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By Rick Griffin

The San Diego State University Aztecs have switched their radio flagship affiliation from Broadcast Company of Americas, operators of XPRS 1090-AM The Mighty 1090, to iHeart Media San Diego, operators of  101.5 KGB and XTRA 1360-AM, beginning with the 2017 football season. A multi-year agreement was announced.

iHeart stations will broadcast the SDSU Aztec football and men’s basketball games through the Fox Sports College Properties Network, the multimedia rights holder for SDSU athletics. Fans can listen to the games locally on 101.5 KGB-FM and XTRA 1360-AM in San Diego, and on Fox Sports 1350-AM in Riverside, as well as iHeartRadio’s live streaming radio service nationwide. Ted Leitner will continue as play-by-play announcer for football and men’s basketball.

In addition to the pre-, post- and in-game broadcasts, iHeartMedia will produce and air a weekly “Coaches Show” with football head coach Rocky Long and new men’s basketball head coach Brian Dutcher. In addition, iHeart said select SDSU baseball and post-season women’s basketball games will be heard on XTRA 1360-AM.

BCA previously held the radio broadcast rights to SDSU Aztecs football and basketball. BCA operates three radio stations in San Diego, including XEPE-AM ESPN 1700, XPRS-AM The Mighty 1090 and XPRS-FM 105.7 MAX-FM. Before BCA, iHeart’s Newsradio KOGO 600-AM held the broadcast rights for SDSU athletics from 2007 to 2013.

“We are very excited about partnering with iHeart Media San Diego for our radio rights,” said John David Wicker, SDSU athletic director. “The success of not only our football program, which has won consecutive conference championships and finished in the top 25 last season, our men’s basketball program, which has won an unprecedented 10 Mountain West conference championships, but of all of our sports, which have combined to claim 34 team conference titles since the beginning of the 2012-13 season, is something in which the university and the entire San Diego community can take great pride.”

“We are thrilled to welcome back the San Diego State Aztecs to the iHeartMedia family,” said Melissa Forrest, president, iHeartMedia San Diego/Riverside Region. “The partnership is a natural fit, given our past broadcast history with SDSU, our unparalleled reach through our multiple platforms and the widely popular Sky Show association for the past 13 years. We can’t wait for the season to start.”

Listeners will get their first chance to hear the new broadcast when the SDSU football season opens against UC Davis on Saturday, Sept. 2. The game at Qualcomm Stadium also coincides with the 42nd annual KGB Sky Show, billed as the “biggest fireworks show west of the Mississippi.”

iHeartMedia’s cluster of seven radio stations in San Diego include KGB-FM 101.5, KHTS-FM Channel 93.3, KIOZ-FM Rock 105.3, KLSD/XTRA-AM Fox Sports San Diego 1360, KSSX-FM Jamn’ 95.7, News Radio 600-AM KOGO and KMYI-FM Star 94.1.

IABC Selects Lisa Hunter as Communicator of the Year

San Diego’s International Association of Business Communicators chapter has selected Lisa Hunter, lead associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, as its 2017 Communicator of the Year award recipient. Hunter will be honored at a networking reception and ceremony starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, at Karl Strauss Brewing Co.’s Garden Room, 9675 Scranton Road.

Hunter has provided strategic communications and project management services to various government organizations for more than 11 years at Booz Allen Hamilton. She also leads Booz Allen’s communications community in San Diego, helping practitioners incorporate best practices and identify opportunities to address clients’ communication challenges.

“I am honored and humbled to receive this award, especially among so many talented communications professionals in San Diego,” said Hunter. “I am so appreciative of IABC for being such a great resource for me to expand my professional network and continue to learn and grow in the communications field and in my career.”

In addition to her involvement with IABC, Hunter serves as president of the San Diego chapter of Women in Defense, which supports the advancement of women in national security. She also serves on the board of the San Diego Diplomacy Council, a group that connects global leaders with San Diegans to address common challenges.

Recipients of the IABC award are nominated by their peers. Judging is based on leadership, management and communication skills, strategy development and communicating to diverse audiences.

Cost to attend the award ceremony is $25 for members, $35 for non members. For event information, visit http://sandiego.iabc.com.

San Diego AMA to Discuss ‘Power of Social Strategy’

San Diego’s American Marketing Association chapter will host “The Power of Social Strategy in a Digital World,” a program presented by Sharp HealthCare, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Monday, May 22, at the Sharp HealthCare corporate offices, 8695 Spectrum Center Boulevard. Speakers from Sharp HealthCare will include: Jennifer Balanky, manager of digital content; Rachel Martin, social media specialist; and Pam Hardy, managing editor.

Topics will include how Sharp HealthCare manages its social media and digital content to deliver on its brand promise, plus ideas on how to pump up the volume on social and content marketing programs. The event includes a tour of Sharp HealthCare’s Customer and Media Engagement Center. Cost to attend is $30 for members, $60 for guests. To RSVP and for more information, visit www.sdama.org/events.

Direct Marketers Generate Leads with Video

SD Direct will host “How to Generate Leads with Video,” a program on simplified video marketing that works for business, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, at UCSD Extension, Room 317, 6256 Greenwich Drive. The speaker will be Owen Hemsath of Owen Video and founder of Video Masters Academy, an online video marketing academy for small business owners.

Topics will include practical tactics for using online video to accomplish business objectives, how to make videos that convert leads and drive sales, and how to build a loyal audience of qualified prospects. Cost to attend is $20 for members, $40 for guests and $12 for students. Lunch is included. To RSVP, visit www.sddma.org/events.

Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.

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