RBR+TVBR InFOCUS Podcast Radio Ink Magazine

It’s been three weeks since Pio Ferro, the new Senior Vice President of Programming and Content for Meruelo Media, settled in to beautiful downtown Burbank to take on a position that puts him in charge of what comes out of the speakers for four FM radio stations in Southern California.

What's Ferro's vision for the stations, that sees him working alongside President/CEO Otto Padrón from eighth-floor offices in a building with a prominently displayed mural that reads “Laugh Loud. Play Hard”?

In this exclusive chat, Ferro opens up about working for a privately held broadcast group, how great content can drive revenue and advertiser ROI, and why a Foo Fighters/Becky G mashup may not be the best of ideas in this fresh InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, that comes on the eve of the 2024 Hispanic Radio Conference.

What makes Colorado Springs morning hosts Woody and Bobby standout air personalities in a world where syndicated wake-up shows and reduction-in-force initiatives due to tough economic realities dominate the headlines? Find out in this fresh InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM. 

It is now H.R. 8449, and is being championed by House Members Gus Bilirakis and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. as part of an effort to get it to the finish line. The new, marked-up "AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act" surfaced earlier this week, and on Thursday a House Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee markup of three bills included discussion of the legislation that would mandate AM radio availability in all new vehicles sold in the U.S.

A host of House E&C Committee Members shared their thoughts on the legislation, with a Congresswoman from Detroit noting that while she clearly supports AM radio, she wants a full understanding of the cost to consumers and her constituents representing the domestic automotive industry's biggest companies.

This InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, offers audio highlights from the May 23 session — giving you direct access to the future of kHz-band radio from our elected officials in Washington.

With no amendments, the bill was forward to the full committee. From here, the House E&C will schedule a discussion and vote on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which would then get a likely floor vote in the full U.S. House of Representatives.

In 2004, four years after Connoisseur Communications ended seven years of operation with its $258 million sale to Cumulus, Jeff Warshaw launched a second company bearing the Connoisseur name. Today, Connoisseur Media offers advertisers and audiences digital and linear media that's all about being local in three distinct geographic areas — all of them adjacent to some of the nation's biggest markets.

With Connoisseur Media celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024, RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson checks in with Warshaw on this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, to take the pulse of the company, and learn more about a recent Country launch on Long Island and the continued dominant performance of its stations in Fairfield County, Conn., among other topics in this lively conversation.

A new way to tell stories for journalists seeking the change is at the heart of the E.W. Scripps Company’s Journalism Journey Initiative. To learn more about the job transition platform ahead of a May 15 webinar, initative Program Director Jim Iovino sits in with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson on this podcast, presented by dot.FM.

It was brief, with no questions asked following prepared remarks from an analyst or shareholder. But CEO Bob Pittman and CFO/COO Rich Bressler offered a full analysis of how the nation's No. 1 content creation and production company performed in 2024. The call was held directly opposite the Q1 2024 earnings call for Townsquare Media, and we're pleased to offer Pittman and Bressler's audio comments in full in this podcast presented by dot.fm.