Vintage Cable News/Talk Video Documents Early Hannity Performance
A fascinating example of early cable news/talk television history has been posted today (9/22) on the TALKERS MEDIA YouTube channel series “Up Close Far Out with Michael Harrison.” The episode presents key segments from a vintage program that served as one of the forerunners of modern cable news/talk television. This particular installment preserves what was likely the first documented appearance of Sean Hannity hosting a national network cable television program. The series, titled “Talk Live,” ran for several years in the mid-1990s on CNBC. It covered news and politics, as well as a wider scope of popular culture including arts & entertainment. Not only did it feature an array of guest panelists, but it also showcased a variety of guest hosts. Several of them were drawn from the ranks of radio. Talk radio was the hot new thing in the exploding world of interactive post-fairness doctrine media at the time and television executives were trying to identify hosting candidates from radio to make the transition from audio to video. This particular installment was spearheaded by media impresario Roger Ailes, who went on to form the FOX News Channel. It originally ran 31 years ago, on October 15, 1994, and holds particular interest for students and fans of talk media history. Hannity was, at the time, a rising star as a local host on WGST in Atlanta and was most likely being scouted by Ailes for consideration as a TV host for his forthcoming projects. The episode also featured a noteworthy panel booked by then-CNBC producer Vicky Pomerance that included the late radio talk show legend Bob Grant, then of WABC, New York; international talk media mainstay Victoria Jones, then of WWRC, Washington, DC (currently executive director of PR firm, the DC Radio Company); and TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison. Their conversation delivers fascinating retrospective insight into the issues surrounding the burgeoning talk radio medium, circa the mid-1990s, such as the Fairness Doctrine, as well as the growing rift between liberals and conservatives, and the public’s growing disillusionment with the legacy media and political establishment. Looking back at the video, Harrison states, “Watching his performance more than three decades ago, it was evident that Sean was a natural for the medium – displaying remarkable looks, poise, knowledge and glibness that would serve him well as he went on to become a top-rated, long-running superstar at FOX News Channel and one of the most successful radio talk show hosts of all time.” Check out the video by clicking here.
influencers while enhancing Audacy’s cross-platform marketing capabilities.” Audacy says MOGL’s AI-powered matching system allows brands to quickly connect with athletes whose profiles align with campaign goals. Audacy chief revenue officer Bob Philips says, “Sports is where Audacy wins and sports media is evolving beyond traditional boundaries. This partnership with MOGL is a testament to our commitment to innovation, providing a powerful content-driven approach that benefits athletes, schools, and our advertising partners. Together, we’ll empower our clients to deliver authentic, high-impact campaigns that resonate with today’s fans and drive measurable brand outcomes.”
complexities of divorce – helping people navigate every stage of the process faster, more affordably, and with far less conflict. Hello Divorce says its service “goes far beyond digitizing forms and redesigns the entire divorce experience with proprietary technology and AI to eliminate costly errors, reduce delays, and remove the bottlenecks that wreak havoc on divorce timelines.” iHeartMedia president of corporate development and ventures Joe Robinson says, “Hello Divorce offers a powerful solution for one of life’s most challenging transitions. This partnership gives them a unique opportunity to connect with people nationwide through our platforms, delivering resources and guidance that can truly make a difference.”
insights. Aragon joined Skyview in 2014, and Skyview says he has “built a reputation among his colleagues and our clients as a highly analytical contributor, whose insights support the sales team, our advertisers, and our networks.” At the same time, Heather Baumanis is promoted to executive director, business development and communications. In this role, she’ll support Skyview’s business portfolio of sports partnerships and maintain and contribute to new and existing client relationships while leading the company’s internal, external, and corporate branding initiatives. 
Democrats in Congress have lashed out at FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for his statements about ABC/Disney and Jimmy Kimmel’s Charlie Kirk bit that got Kimmel suspended from “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Last week, Carr appeared on the Benny Johnson podcast and called Kimmel’s statements “some of the sickest conduct possible” and added, “This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney… We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” ABC/Disney has television affiliates owned by both Nexstar and Sinclair, which objected to Kimmel’s comments and threatened to pull Kimmel’s show from the air. Nexstar has a $6.2 billion 
merger with Tegna in the works and needs FCC approval and critics of Carr’s comments are calling him out for appearing to threaten ABC. Republican Senator Ted Cruz, on his Premiere Networks podcast ‘The Verdict,’ disagreed with Carr saying, “Let me tell you if the government gets in the business of saying, ‘We don’t like what you the media says. We’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like.’ That will end up bad for conservatives.” President Trump – who’s publicly mused about investigating his media critics – weighed in after being asked about Cruz’s response by saying, “I think Brendan Carr’s a courageous person. I think Brendan Carr doesn’t like to see the airwaves be used illegal and incorrectly and purposefully horribly.”
our airwaves free from government influence. The First Amendment affords our stations – and all Americans – this fundamental right, and the mere perception that broadcasters acted because of undue pressure is a problem for our credibility and the trust we have built with our audiences.
House version contains an eight-year sunset provision on the law requiring all cars manufactured in the U.S. to have an AM radio at no extra cost. The Senate version has no sunset provision. WABC, New York owner John Catsimatidis has been very vocal supporting the bill without the sunset provision. “77WABC and all AM radio stations across the country provide life-saving information and emergency alerts to the public. While the committee’s action may be a step forward, a ridiculous last-minute change sunsets the law in eight years. AM is the backbone of the emergency alert system and tornados, hurricanes, and other disasters won’t go away.”
WTOP, Washington is announcing that its business reporter Jeff Clabaugh died last Thursday at the age of 63 after a yearlong battle with cancer. WTOP says that Clabaugh, “whose steady-paced voiceconversationally delivered money news to the D.C. region for three decades,” was “a master of consumer business news” who “gave reports twice an hour on WTOP’s airwaves and wrote punchy, popular stories for WTOP.com.” WTOP director of news and programming Julia Ziegler wrote to the staff, “Jeff Clabaugh made WTOP’s Business Reports what they are today. His work ethic was incredible. And his voice was so smooth. He was one of the best storytellers in the WTOP newsroom.” 
Federal Communications Commissioner Anna M. Gomez issued a statement criticizing the Commission’s threats against ABC that, in part, led to the suspension of the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” program. Her statement is as follows: “We cannot allow an inexcusable act of political violence to be twisted into ajustification for government censorship and control. First, an ABC reporter was told that his coverage amounted to hate speech and that he should be prosecuted simply for doing his job. Then, the FCC threatened to go after this same network, seizing on a late-night comedian’s inopportune joke as a pretext to punish speech it disliked. That led to a shameful show of cowardly corporate capitulation by ABC that has put the foundation of the First Amendment in danger.
“FOX & Friends Weekend” with Rachel Campos-Duffy, Charlie Hurt and Griff Jenkins hosting live outside State Farm Stadium. Maria Bartiromo will anchor “Sunday Morning Futures” from the same location. “Saturday in America” host and co-host of “Outnumbered” Kayleigh McEnany and “FOX & Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones will present live special coverage of the memorial proceedings.
her SiriusXM podcast, former FOX News Channel star Megyn Kelly criticized FOX for, as she calls it, talking like he was theirs. “It’s really bothering me how FOX News is talking about Charlie, like he was theirs — he wasn’t. It’s a lie. Just stop.” Kelly accuses FOX of making Kirk persona non grata after the company fired Tucker Carlson because Kirk was supportive of Carlson. The story from Newsmax adds that “Kirk appeared to be completely absent from FOX News in 2023 after Carlson’s firing and early 2024 – though Kelly claimed the network would give him brief appearances to cover for their effective ban.” The Newsmax piece goes on to quote Kirk on the matter. “Since Tucker’s departure, I haven’t been on. And so we had to do an event without FOX. And that was a great thing, man, because sometimes desperation is the mother of innovation, right?” 
Carolina Senate District 12 seat – Justin Bradley, Lee Bright and Hope Blackley – will take part in the 90-minute debate in which WORD hosts Joey Hudson and Bill Frady will moderate the debate. Audacy South Carolina operations manager Mark Hendrix says, “This debate will give our listeners and the community a chance to hear directly from the candidates, understand their positions, and make informed decisions as election day approaches.”
and “Up First” stayed in the #1 and #2 spots, respectively. News/talk radio related shows of note include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “VINCE” rising two places to #11 and iHeart Audience Network’s “Armstrong & Getty On Demand” climbs two places to #22. The ranker is based on weekly average downloads for participating publishers. 
Salem Radio Network announces that Megyn Kelly is hosting “The Charlie Kirk Show” today (9/17). This week, guest hosts have included Vice President JD Vance and Glenn Beck. It appears SRN will continue to present more high-profile talk media personalities as guest host of the show. Additionally, Salem Radio Network will provide live coverage of the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona this Sunday, anchored by SRN’s White House correspondent Greg Clugston.
Region and Darla Isham is appointed vice president, Northern Region. Other excutive appointments include Aaron Carreno as SVP of product; John Scott as VP of marketing, and Drew Smith as VP of technology. Weil comments, “This leadership restructuring reflects our commitment to providing exceptional service to our listeners and communities across our coverage areas. Each of these executives brings deep experience and a passion for local broadcasting that aligns perfectly with our mission to serve as the voice of our communities.”
Sports” from 6:00 am to 9:00 am, “Nine2Noon” hosted by John Kuhn and Ramie Makhlouf, “The Mason Crosby Show” with Mitch Thunder Nelles from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm, and “Wisconsin Sports Daily,” hosted Steve “Sparky” Fifer remaining in PM drive. Audacy Wisconsin SVP Jason Bjorson says, “As we celebrate the station’s 20th anniversary, we wanted to match our listeners’ passion by assembling the dream team here at ‘The Fan.’ With legendary names and two former Green Bay Packers players on our roster, we are going full-throttle. We’re excited to bring our fans the best talent in the market and give them the most entertaining sports coverage Wisconsin has to offer.”