Longtime 760 WJR morning man Paul W. Smith is moving to a newly created timeslot on the venerable Detroit news/talk station.

Beginning Tuesday, June 20th, Smith will be heard in the Noon-2:00 PM timeslot previously occupied by The Dan Bongino Show. Focus with Paul W. Smith will “expand the community’s access to Mihcigan’s most influential political, civic, and business newsmakers”, according to a press release.

Guy Gordon will move mornings from his current early afternoon window, hosting a newly branded JR Morning show from 6:00-9:00 AM. All Talk with Tom Jordan and Kevin Dietz remains in the 9:00 AM-Noon timeslot. The station will also launch a new afternoon show, JR Afternoon, hosted by Chris Renwick from 2:00-4:00 PM. The Mitch Albom Show will continue to be heard from 4:00-6:00 PM.

“What a lineup! Each of our talent is a brand unto themself and have a unique vision and take on the events that shape the news,” said 760 WJR Program Director Mike Wheeler. “We are absolutely living up to our claim that WJR is where Michigan comes to talk.”

Smith has been the host of the station’s morning show since 1996, after stepping in for predecessor and radio legend JP McCarthy. The change allows both he and the station more flexibility.

“Launching the Focus show will give Paul W. Smith the opportunity to expand, on and off the air, his unmatched relationships with Michigan’s most influential newsmakers, for the benefit of our audience and our advertising partners,” Cumulus Detroit Vice President and Market Manager Steve Finateri said. “WJR is The Great Voice of the Great Lakes and going 100% local is a big win for all Michiganders who count on WJR to inform and educate us about everything happening here in our state!”

Jemele Hill recently took to Twitter to address the misconceptions surrounding her podcast, expressing that many reports circulating is simply untrue. She clarified that her podcast had not been canceled, and contrary to rumors, she never made a $100 million request to Spotify. Hill said she found the situation rather amusing and described it as comical.

According to a recent TMZ report, Hill is currently negotiating a separation from Spotify, where she has been exclusively hosting her thought-provoking podcast “Jemele Hill is Unbothered” since 2019. Multiple sources have indicated that she is now actively searching for a new platform to continue her show. The ‘Unbothered’ podcast network, which showcases other talented Black podcasters, is reportedly ending. Speculations suggest that Spotify may either release her from her contract ahead of schedule or allow it to expire.

“People: A lot of what’s been reported just isn’t true. My podcast hasn’t been canceled. I never asked Spotify for $100M. This shit is truly comical,” she tweeted.

Jemele Hill further addressed the issue through a Twitter exchange with someone who brought up the quote, responding by emphasizing the need for better comprehension and suggesting a thorough reading of the original article. She stated, “I never told Spotify or the NYT that I deserved $100M. My deal at Spotify is fair. This was about advocating for investment and growth, specifically for prominent Black podcasters.”

It is evident that her intention was to highlight the importance of supporting and investing in diverse voices within the podcasting industry.

Jemele Hill’s podcast does not rank among the top-performing shows on the platform.

Very few large broadcasting corporations adopted digital platforms as quickly as iHeartMedia did. iHeartRadio is one of the most popular platforms for streaming content from a variety off stations. Bob Pittman says that does not mean the company does not see plenty of value in traditional broadcast radio.

Lydia Moynihan of The New York Post spoke with the iHeartMedia CEO Friday morning. She asked Pittman if he could foresee a day when the company would be done with terrestrial radio and focus solely on digital products.

“To the contrary – the strength and foundation of our company is our broadcast radio stations,” Pittman responded. “90% of Americans listen to iHeart broadcast radio stations every month. To put that in context, the biggest TV network reaches less than 40% of Americans and the big streaming music services reach less than 30%.”

He added that any success that the company has seen with podcasting or streaming is clearly linked to the success of the its radio stations. He said that is true for its live events too.

“We use that massive and unique reach of our broadcast radio to build complementary products like the iHeartRadio digital service and our major events like the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the iHeartRadio Music Awards and the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour, and it’s why we’re the #1 podcast publisher by a lot.  It all starts with using the trusted voices on our broadcast radio stations and creating demand – and with our unparalleled reach we have quite an advantage over the other audio players, regardless of their cash war chests.”