In this week’s issue… Toucher & Rich rehire producer – iHeart ups McCabe, makes PA moves – Remembering CBS’ Saviet, WINS’ Klein – Toronto permit changes hands
*While we wait for the week’s expected big news on Thursday (and we’ll have more on the launch of WINS-FM in New York later in the column), our lead story from the week just ended is the return of one of the WBZ-FM (98.5 the Sports Hub) staffers who lost his job in Beasley’s big cuts earlier in October.
It’s good news for listeners to the top-rated Toucher and Rich show that producer Mike Lockhart is back on the job, filling a role that hosts Fred Toettcher and Rich Shertenlieb insisted was essential to keeping their broadcast going. But while Beasley was willing to agree with the hosts that they still needed Lockhart on the job, the company still wasn’t willing to pay for him – and so Shertenlieb said he’d pay Lockhart’s salary, plus (as he told listeners) a “38% markup” to cover Beasley’s administrative costs and Lockhart’s benefits.
Is any of this good for our business? Not especially. While there are some higher-profile morning shows that function as their own separate businesses, where the station pays a lump sum for the show and the hosts and producers then get paid out of that revenue, it’s our understanding that that wasn’t how Beasley had things set up with Toucher and Rich, and so effectively Shertenlieb was forced to take a cut in his own pay to keep Lockhart as an essential part of his team. It might be sustainable as a one-off situation, but it’s no way to run a radio station in the long run – and it will surely come up whenever Shertenlieb’s contract is up for renewal.
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It’s officially summer. Have you still not ordered your Tower Site Calendar?
Good news! You can now purchase it for just $8. You also still have the option of getting it signed for $13, or buying a storage bag for $1.
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In this week’s issue… Rochester's 95.1 shuffles schedule - CKLW legacy remembered - Kaplan back to iHeart - PA simulcast splits - NEPM realigns signals
In this week’s issue… O'Shaughnessy family exits Westchester - New Ontario signals launch - Applicants position ahead of LPFM window - Remembering Sommers, Skibenes
In this week’s issue… Beasley sells near Philly - WMMR picks DeBella successor - Evanov to shutter "Proud" - Corus cutbacks - New tower rises in Ontario, towers come down in Southern Tier - Translators file for changes ahead of...
In this week’s issue… Equity sells in Atlantic City - Evanov shuts down Canadian AM - NYSBA Hall of Famers named - Remembering Maine's Snyder, BZ's Coop - Tower down in Philly