On June 5, 2009, parent company AC Nielsen ceased operations on R&R just short of three years after acquiring the former independent trade periodical.
On July 14, 2006, Billboard Radio Monitor, which originally started out in 1993 as Airplay Monitor, ceased publication with its final issue, while Radio & Records, which originally started in 1973, published its last issue as an independent trade on August 4, 2006.
The overlapping of radio station reporters and format criteria from the former Monitor and R&R were modified in the new R&R.
[1] Almost immediately, the award was withdrawn, apparently after R&R received derogatory information about Bob Grant.
[2] "R&R is sensitive to the diversity of our community and does not want the presentation of an award to Mr. Grant to imply our endorsement of past comments by him that contradict our values and the respect we have for all members of our community,"[3] but R&R then invited Al Sharpton to speak, himself the subject of controversy.