SEACREST, THE MULTI-VERSE

In a move that will secure him as the central character on air and broaden his involvement as main creative counsel, iHeartMedia has announced it has extended and expanded its agreement with multimedia master Ryan Seacrest.

In his expanded role, Seacrest will work closely with the Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman and President/COO/CFO Rich Bressler to provide input in all the company's major events and initiatives as well as developing new ways to connect advertisers and consumers.

He will stay on in his morning post at 102.7 KIIS-FM which includes the nationally-syndicated " On Air with Ryan Seacrest," heard on 170 stations across America; while continuing hosting duties for both "American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest" and the weekday vignette "Direct from Hollywood."

"Ryan is unique, standing alone in today's world as someone who crosses all media as an expert on both the talent and business sides, and we are fortunate to have him as a member of our core team," said Pittman.

"I've been active in everything from broadcast radio to digital, from television to social media and more ­ and the wonderful thing about my extended relationship with iHeartMedia is that it ties everything together," said Seacrest. "I'm grateful for the support of Bob and Rich. Their continued confidence fuels my creative spirit and inspires me to do a job I've loved since I was 15 years old."

In a related story, Donald Trump's fledgling broadcast empire, I Hate Media, is off to a rocky start.