Cox Media Group has named David Abel as Vice President and Market Manager of the organization’s Atlanta Radio cluster.
Abel’s history with CMG dates back to 2001 and over the course of 11 years, Abel served in CMG station roles in Birmingham, Orlando and Greenville. Between 2011 and 2019, Abel served in leadership roles with a variety of stations and markets. In 2019, Abel returned to CMG as Vice President and Market Manager of CMG San Antonio Radio.
“I am looking forward to working with CMG’s flagship radio brands and serving our team, listeners, customers, and communities throughout Atlanta,” Abel says.
Welcome to Atlanta, Abel!
Laurann Robinson has joined the FOX5 Storm Team as a meteorologist.
Robinson is a graduate of the University of Arizona and received her certification in meteorology from Mississippi State University. Most recently, Robinson was a meteorologist at KUSA-TV in Denver, CO.
Welcome to Atlanta, Laurann!
WXIA welcomes Dan Kennedy as reporter and weekend morning anchor beginning January 27, 2025.
Kennedy will be coming from TEGNA sister-station, WVEC 13News Now in Norfolk, VA. Kennedy has been with WVEC for 7 years as an anchor, acting as evening anchor since May 2023.
“I look back proud of our newsroom’s work: From the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake mass shootings to hurricanes and tornadoes. Together, we navigated COVID illness and shutdowns and shared heartbreak over missing children. We also celebrated milestones and shared 5 a.m. belly laughs,” Kennedy says in a farewell post shared to LinkedIn.
Welcome to Atlanta, Dan!
In partnership with One Warm Coat, Brad Nitz’s Coat Drive collected 7,000 coats that will directly benefit Georgians
“It’s just incredible to watch our community come together to make sure Georgians stay warm this winter,” said Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz.
The winter weather events and increasingly cold temperatures that have taken place over the past weeks have emphasized the need that the coat drive is fulfilling.
Congratulations Abby on your achievement!
Olivia Trusty, staffer for Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), has been named as President Donald Trump’s nominee for FCC Commissioner. Trusty would be filling the seat that recently became available after the departure of former FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
Other changes to the commission include the appointment of Brendan Carr as FCC Chairman. Carr made an announcement of his staffing changes on January 21, following the inauguration.
Core Radio Group has launched an Adult R&B station, WTBS-LD 87.7 The Vibe in Atlanta.
President and CEO Steve Hegwood says the station will “fill a void” in the Atlanta market. 87.7 The Vibe brings listeners a mix of R&B from the 80s through now.
Hegwood says, “This genre offers a nostalgic yet modern take on storytelling with an emotional connection.“
NAB Crystal Award entries are now being accepted through January 25, 2025.
Each year, 10 NAB member radio stations are recognized for excellence in year-round community service. This year’s Crystal Award recipients will be honored at the 2025 NAB State Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.
To register for the NAB Show CLICK HERE
Grady College’s DiGamma Kappa will honor Robin Hommel as its special guest to speak at the organization’s annual luncheon.
According to Hommel’s 2023 Grady Fellowship Induction profile, “Hommel is a three-time Emmy Award-winning producer and showrunner whose career spans network news, daytime talk and primetime programming.”
Don’t forget to stay up to date on regulatory deadlines for the month and year!
Coming up this month:
- January 30 – Children’s Television Program Reports. Annual Children’s Television Programming Report (Form 2100, Schedule H) must be filed by January 30 using the FCC’s Licensing and Management System (LMS). This report should cover the period from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024.
- January 30 – Children’s Television Commercial Limitations Certification. Annual certification of compliance with the commercial limits in children’s TV programming must be uploaded by all commercial full-power and Class A TV stations to their online public inspection files by January 30. This certification should cover the period from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024.
- January 31 – SoundExchange Minimum Fees. Webcasters, including broadcasters who simulcast their signals on the Internet or through a mobile app, must pay their minimum annual fees by January 31. These fees are now $1,000 per stream for commercial and noncommercial streams not affiliated with a school or CPB. Noncommercial educational webcasters (affiliated with a school or college), not affiliated with NPR and CPB, must make elections about recordkeeping requirements that will apply to their streaming operations by January 31
UGA’s Terry College continued its Economic Outlook Series in Augusta (1/7), Savannah (1/8) and Jekyll Island (1/13). The visits provided communities 2025 projections for each city, in addition to the state.
If you are interested in attending one of the remaining events in Macon (1/17), Athens (1/22), Albany (1/29) or Columbus (1/30), please contact our office admin@gab.org
