McVay Syndication has agreed to purchase the short-form feature, “8-Track Playback”, hosted by Donny Osmond, from Broadcast Barter Radio Networks (BBRN) for an undisclosed sum. The deal puts both of Osmond’s radio programs under the umbrella of McVay Syndication, which also syndicates “The Donny Osmond Show”, the daily five hour day-part programming designed for AC and Classic Hits formats, in conjunction with Citadel Media in the USA and Orbyt in Canada.
BBRN created the feature in 2006 and tapped Donny as host when it debuted in spring 2007. The daily short-form feature provides listeners with a capsule of that day’s historical events in music, entertainment, and pop culture from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s, with plenty of Osmond’s personal anecdotes thrown in. The feature ends with an Oldies, Classic Hits, or AC-friendly song. It’s currently cleared in more than 75 markets including Chicago (WLS-FM), Boston (WODS-FM), Detroit, Seattle, Denver, Cleveland, Salt Lake City, and Indianapolis.
Says McVay Syndication President Mike McVay: “Matt & Mike at BBRN created an excellent feature that many of our client stations already air as a part of their programming. Given that Donny’s daily show is growing, and given the growth that 8-Track Playback is already enjoying, it made sense for us to combine the programs and give stations even more of what is The Donny Osmond franchise.”
BBRN co-founder Matt DuBiel added, “[BBRN co-founder] Mike Noonan and I are extremely proud of the role we played in Donny’s broadcast success in recent years. We’re particularly thrilled and honored we landed on the radar of an industry legend like Mike McVay. Now that we know Donny’s feature is in good hands, BBRN will be 100% focused on our other syndicated products.”
Affiliates will see no change in the service or systems used to deliver the program. Stations interested in clearing “8 Track Playback” can check out the demo at http://8TrackPlayback.com .
