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Hubbard ABC affiliate KAAL/6 (Austin-Rochester) announced that Randy Brock will join the station as chief meteorologist. Brock worked at competitor KTTC from 2002 to 2016.
Meanwhile, Morgan Murphy CBS affiliate WKBT/8 (La Crosse) announced that meteorologist Bill Graul is retiring after 25 years with the station.
Rick Gevers’ weekly newsletter notes that Dave Kaplar is leaving the news director’s office at Gray NBC affiliate WOWT/6 (Omaha) to take the same role at Gray’s station in Toledo.
Larry Stevens is joining Heartland Communications’ “Coyote 93.7” (WCYE Three Lakes-Rhinelander) as program director.
KELO-TV reported on the impending retirement of Jerry Oster, longtime news director at WNAX/570 (Yankton), which was first announced a few months ago.
Bring Me The News reports that longtime radio host and manager Paul Boris has died at the age of 43. Boris had worked in Marshall, Minn., before moving to Alaska, Missouri, and then California.
Stations and companies
The latest annual ranking by BIA Advisory Services says St. Paul-based Hubbard Radio remains the number four national radio owner by revenue. WTOP (Washington), which is the top-billing station in the country, accounted for more than a quarter of Hubbard’s estimated $252 million in revenue in 2022. iHeartMedia, Audacy, and Cumulus remained first, second, and third on the ranking.
Delilah has joined the evening lineup at Cumulus Media’s “Love 105” (WWWM-FM/105.7 Eden Prairie-Minneapolis, WGVX/105.1 Lakeville, and WLUP/105.3 Cambridge). It appears this may be the first time the syndicated show has been heard in the Twin Cities since former affiliate “102.9 Lite FM” (WLTE) changed format more than a decade ago.
Winners for overall excellence in the RTDNA Murrow Awards for Region 4 (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin) include Tegna’s KARE/11 (Minneapolis), Gray’s WBAY/2 (Green Bay), and Audacy’s WCCO/830 (Minneapolis).
Station of the Year winners at the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association’s Awards Gala included Hearst’s WISN-TV/12 (Milwaukee), Allen’s WKOW/27 (Madison), Gray’s WSAW/7 (Wausau), Good Karma’s WTMJ/620 (Milwaukee) and WBEV-FM/95.3 (Beaver Dam), Seehafer’s WOMT/1240 (Manitowoc), the City of Monona’s WVMO-LP/98.7 (Monona), Midwest’s WIFC/95.5 (Wausau), and CTJ’s WLKG/96.1 (Lake Geneva). WISN-TV, WSAW, WTMJ, WOMT, and WBEV-FM also won for News Operation of the Year, along with Gray’s WMTV/15 (Madison).
The Nebraska Broadcasters Association has joined with its counterpart in Massachusetts to launch the High School Radio Project, which allows students to schedule music, record breaks, and produce news and sports stories heard on online streams.
Forum’s Sioux Falls Live website indicates that the company’s KSFL-TV/36.1 (Sioux Falls) is now carrying “Hot Mic with Dom Izzo,” which airs in the Fargo market on the WDAY Xtra subchannel from 9 to 11 a.m.
Though none of the affected stations is in the Upper Midwest, it’s worth noting that CBS is dropping the CW from eight major-market stations. The CW is more of a brand than a programming source since it offers just two hours of network shows per weekday (except for its small market feed). Deadline notes that the CBS-owned stations had already rejected the CW’s coverage of LIV Golf.
In case you missed it here:
- Data Dump: iHeart, i3G Top North Dakota Radio Owners
- Ask NorthPine: What Happens When RF, Virtual Channels Conflict?
- FCC/CRTC Monitor: Wis. College Returns FM; New `Peg FM/TV Hearing
News tips? Press releases? If you don’t see yours here, I probably didn’t receive it! Please send them to jonellis@northpine.com!
Disclosure: Jon Ellis was an employee of Gray Media Group at the time this item was posted. The statements and views expressed in this posting are his own and do not reflect those of Gray Media Group.