Radio Waves

Lots of news so lt's get to it....

Washington Changes Stations
The radio industry had its toughest day in years Tuesday as the FCC advanced a plan to create sweeping new regulations, while blocks away on Capitol Hill legislation was introduced that could take away radio's royalty exemptions. Bills have been introduced in the House and Senate to abolish what backers refer to as a "corporate radio loophole" in the royalty statute. If passed, it could cost radio several billion dollars in royalties.

FCC orders diversity initiatives.
The list of new rules is long. It includes giving "eligible entities" more time to build construction permits; adjusts its attribution rules; and allows some grandfathered clusters to remain intact. It also requires an "Equal Transactional Opportunity Rule" in sales contracts to bar race or gender as factors in a deal. Plus a ban "no urban dictates" and "no Hispanic dictates" in advertising contracts.

FCC Modifies Broadcast/Newspaper Cross-Ownership Rules
In a 3-2 vote Tuesday, the FCC revised its 32-year-old broadcast/newspaper cross-ownership rules, while concluding its quadrennial review of the broadcast ownership rules. If the changes to the rule ultimately stands, a broadcast outlet in the top 20 markets will be able to share common ownership with a radio station and/or a TV outlet outside the top four in Nielsen rankings.

Welcome Bill
KDKA-AM has hired Bill Rehkopf as its morning news anchor to replace Bob Kopler, who is retiring at the end of the year. Rehkopf comes to Pittsburgh from country station WPOC-FM in Baltimore, where he has been news director and morning news anchor since 1999. Before that, he worked at stations in Scranton, Harrisburg, Williamsport, Clarion, Punxsutawney and Brookville.