WTAX PD John LaTessa Passes Unexpectedly
WTAX-AM/FM, Springfield, Illinois content director and technical director John La Tessa died last week. The station – via owner 
Saga Communications’ CapitolCityNow news platform – reports LaTessa was found dead in his apartment in downtown Springfield. Chris Bullock is VP and general manager for Saga’s Capitol Media Group and he says, “Capitol Media Group was John’s family. We know what a huge Cardinals fan John was, and he LOVED working for us.” Saga says station personnel will take on LaTessa’s work in the interim, as plans have not yet been made for a replacement. Funeral services have also not yet been announced. Read the full story here.
Most radio stations broadcast from office buildings, broadcast centers or studios tucked away from the public. JVC Broadcasting decided to do something different.
wireless access point, sideline reporters use their smartphones to send and receive high-quality, low-delay audio using the free Comrex FieldTap app. This new option provides more connectivity options such as 4G/5G, and public Wi-Fi services. FieldLink Cloud is a Comrex-managed server that gets around complex router and firewall issues to make connections fast and simple. It uses both iOS and Android devices and the device’s default web browser to give the user a simple, yet comprehensive interface for connection, control and statistical feedback when connected to the FieldLink codec. Comre4x says that for a limited time, customers purchasing a FieldLink sideline reporter codec will receive a free, one-year subscription for FieldLink Cloud. Subscription signup is all managed through the FieldLink codec’s front panel OLED screen and is fast and simple. FieldLink and Comrex’s suite of broadcast reliable products will be on display at the NAB New York Show October 21 and 22 at the Javits Convention Center. Visit Comrex at Booth 445.
on October 12 at 79. Calarco served with CBS Radio for 28 years, beginning as a salesperson at WCBS-AM before rising to vice president and general manager of WCBS-FM. His career also included positions at ABC Television, CBS-owned WCAU-AM, Philadelphia and The CBS National Sales Rep Firm in Chicago. He began his career in sales at WFAS-AM in White Plains, New York, returning years later as general manager, a position he held until his retirement.
Commission. Cumulus canceled 100% of its existing funded indebtedness – approximately $600 million – in exchange for 100% of the Company’s reorganized equity and $50 million of new convertible notes issued to former lenders. Cumulus is now a privately owned company with a new board of directors but retains its existing
management team. Cumulus president and CEO Mary Berner states, “I am grateful to our lenders and noteholders for their collaboration throughout this process, and to our employees, vendors, affiliates, customers, and partners for their continued trust and support. Emerging with a significantly stronger balance sheet, we are more committed than ever to providing engaging content across our national footprint, serving as a lifeline and voice for the local communities we serve, driving meaningful growth for our advertising partners, and delivering value for our new shareholders.”
and one of America’s most accomplished interviewers. It’s the culminating celebration of Gross’s 50 years with ‘Fresh Air,’ honoring five decades of curiosity, thoughtful listening, music and revealing conversations.” Gross says, “I was 13, screaming in the movie theater, when A Hard Day’s Night came out. It is an honor to now have the opportunity to talk with Sir Paul, on stage, about different chapters of his life and music. Is there a better way to celebrate my 50th anniversary hosting Fresh Air? Absolutely not! Thank you, Sir Paul.” The event will directly benefit public media and WHYY president and CEO Bill Mazzarro says, “We’re deeply grateful for his generosity and for everyone joining us to help sustain public media and Fresh Air’s work for generations to come.”
AM/WSBB-FM “95.5 WSB.” Jones comes to CMG from his most recent post as SVP of sales with iHeartMedia. CMG Altanta director of sales Kris Hackett Lucas says, “We’re excited to welcome Chris to an already exceptional sales team at CMG Atlanta. He brings fresh energy and proven leadership that will help us build on our momentum and raise the bar even higher. I’m confident Chris will make an immediate impact—creating new opportunities for our clients, inspiring our team, and helping drive our sales organization forward.”
For the third consecutive year, TALKERS will serve as the Presenting Sponsor of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Conference. The event – IBSNYC – the longest running and most important national gathering of campus radio and mediacommunicators, will take place February 25-27, 2027, at the Sheraton Times Square hotel in the heart of Manhattan. It will bring together almost 1,000 outstanding broadcasters from university, college and high school radio-TV stations and departments of communication. Its power packed agenda of speeches, panels, workshops, exhibits, award ceremonies, and networking opportunities will cover the ever-expanding spectrum of platforms and issues unfolding before young practitioners entering the field of modern communications. This outstanding event is a must-attend for bright industry newcomers who are serious about developing careers in a landscape marked by unprecedentedly rapid change as well as established players determined to keep up with what’s coming and discover new colleagues.
TALKERS VP / associate publisher Matthew B. Harrison will again join the roster of outstanding IBSNYC speakers. Harrison, senior partner in the firm of Harrison Media Law, is a media and intellectual property attorney and author who advises radio hosts, digital content creators, and creative entrepreneurs. He has written extensively on fair use, AI law, and the future of digital rights.
TALKERS founder, publisher, and radio industry icon, Michael Harrison will deliver one of the conference’s two keynote addresses. The speech, titled, “Five Things Every Communicator Must Know to Survive and Even Thrive During the Next Five Years,” promises to be a riveting, eye-opening highlight of the conference.
forgetting that ease of measurement doesn’t always equal effectiveness. Yet there is a legacy powerhouse that continues to outperform nearly every other medium in the one metric that matters most: actual human reach. That’s radio.” The piece underscores radio’s reach, zeroing in on the fact that radio doesn’t just reach older demos, every month it reaches the 87% of adults 18-34 – the demo often described as “digital only.” Additionally, the report says, “Americans spend nearly four hours a day with audio. Of the ad-supported time advertisers can actually buy, radio and podcasts account for 82%, while streaming music services account for only 16%. An audio plan built without both radio and podcasts misses most of the audience.”
confront personal struggles, and build lives defined by faith, family, freedom, and intentionality.” During his more than 30-year career, Mullins built and led 16 business enterprises, “leading diverse teams, and serving on corporate and organizational boards. His career provided him with firsthand experience navigating the pressures, responsibilities, expectations, and sacrifices that often accompany professional success. But behind the accomplishments was a deeply personal journey: In 2006, Mullins surrendered his life to faith, beginning a transformation that would eventually lead him to turn his experiences – both the victories and the failures – into a platform for mentoring, coaching, speaking, and storytelling.” McVay Media president Mike McVay says, “Ryan Kershner and I are honored to work with Myron and join this journey.”
station assets. Those companies – Pritchard Broadcasting Corp., Titan Broadcasting, LLC, and Galesburg Broadcasting Company – are turning over 16 radio signals in Iowa and Illinois to Civic Media for a price yet to be announced. The stations include sports talk KBKB-AM, Fort Madison, Iowa; news/talk KBUR-AM, Burlington, Iowa; and news/talk/sports WGIL-AM, Galesburg, Illinois. Civic Media currently operates radio stations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.
Borelli and Teare-Lombardo say that with the economy being top of mind, commuters may be a particularly important audience and that radio can help campaigns reach voters beyond traditional TV and digital buys. For example: 1) 59% of likely voters who commute say the economy and cost of living are the most important issues shaping their vote, rising to 73% among commuting homeowners with children; 2) Commuters are a significant audience: 78% of employed Americans commute at least two days a week, and nearly 90% travel by car; 3) Radio reaches voters during the commute: AM/FM radio captures 82% of ad-supported audio listening during weekday commuting hours; and 4) Radio can extend TV/CTV reach: In the 2022 midterms, radio added 676,000 incremental voters (+10%) to John Fetterman’s TV/CTV reach in Pennsylvania and 659,000 (+18%) to Raphael Warnock’s in Georgia. 
comments, “Clay Travis and Buck Sexton are proven winners, and 
