Almost every radio station in the UK suspended normal programming around 6.30pm on Thursday to announce the sad death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral on Thursday afternoon.

The King and The Queen Consort remained at Balmoral on Thursday evening and will return to London on Friday.

Radio stations had been on standby for ‘obituary mode’ following news of the Queen’s medical condition was announced at 12.34pm by Buckingham Palace.

Confirmation of her death came via Twitter and the news wires at exactly 6.30pm.

The UK’s largest commercial radio groups followed well-rehearsed procedures to break the news to listeners.

Global brought all their stations together to rebroadcast LBC after each brand announced the news separately.

Each Bauer brand joined for a networked breaking news bulletin followed by a toned-down playlist and presenters looking back at the life of the Queen.

All BBC radio stations joined up for a networked BBC News special on a clock start at 18.36, with BBC Radio 4 and 5 Live breaking the news individually at 18.32.

Other radio groups including Nation and Wireless, independent stations, community, hospital, student and online services broadcast the news and paid their respects by playing more laid-back music mixed with occasional news announcements.

Emotional announcements were made by Vanessa Feltz on TalkRadio, and Andrew Marr on LBC.

The first national radio station to break the news, according to research provided to RadioToday, was Times Radio at 18.31.
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2022/09/radio-stations-across-the-uk-enter-obit-mode-for-queen-elizabeth-ii/

Mike Terry to WRTH FB group (2022-09-09)

Seven Mountains Media is stunting with a loop of N’Sync’s “Pop” on its recent acquisitions in the Susquehanna Valley: 930 WHLM Bloomsburg, 1280 WBWX Berwick, 94.7 W234BH West Hazleton, 96.3 W242BY Berwick, 104.3 W282CO Bloomsburg, and 105.5 W288DF Danville PA.

The stations are promoting the launch of its new permanent brand on Tuesday, September 6 at 10:00am while redirecting listeners of the former Full Service Oldies format to new sister Classic Hits “Hanna Radio” 92.3 WHNA Riverside/106.1 WNNA Beaver Springs/97.5 W248DK Bloomsburg.

WHLM signed-off its former format at the end of August 31 with Billy Joel’s “Movin Out” and Supertramp’s “Goodbye Stranger” wrapping up its former programming. Former owner/morning host Joe Reilly had concluded his 50+ year radio career that morning with Seven Mountains closing on its $450,000 acquisition of the stations.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/240671/pop-goes-whlm/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2022-09-04)

Lotus Communications has flipped 1060 KFOY Sparks/Reno NV to Conservative Talk “Radio For America“.

KFOY will continue to air Eddie Floyd’s “America Matters” along with a mix of syndicated programming. The station’s lineup features Glenn Beck from 6-9am, Clay Travis & Buck Sexton from 9am-12pm, Floyd from 12-1pm, Grace Curley 1-3pm, Jesse Kelly 3-7pm, Todd Schnitt 7-10pm, Joe Pagliarulo 10pm-2am, Gordon Deal 2-3am, and High Hewitt 3-6am.

Floyd’s America Matters Media had been operating KFOY via LMA on January 1. The mix of locally originated talk and music shows it had been airing will move exclusively to Flinn Broadcasting’s 93.7 KPGF Sun Valley. That station had begun simulcasting KFOY in April after the end of its lease to Reno Net Radio who had programmed KPGF as 80s Hits “Reno’s Crazy 80s“.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/240785/kfoy-brings-syndicated-conservative-talkers-to-reno/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2022-09-05)

Sinclair Communications’ “SportsRadio 96.5” 850 WTAR Norfolk and translators 96.5 W243EK Hampton and 96.5 W243DJ Norfolk have entered stunt mode running a loop of Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back” and construction sounds. The station is promoting the new format will launch on Monday, September 5 at 6:00am.

WTAR had featured the national Fox Sports Radio lineup with local programming limited to a Saturday morning program hosted by J Lee. The station carried Washington Commanders football, University of Virginia and NASCAR. The signals registered a 0.4 share in the July Nielsen Audio ratings trailing Max Media’s “ESPN 94.1” WVSP’s 1.6 share.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/240326/wtar-brings-sexy-back/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2022-09-02)

Townsquare Media has announced the launch of the Washington State News Network.

The network will combine content from Townsquare’s 610 KONA and 870 KFLD Kennewick/Richland/Pasco, 1280 KIT Yakima, and 560 KPQ Wenatchee while adding third party affiliates throughout the state.
More here https://radioinsight.com/headlines/240234/townsquare-launches-washington-state-news-network/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2022-09-01)

iHeartMedia will realign the programming on its San Diego AMs at midnight on September 1.

Sports “Xtra 1360” KLSD will move its programming to 760 KGB under the new “San Diego Sports 760” moniker. Conservative Talk will move in reverse from “AM 760” KGB to what will be “1360 The Patriot” KLSD. The Patriot will drop its local programming however with 9am-12pm host Mike Slater moving to a 5-7pm timeslot on sister News/Talk 600 KOGO where he will team up with current 6-7pm host Lou Penrose. Current 12-3pm host Mark Larson will move to fill-ins at KOGO.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/240148/iheartmedia-to-shuffle-san-diego-am-programming/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2022-08-31)

I was able to listen to AIR Suratgarh here in Salzburg this evening after 18 UT with an extended programme on 918 kHz for the Asia Cup which has just started.

The Asia Cup 2022 is the 15th edition of the cricket competition for Asian national teams and will be played in the United Arab Emirates between 27 August and 11 September 2022 in the Twenty20 format.

Christoph Ratzer to dxindia iog (2022-08-28)

With the closing of their $175,000 acquisition of the stations from Blount Broadcasting Corp., Ricki Lee and Aaron Ishmael’s Loud Media has flipped Sports 850 WKVL/100.9 W265DR and Classic Country 1400 WGAP/105.9 W290DJ Maryville TN to a broad Variety Hits playlist as “Random Music Radio“.

The stations are running commercial-free and with limited imaging in what appears to be a placeholder format while the company prepares for additional moves at its now five station Knoxville cluster that also includes Classic Hits “104.9 Lake-FM” WPLA La Follette, Rock 106.1 WVLZ Oliver Springs, and Oldies “Mid Century Radio” 1180 WKCE/105.1 W286DT Knoxville.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/238803/wgap-wkvl-go-random/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2022-08-22)

The cuts across Audacy have seen two of their Sports talkers eliminate all of their local programming.

“1140 The Bet” KXST North Las Vegas eliminated its afternoon show “The Playmakers” hosted by Lindsey Brown and Adrian Hernandez from 3-5pm.
[….]

“1250 The Fan” WSSP Milwaukee has bowed out of a three-way local Sports race in the market that also includes Good Karma Brands’ “94.5 ESPN” WKTI and iHeartMedia’s “97.3 The Game” WRNW-FM and will now run the CBS Sports Radio network around the clock.
[….]
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/238188/audacy-sports-stations-in-las-vegas-milwaukee-drop-all-local-programming/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2022-08-16)

New Albany Broadcasting, now operating as Aircom Media, has flipped Classic Country/Southern Rock “My 94.1” 1600 WKYI Eminence/94.1 W231DB LaGrange KY to a simulcast of R&B Oldies 1350 WLOU Louisville/104.7 W284AD New Albany IN.

The move expands the WLOU programming to the eastern fringes of the Louisville market around Shelbyville. Aircom VP/Programming Mark Gunn states, “This is a great move which allows us to serve the area with our unique brand of Classic Soul and other programming designed to connect as many people as we can in the Commonwealth no matter who they are or where they’re from.”

With the programming change, WKYI has changed call letters back to WLUE. Those calls were utilized on 1600 from January 2012 to February 2013 and June 2016 to December 2017.

WLOU held a 2.8 share of the Louisville market in the June 2022 Nielsen Audio ratings.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/238001/wlou-expands-east-of-louisville/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2022-08-15)