It only took four people to make it official, but Entercom Communications Inc. shareholders yesterday formally approved the merger with CBS Radio that is expected to close tomorrow, transforming the Bala Cynwyd, PA-based Entercom into America's second-largest radio operator.

According to Philly.com, only four people attended the meeting that was chaired by company Founder Joseph Field, 85, the father of Entercom President & CEO David Field (left). Entercom has said it will cut about $100 million in costs as part of the merger. In interviews on Wednesday at the Hotel Sofitel, David Field said, "We will not take one cent away from the quality of the listener experience or the value we provide to advertisers."

Field, who has called radio "the most undervalued medium in the U.S." added that Entercom will "reinvest tens of millions of dollars into brand and into our data analytics." He said that CBS Radio was not "broken" as a company but had been "under-managed." The newly merged Entercom-CBS Radio will own and operate 235 radio stations in 48 of the top 50 markets. Field says Entercom has the right to use CBS Radio branding for a year after the deal closes.

It's official -- Entercom Classic Rock KSWD (100.3 The Sound)/Los Angeles will fall silent for the last time at 1pm today as its sale to EMF closes. PD Dave Beasing made the heartbreaking announcement on-air yesterday along with midday talent "Uncle Joe" Benson. Sharing the widely held sentiments of the station's loyal listeners, Beasing remarked, "This isn't just a radio station that's leaving, it's a type of radio. We feel very blessed to have been part of this era of radio."

Beasing (pictured here enjoying a rare moment of levity) then turned the mic over to VP/GM Peter Burton (right), who thanked "Our incredible listeners and advertisers that have supported this special brand over the last nine and a half years. Also thank you to amazingly dedicated employees of The Sound. I will miss seeing you every day." Burton then broke the news that the corporately mandated sign-off would happen at 1pm today. Burton added, "We are going to rock it out until then, but it will be over at 1pm." The exchange was captured on video and posted on Facebook.

• We strongly urge you to take the time to read Beasing's heartfelt "Love Letters To The Sound Air Staff," posted on LARadio.com.

WFAN (Sports Radio 66AM/101.9 FM)/New York yesterday announced a revised on-air line-up to coincide with the launch of the New Year -- the action begins in morning drive, as Gregg Giannotti (left), currently co-host of Gio & Jones on CBS Sports Radio, has been named co-host of the newly rebranded Boomer & Gio morning show, alongside Boomer Esiason, weekdays from 6-10am and simulcast on CBS Sports Network. Giannotti replaces Craig Carton.

On your drive home, please welcome Chris Carlin, afternoon co-host on WIP/Philadelphia (second from left), who teams up with former New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott (second from right) and CBS Sports Radio and Sports Illustrated's Maggie Gray (right) to create The Afternoon Drive with Carlin, Bart and Maggie from 2-6:30pm. This newly formulated show will succeed market legend Mike Francesca, who departs Dec. 15.

Further bolstering The Fan's weekday line-up, midday personalities Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts will add a fourth hour and roll from 10am-2pm. Steve Somers, an original WFAN host and heard before and after evening games, runs from 6:30pm-1am. Tony Paige and Marc Malusis roll from 1-5:40am, leading into The Warmup Show with Al Dukes and Jerry Recco from 5:40-6am. This new schedule will take effect on Tuesday, January 2, 2018.

Mark Chernoff, VP of Programming for WFAN and CBS Radio New York commented, "With the addition of Gregg to the WFAN morning show alongside Boomer, and with Chris, Bart and Maggie joining us in the afternoon, we've assembled a stellar line-up that we're proud to showcase on WFAN. New York sports fans are about to be entertained, challenged and engaged like never before." [Chris Carlin photo by Lisa Ward Photography

• Chris Chmielewski has been promoted to Assistant Program Director at Hearst's WIYY (98 Rock)/Baltimore. Chmielewski's career with Hearst Radio began as a Promotions Assistant in 2015, and he rapidly advanced with increased responsibilities in promotion and programming at both 98 Rock and sister WBAL NewsRadio 1090. He most recently held the position of Assistant Promotions Director.

Chmielewski's sweet upgrade was made official by 98 Rock PD Rick Strauss, who said, "Chris has become a key contributor at Hearst Radio in his various promotions, production and programming roles for 98 Rock, WBAL and our Ravens broadcasts and network. He has our full confidence as he assumes even greater responsibilities and an expanded leadership role at 98 Rock."

Chmielewski replaces former APD Steve Huber, who left in September after an 18-year run and crossed the street as the new PD of Times-Shamrock Classic Rock WZBA (100.7 The Bay).

• Alpha Media Urban AC WMBX (X102.3)/West Palm Beach welcomes MoShay LaRen to the family as the station's new Music Director/midday personality. Ms. LaRen (pictured) arrives from Philadelphia, where she was most recently APD/midday talent at Radio One Urban AC WRNB.

LaRen remarked, "I'm super excited to re-engage my passion for radio. I look forward to working with R&B X102.3, Alpha Media family to represent what today's Urban AC and old school swag looks like in 2017 -- vibrant, progressive, tech-savvy and socially conscious with the same old-school values. I'm living my best life right now and can't wait to pour this good energy into West Palm Beach." LaRen succeeds Patrice Wright, who resigned from the position but remains with the company. 

• That Sara Lee cake in the break room at Northshire Communications Alternative WEQX/Manchester, VT-Albany, NY can mean only one thing -- someone just got promoted! Upon closer examination, that lucky individual is none other than midday personality Luke Gelheiser, who has been rewarded with fully functional MD stripes. 

In a stirring staff memo, PD Jeff Morad said, "Luke has shown his ability to quickly learn his way around the station. Combine that with his natural talent, his knowledge and love of music, and his willingness to talk about it... we feel like we've got a real winner here!" Luke's call times are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3-5pm. He can also be reached at luke@weqx.com.

Gelheiser (kitty sold separately) succeeds Kim Neaton, who, as we previously reported, stepped down from her fulltime position as MD/midday talent in June.

Beth Appleton has been named General Manager -- Australia & SVP Marketing -- Australasia for Warner Music. Appleton (left), who joined Warner Music in 2011, will relocate to Sydney from London, where she has served as SVP of Global Marketing since 2014. In her new post, Appleton will oversee the day-to-day operations of Warner Music Australia, as well as marketing for the Australasian region. She starts on January 22, 2018 and will report to Niko Nordström, President of Warner Music Australasia.

The move marks a return to Australia for Appleton, who served as Director of Marketing and Digital/Business Development for Warner Music Australia from 2011-2014, when she relocated to the UK. Nordström remarked, "Since I moved from Finland to Australia earlier this year, I have been constantly impressed by the caliber and dedication of the Warner team Down Under. Beth brings two decades of major label experience to her new post, along with a fantastic knowledge of the entire region, infectious enthusiasm and a passionate devotion to our artists. She will be a tremendous addition to our family, and I know everyone is looking forward to welcoming her back to Sydney."

Stu Bergen, CEO, International and Global Commercial Services for Warner Music Group said of Appleton, "Since joining the Warner Music family six years ago, Beth has proved to be an outstanding member of our global team. She has championed fresh digital strategies and innovative relationships that have hugely benefited our artist campaigns. I know that Niko and Beth will be great partners in leading our Australasian company."

Appleton commented, "I've had the rare privilege of working for Warner Music on two continents and there's no doubt it is a global music company second to none. The future is about developing new and creative ways of bringing our amazing artists’ music to the widest possible audience and I'm excited about continuing to meet that challenge in this new role. I want to thank Stu and Niko for this wonderful opportunity, and my friends and colleagues from around the world for their great support over the past three years."

SummitMedia has promoted Dennis Sloatman to the corporate-level position of Vice President of Engineering. Sporting these new stripes, Sloatman (left) will now manage the company's engineering throughout the U.S. He will be based in Richmond, VA and continue to directly oversee engineering for that market.

Sloatman comes fully equipped with 48 years of engineering experience and has served as a Chief Engineer in numerous locations including Orlando, Cedar Rapids, IA and Richmond. Prior to joining SummitMedia Richmond last December, Sloatman was VP of Engineering for iHeartMedia Los Angeles.

"We are very happy to have someone with Dennis' experience and background working with all of our markets," said SummitMedia CEO Carl Parmer. "His knowledge, leadership and strategic vision will be invaluable as we continue to expand the technical side of our operations."

In 2012 Sloatman was named Cox Media Group Market Engineering Manager of the Year and he writes a regular Tech Tips engineering column for Radio Magazine.

dick clark productions and ABC announced that Golden Globe Award-winning actress Tracee Ellis Ross, star of hit ABC comedy series black-ish will host the 2017 American Music Awards. The show will originate live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles this Sunday, November 19 at 8pm ET on ABC. One of the big highlights of the show will be when Ross' mother, the legendary Diana Ross, receives the "American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement." She will also perform on the show.

Yesterday it was announced that Lady Gaga, Nick Jonas and Shawn Mendes have joined the line-up of AMA performers. And as was previously announced, Christina Aguilera will pay tribute to Whitney Houston and music from The Bodyguard with a performance in honor of the film's 25th anniversary. Other previously announced performers include BTS, Alessia Cara & Zedd, Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez, Niall Horan, Imagine Dragons & Khalid, Demi Lovato, P!NK, Portugal. The Man, and Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso ft. Florida Georgia Line & watt. Bebe Rexha will also team up with Florida Georgia Line to treat AMA fans to an encore performance for Xfinity TV customers, which will be available following the show on Xfinity On Demand.

Bruno Mars leads the pack with eight nominations, including Artist of the Year, Video of the Year, and Favorite Male Artist -- Pop/Rock. The Chainsmokers, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd are tied with five nominations each, while Justin Bieber, Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi received four nominations each. Keith Urban earned three nominations, and Rihanna and Halsey earned two nominations each.

Westwood One and Cumulus Media are official promotional partners of the 2017 American Music Awards and will offer a bunch of special programming and exclusive content over the next few days. Westwood One Backstage at the AMAs will feature three days of branded programming, artist interviews and exclusive backstage live performances at Radio Row. To kick off the event tomorrow, Glassnote rockers Secondhand Serenade will open Radio Row with a live performance. Also taking the stage tomorrow are RCA's Walk the Moon and In2une's Taylor Grey. Hollywood Records' Sabrina Carpenter will perform on Saturday, November 18.

And there's more -- Westwood One, through its partnership with the American Music Awards and dick clark productions, is offering its stations a special five-hour Red Carpet companion show to air Sunday, November 19. The AC/Hot AC show will be hosted by Adam Bomb and The Bert Show's Kristin Klingshirn; the Top 40 version will be hosted by The Zach Sang Show and the Urban/Urban AC version will be hosted by La Loca and Kenny Smoov. The evening also includes a one-hour Red Carpet Special hosted by Jayde Donovan of WPLJ/New York, a three-hour broadcast companion, and a one-hour Awards Wrap-Up, so consider yourself covered.

Premiere Networks and Mercury Radio Arts, Glenn Beck's multimedia production company, announced a renewed and extended agreement to syndicate The Glenn Beck Program, which celebrates its 15th anniversary in national syndication this year. Premiere and Mercury have also renewed their longstanding digital partnership. Premiere will continue to provide ad sales representation for the fan portal GlennBeck.com, the daily Glenn Beck Newsletter, as well as The Glenn Beck Program podcast and stream.

Beck stated, "Premiere remains the gold standard in the industry. We've now been working together for fifteen years, and I couldn't be happier to extend and renew our relationship. These are increasingly chaotic times. I've never been more excited to help the audience cut through the noise by focusing on the things that matter most."

Julie Talbott, Premiere Networks President remarked, "Over the past 15 years, we've watched Glenn build a brand that stands the test of time. He's a unique talent who can connect with millions of fans across any and every platform. We're proud of what we've accomplished together and look forward to many more years of success."

Christmas arrived in Seattle yesterday morning at 8am as Hubbard AC KRWM (Warm 106.9) made the flip to 24/7 Christmas music. Warm 106.9 listener Alyssa Batacan of Lakewood, WA and her daughter helped make the switch along with morning duo Allan & Ashley.

Warm 106.9 PD Ron Harrell said, "This is our 'Big Game' every year, but this year seems to be a little more special with the social and political mood of our nation. We're proud to offer some audio relief with our airstaff presenting the greatest music soundtrack of all time."

Seattle's heritage Christmas Station eagerly looks forward to the Macy's Holiday Parade, The Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition, Home Team Harvest Food Drive with King 5 and many more!