US

Is Soft AC Unsound? Or Still Magic?

As is often the case, Wednesday’s radio news brought two interestingly timed headlines.  Audacy’s Soft AC KSWD (The Sound) Seattle became Hot AC Emma 94.1. iHeart’s WMIA (Magic 93.9), which plays mostly English-language Soft AC with Spanish-language hosts, was up 4.8-5.9, its best share in more than 15 years, according to ratings expert Chris Huff. […]

ASIA

Speakers announced by WorldDAB at #IBC2024

WorldDAB’s conference session at IBC 20204 takes place on Sunday, 15 September.The theme is Energising radio: global advances and innovations in DAB+, moderated by WorldDAB’s Project Director, Bernie O’Neill.Bernie O’Neillis Project Director of WorldDAB and has headed the organisation since 2011, with overall responsibility for the direction and management of WorldDAB activities, she works to further the adoption and implementation of DAB+.Jacqueline Bierhorst is the newly appointed President of WorldDAB and brings a wealth of experience from broadcasting in the Netherlands. She passionately supports global collaboration to advance the uptake of DAB+.Matthieu Rawolle is a Senior Media Analyst at EBU (European Broadcasting Union) since 2021.  As part of the Media Intelligence Service, he writes reports and helps EBU Members anticipate the industry’s evolution and defend public service media’s value and uniqueness..Lindsay Cornell has worked for the BBC in a variety of engineering, editorial and leadership roles spanning radio, TV, and spectrum regulation. He has considerable experience in leading collaborative projects through his roles as Chairman of CEPT FM PT51, dealing with spectrum issues for programme-making, and as Chairman of the WorldDAB Technical Committee, managing the stability and development of the respective standards.Will Jackson is Communications Manager with extensive experience of UK audio and radio, including regulation, network operation and production.To register for a free visitor pass to IBC2024, click here and use the WordDAB Customer Code IBC4581. This includes access to the WorldDAB session on Sunday. […]

Ireland

Sound and Vision Scheme goes over €10 million of funding this round

Coimisiún na Meán has awarded over €10 million of funding under the latest round of Sound & Vision Scheme.
Round 53 will support the production of 56 radio projects, totalling over €1.1 million, and 35 projects for television, totalling €9 million. 175 applications requesting over €21 million were submitted for consideration.
One of the projects involves 16 commercial radio stations creating audio about climate change and climate action which will produce over 2,800 hours of programming for radio listeners across Ireland.
Newstalk, Radio Kerry and Dublin City FM are also getting funding for special programming.
95% of funding has been allocated to independent producers, with 30% of all funding going to projects in the Irish language or bilingual.
An additional €2 million of funding has been secured by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to support children and young people’s programming.
Rónán Ó Domhnaill, Media Development Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán said: “The Sound & Vision Scheme has gone from strength to strength, continuing to fund programming for Irish audiences, with a focus on Irish culture, heritage and experience.
“We are delighted to announce that Round 53 is the largest single round in Sound & Vision history, with over €10.1 million allocated to 91 new projects across TV and radio including animation, drama, documentary, entertainment and educational programming.
“I would also like to thank Minister Catherine Martin for the allocation of an additional €2 million in funding for children and young people’s programming, which recognises the important role of children as creators and consumers in Ireland’s media landscape. Sound & Vision remains a vital funding source for broadcasters and independent producers, enabling them to create programming for audiences that would otherwise not get made.
“Funding from Round 53 will contribute to An Coimisiún’s ambition of developing a thriving media landscape for Ireland that reflects the diversity of our people and traditions. Of the 35 television productions funded, 80% feature women as producers and 54% have women as directors. We look forward to seeing and hearing the projects funded under this Sound & Vision round on our screens and on our airwaves.”
Round 53 consists of funding from the television licence fee, and funding of €2 million secured by Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, with 13 projects across television and radio being allocated funding for programming focused on children and young people. […]

US

Chris Hastings Joins WXXI Public Media As President/CEO

WXXI Public Media has appointed Chris Hastings as President/CEO effective November 11. Hastings, who will succeed the retiring Norm Silverstein, joins the organization after over two decades at WGBH Boston. He currently serves as Executive Producer and Editor-In-Chief of the World Channel. During his tenure at WGBH, he worked on the television side with time […] […]