Industry News Bits Thu 7-8-21
BOOST RADIO is now on the air in two more markets. The station went on in Pittsburgh and Fayetteville today, launching on EMF frequencies 97.9 W250CY Pittsburgh/98.3 WPKV-HD3 Duquesne PA and 97.3 W247BS Hope Mills/107/3 WKFV-HD4 Clinton NC. That makes four markets BOOST RADIO has expanded into since Gateway Creative Broadcasting and EMF teamed up in March this year to syndicate Gateway’s BOOST RADIO brand.
Longtime WBCL/Ft Wayne morning host Phil Reaser is retiring at the end of August. Reiser has over 60 years in radio, 25 of them doing mornings at WBCL. Phil has worked in cities all over the U.S. including Cleveland, Phoenix, San Antonio, Philadelphia, and Memphis. Billboard Magazine has awarded him twice nationally for Radio Personality of the Year as a Country music DJ in both the small and major market categories.
In the 1970’s, Phil had a very popular stint as the morning man on WLYV in Fort Wayne. For most of his career, he was known as Phil Gardner on the air but started using his real last name, Reaser, when he returned to Fort Wayne to host the morning show on WBCL in 1996. After radio, Phil plans to continue in ministry by sharing his unique personal story with others via public speaking opportunities.
Phil shares, “I want to thank the entire WBCL staff for a very rich and delightful experience in being a part of the ministry of WBCL for the last 25 years. …I pray God’s richest blessings upon WBCL’s ministry, the staff and management, and each and every listener!”
Congratulations and Happy Birthday to the team at Moody Radio station WKES-FM/Tampa, Florida. They are celebrating 60 years of ministry to the Tampa, Naples, Ocala and Sarasota communities! Learn more about their story HERE.
World Concern and Vidare Creative have finalized an agreement and joined forces to serve families in extreme poverty and transform villages around the world.
Jeremy Reis, Senior Director of Marketing at World Concern said, “I’m tremendously excited to take this partnership between CRISTA and Vidare Creative to the next level. Having worked with Vidare for some time fundraising for CRISTA Media, we are excited to enter this new phase to transform villages in extreme poverty through World Concern.”“We are so honored to partner with World Concern to raise awareness and support for their transformational work in some really hard places,” added Vidare’s Paul Goldsmith. “We know listeners to Christian radio have concerns about the world and want to make it a better place for families. World Concern gives them the opportunity to do just that.”If you would like to join World Concern and Vidare Creative in transforming a village, contact Paul Goldsmith at paul@vidarecreative.com
Effective immediately, Old Time Preachers Quartet bass vocalist, Mike Holcomb is taking an extended leave of absence from the group.
OTPQ Manager, Les Butler states, “Mike has been traveling, spreading the good news in sermon and song for nearly 50 years. Once the Covid restrictions started to lift, Mike’s personal preaching schedule really filled up. All the members of the Old Time Preachers QT put a premium on the preached word. It’s been increasingly difficult to do it all.”
AT WWIL/Wilmington (Life 90.5) Mandy Bowman moves from Middays to mornings starting this Monday. Mandy joined WWIL in 2018 and has been on middays since then, she will replace Jim Stephens who retired at the end of June.
Milestones:
Tristi Hendrick 4 years at KTSY/Boise
Beth Bacall 10 years at WFSH/Atlanta
Melony McKaye 8 years at KJNW/Kansas City
