KUBE Gets New PD; Will The FCC Feed The Monsters?

iHeartMedia appoints Geoff “G-Off” Owens as Program Director for Hip Hop outlets KXJM-FM (JAM’N 107.5)/Portland, OR and KUBE-FM/Seattle, effective immediately. Radio-Online…”We definitely anticipate that more consolidation will happen, in fact we think it’s a necessary activity within the industry,” Sinclair CEO Christopher Ripley told investors earlier this month on the company’s earnings call. Sinclair & Tribune are in talks to merge. Congress requires the FCC to review media ownership rules every four years, including cross-ownership restrictions that prohibit a single owner for a television station and a newspaper in the same market. A full combination of Sinclair and Tribune Media could face regulatory hurdles. Under current FCC regulations, no one company can reach more than 39 percent of households. Sinclair is near the cap and Tribune is just over it…Alpha Media/Portland has added Tony Russell, one-time morning personality at KKWF “The Wolf” Seattle, as morning personality at The Bull, KUPL 98.7 Country. Russell joins co-hosts McKinzie and Jake. Will he drop his first name or last name to match? Former co-host was a guy named Chunky…What are your choices for news on the radio each morning? KIRO 97.3, KUOW 94.9, KNKX 88.5? Northwest Public Radio station KVTI 90.9/Lakewood does not maintain a local news staff, and KOMO 1000/97.7 is a ratings under-achiever. Considering this, if Sinclair & Tribune merge, spinning off the Seattle radio stations [KOMO, KPLZ and KVI] might be part of that shake-up.