news/talk radio – Page 10 – TALKERS magazine

Friday, July 8, 2022

By Editor | July 8, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Soda, Pretzels and Fear,” looks back at this past week of 7/4 to 7/8. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Gary Sutton; talk show host, WSBA, York, PA; Daliah Wachs, M.D., talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; Holland Cooke, media consultant, Holland Cooke Media; Dom Giordano, talk show host, WPHT, Philadelphia; Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company; and Matthew B. Harrison, VP/associate publisher, TALKERS. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

Nick Wilson Returns to 92.3 The Fan Cleveland in Afternoon Drive. Sports talk personality Nick Wilson is re-joining Audacy’s WKRK-FM, Cleveland “92.3 The Fan” alongside Dustin Fox on the afternoon drive program, effective July 18. Wilson previously served as one of the station’s evening hosts from 2015 to 2018. He most recently served with Urban One’s sports talk WFNZ-AM/FM, Charlotte. Audacy Cleveland SVP and market manager Tom Herschel comments, “Having Nick back in Cleveland to rejoin our lineup is a great moment for ‘The Fan,’ the radio home of the Browns and the most local sports talk in Cleveland.” Wilson says of his return, “Leaving Cleveland was an impossible decision four years ago. It’s an honor to be rejoining ‘92.3 The Fan.’ Afternoon drive in Cleveland is hallowed ground, and I can’t think of a better person to team up with than Dustin Fox. I can’t thank Tom Herschel, Andy Roth and the entire leadership group at Audacy Cleveland enough for making my dreams come true again.”

Jake Kaplan Rises to Corporate Role at Audacy. Imaging and creative director for Audacy’s Los Angeles station group is promoted to the newly created corporate position director of imaging & sound design. Jake Kaplan had been in his previous role with Audacy LA since December of 2019 and had served as imaging director for KCBS-FM, Los Angeles since 2005. In this new role, Kaplan will oversee national vendor relationships, create collaborative teams for brand imaging projects, oversee exclusive station imaging, build format imaging teams, oversee campaigns for national initiatives and events and more.

Campanario Promoted to SVP Post at AURN. Digital media pro John Campanario is promoted to SVP digital media & brand communications for American Urban Radio Networks. Campanario joined AURN in 2018 and launched the company’s digital platforms. Prior to that, he served with WWRL-AM, New York when it was a progressive talk format. He led the national launch of “The Ed Schultz Show.” AURN CEO Chesley Maddox-Dorsey states, “John has more than proven himself as a great leader with both a creative vision and his uniquely approachable management style. With the expansion of our digital media department, we are excited to have his leadership which affords us continued growth as we explore more emerging digital areas.”

Jim Bohannon Addresses Absence from Air to Listeners. Legendary Westwood One nighttime talk show icon, Jim Bohannon, has been noticeably absent from his show for the past couple of months while battling with and recovering from a health challenge. His show has begun airing the following message that he recorded for his listeners: “Hi. This is Jim Bohannon, and I hope it sounds like me. I’m sure many of you have noticed my on-air absence of late. I have some health issues which will keep me off a bit longer. In the meantime, thanks to guest hosts Dom Giordano, John Trout, and Rick Valdez for continuing to fill in and I hope to return to the Jim Bohannon Show in the not-too-distant future.” Bohannon also sends his thanks to the many attendees of TALKERS 2022 who signed a large get-well card for him at the convention.

TALKERS News Notes. Sports media figure Greg Papa and the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers have agreed to an extension of Papa’s deal to remain the radio play-by-play voice for the team through the 2028 season. Papa, who also hosts the midday show on Cumulus Media’s sports talk KNBR, San Francisco (the 49ers flagship station), joined the 49ers after 21 seasons as the voice of the Oakland Raiders until their move to Las Vegas. 49ers president Al Guido says, “Our team has experienced incredible games, plays and moments on the field in the past few seasons, a large portion of which have been accompanied by memorable calls by Greg Papa. His voice has become synonymous with our organization, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to our radio booth for years to come.”…..iHeartMedia Central Florida announces its 2nd Florida Jobs Now Career Expo, an onsite resource event connecting job seekers to companies. The July 14 event will provide job seekers with the opportunity to meet with companies throughout Central Florida offering hundreds of positions, as well as attend and interview on-site the day of. iHeartMedia area president for Orlando and Melbourne Barbara Latham comments, “We look forward to bringing our second of three recruiting events this year to Central Florida. As a business ourselves serving our local community in Central Florida, we continue to realize the need from our business partners to fill jobs and is a top priority. We feel uniquely poised to help connect these businesses with people living or moving to Central Florida as an essential part of our efforts in our local communities.”…..SiriusXM announces the release of a special installment of its audio documentary series, which will remember the late comedian Gilbert Gottfried. “Obsessive Comedy Disorder: Boomers – The Gilbert Gottfried Is Dead Special” features comedy legend Gilbert Gottfried’s interview with Dan Pasternack and Aristocrats director Paul Provenza, who talk about the ‘80s comedy boom, his life, career, and more. SiriusXM says, “In what is believed to be the last long-form interview done with the voice that became comedy gold, this hour and a half conversation is an expansive and hilarious deep dive into the mind and memories of one of comedy’s most brilliant and unique talents.”

Fourth of July Shooting and Gun Control Top News/Talk Story for Week of July 4-8. The shooting in suburban Chicago that took the lives of seven on the Fourth of July and the issue of gun control combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was testimony before the January 6 Committee, followed by partisan politics and the primary races for the November midterm elections at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Rare On-Air Opening at KOA, Denver. This opportunity hasn’t existed in 25-years! With the retirement of April Zesbaugh, we’re looking for our next morning voice to co-host “Colorado’s Morning News” on iHeartMedia’s KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM in Denver. You’ll work alongside a group of talented, award-winning journalists in one of the few 24/7 local radio newsrooms in America. Our facilities are top notch, with new studios, one of the best AM signals in the country and full-market FM coverage. Applicants must submit a hosting/anchoring demo as well news writing samples and a summary, with demo audio, of your commercial endorsement skills. See full details and apply here. iHeartMedia is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Radio News Opportunities. The Virtual News Center is looking for remote reporters who can gather, write, and produce daily news stories with audio from home. Ideal candidates will have calling capabilities to record interviews with newsmakers, or we can provide access to our VoIP system if needed. Knowledge of the business world would be a plus, as there are opportunities to produce specialized business pieces in addition to daily standard news stories. Please send an mp3 and resume to: jdearing@virtualnewscenter.com

Thursday, July 7, 2022

By Editor | July 7, 2022 by Editor

Dave Tepper to Program iHeartMedia’s KOA, Denver. Heritage talk outlet KOA-AM/K231BQ, Denver “Colorado’s News, Talk & Sports Station” has a new program director as iHeartMedia names Dave Tepper to the post. Tepper most recently served with KSE Radio’s crosstown sports talk KKSE-AM/FM “Altitude Sports Radio” as program director and operations manager for classic hits KXKL-FM and hot AC KIMN-FM. In his new role with iHeartMedia, Tepper will oversee KOA, the Rockies Radio Network and Broncos Radio Network and will lead and manage all aspects of the on-air experience, including talent, content, programming, and online presence. Tepper comments, “I’m thrilled and humbled by the opportunity to take the legendary KOA brands to new heights, including the game-changing chance to work with the Broncos, Rockies and Colorado Buffaloes radio networks. My proud journey that includes working with a variety of sports and talk formats, talents and sports radio networks has prepared me for this unique and once-in-a-lifetime step.”

Salem Brings Haley Bianco Aboard for News on OTT TV Network. Television news pro Haley Bianco joins Salem Media Group as the company makes her the first news anchor on its OTT Salem News Channel. In this role, Bianco will do news capsules at the top and bottom of the hour, between 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm weekdays. Salem says Bianco is the first of several anchors joining the network. Bianco joins Salem News Channel from WICZ-TV “FOX 40” in Binghamton, New York, where she served as managing editor and primetime anchor. Salem broadcasts shows hosted by Andrew Wilkow, Brandon Tatum, Dinesh D’Souza, and Eric Metaxas during the 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm daypart. Salem SVP of spoken word Phil Boyce states, “Haley brings a wealth of TV news experience to SNC and will give us the news credibility we are looking for as we continue to grow and expand our emerging TV network.”

Final TALKERS 2022 Convention Video Posted. The last of the videos documenting the panel discussions and presentations at the June 10 TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University is now posted. The Closing Reception video includes the presentation of TALKERS magazine’s Freedom of Speech Award to “Free Talk Live” co-founder and co-host Ian Freeman (the award was accepted on his behalf by “Free Talk Live” co-founder Mark Edge). See the video, as well as video of all other sessions, here.

‘Talk Ville’ Joins Cumulus Podcast Network. A brand-new podcast hosted by Tom Welling, who starred as Clark Kent/Superman, and Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor on the hit television show “Smallville,” titled, “Talk Ville,” is debuting on the Cumulus Podcast Network on July 13. The podcast series will revisit each episode of the television series show by show, as Welling and Rosenbaum re-watch “Smallville” and share information and anecdotes from behind the scenes. A new episode of “Talk Ville” will drop each subsequent Wednesday. The Cumulus Podcast Network will distribute, market, and monetize “Talk Ville.”

Midterms/Trump & the GOP, January 6 Hearings/Georgia Election Probe, The Economy, 4^th of July Shooting/Gun Control, Boris Johnson to Resign, Immigration, Russia-Ukraine War, and Monkeypox Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/6). The efforts by Republicans to retake the House and Senate in November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the January 6 Committee hearings and Georgia’s investigation into Donald Trump’s alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election results; the high price of gas & food, financial markets activity and concerns about a recession; the aftermath of the Fourth of July shooting in suburban Chicago and gun control efforts; British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agrees to resign; the immigration issues at the U.S.-Mexico border; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; and the spread of monkeypox were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Wednesday, July 6, 2022

By Editor | July 6, 2022 by Editor

Ken Charles to Step Away from KNX, Los Angeles. News radio programmer Ken Charles announces that he’ll be leaving Audacy’s all-news KNX-AM/FM, Los Angeles when his contract expires on July 22. Charles made the announcement in a Facebook post. He says, “This is one of the hardest emails I have ever written. I’ve made the difficult professional and personal decision not to renew my contract and am stepping down as brand manager for KNX and format VP for Audacy. It has been an honor and a privilege to be part of the 102-year history of KNX and to lead this amazing group of professionals. I am extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished together. We’ve covered every type of story imaginable, fires, earthquakes, a global pandemic, protests in the streets, two of the most intense elections ever, a Dodgers World Series victory, a Lakers NBA championship, the Rams first LA Super Bowl title (sorry Kings) and so many more. We celebrated KNX’s 100th anniversary and won the first two national Edward R. Murrow awards in the station’s 54-year all-news history. We’ve evolved the station’s sound, grown our ratings, expanded our digital footprint and become a leader in the company. Finally, we moved KNX to the FM dial and became KNX News 97.1 FM. There are so many of you I want to individually acknowledge and thank for making my seven years at KNX an amazing experience, but I don’t want this to become an Oscar speech and be played off this email. However, I do want to thank my partner in our success, our news director, Julie Chin. None of the above happens without Julie’s help, counsel, insight, friendship and hard work. She will continue to be a steady hand in the continuing success of KNX and keep the momentum we’ve built going.”

New TALKERS 2022 Video Posted. The latest video from the June 10 TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University has been posted. This fireside chat was introduced by John Caracciolo, president/CEO of JVC Broadcasting and featured FOX News Radio and FOX News Channel star Brian Kilmeade being interviewed by WPG, Atlantic City morning drive host Harry Hurley. See the complete video of this session here.

Danny Marang Joins Midday Show at “1080 The Fan” in Portland. Sports media pro Danny Marang is named midday show co-host at Audacy’s sports talk KFXX-AM, Portland “1080 The Fan.” Marang joins longtime station host Dusty Harrah on the new “Danny and Dusty” show that airs from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm. Marang is a 10-year Portland media veteran who also hosts “Jacked Ramsays,” a Portland Trail Blazers-focused podcast alongside “1080 The Fan” morning show host Brandon Sprague. Marang previously served as host of Trail Blazers pregame and postgame shows on NBC Sports Northwest and as a writer for SB Nation website “Blazers Edge.” He also served as an operations intelligence officer in the United States Air Force. Audacy Portland SVP and market manager Kim Martinez states, “Danny brings a rich breadth of experience covering this area’s sports scene, and we’re pleased to team him up with Dusty Harrah for the launch of a brand-new midday show. Together, Danny and Dusty will deliver fresh, entertaining and informative content to carry our listeners through their workdays.”

Triton Digital Releases Streaming Rankers for May 2022. The monthly ranker of top performing digital audio publishers for May 2022 has been published by Triton Digital. This ranker is based on Average Active Sessions (AAS) and represents the average number of sessions at any point in time in the reported time period, with invalid sessions omitted. AAS can be calculated by dividing Total Listening Hours by the number of hours within the reported time period (AAS=TLH/Hours in period). For the United States and measuring 6am-12am Mon-Sun, iHeartRadio is ranked #1 with 298,936 AAS. At #2 is NPR Member Stations (73,102 AAS), followed by Audacy at #3 (62,820 AAS), and Cumulus Streaming Network at #4 (41,251 AAS). Other radio-related companies ranking in the top 25 include Beasley Broadcasting Corporate at #7 (19,321 AAS), Hubbard Broadcasting at #8 (15,079 AAS), Salem Communications at #11 (8,599 AAS), Urban One at #12 (8,357 AAS), and Bonneville International at #14 (6,789 AAS). See the complete ranker here.

New Jersey Theatre Unveils ‘Beasley Media Group Green Room.’ The nonprofit State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick – one of the oldest operating theatres in the state – announces that its green room is now named the “Beasley Media Group Green Room” as part of its Next Stage Campaign. The naming commemorates Beasley Media Group’s commitment to the arts community and longtime support of State Theatre New Jersey, which is currently celebrating its 100th Anniversary Season. The extensive renovations at the theatre are helping preserve its rich history while continuing to serve the community as a state-of-the-art cultural center far into the future. The renovations, which were completed in October 2021, included newly renovated lobbies, all new restrooms, upgraded HVAC systems, a new elevator for access to all levels, brand-new theater seats, and renovations to the backstage area, including the green room. Beasley SVP and market manager Dan Finn says, “We are honored and thrilled with the naming of the Beasley Media Group Green Room in the historic and beautiful State Theatre New Jersey. Congratulations to the State Theatre on the success of the Next Campaign and for celebrating the recent milestone of 100 years of live entertainment.”

July 4 Shooting/Gun Control, January 6 Hearings/Georgia Election Probe, The Economy, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Russia-Ukraine War, and Boris Johnson Troubles Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/5). The Fourth of July shooting in suburban Chicago that left seven people dead and talk about gun control issues; the January 6 hearings and the subpoenaing of Senator Lindsey Graham, Rudy Giuliani and others in the Georgia investigation into allegations of election interference by former President Donald Trump; the high price of gas & food, the sinking financial markets, and threats of a recession; the midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; and Boris Johnson’s tenuous hold on his prime minister position were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Tuesday, July 5, 2022

By Editor | July 5, 2022 by Editor

Monday Memo: Vino, Vodka, Video. All this month, consultant Holland Cooke is using his weekly column to offer “Inflation Hacks,” dozens of ways to cope with “the rising cost of EVERYTHING,” tips for your listeners (and you). Read it here.

Pending Business: Halftime. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa says the third and fourth quarters of 2022 are looking a little foggy due to inflation and the possibility of recession, but says, “The good news is by now you’ve met with your manager and second half adjustments are in place. You have agreed on the course correction expectations and the game plan that will help you power through the dynamics of a constantly changing business environment.” He offers some suggestions for tackling the next six months and keeping those commission checks coming in here.

New TALKERS 2022 Session Video Posted. The latest video from the June 10 TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University to be posted is the panel discussion, “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization.” The panel was moderated by WPHT, Philadelphia talk host Dom Giordano and featured panelists: Mandy Connell, host, KOA, Denver; Jeff Katz, host, WRVA, Richmond; Joe Thomas, PD, WCHV, Charlottesville, Virginia; Dr. Daliah Wachs, physician/host, Genesis Communications Network; and Lisa Wexler, host, WICC, Bridgeport/Probate Judge, Connecticut. View the video here.

HRN Media Launches Carlos Baerga Show for Hispanic Audiences. A new, daily feature titled, “Are You Ready to Play Ball with Carlos Baerga and Legends from Yesterday and Today” is debuting in national syndication from HRN Media Networks. The 90-second feature includes baseball analytics and interviews with elite players. HRN Media Networks president Clark Logan says, “Carlos is an energetic and dynamic sports figure, who will entertain listeners. Baseball is the most popular American sport among Hispanics, and Carlos’s insights about the game and the top-name players that will join him will engage sports fans.” Baerga comments, “I am excited to launch my Hispanic radio career with the HRN Network and talk about my favorite topic… baseball. Listeners will get behind-the-scenes stories from the elite players we’re going to have on as guests. I can’t wait to get started.”

Former Florida Sports Talk Host Hank Goldberg Dead at 82. Numerous mainstream news outlets, including CBS Sports, are reporting the death of former sports talk host “Hammerin’ Hank” Goldberg, who died on his 82^nd birthday at his Las Vegas home. Goldberg hosted a South Florida sports talk show first on WIOD and later on WQAM from 1978 through 2007. He also became a nationally known reporter and prognosticator. Goldberg had been battling kidney disease and CBS Sports reports that Goldberg, who’d been working for CBS Sports HQ and SportsLine, continued to work until about three weeks ago, despite his declining health. Goldberg broke into the sports media world ghost-writing Jimmy The Greek’s syndicated gambling column. He also worked at ESPN.

The Economy, January 6 Hearings, Fourth of July/Deadly Illinois Shooting, Midterms/2024/Trump & the GOP, Russia-Ukraine War, Brittney Griner Case Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The high price of gas & food, the declining financial markets, and threats of a recession; the January 6 Committee hearings and questions about former President Donald Trump’s role in the Capitol assault; the Fourth of July holiday and the shooting in suburban Chicago that took the lives of six people; the midterm elections, speculation about presidential candidates in 2024, and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effects on the global economy; and American basketball player Brittney Griner writes a letter to President Joe Biden from her Russian jail were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Friday, July 1, 2022

By Editor | July 1, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Who Needs Fireworks?” looks back at this past week of 6/27 to 7/1. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Bill Brady, talk show host/owner, KFNX, Phoenix; Mark Simone, talk show host, WOR, New York; Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company; Todd Feinburg, talk show host, WTIC, Hartford; and Dr. Murray Sabrin, emeritus professor of finance, Ramapo College. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

Jason Carr Named SVP of Programming for iHeartMedia West Palm and Treasure Coast. Programming pro Jason Carr moves from iHeartMedia’s Cleveland station group to the West Palm Beach/Treasure Coast markets to serve as SVP of programming, effective immediately. In this capacity, Carr will also serve as program director for talk WZZR-FM, West Palm Beach and WCZR-FM, Vero Beach “Real Radio” and for classic rock WKGR-FM “98.7 The Gater” in addition to overseeing programming on the 11-station cluster. Market president Mark McCauley states, “We’re excited to bring Jason back home. Jason’s market experience in Cleveland and his experience and familiarity of the West Palm Beach and Treasure Coast markets make him a great fit to grow our heritage brands and take them to new heights.” Carr comments, “I’m pumped to get in the trenches with this outstanding programming team. Managing a heritage rock brand like ‘98.7 The Gater’ will be a treat. Working alongside world class talent like WOLL’s Mo & Sally will be a treasure. My wild ride of a career started at ‘Real Radio 92.1’ and all these year later it is bringing me back to the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast. To say I’m excited is an understatement!”

Harry Hurley Celebrates 30 Years at WPG, Atlantic City. Today (7/1) is the 30th anniversary of Harry Hurley’s hosting the morning show on Townsquare Media’s WPG, Atlantic City. Hurley says, “Our first guest exactly 30 years ago today was New Jersey Governor Jim Florio. Governor Florio was scheduled for one hour and asked on-air if he could stay for the entire program. Governor Florio’s willingness to appear on our brand-new, unproven talk radio program and travel from Trenton to appear in-studio really helped to launch our career going forward. To start our program with the state of New Jersey’s chief executive officer was priceless. It’s hard to believe that a full 30 years has elapsed. It seems like half that amount of time. It’s also hard to believe that we’re still at the same radio station, 30 years later, now called WPG Talk Radio 95.5. This is very rare in the radio business. I want to take this opportunity to thank my employer, Townsquare Media Atlantic City, our valued listeners and advertisers for making the past three decades possible. My sincere thanks and appreciation to our Townsquare Media Atlantic City leadership team: Michael Ruble, president, Joe Kelly, content director, Chris Coleman, program director, Jennifer Doughten Smith, marketing director, Jim McClain, general sales manager and Chelsea Masterson, digital managing editor.”

New TALKERS 2022 Video Posted. The latest video from the recent TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University is posted. This video is of the panel discussion titled, “Attracting Younger Demos and Broadening the Base,” moderated by WOAI, San Antonio/Compass Media Networks talk show host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo and featured panelists: Mike “Bax” Baxendale, morning co-host, WAQY-FM, Springfield, MA “Rock 102”; Derek Hunter, host, WCBM, Baltimore/The Derek Hunter Show, TMN; John T. Mullen,operations director, WRHU-FM/WRHU.org, Hofstra University; and Doug Stephan, CEO, Stephan Multimedia/host, the “Good Day Show.” See the video here.

Local Broadcaster John Caracciolo Welcomes Attendees to Long Island. A number of talk media industry professionals served the critical role of introducing panel discussions and presentations at the recent TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University. JVC Broadcasting president/CEO John Caracciolo (pictured below), whose company owns and operates a number of Long Island radio stations including news/talk WRCN-FM, Riverhead “LI News Radio,” welcomed the attendees to Long Island during the Morning Greetings session.

TALKERS News Notes. Public media pro Lindsay Foster Thomas is named vice president, WNYC Studios in which she will oversee the strategic and editorial direction of “The Takeaway with Melissa Harris-Perry,” “Death, Sex & Money with Anna Sale,” and “The United States of Anxiety with Kai Wright,” as well as oversee the pipeline and development process for new talk shows. Thomas brings over 15 years of experience in public radio, with a background that includes work at community, college and commercial radio stations. She joins WNYC Studios from WUNC, North Carolina where she served as content director…..iHeartMedia announces a new partnership with Swoop, which provides privacy-safe AI-generated audiences for healthcare marketing. iHeartMedia says, “Pharmaceutical and life sciences companies can now leverage the same brand-exclusive Swoop segments they already use for digital activation to better inform media planning across iHeartMedia’s ad-enabled broadcast radio portfolio, which reaches nine out of 10 Americans monthly, driving greater engagement and conversion, and ultimately increasing Rx lift. As one of iHeartMedia’s preferred healthcare data providers, Swoop enables healthcare marketers to move from legacy age and gender buying to data-driven broadcast radio activation in an ad-enabled portfolio that reaches more than 275 million individuals per month, representing 90 percent of the U.S. adult population.”

January 6 Hearings Top News/Talk Story for Week of June 27 – July 1. The bombshell testimony of former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson before the January 6 Committee was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was partisan politics and Tuesday’s primary elections in Illinois, Colorado, Mississippi and elsewhere, followed by the state of the U.S. economy at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

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Thursday, June 30, 2022

By Editor | June 30, 2022 by Editor

James Golden is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. TALKERS founder Michael Harrison describes him as a “radio renaissance man.” James Golden, a.k.a. Bo Snerdley, is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” A native of Queens, New York – Golden spent approximately 30 years as the producer of Rush Limbaugh’s historic nationally syndicated radio show. In addition, he played a major role in the program’s many media offshoots from publishing to podcasting. Before that, he was involved in radio as a producer, researcher, programmer and on-air host at such New York outlets as WABC and WWRL, and Talkspot.com. After Rush passed away in February of 2021, Golden produced a multi-episode documentary podcast for iHeartRadio titled, Rush Limbaugh: The Man Behind the Golden EIB Microphone, in addition to writing a critically acclaimed book, Rush On The Radio: A Tribute From His Sidekick of 30 Years. And now, he’s back on Red Apple Media’s WABC with a daily afternoon talk show of his own. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Trip Reeb Adds Oversight of Hubbard’s Seattle Operations. The Seattle operations of Hubbard Radio will be under the supervision of Trip Reeb, effective July 18. Reeb, who also serves as VP/market manager for the company’s Phoenix cluster, will hold the same title for the Seattle group that includes alternative talk KKNW-AM, four music brands and 2060 Digital office. Reeb takes over for Wheeler Morris, who exits to lead Townsquare Media’s Fort Collins, Colorado operations. Hubbard CEO Ginny Morris says, “Hubbard Radio is so fortunate to have Trip Reeb in our leadership ranks. He has raised his hand for this assignment in the past and now is the right time to take him up on his willingness to share his unique and varied talents with not one Hubbard market but two. Trip has built a solid team in Phoenix and that gives us every confidence that the great success that team is having there will continue as Trip quickly adds his knowledge and talents to our Seattle market to build on the momentum that the Seattle team has been building in recent years.”

New TALKERS 2022 Video Posted. The latest video from the recent TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University is posted. The panel discussion titled, “Strategizing a Talk Host Career,” was moderated by Salem Radio Network host Mike Gallagher and featured panelists: Bruce Avery, GM, WRHU-FM/WRHU.org, Hofstra University; Heather Cohen, EVP, The Weiss Agency; Frank Morano, host, WABC, New York; Walter Sterling, host, “Sterling on Sunday”; Brett Winterble, host, WBT, Charlotte; and Martha Zoller, host WDUN, Gainesville, Georgia. See the video here.

Industry Pros Add Informative, Personal Touch to Introductions at TALKERS 2022. Over the past week or so, we’ve been highlighting the talk media industry professionals who served the critical role of introducing panel discussions and presentations at the recent TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University. We’re giving more digital ink – as well as our tremendous thanks for their outstanding efforts – to those who took the time to prepare brief speeches that provided informative and relevant information. Pictured below is Alex Fife introducing the “Attracting the Younger Demos and Broadening the Base” panel. Fife serves as VP operations, Southeast, iHeartMedia – Total Traffic & Weather Network.

Pictured above is VP/associate publisher, TALKERS and media attorney Matthew B. Harrison introducing the Fireside Chat between TALKERS magazine publisher Michael Harrison and Red Apple Media CEO and WABC owner John Catsimatidis.

Mike Gallagher Hits the Streets in Munich. Pictured above in the plaza outside Munich, Germany’s City Hall is Salem Radio Network talk host Mike Gallagher (left) interviewing a German citizen protesting against government mandates. Salem says that Gallagher is filing Special Reports this week on America’s image overseas during the Biden Administration. SRN says Gallagher encountered hundreds of “anti-mandate” marchers charging that the government gives them no say in their freedom over vaccines, masks, and other issues. Mike Gallagher comments, “It may not be a Red Wave, but the populist protests here in Germany are echoing the dissatisfaction with the role of government we keep seeing in the USA.”

Jeff Katz Welcomes Joe Kenda to Central Virginia. Pictured above is WRVA, Richmond afternoon drive talk show host Jeff Katz (left) with The Discovery Channel’s Joe Kenda (right). Kenda, who hosts “Homicide Hunter” and “American Detective,” is a retired Colorado Springs police lieutenant who was visiting Central Virginia to promote his new book, Killer Triggers. Ex-cop Katz and Kenda talked about the challenges facing law enforcement officers that have led Kenda to become a vocal advocate for mental health services for police personnel and has longtime police peer counselor Katz now studying to become a certified police chaplain. Katz also presented Kenda with a Thin Blue Line bracelet handcrafted by Emily Morrissey a local jewelry artist who has a number of disabilities and special challenges.

TALKERS News Notes. Longtime rock KQRS-FM, Minneapolis morning personality Tom Barnard announces he’s retiring from the Cumulus Media station after his final show on December 23 of this year. Barnard has been host of the KQRS morning program since 1986. The Minneapolis native is a Marconi Award winner as well as a member of the National Radio Hall of Fame…..At SiriusXM, Jessica Casano-Antonellis joins as SVP and head of communications, reporting to chief marketing officer Denise Karkos. In this new role, Casano-Antonellis will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s communications function, including strategic communications, brand reputation management and media relations. Karkos comments, “Jessica is a valued and respected leader who brings a wealth of strategic communications experience in the media, entertainment and technology industries to SiriusXM. She will be an incredible asset to the company and will play a key role as we continue to tell the story of SiriusXM as a leader in audio entertainment.” Casano-Antonellis was most recently with The Walt Disney Company where she had a significant role in the Company’s pivot to streaming, first with the launch of ESPN+ in 2018, followed by the successful launch of Disney+ in 2019…..iHeartMedia announces the first slate of podcasts from its NextUp Initiative that aims to empower participants of all backgrounds by giving them the tools to succeed in the podcast industry: from developing and marketing a podcast to using industry-leading software. iHeartMedia says that in this program, the NextUp fellows have learned from some of iHeartRadio’s top creators and have developed shows centered around their unique voices. The first podcast in the slate, “Beauty Translated,” is hosted by Carmen Laurent, and focuses on the transgender community in the South and touches on their experiences with coming out, launching careers, and family life.

January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War/NATO, The Economy, Abortion/SCOTUS, Immigration-Migrant Deaths, Israeli Politics, and R. Kelly Sentencing Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/29). The aftermath of former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the January 6 Committee; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s response to Finland’s and Sweden’s invitation to join NATO; the high price of food & gasoline, activity on the world’s financial markets, and concerns about a recession; reactions to the overturning of Roe v Wade and the end of the Supreme Court’s 2021-2022 term; immigration issues at the U.S.-Mexico border and the deaths of 51 migrants in San Antonio; Israel’s Knesset votes to dissolve; and R&B singer R. Kelly is sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexual abuse of underage girls were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

By Editor | June 29, 2022 by Editor

Brad Gould to Lead SummitMedia’s Omaha Stations. Media executive Brad Gould joins SummitMedia, LLC as president of the company’s Omaha station group that includes sports talk KXSP “AM 590 ESPN” and four music brands. Gould was most recently EVP of business development at Arizona marketing agency LaneTerralever. He’s also served with iHeartMedia and Clear Channel Outdoor during his career. SummitMedia chairman and CEO Carl Parmer states, “We are very excited Brad will be leading our outstanding team in Omaha. His success in various media management roles is exactly what we need as we continue to evolve the market president role in today’s environment.” SummitMedia CRO John Walker adds, “Brad’s understanding of media enables Summit to compete at an even higher level. Look for Brad and our Omaha team to become even more involved in the community, not only with business leaders but also in local non-profits.”

Joe Madison Inks New Deal with SiriusXM. Longtime SiriusXM talk personality Joe Madison signs a new multi-year contract to continue hosting “Joe Madison The Black Eagle” exclusively on SiriusXM. Under the new agreement, Madison will continue to discuss the news of the day from his Washington, D.C. studio. SiriusXM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein states, “Joe’s legacy of work speaks for itself. Joe is a leader and a motivator who inspires his audience to raise their voices and get involved. I’m thrilled that Urban View listeners will continue to start their day with Joe for many more years.”

Former Pitt Football Star Dorin Dickerson Promoted at KDKA-FM ‘93.7 The Fan.’ Pittsburgh sports talk KDKA-FM 93.7 The Fan announces that former University of Pittsburgh tight end and NFL veteran Dorin Dickerson is joining “The Fan Morning Show” alongside co-hosts Colin Dunlap and Chris Mack, beginning August 1. Dickerson has been a personality at the station since 2017. Audacy Pittsburgh VP and market manager Michael Spacciapolli says, “It is always great to see someone grow within our organization, and through his time in various roles with us, Dorin has truly developed into a host who can entertain on topics well beyond the field. As a former All-American at Pitt and NFL player, Dorin has a perspective that our listeners truly appreciate, and we are extremely excited to welcome his thoughts on the sports world and all things Pittsburgh to ‘The Fan Morning Show’ every day.” Dickerson comments, “Excited is an understatement. I didn’t know what my purpose was after I retired from the NFL. Five years ago, I found myself sitting in the ‘93.7 The Fan’ studio doing a three-hour show, and immediately fell in love with sports radio. That opportunity wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for [KDKA-AM host] Larry Richert having faith in me and passing my name along to the station. I can’t thank Michael Spacciapolli and brand manager Kraig Riley enough for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. I plan to bring positive energy, experience, and fun to ‘The Fan Morning Show.’ I can’t wait.”

New TALKERS 2022 Video Posted. A new video from the recent TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University has been posted. This Lunch Session includes a “Welcome to Hofstra” speech from Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Dean Mark Lukasiewicz; a speech titled, “The Multi-Platform Talk Industry,” by Newsmax TV host Rob Schmitt; the Broadcasters Foundation of America presentation from WPG, Atlantic City host Harry Hurley; and the presentation of the TALKERS “Lifetime Achievement Award” to WOLB, Baltimore host Larry Young. See it here.

KKOB-AM/FM Named Station of the Year by New Mexico Broadcasters Association. The New Mexico Broadcasters Association presented its Excellence in Broadcasting Awards for 2022 and Cumulus Media’s Albuquerque station group took home 12 of the 19 honors. News/talk KKOB-AM/FM was honored with eight awards, including Station of the Year, Newscaster of the Year, Breaking News, Complete Newscast, Continuing Coverage, Feature News, Talk Show or Interview and Website. Sister sports talk station KNML-AM’s morning show “The Opening Drive” won for Sports Show or Interview. Cumulus Albuquerque VP/market manager Jeff Berry says, “We are tremendously proud or our entire Cumulus Albuquerque staff as we know it ‘takes a village.’ Each of the honored individuals brings a passion and commitment to excellence to our building each day and I am honored to work amongst them. With News Radio KKOB celebrating its 100th year of broadcasting, it’s especially sweet the station was recognized in so many areas.” KKOB news director John Summers adds, “I’m so proud of the enormous effort from our entire news team. When you have such a multi-talented and goal-oriented pool of broadcast pros under one roof, you’re bound to walk away with an armload of trophies!”

Edison Research to Increase Sample Size for Podcast Metrics. Beginning with its July podcast metrics reports, Edison Research announces that it is increasing the sample size by 150%. The company says that going forward, fully 5,000 interviews will be conducted each quarter, all among ‘weekly podcast listeners’ in the U.S. – those who say they have listened to at least one podcast in the week before they are contacted. Edison says this significant increase in sample size will allow Edison Podcast Metrics to have the ability to examine more cuts of the data, to generate detailed data on far more shows, and will lead to more frequent reporting. Edison Research SVP Melissa Kiesche adds, “While we are already delivering data based on a very large sample size, Edison Podcast Metrics clients will now be receiving much more granular data. The 20,000 completed interviews each year going forward, on top of the tens of thousands of interviews we have completed since we started the service, will give us a storehouse of information on podcast listening that the podcasting industry can leverage to generate more advertising and insights.”

KTLK-AM, Minneapolis Mourns Death of PD/Host Drew Lee. News of the unexpected passing of KTLK-AM, Minneapolis program director and morning drive co-host Drew Lee was delivered in a YouTube post also found on the station’s website. Lee’s co-host Jon Justice recorded the announcement from the hospital where he’d been recovering from open heart surgery. Lee died on Saturday (6/25) at the age of 49. The cause of death has not been released at this time. The station issued the following statement on its website: “It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we have been informed of the passing of our friend and colleague Andrew Lee on Saturday, June 25. Join us at ‘Twin Cities News Talk’ and iHeartMedia Minneapolis as we lift up Drew’s wife and two children with our thoughts and prayers.” Currently, Jason Lewis and producer Sam Sansevere are hosting the morning show as Justice continues to recover from his surgery.

January 6 Hearings, The Economy, Primaries/Trump & the GOP, Russia-Ukraine War, COVID-19, Maxwell Sentencing, Immigration-Migrant Deaths Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/28). Former White House aid Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the January 6 Committee; the still rising price of food & gasoline, activity on the world’s financial markets, and concerns about a recession; Tuesday’s primary elections for the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine and the related issue of Finland and Sweden potentially joining NATO; the newest Omicron variant and calls for a specific vaccine to ready for the fall; convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell is sentenced to 20 years in prison; and the deaths of 51 migrants in a tractor trailer in San Antonio were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, June 24, 2022

By Editor | June 24, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “The Supremes’ Biggest Hit,” looks back at this past week of 6/20 to 6/24. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Jack Heath, talk show host, The Pulse of New Hampshire; Daliah Wachs, M.D., physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; Todd Feinburg, talk show host, WTIC, Hartford, CT; James Golden a.k.a. Bo Snerdley, talk show host, WABC, New York; and Matthew B. Harrison, VP/associate publisher, TALKERS/media law professor. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

New TALKERS 2022 Video Posted: Fireside Chat with WABC Owner John Catsimatidis. Today, TALKERS magazine posts the latest video presentation from the TALKERS 2022 convention held on June 10 at Hofstra University on Long Island. This video features TALKERS magazine publisher Michael Harrison interviewing Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis. Red Apple owns and operates WABC, New York and WLIR-FM, Hampton Bays, NY (Long Island). You can watch the video here.

Introducers Play Vital Role at TALKERS 2022. Yesterday we began highlighting the talk media professionals who introduced the panel discussions and presentations at the recent TALKERS 2022 at Hofstra University. Today, we continue to give a little digital ink – as well as our tremendous thanks for their outstanding efforts – to those who took the time to prepare brief speeches that provided informative and relevant information prior to the conference presentations. Pictured below is Binnie Media director of brand operations Michael Czarnecki, who introduced the “Independent Radio Station and Small Group Operations” panel.

Pictured above is Dottie Herman, vice-chair of Douglas Elliman Real Estate and host of “Eye on Real Estate” heard on WNYM-AM, New York “AM 970 The Answer” who introduced “The Big Picture” panel.

Wayne Allyn Root’s Donald Trump Interview Gets Traction in Mainstream Media. Las Vegas-based, USA Radio Network nationally syndicated talk radio host Wayne Allyn Root, host of “Wayne Allyn Root: Raw & Unfiltered” is getting some international media play after conducting his fourth interview with former President Donald Trump this year. During the interview, Root repeating his suggestion that Trump’s path back into power is as the House Speaker – should the Republicans take control of the U.S. House, and Trump appears amenable to the idea. But, the segment that got picked up by major news outlets was Trump saying that he never backed U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for House Speaker, just for his reelection.

PodcastOne Announces 14 New Podcasts Join the Platform. A host of new programs are joining the PodcastOne platform. The LiveOne company says, “Fourteen 14 new and recently acquired podcasts, as well as the return of a fan favorite, spanning across multiple top podcasting genres, including Society and Culture, Self-Help and Motivation, True Crime, Technology and Fitness are now part of its offerings. PodcastOne says “Barely Famous” launched under PodcastOne at #30 on the Apple Podcast chart in its category, and “Vibin’ & Kinda Thrivin’” was recently at #24. PodcastOne president Kit Gray says, “PodcastOne’s strength as a network is rooted in our mission to offer a vast array of diversified programming and voices to our listeners. This year, we’ve seen amazing growth across all audiences and genres, which speaks volumes about our amazing talent roster. As our slate continues to expand, we are excited to create innovative opportunities for our advertising partners and bring great new offerings to our ever-growing fan base.”

TALKERS News Notes. The nationally syndicated “Todd Starnes Show” is now heard on Truth Broadcasting’s The Truth Network with signals in Winston-Salem, Highpoint, and Greensboro, North Carolina…..The sports program “Faith On The Field” is now airing on DuPage Radio LLC’s WCKG-AM, Chicago. The program is described as a Christian sports show and is hosted by AP NFL writer Rob Maaddi and TV personality Remy Maaddi. It airs every Saturday morning from 7:00 to 7:30. WCKG sports director Jon Zaghloul says, “I’m very excited to bring ‘Faith On The Field’ to Chicago. There’s so much more to athletes than what we think, and Rob and Remy do an outstanding job at getting them to open up about what truly matters – their faith. This is a meaningful addition to our lineup, and something that listeners will enjoy.”…..iHeartMedia Philadelphia is named a 2022 honoree of “The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia” by Philadelphia Foundation, in partnership with Points of Light and local partners. Modeled after Points of Light’s national program, “The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia” provides a standard for corporate citizenship and showcases how employers use their time, skills and resources to drive social impact in their communities and company. iHeartMedia Philadelphia president Jeff Moore comments, “iHeartMedia utilizes the power of audio and human companionship to create deep and engaged relationships with our audiences. A big part of that is being able to use our voice and actions to directly impact the communities that we serve. Adding stations recently like ‘The Black Information Network’ and ‘Rumba 106.1’ shows the commitment that iHeart Philadelphia has made to ensure that we are having a positive impact on the entire diverse population of the Greater Philadelphia Region. We are humbled and honored to stand beside some other great, community-minded companies in our area in receiving this distinguished award.”…..iHeartMedia’s Newsradio WTAM 1100 and MLB’s Cleveland Guardians are teaming up to host a special “Stuff the Truck” donation drive today (6/24) to benefit Providence House, a non-profit organization focused on family preservation and supporting children and families through crisis. The event is taking place in Gateway Plaza between Progressive Field and Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse where Mike Snyder and Bloomdaddy are broadcasting throughout the day.

The Economy and the National Mood Tie as Top News/Talk Stories for Week of June 20-24. The high price of gasoline & food, the sinking financial markets, and concerns about a recession causing the uncertain national moods combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was partisan politics and the primary elections for the November midterms, followed by the January 6 Committee hearings at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, June 23, 2022

By Editor | June 23, 2022 by Editor

Complete Video of ‘Independent Radio Station and Small Group Operations’ Panel Posted. Today, TALKERS magazine posts the third video from the TALKERS 2022 convention held on June 10 at Hofstra University on Long Island. This session was moderated by KFNX-AM, Phoenix owner Bill Brady. He was introduced by Binnie Media director of brand operations Michael Czarnecki. Panelists included: Marc Beaven, general manager, WCBM, Baltimore; Paul Gleiser, owner/host, KTBB, Tyler, Texas; Todd Starnes, owner, KWAM, Memphis/host The Todd Starnes Show; Paul Vandenburgh, owner/host, WGDJ, Albany, New York; and Michael Zwerling, owner, KSCO, Santa Cruz, California. See the video here.

Industry Heavyweights Add Insight and Expertise to Introducer Role at TALKERS 2022. A number of talk media professionals served as introducers for panels and presentations at the recent TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University. Though limited to brief speeches due to the jam-packed schedule, they provided informative and relevant introductions to the conference presentations. Pictured below is 1010 WINS, New York morning anchor Lee Harris serving as introducer to the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel discussion.

Pictured above is Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein introducing the “Programming News/Talk Radio in the Digital Era” panel at TALKERS 2022.

Audacy Announces Debut of Web3-Focused Program. A new Sunday morning program and podcast from Audacy titled, “Inside Web3,” is being launched. Audacy says that show, hosted by Shira Lazar, will delve into “the latest in cryptocurrency, NFTs, the Metaverse and beyond.” It will air on stations including KNX, Los Angeles “News 97.1 FM”; KIFM-AM, Sacramento “ESPN 1320”; KWFN-FM, San Diego “97.3 The Fan”; and KCBS-AM, San Francisco. Audacy Southern California regional president Jeff Federman says, “We’re thrilled to jump right into this rapidly growing space with the launch of ‘Inside Web3’ and give our listeners a home for smart, informative content every week. Shira has a sharp perspective of the Web3 world, which we trust will resonate with listeners looking to learn more about everything blockchain technology related.” Shira Lazar is the founder and CEO of the Emmy-nominated digital media brand, What’s Trending. She is a Web3 advocate, collector, and advises as well as consults with companies in the space relating to cryptocurrency, NFTs and the metaverse.

Stan Lehr to Retire from WIBC-FM, Indianapolis. News anchor and reporter Stan Lehr will retire from news/talk WIBC-FM, Indianapolis on July 1, according to the Indianapolis Star. Lehr has served with the station for the past 28 years. He joined WIBC before Emmis Communications bought the station. Emmis recently announced that it is selling WIBC and its other Indianapolis stations to Urban One for $25 million. WIBC news director Chris Davis states in a memo to staffers that Lehr has always been known as a “stickler.” “When I say the word stickler, here is what I mean: Though Stan is gifted with a voice that could have taken him far on its own, he has never wanted recognition for that gift. Instead, he made it clear to all who work or have worked with him that strong writing, accuracy and excellence in delivery are the best ways to serve the listeners.”

Dom Giordano Day Celebrated in Wildwood, New Jersey. Pictured above is WPHT, Philadelphia midday talk show host Dom Giordano (left) accepting a gift clock from Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron (right) on Wednesday as June 22 was again declared Dom Giordano Day. Two years ago, Byron designated June 22 Dom Giordano Day for the City. This year, Giordano and his WPHT crew broadcast live from Mulligan’s Shore Bar and Grill.

FOX News Digital Tops in Multiplatform Minutes for May. According to data from Comscore, FOX News Digital finished May 2022 as the top-performing news organization in the competitive set in multiplatform minutes for the 15th consecutive month. FOX News Digital closed out the month reaching over 2.9 billion total multiplatform minutes compared to closest competitor CNN.com with 2.3 million total multiplatform minutes. FOX News Digital also topped CNN.com in multiplatform total views, 1.47 billion to 1.43 billion. However, in the category of multiplatform unique visitors, CNN.com dominated with 131.7 million to FOX News Digital’s 80 million.

47^th Annual Gracie Awards Luncheon Held in New York City. Yesterday (6/22), the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation presented the 47th Annual Gracie Awards Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. Host Hannah Storm, anchor of “ESPN SportsCenter,” led the program alongside presenters Paul “Cubby” Bryant, Co-Host “106.7 LiteFM Morning Show” with Christine Nagy; Linsey Davis, ABC News Live Prime anchor, Weekend “World News Tonight” anchor, and ABC News Correspondent; Larry O’Connor, Host, “O’Connor & Company on WMAL”; Kate Snow, “NBC Nightly News Sunday,” anchor and NBC News senior national correspondent; and Shelley Wade, Afternoon Host, New York City’s “94.7 The Block” and podcast host “All the Rage with Shelley Wade.” Pictured above is the board of the AWM Foundation with host Hannah Storm and entertainer Hannah Ellis. See the complete list of honorees here.

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TALKERS News Notes. Social media platform LinkedIn names Audacy one of its inaugural Top Companies 2022: Media and Entertainment. Through this list, LinkedIn ranks the 25 best companies to grow a career in the industry, aiming to provide a go-to resource for professionals at every stage of their career journeys. Audacy COO Susan Larkin comments, “At Audacy, we strive to not only help propel the audio industry forward but cultivate an organization full of team members who lead that charge. We’re honored to have been recognized by LinkedIn on their list spotlighting media and entertainment companies and sit alongside some of our industry’s best innovators, champions and influencers. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners.”…..Sounds Profitable, in partnership with Edison Research, has put together a comprehensive study profiling podcast creators in America. Next Tuesday (6/28), the results of the study will be revealed during a 1:00 pm webinar. Sound Profitable and Edison Research say that “The Creators 2022” is the first iteration of a study that will track trends and changes in the podcast creator space annually. “Much of the research in the podcast space up to this point has been related to listening, so ‘The Creators’ will fill a gap in industry knowledge about those who create podcasts.”…..iHeartMedia announces the launch of “Prop Culture” – a first-of-its-kind podcast hosted by iHeartMedia’s very own Non-Fun Squad NFTs and voiced by top comedians and celebrities. The announcement was made at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity during a metaverse and innovation panel featuring Paris Hilton, the self-proclaimed “Queen of the Metaverse.” iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group president Conal Byrne states, “iHeartMedia continues to be on the cutting edge of the audio world. We’re excited to introduce ‘Prop Culture’ at Cannes, pioneering the first-ever podcast series voiced by NFTs. The metaverse is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the audio and podcasting space, and we’re thrilled to be on the forefront of this new frontier.”

The Economy, Gun Legislation, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, Supreme Court Term, COVID-19, and Uvalde Aftermath Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/22). High gas & food prices, sinking financial markets, and recession fears; the Senate’s compromise on a gun legislation bill; the ongoing January 6 hearings and the case the Committee is making against Donald Trump; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the toll it’s taking on the world’s economy; the end of the Supreme Court’s term and the expected overturning of Roe v Wade; the appearance of two new Omicron subvariants that are better at evading vaccines; and the investigation of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Wednesday, June 22, 2022

By Editor | June 22, 2022 by Editor

Political and Cultural Polarization Addressed at TALKERS 2022. At the recent TALKERS 2022 convention held on June 10 at Hofstra University on Long Island, five talk radio hosts representing various political perspectives participated in the panel discussion “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization.” The panel was moderated by WPHT, Philadelphia talk show host Dom Giordano (below), who was introduced by WINS, New York morning drive anchor Lee Harris.

WCHV, Charlottesville talk show host and program director Joe Thomas takes part in the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

KOA, Denver talk show host Mandy Connell speaks during her appearance on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

WRVA, Richmond afternoon drive talk host Jeff Katz makes a point during his appearance on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

GCN nationally syndicated talk show host Dr. Daliah Wachs during her appearance on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

WICC, Bridgeport, Connecticut talk host and Connecticut probate judge Lisa Wexler speaks on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

Complete TALKERS 2022 Session Videos Being Posted TALKERS magazine is posting complete videos of each session from the TALKERS 2022 convention held on Friday, June 10 at Hofstra University. The video of the “Morning Greetings” session has been posted. This session includes: TALKERS 2022 emcee and TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey; the National Anthem performed on saxophone by WOAI, San Antonio and Compass Media Networks nationally syndicated talk host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo; the “Welcome to Long Island” speech by JVC Broadcasting president/CEO John Caracciolo; the “Morning Wakeup” from FOX News Radio host Jimmy Failla; “A Gathering of Friends and Colleagues” presentation from Premiere Networks and FOX News Channel star Sean Hannity; and “Talk Radio in the Post-Rush Era” from Premiere Networks talk host Buck Sexton. See the video here.

KOA, Denver Programmer Greg Foster Among Staffers Let Go by iHeartMedia. The staff reductions taking place at iHeartMedia hit the Denver cluster recently with program director Greg Foster among those getting their pink slips. In addition to Foster, Tim Spence – program director for KHOW, Denver and KCOL, Fort Collins – was also let go, as was talk host Mike Rosen and producer for Mandy Connell’s program, Dave Lauer. Foster tells TALKERS magazine, “As for me, I’m certainly grateful for my 22-years with iHeart/Clear Channel. It was a good run!”

Westwood One Blog Reveals Results of Online Sports Betting Study. The CUMULUS MEDIA | Westwood One Audio Active Group commissioned MARU/Matchbox to conduct a national brand awareness study of online sports betting brands and it surveyed 1,252 adults 21-plus in February. The study consisted of 483 respondents were from states that have legalized sports betting and 769 respondents were from states that have not. Some of the ley findings include: 1) The ideal target for online sports betting are adults 35-54 who are married, have kids, and work full time. Nearly half of those most interested in online sports betting are adults 35-54 (48%). Women are becoming more interested in online sports betting. The gender profile of those interested is more evenly distributed (men 54% vs. women 46%); 2) Based on media habits of online sports betting intenders, the optimal media allocation is 54% AM/FM radio and 48% TV. Compared to TV viewers, AM/FM radio listeners have far more experience with online sports betting, greater interest, greater awareness of, and greater engagement with online sports betting brands; 3) The audio sports betting media plan should contain a wide array of AM/FM radio programming formats and podcast genres. Those interested in online sports betting listen to a broad array of podcast genres and AM/FM radio programming formats beyond just Sports programming. Audio media plans that focus mostly on spoken word (news/talk and sports) will miss the majority of those who are engaged with online sports betting. Based on AM/FM radio programming format preferences among those interested in online sports betting, the ideal allocation is 20% of impressions to rock and then 10% each to the rest of the formats (classic rock, news/talk, sports, classic hits/oldies, country, Top 40, urban, and adult contemporary); and 4) Audio media plans should emphasize reach over frequency and increase weight to reach 60% of the market. Recent monthly AM/FM radio plans are only reaching 38% of the market. Brands should seek to reach at least 60% of the market each month.

AdLarge Names Brian Egan Director of Digital Content and Strategy. Joining AdLarge as director of digital content and strategy is Brian Egan, who most recently was creator and co-founder of Inlet TV, a digital multi-media live streaming platform focused on highly scalable HTTP live streaming technology. In his new role with AdLarge, Egan will “spearhead the expansion of strategic discovery methods to uncover new talent and content creators in order to develop authentic and re-imagined advertising opportunities for clients.” AdLarge co-CEO Cathy Csukas says, “Throughout his career, Brian has had the opportunity to work with some of the largest podcasters in the world and brings an impressive depth of experience and entrepreneurial vision to the company. With his leadership, we’re focused on finding new marketing and content opportunities and look forward to reaching new levels of success for our clients in 2022.” Egan comments, “I can’t express how excited I am to join this incredible team of industry-leading professionals. I’m looking forward to contributing to the inspired work they already do for their content partners, with an eye toward expanding their footprint in emerging markets and products. For anyone looking to connect on podcast content, technology, or to just make an introduction – my inbox is wide open!”

Townsquare Media Closes on Cherry Creek Acquisition. The deal for Townsquare Media to acquire 34 radio stations in nine markets from Cherry Creek has closed. Townsquare is paying $18.75 million for the stations in Butte, Great Falls, and Missoula, Montana; Montrose, Colorado; Sierra Vista, Arizona; St. George-Cedar City, Utah; Tri-Cities and Wenatchee, Washington; and Williston, North Dakota. Townsquare is divesting six radio stations in Missoula, Montana, to Anderson Broadcasting, Legacy Broadcasting (a non-profit organization), and Missoula Community Radio (also a non-profit organization), and is placing two radio stations in Tri-Cities, Washington in a divestiture trust. This transaction is being funded with cash on hand and Townsquare CFO Stuart Rosenstein states, “This acquisition represents a compelling use of capital that aligns with our priorities of investing in our local business through both organic investments and prudent acquisitions that support our revenue and profit growth. This acquisition is net leverage neutral and due to the strong cash generation of our business and the acquired assets, will not impact our ability to reach our goal of 4x net leverage by year end.” KALIL & CO., INC. was the exclusive broker for this transaction.

ESPN Cleveland Hosts Inaugural Block Party. To celebrate the beginning of summer and to show off their new studios, Good Karma Brands’ WKNR-AM “ESPN Cleveland” will host the inaugural Block Party, presented by MGM Northfield Park, tomorrow (6/23) from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. Fans can hear their favorite ESPN Cleveland hosts broadcast live, on stage, throughout the day. In addition to live show broadcasts, a second stage will host live music from a variety of local bands, vendors will sell local food and beverages, fans can participate in games with prizes, and even “dunk” their favorite ESPN Cleveland talent in the dunk tank. In addition, Cleveland’s pro sports teams are taking part in the event and all proceeds from it will benefit Muttley Crue Rescue – which rescues, cares for, and re-homes neglected, abused and/or homeless dogs. ESPN Cleveland host Tony Rizzo states, “The block party is going to be great opportunity for fans, partners, and teammates to get together after a long two years. I know the highlight of the day will be Aaron Goldhammer in the dunk tank!”

FABULOUS OFFER: Epoch Times Extraordinary Freebie to TALKERS 2022 Attendees Temporarily Extended to All TALKERS Subscribers. One of the most popular perks of the recent TALKERS 2022 conference held on Long Island (6/10) was a free lifetime digital subscription presented to all of the event’s attendees by The Epoch Times. The 20-plus year old international newspaper based here in the United States is a favorite of news/talk media hosts. The rapidly growing publication is known for its independent reporting and devotion to upholding the First Amendment and American democracy. Readers of TALKERS interested in receiving a lifetime digital subscription – no strings attached – can do so by clicking here.

New C. Crane Emergency Radio a Big Hit at TALKERS 2022. The first 200 registrants to arrive at the recent TALKERS 2022 convention on June 10 were surprised and delighted to find a real prize individually handed to them by iconic radio manufacturer/distributor C. Crane for their conference goodie bag. Each attendee received an amazing CCRadio Solar radio unit – valued at $99.99 retail – and the result was raves all around. The CCRadio Solar is a small digital portable radio that is successful as an emergency radio but the form and format function invite its owner to use it daily. Placed in a sunny window it’s perfect for the morning news. Audio is a surprise; it’s accurate, pleasing and has two modes. A miser mode to conserve battery power in a true emergency and a high-power mode for an even better audio experience. Reception is good for the size. The almost brick-size depth and unique UV resistant rubber perimeter is concave on the bottom which makes it inherently stable. The flashlight is above average in brightness and color because of the selected high-quality LED. The hand crank folded (that’s right, it can be cranked for power) and inlaid on in the back is the only visible clue that it’s an emergency radio. The included lithium-ion battery can be recharged by wind-up, solar panel, your USB port, or optional AC power adapter (not included). When the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, the radio will run more than 50 hours or charge your phone from the approximately 50% level to 100% level. It can also be powered by three “AA” alkaline batteries (not included) for approximately 50 hours in low power mode or 35 hours in high power mode. C. Crane founder Bob Crane tells TALKERS, “I brought the first CCRadio Solar home and my wife absconded with it until our designer/illustrator had to beg to get it back for documentation. To get it back from him was also overly arduous. I have never seen a radio so coveted. It is about hand size and it stays charged in a sunny window with an oversize solar panel which means it may not need a power assist for years.” To learn more about this fabulous device and enjoy a TALKERS discount on C.Crane purchases, please click here.

Broadcasters Foundation of America Announces Radio Giving Day. The Broadcasters Foundation of America announces its first annual Radio Giving Day taking place on Wednesday, June 29 and calls it “a day to come together as one community with one common goal – to support radio professionals in need of financial assistance due to a critical illness, accident, or disaster.” In addition, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the charitable mission of the Broadcasters Foundation so that a radio professional in acute need can apply for aid. BFoA co-president Tim McCarthy says, “We need to make sure everyone working in radio stations across America is aware of what we do. It’s a tragedy to think that one of our colleagues in need might qualify for aid but doesn’t know about us. We’re asking everyone in radio to spread the word, especially if they know someone who we might be able to help.” The Broadcasters Foundation is encouraging radio groups and stations to implement employee donation drives in support of Radio Giving Day. Several media companies and radio station groups have already committed to helping the Radio Giving Day initiative, including Alpha Media Group, Audacy, Beasley Media Group, Connoisseur Media, Educational Media Foundation, Good Karma Brands, iHeartMedia, Independent Broadcasters Association, Premiere Networks, Salem Media Group, Skyview Satellite Network, Spanish Broadcasting System, and Townsquare Media.

TALKERS News Notes. A new program is launching on SportsMap Radio Network on Saturday, July 2, from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon ET. “The Game Before the Money” pairs football author, podcast host, and oral historian Jackson Michael with author and former NFL executive Upton Bell. Michael and Bell reveal stories that few fans have access to or even know exist. The weekly, hour-long program merges narratives from the NFL’s past with today’s headlines and compares yesteryear’s All-Americans with current college stars. GOW Media CEO David Gow states, “This is a highly entertaining and informative program. Jackson and Upton are both amazing storytellers. This is a wonderful addition to our network.”…..SiriusXM is recognizing the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX with special programming on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio channel and on the SXM App that highlights the impact the law had on the future of women’s sports. On June 23, 1972, the federal civil rights law (Title IX) was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibiting discrimination based on sex in any school or education program that receives funding from the federal government. The introduction of Title IX led to a considerable increase in the number of females participating in organized sports within American academic institutions and is considered to have been a significant step forward in the advancement of equality and equity for women and girls in sport. Tonight at 6:00 ET, SiriusXM’s Linda Cohn hosts “Title IX at 50,” which will examine the impact of Title IX on the world of sports, highlight significant moments that followed the passage of the law, and tell the stories of several groundbreaking women who have excelled in various sports.

The Economy, Primary Elections, Gun Legislation, SCOTUS Religious Education Ruling, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, Heatwave/Western Drought Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/21). The high price of gas & food, President Joe Biden’s considering federal gas tax relief, the sinking financial markets, and concerns about a recession; Tuesday’s primary elections for November’s midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; Senate negotiators reach a deal on bi-partisan gun legislation; the Supreme Court rules against Maine’s ban on taxpayer funding for religious schools; the continuing January 6 Committee’s hearings; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and its impact on the global economy; and the intense heatwaves taking place in the U.S. and abroad and the drought affecting the Western U.S. were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

By Editor | June 21, 2022 by Editor

TALKERS 2022 Convention Explores News/Talk Programming. At the TALKERS 2022 convention held Friday, June 10 at Hofstra University, news/talk programming pros spoke on the “Programming News/Talk Radio in the Digital Era” panel, moderated by McVay Media Consulting president Mike McVay (inset). Pictured above are (from l-r): Grace Blazer, VP, national NTS brand coordinator, director of news and AM programming, Florida region, iHeartMedia; Greg Stocker, program director, WPHT, Philadelphia; Kevin DeLany, VP, news & talk programming, Westwood One; Phil Boyce, SVP, spoken word format, Salem Media Group, Salem Radio Network/operations VP, New York region; and Dr. Asa Andrew, The Dr. Asa Health Network.

Complete TALKERS 2022 Session Videos Being Posted Today, TALKERS magazine begins posting complete videos of each session from the TALKERS 2022 convention held on Friday, June 10 at Hofstra University. The first video posted is the Breakfast Session during which KOA, Denver talk host Mandy Connell was presented the “Woman of the Year” award and WRVA, Richmond, Virginia talk host Jeff Katz was honored with the “Humanitarian of the Year” award. See the video here.

Steven Cohen Named VP of Business Development and Partnerships at Crossover Media Group. Radio and podcasting pro Steven Cohen joins Crossover Media Group in the newly created position of vice president of business development and partnerships. For the past seven years, Cohen has served with Audacy-owned podcast creator Cadence13. In his new role with Crossover Media Group, he’ll be tasked with developing new business opportunities and partnerships. Crossover managing member Sue Freund states, “Steven is one of the most recognizable faces in podcasting from both the advertising and content sides. Given his background in both the audio and the digital podcast space, he brings a wealth of experience to the team which fits ideally with our content lineup. He’s relentlessly client-focused and he ‘gets’ the business of podcast advertising.”

Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Celebrate One Year in Syndication. Today (6/21) marks the first anniversary of the national syndication of “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” by Premiere Networks. Premiere says the show debuted on more than 400 affiliates last summer, marking one of the biggest launches in talk radio history and is continuing to experience rapid growth and success across multiple platforms. It also says that program’s total AQH audience has increased 32% since the launch in the key demo of Adults 25-54. Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott states, “We’re so proud of the program Clay and Buck have developed together over the past year. We knew they had the talent, passion and enthusiasm to deliver something new and exciting to the talk radio format. We couldn’t be happier with the result and we look forward to celebrating many more milestones together.” Pictured above at a private, intimate party in New York City to celebrate the anniversary are (from l-r): Dan Metter, Premiere Networks EVP, director of personality sales; Clay Travis; Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott; Buck Sexton; and Alan Korowitz, president of National Platforms at iHeartMedia Photo: Cate Groubert for iHeartMedia.

WRVA’s Jeff Katz Does Election Day Hit on ‘FOX & Friends.’ Pictured above is WRVA, Richmond, Virginia afternoon drive host Jeff Katz (left) on with Brian Kilmeade (right) from FOX News Channel’s “FOX and Friends” program broadcasting live from iconic Richmond diner McLean’s Restaurant. Katz, who tells TALKERS he “knows a thing or two about pancakes and coffee,” joined Kilmeade to talk Virginia Congressional primary races as well as efforts to roll back gas and grocery taxes in the Old Dominion.

KTAR, Phoenix Recognizes 100 Years of Service. Phoenix, Arizona news/talk station KTAR “News 92.3 FM” is celebrating 100 years as the “Trusted Voice of the Valley.” KTAR-AM began broadcasting the news/talk format that is now heard on KTAR-FM. Bonneville SVP and market manager Ryan Hatch comments, “As we reflect on a century of broadcasting for KTAR, we are honored to have such a tremendously talented team that continues to serve this community and innovate to keep our audiences connected and informed and deliver extraordinary results for our local business partners. While many voices have changed over the years, KTAR’s commitment to produce news that Arizonans can trust when it matters the most has never been stronger.”

Radio Personality Matt Pinfield Addresses Addiction in ‘Sound, Sobriety & Success’ Podcast. Radio & TV personality and rock journalist Matt Pinfield is partnering with Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks to host the new podcast “Sound, Sobriety & Success.” Pinfield says, “Living clean and sober is a beautiful gift for those of us who have struggled with addiction. Through this podcast, I am grateful to share the success stories of people in recovery to help others fight and understand their battles with alcoholism and addiction. I want to help people identify similarities in others’ stories to understand how they have successfully made their life changes. This podcast is a natural for me, as I have been transparent about my own struggles and journey in recovery and how it has completely changed my life for the better. I think this podcast is a great way to be of service through storytelling – sharing the faith, strength and hope that many of my contemporaries and friends have experienced.”

TALKERS News Notes. Joining the programming at DuPage Radio’s WCKG-AM, Chicago is the Chicago Bears program “The Sick Podcast,” hosted by the NFL Network’s Adam Rank. The program will air each Friday from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. WCKG sports director Jon Zaghloul says, “Adam’s passion for the Bears makes for such quality content. I’m proud to bring his show to where it belongs – WCKG, Chicago. Listeners should look forward to Adam’s opinions, guests, and commentary on all things Chicago Bears. This is a great move for our brand, and I’m excited to get things started.”…..Public media producer GBH announces the hiring of Sandra Lopez Burke as managing director of community and government relations. In this new role, Lopez Burke will build on GBH’s community engagement efforts, creating greater diversity among audiences, thought leaders, and supporters, while managing strategic partnerships to further the organization’s goals…..“The BOB & TOM Show” raised $12,000 on Friday (6/17) to help send Indianapolis-area children to summer camp through its Pop-Up Comedy For A Cause event at the historic Irving Theater in Indianapolis. The program featured performances by Willie Griswold, Jeff Oskay, Josh Arnold and Pat Godwin.

The Economy, Primaries/Donald Trump & the GOP, SCOTUS Term, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, Israeli Government, and Heatwave/Western Drought Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/20). The high price of gas & food, the sinking financial markets, and concerns about a recession; today’s primary races for the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the Supreme Court prepares to end its term as the expected reversal of Roe v Wade looms and the safety of justices is debated; today’s continuation of the January 6 Committee’s hearings and speculation about prosecuting those – including former President Donald Trump – responsible for orchestrating the Capitol breach; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effects on the world’s economy; Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett steps down and disbands the governing coalition, prompting new elections; and the heatwaves in the U.S. and abroad, combined with the drought facing the U.S. West were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Monday, June 20, 2022

By Editor | June 20, 2022 by Editor

Monday Memo: Summertime, Summertime, Sum-Sum-Summertime. Although the season officially begins tomorrow, consultant Holland Cooke says. “People are already there emotionally.” And in this week’s column, HC suggests how stations can relate to listeners’ inflation-hampered circumstances. Read his column here.

Pending Business: Digital Audio Keeps Growing. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa writes in today’s column that recent data indicates listening to digital audio – especially via smart speakers – continues to grow and that leaves opportunity for the audio seller. “No matter how your digital platforms are packaged, the concept of ‘influencer’ is alive and well when a listener accesses that feed. And every listener who accesses that smart speaker audio feed adds impressions to your talent’s content.” Read more here.

Talk Radio Revenue Addressed at TALKERS 2022 Convention. The recent TALKERS 2022 convention held on Friday, June 10 at Hofstra University on Long Island examined a number of issues facing talk media professionals, including selling spoken-word programming. Pictured above are four of the sales pros who appeared on the “Generating Talk Radio Revenue in a Noisy Digital World” panel, moderated by RAB president/CEO Erica Farber (inset). They are (from l-r): Christine Travaglini, president, Katz Radio Group, New York/RAB; Julie Talbott, president, Premiere Networks; Chad Lopez, president, Red Apple Media; and Erik Hellum, COO, Townsquare Media, New York/RAB. Beginning tomorrow (6/21), TALKERS magazine will begin posting videos of the numerous convention sessions, one per day.

Talk Host Meets Senator. Pictured above is KNTH-AM, Houston “AM 1070 The Answer” morning host Sam Malone (right) having an animated discussion with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz R-TX (left) on the floor of the annual Texas State Republican Convention. Malone and Cruz sparred over the U.S. Supreme Court’s pending ruling on Roe v Wade that many expect to be handed down this week.

Urban One to Pay $25 Million for Emmis’ Indy Stations. According to the SEC filing by Urban One on Friday (6/17), the price that it is paying for Emmis Communications’ Indianapolis radio stations adult contemporary WYXB-FM, country WLHK-FM, news/talk WIBC-FM, translators W228CX and W298BB “The Fan 93.5FM and 107.5FM,” and Network Indiana is $25 million. The two companies announced the deal earlier in the week. As noted then, this move leaves Emmis effectively out of the radio business. It owns the licenses to WEPN-FM and WLIB-AM in New York but leases them. Emmis continues to operate with a focus on its sales and marketing businesses.

Cromwell Media Officially Launches ‘94.9 The Fan’ in Nashville. Emanating from Cromwell Media’s WBUZ-HD3 and translator W235BW, “94.9 The Fan” becomes Nashville’s newest sports talk radio station. Programming includes “The Dan Patrick Show” and “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” as well as “OutKick 360” with Chad Withrow, Jonathan Hutton and Paul Kuharsky, and sports betting content from VSiN, The Sports Betting Network. Cromwell Vp/market manager Dennis Gwiazdon says, “The type of exciting sports content offered on ‘94.9 The Fan’ is not only unique by design, it’s the perfect complement to the live and local sports talk programming offered on sister station ‘ESPN 102.5 The Game.’ We now offer a ‘one-stop shop’ for all types of sports fans and sports bettors who want only the best local and national sports talk along with live sports broadcasts that include the Nashville Predators, the Nashville Sounds, MTSU football and men’s basketball, NASCAR, the Music City Grand Prix and much more.”

‘Chicks On The Right’ Redouble Efforts to ‘Give Conservatism a Makeover.’ Talk media entrepreneurs Miriam Weaver and Amy Jo Clark – hosts of the Radio America syndicated podcast “Chicks On The Right” – are embarking on a makeover of their own, launching a new website (and subsequent newsletter), hiring an all-female staff, and committing to a national tour of events to meet their growing fanbase across the country. Radio America says, “This relaunch campaign comes in response to the Chicks’ exploding popularity and record engagement from fans. Their website boasts as many as 2 million views a month and they earn more than 3 million impressions per month on their popular daily program. Weaver says, “Amy Jo and I started ‘Chicks On The Right’ as a fun side project. We were two working women who felt like our views weren’t represented in national discourse and decided to speak up. We never imagined that more than a decade later, we would quit our jobs to commit to ‘Chicks On The Right’ full time due to the overwhelming support we’ve received from women (and men) across the country, especially this year.”

Station Owner Shawn Knight Dies in Paragliding Accident. The details are few at this time, but Edhat Santa Barbara is reporting that Knight Broadcasting owner Shawn Knight died on June 15 in a paragliding accident. Knight’s company operates three Southern California radio stations, including: news/talk KUHL, Santa Maria; country KRAZ-FM, Santa Ynez; and AC KSYV-FM, Solvang.

The Economy, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, January 6 Hearings, Juneteenth Holiday, End of SCOTUS Term, Russia-Ukraine War, COVID-19, and Columbia Elects Leftist Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The high price of gas & food, the sinking Dow & NASDAQ, and concerns about a recession; the primary races for the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the aftermath of the January 6 Committee hearings; today’s Juneteenth holiday recognizing the end of slavery in the U.S.; the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to close its term and the overturning of Roe v Wade is expected; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine; the still-present COVID-19 virus and concerns about new subvariants; and Columbia elects leftist Gustavo Petro president were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, June 17, 2022

By Editor | June 17, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Take a Hike,” looks back at this past week of 6/13 to 6/17. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Paul Gleiser, talk show host/owner KTBB, Tyler, TX; Joe Thomas, talk show host/PD, WCHV, Charlottesville, VA; Matthew B. Harrison, VP/associate publisher, TALKERS/media law professor; Todd Feinburg, talk show host, WTIC, Hartford, CT; and Daliah Wachs, M.D., physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

TALKERS magazine Presents Annual Awards at TALKERS 2022 Convention. After two years of not presenting annual awards (2020 and 2021) at the TALKERS convention due to COVID-19 interruptions, TALKERS magazine presented four awards to talk media broadcasters on Friday, June 10 at Hofstra University at the TALKERS 2022 convention. As we reported on Wednesday (6/15), WOLB-AM, Baltimore morning host Larry Young was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. At the Breakfast session, KOA, Denver talk host Mandy Connell (pictured below) was presented with the Woman of the Year Award.

WRVA, Richmond afternoon drive personality Jeff Katz (above) was honored for his charity work dedicated to children with developmental challenges and to organizations supporting law enforcement with the Humanitarian of the Year Award.

At the convention’s Closing Reception, “Free Talk Live” co-founder Mark Edge (above left, being congratulated by TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, right) accepted the 2022 Freedom of Speech Award for the program’s co-founder and lead host Ian Freeman, whose work fighting for what he sees as the freedoms we all should enjoy as Americans has earned him accolades as well as the ire of those – including some New Hampshire and federal authorities – who see him as a troublemaker, or worse.

Audacy Teams Up ‘Bernstein and Holmes’ for Middays at ‘The Score.’ The new midday show at Audacy’s WSCR-AM, Chicago “670 The Score” features two of the station’s longtime hosts – Dan Bernstein and Laurence Holmes. As part of a station programming update, the new “Bernstein and Holmes” show will air from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, beginning June 20. The morning drive “Mully and Haugh” show adds an extra hour and will be heard from 5:30 am to 10:00 am. Leila Rahimi, who had been co-hosting with Bernstein but accepted a new gig as lead sports anchor at NBC 5 in Chicago, will continue in her role on “Leila Wednesdays” on “Bernstein and Holmes.” WSCR brand manager Mitch Rosen states, “Our all-star Chicago lineup improves with ‘Mully and Haugh’ extending later into the morning and two teammates who have worked together for 20-plus years finally sharing a microphone on a regular basis. We couldn’t be more excited for this updated lineup.” Bernstein had previously hosted late mornings on the station. Holmes previously served as host from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm.

KIRO-AM, Seattle Unveils New ‘Bump & Stacy’ Midday Show. Seattle sports talk personality Stacy Rost is getting a new partner as Michael Bumpus joins her for the new “Bump & Stacy” program on Bonneville’s KIRO-AM “Seattle Sports,” airing from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Station program director Kyle Brown comments, “We’re thrilled Michael Bumpus will be stepping in to join Stacy Rost as a full-time host from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm each weekday. Bump has spent years preparing for this opportunity and I have no doubt he’s ready for this moment. ‘Bump & Stacy’ will bring four hours of unending fun to ‘Seattle Sports’ listeners daily.” Michael Bumpus –who played football at Washington State University before going on to a pro career with the Seattle Seahawks and BC Lions – now serves as the host of the Seahawks pregame, postgame and halftime shows and as a television analyst for the PAC12 Network. Stacy Rost joined “Seattle Sports” as a staff writer and Seahawks Insider in 2017. She has spent the past three years as a talk show host with “Seattle Sports” and producing daily Seahawks Insider reports.

Mike Conti Named Brand Manager for ‘92.9 The Game’ in Atlanta. News and sports radio pro Mike Conti is promoted to brand manager for Audacy’s sports talk WZGC-FM, Atlanta “92.9 The Game.” Audacy says that in this role, Conti will oversee content strategy, talent, operations and branding for the station. He will continue in his current role as radio play-by-play announcer for the station’s flagship coverage of the Atlanta United FC and as host of the Atlanta Hawks Radio Network. Audacy Atlanta SVP and market manager Rick Caffey comments, “Mike has stepped up to the challenge of leading our programming team on an interim basis since February and he has earned this opportunity to lead WZGC. We are excited to have his leadership as we continue to build on our performance of providing the very best in entertainment and sports content for our audience and business partners.” Conti joined “92.9 The Game” in October 2012 from WGST-AM, Atlanta where he served as assistant news director. At WZGC, Conti has served as managing editor, overseeing coverage and production of live sports events. He says, “I want to thank Rick Caffey and my teammates at ‘92.9 The Game’ for the opportunity to lead such a talented group of content creators. As someone who has been with ‘The Game’ since the day we signed on 10 years ago, it has been remarkable to see us evolve into Atlanta’s go-to source of sports information and entertainment, and I look forward to continuing that evolution.”

Round Four of May PPMs Released. The fourth and final round of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s May 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. Nielsen’s May 2022 sweep covered April 28 – May 25. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Raleigh, iHeartMedia news/talk WTKK-FM dips two-tenths to finish with a 7.2 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and slips to the #4 rank, while Curtis Media Group’s crosstown news/talk WPTF loses half a share for a 1.5 share finish and landing in the #17 rank. Good Karma Brands’ news/talk WTMJ, Milwaukee remains in the #1 spot after adding four-tenths to wrap the survey with a 10.3 share. Meanwhile, iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk WISN puts up a 2.1 share increase to finish with a 9.6 share that vaults it into the #2 rank. Although dipping by two-tenths and finishing with a 5.9 share, Cumulus Media’s news/talk WWTN-FM, Nashville climbs to the #4 rank. After losing a full share, Cox Media Group’s news/talk WOKV-FM, Jacksonville wraps the survey with a 9.6 share and falls from #1 to #2. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeways from this group of markets (as well as the first three rounds) here.

NPR and Edison Research Reveal Results of 2022 Smart Audio Report. The 2022 Smart Audio Report from NPR and Edison Research was released on Thursday (6/16). The report highlights the increased usage of voice technology, with 35% of Americans 18-plus now owning a smart speaker. This year’s study compares the most recent survey results with the 2017 Smart Audio Report, and also revisits families who were interviewed in 2017, creating a comprehensive picture of the changes over the last five years. Some of the key findings from the study include: 1) Voice technology is everywhere: In 2022, 62% of Americans 18-plus use a voice assistant on any device, and those devices can include: smart speakers, smartphones, TV remotes, in-car systems, a computer/laptop, tablet, among others; 2) Overall usage of voice tech is increasing: In 2022, 57% of voice command users use voice commands daily. Twenty percent of smart speaker owners spend most of their audio time listening through a smart speaker, up from 18% in 2017. The weekly number of tasks is increasing: In 2022, smart speaker owners request an average of 12.4 tasks on their device each week, up from 7.5 in 2017. Smartphone voice assistant users request an average of 10.7 tasks weekly, up from 8.8 in 2020; and 3) Ad messages delivered via voice tech are heard: Half of smart speaker owners have heard an ad on their smart speaker. Fifty-three percent of smart speaker owners who have heard an ad on their device agree they are likely to respond to ads on their smart speaker. Almost half (48%) of smart speaker owners who have heard an ad on their device say that compared to hearing an ad in another place, hearing it on their smart speaker would make them more likely to consider the brand. Find out more here.

TALKERS News Notes. Next Tuesday (6/21), Newsmax will present a live New York Republican Gubernatorial Primary Debate at 8:00 pm at the famed Kodak Center in Rochester. Moderating the debate for Newsmax will be Eric Bolling and the leading candidates – Rob Astorino, Andrew Giuliani, Harry Wilson, and Lee Zeldin will take part. Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy states, “People across New York are hungry to learn about the Republican candidates as they make their choice in this critical primary. Newsmax is glad to be actively involved across the nation a series of debate and town hall events to further voter awareness.”…..Audacy announces the launch of a new show, “Hey Mayne,” from its sports podcast studio 2400Sports, premiering June 23. Longtime ESPN host Kenny Mayne leads the program that “blends the sports culture with entertainment, politics, music, comedy, and beyond.” Mayne says, “I want to ask guests not just about their work, but who they are. I want to know what people were like in kindergarten. Because I think who you were then is basically who you are today.”…..Nineteen students just successfully completed the Kellar Radio Talent Institute’s broadcast radio training program at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. The return of the in-person, 10-day immersive professional development course for college students also marks the first institute to be produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau since it acquired the National Radio Talent System in August of 2020. RAB president and CEO Erica Farber comments, “An integral part of the RAB’s mission is providing the industry with the tools and resources to help broadcasters attract new sales talent to the medium and enhance radio’s professionalism through training and support. Bringing back the talent institutes was a top priority for RAB, and we are excited by this year’s Kellar graduating class, all future broadcasters.”…..iHeartMedia’s WDAS-AM, Philadelphia “FOX Sports Radio, The Gambler” announces that the popular sports podcast “The Divide Live” will make its official broadcast radio debut on the station’s Sunday afternoon drive lineup, effective June 19. Airing from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, “The Divide Live” features two longtime friends – Mike, a diehard Mets fan and Corey, a diehard Yankees fan. Together, the dynamic duo hash it out about all things sports, life and current events…..NRG Media’s sports talk KOZN, Omaha “1620 The Zone” will remain the flagship home for the NCAA Men’s College World Series through 2026. The new five-year contract extension with Westwood One begins this year. NRG Media has been the radio home of the Men’s College World Series in Omaha since 1997…..VSiN, The Sports Betting Network, announces that sports media executive Len Mead will join the VSiN team as general manager. VSiN founder and CEO Brian Musburger states, “Len has excelled at creating original content and growing audience across all platforms throughout his career, and we’re thrilled to add his expertise to our leadership team. Not only does Len bring a wealth of media experience from his prior roles at ESPN, NBC Sports, NESN and others, but he also brings sports betting industry knowledge from his time as head of content for PointsBet. We believe this combination will help VSiN deliver its premium sports betting content to even more bettors, on more platforms, in new ways.”

The Economy and the National Mood Tie for Top News/Talk Story for Week of June 13-17. The state of the U.S. economy, including the sinking Dow & NASDAQ, soaring gas & food prices, and fears of a recession – combined with the unsettled national mood – came together as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week and landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was partisan politics tied with Tuesday’s midterm election primaries, followed by the January 6 Committee hearings at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, June 16, 2022

By Editor | June 16, 2022 by Editor

TALKERS 2022 Addresses Concerns of Independent Radio Station and Small Group Operations. At the TALKERS 2022 convention held at Hofstra University on Friday, June 10, the first panel session of the day was titled “Independent Radio Station and Small Group Operations” and probed the issues most pressing to owners of independent stations and those operating small groups of stations. The panel was moderated by KFNX-AM, Phoenix owner Bill Brady (inset), who was introduced by Binnie Media director of brand operations Michael Czarnecki. Appearing on the panel in the photo above were (from l-r): Marc Beaven, general manager, WCBM-AM, Baltimore; Paul Vandenburgh, owner/host, WGDJ-AM, Albany; Michael Zwerling, owner, KSCO-AM, Santa Cruz, California; Paul Gleiser, owner/host, KTBB, Tyler Texas; and Todd Starnes, owner, KWAM-AM, Memphis (and host of the syndicated Todd Starnes Show). Video of this complete session will be made available in the coming weeks.

‘Strategizing a Talk Show Hosting Career’ Among Panel Discussions at TALKERS 2022. Last Friday’s TALKERS 2022 convention held at Hofstra University also featured a panel discussion that illuminated some of the challenges that talk hosts face in the modern era, as well as presenting some solutions to those challenges. The panel was moderated by Salem Radio Network personality Mike Gallagher (inset), who was introduced by WPHT, Philadelphia morning drive personality Rich Zeoli. Appearing on the panel in the photo above were (from l-r): Bruce Avery, general manager, WRHU-FM/WRHU.org, Hofstra University; Heather Cohen, EVP, The Weiss Agency; Martha Zoller, WDUN-AM, Gainesville, Georgia; Frank Morano, host, WABC, New York; Walter Sterling, host, “Sterling on Sunday”; and Brett Winterble, host, WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte. Video of this complete session will be made available in the coming weeks.

Round Three of May 2022 PPMs Released. The third of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s May 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus. Nielsen’s May 2022 sweep covered April 28 – May 25. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Portland, Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM repeats in the #4 rank despite dipping three-tenths to a 7.9 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share), while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk KEX-AM loses seven-tenths to finish with a 1.9 share good for the #20 rank. iHeartMedia’s KNRS-AM/FM, Salt Lake City is #1 again this month even though it shed 1.2 shares and wrapped the survey with a 9.6 share. Across town, Bonneville’s KSL-AM/FM falls from #2 to #4 after losing 1.5 shares for a 6.1 share finish. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the first two rounds) here.

Cumulus Media Brings ‘The Score’ Back to Providence. Gone for 15 years, Cumulus Media is reviving the sports talk format on WPRV-AM, Providence as “790 The Score.” The station has been airing a business news format since sports talk was jettisoned in 2008. In a YouTube video promoting the change, the company says the new incarnation of “The Score” will include programming from BetQL, CBS Sports Radio’s “Jim Rome Show,” and local personality Kevin McNamara, as well as New York Yankees baseball, Boston Celtics basketball and Brown University football and basketball.

WBZ-AM, Boston Brings ‘Tough as Nails’ Back for a Fifth Season. Local real estate and construction celebrity Cindy Stumpo’s “Tough as Nails” radio show is returning to iHeartMedia’s WBZ-AM, Boston “NewsRadio 1030” Saturday evenings at 8:00. The station says, “Each week, Cindy and [daughter] Samantha welcome guests to unpack the worlds of construction, real estate, renovations, design and more. Cindy and her team are world-renowned for creating opulent floor plans coupled with impeccable attention to detail. Cindy is also known for her raw and uncensored perspective on everything about being a woman in a man’s world. Almost nothing is off limits: panic attacks, menopause, abuse, domestic violence, you’ll never know what’s coming next while being entertained and informed every show. Cindy’s social media presence is unstoppable with over 75,000 followers on Instagram and videos on her YouTube channel regularly garnering 100,000-plus views. Cindy has shown that she is a multimedia force.”

BIA Advisory Services Downgrades U.S. Local Ad Revenue Projections; Significant Growth Still Expected in Radio Digital. This year’s U.S. local advertising forecast is being revised by BIA Advisory Services. The firm says its new estimate is $167.4 billion, down from its original estimate of $173.3 billion issued in December 2021. It cites “headwinds from overseas conflicts, continuing supply chain issues and deep cuts in ad spending from large verticals like automotive” for precipitating the reduction. Positives for the ad market still include an anticipated strong political ad year, the expansion of online gambling local advertising and consumer spending on leisure and recreational activities. BIA SVP and chief economist Mark Fratrik comments, “The year didn’t start as strong as we had anticipated, making for a difficult first two quarters as some expected advertising spend started to retract. On the one hand, personal income continues to rise, but the cost of consumer goods, rising gas prices and inflation are having a major impact and we believe that will influence how advertisers will choose to use their ad dollars in the coming months. All of that must be weighed against what we see as positives for local advertising this year.” The latest forecast estimate still gives traditional media ad revenue a slight advantage over digital at 52.5 % of the ad spend ($87.9 billion), while digital media will get 47.5 % of the ad spend at $79.5 billion. Overall, BIA is decreasing digital estimates slightly from the original 2022 forecast due to mobile facing headwinds amid new privacy measures on iPhones. Additionally, there has been slower than anticipated growth. Even as both digital channels continue to grow, it’s at a reduced pace than originally expected. Significant growth is expected in TV OTA (+30.3 %), TV Digital (+18.3 %) and Radio Digital (+14.5 %).

47^th Annual Gracie Awards Luncheon Set for June 22. The leadership of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation announces that ESPN SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm, will host the 47th Annual Gracie Awards Luncheon set for June 22 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. The Gracie Awards recognize exemplary content created by, for and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. AWMF chair Heather Cohen comments, “Throughout this past year we have seen a number of remarkable projects by and about inspirational women and Hannah Storm will serve as the ideal host to recognize their work.” AWMF president Becky Brooks adds, “We are honored to shine a spotlight on these women, whose stories have driven cultural awareness, offered entertainment that has made us laugh, cry, and everything in between. We are delighted to return to an in-person format so that we can properly celebrate together.”

TALKERS News Notes. The relationship between ESPN and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions is expanding beyond the Monday Night Football “Manningcast.” Now, the two content organizations will premiere a new lineup of original shows, which will launch with six titles produced by Omaha Productions beginning June 20. Manning says, “One of the best parts of the Monday Night Football show is getting to talk about a sport I love with other folks who share the same passion for the game. With this audio network, we want to deliver those same entertaining and informative conversations from a great crew of folks at Omaha Audio, who are not only informed but genuinely love the sports and topics they cover.”…..Sports USA announces that it will cover live broadcasts of the NHL’s 2022 Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche. John Alhers will handle play-by-play, Joe Micheletti will serve as color analyst, Billy Jaffe will be the on-ice reporter and Ted Sobel will host the pre and post-game shows, along with the intermission reports…..ARC Software, Inc enters into an agreement with Compass Media Networks tp provide the service that allows networks, producers and other radio service providers to quickly find any radio station to connect with, affiliate, maintain agreements, compliance and much more…..iHeartMedia announces a new partnership with Martha Stewart to produce a new iHeartRadio Original Podcast. iHeartMedia says “The Martha Stewart Podcast” is a talk show style series that will feature intimate, in-depth, probing interviews with some of the most fascinating people in the world – all who are at the top of their respective fields. Stewart says, “I am thrilled to partner with iHeartMedia on my first-ever original podcast series. I think listeners will deeply enjoy these engaging conversations on life and business, which include many interesting takeaways from the notable guests I have the pleasure of interviewing.”

Former KMJ, Fresno Personality Bill Woodward Passes at 81. Former longtime KMJ, Fresno personality Bill Woodward passed away last month at the age of 81. For 37 years, Woodward served as the radio voice of the Fresno State Bulldogs. KMJ program director Blake Taylor says, “Bill was a wonderful mentor. Such gravitas. A true professional. A legend in the broadcasting industry. There’s a reason he’s forever remembered in the Fresno State Athletics Hall of Fame. I miss him, and his play-by-play of Bulldogs sports will always have a place in my heart.”

The Economy/Fed Interest Rate Hike, Primaries/Trump & the GOP, January 6 Hearings, Roe v Wade/Kavanaugh Plot, COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine War, and Western Drought & Extreme Weather Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/15). Soaring gas prices, inflation, and the Fed’s decision to hike interest rates; Tuesday’s primary races and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the January 6 Committee hearings; the Supreme Court’s likely reversal of Roe v Wade and the plot to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh; the rate of COVID-19 cases across the U.S.; Russia’s progress in securing the Luhansk region of Ukraine; and the drought and heatwave in the U.S. West and extreme flooding in Yellowstone were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

By Editor | June 15, 2022 by Editor

WOLB-AM, Baltimore’s Larry Young Receives TALKERS Lifetime Achievement Award. Pictured above is WOLB-AM, Baltimore morning drive host Larry Young (left) receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from TALKERS magazine publisher Michael Harrison (right) at the TALKERS 2022 Convention at Hofstra University on Friday, June 10. Young, who has hosted the WOLB morning show since 1998, is retiring at the end of this year.

Newsmax Personality Rob Schmitt Addresses TALKERS 2022 Attendees. Pictured above is Newsmax TV personality Rob Schmitt addressing the lunch crowd at TALKERS 2022 at Hofstra University on Friday, June 10. Schmitt, who previously served with FOX News Channel, hosts the “Rob Schmitt Tonight” program weeknights at 7:00. Schmitt spoke at the lunch program during which WOLB-AM, Baltimore host Larry Young received the Lifetime Achievement Award (see above).

Round Two of May PPMs Released. The second of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s May 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis. Nielsen’s May 2022 sweep covered April 28 – May 25. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways for this group of markets. In Washington DC, Hubbard Broadcasting’s all-news WTOP remains ranked #3 after losing three-tenths for a 7.8 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) finish, while Cumulus Media’s crosstown news/talk WMAL-FM tacks on two-tenths to finish with a 3.9 share good for the #10 rank. Beasley Media Group’s sports talk WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” dominates as the #1 station with a 9.8 share after adding 1.4 shares during the survey. Across town, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WRKO dips one-tenth for a 4.2 share and falls to the #8 rank, while sister all-news WBZ-AM remains locked in the #6 rank after rising one-tenth for a 4.8 share finish. The talk stations in the Twin Cities are locked in a tight battle with Audacy’s WCCO-AM adding a half share to wrap the survey with a 4.5 share and the #12 rank. Hubbard Broadcasting’s KTMY-FM adds six-tenths for a 3.3 share finish and a rise to the #14 rank, while iHeartMedia’s KTLK-AM dips two-tenths, posting a 2.8 share good for the #15 rank. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as yesterday’s first round) here.

Rick Ankiel to Join Good Karma’s ‘ESPN West Palm’ for AM Show Appearances. Baseball great Rick Ankiel is making regular appearances on Good Karma Brand’s WUUB-FM, West Palm Beach “ESPN West Palm” as he joins “Josh Cohen and the HomeTeam with Din Thomas and Tina” in afternoons. His appearances are being sponsored by All Dry of the Treasure Coast restoration and cleanup. Ankiel spent more than 10 years in MLB, mostly with the St. Louis Cardinals. He says, “Spending my life in the area I’ve been a fan and even caller to Josh Cohen’s show for many years. I’m excited to join ‘ESPN 106.3’ and Josh Cohen and the HomeTeam with Din Thomas and Tina to talk baseball and more on a regular basis.” ESPN West Palm market manager Stephanie Prince says, “We are excited to have a local legend join the ‘ESPN 106.3’ airwaves! Rick’s experience on and off the field will help create fun, engaging, and appointment listening to our fans.”

Gemini XIII Announces New Ad Sales and Marketing Hires. The new premium audio content, production and marketing services firm Gemini XIII announced the addition of Erica Farmer as vice president, strategic marketing, and Jaclyn Mifka as director of ad operations & planning. Two are based at the company’s New York headquarters and report to co-founder and COO Charles Steinhauer. Farmer was most recently with Westwood One as digital marketing director for the Cumulus Podcast Network. Mifka recently served with ESPN Audio as senior digital & audio sales manager. Gemini XIII co-founder and CEO Spencer Brown comments, “This step marks the first of many in establishing Gemini’s first-class sales and marketing capabilities. Erica and Jaci are experienced audio experts, and we are thrilled to have them join our team.”

TALKERS News Notes. There’s an interview with Chicago comic and media personality Steve Cochran in the Daily Herald by media writer Robert Feder that you can see here. In the interview, Feder asks direct questions of Cochran – who is joining Cumulus Media’s WLS-AM as morning host – about his plans for the new morning show and the 1.0 share, 27^th place program he’s inheriting…..Shining City Audio, a history-focused podcast studio joint venture between Audacy’s C13Originals and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and #1 New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham, announce “History is US,” a six-part audio documentary written and narrated by Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University. Audacy says that “‘History is US’ will explore how American history – so indelibly shaped by race – haunts us, and how our past failures and refusals to admit them continue to shape the way we live our lives today.”…..TuneIn announce a new deal with Rivian that says will help to continue “positioning the company as a leader and innovator in bringing premium, live audio to drivers worldwide.” TuneIn CEO Richard Stern says, “We are incredibly excited to be adding Rivian to our existing lineup of automotive and connected car technology partners. At TuneIn, we’re working with the world’s most innovative automotive companies to reinvent radio and live premium audio entertainment for the connected car. Our deep partnerships in the automotive industry enable drivers to discover and access the best audio content from around the world, directly through their dashboard, via a simple touch or voice command via Alexa.”

ATTENTION: TALKERS Heavy Hundred Members. TALKERS has been made aware that a trophy and plaque manufacturing company has been contacting talk show hosts who are listed as being members of the Heavy Hundred (The 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America) and is soliciting them to purchase a costly plaque or trophy commemorating the honor. Please be advised that this plaque (or a variety of variations of awards and trophies available in their catalogue) is unofficial and the company – SHOWMARK MEDIA, LLC – enjoys no official connection or licensing agreement with TALKERS. According to TALKERS VP/associate publisher Matthew B. Harrison, “TALKERS has never engaged in charging its award recipients for items or products indicating their receiving an honor bestowed by our organization.”

The Economy, Primaries/Trump & the GOP, Gun Control Legislation, Kavanaugh Plot, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, Extreme Weather-Yellowstone Damage Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/14). The Fed’s planned meeting today to address the nation’s inflation problem, the soaring price of gasoline & food, and concerns about a recession; Tuesday’s primary elections for the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the work in congress to craft gun legislation in the aftermath of the recent deadly mass shootings; the plot to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the issue of security for justices; the January 6 hearings; Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine and the effect on the world economy; the Western heat & drought and the floods damaging Yellowstone National Park were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

By Editor | June 14, 2022 by Editor

Urban One Enters into Deal to Acquire Emmis Communications’ Indy Radio Stations. The price for the four radio stations, two translators and the regional programming network has not been revealed yet, but Urban One, Inc’s definitive asset purchase agreement with Emmis Communications to purchase its Indianapolis radio cluster means Emmis will be effectively out of the radio business. It still owns the licenses to WEPN-FM and WLIB-AM in New York but leases them. Under the terms of this new deal, Urban One will acquire adult contemporary WYXB-FM, country WLHK-FM, news/talk WIBC-FM, sports talk “The Fan” (translators W228CX at 93.5 and W298BB at 107.5), and Network Indiana. Urban One president and CEO Alfred Liggins comments, “These are terrific general market formats and will be a great addition to Urban One in a transaction that is accretive and deleveraging.” Urban One adds that in anticipation of the transaction, it will sell its hip hop WHHH-FM, Indianapolis along with the intellectual property related to WNOW to a third party. Emmis will continue to operate its stations and Urban One will continue to operate WHHH until the transaction closes. Meanwhile, Emmis founder and chairman Jeff Smulyan states, “When Emmis launched our first station, WENS now ‘HANK FM,’ in 1981, I never could have envisioned the journey we would go on. Indianapolis is my hometown, and I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish – we’ve become an invaluable contributor to the Indianapolis community, a leader of radio industry initiative and innovation, and a trusted resource for Central Indiana listeners and businesses.” Emmis notes in its press release that in recent years it “has sold many of its media assets and redeployed capital into new ventures which emphasize its sales and marketing experience including: Lencore Acoustics, a leader in high-quality sound masking solutions for commercial applications; Sound That BRANDS, the Los Angeles-based podcasting studio specializing in branded audio content for national advertisers; and Digonex, a leading provider of dynamic pricing solutions for attractions and live entertainment industries.”

Round One of May PPMs Released. The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s May 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). Nielsen’s May 2022 sweep covered April 28 – May 25. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York City, Red Apple Media’s news/talk WABC slips by three-tenths to a 3.3 share (weekly, 6+ AHQ share) finish good for the #10 rank. Across town, Audacy’s all-news WINS sheds 1.1 shares to finish with a 3.1 share and the #11 rank. iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI, Los Angeles loses one-tenth, but remains ranked #3 on the strength of a 5.0 share. Audacy’s all-news KCBS-AM/KFRC-FM, San Francisco is up one-tenth, finishing with a 6.2 share that bumps it into the #2 rank. In Dallas, Cumulus Media’s news/talk WBAP posts a seven-tenths increase that pushes it to the #10 rank with a 3.6 share, while Audacy’s crosstown all-news KRLD-AM is steady at a 2.1 share but falls to the #20 rank. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets here.

TALKERS 2022 Coverage Coming Soon. The 25^th annual installment (and second pandemic-era edition) of the talk media industry’s longest-running, largest, and most important national convention – TALKERS 2022 – took place this past Friday, June 10 and by all accounts significantly exceeded expectations. It was widely hailed by many of its longtime participants as “the best ‘TALKERS’ ever!” It was presented by TALKERS in association with Hofstra University’s award-winning radio station WRHU-FM/WRHU.org. Some 275 passionate media professionals from all over the country traveled to the beautiful campus of Hofstra on Long Island to see, hear and meet more than 60 luminary speakers – from talk media programming, management, station ownership, syndication, sales, marketing and technology – tackle the most compelling issues, opportunities and challenges currently at play in the industry. It was a power-packed day of non-stop panels, solo addresses, fireside charts, award presentations, exhibits and networking opportunities. The TALKERS editorial staff is now sifting through hundreds of photos and hours of video preparing extensive coverage of the conference and its enormous treasure trove of content that will be appearing in TALKERS magazine for days and weeks ahead. Pictured at the top of this story is TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison (left) interviewing Key Networks-syndicated star Bill O’Reilly (right) during one of three keynote addresses. Pictured in the inset is Premiere Networks nationally syndicated talk radio personality Buck Sexton addressing the attendees during the opening session.

Greta Van Susteren Launches on Newsmax TV Tonight. This evening (6/14), news/talk television pro Greta Van Susteren begins her program on Newsmax TV’s evening lineup. “The Record with Greta Van Susteren” airs at 6:00 pm ET. Van Susteren says, “With all that is going on in the world, I am getting back to my roots — a daily live news show with real reporting from the places where things are happening.” At the same time, Newsmax announces the new daily program schedule on the network: “The Chris Salcedo Show,” 4:00 pm; “Spicer & Co.” with Sean Spicer, Lyndsay Keith, 5:00 pm; “The Record with Greta Van Susteren,” 6:00 pm; “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” 7:00 pm; “Eric Bolling The Balance,” 8:00 pm; “Prime News” with Jenn Pellegrino, 9:00 pm; and “Greg Kelly Reports,” 10:00 pm. Newsmax EVP programming Elliot Jacobson comments, “This new schedule will strengthen Newsmax’s ability to deliver hard-hitting news and analysis when Americans need it the most.”

Radio Hall of Fame 2022 Nominees Announced. The nominees for the Radio Hall of Fame class of 2022 have been announced by the Museum of Broadcast Communications. The 24 nominees were chosen by the Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, with input from the radio industry and listeners. Voting for inductees begins Tuesday, June 22 and runs through July 8. The top six vote recipients will gain induction as part of the 2022 Radio Hall of Fame Induction class. The two additional inductees that will make up the eight-person induction class will be selected by the Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. More than 600 industry members will receive a confidential ballot on Tuesday, June 22, to cast votes for up to six nominated individuals. The confidential ballot will be conducted by Votem.com, and overseen by Miller Kaplan’s Andrew Rosen. The nominees in spoken-word radio include: Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, SiriusXM; Dave Ross, KIRO-FM, Seattle; Diane Rehm, WAMU-FM,Washington DC; John & Ken, KFI, Los Angeles; Larry Elder; and Suzyn Waldman, New York Yankees Radio Network. You can see the complete list of nominees here. Radio Hall of Fame co-chairman Kraig T. Kitchin says, “We’ve made changes in 2022, to allow voting participants to vote for up to six nominees for induction, and limit the voting process to knowledgeable industry members. Listeners and industry members alike contributed more than 2,500 suggestions for the Nominating Committee to consider in addition to their own considerations.”

iHeartMedia Names AJ Punjabi Market President for San Francisco. Radio sales and management pro AJ Punjabi moves from iHeartMedia’s Charleston market, where he most recently served as the market president and enterprise leader of the Blockchain/Crypto/NFT category, to San Francisco to serve as market president. iHeartMedia’s San Francisco station group includes business talk KNEW-AM “Bloomberg Radio” and KKSF-AM “BIN: Black Information Network. iHeartMedia division president Scott Hopeck says, “AJ is a talent-focused leader with exceptional digital experience, which will serve him well in the Bay Area, where he will lead a talented team of creators and sales professionals. I’m excited for AJ to begin working with his team and our partners!”

Rob Parker Makes Debut at LA’s The Comedy Store. Last week, FOX Sports Radio personality Rob Parker, co-host of “The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker,” made his stand-up comedy debut at the legendary Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Parker participated in the “Crack’Em Up Comedy” show in the Belly Room, a weekly showcase and workout room featuring rising comedy stars and established comedians. Pictured above are (l-r): Elijah Sebunnya, FOX Sports Radio digital content director; Scott Shapiro, FOX Sports Radio VP of programming; Parker; Jade Kozup, Premiere Networks director of marketing; and Mike Lingard, FOX Sports Radio executive news producer & operations manager.

‘New Jersey 101.5’ to Present Town Hall on ‘Growing Weed in the Garden State.’ This Thursday (6/16) at 7:00 pm,Townsquare Media’s WKXW-FM, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5” presents the latest in a series of Town Hall broadcasts. “Growing Weed in the Garden State” explores how the legal adult use marijuana industry is impacting New Jersey. The station’s Eric Scott leads a panel that includes law enforcement, legal experts, regulators, growers and dispensary operators. “The sale of legal cannabis products for recreational use generated over $24 million in the first month,” Scott says. “While there is clearly demand for product, unintended consequences are continuing to surface.” The program will explore not only those unintended consequences, but also how legal marijuana sales are positively impacting New Jersey. The program’s on-air panel will feature: Bill Caruso, co-founder of New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform; Rob Nixon with the New Jersey State Police Benevolent Association; New Jersey State Senate president Nicholas Scutari; Chrissy Buteas, chief government affairs officer at New Jersey Business & Industry Association; as well as marijuana cultivators and dispensary operators.

The Economy, January 6 Hearings, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Russia-Ukraine War, COVID-19, White Nationalist Movement, and Western Heat-Drought Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/13). Financial markets hit bear territory, the soaring price of gasoline & food, and concerns about a recession; Monday’s session of the January 6 hearings; the primary elections for November’s midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine and the effects of the blockade on Ukraine’s major ports; the rate of infections of COVID-19; the arrest of 30 members of the white nationalist organization Patriot Front in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; and the Western heatwave and ongoing drought were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Monday, June 13, 2022

By Editor | June 13, 2022 by Editor

TALKERS 2022 Exceeds Expectations. The 25^th annual installment (and second pandemic-era edition) of the talk media industry’s longest-running, largest, and most important national convention – TALKERS 2022 – took place this past Friday, June 10 and by all accounts significantly exceeded expectations. It was widely hailed by many of its longtime participants as “the best ‘TALKERS’ ever!” It was presented by TALKERS in association with Hofstra University’s award-winning radio station WRHU-FM/WRHU.org. Some 275 passionate media professionals from all over the country traveled to the beautiful campus of Hofstra on Long Island to see, hear and meet more than 60 luminary speakers – from talk media programming, management, station ownership, syndication, sales, marketing and technology – tackle the most compelling issues, opportunities and challenges currently at play in the industry. It was a power-packed day of non-stop panels, solo addresses, fireside charts, award presentations, exhibits and networking opportunities. The TALKERS editorial staff is now sifting through hundreds of photos and hours of video preparing extensive coverage of the conference and its enormous treasure trove of content that will be appearing in TALKERS magazine for days and weeks ahead. Please stay tuned for forthcoming stories, photos and complete video coverage of all sessions. TALKERS founder and convention producer/director Michael Harrison says, “We are deeply grateful to all the attendees and sponsors as well as our colleagues at Hofstra University for making TALKERS 2022 such a rewarding and memorable experience.” Photos: Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo playing the National Anthem during the opening ceremony (above right), and (above left) WPG, Atlantic City morning personality Harry Hurley interviewing FOX News Channel and FOX News Radio star Brian Kilmeade.

Monday Memo: Identify ‘Piano Movers.’ In this week’s column, consultant Holland Cooke asks, “What is difficult for most people but comes easy to you?” It’s a new business brainstorm for sales reps, and what HC calls “a Side-Hustle Alert for on-air talent.” Read it here.

Pending Business: Happy Father’s Day. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa wonders if your station had a sales meeting solely focused on Father’s Day. “Unlike Mother’s Day where ‘natural’ categories like flowers, candy, dinner, spa days, even jewelry make the annual target list, what did your target list look like for Father’s Day? The irony is, the National Retail Foundation projects only an $80 difference in the average gift spends between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. So how creative was your Father’s Day targeting? Was that list much different from your Christmas targeting for dad?” Read his column here.

NJBA President Paul Rotella’s Struggles, Courage and Imminent Victory Over Adversity. One of the most compelling stories in the radio industry has been the personal and professional journey of New Jersey Broadcasters Association (NJBA) president Paul Rotella. He is thankfully on the mend after suffering a terrible health struggle with rare form of meningitis that took him to the brink of death. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, seeing Paul Rotella at this past Friday’s TALKERS 2022 (6/10) bravely walking with the help of a cane and enthusiastically watching, absorbing, cheering and delighting in the comradery of being with his fellow broadcasters, was SO moved that he pulled together his sources, resources and data to pay tribute to the man as quickly as possible. Harrison states, “I consider Paul Rotella to be a spectacular human being, family man, broadcaster, attorney and spokesman not only for the broadcasting community of the Garden State – but a force of nature in spreading a prideful image of the State of New Jersey, in general, across America – not always an easy task.” Harrison penned a tribute to Rotella including a remarkably candid and personal print interview with him that appears in today’s TALKERS. To read it, please click here.

WWO Blog: Pharmaceutical Brands Realize Benefits of AM/FM Advertising. In this week’s blog from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group comes information from a comprehensive analysis of the pharmaceutical category that included data from Nielsen Media Impact, Nielsen’s media plan optimization tool; a MARU/Matchbox national study conducted over the course of two years from February 2020 through October 2021; and pharmaceutical ad creative testing results from the Advertising Benchmark Index. Cumulus Media EVP, marketing and Westwood One president Suzanne Grimes, says, “Pharmaceutical brands have discovered network radio, and it is one of our fastest growing categories. The big revelation for pharma brand advertising is that audio does all the heavy lifting, and the visuals are secondary. ABX creative testing reveals radio creative performs at 90% of the effectiveness of TV for 25% of the CPM.” Some of the highlights of the studies include: 1) According to Nielsen Media Impact, pharmaceutical/OTC brands see an average incremental reach increase of +38% when including AM/FM radio with TV; 2) Shifting 20% of an arthritis medication’s TV budget to AM/FM radio afforded the brand a significant reach advantage versus its competition (+29%) and increased its total share of voice from 22% to 39%; and 3) A pharmaceutical brand saw its TV reach drop -33% over a four-year period with the same spend due to the erosion of TV audiences. Shifting 30% of the October 2021 TV budget to AM/FM radio recovered the lost reach, generating a +51% lift in campaign reach. See more from the blog here.

Chris Williams Exits KXNO-AM/FM, Des Moines. Sports talk radio personality Chris Williams reveals via Twitter that he’s exited iHeartMedia sports talk outlet KXNO-AM/FM, Des Moines in order to focus on his family life. Williams has been serving as co-host of the afternoon drive program “The Sports Fanatics” with Ross Peterson. Williams tweeted, “When I was attending journalism school at Iowa State in the mid 2000s, my dream was to one day host a sports talk show on the iconic 1460 KXnO. For the last seven-plus years, I have had the privilege to live this dream. A lot has changed since then. I now have two beautiful daughters Cami (7) and Elyse (2), who I love more than I knew was even possible. Ross Peterson was my friend. He is now a brother who will be family forever. I recently made the decision to leave KXnO as a daily host to focus on my young family. The 3-6 time slot is an honor to fill, but also takes a major toll on family when you have young kids (especially when you have aspirations to be the best little league softball coach in the metro). I leave KXnO excited to be a better husband, son, friend and human being.”

The Economy, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, Gun Legislation, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Western Heat-Wildfires Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The soaring price of gasoline and food, sinking tech stocks, and worries about a recession; today’s scheduled second January 6 Committee hearing; Russia’s advances in the war in Ukraine and the conflict’s effect on the world economy; the attempts at bi-partisan gun legislation; the ousting of San Francisco’s progressive DA, the November midterm elections, and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; and the Western heatwave and drought were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, June 10, 2022

By Editor | June 10, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “2022 ½,” is a special edition of the program that looks back at the first six months of 2022. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Harry Hurley, talk show host, WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; Dom Giordano, talk show host, WPHT, Philadelphia; Renee Kohanski, M.D., forensic psychiatrist/podcaster, MDEdge Psychcast; Daliah Wachs, M.D., physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; and Steve Weisman, law professor, Bentley University, Boston/founder Samicide.com. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

TALKERS 2022 Convention Takes Place Today at Hofstra University. The 25^thannual installment of the talk media industry’s longest-running, largest and most important convention, TALKERS 2022, is taking place today on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio. Its speaker lineup and attendees comprise a “who’s who” of the talk media industry and its agenda will boldly address the most compelling industry issues of the modern era. For video coverage of the convention, be sure to check in with TALKERS magazine every day in the coming weeks.

Stephan’s Show Rebrands, Moves to USA Radio Networks. In addition to jettisoning the title of his program from “The DJV Show” to its original “Good Day” moniker, Doug Stephan will segue his program to the USA Radio Network. Officially re-launching next Monday (6/13), “Good Day” with Stephan and co-host Jai Kershner will merge with USA’s “Daybreak.” The show Stephan launched in 1988 will continue to air in the morning and remains designed to time-shift to other dayparts. Affiliation will be handled by USA Radio Network, with that web’s president Chip Miller stating, “I’m excited to welcome Doug and ‘Good Day’ to the USA Radio Network family. Doug is an iconic fixture in morning radio throughout the country and we look forward to working with [him] and the ‘Good Day’ team. The lifestyle, non-political content ‘Good Day’ offers is something we feel more stations will welcome during a time when there’s so much going on in the world and in our society. Doug and ‘Good Day’ will serve as the cornerstone for an exciting growth plan for the network. This is our first programming change and show addition since acquiring the network in December 2021.” Stephan comments, “We’ve been hearing from some of our more than 300 affiliates of their frustration with how negative many news/talk programs have become. This move enables us to continue to present the news you need to know, along with our opinions, in addition to the positives that we see every day.” There will be no change in the format clock; technical; traffic; or sales partners. Stephan is the longest running syndicated host of a daily talk show and appears at #29 on TALKERS’ 2022 “Heavy Hundred.”

Guthrie Named iHM Florida Division President. Former six-year Cox Media Group president/chief executive officer Kim Guthrie is set to become iHeartMedia’s Florida division president. In that position, she will succeed Linda Byrd, who retires next month (7/15). Guthrie will report directly to iHeartMedia Markets Group president Hartley Adkins, who states, “At iHeart, we pride ourselves on being a ‘talent first’ company; this decision reflects that commitment. It’s rewarding to find someone who both understands what our listeners need and how to operate in a multi-platform environment. Kim checks every box and more. We’re thrilled she chose to bring her talents to iHeart. Her CEO experience at Cox Media Group makes her uniquely-qualified for this position.” Guthrie adds, “I am very excited to announce my ‘un-retirement.’ iHeart has become a true employment destination and I’m thrilled to be part of America’s #1 audio company. iHeart’s leadership has built a culture of respect, transparency and innovation. The entire team has made me feel like I can make a difference here.” Guthrie joined Cox Media Group in 1998 as vice president/general manager for its Long Island radio station group and later became executive vice president of CMG’s national ad platforms. As Cox Media Group’s CEO, she had complete oversight of the company, including nearly 100 broadcast radio and television stations; dozens of digital assets; and newspapers. She started her career as a television news reporter and anchor for several ABC affiliates. Guthrie was named “Woman of Distinction” by the March of Dimes and “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In addition, she won the “Trailblazer Award” from Mentoring And Inspiring Women In Radio and the “Women Who Lead” honor from the Alliance For Women In Media.

Radio Mercury Awards Winners Announced. The 31^stannual such event was held last night (Thursday, 6/9) in-person at New York’s Sony Hall, as well as virtually. This year’s “Best of Show” award was presented to FCB Chicago for its “Go RVing” radio commercial. Other winners included: Mockingbird, iHeartRadio App, The Studio at iHeartMedia (“Creative Radio Promotional Spot or Campaign by a Radio Station or Group”); Great American Settlers, Spreaker.com, The Studio at iHeartMedia tied with Kiddie Pool, The Kartrite Resort and Indoor Water Park, The Studio at iHeartMedia (“Creative Radio Commercial by a Radio Station or Group”); Tick Suck, Steve’s Pest Control, Zimmer Radio & Marketing Group; Dog Years, Motel 6, Barkley (Creative Radio Commercial by an Agency, Production Company, Or Advertiser); and Moolah, Georgia Lottery, BBDO Atlanta. Radio Mercury Awards chief judge/Campbell Ewald executive creative director Ale Ortiz comments, “It’s been an honor to be at this year’s Radio Mercury Awards and to award the incredible lineup of winners. The final round jury and I were very impressed by the winners’ ability to not only entertain listeners, but tell stories through radio and audio.” According to Radio Advertising Bureau president and chief executive officer/Radio Creative Fund chair Erica Farber, “This year’s awards once again proved the power of sound and demonstrated the strength of radio and audio in conveying a brand’s message. This was an incredible night for radio. It was so great to celebrate with everyone both in person and online.” Presenters from this year’s final round jury and advisory council included: freelance creative consultant Larissa Kirschner-Chaney; Josh Grossberg (McCann Health); Nicky Lorenzo (Taylor Global); Ciro Sarmiento (Weber Shandwick); and Joyce King Thomas (King Thomas). Event sponsors of this year’s event were Audacy and iHeartMedia. Dedicated sponsors included CBS News Radio, Hubbard Broadcasting and World Wide Wadio. General sponsors were Beasley Media Group; Cumulus Media/Westwood One; Katz Media Group; Salem Media Group; Skyview Networks; Sound and Fury; and WideOrbit, along with Friends of the Mercuries sponsors Forcht Broadcasting; Neuhoff Media; Nielsen; Triton Digital; and vCreative. For the complete list of winners and to listen to their work, go to www.RadioMercuryAwards.com. Shown in the photo are (left to right): Ale Ortiz; FCB Chicago’s Justin Enderstein and Andrés Ordóñez; and Erica Farber.

WTOP Partners With Greater DC-Maryland’s National MS Chapter. Through a series of on-air and online promotions, Hubbard Radio Washington, DC’s all-news WTOP will raise awareness for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Announcements will highlight various MS events in the community in an effort to increase registrations – and ultimately – donations. WTOP general manager Joel Oxley states, “We wanted to do everything we could to help amplify the critical mission of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Our hope is that, through this partnership, we can help those in their journey with MS and work towards a world free of this devastating disease.” National MS Society Greater DC-Maryland Chapter president Chartese Berry remarks, “We are sincerely grateful [to] WTOP and their amazing partnership in joining our quest towards a world free of MS. Their strong reach in the region will help immensely in raising much needed awareness and funds to support the nearly one million people in the United States living with MS.” WTOP senior sports director Dave Johnson and WTOP anchor/reporter Mike Murillo were diagnosed with MS in 2019 and 2016, respectively. The two will contribute to the campaign by sharing their stories about how MS has effected them and their families. Johnson declares, “MS: Look out we are coming after you. We have the community and we have the support. My mom lost her battle to MS in 1979, and now with my WTOP family and the MS Society we are going to finish the fight.” Murillo adds, “I am so thankful to have benefited from new treatments for MS, but there is so much still to do including finding ways to repair the damage the disease can cause. With your help, I truly believe there will soon come a day when we can say there’s a cure for MS.” WTOP will highlight volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

TALKERS News Notes. Veteran NPR reporter/political correspondent Juana Summers is named one of the rotating co-hosts for the network’s flagship afternoon news program, “All Things Considered.” Summers has been covering politics, race, and justice for the network. She joins Alisa Chang, Mary Louise Kelly, and Ari Shapiro. Summers succeeds Audie Cornish, who departed NPR in January for CNN. According to VP/news programming Sarah Gilbert, “Propelled by her authoritative reporting expertise, versatile journalistic talent, and drive to explore and interrogate the most challenging questions of the moment, Juana emerged as the top candidate.” Summers states, “In my work as a political correspondent, I spend a lot of time talking with young people about the country and the world that they are inheriting. It’s made me think about the future of our audience and the opportunities that we have to grow. I’m excited to play a role in introducing a new, diverse generation of listeners to the blend of powerful storytelling, accountability journalism and culturally relevant conversations that can only [be found] on NPR.” Summers – who previously worked at Politico, CNN, Mashable and The Associated Press – begins her new duties in just over two weeks (6/27) … Housing and Urban Development secretary Marcia Fudge guested this past Sunday (6/5) on Multicultural Broadcasting-owned KBLA “Talk 1580,” Los Angeles’ “A More Perfect Union.” The HUD secretary and KBLA’s chief national political analyst, Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey, discussed the city’s homelessness problem; the need for affordable housing; and creative ways for first-time buyers to purchase a home and down payment assistance. Fudge commented that HUD is committed to equity by eliminating redlining of “certain kinds of neighborhoods.” … Effective next Monday (6/13), Randy Cable commences as director of sales for Beasley Media Group’s Fort Myers/Naples cluster, which includes sports talk WBCN “ESPN Southwest Florida.” Vice president/market manager AJ Lurie comments, “The more people I asked about Randy, the more excited I got about having him on our team. I think he will be a perfect complement to our brands, products, and family here in Southwest Florida.” Spring Valley, New York native Cable notes, “I am thrilled to join the Beasley family and look forward to working with the incredible team in Fort Myers. I am passionate about helping our team help local businesses thrive and prosper with great ideas and our ability to develop/execute powerful fully-integrated radio and digital campaigns.” Cable formerly was integrated sales manager for Cox Media Group’s Miami and Jacksonville stations, and spent eleven years as director of sales for Audacy Greenville (South Carolina) … The Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association (CAPBA) recognizes Your Public Radio-owned public radio news/talk WYPR, Baltimore with five (5) first-place awards and seven (7) second-place awards for work done in 2021. Its first-place citations are in “Outstanding News Series”; “Outstanding Public Affairs”; “Outstanding Specialty Reporting”; “Outstanding Documentary/In-Depth Reporting”; and “Outstanding Serious Feature.” The CAPBA awards ceremony was held last Saturday (6/4) in Ocean City, Maryland. … In addition to hosting afternoon drive on iHeartMedia Des Moines news/talk WHO “News Radio 1040,” Simon Conway has been doing morning drive on similarly-formatted Orlando sibling WFLA “News Radio” and today adds a national assignment, filling in for Joe Pagliarulo. Conway’s PM drive program is simulcast on iHM’s WMT-AM “News Radio AM 600,” Cedar Rapids and WOC “News Talk 1420,” Davenport (Iowa). … Among the Delta Radio Greenville, Mississippi properties McConnell “Man@Large Adams will oversee as the newly-appointed operations director is WNIX “News Talk.” Adams most recently was director of content for Townsquare Media Lansing (Michigan).

Primaries and Trump & the GOP Top News/Talk Stories This Week. This week’s primary races – as well as the recall election of San Francisco’s progressive district attorney – combined as the top news/talk story for the week of June 6 – 10. At #2 this week was the U.S. economy, including the high price of gasoline and food, plus the concerns about a recession, followed by the January 6 Committee hearings at #3. The Talkers Ten is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

The Road Ahead. With TALKERS 2022 taking place today (Friday, 6/10) on the campus of Hofstra University, this marks our publication’s biggest day on the calendar. We’re right back at it again though next week, as TALKERS vice president/executive editor Kevin Casey leads team coverage of TALKERS 2022 highlights; in addition, we will post regular Monday morning memos from Holland Cooke and Steve Lapa. Later in the week, editor/publisher Michael Harrison reveals his latest guest on “The Michael Harrison Podcast,” while managing editor Mike Kinosian begins his four-part series on “Takeaways” from Nielsen Audio’s May 2022 survey period.

Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, June 9, 2022

By Editor | June 9, 2022 by Editor

Mike “Bax” Baxendale, Morning Talk Show Co-Host at ‘Rock 102,’ Springfield is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. Often referred to by Michael Harrison as a “talk radio pound-for-pound champion” Mike “Bax” Baxendale – who has reigned over Western Massachusetts radio ratings and revenue for the past 27 years on an extraordinary level – is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Known to his loyal legion of listeners simply as “Bax,” Baxendale has been enormously successful as a key member of the evolving WAQY “Rock 102” morning team since 1995 and is still going strong. First, he enjoyed an amazingly long run with talented co-host John O’ Brien (Bax & O’ Brien) and now the momentum continues with co-hosts Steve Nagle and Dave Coombs (“Bax, Steve and Dave”). See photo (l-r) Bax, Steve Nagle and Dave Coombs. Bax has become, according to Harrison, “a quintessential example of the notable breed of radio talker operating within the context of a duo or team on a music FM station where politics is mostly local, unpredictably non-partisan and not the only focus of interest.” Harrison continues, “This hard-working broadcaster talks politics, music, sports, and a wide scope of day-to-day issues and his range covers silly to serious, irreverent to respectful.” Harrison and Bax talk about the business realities faced by duos and teams on radio as well as the differences between how talk show hosts on music radio stations approach their audiences in terms of subject matter and attitude and those who perform on traditional news/talkers. Harrison refers to his own talk roots in FM music radio. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Podtrac Releases Top Podcast Publishers and Podcasts for May. Releasing its Top Podcast Publishers and Top Podcasts for the month of May based on U.S. unique monthly audience, Podtrac reports that iHeartRadio is #1 with a unique monthly audience of 29.4 million. NPR comes in at #2 with a unique monthly audience of 18.9 million. Other publishers in the top 20 include Daily Wire at #7 (repped by Cumulus Podcast Network), PodcastOne at #8 FOX Audio Network at #11, Blaze Media at #13, and Cumulus Podcast Network at #16. For the top 20 podcasts based on unique monthly audience, Podtrac ranks “The Daily” from The New York Times at #1, followed by “NPR News Now” at #2. “The Ben Shapiro Show” is ranked #5. Other radio-related shows include iHeartRadio’s “Stuff You Should Know” at #8, “FOX News Radio Hourly Newscast” at #11, and “The Dan Bongino Show” at #13. See the complete charts here.

Glades Media Names 25-Year Rush Limbaugh Engineer as Chief Operating Officer. Radio pro Brian Johnson – who served for 25 years as the radio broadcast engineer for “The Rush Limbaugh Show” – is the new chief operating officer for Glades Media. The company co-founders – Robert Castellanos, chairman and chief executive officer, and James Johnson, chief financial officer – will continue their roles. Castellanos says, “For the past year, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Brian and seeing first-hand what an outstanding broadcaster he’s become. Brian’s passion for radio and people is evident in how he approaches every opportunity and challenge. I look forward to building upon our business partnership as we continue navigating the broadcast media landscape.” Johnson spent 25 years as Limbaugh’s personal engineer, a role that began when the conservative radio icon moved to Palm Beach in 1996. Johnson comments, “It was a blessing to work side by side with the greatest broadcaster in our business. I’m eager to apply that experience and insight into my new role at Glades Media.” Johnson also owns BMZ Broadcasting, LLC and leases WLMX-FM to Glades Media.

Bret Burkhart Joins Audacy’s All-News KCBS-AM, San Francisco. Bay Area news pro Bret Burkhart is joining Audacy’s all-news KCBS-AM as a news anchor. Burkhart joins the station after spending the last 23 years at Cumulus Media’s crosstown news/talk KGO-AM and most recently was an anchor during the station’s morning and midday shows. Audacy San Francisco SVP and market manager Stacey Kauffman states, “We are incredibly fortunate that Bret is continuing his already illustrious career as an anchor for his hometown KCBS. He brings to KCBS a comprehensive and complex skill set that we will all benefit from. Bret knows politics, the Bay Area, what makes a good story and how to tell it, and we look forward to welcoming him aboard.” Burkhart comments, “KCBS is the gold standard for news around the Bay Area and beyond and I feel so fortunate to be joining an amazing group of broadcasters and storytellers.”

Adams Radio Launches Voluntary Employee Donation Drive to Benefit the Broadcasters Foundation of America. The company says that this voluntary employee donation drive is designed to “help create awareness and raise funds for the Broadcasters Foundation of America, a 501(c)3 charity that provides aid to fellow broadcasters in acute need from life-altering illness, accident, or other disaster.” The plan allows all Adams Radio Group employees the opportunity to set up automatic payroll deductions, in any amount, as donations to the Broadcasters Foundation. Adams president Ron Stone states, “When I learned that the sole mission of the Broadcasters Foundation is to provide financial assistance to our colleagues who, through no fault of their own, are in desperate need, I knew we had to get involved. These broadcasters are our colleagues. I would ask every radio group to consider helping the only charity that is dedicated solely to helping our colleagues.” BFoA co-president Jim Thompson says, “We’re very grateful to Ron for launching a voluntary employee donation drive to benefit the mission of the Broadcasters Foundation. With help from broadcasters like Ron, we can continue to provide aid to those in our industry who need it most.”

Cumulus Media Extends ABL Credit Facility. The company states that its indirect wholly owned subsidiary – Cumulus Media New Holdings Inc. – is entering into an amendment of its existing $100 million revolving credit facility. The amendment, among other things, extends the maturity from 2025 to 2027 subject to certain springing maturity conditions. As of June 8, 2022, there were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility. Cumulus Media president and CEO Mary G. Berner says, “By extending the ABL through 2027, we are locking in a long-term, favorable source of liquidity – enhancing our already strong balance sheet and increasing our financial flexibility as we continue to evolve from a one-dimensional radio broadcaster to a multi-dimensional audio media company. This action follows the expiration of the $25 million tender offer pursuant to our $50 million share buyback program and demonstrates our continuing commitment to making operational and financial decisions that enhance shareholder value.”

iHeartMedia Rebrands WBZT-AM, West Palm Beach as “1230 The Gambler.” The West Palm Beach sports talk station is rebranding as “Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler” and is using content from VSiN, The Sports Betting Network iHeartMedia’s WBZT-AM will air 22 hours of live VSiN programming daily in addition to Miami Marlins baseball games and University of Florida football and basketball matchups. Additionally, ‘The Gambler’ will feature “The Greek Zone” live from South Florida, weekday afternoons from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Station PD Brian Mudd comments, “We’re thrilled to bring this informative and entertaining brand of sports talk to local sports fans. Sports betting as a 24/7 format, and specifically the expert analysis from VSiN and our very own Greek, is a perfect choice for ‘The Gambler.’”

Primary Elections/Trump & the GOP, January 6 Hearings, the Economy, Attempted Kavanaugh Attack, Gun Violence-Legislation, Russia-Ukraine War, Extreme Weather Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/8). The results of Tuesday’s primary elections, the ouster of San Francisco’s liberal DA, and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; today’s beginning of the January 6 Committee hearings; the soaring price of gasoline & food and concerns about a recession; a California man is arrested near Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home intending to do him harm; the recent spate of gun violence and attempts to craft gun control legislation; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and is effect on the global economy; and the severe heatwave forecast for the Southwest were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Wednesday, June 8, 2022

By Editor | June 8, 2022 by Editor

Steve Cochran to Host Morning Drive on WLS-AM, Chicago. Chicago media personality Steve Cochran is joining Cumulus Media to host the morning drive show on news/talk WLS-AM, effective June 15. Cochran served as morning drive host at Nexstar Media’s crosstown news/talk WGN-AM from 2013 to 2019. He’s been producing two podcasts since his exit from WGN – one titled “Live from My Office” and another with Patty Steele called “The Deep 6 with Patty Steele – both of which he says he’ll continue to produce, according to a report by Chicago media writer Robert Feder. Cochran is taking over the morning show from Bruce St. James, who was brought in from Phoenix in December of 2020 to host the morning show after Erich Mancow Muller exited the station. WLS program director Stephanie Tichenor says, “I’m delighted to welcome Steve to our team, where I know he will bring his wisdom, wit, and political prowess to morning drive. Our listeners need a place to feel safe to express their opinions while having a destination for entertainment, news, and, of course, conservative conversation. Steve will provide that for our Chicagoland audience. I’m looking forward to growing 890 with Steve Cochran in the mornings.” Cochran comments, “Like thousands of others, I did my homework listening to The Big 89 WLS when I was a kid. It’s an honor to say those call letters, and I can’t wait to get started.” Cochran is represented by John McConnell at Workhouse Media.

Cumulus Names Lisa Waks SVP Digital Partnerships and Business Development. Digital media pro Lisa Waks is named SVP, digital partnerships and business development, in which she’ll lead Cumulus Podcast Network’s content acquisition strategy and content pipeline development, with a focus on personality-driven brand franchises in the news; business, money & tech; sports; and entertainment verticals. Waks was most recently head of global media partnerships, strategy, and operations for TED Conferences, where she expanded their digital business, streamlined operations, and launched the TED Audio Collective. Cumulus EVP corporate marketing and Westwood One president Suzanne Grimes says, “Lisa is a trailblazer who has spent years creating new businesses, building new revenue streams, and forging successful and enduring partnerships. We are excited for her to bring this fire and focus to Cumulus to help us continue to expand the Cumulus Podcast Network with innovative, interesting, and unique content that is craved by listeners and partners alike.” Waks comments, “I am thrilled to begin the next chapter in my career with such a long-standing and prestigious organization. Cumulus is best-in-class, leading the audio industry with a wide range of voices and premium content. I believe in the power of the spoken word, and through smart collaborations we will successfully deepen connections and community.”

Adrian Warren Named VP of Sales for iHeartMedia Jacksonville. Radio sales pro Adrian Warren is named vice president of sales for iHeartMedia’s Jacksonville cluster, effective June 13. The company says that in this role, Warren will be responsible driving revenue across the market’s entire broadcast and digital cluster, with a specific focus on WJBT-FM, WSOL-FM and the Black Information Network. Warren most recently served with Radio One in Indianapolis as digital sales manager and local sales manager. iHeartMedia area president for North Florida Paul Rogers comments, “I’m really excited to have Adrian join our leadership team here on the First Coast of Florida. His track record, personal character, and specific experience with some of the same diverse brands we represent here in Jacksonville were a perfect fit for us, and we were fortunate to get him. I’m confident he’ll help us get back to our market-leading revenue position.”

TALKERS News Notes. Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that Lizzie Baumgartner is returning to Audacy’s all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM to serve as managing editor of podcasts. Most recently, she’s been serving the company as audio production coordinator for its alternative rock and country stations. Her previous role with WBBM was as assistant producer…..A number of executive promotions are taking place at Triton Digital. Stephanie Donovan is now global head of revenue. Alex Fournier is named chief technology officer. Benjamin Masse rises to chief product officer, and Molly Glover Gallatin joins the executive team as SVP of marketing and Jelli customer experience. Triton says the promotions “further support the company’s recent integration of Jelli to accelerate the development of innovative technology that serves the entire audio ecosystem across radio, streaming, and podcasting.”…..SiriusXM is presenting coverage of the Belmont Stakes, the third and final jewel of thoroughbred racing’s 2022 Triple Crown, this Saturday, June 11 from Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The wire-to-wire race broadcast of the Belmont Stakes is provided by NBC Sports Audio Network.

Making Dreams Come True. Pictured above is WRVA, Richmond afternoon drive talk host Jeff Katz (right) before a Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game. Katz says, “Being the number one talk radio personality in Central Virginia brings some perks like being asked to throw out the first pitches for the area’s two big baseball teams – the Tri-City Chili Peppers and the Richmond Flying Squirrels. I got those calls but realized there is something better than doing it yourself and that’s making a dream come true for someone else. So, citing my health issues like ‘outgrown hair and a torn rotator cufflink,’ I asked Emily Morrissey (second from left) if she’d be willing to help him. Emily is a 23-year-old young lady with cerebral palsy and other challenges, but she brought the heat and did a great job as my ringer at both Shepard Stadium in Colonial Heights, Virginia and The Diamond in Richmond, Virginia. Emily personally makes beautiful bracelets which are available at www.emilysbracelets.com and donates a portion of the proceeds to the Special Olympics of Virginia. Each player on the Chili Peppers and the Flying Squirrels wore one of her bracelets in their respective team colors during their games.”

Primary Elections/Donald Trump & the GOP, January 6 Hearings, the Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Gun Violence-Legislation, and COVID-19 Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/7). Tuesday’s primary elections for the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; Thursday’s hearings before the January 6 Committee; the soaring price of gasoline & food, plummeting tech stocks and concerns about a recession; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and its effect on the global economy; reactions to the recent episodes of gun violence and attempts at gun legislation; and the status of COVID-19 in the U.S. were some of most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

By Editor | June 7, 2022 by Editor

Jason DeRusha Named PM Drive Host at WCCO, Minneapolis as Part of New Lineup. Longtime Twin Cities television news personality Jason DeRusha is joining Audacy as the new host of the afternoon drive program, effective June 27. WCCO brand manager Brad Lane says, “Jason’s not only a beloved and trusted Minnesota broadcaster, he also has the rare ability to truly connect and engage with everyone he talks to. Whether he’s delivering breaking news, telling a family story or giving a restaurant recommendation, people trust him like a friend, and that’s exactly what the legacy and future of 830 WCCO is all about.” DeRusha has spent nearly two decades as a reporter and anchor at WCCO-TV, including co-hosting “WCCO Mornings” since 2013 and winning nine regional Emmy Awards for his work there. In addition, he’s one of the market’s best-known foodies – from being named a James Beard Award finalist for his “DeRusha Eats” television segment to serving as food critic and editor at Minnesota Monthly magazine, a role he’ll continue. He says, “I have always loved the creativity, the unpredictability, and the interactive qualities of radio. I can’t wait to bring my love for Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, as well as my two decades of curiosity about our neighbors and our news to 830 WCCO. Not many people get to have one dream job, let alone two. I’ve loved my time in television and can’t wait to dive into a new dream job in radio and podcasting.” Additonally, longtime 830 WCCO news anchor Adam Carter is being promoted to co-host a new show alongside Jordana Green, airing from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Green’s longtime co-host Paul Douglas will set aside daily hosting duties to become WCCO Radio’s chief meteorologist. Douglas will appear on air throughout the day and ensure the station remains Minnesota’s most trusted source for severe weather updates.

Chris Duel Moves to Morning Drive Show at WOAI, San Antonio. Talk radio personality Chris Duel is moving from iHeartMedia’s sports talk KTKR-AM, San Antonio and KVET, Austin where he co-hosted the morning drive show with Shannon “Salty” Sweeney to the company’s news/talk WOAI, San Antonio as part of the “San Antonio’s First News” alongside Charity McCurdy, Tim Merryman, and Charlie Parker. Duel tweeted the news, saying, “This is an honor on many levels, especially because I began my radio career in 1997 at WOAI when the late Andrew Ashwood hired me onto the 50,000-watt blowtorch. I worked with Charlie, Tim, and Charity in my first radio incarnation, so this is truly a homecoming for me. My sincere thanks to iHeartRadio executives Matt Martin, Jason McCollim, and Brian Gann for offering me this incredible opportunity.”

Wayne Allyn Root Knighted. Pictured above is Las Vegas-based talk radio host Wayne Allyn Root (center) receiving the honor of being knighted on June 5 at Royal Knighting Ceremony and Gala at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Root was knighted by Prince Rafael (left) of the Royal House of Cappadocia. Root is now a Knight in the Royal Order of Constantine the Great & St. Helen and can forever claim the title “Sir Wayne Allyn Root.” Root was knighted for his notable achievements in entrepreneurship and entertainment – including his 40 years as television and radio host and producer. Other notables knighted at the ceremony included Sir Alec Stern, billionaire founder of ConstantContact; Sir Ray Parker Jr., songwriter for many of the biggest hits in music including “Ghostbusters,” as well as guitarist for The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder and Barry White; and Sir Rolando Blackman, former NBA superstar.

TALKERS News Notes. The Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association awards were announced last weekend and Hubbard Radio’s all-news WTOP, Washington picked up 11 First Place honors, including Outstanding News Operation and Outstanding Newscast. WTOP director of news and programming Julia Ziegler says, “As a 24/7 news operation, our work never stops. We are honored that work was recognized by CAPBA. These awards are truly a testament to the hard work of our entire news team.”…..AdLarge signs an ad sales partnership deal with the “Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting” podcast, hosted by psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and journalist Reena Ninan. On the program, Dr. Damour and Ninan address everyday parental concerns such as starting a new school year, managing friendships, kids and sports, and technology. They also tackle difficult topics such as anxiety, depression, and suicide…..Hearst Television’s WBAL, Baltimore “NewsRadio 1090 AM / 101.5 FM” and the Naval Academy Athletic Association have agreed to a multi-year extension to their long-running partnership that will keep the station as the flagship of the Navy Football Radio Network. WBAL president and GM Dan Joerres says, “We are thrilled to continue to bring Navy football to our listeners every Saturday during the fall, including the time-honored tradition of the Army-Navy game. It’s truly an honor to partner with such a prestigious institution.”

January 6 Hearing, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Deadly Shootings/Gun Control, the Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, and Musk & Twitter Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/6). Thursday’s scheduled January 6 Committee hearing and the charging of former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and others charged with seditious conspiracy; the primary elections for November’s midterms, LA and SF democrats on the ropes, and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the spate of deadly shootings and attempts at gun control legislation; the soaring price of gasoline & food and fears of a recession; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; and Elon Musk threatens to end Twitter acquisition over spam & fake accounts data were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Monday, June 6, 2022

By Editor | June 6, 2022 by Editor

Monday Memo: Your Podcast Isn’t a Broadcast. “Everyone-who’s-anyone is podcasting,” consultant Holland Cooke observes. “And – like Howard Stern migrating to satellite radio – their content is growing the platform.” Thousands and thousands of hobbyists are podcasting, “some doing quite well, though many sound amateurish compared to the more polished way we professional broadcasters can execute.’ In this week’s column, HC notes how, “for all their rough edges, podcasters are better than broadcasters at one thing podcasts do well.” Read it here.

Pending Business: Local Host vs Facebook. Should an ad read by your local talk show host command a higher CPM than a Facebook ad? Radio sales pro Steve Lapa says absolutely yes, and for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is the host’s credibility, personal touch, and the trust they have built with their audience. Read more here.

Harry Hurley, WPG Morning Star, to Contribute $6,000 to Broadcasters Foundation at TALKERS 2022. In what has become somewhat of a radio industry tradition, WPG, Atlantic City, NJ morning show host Harry Hurley’s Hurley in the Morning Charity Foundation (501c3) will pay tribute to the Broadcasters Foundation of America (501c3) at TALKERS 2022 at Hofstra University on June 10 and in the process donate $6,000 to the cause. Each year since TALKERS 2017, Hurley has made a donation to the BFoA in increasing amounts of $1,000 per year beginning with a one thousand dollar grant the first year achieving a total of $21,000. The Broadcasters Foundation of America’s mission is to improve the quality of life and maintain the personal dignity of men and women in the radio and television broadcast profession who find themselves in acute financial need due to a critical illness, accident, advanced age or other serious misfortune. Photo: Harry Hurley holding a check to the BFoA at TALKERS 2019. To listen to a conversation between TALKERS founder Michael Harrison and Harry Hurley about this year’s donation please click here.

Steve Scully to Host New Show on SiriusXM’s POTUS Channel. Longtime C-SPAN journalist Steve Scully is joining SiriusXM to host the new program “The Briefing with Steve Scully” on SiriusXM’s political talk channel P.O.T.U.S. Scully, who serves as SVP at Washington DC’s Bipartisan Policy Center, “will take listeners inside the stories and conversations that are shaping the day in the nation’s capital. From breaking Supreme Court rulings to debates in Congress and briefings from The White House, the program will consider all sides and every perspective, helping listeners stay on top of what’s happening within the Beltway and beyond.” Scully says, “I am thrilled to join the SiriusXM P.O.T.U.S. family to share my enthusiasm for politics and public policy with a very smart audience. I look forward not only to focusing on the developing stories of the day, but also to giving listeners a deeper context to complex issues. Together, we will peel back the layers of stories to provide new information with elected officials, key policy makers and leading journalists.”

WWO: Study Reveals Value of AM/FM Ad Campaign. The Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group shares the results of a study it commissioned The Harris Poll to do in an effort to understand the performance of the leading meal kit delivery service’s advertising performance. Some of the findings of the study include: 1) AM/FM radio worked for the meal kit delivery service. The test of AM/FM radio advertising was very successful. Between the pre- and post-campaigns, heavy AM/FM radio listeners generated immense brand equity growth, two times greater than the average. Heavy AM/FM listeners, those with the greatest opportunity to hear the campaign, delivered the largest lifts for familiarity and consideration; 2) Heavy historical use of podcast advertising resulted in significant awareness, consideration, and brand equity among the podcast audience for the meal kit delivery service brand. Due to sustained prior use of podcast advertising, podcast listeners far outperformed the average consumer across tested brand measures. Comparing podcast listeners to the general population, the meal kit delivery service had much stronger brand equity (+43%), consideration (+34%), and familiarity (+34%); 3) The meal kit delivery service’s AM/FM radio and podcast campaign boosted purchase intention metrics. The AM/FM radio campaign drove positive movement throughout the purchase funnel. Since the pre-campaign period, there was growth in familiarity (+22%), trial (+5%), and usage (+10%) among heavy AM/FM radio listeners. Among podcast listeners, familiarity grew +4%, trial +21%, and usage +51%; and 4) Growth opportunity: Expand to consistent use of AM/FM radio advertising. As media effectiveness grows with the number of media channels utilized, meal kit delivery service brands have an opportunity to add reach and avoid podcast message saturation by using AM/FM radio. Among meal kit users, 56% only listen to AM/FM radio and don’t listen to podcasts. Expanding the media buy to AM/FM radio reaches the 56% of meal kit category users who aren’t exposed to podcast advertising. See more here.

TALKERS News Notes. Sports talk radio legend Jim Rome is now heard in San Diego on XEPRS “The Mightier 1090.” Rome’s CBS Sports Radio syndicated program has been off the air in the market since February but returns on the Bill Hagen-led station. Rome says, “San Diego is where the Jungle really took hold. It’s where I met my wife. And where I experienced some of the greatest moments of my entire life. There is no better town, no better market and you absolutely CAN go home. And that’s what I plan on doing. And I can’t wait. Let’s do this!”…..Recently, Art Vuolo (pictured below) made a special appearance on Nexstar Media’s WGN-AM, Chicago sitting in with legendary Windy City personality John Records Landecker as the station celebrated its 100 anniversary on the air. “Radio’s Best Friend” and operator of Vuolo Video produced his appearance in a YouTube video that you can see here.

Weekend Shootings/Gun Control, January 6 Hearings, the Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Boris Johnson Troubles, Korean Missile Launches Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. Gun violence over the weekend that took the lives of five people in Philadelphia and Chattanooga and debate over potential gun legislation; televised congressional hearings on the January 6 Capitol breach to begin on Thursday; the still rising price of gasoline, food and consumer goods and fears of a recession; Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s warning to the West not to supply Ukraine with weapons; November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a vote of no confidence by his conservative party over the partygate scandal; and the U.S. and South Korea launch missiles in response to North Korea’s launch of eight missiles were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, June 3, 2022

By Editor | June 3, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Short Week,” looks back at this past week of 5/30 to 6/3. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Harry Hurley, talk show host, WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; Joe Thomas, talk show host/program director, WCHV, Charlottesville, VA; Renee Kohanski, M.D., forensic psychiatrist/podcaster, MDEdge Psychcast; Steve Weisman, law professor, Bentley University, Boston/founder Samicide.com; and Daliah Wachs, M.D., physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

Wynter and Massey Promoted to Full Time at WSB, Atlanta. As reported by Rodney Ho in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, air personalities Shelley Wynter and MalaniKai Massey are joining the Cox Media Group Atlanta staff as full timers. They began co-hosting “Word on the Street” on news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM on a weekly basis back in 2019. Later, the program was given nightly status airing at 9:00, but conservative Wynter and more liberal Massey remained part-time employees. Along with this promotion, “Word on the Street” assumes the 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm slot, effective June 13. Massey tells the AJC that getting the full-time status was a “test of faith and endurance and perseverance. There were times I wanted to quit and give up before I was on WSB. But I kept pushing and keeping an eye on the prize. This has been very emotional.”

Alex Jones Trial Damages Phase Set for September After Bankruptcy Scheme Fails. Several reports, including this one from Kate Marino at Axios, reveal that Alex Jones’ attempt use bankruptcy laws to avoid what could be large damages paid to families of the Sandy Hook school massacre victims, has failed and the September damages trail in Connecticut remains scheduled. At issue here was Jones’ strategy to use a new subchapter of the U.S. bankruptcy code to declare Chapter 11 for three of his companies that did little or no business and thereby triggering an “automatic stay” on the case. But the subchapter was designed to help struggling small business delay payments to creditors while reorganizing and not as a strategy to simply delay a trial. In addition to the Justice Department’s bankruptcy watchdog seeking to dismiss the bankruptcy cases for Jones’ companies, the Sandy Hook families also dropped their suits against those companies but are continuing to seek damages from Alex Jones himself. The piece notes that in the Connecticut state court damages trial, “Jones may face much higher penalties than the $10 million he offered in the bankruptcy deal.”

Alpha Media Flips CHR KTFM to Sports Talk as Simulcast of KZDC-AM in San Antonio. Sports talk outlet KZDC-AM “San Antonio Sports Star” gets a full-market FM signal as Alpha Media flips CHR KTFM at 94.1 to a simulcast of KZDC. Afternoon host Jason Minnix writes a blog piece on the station’s site announcing the additional signal. He says, “Moving to 94.1 is huge – the signal is 37 times bigger than what we had yesterday. You know I am a music guy so this is like a band that started playing clubs, moved to arenas and is now playing massive stadiums. Like going from Wolff Stadium to Jerry’s World… This move to 94.1 gives San Antonio one of the biggest sports stations signal wise in the state. Dallas has a sports station with a bigger signal. Houston doesn’t. Austin doesn’t.”

TALKERS News Notes. In a move announced by the company’s board of directors, Saga Communications declares a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share, an increase from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.16 per share. This dividend will be paid on July 1, 2022, to shareholders of record on June 13, 2022. The aggregate amount of the payment to be made in connection with the quarterly dividend will be approximately $1.2 million. The quarterly cash dividend will be funded by cash on the company’s balance sheet. Including this dividend, the company will have paid over $79 million in dividends to shareholders since the first special dividend was paid in 2012…..iHeartMedia and acclaimed film and television producer Meryl Poster, the founder of Superb Entertainment, announce the season two launch of “Call Your Grandmother,” the show that features New York grandmothers – 83-year-old Ellin Grodsky and 92-year-old Rita Kaye – and celebrates Jewish grandmothers and the irreverent qualities that make them natural comedians…..Mark Fratrik, Ph.D., BIA Advisory Services’ SVP and chief economist, is retiring from the company, effective June 30. BIA says he’ll continue as a strategic advisor and analyst to the company offering continuity for the firm’s forecasting, insights and analytics services that will now be led by Nicole Ovadia, VP of forecasting and analysis. BIA CEO and founder Tom Buono comments, “When I look at the accomplishments of BIA over Mark’s 21-year tenure at BIA, there’s a direct correlation between our success and Mark’s dedication and expertise. Mark’s competence in analyzing the economic forces driving the local media industry has guided our forecasting efforts and allowed us to continuously deliver high-quality, reliable data and insights. His analyses have been integral to informing and influencing decisions at the highest levels of our industry and the government, and his service to BIA has been immeasurable.”

Mass Shootings Top News/Talk Story for Week of May 30 – June 3. The recent spate of mass shootings and the controversy over gun control legislation was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was a tie between the state of the economy, the national mood, and Elon Musk’s battle with Tesla employees, followed by the infection rate of COVID-19 cases at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

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Thursday, June 2, 2022

By Editor | June 2, 2022 by Editor

Triton Digital Releases Streaming Metrics Ranker for April. The monthly rankings of streaming properties in the U.S. for the month of April have been released by Triton Digital. The ranker is based on Average Active Sessions (calculated by dividing Total Listening Hours by the number of hours within the reported time period). The following is based on listening in the U.S. for 6am-12am Mon-Sun. This month, iHeartRadio is #1 with 300,843 AAS, followed by NPR Member Stations at #2 (73,677 AAS), and Audacy at #3 (67,798 AAS). Other radio-related companies finishing in the top 25 include Cumulus Streaming Network at #4 (42,061 AAS), Beasley Broadcasting Corporate at #7 (19,207 AAS), Hubbard Broadcasting at #8 (15,095 AAS), Salem Communications at #11 (8,816 AAS), Urban One at #12 (8,456 AAS), and Bonneville International at #13 (7,358 AAS). See the complete ranker here.

Edison Research to Present ‘The Smart Audio Report’ Five Years In. On June 16, Edison Research will present a live webinar to reveal the results of its The Smart Audio Report 2022. Edison says that back in 2017, it and NPR went into the homes of smart speaker owners to learn how the new technology was being integrated into people’s lives for the original Smart Audio Report. Five years later, they revisited some of those same families to see how they have grown and how their usage of voice assistant technology has changed. “The 2022 installment of the Smart Audio Report will not only offer an update on some of those original families, but also fresh data from a recent national study that measures attitudes around voice tech among those who use it and those who don’t.” Ahead of the June 16 webinar, Edison reveals that recent data shows (for people 13+) share of time spent listening to audio on a smart speaker breaks down as follows: Streaming Audio (Spotify, Pandora, etc.) 41%, AM/FM Radio 13%, YouTube (music and music videos only) 11%, SiriusXM 11%, Owned Music 8%, Podcasts 8%, Audio Books 7%, and Other 1%. You can get more information about the webinar and register here.

Conservative Commentator Tomi Lahren to Host Outkick Programs. Conservative media figure Tomi Lahren is joining OutKick Media to host the evening program “Tomi Lahren is Fearless,” premiering on June 20. New episodes will air every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:00 pm ET and will be available on demand on YouTube and social channels as well as outkick.com later this summer. Outkick SVP Gary Schreier says, “Tomi has amassed a loyal following throughout her career, and we are excited to bring her signature style and insights to our highly engaged audience at OutKick where she will be an invaluable addition to our expanding programming lineup.” Additionally, Lahren is being named the exclusive voice of “FOX News Commentary” where she will offer her perspective on everything from pop culture to politics with a 60-second FOX News Audio produced feature. The segment will be syndicated three times per weekday across more than 160 FOX News Radio stations.

Hutton, Withrow, and Kuharsky Return to Nashville Airwaves. According to a report in The Tennessean, the sports talk program “OutKick 360,” hosted by Jonathan Hutton, Chad Withrow, and Paul Kuharsky and formerly known as “Midday 180,” is returning to the Nashville market on the radio. The program has been broadcast digitally on Outkick.com since January of 2021. It originally aired on Cumulus Media’s WGFX-FM “104.5 The Zone.” Beginning on June 13, the show will air from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Cromwell Media’s WBUZ-HD3/W235BW “94.9 The Fan” – sister station to sports talk WPRT-FM “ESPN 102.5 The Game.” Station program director Chase McCabe says, “One of my goals as the new PD was to figure out a way to add ‘OutKick 360’ to our talented lineup. Re-imagining 94.9 as ‘The Fa’n made that possible because not only do we add three voices that Nashville knows, but we are able to bring Dan Patrick and Colin Cowherd back to the Music City. It’s a huge win for us and for our city.”

TALKERS News Notes. Today is the beginning of the 2022 Women’s College World Series at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City and Cumulus Media’s Westwood One – the official audio partner of the NCAA – is broadcasting every game of the series…..A new podcast titled “R&B Money” hosted by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter-producer TANK and his business partner, multi-platinum singer-songwriter-music executive J. Valentine is launching on iHeartMedia’s and Charlamagne tha God’s Black Effect Podcast Network. The series “is for the super dedicated R&B fan, highlighting everything from Marvin Gaye to Pink Sweat$. ‘R&B Money’ has produced an exciting space for artists & executives in the game to reminisce with exceptionally compelling storytelling while building a place of discovery for the fans.”…..Journalist Katie Couric is releasing a new iHeartRadio Original special limited podcast series titled, “Abortion: The Body Politic.” In this series, she speaks with historians, doctors, activists, reproductive justice leaders, everyday women who have had abortions, and others to discuss the realities of a country without Roe v. Wade. Guests on the program will include Gloria Steinem; Mary Ziegler, foremost abortion law expert; Jessica Chastain, Academy Award-winning actress; Busy Philipps, actress and activist; Dr. Warren Hern, abortion doctor; and more.

Tulsa Hospital Shooting/Uvalde Aftermath, Inflation-Recession Fears, Russia-Ukraine War, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Durham Investigation, COVID-19, Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Depp-Heard Verdict Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/1). A shooting at a Tulsa medical center claims the lives of four and the aftermath of the Uvalde, Texas school massacre; the still-rising price of gas & food and concerns about a recession; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, its effects on the global economy and Vladimir Putin’s threats of nuclear force; the primary races for the midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; special counsel John Durham’s probe into the Trump-Russia investigation; the high rates of COVID-19 in parts of the U.S.; Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee; and the verdicts in the Johnny Depp–Amber Heard defamation case were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

By Editor | June 1, 2022 by Editor

Chris Camp Retires from WSB, Atlanta News Director Role. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Rodney Ho reports that after 28 years leading the news department at Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta, Chris Camp is retiring from that station and his role as news director. The story indicates that assistant news director Amanda Moyer will step up to the news director role and Jennifer Perry will rise to assistant news director. The 63-year-old Camp says that around Christmas of last year he made the decision to retire and return to New England where he’s from and where most of his family still lives. Camp tells the AJC, “It’s time for somebody else to shepherd this ship and take it to the new heights.”

Mike Missanelli and ‘97.5 The Fanatic’ Part Company. Philadelphia sports talk host Mike Missanelli announced to his listeners on Tuesday that it would be his last day leading the afternoon drive program on Beasley Media Group’s WPEN-FM “97.5 The Fanatic.” According to a report by NBC 10 Philadelphia, Missanelli told his audience that his contract is expiring in a couple of weeks and “he and the company have decided to go in different directions.” He added that Beasley has a new program under contract to fill the daypart. Missanelli, who previously served with crosstown sports talker WIP, had been hosting at WPEN for 12 years.

Remembering William O’Shaughnessy. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents this look at the life and career of radio executive William O’Shaughnessy, who passed away on Saturday (5/28) at 84 after a battle with cancer. Kinosian writes, “Those privileged to spend time with the perfectly coiffed president & editorial director of Whitney Radio’s WVOX-AM & WVIP-FM were guaranteed to be regaled with classic radio nuggets spun in extraordinary style and vibrant flair. Queries on any subject produced at least a handful of animated recollections, all eloquently crafted by the classy O’Shaughnessy, who frequently and delightfully referred to himself in the third-person.” Read his piece here.

TALKERS News Notes. Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that Salem Media Group’s news/talk WIND, Chicago “AM 560 The Answer” is hosting what is expected to be the final GOP debate before the June 28 Illinois primary. The debate is taking place on June 23 at McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. News director Mike Scott will serve as moderator and WIND morning co-host Amy Jacobson and Illinois Radio Network’s Greg Bishop will serve as panelists. WIND program director Marcus Brown states, “As Chicago’s leading conservative media outlet, we look forward to providing a forum for the Republican candidates for governor to address our audience and make their closing arguments. We know that our listeners will be the ones that decide the outcome of this election, and we expect a spirited and informative exchange of ideas at our debate just a few short days before the election.”…..In celebration of Pride Month, Audacy all-news outlets WINS and WCBS-AM in New York are launching “It’s OK to Say Gay,” a new LGBTQIA+ podcast focused on various topics affecting the LGBTQIA+ community. The podcast is being hosting by managing producer of podcasts Femi Redwood, who says, “As some LGBTQ people feel like they’re being forced back into the closet due to legislation like the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills, queer and trans voices are more important than ever before. With humor and honesty, the new ‘It’s OK To Say Gay’ podcast brings together diverse voices across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum that rarely get to be heard.”…..iHeartRadio announces a deal with Victoria’s Secret and Amanda de Cadenet to bring “VS Voices” to the iHeartPodcast Network. The podcast “builds on the Victoria’s Secret vision of being a leading advocate for women by highlighting stories of trailblazers who have paved the way for other women to succeed today and beyond.” De Cadanet says, “Storytelling with a purpose is what I have focused on for most of my career. I am looking forward to continuing that mission in partnership with iHeart, and to amplify the powerful life experiences that my guests share with me. With each of the podcasts we will be able to tell a wide variety of stories, from the profound and insightful, to those that are simply entertaining. I’m excited to be launching this audio trifecta!”…..Virtual News Center announces that a group of stations owned by Southern Broadcasting LLC joins its roster of affiliate stations. WTKI, Huntsville; WSLV, Ardmore, Tennessee; WIEZ, Decatur, Alabama; WYDL, Middleton, Tennessee; and WWGM, Selmer, Tennessee are now using the Virtual News Center services.

Uvalde Shooting Investigation/Gun Control, Inflation/Recession Fears, Russia-Ukraine War, COVID-19, Durham Investigation, SCOTUS Leak Investigation, and China’s Taiwan Ambitions Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/31). The investigation into the timeline of the Uvalde, Texas shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead and the topic of gun legislation; the still soaring price of gasoline & food and the concerns about a recession; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the global economic repercussions; the rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the impact of restrictions and mandates; special counsel John Durham’s probe into the Trump-Russia investigation and the acquittal of former Hillary Clinton lawyer Michael Sussman; the intensifying investigation into the leak of the Supreme Court’s potential overturning of Roe v Wade; and China’s military interest in Taiwan were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

By Editor | May 31, 2022 by Editor

WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte Announces Promotions and New Contracts for News Staffers. Charlotte news/talk WBT-AM/FM announces that it is “committed to remaining the news and information leader in Charlotte into its second century of broadcasting” with the promotion of veteran news reporter and host Mark Garrison to news director and the addition of a weeknight talk show for senior reporter Brett Jensen. Both Garrison and Jenson have signed new multi-year contracts and Radio One says it will be adding a news producer to its team. In the past two years, WBT has added anchors Anna Erickson, Mark Mueller, and Tony Marino to work alongside Garrison, Jensen, reporter Joe Gillespie, traffic reporters Pam Warner and Boomer Von Cannon, sports reporters Jim Szoke and Sharon Thorsland, and anchors Jeff Atkinson and Mike Dohn. The station says Garrison, long a leader in the Charlotte news community on both radio and television, has demonstrated his commitment to objectivity and journalistic integrity for decades. He will continue to host “Charlotte at Six” each weeknight, delivering his signature storytelling while supervising the day-to-day operations of the WBT newsroom. The station adds that in under four years at WBT, “Breaking Brett Jensen” has become synonymous with breaking news coverage, delivering exclusive content for the Charlotte community like no other. In addition to his reporting duties, Jensen will host “Breaking with Brett Jensen” each weeknight from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm where he will dive deeper into the stories that he has reported and take calls from listeners. Radio One regional VP and market manager Marsha Landess comments, “Mark and Brett are among the elite news professionals in the country, period. We are thrilled that their new appointments will strengthen the best news department in Charlotte.”

WVOX/WVIP’s William O’Shaughnessy Passes at 84. Longtime New York radio executive William O’Shaughnessy died Saturday (5/28) at his home in Litchfield, Connecticut at the age of 84 after a battle with urothelial cancer. He was widely considered one of the country’s most colorful community broadcasters, well-known for his editorials, commentaries, appreciations, elegies, and character portraits, which inspired The New York Times to declare that “Bill O’Shaughnessy’s commentaries make his New York TV counterparts look like so much mish-mash.” He served as president and editorial director of WVOX and WVIP in New Rochelle, New York – stations with which he was associated for 67 years. He began his career in 1957 at the original WVIP in Northern Westchester, a fabled suburban station owned by Martin Stone, producer of “Howdy Doody” and “Author Meets Critic.” He was the station’s top advertising salesman at the age of 21. He went on to serve as executive assistant to WNEW, New York’s general manager John Van Buren Sullivan. He was a longtime member of the Broadcasters Foundation of America’s board of directors and chairman of its Guardian Fund. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison issued the following statement, “Bill O’ Shaughnessy was more than an accomplished broadcaster and author. He was a living symbol of the radio medium’s most glorious ideals – both in substance and style – and he was one of modern-day America’s most influential and inspirational proponents of the First Amendment.” Services will take place at Lloyd Maxcy, 16 Shea Place in New Rochelle on Tuesday, May 31 4:00 pm-7:00 pm. The funeral mass will be held at St. Anthony of Padua, 49 South Street, Litchfield on Wednesday, June 1 at 11:30 am. In lieu of flowers, the O’Shaughnessy family would be grateful for a donation in his honor to the Broadcasters Foundation of America: https://broadcastersfoundation.org/donate/

WWO Audio Active Group: The Benefits of Emotion-Based Brand Building. In this week’s blog from the Westwood One Audio Active Group, two different types of advertising copy are studied – rational copy rooted in features and benefits and emotion-based copy that can be used to build brands. The blog reports that according to Binet and Field, the rational approach to advertising (relevant and useful targeted activation) works together with the emotion-based approach that “creates positive feelings and associations” via broad-reach ads that are “interesting and enjoyable.” The report also concludes that: 1) Emotion-based creative builds stronger brands and generates greater business outcomes; 2) Emotions guide and simplify our decision making: Positive emotional responses lead to a positive evaluation of choice; 3) According to authors John Kearon, Orlando Wood, and Tom Ewing, ads should build familiarity, create positive emotion, and make things easy to process; and 4) Podcast listeners prefer funny and entertaining ads but say they are more likely to hear rational podcast ads that communicate features/benefits. See the blog here.

TALKERS News Notes. The Radio Television Digital News Association has completed its announcement of the winners of Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and Audacy was honored with 23 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for outstanding achievements in electronic journalism. Seven Audacy markets were honored including Buffalo, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and St. Louis and WCCO, Minneapolis; KYW-AM/FM, Philadelphia; KCBS-AM, San Francisco; and KMOX, St. Louis all picked up “Overall Excellence” Awards. The National Edward R. Murrow Awards will be announced later this summer and winners will be honored on October 10 at a gala in New York City…..SiriusXM announces the debut of a new weekly show “Conversations with Joel,” starring Joel Osteen on Thursday, June 2 on Joel Osteen Radio. SiriusXM says, “Through one-on-one conversations with top leaders, athletes, entrepreneurs, celebrities and world-renowned influencers, ‘Conversations with Joel’ will empower listeners to unlock the champion within, overcome challenges, break through barriers, and be their best in every area of life. His scheduled guests include actor, comedian and director Kelsey Grammer; actor and television host Terry Crews; “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts; CBS Sports broadcaster James Brown; NFL agent Nicole Lynn; “FOX & Friends” host Ainsley Earhardt; television personality and sports reporter Jay Glazer and others…..ABC News releases the trailer for its new three-part podcast series, “Reclaimed: The Story of Mamie Till-Mobley.” Hosted by historian and ABC News contributor Leah Wright-Rigueur, the new series chronicles the life and legacy of Mamie Till-Mobley, whose fight for justice after her son’s brutal murder helped spark the civil rights movement. The first episode of “Reclaimed: The Story of Mamie Till-Mobley” debuts Wednesday, June 1, with new episodes posting weekly…..iHeartRadio and Sound Argument LLC announce the launch of a new documentary podcast titled, “Class Action.” Hosted by Katie Phang, a trial lawyer, anchor, and host for MSNBC and Peacock, the 12-part podcast series will track a diverse cast of outstanding law students who are battling it out in mock trial competitions across the country. The first two episodes will debut on June 7 and can be heard on iHeartRadio and all other major platforms.

Uvalde Massacre Aftermath/Weekend Gun Violence/Gun Control, Russia-Ukraine War, Primaries/Trump & the GOP, Inflation/Recession Fears, SCOTUS Leak Investigation, Monkeypox, and Memorial Day Holiday Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The investigation into the police tactics during the attack on Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, the spate of gun violence in the U.S. over the weekend, and talk about gun control measures; Russian’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the conflict’s global effects; the primary races for November midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the high price of food and gasoline and concerns about a looming recession; the intensifying investigation into the leak of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade; the spread of monkeypox; and the Memorial Day holiday were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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