Industry News

FTC Finalizes Orders Against CMG

The Federal Trade Commission reveals it has issued finalized orders requiring Cox Media Group and New Hampshire-based MindSift LLC and Wisconsin-based 1010 Digital Works LLC to pay a total of $930,000 to settle allegations they deceived customers imgby falsely claiming to offer an AI-powered service that could target localized ads based on conversations captured from consumers’ smart devices and that consumers had opted into such targeting. The FTC had alleged that the companies “deceived customers by claiming they used a special algorithm to listen in on and detect pertinent conversations from smart devices in order to target ads to consumers within a specific geographic region. Contrary to these companies’ claims, however, the marketing service wasn’t based on voice data, and consumers hadn’t opted into this service. If the service had functioned as advertised, this collection and use of consumers’ voice data without adequate consent would itself violate the FTC Act.”

Industry News

Frank Morano to Fill in for Smerconish on SiriusXM

New York City Councilor Frank Morano is getting back behind the imgmic today and tomorrow (8/31-9/1) to fill in for Michael Smerconish on SiriusXM’s POTUS channel from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. Morano – who was a talk host at WABC, New York for many years before running for public office – tells TALKERS, “I’ve got a fun couple of shows lined up, including Kelsey Grammer, along with some other interesting guests and plenty of calls and conversation.”

Industry Views

Monday Memo: “So What?”

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imgAbout those commercials… which pay for you. When a prospective client says, “We tried radio. It didn’t work,” I ask to hear the commercial. Within seconds I can tell why.

It opens with the business name. It lists products. It rattles off prices. It stuffs in an address, a website, a phone number, and a slogan. Then it ends. Nothing happened. Nothing memorable. Nothing emotional. Nothing that gave a listener a reason to care. Yet radio gets blamed. Like blaming a fishing rod because you cast with no bait.

The commercial has one job: Make someone care enough to take the next step

That’s it. Not explain everything. Not impress everyone with how many years you’ve been in business.

Its purpose is to create curiosity…confidence…desire…trust…urgency…hope. Any one of those emotions can motivate action. A list of merchandise almost never does.

The listener doesn’t wake up hoping to buy a water heater, or hire a lawyer, or replace a roof. People act when something in their lives creates a need. Good advertising connects with that moment.

A mattress store isn’t selling mattresses. It’s selling better mornings. A financial planner isn’t selling investments. She’s selling confidence. A heating contractor isn’t selling furnaces. He’s selling warmth on the coldest night of the year.

Translate Features into Benefits

Every advertiser has a product. Every customer has a problem. Say it with me: “Successful spots connect the dots.”

Here’s a simple exercise: Every time they mention a feature, ask, “So what?”

  • “We stock thousands of [item].” So what? “You won’t spend your weekend driving from store to store.”
  • “We’ve been serving this community since [year].” So what? “We’ve helped generations of local families buy homes, build businesses, and send kids to college.”
  • “We offer custom designs.” So what? “The ring she’ll wear forever will be unlike anyone else’s.”

If the answer explains how the listener’s life becomes:

  • easier
  • safer
  • faster
  • healthier
  • happier
  • less stressful
  • more convenient
  • more secure
  • more enjoyable

…you’ve found the benefit, and you get paid.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

iHeartMedia Announces Additions to Steelers Audio Network

iHeartMedia Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Steelers announce that former Steelers’ guard and Super Bowl champion Willie Colon and former Steelers linebacker Vince Williams are joining the weekday lineup. Colon will join Rob King and Max Starks co-hosting “In the Locker Room, Presented by your Neighborhood Ford Store” from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm on WBGG-AM “FOX Sports Pittsburgh” and on Steelers Nation Radio. Williams will join Tom Opferman co-hosting “The Steelers Blitz” from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon.

Job Opportunity

WBT, Charlotte Seeks News Anchor

107.9 FM WBT, Charlotte’s News Talk is looking for the next great multimedia journalist to join the WBT News Team as a Full-Time News Anchor. If you’re a compelling storyteller on air and on the page, have the ability to deliver the facts beyond the headline, and imgunderstand that there is a critical difference between news reporting and simple dictation, we’d love to hear from you.  What will set you apart? Journalistic objectivity, understanding what makes a news story relatable, the flexibility to cover breaking news whenever it happens and, most importantly, to be a great teammate and collaborator, working with the entire WBTeam of hosts, anchors, reporters, and producers for the benefit of the Charlotte listeners.  If this sounds like you, please upload your resume, air checks and writing samples here.

Industry News

WBAL-AM, Baltimore Cuts Local Staff

On Thursday afternoon (8/27), Hearst revealed changes to its program schedule that include the exit of midday talk host T.J. imgSmith and afternoon host Angelette Aviles. Numerous reports, including from the blog DCRTV, indicate that several employees in the news department have been let go, as well. The talk shows are being replaced by Premiere Networks’ “The Glenn Beck Show” from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm. “The Sports Lounge” is now airing in the 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm slot, followed by the “WBAL News Now” from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Industry News

WFEA, Manchester Promotes Prostate Cancer Awareness

Saga Communications’ news/talk WFEA, Manchester, New Hampshire program “The Morning Update with Jeff Chidester” recently devoted its monthly “Roundtable” to the issue of prostate cancer. Chidester hosted Cathi Bachhuber and Peter McGee, co-imgpresidents of the New Hampshire Prostate Cancer Coalition to talk about awareness, early detection and getting men and their families to start talking about prostate health. Chidester says, “One of the reasons we created the ‘Morning Update Roundtable’ is to give important issues the time and attention they deserve. Prostate cancer is something that affects so many New Hampshire families, but it’s still a conversation many men are reluctant to have. If this discussion encourages even one listener to talk with his doctor, ask about a PSA test, or start a conversation with someone he loves, then we’ve done something worthwhile. I’m incredibly grateful to Kathy and Peter for being so open with our listeners and for the work the New Hampshire Prostate Cancer Coalition is doing across our state.”

Industry News

Rare 1977 Interview with Dolly Parton Conducted by Michael Harrison Uncovered in TALKERS Archives

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Dolly Parton‘s recent death at 80 (8/25) marked an irreplaceable loss for the world of music and popular culture.  Her legacy as a songwriter, performer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist stands in a rarified class of its own.  TALKERS founder Michael Harrison experienced what he describes as the “pleasure and honor” of meeting Dolly Parton one time… but their encounter played a historic role in a pivotal turn in her career.  Harrison recalls, “It was almost 50 years ago.  I was the managing editor of the industry trade publication Radio & Records and an influencer in the world of Album Oriented Rock radio as a personality on AOR giant KMET, Los Angeles.  At the time, Dolly was the undisputed queen of country music… but she had not yet crossed over to the broader world of pop, let alone rock.”

In early 1977, RCA Records released a new country-ISH album by Parton titled New Harvest First Gathering with the hope of expanding her media footprint from exclusively country to pop and even rock radio without damaging her established base. In a promotional effort to achieve that goal, RCA recruited Harrison to interview her about her life, career, and the new album, track by track, and sent it out to hundreds of rock and pop stations. Harrison states, “She was absolutely fantastic!” Needless to say, the strategy was successful, and the promotional interview, pressed on 33 1/3 vinyl, got tons of airplay on scores of stations that never would have even thought about playing Dolly Parton. It set the stage for the title track of her next album titled “Here You Come Again,” released later in 1977, to become her first crossover hit.

Harrison recalls, “I had recorded several promotional interview albums for record companies at that time with rock artists such as George Harrison to accompany the hoopla surrounding the release of their new albums without them having to do hundreds of live interviews across the nation. But the idea of doing this kind of thing with an established country music figure as Dolly Parton outside that format was somewhat daunting to say the least. Regardless, all’s well that ends well. My interview with Dolly was well-received by even some of the most ardent rockers on the FM dial.”

To listen to this historic interview, please click here.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories This Past Week (August 24-28)

Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (8/24-28) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:

Stories

  1. U.S.-Canada Trade War
  2. U.S.-Iran War / Economic Sanctions
  3. Secret Service Leaks and Suspensions
  4. Primary Races / Looming Midterms / Mail-In Voting Restrictions
  5. The Economy / Bond Market Trends
  6. Ratcliffe Warns Putin Against NATO Attack
  7. Flock Cameras Controversy / Data Centers Backlash
  8. Dolly Parton Dies
  9. Natalie Harp Controversy
  10. Jed York Arrest

People

  1. Donald Trump
  2. Mark Carney
  3. Anthony Guglielmi
  4. Darline Graham
  5. Jon Ossoff
  6. Ken Paxton
  7. Abdul El-Sayed
  8. John Ratcliffe / Vladimir Putin
  9. Dolly Parton
  10. Natalie Harp

To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.

Industry Views

Radio: Human Reserved

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imgBill Gates has a useful term for something radio should be thinking about: “Human Reserved.” In an essay about a turbulent AI era, he sketches an unsettling future, and – for broadcasters – has a consequential warning… and an opportunity.

As artificial intelligence performs more and more work traditionally done by humans, he suggests there will be activities we could turn over to machines and deliberately choose not to, because something important would be lost. AI can write a weather forecast, summarize a police report, transcribe a school-board meeting, generate a commercial, voice a liner, research a sales prospect, and assemble an hour of music.

As content gets cheap, human presence becomes more valuable

Search results are AI summaries. Social posts, photos, voices, and videos may be synthetic. Gates warns of AI-powered fraud, disinformation, and deepfakes. Amid all that uncertainty, imagine hearing: “I’m here at the courthouse, where the jury just returned a verdict…”

Could AI manufacture that sentence? Sure. But I know who’s saying it. That’s an asset radio shouldn’t automate away.

Yes, use AI aggressively behind the scenes. Let it transcribe meetings, research prospects, clean up audio, draft proposals, repurpose interviews, and handle routine administrative work. Automate tasks. Protect relationships. Let AI summarize the school-board meeting. Then have your reporter tell me what it means to my kid. Let AI draft ten commercials. Have someone who understands the advertiser decide which idea might actually make the phone ring.

Why advertisers still need us?

Soon every local business owner will be able to generate logos, videos, emails, websites, social posts, and commercial scripts almost instantly. So, “We’ll make your commercial” becomes a nearly worthless sales proposition. The station’s value needs to migrate from selling spots and making ads to: We know this market. We know how to get people here to notice you. And we help make your advertising work.

AI will create an infinite supply of information. What’s scarce will be trust, judgment, relevance, relationships, and recognizable local humans. So, radio’s AI strategy can be surprisingly simple: Use AI to DO more. Use humans to MEAN more.

Here is Bill Gates’ essay: https://www.gatesnotes.com/a-turbulent-ai-era-and-critical-choices-to-make

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

Skyview Expands Playfly Partnership

Skyview Networks is elevating its collegiate footprint with the expansion of its agreement with multimedia rights holder Playfly Sports that brings Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) into its network of NCAA partners and adds new capabilities for current partner San Jose State University. Under the new terms, Skyview Networks will provide audio distribution, production and its AdView Inventory imgManagement and Live Read Management software for the Aggies, while the Roadrunners join as a new client for AdView Inventory Management. San Jose State’s Spartans, meanwhile, are adding production services to round out their existing audio solutions lineup. Skyview COO Andrew Kalb states, “The addition of Texas A&M and UTSA to our NCAA portfolio along with the expansion of services for San Jose State demonstrates the trust our partners have in Skyview and how these partnerships often grow over time as existing clients look to us for additional services and support. Our team is focused on giving our partners the tools they need to run a first-class broadcast, while simultaneously providing valuable inventory opportunities to our sales team for continued revenue generation.”

Industry News

Jason Goff Joins Hubbard’s 312 Sports

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Windy City sports media personality Jason Goff is joining Hubbard’s digital platform 312 Sports. Goff is pictured above (second from the left) along with Cody Delmendo (left), Dan Bernstein (second from right), and Matt Abbatacola(right) at Double Clutch Brewing in Evanston during the 312 Sports Year One Anniversary Party. Hubbard says Goff will launch a new podcast, “Jason Goff: Unscripted,” followed by a twice-weekly national football show with a partner to be announced. Goff started his media career producing the “Boers & Bernstein” show on WSCR, Chicago. John Goforth is general manager of Hubbard’s Gamut Podcast Network and he says, “This is a memorable stretch in sports media, nationally and here at home, and a lot of good people are figuring out what comes next. There’s no joy in that. But it has clarified something: audiences follow people, not call letters. Jason’s talent, his experience and his roots in this city make him a natural fit for what we’re building. He had his pick of what to do next and he chose to build it here, with us, in the city that made him.”

Industry News

KNSS, Wichita’s Ted Woodward Named to KAB Hall of Fame

KNSS, Wichita talk host Ted Woodward is named a 2026 inductee into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Audacy summarizes Woodward’s media career, stating, “Woodward is a imgdeeply rooted community fixture who has worked across nearly every local media outlet. He spent five years as a sportswriter for The Wichita Eagle before joining KNSS Radio in 1995. There, he co-hosted “Steve and Ted in the Morning” alongside fellow Hall of Famer Steve McIntosh for 28 years, where they won a Marconi Award for Outstanding Talent in 2017. Fans also know him as “Ted, the Sports Head,” a familiar voice on KFH Radio (KNSS-FM) for more than three decades.” Woodward and his fellow 2026 inductees will be honored at the KAB Hall of Fame Dinner on October 18 at the Wichita Marriott.

Industry News

Rob Carson Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

Newsmax Radio talk host Rob Carson recently revealed to his listeners that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He tells imgTALKERS, “Last week, I announced I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. I was going to wait until my treatment was finished, but I told my audience I needed them in this fight. I also told them I’m using my reach to educate, inspire and pray for them. We can turn the good of an audience inward on those who are suffering. I have a treatment plan, and I’m positive and motivated. I have helped many on the airwaves with cancer, now I face that fight.”

Industry News

Appeals Court: Political Parties and Joint Fundraising Committees Not Entitled to Lowest Unit Charge

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit rules by a 2-1 vote that while political candidates are entitled to the lowest unit charge (LUC) for broadcast ads airing within the specified time periods prior to primary and general elections, political parties and joint fundraising committees are not. This comes after four Democratic candidates for federal office filed suit challenging the imgFCC Media Bureau’s decision that those entities could benefit from the LUC. The plaintiffs argued that the Media Bureau’s public notice “unlawfully dilutes [their] and other candidates’ statutory right to buy advertising time at lowest unit charge by insisting that broadcasters make that same right available to political parties and joint fundraising committees in circumstances where their spending cannot, under campaign finance law, be considered spending by or on behalf of a candidate.” The Court ruled that “the LUC requirement and campaign finance statutes are clear that neither political parties nor joint fundraising committees with non-candidate members can be entitled to the LUC.”

Industry News

Kemp Broadcasting to Launch Las Vegas Market FM Talker

Kemp Broadcasting and Digital Outdoor is launching a new talk station in the Las Vegas market on KVGO-FM, Overton, Nevada – currently a classic hip hop outlet. On September 1, the station flip to talk as “106.9 FM The Right Talk for Vegas” featuring Premiere Networks’ Glenn Beck and “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton imgShow,” Salem Media’s Hugh Hewitt, Westwood One’s Mark Levin, Radio America’s “The Dana Show,” Talk Media Network’s Dr. Daliah Wachs, and Red Apple Media Networks’ “The Other Side of Midnight” with Walter Sterling. Kemp EVP Marty Basch says, “Kemp Broadcasting is excited to bring something different and compelling to the Las Vegas radio market. 106.9 FM KVGQ combines an outstanding lineup of nationally recognized talk personalities and local voices with the strength and reach of FM radio. We believe Las Vegas listeners deserve a talk station of this caliber.” Kemp adds, “The new station complements 670 AM KMZQ, Kemp’s local talk outlet, which has served the market for nearly a decade. Together, the two stations give the company a talk franchise spanning both national and hometown programming – and give Southern Nevada advertisers a broader platform for reaching engaged, habitual listeners.”

Industry News

Westwood One Launches New Morning Drive Bongino Program

Cumulus Media’s Westwood One is launching a new syndicated talk program for mornings on September 21 titled, “The Bongino Report AM with Dan Bongino.” WWO says, “‘The Bongino Report AM’ is the essential way to start the day, delivering a fast-paced imgblend of breaking news, insightful commentary, and sharp analysis of the issues driving the national conversation.” The one-hour program is delivered Monday-Friday at 5:00 am ET. Westwood One president Collin Jones adds, “What’s better than Dan Bongino in the morning and afternoon? Twice a day with Dan Bongino coverage! On the heels of launching ‘The Bongino Report FM,’ we’re thrilled to now offer listeners Dan Bongino in the morning with The Bongino Report AM.” Westwood One says this program will be “comprised of edits from his podcast and other fresh content.”

Industry Views

Rock Promotion Legend Paul “Rap” Rappaport Guests on Harrison Podcast

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The new installment of the TALKERS MEDIA channel video podcast, “Up Close Far Out,” features a blockbuster conversation between two album rock “golden age” media pioneers – TALKERS founder Michael Harrison and legendary music industry executive, Paul “Rap” Rappaport.

img“Rap” was senior vice president of rock promotion at Columbia Records where he served for 33-years during album rock’s golden era, playing a pivotal role in the careers of some of the biggest stars in the business. These included everyone from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd to the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello to Billy Joel, Judas Priest to Alice In Chains, Journey and many, many more.

His recently released memoir, Gliders Over Hollywood: Airships, Airplay, and the Art of Rock Promotion (Jawbone Press, 2025), tells the exhilarating true story of a blue-collar kid nicknamed “Rap” who grew up enthralled by rock ’n’ roll and then found himself right in the middle of many of his heroes’ lives as he became one of the most renowned rock promotion reps in the nation.

Harrison states, “The book is excellent. I particularly found it fascinating and fun talking with Rap because I was also there during one of pop culture’s most colorful chapters and knew him quite well.” Harrison coined the term Album Oriented Rock (AOR) and was the first programmer to specifically develop and promote it as an official format while serving as program director of KPRI in San Diego in the early seventies and as managing editor of the trade publication Radio & Records though the mid-seventies. From 1970 to 1990, he worked in various roles as DJ and/or program director, at major album rock outlets including WLIR, Long Island; WNEW-FM, New York; KPRI, San Diego; KMET, Los Angeles; and WZLX, Boston in addition to being a syndicated personality on hundreds of AOR stations.

Don’t miss this engaging conversation between two media heavyweights who share their firsthand experiences and memories of a truly special era and connect the dots to today’s very different music and pop cultural scene.

To connect to the podcast, please click here.

Industry News

“The Score” Welcomes Jarrett Payton to Mornings

Audacy’s Chicago sports talker WSCR, “104.3 The Score” confirms what was reported on Monday (8/24) that former WGN-TV sports anchor Jarrett Payton is joining David Haugh as co-host of the station’s new morning drive show, “Haugh and Payton.” Audacy says, “Son of the late NFL Hall of Famer and Chicago imgBear Walter Payton, Payton brings extensive broadcasting experience alongside a background in business, public speaking, and philanthropy through the Jarrett Payton Foundation.” Payton says, “I’m truly excited and deeply honored to join the team at ‘The Score.’ I’m looking forward to working alongside everyone there and connecting with the loyal listeners who make this station what it is. This place has always felt like family to me. My dad graced these airwaves back in the ’90s, and the thought of being part of that same legacy means everything. Grateful beyond words for this opportunity. Let’s get to work.” The change comes after Audacy dismissed longtime morning host Mike Mulligan and midday co-host Marshall Harris. The midday show continues with incumbent personalities Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote hosting the “Rahimi & Grote Show.”