Dial Global

Dial Global

Type	Radio network
Country	United States
Availability	National, through regional affiliates
Headquarters	Candler Building New York, New York
Owner	Triton Media Group
Launch date	2006
Former names	X Radio Networks
Official website	www.dialglobal.com

Dial Global (OTC Pink: DIAL) is an American radio programming syndication company majority-owned by Oaktree Capital Management and The Gores Group.

Dial Global was founded as X Radio Networks as a division of Excelsior Radio Networks. It merged with Dial Communications and Global Media in 2006, from which it derived the Dial Global name. Dial Global initially specialized in syndicated weekend music programs of various types. In 2007 it acquired the former Transtar Radio Networks from Westwood One.

Triton Media Group purchased Excelsior in early 2008, and soon bought two of its three main competitors: Waitt Radio Networks and Jones Radio Networks. Triton uses the Dial Global name for all of its programming. It later bought the remainder of Westwood One in 2011, with some of Westwood One's ownership taking stakes in Dial Global.

As a result of its purchases and merger with Westwood One, Dial Global controls the remnants of several previous radio networks, including NBC, Mutual, Transtar, RKO, Waitt, Jones, BPI, and Drake-Chenault; as well as the distribution rights to the CBS Radio Network, whose stations are owned by CBS Corporation (although Townsquare has purchased stations from CBS as the latter exits the smaller markets). Dial Global's numerous acquisitions prompted rival Talk Radio Network to file an antitrust lawsuit against Dial Global in August 2012.

By late 2012, Dial Global was showing signs of financial distress. On November 15, Dial Global announced a disappointing third quarter that it attributed in part to the financial impact of its exposure to the controversy surrounding a certain controversial talk personality, which was widely assumed to be a veiled reference to Rush Limbaugh in the wake of the Rush Limbaugh–Sandra Fluke controversy (although such a claim would be highly unlikely since Limbaugh has no association with Dial Global). It simultaneously announced that it had filed for delisting from NASDAQ. At the time of the announcement, its stock was trading at $2.00 a share; by mid-January 2013, DG's stock was trading at .30 a share. In a SEC 8-K filing dated January 15, 2013, DG announced that it had extended a loan waiver agreement with certain lenders.

Programming

24-hour networks

Dial Global Total

To remove duplication, in 2008 the Jones networks were consolidated and merged into their Westwood One counterparts to create a new division titled Dial Global Total, while Waitt remained separately operated as Dial Global Local. Based in both Valencia, California and Denver, Colorado, the Total programming service is the result of the merger between the former Jones Radio Networks and Westwood One 24/7 Radio Networks, formerly Transtar. Programming is fed live via satellite 24 hours a day. Networks in the Total programming service include:

	Network Ident	Format	Additional Notes
	Adult Contemporary	Adult Contemporary	Relocated from Jones Radio Networks, replacing the former Dial Global "Soft AC" format. Also known as "AC"
	Adult Standards	Adult standards	Known on air as "America's Best Music." Absorbed many former Jones Standards affiliate stations when Jones Radio Network discontinued Jones Standards.
	Classic Country	Classic Country	Relocated from Jones Radio Networks. Formerly known as "Classic Hit Country"
	Classic Hits/Pop	Pop Classic Hits/Oldies	Formerly known as "Kool Gold" (until June 17, 2012), "The Oldies Channel" and "Kool Gold Timeless Classics", replacing Jones' "Good Time Oldies" (which was revived in June 2012 as an available format from Dial Global Local).
	Classic Hits/Rock	Rock oriented Classic Hits	Relocated from Jones Radio Networks. Renamed from Classic Hits to Classic Hits/Rock on June 17, 2012.
	Classic Rock	Classic Rock	Formerly Jones's "Rock Classics" and Dial Global's "Adult Rock and Roll"
	Drive FX	Trance/House
	Hot Country Today	Current Country Hits	Formerly "Hot Country" and Jones' CD Country
	Hot AC	Hot Adult Contemporary	Relocated from Jones Radio Networks, replacing "Bright AC" on December 29, 2008.
	Jack FM	Variety Hits
	Mainstream Country	Country	Also known as "Your Kind of Country." Replaced Jones "U.S. Country".
	S.A.M.: Simply About Music	Variety Hits
	True Country	Mix of current and classic country hits	Relocated from Jones Radio Networks. Formerly "True 24-Hour Country".

Some of the dayparts on some of the networks offer syndicated programming also offered by Dial Global syndication. These programs include Jeff Young in the Morning on Hot Country, Greg Kihn on Classic Rock, and Nudge at Night on Hits Now.

Dial Global Local

Main article: Dial Global Local

Formerly Waitt Radio Networks, the Local programming service was based out of Omaha, Nebraska (with plans to move to Denver, Colorado in 2011). Dial Global Local ceased to exist as a brand name in June 2012 due to a corporate reorganization, but Dial Global continues to offer the former Dial Global Local formats. As opposed to the Total service, Local enables affiliate stations the ability to schedule commercials, features, news, and other programming elements without time restraints while still offering music programming and DJs that conventional 24/7 services offer.

While most popular Dial Global formats are available in both Total and Local versions, seven (Hot Country, True Country, Classic Hits/Rock, SAM, Jack FM, Drive FX, and Adult Standards) are available in Total versions only, and three others (Good Time Oldies, Rock 2.0, and Hits Now!) are available only in Local.

Dial Global Custom

Based in Seattle, Washington, Dial Global Custom, formerly the custom music service offered by Jones Radio Networks, offers affiliates the daily music logs, preloaded music on their affiliate’s automation systems as well as access to Dial Global’s copy writing and consulting services. This enables subscribers to this service to run their stations entirely in house with their own automation software and local DJs without having to rely on satellite-fed programming.

The Custom service offers daily music logs and hard drive music loading in 24 different formats, which include the following:

Genre	Custom Branding	Format or Format Description
POP	Mainstream CHR	Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR/pop)
	Rhythmic CHR	CHR/rhythmic
	Adult CHR	Modern AC
AC	Hot AC	Hot adult contemporary
	Mainstream AC	Adult contemporary
	AC Variety Gold	Variety hits
	Bright AC	Hot adult contemporary that leans mainstream AC
	Soft AC	gold-based mainstream adult contemporary
	AC 45+	adult contemporary music from the 60s, 70s, & 80s
COUNTRY	Classic Country	Classic country
	Pure Country	Mainstream Country mixed with classic country
	Mainstream Country	Mainstream Country
	Hot Country	Contemporary Country
ROCK	Heritage Rock	Album-oriented rock
	Active Rock	Active rock
	Mainstream Rock	Mainstream rock
	Alternative Rock	Alternative rock
	Classic Rock	Classic rock
	Adult Rock/AAA	Adult album alternative
	Heart of Rock
CLASSIC	Soft Gold	50s & 60s Oldies
	Oldies	Oldies
	Classic Hits	Classic hits
	Adult Standards	Adult standards

= Currently Active.
= Due to the purchase of Dial Global, Waitt, and Jones Radio Networks by Triton Media Group; consolidation is pending.
= Active on a seasonal basis.
= To be discontinued.

Defunct networks

Network Ident	Format	Fate of Network
Jones Standards	Adult Standards	Discontinued on September 30, 2008. Integrated into "America's Best Music".
Jones Variety Hits	Variety/Adult Hits	Discontinued on September 30, 2008. Integrated into "S.A.M.: Simply About Music".
Bob FM	Variety/Adult Hits	Discontinued in favor of Jack FM.
The Bar	Country Rock Hybrid	Discontinued on 2009 due to low affiliate interest.
Smooth Jazz	Smooth Jazz	Discontinued on September 30, 2008.
U.S. Country	American Country	Discontinued on December 29, 2008. Integrated into "Mainstream Country."
Bright AC	Hot Adult Contemporary	Discontinued on December 29, 2008. Integrated into "Hot AC."
CD Country	New Country	Discontinued on December 29, 2008. Integrated into "Hot Country."
Sports USA Radio Network	Sports	Spun off as its own company. Some operations now shared with Westwood One.
KPIG	Americana/Deep Cut/Classic rock/Alt-Country	The simulcast of the Freedom, California-based superstation was discontinued in 2010.
Modern Rock	Modern Rock	To be discontinued 1/3/11. The service was relaunched as Rock 2.0
CNN Radio and CNN Headline News	News	Discontinued 4/1/12.

Talk programs

Produced by Greater Media (WLNK)

• The Bob and Sheri Show

Produced by Cox Radio (WSB)

• Neal Boortz (to be replaced by Herman Cain January 2013)
• Clark Howard

Produced by WPHT

• Michael Smerconish

Produced by Talk Radio Network

• Mancow's Morning Madhouse

Independently produced

• The Bill Press Show
• The Stephanie Miller Show
• The Ed Schultz Show
• The Thom Hartmann Show
• The Dennis Miller Show
• First Light with Dirk Van
• The Jim Bohannon Show
• America in the Morning
• Kevin and Bean
• Loveline with Dr. Drew Pinsky

Sports programming (under the Dial Global Sports branding)

• The Masters on Dial Global
• NCAA Radio Network
• NFL on Dial Global Sports
• NHL Radio

Entertainment programming

• American Country Music Awards
• Grammy Awards
• Miss USA
• Miss Teen USA
• Miss Universe

Music programs

• Mike Harvey's Supergold and The Mike Harvey Show
• The Big Time with Whitney Allen
• Gospel Traxx and The Countdown with Walt "Baby" Love
  • (Only in the United States. International distribution is handled by Radio Express.)
• Backtrax USA with Kid Kelly
  • (Only in the United States. International distribution is handled by Premiere Radio Networks.)
• Elwood's BluesMobile (formerly the House of Blues Radio Hour) with Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues
• The Lia Show
• Rockline
• Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40
  • (Only in the United States. International distribution is handled by Radio Express.)
• Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40
• Billy Bush
• Country Gold with Randy Owen
• Country Countdown USA
• American Hit List with M. G. Kelly

News and weather

• AP Radio News
• NBC News Radio
• CBS Radio Network
• The Weather Channel

External links

• Dial Global official web site