Cumulus Media Partners is leaning hard on the “94” imagery – launching Friday morning at 9:40am with 940 songs in a row. It hopes to wedge I-94 in between Radio One’s CHR “Radio Now 100.9” WNOU, Radio One’s rhythmic WHHH (96.3) and Entercom’s hot AC WZPL (99.5). Check the new “I94Hits” website out here. See what the Indiana Board thinks of the new entrant – the former WRWM, a Class A licensed to Fishers, Indiana, here.

The Mexico City-based company owns 15 radio stations, including 11 in Mexico City, and now operates Emmis-owned KXOS-FM (93.9) in Los Angeles under a long-term LMA. Its total-year 2008 broadcasting revenue grew from 655 million pesos in 2007 to 735 million in 2008, or $53.1 million in U.S. dollars. In addition, Radio Centro also showed overall gains in broadcast income and net income for 2008. The secret to their success? They're selling a lot of radio ads, as evidenced by the higher sales commissions paid in 2008. Grupo Radio Centro’s SEC filing can be viewed here.

63% of respondents in a national study say Jackson’s death is being over-covered, compared to the media attention given to Farah Fawcett’s death, which occurred about the same time. HCD surveyed 1,850 people on Wednesday, July 1, using its MediaCurves website. Interestingly, 80% of the respondents also say they're engaged in the Michael Jackson story when exposed to it by the media. Read the HCD study here. Radio seems to be picking up the same vibe, according to Mediabase. Its followup report on airplay says that airplay “remains strong”, a week after the entertainer’s death. “Billie Jean” is still the most-played MJ song. But the Mediabase numbers for total spins are definitely down from Friday, June 26, the first day after Jackson’s death. Here’s the tally, day by day: Wednesday, June 24 – 511. Thursday – 15,551. Friday – 34,371. Saturday – 17,153. Sunday – 11,851. Monday – 4,166. Tuesday, 2,531. Wednesday – 2,060. Mediabase says even so – “a full week later, airplay is still more than four times what it was prior to Jackson’s passing.”

Jonathan Wolfert at Dallas-based JAM Creative Production whipped up the special montage of MJ, and he and 1330 Networks partner and consultant Gary Berkowitz wanted to make it available to radio while the subject is on listeners' minds. Check it out here.

He was the longtime PD of classical WFMT-FM (98.7), and a fixture on Chicago radio for six decades. Norman Pellegrini got his start in radio on WOAK, but moved with WFMT founders Bernie and Rita Jacobs to the station as PD in 1951, where he would remain for nearly 45 years. WFMT has set up a special tribute for Pellegrini on its station website. Andi Lamoreaux, WFMT’s music director, said “Norm Pellegrini’s love of music, and his standards of quality, established the character of WFMT radio from its beginnings in the early 1950s. His passion for good music is still with us today.” Pellegrini was 79 – Discuss it.

Government authorities arrested a police officer in Mindoro, charging him with the execution murder of deDO talk show host Crispin Perez Jr. Police officer Darwin R. Quimoyog was identified by Perez’s wife as the trigger man. While many murders of journalists go unsolved in the Philippines, authorities were able to track the officer from eyewitness accounts of the motorcycle Quimoyog used to flee after the murder. Perez was the fourth journalist killed in the Philippines this year. His case is the only one that produced a suspect and arrest. The motive behind the murder of Perez, who was a former politician and governor, remains unclear.

WWDC-FM (101.1) midday host Whitney, who Radio-Info reported is leaving the Washington, DC station later this month, may be heading to Seattle. DCRTV says she could be moving there for a morning show … The Radio-Info Houston boards are buzzing about Pat Gray, who’s reportedly leaving his morning gig on KSEV-AM (700) for a job with syndicated talker Glenn Beck – Discuss it … WGNY-AM, Newburgh, NY (1220) morning host Joe Manglass has left the station due to health reasons. Radio-Info is told they're “dotting the ‘i’s’ and crossing the ’t’s'” on a deal for a new morning host to be announced within two weeks … At Asheville, North Carolina’s WOXL-FM (96.5), host Pat Ryan was cut loose, a victim of budget cuts at the Saga-owned station … A total of nine jobs were cut at Iowa Public Radio. Four of the cuts are current job vacancies that won’t be filled … David Ahlers is the new radio voice of University of Nebraska-Omaha hockey on radio, replacing Greg Harrington, who leaves after 12 years … Sirius XM is offering “Uncle Sam Radio,” a special all-patriotic music channel, from Thursday evening through midnight Sunday, July 5th.

Saying “he is a danger to the community,” a judge, for the second time in six days has ordered blogger and internet radio host Hal Turner held without bail. Turner, from New Jersey, is accused of making threats against three Federal judges over their recent ruling regarding handgun bans in Illinois. Turner is alleged to have written on his blog, “These judges deserve to be killed,” and printed photos of the judges, and locations where they worked. As of late, Turner has been learning first-hand how the judicial system works. In early June, he was arrested on a warrant by Connecticut officials after he urged his readers and listeners to “take up arms” against two Connecticut state lawmakers. After that, FBI agent discovered guns and ammunition at his home. For the threats against the Illinois judges, Turner faces a maximum 10 years in prison. His lawyer claims his comments are protected under the First Amendment.

Barack Obama hasn’t even celebrated his sixth month in office, but syndicated talker Rush Limbaugh is already planning for his third term. Limbaugh recently said on his show, “You have to wonder if Obama is just trying to lay a foundation for not being a hypocrite when he tries to serve beyond 2016.” Calling Obama supporters, “cultish,” Limbaugh believes there will be a move made to repeal the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution (limiting Presidential terms), adding, “I wouldn’t put it past Obama to be plotting right now how to serve beyond 2016.” According to the law, a repeal of any Constitutional amendment would need to be passed by two-thirds of Congress, then ratified by two-thirds of the state legislatures. More from NewsMax here.

It looks like Clear Channel Alternative KYSR (98.7) Los Angeles will add some personality into its “Music in the Morning” show, with former MTV VJ Kennedy will be featured in the mornings. Just last month, The Orange County Register reported that Kennedy would be doing some talk radio on co-owned KFI (640), joining Brian Suits in weeknights, which she’ll continue to do as well. KYSR program coordinator and personality Darren Rose will join Kennedy with entertainment and news features through out the music intensive morning show. The L.A. Board discusses why KYSR made the move, here.

Apparently, “lightning never strikes twice in the same place” is a myth for Loudon, Tennessee’s WFIV-FM (105.3). The “Voice of Farragut” was hit by lightning for the second time in as many weeks. Horne Radio GM Tony Cox tells the Farragut Press that all of the damaged equipment from the first lightning strike was hit again, saying, “The replacement parts that were put back in place were then damaged again, so it’s more of the same thing.” The station is still able to broadcast, but with some technical issues. Cox said he was calling in an electrical engineer to inspect their system, and with good reason. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records, only 0.7% of all single-time lightning strikes spanning 35 years have been radio, transmitter & antenna-related.

That station’s history includes monikers such as “Ecstacy 93.9,” “Gold 93.9,” “The Bear,” “Retro 9.39,” “93.9 The Song,” “FM Talk 93.9” and lastly “Warm 93.9.” However, “Warm” is now out after 18 months, and WRWM-FM (93.9) is stunting, with a promo saying “This is the sound of construction of a brand new radio station.” The new format, according to the station stream, will debut at 9:40am on Friday. Indianapolis never took to “Warm 93.9,” as the latest Arbitron ratings show: the Cumulus-owned station ranked at the bottom in the market. You can listen for the format flip on Friday morning.by clicking here. Find out what the boards are saying about the possible new format, here:

In Miami, Cox loses manager Mike Disney and Sales Manager John Lynch, according to this morning’s T-R-I newsletter from Radio-Info. Sign up to receive T-R-I every weekday – and also the new twice-weekly “Ross On Radio” column – here … Phil Strider is the new Vice President of Affiliate Relations for The Tom Kent Radio Network. He previously served as Regional Manager at Jones and was a VP/Regional Operations Director at MetroNetworks … Jen Howard joins the FCC as press secretary to new FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. She was last with grassroots media activist group Free Press … According to the Radio-Info.com boards, Chris Ryan has left Connecticut’s WDRC-FM (102.9), where he did overnights and was producer for the morning show on WDRC-AM (1360). Discuss it here:

Sima Birach brought a settlement agreement to the Commission with a man who wanted to create a new station in West Virginia on the same frequency, but the Commission cites its rules and won’t let Birach Broadcasting leave its current city of license in Michigan. WCXI, currently running 1-kw fulltime and licensed to Fenton, Michigan, is in the Flint area. Birach Broadcasting proposed to re-license it to Wixom, Michigan – this time with 15-kw days, and still 1-kw at night. Even though WCXI would be providing “first service” to Wixom – just northeast of Detroit – the FCC rejects the deal. WCXI must stay where it is – and a competing proposal to build an 1160 in Winfield, WV gets the nod, instead. Read the Commission’s decision here.

Steve Wonder is against the Arbitron PPM, on the grounds that it undercounts minorities and hurts ethnic stations. He owns Los Angeles standalone urban AC KJLH (102.3), and its filing at the FCC says “The station has been hard hit and badly hurt” by the People Meter.” The National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters says if the FCC can’t get Arbitron to fix the system, “the Commission should terminate its reliance on Arbitron data for any Commission purpose" and otherwise pressure it to improve the system. The Sutton family’s ICBC owns urban WBLS, New York and urban AC KBLX in San Francisco and says “The switch to PPM has harmed” it, citing ratings and revenue estimates. But Emmis, which owns urban “Hot 97” WQHT and urban AC WRKS in New York and urban “Power 106” KPWR in L.A., thinks the FCC should steer clear of investigating electronic measurement. It admits that its stations “have fared less well under the PPM system than under the old paper diary system.” But it says “notwithstanding these results, Emmis does not view them as representing any inherent bias against stations with African-American or Hispanic audiences.“ And it offers this thought: "the paper diary system has often overstated actual listening.”