News Bites for Thursday, August 13…
Cumulus Media classic rock “101 The Fox” KCFX in Kansas City partnered with Community Blood Center and Live Nation’s Morton Amphitheater for the station’s first “Rock & Roll Up Your Sleeves Blood Drive” on Aug. 11. The 10-hour event drew 124 donors and collected 114 units of blood, which Community Blood Center Account Manager Chris Major said could help save up to 342 lives. The event was held in the Vinyl Room at Morton Amphitheater, with donors receiving a limited-edition “101 The Fox” t-shirt and an entry to win tickets to upcoming concerts at the venue. Cumulus Kansas City Operations Manager Jim Fox credited the station’s listeners for responding to the community’s need, noting that some donors even took the day off work to participate. The event combined community service with the station’s music and entertainment brand.The “All Teaching Channel” of First Dallas Media’s KCBI-FM (90.9) is expanding its Dallas-Fort Worth footprint, with the Christian teaching format now available on KCBN (102.5) in Dallas County. The signal provides a new local FM outlet for programming featuring Bible teachers that previously was primarily available through HD Radio, streaming and other platforms. Dallas County is home to approximately 2.8 million residents, giving the channel access to a significant audience in North Texas’ most populous county. KCBI General Manager and VP of Operations Matt Austin called the expansion a significant step for the ministry, particularly for its teaching partners. KCBI also expects to move KCBI-AM (770) to its full-market location this fall, where it will air the “All Teaching Channel” and further expand its reach. The station says the moves are intended to create more opportunities for listeners to engage with biblical teaching.
Florida A&M football will no longer have a radio broadcast network for the 2026 season after the university chose not to renew its agreement with Cumulus Media, ending a run of approximately four to five decades of Rattler football on Tallahassee radio. The team’s games had most recently aired on Cumulus-owned “96.1 Jamz” WHBX as part of the Rattler Sports Network. The Eddie Jackson 220 Quarterback Club previously helped fund the network in partnership with FAMU athletics, but handed radio responsibilities to the athletic department this year. FAMU instead plans to have all 12 games televised or streamed through ESPN networks, SWAC TV and HBCU GO, The Tallahassee Democrat reports.Podcast Movement has announced the lineup of speakers for the annual conference, which will move to New York City next month as part of a refocusing of the event, now in its twelfth year. The conference is set to take place Sept. 17–18 at Terminal 5. In addition to two days of programming, every Podcast Movement registration also includes access to the official IAB Podcast Upfront After Party on Sept. 16. Find details HERE.