and other cyclical spending is included, Magna is forecasting an even larger 9.2% growth rate for 2024. In audio, it says digital audio sales will offset slower over-the-air ad spending. Read moreStronger Economy Leads Magna To Raise Ad Outlook; Digital Audio Growing Faster Than Broadcast.

    Is a new front opening in the battle to ensure AM radio’s place in vehicle dashboards? The Kansas House has voted overwhelmingly for a resolution urging Congress to require vehicle manufacturers to install AM radios in all cars and trucks. House Concurrent Resolution 5026 passed the Kansas House by a vote of 109-14, demonstrating the high degree of support in the agricultural Midwest. Read moreKansas House Puts Pressure On Federal Lawmakers To Pass AM Radio Bill.

    Last summer, listening to on-demand audio passed listening to linear audio, such as broadcast and satellite radio. This was found to be true in every listening environment, except the car. Now Edison Research reveals that time spent with radio (broadcast/satellite) in vehicles accounts for three-quarters of the total daily in-car audio time, regardless of the model of the vehicle, with AM/FM taking the lion’s share. Read moreThe Road And The Radio: Broadcast Listening Dominates In The Car.

    U.S. ad spending's steadily-increasing year-over-year gains continued in February 2024, with a growth rate doubling that of January, moving from 5.2% to a 10.4% lift, according to Guideline's Ad Market Tracker. Spend has shown year-over-year uptrends since April 2023, making this the 11th straight month of growth. February's 10.4% rise vs. a year earlier marks the first month of double-digit growth for ad spend since an 11.3% gain in March 2022. Read moreU.S. Ad Spend Up For An 11th Consecutive Month, With First Double-Digit Gain Since 2022.

    The White House is claiming a Charlotte radio station added sound effects to manufacture controversy and for insinuating that Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre hung up during an interview. When asked if Biden was suffering from dementia, Jean-Pierre replied, “That is an incredibly offensive question to ask.” As the interview ended, Jean-Pierre thanked WBT’s Mark Garrison, which was followed by the sound of a busy tone, which the White House says was added to make it appear that she hung up abruptly. Read moreWhite House Accuses WBT Charlotte Of Manufacturing Controversy With Interview.

    As radio sharpens its pitch for prospects in today’s competitive, fragmented media world, it would do well to talk up the value of its cross-platform listeners. This is the subset of your audience that consumes content over the air, online and via podcasting. These audio superfans are twice as likely than average to make a purchase after hearing audio ads, according to an Audacy X-Platform Audio Survey, conducted by Suzy Insights in June 2023. Read moreAudacy: Cross-Platform Audio Listeners Boost Results For Advertisers.

    Host-read ads have become podcasting’s golden goose, delivering not only better returns for marketers but also higher CPMs for the networks that sell them. Now a new study could open even more shows to host-read ads than before, since it shows those talent reads can be effective even if it’s not the podcast’s actual host doing the talking. The analysis finds that a host-read ad, when appearing on another similar podcast, can also boost results for a brand. Read moreNot The Podcast’s Host Doing The Host-Read Ad? It May Not Matter, Study Finds.

    People Moves

    Tyler Murray is added to the Boston Red Sox broadcast team on Audacy sports WEEI-FM Boston (93.7). Murray has been calling games for the Worcester Red Sox for the past three seasons and also announces college sports on WEEI, NESN, ESPN, and Learfield. Murray joins Will Flemming, Joe Castiglione, Sean McDonough, Lou Merloni, Rob Bradford, and Mike Monaco on the WEEI Red Sox Network. Read moreTyler Murray

    Lori Barghini and Julia Cobbs, afternoon hosts at Hubbard Broadcasting “MyTalk 107.1” KTMY Minneapolis, announced on Tuesday (March 26) that they will be ending the show in June. The “Lori & Julie” program has been part of the station’s lineup for 22 years. Read moreLori and Julia

    Dave Nemo announces he will retire after 50 years of entertaining truckers on broadcast and satellite radio. Nemo currently hosts his self-titled show (7-11am) on SiriusXM’s Road Dog channel but will step down, while still lending his name, expertise, and voice to the channel, according to Truckers News. Read moreDave Nemo