Ongoing Coverage of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond
The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place on Friday, June 7 at Hofstra University on Long Island. TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was an advance sellout. The power-packed, one-day agenda featured a roster of more than 60 speakers from all ends of the talk radio and related talk media industries including talent, station owners, CEOs, programmers, technical experts, journalists, syndicators, and a wide variety of visionaries. The annual talk media industry tradition was presented by TALKERS in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio and Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Key discussions included “Gaining Traction in a Noisy World,” “The Case for AM Radio,” “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era,” “The State of Sports Talk Radio,” “The Brave New World of Technological and Generational Change,” “Programming News/Talk Radio,” “Perspectives on Hosting Television Talk,” “Philanthropy and Community Service,” “The Art of Story Telling,” “Talk Radio Programming Opportunities Beyond Politics,” “Meeting the Challenges of Being a Talk Talent,” “The Big Picture of Radio’s Role in a Rapidly Changing World,” and “The State of the First Amendment” among others. As the volumes of data generated by this gathering are sorted out, TALKERS will provide in-depth, detailed coverage of the conference in the days and weeks ahead including posting videos of its key segments. See a selection of photos from TALKERS 2024 Radio and Beyond below.
Keynote speaker: Premiere Networks syndicated star Glenn Beck, (l) who served as keynote speaker at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond, is pictured with Julie Talbott, president of Premiere Networks (l) and conference producer/director Michael Harrison (c). Shown at far left is Hosea Belcher, SVP affiliate marketing, Premiere Networks.
A gathering of friends and colleagues: Pictured (l-r), Rich McFadden, VP/operations, Radio America; Doug Stephan, CEO, Stephan Multimedia; Michelle Jerson, host/producer, “Passport Mom”; Asa Andrew, MD, host, “The Doctor Asa Show”; and Mike Paradiso, CEO, Radio America
Loving liberty and technology: TALKERS was pleased to welcome Sam Bushman (l) and Zak Gillies (r) of excellent content supplier LovingLiberty.net to TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond.
Old friends: Lots of reunions take place at the TALKERS conference. Pictured (l-r) in the buzzy halls of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communications are Scott Lakefield, APD, WOR, New York and legendary affiliate relations marketer, Willis Demalt of Talk Media Network. These two go back to their days together at the old WOR Radio Network. Scott Lakefield was a speaker on the “Programming News/Talk Radio” panel.
will kick off debate preview coverage with an early edition of “Jesse Watters Primetime,” followed by “FOX News Democracy 2024” at 8:00 pm ET with chief political anchor Bret Baier, anchor and executive editor Martha MacCallum, Dana Perino, Jesse Watters, and Sean Hannity from the debate’s spin room in Atlanta. The hosts will be joined by FNC senior political analyst Brit Hume and contributors Kellyanne Conway, Richard Fowler and Karl Rove. After the debate, Sean Hannity will host the 11:00 pm ET hour live on FNC from the spin room in Atlanta to break down the event and the public’s reaction.
sales manager. He most recently served as a senior digital account executive. Beasley Philadelphia cluster manager Paul Blake says, “Jim Antes’ leadership and passion have been a driving influence within our company, making him the perfect 
choice for director of sales. Jim’s ability to inspire and motivate his team, combined with his deep understanding of the market, positions him to lead our sales division to new heights. His exceptional ability to build strong relationships with both advertisers and employees has been instrumental in our success and will continue to drive our growth. We are equally excited to highlight Greg Beran’s rising star status as a digital leader. Greg has grown within our company, consistently demonstrating innovative thinking and a keen understanding of the digital landscape. His commitment to excellence and ability to drive digital sales initiatives have set him apart as a dynamic and influential leader. Greg’s promotion to digital sales manager is a testament to his hard work, creativity, and strategic mindset, all of which will play a crucial role in our continued success in the digital arena.”
as well as serving as news director for the Athens stations and anchor/reporter for sister news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta. The Oconee Enterprise says Bryant “is known for not just delivering the news of Athens and Oconee on the airwaves but also interviewing political candidates, public figures and citizens who do something newsworthy, as well as hosting candidate forums.” 
Regularly Scheduled Newscast; James Golden a.k.a. Bo Snerdley – Best Editorial/Commentary; “Back the Blue – A Tribute to the NYPD” – Best Live On Scene; Curtis Sliwa
average downloads for shows that opt in. This month sees the inclusion of iHeart Audience Network podcasts and a lot of shows debuting on the chart for the first time. Some of those include “Stuff You Should Know” at #6, “The Breakfast Club” at #16, “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” at #26, “The Sean Hannity Show” at #63, and “The Jesse Kelly Show” at #84. 
the FCC’s requirement to do a foreign ownership review and Audacy’s request that the FCC grant a limited waiver of that review in order to more speedily exit Chapter 11. This request is under heavy scrutiny due to the political aspects of the case. Carr recently told the Post that the FCC should not allow a “Soros shortcut” – a term used by the Media Research Center in its Petition to Deny filed with the Commission – but must follow FCC procedure. Audacy argued in its opposition to the Petition to Deny that there is nothing unique about this request, saying that the FCC “granting a limited waiver deferring its foreign ownership review to facilitate a licensee’s prompt emergence from bankruptcy is consistent with the Communications Act.” Audacy adds that the notion that the limited waiver is new “completely ignores longstanding precedent establishing the Commission-approved special warrant process used in a number of prior transactions to allow licensees to emerge from bankruptcy promptly, while affording the Commission sufficient opportunity to review foreign ownership issues post-emergence.” 
two-hour special prior to the June 27th presidential debate from Atlanta. From 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Salem talk hosts Mike Gallagher, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, and Hugh Hewitt will “provide scene-setting commentary and analysis” and will interact with a live Atlanta audience. (The debate itself will have no in-studio audience and CNN is not giving Salem permission to broadcast the actual debate.) Mike Gallagher will host a 30-minute debate wrap-up beginning at 10:30 pm ET.
industry, and I’m delighted to welcome him to our board. His input will be valuable as we continue to deliver aid to our colleagues who are in desperate need.” Forgy comments, “I have always believed in giving back to the industry that has allowed me to be of service to local communities. Colleagues who have fallen on extremely difficult circumstances need and deserve our support. I am honored to serve on the board and contribute to the Foundation’s charitable mission.”
Trump… I’ll make the tough budget cuts that scare the career politicians. We’ll fix the way we fund schools so suburban parents pay less property tax. Give kids an education at school, not indoctrination. We’ll stop Joe Biden from using our state as a dumping ground for his illegals and end the handouts they get from Phil Murphy and weak sellout Republicans.” Townsquare Media says Spadea will continue to host his program until he becomes a legally qualified candidate. The company says, “We are sensitive to the legal parameters attendant in keeping a broadcast personality on air while they are seeking public office. Accordingly, we have taken steps and imposed guidelines to ensure that Bill’s on-air presence over the coming months and until he becomes a legally qualified candidate are in accordance with New Jersey election law, applicable FCC guidance, and industry standards and best practices for such circumstances.”
Mason, a visionary leader who has successfully guided our sports station for the past four years, is now poised to bring the same focus, passion, and energy to our news/talk station – ‘SuperTalk 99.7 WTN.’ With an exciting blend of local hosts delivering both local and national stories in an informative and engaging manner, Paul is ready to lead this station to new heights. As we recently launched the SuperTalk YouTube channel, we anticipate continued dominance in spoken word content under Paul’s steady guidance. I would be remiss if I did not at the same time thank Dan Mandis for his outstanding leadership of the station over the last 10 years. Dan has successfully managed both the station, especially through challenging times, and breaking news while maintaining hosting duties and we look forward to letting him settle into his weekday morning show.” Mason comments, “SuperTalk 99.7 WTN’s reputation in the news/talk format is among the elite. Dan Mandis has built a strong brand, and I look forward to working alongside not only Dan, but with the entire on-air staff (Chris Hand, Matt Murphy, and Brian Wilson), and our producers. The recent launch of SuperTalk TV has positioned WTN to continue to be a leader in news/talk. WTN has loyal clients and listeners, and we are committed to bringing stories, news, and opinions in a meaningful and engaging way. I’m humbled and thankful for the trust Allison Warren, Brian Phillips, and John Dimick have in me to lead spoken word at Cumulus Nashville.”
brand manager Drew Anderssen states, “We know our listeners trust KRLD for news updates, and now more than ever, where you get your information matters. We’re excited to bring Chad and his wildly popular show to KRLD and deliver trusted news and insights to our listeners. His conversational, informative, and funny takes on issues will be a refreshing addition to our weekday programming.” Benson comments, “I’m so excited to be a part of KRLD, a legendary station with a long history in DFW and North Texas. I look forward to connecting with listeners about the biggest issues we’re facing today.”
-CBS Radio’s talk KLXS-FM before the company dropped the talk format, which led to Leykis forming his The New Normal Network in 2012 and distributing his show online to subscribers. The Daily News story indicates that Leykis – who turns 68 in August – decided it was time to call it quits, saying, “A long time ago, I realized I did not want to be like some of the hosts I heard in the past — begging for callers, stretching for topics. I wanted to go out on my terms when I wanted. So, I did.” Leykis produced the final edition of his show in mid-May. 
House beat, the President of the United States’ national and international activities and the issues impacting the administration. She will also continue co-hosting FOX News Audio’s “FOX News Rundown” podcast. At the same time, the company promotes Peter Doocy to senior White House correspondent. In this role, he’ll continue to provide coverage of the President of the United States’ domestic and international activities as well as the issues that affect the administration.