Latest news with #BlackEffectPodcastFestival
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
iHeartMedia Hires David Hillman, Former CBS and Venu Sports Exec, as Chief Legal Officer
iHeartMedia, the largest radio broadcast group in the U.S. and a major podcast publisher, named David Hillman to the position of executive VP, chief legal officer and secretary. Hillman takes over the job from Jordan Fasbender, who left iHeartMedia last month to join Comcast/NBCUniversal's SpinCo as chief counsel. More from Variety FCC Probes iHeartMedia Following Accusations of Payola Law Violations Charlamagne Tha God, iHeartMedia Announce 2025 Black Effect Podcast Festival Lineup Jemele Hill to Launch 'Spolitics' Weekly Podcast, Delving Into Sports, Race, Sexuality, Culture and More Hillman most recently he served as chief legal officer and member of the founding leadership team of Venu Sports, the sports streaming joint venture between ESPN, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery — which the partners scrapped earlier this year. Prior to Venu, Hillman worked at Paramount Global for more than eight years, last serving as EVP and general counsel of CBS Sports and CBS News & Stations. Earlier in his career he served as general counsel at both Simon & Schuster and Westwood One. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and government from Dartmouth College and a law degree from Fordham University School of Law. As chief counsel at iHeartMedia, Hillman will oversee all legal matters for the company, including compliance, regulatory and corporate governance functions, as well as its government affairs, business affairs and privacy teams. 'David has very relevant experience across a range of media businesses, as well as specific familiarity with the audio industry,' said Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, said in a statement. 'We believe his wealth of experience will make him an ideal addition to the iHeart executive team as we continue to grow our momentum as the #1 audio company in America.' Hillman comented, 'iHeart is the leader in the audio space in America, backed by a management team deeply committed to growth and innovation, and I'm excited to join and contribute to what's next.' Currently, iHeartMedia operates more than 860 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets across the U.S. The company touts the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group as the leading U.S. podcast publisher in downloads, unique listeners, revenue and earnings. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
FCC Probes iHeartMedia Following Accusations of Payola Law Violations
The Federal Communications Commission has warned radio station owners that it is cracking down on what it describes as 'payola' practices. In a letter sent Monday to iHeartMedia CEO Robert Pittman, FCC chairman Brendan Carr says the FCC is scrutinizing the company's activity particularly around the live music events it hosts throughout the year. Specifically, the FCC is pressing iHeart on whether it improperly pressures artists to perform without payment at events such as the upcoming iHeartCountry Music Festival on May 3 in Austin, Texas. More from Variety Charlamagne Tha God, iHeartMedia Announce 2025 Black Effect Podcast Festival Lineup FCC Chairman Launches Probe Into Comcast and NBCU DEI Practices, Says He Is 'Concerned' They May Be 'Promoting Invidious Forms of Discrimination' FCC Chief Brendan Carr Says Trump 'Has Been Right' on Media Bias Claims Amid CBS Probe; Anna Gomez Decries 'Chilling Effect' and 'Weaponization' of Agency 'It would be particularly concerning to me if, on the heels of the FCC's Enforcement Advisory,iHeart is proceeding in a manner that does not comply with federal 'payola' requirements,' Carr writes in the letter (issued Tuesday). 'Indeed, I want to know whether iHeart is effectively and secretly forcing musicians to choose between, one, receiving their usual, ordinary, and full scale compensation for performing or, two, receiving less favorable airplay on iHeart radio [sic] stations.' Carr references the FCC's Feb. 6-issued advisory that followed payola accusations — or 'forced quid pro quo' — leveled by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), reminding radio broadcasters that manipulating airplay based on artist participation in station events without proper disclosure violates federal laws. 'This upcoming iHeart event provides the Commission with a real-world example of how suchevents are put together—including artist solicitation and compensation,' Carr's letter continues. This year's iHeartCountry Festival is slated to feature Brooks and Dunn, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts, Sam Hunt, Megan Moroney, Bailey Zimmerman and Nate Smith. In a statement shared with Variety, iHeart representatives said they 'appreciate FCC Chairman Carr's interest in ensuring the radio industry is compliant with all applicable laws and regulations' and confirmed they would 'be responding expeditiously' to the questions posed by Carr. The FCC is requesting information — with a deadline of 10 days to comply — from iHeart regarding the artists scheduled to appear, any compensation (financial or otherwise) they're receiving and typical performance fees for the musicians outside of the festival. The company must also disclose whether artists' participation at the event will influence their airplay. Additional requests from the FCC include iHeart providing a list of any musicians, artists, or acts that were invited to appear or perform at the festival but declined to do so. 'To the extent you have suchinformation, please indicate why they declined to appear,' the letter states. 'We look forward to demonstrating to the Commission how performing at the iHeartCountry Festival – or declining to do so – has no bearing on our stations' airplay,' iHeart's statement continues. Carr has also ordered an investigation into NPR and PBS over possible violations of government rules, namely by highlighting their acknowledgement of financial sponsors on the air. Read iHeartMedia's complete response to the FCC below: We appreciate FCC Chairman Carr's interest in ensuring the radio industry is compliant with all applicable laws and regulations and will be responding expeditiously to the specific questions posed in the Chairman's letter about iHeart's upcoming Country Festival. The Commission's recent Enforcement Advisory to the radio industry as a whole stated that manipulating airplay based on artist participation in station events without proper disclosure violates federal laws. We look forward to demonstrating to the Commission how performing at the iHeartCountry Festival – or declining to do so – has no bearing on our stations' airplay, and we do not make any overt or covert agreements about airplay with artists performing at our events. The iHeartCountry Festival provides the same kind of promotion that that we see with artists on talk shows, late night television, the Super Bowl and in digital music performances and events: the promotional value to the artists is the event itself, and, in our case, is unrelated to our radio airplay. We're very proud that over the years we've had artists ask us to be a part of the iHeartCountry Festival, and in fact we've had artists make repeat appearances over the years because it is an important event that enables them to reach our audiences and enhance their careers. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
