News Bites for Monday, September 21…
iHeartMedia Philadelphia CHR “Q102” WIOQ and modern/alternative rock “Alt 104.5” WRFF are giving one couple the chance to get married at Pennhurst Asylum on Halloween night, Oct. 31, as part of the stations’ “Til Death Do Us Part” promotion. Through Oct. 11, eligible couples can enter online by explaining why they want to exchange vows at the legendary haunted destination. The winning couple will receive a wedding experience that includes a ceremony, reception and private Pennhurst experience for themselves and 25 guests. “Q102” personality Nico will host the celebration and provide the music. iHeartMedia Philadelphia Senior Vice President of Programming Jeff Hurley said the promotion reflects the stations’ efforts to create memorable experiences for listeners, calling the Halloween wedding an opportunity for an adventurous couple to celebrate their relationship at one of the region’s best-known haunted attractions.Audacy has named Blake Whiten its newest country Launch artist, adding the 22-year-old singer-songwriter to its 2026 class alongside Zach John King, Stephen Wilson Jr. and Audrey Hobert. As part of the music discovery program, Whiten’s song “Bet On That” will receive increased exposure across Audacy’s country stations through broadcast and digital airplay, on-air artist vignettes, and digital, editorial and social content. Whiten, who was raised in Six Mile, SC, has accumulated more than 400 million streams worldwide since his first public performance two years ago. He made his Grand Ole Opry debut earlier this year and released his debut album, “Something To Say,” in July. Following tour dates with Bailey Zimmerman and Morgan Wallen, Whiten will launch his headlining “Something to Say Tour” this fall.
Beasley Media Group’s New Jersey stations classic hits WJRZ-FM (100.1) and rock WRAT-FM (95.9) in the Monmouth-Ocean market earned three honors at the 58th Annual Jersey Awards, recognizing creative work in radio advertising. WJRZ and WRAT won first place for Best Radio Campaign for Punctual Pros NJ, along with second place for Best Radio Commercial for Precision Garage Doors and an Award of Excellence for Leaning Father’s Brewing. The New Jersey Advertising Club competition recognizes creative work across the state’s advertising, marketing and communications industries. The winning entries were created by Beasley’s creative, production and on-air teams, including Mike Scecchitano, Jimmy Steal, Mark Schmidhauser and others. Winners were recognized during the Jersey Awards Exhibition and Ceremony Sept. 16 at The Grove in Cedar Grove, NJ.University of Florida news/talk WUSF Tampa (89.7) won 20 journalism excellence awards, including 10 first-place honors, in the 2026 Sunshine State Awards competition hosted by the Florida chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The awards recognized work produced in 2025 across categories including environment, education, general coverage, multimedia and podcasting. Jessica Meszaros and Steve Newborn won first place for Environment, Science & Technology Reporting for coverage of fertilizers’ effects on Florida waterways, while Sky Lebron was named Broadcast Anchor of the Year for his work on “The Bay Blend” podcast, “Morning Edition,” “All Things Considered” and “Florida Matters Live & Local.” Kerry Sheridan won for education reporting, and Nancy Guan received a first-place award for general coverage. WUSF.org also won for best news website.