February 2022
Paul Pytlowany Named News Director at WWJ-TV/WKBD-TV
CBS News Detroit has announced that Paul Pytlowany has been named news director of WWJ-TV (CBS 62) and WKBD-TV (CW50). Pytlowany recently served as the WWJ and WKBD’s director of local production and community affairs since 2017. As part of his new position, Pytlowany will also play a role in helping CBS News Detroit with…
Read MoreMAPB’s “Off The Record” Celebrates 50 Years This Week
The award-winning Michigan-based public affairs television series Off the Record marks 50 years on the air this week. The first episode of the weekly show examining Michigan politics and government aired on February 4, 1972. Seen statewide in Michigan and in Northern Indiana, the series is produced at WKAR Public Media and is a presentation…
Read MoreBill ‘Broadway’ Bertschinger Joins MacDonald-Garber
After departing as APD/afternoon host at Cumulus Media’s WDRQ-FM (Detroit) last month, Bill ‘Broadway’ Bertschinger has joined MacDonald Garber Broadcasting as Program Director of CHR WKHQ-FM (Charlevoix) and Classic Country WSRT-FM (Gaylord). Both stations serve the Traverse City market. He will also host mornings with Kristin ‘KP’ Penrose. Penrose also joins MacDonald-Garber from Cumulus Detroit,…
Read MoreWKAR’S Elkins Re-elected to APTS Leadership Position
Susi Elkins, Director of Broadcasting and General Manager of WKAR Public Media at Michigan State University, has been re-elected as Professional Vice Chair on the board of America’s Public Television Stations (APTS). The announcement was made by APTS on Wednesday (2/2). Elkins’ term begins on Monday, February 28, 2022. APTS is a nonprofit membership organization…
Read MoreWBMI/West Branch Sold to Smile FM
This past week (2/1), Peggy Warner’s 105.5fm, LLC has filed an application with the FCC to assign the license of WBMI-FM (West Branch) to non-commercial station operator Smile FM for $95,000. According to press reports, once the deal closes, the format will be flipped from its current classic country format to Smile FM’s noncommercial religious…
Read MoreRadio: Here’s A Digital Blueprint for Building Community
By: Seth Resler Jacobs Media Strategies A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the difference between building an Audience and building a Community. The key distinction is that members of a Community care about and communicate with each other; members of an Audience do not. I believe that as media continues to fragment with more…
Read MoreThe Hill: Republican John James Announces Congressional Bid
Michigan Republican John James on Monday (1/31) announced a bid to represent the state in the U.S. House. The Hill reports that James, who ran unsuccessful Senate campaigns in 2018 and 2020, is vying to represent Michigan’s newly drawn 10th Congressional District. The district is expected to be competitive, as it encompasses parts of swing…
Read MoreFCC Follow Up to Stations that Did Not File Biennial Ownership Reports Last December – Fines to Follow?
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP The FCC sent out a flurry of reminders to broadcasters who did not file their Biennial Ownership Reports by the December 1, 2021 deadline. As we wrote in our reminder in November, these reports were to be filed by licensees of all full-power radio and TV stations (commercial and…
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