Talk Radio Responds to Trump Assassination Attempt; Numerous Stations Break into Programming to Field Calls from Listeners
When a would-be assassin attempted to shoot former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania just after 6:00 pm ET on Saturday (7/13), many American news/talk stations were airing either pre-recorded or network programming. Stations were able to turn to their national news organizations for network coverage since most had reporters covering the rally. Many stations called in their local talent to connect with listeners who wanted to talk about the event. Bruce Collins is PD and news
director at Cumulus Media Dallas-Fort Worth. He tells TALKERS, “We immediately texted and sent push notifications on WBAP and KLIF and then went to FOX News Radio for wall-to-wall coverage. I then called in our WBAP morning hosts Ernie Brown and Carla Marion to talk with medical experts, police officials, and Secret Service experts in between the FOX coverage. After Ernie and Carla, WBAP PM drive host James Parker took over and fielded local listener reactions in between the FOX coverage. Phones and social media were flooded. Local WBAP host Chris Krok then did a special national broadcast on Westwood One’s “Red Eye Radio” 
and took local calls throughout the night.” At Red Apple Media’s WABC Radio in New York, company CEO John Catsimatidis interrupted the live “Cousin Brucie’s Saturday Night Rock & Roll Party” and brought talk host Curtis Sliwa in to go on air and work with the news team throughout the evening. Throughout the evening, WABC Radio air personalities including Dominic Carter, Rita Cosby, Greg Kelly, and more called in. Catsimatidis says, “I am immensely proud of our team who at a moment’s notice dropped whatever they were doing to bring our listeners up-to-the-minute information. Emotions are high across America. By delivering the facts, we bring a sense of calm to our listening community.” At WMAL-FM, Washington, DC, brand manager Bill Hess says, 
“Corey Inganamort was hosting the final hour of our live local Saturday afternoon when he noticed some activity on the studio TV. He immediately began describing what he was seeing. After several minutes, we made the call to go to our network partner, FOX News Radio, for coverage. We stayed with the network through the evening.” Urban One’s WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte, program director Mike
Schaefer tells TALKERS, “Saturday evening, Brett Winterble and news director Mark Garrison were on the air within an hour of the incident, delivering the information as it unfolded. Shortly thereafter, additional members of the WBT team called in to contribute their thoughts and analysis, including Bo Thompson, Vince Coakley, Pete Kaliner, and Brett Jensen. Our coverage continued through 9:00 pm Saturday night. On Sunday we broke from regular programming and went live and local from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, with special continuing coverage 
from “Good Morning BT” hosts with Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman in the morning, Vince Coakley and Pete Kaliner in the midday, and Brett Winterble and news reporter Scott Hamilton in the afternoon.” At iHeartMedia’s KFI, Los Angeles, where it was just after 3:00 pm, Neil Saavedra was live on the air. Program director Robin Bertolucci says, “We immediately went wall-to-wall covering the story. KFI’s Neil Saavedra was on the air doing his regular Saturday show, ‘The Fork Report,’ when it occurred, and he immediately switched to in-depth news coverage of the assassination attempt. KFI news had the latest and we provided ongoing updates for all of our LA iHeart properties and put up the story on all social platforms. KFI’s Gary Hoffmann came in and took over at 5:00 and we covered it wall-to-wall till 8:00 pm.” Bill Brady owns KFNX-AM, Phoenix and
happened to be on the air hosting his Saturday show when news broke. He tells TALKERS, “I was on the air ‘live’ Saturday afternoon. I began the show by saying, ‘This is a very different show than I normally do. Today’s show deals with a very sensitive story. Our president was grazed by a bullet today in Butler County, Pennsylvania. A half an inch difference in the bullet’s path and this could have been an assassination. Others have been killed and wounded. There is much still to learn. Let’s try to make sense of 
this. It is not a day for politics.'” Salem Radio Network says, “Talk host Mike Gallagher raced to Salem studios in Tampa for a rare, two-hour live special broadcast covering this major breaking news story. Joining Gallagher were SRN’s Dr. Sebastian Gorka and Dennis Prager as well as Salem New York morning host Joe Piscopo and Salem Dallas morning host Mark Davis. Former SRN host (and one-time GOP Presidential contender) Larry Elder also joined the broadcast, which fielded calls from listeners in New York, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Illinois and
many other states.” Obviously, the coverage of a news story of this magnitude spilled over into Sunday. WBEN, Buffalo brand manager Lisa Polizzi says, “We went almost all local on Sunday with David Bellavia in the morning, our ‘Hardline’ political show that included a former FBI agent, a former Buffalo police captain, and the Erie County GOP chair, as well as ‘Reese on the Radio’ taking local calls in the afternoon.”
Dr. Ruth Westheimer holds the audience share record for 18-34s in New York.
Newsradio was the top-rated station in the Seattle market and one of the ten most highly rated stations nationwide. In 2008, the station transitioned from 710 AM to 97.3 FM, continuing its legacy of innovation.” KIRO-FM is presenting a special edition of “Seattle’s Morning News” today with Bill Yeend – the first morning news anchor back in 1974 – returning for the event. Dave Ross, a fixture at KIRO since 1978, and Ursula Reutin, who has been with the station since 1988, will host the special broadcast. “Ross and Reutin will share the mic with their returning colleagues, offering listeners a nostalgic journey through KIRO’s storied past. The alumni news anchors will each be invited to deliver an up-to-date newscast featuring KIRO Newsradio’s current generation of reporters.” 
Next month, as the school year begins in so many places, the listeners that local retailers want as customers transition back to their “normal” routines. Their tempo changes and builds to a holiday season climax. And we – and our advertisers – want to be their soundtrack.
The fourth of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s June 2024 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. The survey period covered May 23 through June 19. Today, TALKERS managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. Urban One’s Indianapolis news/talk WIBC-FM adds six-tenths to finish the survey with a 7.5 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) but remains ranked #4 in the market. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WISN, Milwaukee rises four-tenths for a 12.5 share finish and racks up its 10thconsecutive month at #1. (Good Karma Brands’ crosstown competitor WTMJ ceased subscribing to the ratings several months ago.) Cox Media Group’s Jacksonville news/talk WOKV-FM added seven-tenths to finish with a 9.4 share that lifts it to the #2 rank. 
reporter James Flippin will capture the excitement from the convention floor with up-to-the-minute reports and on-the-spot interviews. WABC Radio host Jeanine Pirro will be attending the Convention and will stop by the WABC Radio Booth to share her views.” Company CEO John Catsimatidis adds, “This is an important time in America, and Americans want to know who will be the next president. As a trusted news and political source, it is our responsibility to provide WABC Radio listeners and our affiliated stations’ listeners vital information and insightful commentary live from the Republican National Convention.
iHeartMedia’s news/talk WFLF, Orlando, airing from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. iHeartMedia Orlando SVP of programming Ken Holiday states, “We are thrilled to welcome Jesse Kelly to WFLA Orlando! Starting Monday, July 15, Jesse will bring his unfiltered and unapologetic insights to our listeners. From history to politics to pizza, Jesse’s show has it all in a no-nonsense kind of way. Whether you’re a veteran like Jesse or just a good ol’ fashioned red-blooded American, the show has something for everyone.”
the Biden campaign. Civic Media said in a statement that through the moves, that station “fell short of journalistic standards.” Civic Media said, On Monday, July 8th, it was reported to Civic Media management that immediately after the phone interview was recorded, the Biden campaign called and asked for two edits to the recording before it aired. Civic Media management immediately undertook an investigation and determined that the production team at the time viewed the edits as non-substantive and broadcast and published the interview with two short segments removed.” The network airs programming in Madison, Milwaukee and numerous other markets throughout the state. 
radio and television in St. Louis – will join news/talk KTRS, St. Louis to co-host the midday show with incumbent Wendy Wiese. Cusumano was most recently with sports talk KFNS, St. Louis until owner Dave Zobrist pulled the plug on local sports hosts and installed FOX Sports Radio. Zobrist is putting KFNS up for sale. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Cusumano is taking over the co-hosting duties from Jennifer Blome after her recent retirement.
added to the program schedule at Nexstar Media’s WGN, Chicago beginning Monday (7/15). WGN Radio VP and general manager Mary Sandberg Boyle says, “‘The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano’ is engaging, creative, and lively – a trifecta not often found in late night radio shows.” 
His expertise, passion, and approach align perfectly with our mission to deliver exceptional audio content and services.” In his new role, Jones will oversee all aspects of USRN’s operations, including programming, services, affiliate relations, and affiliate sales. He will continue to work closely with the talented team at USRN and parent company Gemini XIII to develop innovative strategies that enhance the network’s offerings and drive value for its affiliates and partners.
week’s Republican National Convention. “The Megyn Kelly Show” will broadcast live from the pavilion at the Fiserv Forum on both Wednesday and Thursday. Julie Mason will host her POTUS show each day from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm and will then kick off the channel’s special nighttime coverage starting on Monday at 8:00 pm ET. And David Webb will also host his Patriot channel program, “The David Webb Show,” in late mornings in addition to joining Patriot’s primetime programming starting Monday at 9:00 pm ET.
station – WRLL, Chicago “1450-La Vozde la Comunidad Latina – will also be on hand, fielding Spanish-language interviews. Midway CEO Melody Spann-Cooper comments, “This initiative underscores our commitment to delivering authentic voices and viewpoints from our multicultural audience. We are excited to bring the RNC closer to our listeners and provide them with direct access to the conversations shaping our nation’s future.”
Hannon says, “Jeff has been one of our key sales management leaders for nearly three decades, leading robust sales teams and managing salespeople of all experience levels. He has also been an integral player in making ‘92.3 The Fan’ one of the market’s dominant revenue leaders while managing the relationship with our key partner, the Cleveland Browns. I know that Jeff will advance the legacy of Tom Herschel as Audacy Cleveland’s new leader, and I look forward to working with him to set the path forward.” Miller comments, “I am humbled, motivated and very excited to accept this fantastic opportunity to lead Audacy Cleveland. I look forward to working with our team and the entire organization to build on the success we experienced under Tom Herschel’s guidance.”
FP&A since 2020 and has been interim CFO for the past six months. CMG president and CEO Dan York states, “Brad brings a unique skillset and perspective to the role of CFO. He’s committed to maximizing company performance and efficiency and has been invaluable in helping CMG win in our local markets today while positioning us to continue to do so in the future. This is a well-earned promotion for Brad that also reflects the strength and depth of CMG’s talented team.”
medalist Matt Hamilton for the new “Jim, Matt, and Molly Show,” effective July 15. Hamilton says, “We are so excited to welcome Molly to the show! Fans can continue to enjoy our sports comedy vibe, with Molly adding new perspectives and insights.” In addition to her on-air roles, Brown also serves as ESPN Madison’s marketing manager. She won a 2023 Wisconsin Broadcasters Award for “Best Original Digital Content” as the host of ESPN Madison’s “Lead Her Forward” special showcasing women’s athletics at UW-Madison. 
“The Jesse Kelly Show” will originate from Milwaukee’s convention center beginning on Monday (7/15). The “Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” will broadcast from local affiliate “News/Talk 1130” WISN on Friday (7/19). Additionally, Sean Hannity will host “The Sean Hannity Show” along with his primetime FOX News Channel program “Hannity” live from Milwaukee. Ben Ferguson will also be on the ground in Milwaukee covering the convention for his various programs, including the nationally syndicated weekend program “The Ben Ferguson Show,” “The Ben Ferguson Podcast” and the “Verdict with Ted Cruz” podcast.
Lowe Walk Against Violence on July 20. Hosted by afternoon talk host Tory Lowe, the two-mile walk provides “an opportunity to come together and make a strong statement against violence, striving towards creating a safer and more harmonious community.” Lowe comments, “We cannot tolerate people who exemplify dangerous and unlawful behaviors that cause harm to innocent men, women, and children. The Walk Against Violence symbolizes strength and encouragement to those who are willing to act against the recklessness and negativity harming our communities.”