President-elect Donald Trump’s initial cabinet and government power-job appointments was the top subject discussed yesterday (11/12) in the talk media. That was followed by continuing and growing speculation over Trump’s promised migrant deportation, his expected pardons for January 6 convicts, and the economy according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
According to a report from WHTM-TV, WSBA, York, Pennsylvania morning host Gary Sutton was let go from
the Cumulus Media news/talk station on November 7. Sutton began working full time at the station in 1997. He tells WHTM that he does not plan on retiring. “Tomorrow is the first time in 52 years that I don’t have to work, but I hope that doesn’t last long because I am not retiring. God is in control, and I know there are new opportunities ahead and a new chapter in my life.” Sutton says he and producer Mark McKenzie were dismissed due to budget cuts.
The latest blog post from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group looks at data from a study the company commissioned by MARU/Matchbox analyzing the auto aftermarket category. Some of the key findings from the study include: 1) The segment has recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Annual spend,
number of retailers shopped, retailers shopped most often, brand perceptions, and advertising recall have recovered; 2) Brand equity and shopping patterns for the top two performers (AutoZone and O’Reilly Auto Parts) are stable to up. The second-tier players are slightly off; 3) AM/FM radio and podcasts are the ideal platforms to advertise auto aftermarket. TV underperforms with category usage and brand equity: Heavy AM/FM radio and podcast listeners visit more retailers in the category, make more shopping trips, and spend far more than the average. Two key consumer segments, do-it-yourselfers and ultra-heavy shoppers are more likely to be heavy AM/FM radio listeners. TV viewers are weak category users. See the blog post here.
Longtime iHeartMedia executive Jeff Littlejohn, who most recently served as executive vice president of engineering, is retiring from the company. Steve George will step into the role, effective immediately. The company says that Littlejohn will continue in an active consulting role. He retires after 32 years with
iHeartMedia, first starting in 1992 as chief engineer for the Cincinnati cluster. He was part of the team that created the first version of the iHeartRadio App and worked with Toyota and Ford on the first integration of iHeartRadio. More recently, Littlejohn helped spearhead a modernization of iHeart’s studio facilities and conversion to cloud-based audio systems. iHeartMedia Markets Group president Hartley Adkins says, “There are few people in the industry with the expertise and longevity that Jeff has and we’re grateful for the incredible work he’s done for iHeart. We’ve been fortunate to rely on him for over three decades and I’m so thankful we’ll keep drawing from Jeff in his new consultancy role.”
iHeartMedia Wilmington names Katie Ewell market president for the Wilmington, Delaware group. She has
been serving the company as market president for the Salisbury, Maryland operations. iHeartMedia Mid-Atlantic Area president Brit Goldstein says, “Katie has done incredible work in Salisbury, consistently demonstrating exceptional leadership and creativity. By adding the Wilmington market to her purview, she will bring her outstanding approach to partnership and innovative solutions to the entire Delmarva Peninsula. I’m excited to see Katie and the team flourish in her expanded leadership role.”
Former Wisconsin Badgers head coach and director of athletics Barry Alvarez joins ESPN Madison and Good Karma Brands as an on-air host and brand ambassador. The company says he will be featured across
ESPN Wisconsin programming, including weekly appearances on “The Great Dane Huddle” on ESPN Madison with former Badgers Derek Engler and Tarek Saleh. Good Karma Brands founder and CEO Craig Karmazin says, “Barry’s significance to the Wisconsin sports landscape and to Good Karma Brands can’t be overstated. I would not have visited Wisconsin as a college student and eventually started a company here had it not been for the way he and Pat Richter transformed the Wisconsin football program. To add a teammate with his leadership skills, experience, knowledge, and passion is a huge win for our fans, advertising partners, ESPN Madison, and all of GKB.”
iHeartMedia news/talk outlet WRKO, Boston raised more than $67,000 during the station’s ninth annual DAV Radiothon to benefit the Disabled American Veterans Department of Massachusetts. The radiothon took place on Friday (11/8) and featured talk hosts Jeff Kuhner, Chuck Zodda, Mike Armstrong, Grace Curley
and Howie Carr encouraging listeners to donate and raise funds for the DAV of Massachusetts’ homeless shelter and transportation programs. iHeartMedia Boston director of operations, news, talk and sports Bill Flaherty says, “Once again, the WRKO listeners responded in support of our Veterans. Their generosity provides much needed services for those who sacrificed so much for our country.” Since 2016, the DAV Radiothon has raised over $1,125,000 to benefit veterans in the community.
Westfield Community Programming (WCPC) is launching a new, eight-week series, “Survivor Stories,” which profiles people who have experienced catastrophic circumstances and survive (and thrive). Their stories include recovery from cancer, Bell’s Palsy, suicide of a spouse and more. Mark G. Auerbach, longtime area
media producer and host of WCPC’s “Arts Beat” and “On The Mark” serves as producer and host. Auerbach, who survived simultaneous kidney failure, a massive heart attack, and complicated surgery in the last year, tells TALKERS, “As I fought to get back on my feet, friends and total strangers reached out to tell me how they had coped, survived, and moved on. Thanks to great healthcare people and friends, I’m here to tell my story and share others’ stories. We can learn and be inspired, as we see people conquer what appears impossible.” “Survivor Stories,” premiers this Friday, November 15, at 7:00 am on Westfield Community Programming, 89.5 FM WSKB, Southwick Community TV, and Agawam Media. It will be archived on YouTube under WSKB Community Radio.
The aftermath of the presidential election and President-elect Donald Trump’s potential cabinet appointments; speculation over Trump’s promised migrant deportation; Wall Street’s ongoing post-election rally; the rise in anti-Semitic activity in the U.S. and Europe; Trump’s expected pardons for January 6 convicts; and the Veterans Day holiday were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Today is Veterans Day 2024 (11/11) – an extremely important date on the news/talk media calendar.
In honor of Veterans Day and to support the veteran community, Beasley Media Group is dedicating the entire month of November to shining a spotlight on the important services available for veterans and their families. Through its Beasley Best Community of Caring initiative, the company will air public service announcements, conduct interviews with veteran organizations, and share stories across its 57 radio stations to raise awareness about resources and services for those who have served.
Beasley Media Group has partnered with organizations such as the Cohen Veterans Network and Home Base Veteran and Family Care to help provide critical information and support. These organizations provide a variety of services ranging from mental health support and family care to employment resources for veterans and their families.
In the Fort Myers market, special public service announcements will air across all five Beasley radio properties throughout Veterans Day, highlighting the valuable programs and services offered by Home Base Florida.
“We would like to thank our valued veterans for their outstanding service and show support to them and their families,” said Beasley Media Group chief communications officer, Heidi Raphael.
Throughout the initiative, Beasley Media Group will encourage listeners to learn more about the services offered by these organizations and to support veterans not just during the month of November, but year-round.
The West Coast’s highly popular talk radio “power couple,” Robin Bertolucci and her husband Don Martin have stepped away from their longtime positions with iHeartMedia 
(11/8) – Bertolucci as program director of heritage giant KFI AM 640, Los Angeles and Martin as EVP of programming, iHeartMedia Sports (which includes FOX Sports Radio) and PD of sports talk AM 570 KLAC, Los Angeles.After nearly a quarter century of exemplary service in these positions,
the ambiguous terms cited for the couple’s simultaneous departure do not mask the general industry observation that they were direct victims of the national radio cutbacks being affected by iHeartMedia as severe cost-cutting measures. Chris Berry, iHeartMedia EVP of news, will assume the role as interim program director of both KFI and KLAC.
In the New York City market, the morning team of generalist Michael Riedel and sports talker Len Berman has met a similar fate at the legendary AM 710 WOR.
Included in the cut – their show’s producer Terry Trahim, after more than 20 years of service to the station.
Multi-talented Scott Sands, 
iHM SVP of programming for the Ohio-West Virginia area and PD /afternoon host of WSPD, Toledo has also been let go.
Joe Pags impacted. 
In San Antonio, although he remains one of the most successful syndicated hosts in American talk radio with a rapidly growing roster of more than 170 stations coast to coast, Compass Media Networks star Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo‘s local highly-rated afternoon show of 19 years at his flagship WOAI (where he is a market legend) has been dropped from the lineup as a cost-cutting measure. Pags is one of talk radio’s most notable rising stars and will undoubtedly be okay – but his departure from WOAI is indicative of the wrecking ball nature of these types of budget-cutting measures.
There are more cutbacks being reported at iHM stations throughout the industry.
TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states, “It is a dark moment in talk radio when the cutback ax falls on such good people who have devoted so much precious time, talent, and loyalty to their company, this industry and our professional community. I’m in no position to tell companies how to run their businesses and protect their embattled assets in times of financial distress… but on a human level – not to mention in recognition of the fragility of this historic cultural scene to which we all contribute and hold an emotional stake – it’s downright heartbreaking.”
To see a recent interview with Joe Pags conducted by Michael Harrison on the video podcast “Up Close Far Out,” please click here.
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
Do you wish you could get in just one more hour of focused work… but your brain won’t cooperate? You’re not alone.
21st century productivity – especially for those of us in talk media where the action never stops – demands that we work against the way we’re wired. “For the brain to produce work of quality,” physician and neuroscience researcher Dr. Mithu Storoni says, “it needs to work in its own way.”
She observes how we’re expected to solve problems as though we’re feeding an industrial-era conveyor belt. But ideas can’t be manufactured in assembly-line fashion. Her solution? Rather than imposing the rhythms of work on our brains, we should impose the rhythm of our brains on our work.
Simple tips from her book, Hyperefficient: Optimize Your Brain to Transform the Way You Work:
• Keep shifting gears. Our brains function like a car’s engine, different gears for different mental challenges. We’re better-off doing short bursts of intense work followed by longer periods of light work.
• Take a walk. Have you noticed that you have some of your best ideas when you do? Sitting upright in an office chair staring at a computer doesn’t let the mind wander.
• Coffee is a friend. Storoni finds “no evidence that caffeine ingestion upon waking is somehow responsible for an afternoon ‘crash’ — or that delaying consumption would somehow prevent this if it did occur.”
• Tech can be a foe. Screens are making us jittery. The quantity of information they deliver can hinder the quality of our ideas. Did you ever read an email… see red… then fire-off an ill-advised reply? And social media “has this power to distort space and time,” causing us to feel “that something we are seeing is happening now and near to us. The problem is if this event is taking place halfway around the world, you cannot do anything to make the situation better.”
• Practice paying attention. “It takes some effort to focus. If I were to say, ‘Focus on that spot on the blank wall’, you’d need to work at it,” Storoni says. “Now information is cheap and attention is expensive, so everything is competing to grab our attention.”
• Never ignore mental fatigue. If you do more than four hours of “mental heavy lifting” every day, Storoni says the mind can’t recover even after a night’s rest, and fatigue drags into the next day.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
iHeartMedia announced today (11/11) that Lisa DiMartini has been appointed market president for the Allentown and Reading markets, effective immediately. 
The iHeartMedia Allentown and Reading markets include seven iconic station brands across both broadcast and digital formats, offering a diverse lineup of music, talk and news programming. In her new role, DiMartini will oversee sales, programing, promotions, and operations for both the Allentown and Reading markets. She will report to Brit Goldstein, president of the iHeartMedia Mid-Atlantic area. “Lisa is the consummate professional – unflappable, positive, and centered. She has rejuvenated the Allentown market with her unique approach to fostering culture and partnerships,” said Goldstein. “I’m very excited to see Lisa apply her business principles to the Reading market and beyond.” DiMartini most recently served as the VP of sales for iHeartMedia Allentown, where she played a pivotal role in driving growth and fostering innovation. Prior to that, she served successfully as account executive for iHeart Allentown. Her career began at The Morning Call in Allentown and she is a graduate of Millersville University. “I am honored to expand my role to lead both the Allentown and Reading markets,” DiMartini tells TALKERS. “I look forward to working with the talented teams in both locations to drive continued success and growth while delivering value to our partners and listeners.”
The aftermath of the presidential election dominated this past weekend’s talk media discussions (11/9-10), highlighted by buzz over potential appointments to positions of power in the forthcoming Trump Administration and followed by an abundance of “Monday Morning Quarterbacking” about why the election went the way it did. Speculation over the coming massive migrant deportation was the top story along with interest on how the new administration will impact the wars in the Middle East and Central Europe. Other topics in the mix were the economy, and talk of Donald Trump’s plan to put Elon Musk and Robert Kennedy Jr. in positions of influence in his administration according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
iHeartMedia announced today (11/8) that Steve DeLusant has been named region president for the New York market and Adam Kurtz region president for the Chicago market, effective immediately. 
DeLusant and Kurtz will report to Bernie Weiss, division president, iHeartMedia. DeLusant and Kurtz will be responsible for managing multiple platforms across New York and Chicago iHeartMedia brands. In these newly appointed positions, both region presidents will work closely with the sales, programming and digital teams for all station brands in the New York and Chicago markets and will also have direct oversight of the respective sales teams. “I’m thrilled to promote both Steve and Adam. It’s especially rewarding to find the best candidates for key leadership roles in your own buildings,” Weiss tells TALKERS. “They’re extremely knowledgeable about our ever-evolving business and have built some of the best media sales teams in the country. I’m confident that they will continue to elevate our New York and Chicago operations to even greater heights and continue to drive revenue.” Prior to his new role, Steve DeLusant has held the position of SVP of sales for iHeart New York since January 2020. 
Earlier in his career, DeLusant was senior account executive for Emmis Communications and a sales associate for WLTW. Adam Kurtz is a seasoned media veteran with 23 years of sales experience at iHeartMedia including 14 years in sales management. Kurtz began his media career at WLIT in Chicago where he was an account executive for nine years.
This presidential election cycle provided a number of insights, revelations, and takeaway lessons for news/talk radio. And by using the term “news/talk radio” I mean all spoken word platforms on the AM/FM dial including commercial, public, educational, and ethnic outlets that provide news, politics, and commentary. They are all RADIO.
1. Conservative talk radio is legitimate. Its detractors who claim its content and opinions only address a relatively small percentage of the American public and a dying demographic are obviously misreading the tea leaves. Conservative talk radio is big, influential, and a long-time bellwether of American public opinion. Conservative talk radio would do much better than it already does in terms of ratings and revenue if it were supported by its preponderance of financially crippled and intestinally paralyzed owners with the resources it needs to do what it does with maximum effectiveness. The genre should stay the course, perhaps with renewed vigor and variety.
2. The potential for liberal talk radio has never been greater in the modern era. Opinion radio works best when it is the resistance to “big” anything – big government, big media, big business, big religion, big tech, big pharma, and big BS. There are key differences between playing cultural offense and defense in this game. The stage is now set for the first time since the blessed repeal of the Fairness Doctrine for a tremendous resistance and galvanizing on the left side of talk radio’s commercial offerings… now that the shoe is obviously on the other foot. This should not be executed at the expense of conservative talk radio. There are enough dead in the water music stations out there ready for new life. And don’t tell me about Air America. That’s ancient and inapplicable history. I’m a broadcaster, not a politician. The true “battleground” of today’s dynamically polarized society should and can take place to a large and healthy extent on the AM and FM dial! At present, YouTube is eating radio’s lunch with its energetic lineup of outstanding independent liberal talk talent (as well as conservative).
3. Public radio needs to come clean. Until public radio gets honest with itself as to what it actually represents on the true spectrum of public opinion, it will not realize growth, but rather a continuing background wallpaper role in American politics and cultural relevance. A new level of self-honesty will provide public radio with the boost it so desperately needs to move in a more pertinent direction.
4. Ethnic talk radio does not represent political monoliths. Time to wake up to that obvious fact and stop with the insulting blinders and stereotypes.
5. Joe Rogan. The radio industry should never have allowed Joe Rogan and those who will follow in his footsteps to be a non-AM/FM talk show host. Talk radio and talk media are cousins and they currently are still genetically connected. But they are also competitors and talk radio is fighting an uphill battle in that struggle.
Michael Harrison can be contacted at michael@talkers.com.
Yesterday afternoon (11/7) syndicated talk show host Erick Erickson partnered with 102.3 KRMG (KRMG-FM) for a listener event in Tulsa, OK. The casual and intimate meet and greet experience was held at the We Street Ice Center and was open to KRMG listeners and Erickson fans. Leading up to the event, listeners had an opportunity to submit questions for Erickson to address during the event. He touched on some of the questions before taking pictures and interacting with listeners. “This was a great opportunity to get to Oklahoma. Working with all my affiliates to be present and local with them is a core part of how I do radio,” Erickson tells TALKERS. “KRMG turned out a giant crowd and, just after this election outcome, it made for a great time.” The KRMG Erick Erickson Experience brought in about 300 people. “The turnout at an event like this shows the influence Erick Erickson has in our market and we are thrilled to be able to offer this one-of-a-kind experience to our listeners,” says Levi May, KRMG director of branding and programming. Erickson broadcasts on KRMG weekdays 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. Learn more at krmg.com.
The lead up to Election Day and its aftermath dominated all news/talk media platforms this week including a rehash of the key issues of this cycle: Election Postmortem; Economy; Migrant-Border Crisis; Abortion / Health Care; Russia-Ukraine War; Middle East Violence; Climate Change / Race Relations /Gender Relations; Big Tech / Media Corruption-Bias; and Crime / Homelessness. To see the complete chart of the most talked about stories and people, please click here.
By Matthew B. Harrison
TALKERS, VP/Associate Publisher
Harrison Media Law, Senior Partner
Goodphone Communications, Executive Producer
Let’s continue our ongoing series of articles about fair use. A recent case highlights fair use considerations in audio media and podcasting, particularly concerning music and short audio clips used in intros, where some creators assume that brief snippets automatically qualify as “fair use.” Legal experts clarify that using a song clip, even if brief, doesn’t inherently meet fair use criteria. Courts have emphasized that fair use hinges not just on brevity but also on factors like purpose, nature, and market impact on the original work. Music clips, even short ones, are often seen as significant portions of the original content, carrying substantial value, making unauthorized use in podcasts or similar formats legally risky.
The concept of “transformative use” is crucial in fair use evaluations; content must add new meaning or context to the original rather than simply reformatting it. For instance, the landmark 2 Live Crew case involving their parody of Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” underscored that transformative uses might still face challenges if they impact the original’s market value. This demonstrates that merely placing music in a new setting doesn’t automatically render it transformative.
To mitigate risks, media creators often incorporate shorter clips alongside commentary or critique, which tends to align more closely with fair use. Collaboration or seeking permissions can often be a more practical approach to using impactful content without risking costly legal disputes. Legal sources, including Loeb & Loeb, emphasize that while fair use is an evolving area, obtaining permissions—or using royalty-free alternatives—is often the most straightforward route for creators.
A recent example in Thiccc Boy Productions v. Swindelle illustrates these principles in action. Swindelle, a YouTube creator, used clips from Thiccc Boy Productions’ podcast, hosted by Brendan Schaub, in his reaction videos, asserting a fair use defense due to added commentary. The court ruled in Swindelle’s favor, noting his commentary was transformative and unlikely to harm the original podcast’s market. This decision aligns with trends following Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith, which clarified that “transformative” uses must contribute clear commentary or critique to meet fair use standards rather than merely repurposing the original.
For today’s media creators, consulting legal guidance before integrating copyrighted material is crucial as copyright law adapts to new digital contexts.
Media attorney, Matthew B. Harrison is VP/associate publisher, TALKERS; Senior Partner, Harrison Media Law; and executive producer, Goodphone Communications. He is available for private consultation and media industry contract representation. He can be reached by phone at 724-484-3529 or email at matthew@harrisonmedialaw.com
Journalism is alive and well within certain college radio circles. On Election Night (11/5), the WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM student broadcast team hosted live coverage from the Searle Center on Hillsdale College’s campus in Hillsdale, MI and invited students, faculty, and staff to attend and watch election results roll in and listen to analysis. Student anchors were joined by the presidents of Hillsdale College Republicans and Hillsdale College Democrats, three members of the Hillsdale faculty, a candidate for the Michigan State House, a candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court, and reporters from the Detroit News, the Daily Caller, the Center Square, and the Daily Signal. Back at the WRFH studios, the station’s news team worked to update listeners with results from state and local races all night long. More than 200 people came out to the broadcast in action. WRFH GM Scot Bertram tells TALKERS, “It was a home-run event! Students work hard to prep for this quite unpredictable night. There’s an enormous amount of planning and research involved to set everything up. Then the night unfolds, and they realize it’s a ton of fun, as well. I’ve heard from more than a few students who took part in our previous Election Night events that it’s one of their best experiences on campus and really drew them deeper into the journalism program here at Hillsdale.”
BFoA Launches Annual Year-End Giving Campaign For Donations to Help Colleagues in Need. 
The Broadcasters Foundation of America has launched its annual Year-End Giving Campaign, which seeks to raise donations from tax-deductible personal contributions to the Guardian Fund and corporate contributions to the Angel Initiative. The Broadcasters Foundation, a 501c3 charity, is the only charity devoted exclusively to helping colleagues who are in dire need of monthly or emergency financial assistance due to life-altering illness or a disaster. “We are devoted exclusively to providing aid to colleagues in broadcasting who are suffering from extreme illness, or hardship from a devastating disaster,” stated Tim McCarthy, president of the Broadcasters Foundation. “We also take care of colleagues who have retired. Grants are supported solely by contributions from individuals and companies within our industry and offer a ‘hand-up’ to our colleagues during trying times. We’re asking everyone in broadcasting to please consider including the Broadcasters Foundation in your 2024 charitable giving.” Over the past 20 years, the Broadcasters Foundation has distributed over $15 million in aid to colleagues nationwide, across all states and territories, who need it most. “Requests for aid continue to grow exponentially as more of our peers and their families are affected by severe illness or disasters, such as the recent flurry of destructive hurricanes,” explained Scott Herman, chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation. “Whether it’s a monthly grant or one-time aid in response to an emergency, the Broadcasters Foundation is often a refuge and beacon of hope for colleagues whose lives have been upended by unforeseen and tragic circumstances. Please consider a donation. Donations go directly to helping our colleagues who are in desperate need.” For more information about the Broadcasters Foundation, including how to apply for aid or make a donation, visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org, or contact 212-373-8250 or info@thebfoa.org.
Benztown, a global leader specializing in radio imaging, voiceover, programming, podcasting and jingles, announces the release today (11/7) of two new episodes of its series “Chachi Loves Everybody,” an original podcast hosted by its president Dave “Chachi” Denes. 
These episodes feature Chachi’s special guests Al Roker, longtime weatherman on NBC’s The Today Show and co-anchor of the iconic morning show’s third hour, and Patsy Smullin, owner/president of California Oregon Broadcasting, and host of the successful television interview series, Up Close and Personal. Roker and Smullin will be among those honored next week as Giants of Broadcasting by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation at the 2024 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts luncheon and awards ceremony. The event will be held on Tuesday, November 12th at Gotham Hall in New York City. To listen to these new “Chachi Loves Everybody” podcast episodes, please click here. For more information about the 2024 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts luncheon and awards ceremony, and for a full list of honorees, please click here.
ELECTION POST MORTEM: “Monday Morning Quarterback” analysis of the presidential election was dominant on the top talk media stories list yesterday (11/7) as the dust slowly settles on an industry that just ran a marathon. Other top issues of discussion emanating from that included abortion rights, the economy, media bias, war and rising tensions in the Middle East and Central Europe, and the ever-present migrant/border crisis according to ongoing TALKERS research.
The New York Post is reporting that iHeartMedia has cut “hundreds” of jobs in a move executed on Monday (11/4). The Post writes, “The company headed by CEO Bob Pittman has cut less than 5% of a workforce of
more than 10,000 employees, a source with knowledge said, amounting to hundreds of job losses as the company streamlines its business and eliminates redundancies. The story also quotes iHeartMedia spokesperson Wendy Goldberg, saying the company has focused on expanding its Gen Z audience and that its broadcast radio audience has “more listeners than it did 10 years ago. Although in a company of 10,000 people very few jobs have been affected, there have been some and we never take this step lightly no matter how few jobs it entails; every team member is important to us and has our respect and appreciation.” Read the Post story here.
In response to the 2024 presidential and congressional election, the NAB released the following statement: 
“NAB congratulates President-Elect Trump and the new and returning members of Congress. Local television and radio stations are committed to working with the next administration on policies that will enable increased investment in local journalism, emergency information, sports and entertainment on which our communities rely. NAB will continue its bipartisan work with policymakers to strengthen this free, local service that is essential to our democracy.”
It was a late night of extra duty for radio talk show hosts as stations and networks across the nation garnered their human and technical resources to provide listeners with accurate news and insightful analysis of the unfolding drama of Election Night in America. In many cases, coverage was provided by panels of air staffers, contributors and special guests gathered in central studio locations and supplemented by remote audio and video call ins. Some stations sent their talent to electoral hot spots for live remote reports. Local talk show hosts from the battleground states enjoyed extra exposure making multiple appearances as guests on other shows and platforms around the nation. Syndication networks used the event effectively to showcase their talent lineups. And the “special” nature of these programs created a wide variety of advertising package opportunities for radio sales departments locally and nationally. In the broader arena of talk media, a number of popular political YouTube channels from both the left and right also put their best efforts into covering the news and views of one of the most anticipated nights in U.S. election history. As TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison put it, “Talk radio and its YouTube and podcasting cousins took a back seat to no one – specifically the major TV networks – in their determination to provide their loyal audiences totaling millions of the most politically active citizens with the news and views that make their collective platforms the most accurate bellwether of American public opinion in the media today.” Pictured above: Election Night coverage live from the state-of-the-art WABC, New York audio/video “Studio 77.” Shown (l-r) George Pataki, former New York State governor; Judge Richard Weinberg, co-host of “Let The Record Show;” Rita Cosby, host of “The Rita Cosby Show” and co-host of “Cats & Cosby;” John Catsimatidis, owner of Red Apple Media and WABC, host of “The Cats Roundtable,” and co-host of “Cats & Cosby;” Anthony Weiner, former U.S. Representative, host of “The Middle with Anthony Weiner,” and co-host of “The Left Versus The Right;” Paul Stone, CEO of Colonial Metals Group and economic contributor to WABC Radio; and David Patterson, former New York State governor and political contributor to WABC Radio.