Entercom rebranded as Audacy, said CEO David Field Tuesday. He cited sports betting, with the company announcing a multiyear deal with BetMGM Tuesday. The MGM property is its “preferred sports betting partner” across its stations, Audacy and Bet QL apps and digital platforms, and the recently launched “BetQL Audio Network.” Audacy is integrating sports betting content to “millions of sports fans” who tune in daily to Audacy’s broadcast stations, podcasts and shows, it said; BetMGM gets preferred access to Audacy talent. The broadcaster recently bought sports data and iGaming affiliate platform QL Gaming Group. “The advent of legalized mobile sports betting has presented an unprecedented opportunity to bring the action closer to the audience than ever before and, as a result, provide our partners with a direct line of sight to tap into an attentive, fully engaged audience of potential sports bettors,” said Mike Dee, Audacy president-sports. BetMGM Chief Revenue Officer Matt Prevost cited Audacy’s track record in sports radio, digital audio and “now the direct-to-consumer betting analytics space,” saying the partnership enables the company to extend its reach. Audacy’s stations include WFAN-FM/AM New York, SportsRadio WIP(FM) Philadelphia and WSCR(AM) Chicago. Audacy also said Tuesday it signed an exclusive podcast partnership with singer and actress Demi Lovato and exclusive podcasts and projects with Boomer Esiason, Big Tigger and The Rich Eisen Show. A revamped Loveline debuts this summer, it said. The broadcast company’s stock ticker symbol will change from ETM to AUD. Also effective Tuesday, the company sunsetted the Radio.com brand and aligned its direct-to-consumer platform under Audacy. Cadence13, Pineapple Street Studios, BetQL and Podcorn remain market-facing brands.

The FCC Media Bureau conditionally approved transfer of several radio licenses to an iHeartMedia subsidiary while the company has a pending petition for declaratory ruling (PDR) on a Bahamian company buying enough iHeart stock to exceed a foreign-ownership threshold established in a previous bureau ruling (see 2011050061. The order, in Monday’s FCC Daily Digest, includes conditions “designed to insulate, to the extent possible, the non-compliant foreign interests pending action on iHeart’s remedial PDR seeking specific approval of those interests,” the staff said. “The record raises no substantial and material question of fact as to whether iHeart is qualified to be a licensee of broadcast stations and whether grant of the Applications is in the public interest.” The radio group informed the FCC in February that Global Media & Entertainment Investments, which is controlled by U.K. citizens, bought shares to give it about 6.6% of the equity and 8.7% of the voting interests in iHeart. That exceeded the 5% threshold for requiring FCC approval established by a previous declaratory ruling. IHeart “did not solicit the non-compliant foreign investment and was not even aware of it until GMEI’s SEC filing,” the order said. While FCC approval of the foreign ownership is pending, GMEI can’t appoint members to or attend meetings of iHeart’s board or have any role in the company’s day-to-day operations. The MB approved the deal over objections of several listeners, who sought to prevent the stations’ formats from changing. “It is well settled policy that the Commission does not regulate programming formats,” the order said. The transfers involved are located in Fort Worth, Houston and Fisher, Minnesota, and the sellers were Mortenson Broadcasting, Multicultural Radio Broadcasting, and Sun and Snow Station Trust.

Comments are due April 28, replies May 13 in docket 21-55 on KUTV Licensee’s request to change the channel of KMYU St. George, Utah, from 9 to 21, says Monday’s Federal Register.

FCC rules enhancing and broadening the penalties for unlicensed radio broadcasting take effect April 26, said Thursday's Federal Register. The rule changes implemented provisions of the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act (see 2001270021).

Comments are due April 26, replies May 10 in docket 21-70 on WFXL Licensee’s request to swap WFXL Albany, Georgia, from channel 12 to 29, said Thursday's Federal Register. Comments and replies are due the same days in docket 21-72 for WLUK Licensee’s request to swap WLUK Green Bay, Wisconsin, from channel 12 to 18. Though the FR's listing for the WLUK proceeding describes the station as 'WULK-TV," filings in docket 21-72 and the FCC's consolidated database system list the call letters as WLUK.

FCC rules clarifying how ancillary service fees apply to broadcasters using ATSC 3.0 datacasting (see 2102230068) took effect Thursday, said a Media Bureau public notice.

Rules to encourage diversity “in fact make broadcast investment far less attractive for historically underrepresented groups,” NAB told an aide to Commissioner Nathan Simington Tuesday, per a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-349. The FCC “has made no progress whatsoever encouraging more diverse ownership” and “must work to ensure that its rules facilitate, rather than impede, broadcasters’ ability to compete effectively for audience and advertising revenue,” NAB said. It said the retransmission consent regime “continues to be critical to the economic viability of TV."

Entercom reached a multiyear agreement with Global Music Rights to allow the broadcaster to play GMR’s catalog across all its platforms, starting immediately, the radio station owner said Wednesday. It described it as a “long term partnership.” GMR has threatened to sue broadcasters for using its catalog without permission in the past.

Would-be participants in the hearing designation order on whether Michael Hubbard should be allowed under Alabama’s Ethics Act to hold FCC licenses in the Auburn, Alabama, designated market area after recent felony convictions (see 2102110005) have until April 23 to file a petition for leave in docket 21-20 to intervene, says Wednesday's Federal Register.

Comments are due April 22, replies May 7 on Gray Television’s request to swap the channel for KCRG-TV Cedar Rapids from 9 to 32, says Tuesday’s Federal Register about docket 21-51.