Industry News

Newsmax Announces Public Offering Plan

Newsmax Inc. announces that it will seek to become a public company later this year or in early 2025 with a listing on Nasdaq or the NYSE. It says, “In preparation for this contemplated initial public offering, Newsmaxim is launching a private placement offering seeking to raise up to $225 million.” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy adds, “While achieving significant success, Newsmax has stayed true to our mission of providing Americans with honest and real news. Now more than ever, especially in this election year of 2024, America needs Newsmax and you can join with us as an investor.” The current private offering currently consists of shares of the Company’s Series B 7% Convertible Preferred Stock for a maximum Offering amount of up to $225 million.

Industry News

Urban One Releases Q4 2023 and Q1 2024 Financial Reports

Urban One files its reports for the year ended December 31, 2023 and for the three months ended March 31, 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission after a lengthy delay due to previously reported issues with its accounting practices. For the full year of 2023, Urban One reports net revenue of approximately $477.7 million, a decrease of 1.4% from the full year of 2022. Broadcast and digital operating income was approximately $168.4 million, a decrease of 16.5% from the same period in 2022. Net income wasim approximately $2.1 million compared to net income of $34.3 million for 2022. For the first quarter of 2024, net revenue was approximately $104.4 million, a decrease of 5% from the same period in 2023. Broadcast and digital operating income was approximately $32 million, a decrease of 18.5% from the same period in 2023. Net income was approximately $7.5 million compared to a loss of $2.9 million for the same period in 2023. Urban One CEO and president Alfred C. Liggins, III states, “Our Adjusted EBITDA for FY23 came in just above the high-end of our previous guidance at $128.4 million. As expected, we suffered a drop in radio division broadcast cash flow as a result of reduced political advertising compared to Q4 2022. Other divisions performed broadly in line with expectations, although the continuing churn in cable television subscribers remains an industry-wide concern. For Q1 our national radio revenues were hit by tough comparatives on a handful of large clients plus a general softness in the market. Second quarter radio pacing’s are sequentially better, with same station core revenues down mid-single-digits and low-single digits including political… We are optimistic about political advertising revenues for the remainder of the year, which should benefit both our radio and digital divisions. During Q1 we repurchased $75 million of our 2028 notes at 88.3%, and we ended the quarter with approximately $155.7 million of cash.”

Industry News

Audacy Settles $1.4 million Tax Debt with PA Township

As it continues to work its way through Chapter 11 reorganization, Audacy settles with Lower Merionim Township, Pennsylvania over a disputed tax bill. This settlement in principle remains subject to final approval of the Township Board of Commissioners but in full settlement, satisfaction, and discharge of the Township’s Proofs of Claim for certain local taxes and related penalties, interest, and charges, Audacy will pay the Township $1,417,917 cash.

Industry News

“The Daily” Stays Atop Podtrac Podcast Ranker

Podtrac releases its Top Podcasts ranker for May 2024 (based on U.S. unique monthly audience for participating shows) and The New York Times’ “The Daily” remains ranked #1, followed by NPR’s “NPRim News Now” and “Up First” at #2 and #3 respectively. Other podcasts of note include FOX Audio Network’s “FOX News Hourly Update” rises one spot to #7; The DailyWire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” moves up one to #8 and “The Dan Bongino Show” also climbs one spot to #9. See the complete ranker here.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

FOX News star Brian Kilmeade’s late morning talk radio program is added to the program lineup at Audacy’s news/talk WTIC-AM, Hartford in the 9:00 am to 11:00 am slot. Kilmeade tells TALKERS, “I’m thrilled to be joining the WTIC all-star lineup especially at this critical time in our election cycle. I can’t wait to meet and greet the listeners in person this summer!”

Talk Media Network nationally syndicated personality Wayne Allyn Root was the opening speaker at two Donald Trump events in Las Vegas over the weekend. On Saturday, he spoke at a Trump fundraiser at Ahern Hotel in Las Vegas. Then on Sunday, Root opened for Trump at a public outdoor rally.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend

The presidential race; the Hunter Biden felony gun charge trial; U.S. migrant crisis; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the Israel-Hamas war; Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party scores victory in European Parliament elections; the Russia-Ukraine war; and the deadly heat dome affecting the Southwest U.S. were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.

Industry Views

Sabo Sez: Do Your Show

By Walter Sabo
CEO, Sabo Media Partners
A.K.A. Walter M Sterling
Host
WPHT, Philadelphia – daily
Talk Media Network – Sundays

imWhen recently starting nightly on WPHT, Philadelphia, I asked program director Greg Stocker if there was anything else management needed from me. Greg said, “Do your show.”

Since that luncheon meeting his words have sifted through my fevered brain and I realized that at this moment in time, his words were profound: Do your show. 

What he did not say:

Meet with sales.

Meet with HR.

Be sure to hit the live reads on time.

Don’t annoy (fill in the blank).

Get all the spots in.

Make sure the studio is clean when you’re done.

David Field listens so be careful.

Meet with sales.

I do my show and nothing else and I’m very happy.  The endless whine coming from our colleagues can be traced to ignoring the prime directive:  Do your show.

 Talk radio is magic, it’s free-form radio. Your music station brethren envy your freedom. They have to call for permission to change the order of pre-programmed songs! You don’t have to do anything which means you can do what you want… which means you can do something great.

Walter Sabo has been a C Suite action partner for companies such as SiriusXM, Hearst, Press Broadcasting, Gannett, RKO General and many other leading media outlets. His company HITVIEWS, in 2007, was the first to identify and monetize video influencers. HITVIEWS clients included Pepsi, FOX TV, Timberland, Microsoft, and CBS Television. He can be reached at sabowalter@gmail.com. His nightly show “Walter Sterling at Night” is heard on WPHT, Philadelphia. His syndicated show, “Sterling On Sunday,” from Talk Media Network, airs 10:00 pm-1:00 am ET, now in its 10th year of success.

Industry News

Talk Media Network to Distribute The Transportation Channel

The Transportation Channel signs a multi-year deal with Talk Media Network for the latter to syndicate “The Transportation Channel Minute” beginning July 1. The Transportation Channel founder Matthew Perry says, “The transportation channel is innovating the way the world will consume its transportation news. Despite the headlines, major media outlets in the U.S. do not allocate sufficient time or resources needed to cover key advancements and concerns in the transportation sector adequately.” Perry notes that data shows U.S. households spend an estimated $1.2 trillion on transportation costs, the second largest household expense behind housing. He adds, “But until now, no media outlet has been exclusively dedicated to servicing consumers in this critically important category. I am thrilled with our partnership with Talk Media. Look out, world, here we come.”

Industry News

“OK Now You Know” Podcast Launches on June 10

Monday (6/10) is the launch of the new show, “OK Now You Know,” hosted by six-time New York Timesim bestselling author Joe Garner. The podcast is being co-executive produced by Paul Bahr of Peachtree Sound and Ron Hartenbaum of WYD Media. Garner says, “In each episode, we explore the hidden aspects of everyday life. From why popcorn pops to the science behind your favorite songs. ‘OK Now You Know’ offers a fresh look at the world around us.” Hartenbaum adds, “We’re not just sharing information; we’re inspiring curiosity. ‘OK Now You Know’ makes every day a chance to learn something new.”

Industry News

SiriusXM Debuts “Mediaite’s Press Club”

SiriusXM announces the launch of “Mediaite’s Press Club” in collaboration with Mediaite.com. Debuting tomorrow (6/8), Mediaite editor-in-chief Aidan McLaughlin hosts and executive produces that airs onim Saturdays at 10:00 am ET on SiriusXM’s bipartisan P.O.T.U.S. channel. This show will contain major interviews and showcase conversations and debates with Mediaite writers and editors, along with top reporters from various outlets. These roundtable discussions will cover the intersection of media and politics, the inner workings of the media world, and the biggest industry stories of the week. The inaugural episode features an in-depth interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos.

Industry News

Edison: “Joe Rogan Experience” Tops in UK

Not a lot of American podcasts are ranked highly in Edison Research’s survey (Q1 2024) of the topim podcasts in the United Kingdom, but UK podcast listeners love Joe Rogan as his “Joe Rogan Experience” show is #1 for the survey period there as well as in the U.S. The only other U.S.-produced podcast making the top 25 for Q1 of this year in the UK was The New York Times’ “The Daily,” finishing #22.

Industry News

Podcast Radio Partners with Local Radio Networks

Podcast Radio, in collaboration with Krantz Media Group, signs a deal with Local Radio Networks that will make Podcast Radio’s spoken-word format available through the LRN delivery platform, allowing it to be ingested directly into each affiliate’s automation system. KMG CEO Gary Krantz states, “We are excited to expand Podcast Radio’s presence into Local Radio Network’s ecosystem. Together, we’re creating a new way for listeners to discover and enjoy the best in podcast content through the familiar and trusted medium of radio.”

Industry News

NAB Elects New Board Leaders

The National Association of Broadcasters announces the results of the 2024 NAB Executive Committee elections. Collin Jones, executive vice president, corporate strategy and development of Cumulusim Media and president, Westwood One, was elected radio board chair by the NAB radio board. Kevin Perry, president and CEO of Perry Publishing and Broadcasting Company, was elected radio board first vice chair, and Leonard Wheeler, president of Mel Wheeler, Inc., was elected radio board second vice chair. Chris Ornelas, executive vice president and general counsel of Beasley Media Group, was reelected to the radio board’s major group representative seat on the NAB board’s executive committee. Perry Sook continues the second year of his role as joint board chair. The position is elected every two years. The elections took place at the NAB Board of Directors meeting, held June 3-4.

Industry News

WTEM, Washington to Broadcast the WNBA’s Mystics Games

The WNBA’s Washington Mystics and Audacy sports talk WTEM-AM Washington, DC announce a partnership to broadcast Mystics games live on “The Team 980” throughout the 2024 WNBA season.im The broadcasts will feature a simulcast live audio feed from Monumental Sports Network’s television broadcast and fans will be able to hear all 25 of the Mystics’ remaining regular season games available on the network this season. While most radio broadcasts will air on The Team 980, select games will air on “106.7 The Fan” (WJFK-FM) and The Bet Washington (WJFK-AM), and all games will be streamed locally on the Audacy app.

Industry News

WIP, Philadelphia to Broadcast from London This Weekend

“SportsRadio 94WIP” in Philadelphia – the flagship station of the Philadelphia Phillies – is broadcastingim from London tomorrow and Sunday (6/8-9) as the Phillies take on the New York Mets in the MLB’s London Series. to broadcast Major League Baseball’s London Series as the Phillies take on the New York Mets June 8 and 9. To celebrate the weekend, “The WIP Morning Show” broadcast live from Passyunk Avenue, London’s Philadelphia-themed bar, this morning (6/7) and will do the same on Monday (6/10).

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories for Week of June 3 – 7

The presidential race was the most-talked-about story in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was Joe Biden’s asylum policy change and the U.S. migrant crisis, followed by the Hunter Biden felony gun charge trial at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Industry News

TALKERS Conference is an Advance Sellout

The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest-running and most important national event is set for Friday, June 7 at Hofstra University, just outside of New York City on Long Island. TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond – like its colorful predecessors – is an advance sellout.  The power-packed, one-day agenda is spectacular! Check out the official Program Guide hereTALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states, “Because the entire agenda of this year’s event will take place on the state-of-the-art television soundstage at Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and a special staging area for individual interviews will be set up on an adjacent TV soundstage, the opportunity to create an in-depth video time capsule of this remarkably transitional moment in talk media history will be unprecedented.” Harrison adds, “The number of heavyweight players from all ends of the business gathered in one place for one day on a television soundstage will be of tremendous historical significance. We will grab the opportunity to save everything we can for posterity. This conference will be more than just another industry ‘convention.’ It will be a ‘symposium’ reflecting and preserving a remarkably colorful and historic era in American media and culture. Broadcasters and students of communications all over the world for years to come will bear witness to this ‘happening.’” The storied talk media industry tradition will again be presented by TALKERS in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio and the school’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. For last minute information, call Barbara Kurland at 413-565-5413.

Industry News

Suzyn Waldman to Be Honored at Gracies Luncheon

When the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) presents the 49th Annual Gracie Awards Luncheon on June 18, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, pioneering Yankees sports announcer Suzyn Waldman will be honored with the Gracies Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of herim extraordinary contributions to sports broadcasting for over four decades, notably as one of the first women to cover Major League Baseball. Serving as host for the event will be ABC News senior national affairs correspondent and “20/20” co-anchor Deborah Roberts. AWMF president Becky Brooks comments, “We are honored to have Deborah Roberts, an exemplary journalist and storyteller, host this year’s Gracies Luncheon. Her illustrious career and dedication to impactful reporting epitomize the values we celebrate at the Gracie Awards. Additionally, we are honored to recognize Suzyn Waldman’s pioneering contributions to the industry with the Gracies Lifetime Achievement Award. This event promises to be a memorable celebration of talent and achievement in media.”

Industry News

WWL, New Orleans Inks Deals with Saints and Pelicans

Audacy announces new, multi-year broadcast agreements with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans for all Saints and Pelicans games to be broadcast live on news/talk WWL-AM/FM. WWL has been the flagship station for the New Orleans Saints continuously since 1995. Theim Pelicans had been heard on iHeartMedia’s WRNO-FM. Audacy New Orleans SVP and market manager Dan Barron states, “We are honored to extend our partnership with the New Orleans Saints and excited to bring the New Orleans Pelicans into the WWL family. This agreement reaffirms our dedication to providing fans with the best sports broadcasting in the region. We are proud to be the go-to source for Saints and Pelicans coverage and are excited to bring every thrilling moment to our listeners.”

Industry News

Mary Katharine Ham Named Contributor at FOX News Media

FOX News Media announces that it is signing Mary Katharine Ham as a contributor, a role in whichim she’ll provide analysis across the network’s platforms. In addition to her contributor role, she is also a columnist for OutKick and will continue to host her bi-weekly podcast “Getting Hammered” alongside Vic Matus. Ham previously was a FOX News contributor from 2007-2015. She went on to serve as a CNN contributor, departing the network after being suspended in 2022 for speaking out against then-legal contributor Jeffrey Toobin and his Zoom scandal.

Industry News

SiriusXM and Baseball HoF Team Up for New Podcast

SiriusXM and the National Baseball Hall of Fame announce a multi-year collaboration to produce a newim podcast dedicated to telling the stories of the all-time great players who are enshrined in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The new program, titled, “The Road to Cooperstown,” debuts on June 8 and airs every Saturday at 9:00 am ET on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio channel. Season one will run from June through October and each week’s episode will feature a long form conversation between SiriusXM host Jon Paul Morosi and a different Hall of Famer.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (6/5) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The presidential race; the Israel-Hamas war; Donald Trump’s legal battles; the Hunter Biden felony gun charge trial; President Joe Biden’s asylum reversal; the 80th D-Day anniversary; the deadly heat dome affecting the Southwest U.S. were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.

Industry News

Jeff Angelo Named New Morning Host at WHO, Des Moines

At iHeartMedia’s news/talk WHO, Des Moines, Jeff Angelo moves from his most recent late morningim daypart to morning drive, taking over for Maxwell Schaeffer and Amy Sweet, who exited the station earlier this year. He posts a message to Facebook saying, in part, “Iowans are all about connecting with each other and WHO Radio has always been at the heart of that. We’ll have conversations about the most important topics of the day, and we’ll share a few laughs along the way.”

Industry News

“Brittany & Kendall” Named PM Hosts on KTMY, Minneapolis

Hubbard Broadcasting’s talk KTMY-FM, Minneapolis “myTalk” unveils its new afternoon drive team as “Lori & Julia” – Lori Barghini and Julia Cobbs – invited their successors on the program to beim introduced to their audience. Brittany Arneson and Kendall Mark will host the “Brittany & Kendall” show beginning July 8. Arneson joined KTMY in 2019, filling in on the “Lori & Julia” show as well as hosting events and assisting with social media and video content. She also previously served with KQRS-FM and as a co-host of the “Tom Barnard Podcast.” Mark has been serving with KMSP-TV “FOX 9” and as part of “The Jason Matheson Show.”

Industry News

Wayne Allyn Root Inspires and Co-Writes New Pro-Trump Song

Las Vegas-based TV and radio host Wayne Allyn Root tells TALKERS that his latest project is a song co-written by country music artist Natasha Owens and her songwriting partner Ian Eskelin. Root says, “I am honored to have inspired and co-written this song and video about President Donald J. Trumpim titled, ‘The Chosen One.’ This song was inspired by the media firestorm across the globe in July 2019 when I said on my Newsmax TV show Trump was ‘like the King of the Jews and the Chosen One.’” Root debuted the song on his Real America’s Voice TV show, “The Root Reaction” and on his Talk Media Network nationally syndicated radio show. Root adds, “In light of this unprecedented persecution, indictments and now unjust conviction of President Trump, this is the perfect song and video, at the perfect time, and the perfect place, to lift the spirits of President Trump and the MAGA world, and to show the world President Trump is on a mission from God to make America great again.” Listen to the song here.

Industry News

Audacy and Puck Partner for John Heilemann Podcast

Audacy announces that it and the media company Puck are unveiling new podcast hosted by Puck chief politicalim columnist John Heilemann called, “Impolitic with John Heilemann.” New episodes will drop each Tuesday and Thursday. Audacy Podcasts EVP Jenna Weiss-Berman says, “We couldn’t be more excited to expand our thriving Puck slate with ‘Impolitic’ especially in this election year. John is a singular political journalist whose incisive and insightful analysis and reporting will keep listeners informed leading up to November and beyond.”