Archived News and Articles - January 2007
Archive Date - January 30, 2007
WRONGFUL-DEATH SUIT AGAINST KDND
AllAccess
Attorney Roger Dreyer of Dreyer, Babich, Buccola & Callaham this morning filed a wrongful-death civil suit in Sacramento Superior Court on behalf of the Strange family in relation to the death of Jennifer Strange following Entercom Top 40 KDND/Sacramento's "Hold Your Wee For A Wii" water-drinking contest.
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Archive Date - January 29, 2007
FCC TO INVESTIGATE KDND/SACRAMENTO
Keith Berman – Radio and Records
Following attorney Roger Dreyer's letter to the FCC requesting that the commission revoke KDND (107.9 The End)/Sacramento's license in the wake of Jennifer Strange's death, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has directed the FCC Enforcement Bureau to look into the matter.
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Archive Date - January 29, 2007
WHERE IS OUR MEDIA GOING?
Antonia Zerbisias – Toronto Star
Yesterday's appointment of Konrad von Finckenstein, former head of the federal competition watchdog, to chair the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) was pure synchronicity.
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Archive Date - January 26, 2007
VYING (AND DYING) FOR ATTENTION
Sam McManis – StarTribune.com
Friends didn't need to ask Victoria Myers why in the world she would subject herself to the bloating and the nausea, the chattering teeth and the extreme headache.
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Archive Date - January 25, 2007
MANCOW CALLS TO END DANGEROUS STUNTS
FMQB
After radio contestant Jennifer Strange died from water intoxication - the result of KDND/Sacramento's water-drinking contest Hold Your Wee for a Wii - syndicated radio personality Erich “Mancow” Muller has announced that he is creating the Foundation For Responsible Radio and calling for an end to “voyeuristic FM radio stunts." Last week, Mancow made appearances on Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition and The O’ Reilly Factor to discuss his views about the tragic incident.
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Archive Date - January 25, 2007
PETITION SEEKS TO HALT CBS SALE TO ENTERCOM
Jeffrey Yorke – Radio and Records
Holding up the nightmarish Jan. 12 death of KDND-FM/Sacramento-listener Jennifer Strange as an example of ratings over public service, attorneys for Royce International Broadcasting allege in a petition to the FCC that Entercom is “a highly-leveraged criminal enterprise that cannot be relied on to serve the public interest.” The 8-page petition filed with the FCC on Wednesday morning (Jan. 24) argues that Entercom should be prevented by the FCC in getting the licenses of 16 CBS radio stations in Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Texas and New York.
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Archive Date - January 25, 2007
RADIO MARKETING BUREAU CRYSTALS
RMB Release
Fame has its price. And this March 9 at the Fairmont Royal York, the Radio Marketing Bureau's Crystals will show how surprisingly affordable it is. Tickets are now available for Canada's only awards show dedicated to outstanding work in radio creative, and the first major awards show of the year.
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Archive Date - January 25, 2007
CAN DEATH DENT FAD?
C.W. Nevius – San Francisco Chronicle
Two weeks ago, the movers and shakers in national radio networks had never heard of a Sacramento housewife named Jennifer Strange. They know her now.
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Archive Date - January 25, 2007
ATTORNEY ASKS TO PULL KDND'S LICENSE
Roger Dreyer – AllAccess
The attorney representing the family of Jennifer Strange is asking the FCC to terminate Top 40 KDND/Sacramento's license and discipline parent company Entercom for sponsoring the "Hold Your Wee For A Wii" contest that apparently led to Strange's death.
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Archive Date - January 25, 2007
10% GROWTH IN OVERALL MUSIC SALES
Canadian Artists Nickelback and Bryan Adams Top the Airplay Charts; Nielsen Music 2006 Year End Music Industry Report For Canada
CNW
Nielsen SoundScan Canada, the entertainment industry's data information system that tracks point-of-purchase sales of recorded music product and Nielsen BDS, the music industry's leading music performance monitoring service, have announced their 2006 Canadian year-end sales and airplay monitoring data, for the 52-week period January 2, 2006 through December 31, 2006.
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Archive Date - January 24, 2007
INDIE AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
Broadcaster
The 2007 Indie Awards, taking place March 7th in Toronto, will feature performances from several of the nominees, including Neverending White Lights, DJ Champion, and Cadence Weapon, as well as Indies Hall of Fame inductees Rough Trade.
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Archive Date - January 24, 2007
XM FAILS TO KILL COPYRIGHT LITIGATION
Brooks Boliek – Hollywood Reporter
A federal judge in New York on Friday rejected XM Radio's attempt to quash the copyright-infringement lawsuit the record labels brought against the company's products that allow customers to digitally record music.
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Archive Date - January 24, 2007
WILL PRANKS RUN THEIR COURSE?
Jim Boren – Fresno Bee
Unlike much of America, I'm not a fan of most forms of reality television. So when "American Idol" began its sixth season last week, I was not among the more than 37 million people who watched.
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Archive Date - January 23, 2007
WRONGFUL DEATH SUIT TO BE FILED
Keith Berman – Radio and Records
Sacramento law firm Dreyer, Babich, Buccola & Callaham will file a wrongful death suit against Entercom CHR/top 40 KDND (107.9 The End)/Sacramento on behalf of the family of Jennifer Strange. As you well know by now, Strange died Jan. 12 after taking part in The End's "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest.
Click here or above for the complete story.
Archive Date - January 22, 2007
CANWEST PURSUIT OF MEDIA HOLDINGS
More Australian, domestic specialty TV assets targeted after Alliance acquisition
Andrew Willis and Grant Robertson – Globe and Mail
CanWest Global Communications Corp. plans to use its acquisition of Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. as a springboard for continued wheeling and dealing in Canadian and foreign media, a push that has the full support of its deep-pocketed U.S. backer.
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Archive Date - January 22, 2007
TALK RADIO IN AMERICA
Personal Appearances 101
Randy Lane – AllAccess
Ladies and gentlemen, it's Star Time -- time for you to get out of the studio and into the public to mingle with the people, press the flesh, and let your listeners put the name and the face together with the voice. Promotions and events are a huge opportunity for you to make new fans and to solidify relationships with old fans and clients. They're a huge responsibility too because you are the radio station when you appear in public. The entire brand is on your shoulders, and it's up to you to put on a great show and fulfill expectations.
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Archive Date - January 20, 2007
SATELLITE RADIO MERGER A NO-GO
Jeffrey Yorke – Radio and Records
Message to Wall Street warriors excited about the prospects of a Sirius and XM satellite radio merger: Stuff a sock in it. It ain’t gonna happen.
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Archive Date - January 19, 2007
TAKING ACTION AGAINST DIGITAL RIGHTS
New lawsuits are using antitrust law to challenge media giants' music download policies, claiming they unfairly restrict users' purchases
Catherine Holahan – Business Week
When it comes to legal action over downloaded music, the defendants are often individuals: The lone user downloads one too many copyrighted files and Big Media goes on the offensive. But now, the little guy is turning the tables.
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Archive Date - January 19, 2007
CANADIAN YEAR-END SALES RELEASED
Ed Christman – Billboard
Following a familiar trend, the overall Canadian music industry -- bolstered by digital sales -- grew by 9.8% on a unit basis last year, while album sales experienced a 4.7% drop, according to Nielsen SoundScan Canada.
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Archive Date - January 19, 2007
DETECTIVES LOOKING INTO KDND DEATH
All Access
Sacramento Sheriff John McGinness is reportedly alarmed by audio recordings of Entercom Top 40 KDND (107.9 The End)'s water-drinking contest that may have led to the death of 28-year-old Jennifer Strange and has directed homicide detectives to look into whether a crime was committed, the Sacramento Bee reports.
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Archive Date - January 18, 2007
CHANGES LOOMING FOR CBC RADIO
Guy Dixon – Globe and Mail
CBC Radio Two will be playing more jazz and contemporary music, while Radio One is beefing up its arts programming.
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Archive Date - January 18, 2007
THE END OF THE RAVE AT THE END
Kevin Carter – Radio and Records
R&R has learned that 10 people have lost their jobs, including longtime PD/station manager Steve Weed, at Entercom CHR/top 40 KDND (107.9 The End)/Sacramento. The Morning Rave has also been canceled. The terminations come in the wake of last Friday's tragic death of Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three who competed in the Morning Rave's water-drinking contest to win a Nintendo Wii game system. The other departed staffers include Morning Rave members Lukas, Maney, Trish Sweet, Carter and Fester, producer Liz Diaz, KDND promotions director Robin Pechota and two assistants.
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Archive Date - January 18, 2007
2007 CANADIAN RADIO MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS
CAB Release
Canada’s hottest new music stars will be honoured at the 10th Annual Canadian Radio Music Awards (CRMA) on Saturday, March 10, 2007. Addictiv, Eva Avila, Gregory Charles, Mobile, The New Pornographers, and Joel Plaskett are among the artists nominated in nine categories honouring the hottest new radio music stars in Canada. In previous years, the CRMAs introduced rookies such as Avril Lavigne, Sam Roberts, Arcade Fire and Michael Bublé.
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Archive Date - January 18, 2007
STERN ISN'T WORTH THE MONEY
Shock jock getting richer while other shareholders see value dwindle
Patrick Enright - MSNBC
When Sirius Satellite Radio announced Tuesday that it was paying shock-jock Howard Stern an $83 million stock bonus, Stern fans everywhere high-fived one another with glee at another triumph for their favorite purveyor of racy radio. The rest of us slapped our foreheads in dismay.
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Archive Date - January 18, 2007
THE FUTURE OF APPLE
With the iPhone, Apple TV, and a name change, Jobs & Co. are setting a new course for the outfit once known only for its computers
Arik Hesseldahl – Business Week
If there was anything on the minds of higher-ups at wireless handset manufacturers on Jan. 9, it was very likely what to take for a headache—a pounding one caused by a new competitor, the company formerly known as Apple Computer.
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Archive Date - January 17, 2007
XM, SIRIUS EXECS STIR UP MERGER TALK
Long-Speculated Deal Expected Sooner Rather Than Later
Andrew Hampp – AdAge
XM and Sirius Satellite Radio could be merging sooner than expected. After months of investor speculation and varying interest from both parties, the power players of satellite radio have been dropping hints like mad that they would like to see it happen. Just this week, at a Citigroup investor conference in Las Vegas, Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin and XM Chairman Gary Parsons both enthused about their mutual interest in combining their assets.
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Archive Date - January 17, 2007
WOMAN FOUND DEAD AFTER CONTEST
Kevin Carter – Radio and Records
It's every radio station's worst nightmare -- a 28-year-old mother of three who competed in a water-drinking contest last Friday at Entercom CHR/top 40 KDND (107.9 The End)/Sacramento to win a Nintendo Wii was found dead in her home several hours later.
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Archive Date - January 17, 2007
BYRNESMEDIA CLIENT PROMOTES TWO
Rick Arnish - Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Release
It is with pleasure that I announce a major corporate management and radio station reorganization in the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.
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Archive Date - January 17, 2007
APPEAL OF DECISION ON ULTRA VIRES TAXES
CAB Release
Canada's private broadcasters today asked the Federal Court of Appeal to order recovery of over $790M as a result of the decision of the Honourable Justice Michel J. Shore of the Federal Court of Canada Trial Division on December 14, 2006. In that decision, the Court ruled that Part II Licence Fees paid by broadcasters and broadcast distributors were an unlawful tax in the form of a licence fee collected on behalf of the government by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), but did not order the repayment of these fees.
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Archive Date - January 17, 2007
ASTRAL MEDIA Q1 REVENUES UP
All Access
CANADA's ASTRAL MEDIA, which lost out on the bidding to buy TV production company ALLIANCE ATLANTIS earlier this week to CANWEST GLOBAL and GOLDMAN SACHS, reported that fiscal first-quarter revenues rose 7% to C$165.1 million and net earnings rose 9% to C$32.6 million (62 cents/share). EBITDA grew 9% to C$53.1 million.
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Archive Date - January 16, 2007
XM CANADA POSTS Q1 LOSS
All Access
XM CANADA parent CANADIAN SATELLITE RADIO HOLDINGS posted a net loss of C$23.9 million (50 cents/share) for fiscal first quarter. Subscriber acquisition costs shrank from fourth quarter's C$59 to C$46 per unit, but cost per gross addition rose from fourth quarter's C$242 to C$311 due to advance holiday ad spending.
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Archive Date - January 16, 2007
CANWEST AWARDED THIRD FM RADIO LICENCE IN UK
Broadcaster
CanWest Global Communications Corp. was today awarded a commercial radio licence to launch a third FM radio station in the United Kingdom. The new station, Original FM will be located in Aberdeen, a major coastal commercial centre in north east Scotland. Aberdeen is the centre of the UK North Sea petroleum industry and provides the new station with a potential audience of approximately 300,000 adults, many in the sought after high income demographic that is targeted by the Original FM format.
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Archive Date - January 15, 2007
APPLE SUED OVER iPHONE NAME
FMQB
Apple has been sued by Cisco Systems over the name of the new iPhone, the day after it was officially announced. Cisco filed suit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco yesterday, claiming the name violates a trademark. Cisco and Apple had been in negotiations to share the name "iPhone" for the past five years, but never reached an agreement.
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Archive Date - January 15, 2007
GLOBAL TV PROFITS DRIVE DEAL
Asper says greatest challenge will be meeting deadline to buy full stake
David Friend - Canadian Press
The financial performance of CanWest Global Communications Corp.'s Global TV division will play a key role in the company's $2.3 billion acquisition of all of the specialty channels of rival Alliance Atlantis, says CanWest CEO Leonard Asper.
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Archive Date - January 12, 2007
CORUS ANNOUNCES Q1 RESULTS
CNW
Corus Entertainment Inc. announced first quarter financial results today, led by strong revenue growth from its broadcasting businesses.
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Archive Date - January 12, 2007
CANWEST INCOME FUND Q1 RESULTS
CNW
CanWest MediaWorks Income Fund (the "Fund") announced financial results for the three months ended November 30, 2006, the first quarter of its 2007 fiscal year.
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Archive Date - January 12, 2007
NEW RADIO CHIP FOR INTERNET AND FM
FMQB
At the Consumer Electronics Show, Frontier Silicon launched its new Chorus 2i baseband receiver SoC (system on chip), which allows Internet radio capabilities and other streaming options for WiFi radios. The chip allows manufacturers to produce radios that can receiver Internet, DAB and FM stations, using WiFi and connections.
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Archive Date - January 12, 2007
HOWARD STERN $83 MILLION BONUS
Satellite radio star's reward comes on top of his $500 million pay package
Reuters
Sirius Satellite Radio paid shock jock Howard Stern a bonus worth nearly $83 million Tuesday for surpassing subscriber goals set in a 2004 contract that had already turned heads with its $500 million compensation package.
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Archive Date - January 12, 2007
MICHEL ARPIN APPOINTED ACTING CRTC CHAIR
CRTC Release
Following a meeting that took place yesterday, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has designated Michel Arpin as Acting Chairperson of the CRTC.
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Archive Date - January 12, 2007
ACTRA ON STRIKE
CNW
ACTRA is on strike as of Monday, January 8, 2007 in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. ACTRA will be on strike in the rest of the country shortly, except British Columbia that is under a separate agreement.
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Archive Date - January 12, 2007
ACTRA ILLEGAL STRIKE; WON'T ADDRESS NEW MEDIA
CFTPA Release
ACTRA has chosen to walk away from a comprehensive settlement package designed to close the gap on all of the issues remaining on the table. The package covers all outstanding proposals including New Media, Wages, Background Performers, Animation, Fact-Based Lifestyle Programs and Documentaries.
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Archive Date - January 10, 2007
RMB ANNOUNCES CRYSTAL AWARDS HOST
Radio Marketing Bureau Release
Radio creatives, advertisers and producers will get much more than a shot at fame, fortune and a modest table wine on March 9. At this year’s RMB Crystal Awards at the Fairmont Royal York, they’ll also get the chance to enjoy a comedy pro at work. When high-voltage Canadian stand-up comedian and writer Tim Steeves takes the stage, he owns the room like Muhammad Ali ruled the ring, skillfully working the audience with deftly placed combination punches of cerebral wit.
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Archive Date - January 10, 2007
BROADCASTING DECISION CRTC 2007-8
CRTC Release
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Moncton, Newcastle and Campbellton, New Brunswick. APPROVED – New English-language FM radio programming undertaking in Moncton to replace AM station CBA. The licence will expire 31 August 2007.
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Archive Date - January 9, 2007
AJAS DEADLINE APPROACHING
CNW
Atlantic Canadian journalists are reminded to submit their print, radio and television stories and images to the 26th Atlantic Journalism Awards. Entries must be postmarked no later than the awards deadline, January 31, 2007.
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Archive Date - January 9, 2007
MIXED SIGNALS FOR CANADA'S SATELLITE RADIO
U.S. Merger Talk
Barbara Shecter – Financial Post
Talk of a possible merger between two competing U.S. satellite radio services refuses to die, a scenario that would create a messy situation for Canada's two fledgling services that rely on XM and Sirius in the United States for programming.
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Archive Date - January 9, 2007
BEST-EVER QUARTER FOR NATIONAL RADIO REVENUE
Broadcaster
National radio sales for the first quarter of the 2007 broadcast year represent the medium's highest-ever total revenue quarter, according to Canadian Broadcast Sales. Sales rose by 8.2% compared to the same period last year.
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Archive Date - January 9, 2007
CANADIAN FILM, TV, RADIO ACTORS SET TO STRIKE
City News
Tens of thousands of employees working in the Canadian film, television and radio industry have been told not to go to work Monday as a strike takes effect. ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) members were in a position to walk out as of 12:01am Monday, though some programs like the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Rick Mercer Report have made special agreements to keep their shows running.
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Archive Date - January 9, 2007
NIELSEN SOUNDSCAN RELEASES YEAR-END SALES DATA
Ed Christman – Billboard
While overall album sales dipped 5% to 588.1 million units in 2006, the combined total with digital tracks reached nearly 1.2 billion units, a 20.8% increase from last year's 976.6 million units of album and digital track sales.
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Archive Date - January 8, 2007
SATELLITE HASN'T KILLED THE RADIO STAR
Shawn Ohler – CanWest News Service
When satellite radio beamed into Canada a year ago, bullish industry analysts predicted conventional radio would soon be consigned to dusty museum shelves beside hand-cranked Victrolas and eight-track car stereos.
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Archive Date - January 8, 2007
IT WAS A VERY WEIRD YEAR
Ben Fong-Torres – San Francisco Chronicle
It was a wreck of a year for CBS Radio. The company formerly known as Infinity had an infinite number of problems, beginning with the loss of Howard Stern to satellite radio. The company named a former rock star, a comic and a couple of DJs to replace him at various affiliates, stamped those stations "Free FM," and almost immediately began hearing the sound of backfires. The rocker -- David Lee Roth -- was soon gone, while the San Francisco affiliate, KIFR (106.9 FM), would've been executed by now, if radio had a three-strikes law. They hired three high-profile acts, only to dismiss two of them (Darian O'Toole and John London) within months. The Doghouse team of Elvis and JV, a temp fill-in while the station awaited the start of Adam Carolla's morning show, took a gig in New York.
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Archive Date - January 8, 2007
SATELLITE RADIO MAY TRY A MERGER
Eric A. Taub – The New York Times
Last year’s debut of Howard Stern’s radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio put the technology on the map, raising the public’s awareness of satellite radio and helping to boost significantly subscriber totals for Sirius and its larger rival, XM Satellite Radio.
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Archive Date - January 5, 2007
BYRNESMEDIA CLIENT STATION MANAGER RETIRES
89.5 MixFM Kenora Release
Long time Station Manager for the Fawcett Broadcasting Group in Northwestern Ontario, Hugh Syrja, has announced his retirement from close to four decades in broadcasting.
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Archive Date - January 2, 2007
FRESH 102.7 FM DEBUTS IN NYC
Mike Boyle - Radio and Records
As has been widely speculated, CBS Radio has flipped WNEW/New York to “Fresh 102.7 FM, Today’s Soft Rock.” The switch took place at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning (Jan. 2).
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Archive Date - January 2, 2007
WIFI STATIONS TO JOIN BATTLE FOR AIR SUPREMACY
Mathew Ingram - Globe and Mail
For many people, satellite radio is the latest thing in audio. Instead of listening to regular old FM, you can buy a player from Sirius or its main competitor, XM, and listen to crystal-clear radio at home or in your car, after paying about $400 or so for the player and accessories, and about $15 a month for the service itself.
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Archive Date - January 2, 2007
"MINE ... MINE, IT'S ALL MINE"
Tommy Kramer
Think of how many times you’ve heard an Air Talent say--more often than not, with the sound of rustling paper or a page turning in the background--"I was reading an article in this magazine yesterday," or "I saw in the paper this morning that...."
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Archive Date - January 2, 2007
ENTERCOM SETTLES WITH SPITZER FOR $4.25M
Chuck Taylor – Radio and Records
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has settled with Entercom Communications to resolve allegations of "pay-for-play" in the music industry, totaling payments of $4.25 million.
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