TALKERS 2023 to Present Comprehensive Discussion about Sports Talk Radio
Eclipsed only by news/talk, radio stations and networks devoted exclusively to the discussion of sports comprise the largest and fastest-growing segment of spoken-word commercial broadcasting. TALKERS 2023, set for June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island, will explore some of sports talk radio’s key issues including the influence of legalized betting on its programming and revenue; the evolving demographic nature of its target audience; the balance of local and national elements in its mix; and what it takes to successfully host, program and market the format. Its speakers will include: introducer John Fredericks, owner/host of the John Fredericks Media Network; moderator John T. Mullen, general manager of WRHU-FM, Hofstra; and panelists (in alphabetical order) Grace Blazer, VP, national NTS brand coordinator, director of news and AM programming Florida region, iHeartMedia; Mark Chernoff, sports reporter, WWZY-FM, Long Branch, NJ “107.1 The Boss”/sports radio talent coach; and Spike Eskin, VP, programming, WFAN, New York and CBS Sports Radio. There will be more than 60 distinguished industry speakers at TALKERS 2023, the 26th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running and most important annual gathering. See more about the agenda, registration, sponsorship and hotel information here.
in London, Springer got a law degree from Northwestern University, served on the Cincinnati City Council before exiting in a prostitution scandal, returned to the Council a year later and eventually served as mayor of Cincinnati. He ran unsuccessfully for governor of Ohio as a Democrat. He moved into television news and won regional Emmy Awards before debuting his own soon-to-be-a-hit TV show that began as an issues-oriented program. Springer was part of the Air America liberal talk radio experiment during the early 2000s in which he hosted the 9:00 am to 12:00 noon ET show. In 2005, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian (who then was special features editor for Inside Radio) interviewed Springer. 
findings show what we expected – AM radio across America is a diverse mix of music and talk and a vital link for millions of listeners. The goal of our station survey was three-fold. First, we wanted to confirm AM radio’s diverse landscape of formats, languages, and ownership. Second, we wanted to quantify AM radio’s crucial part in the nation’s Emergency Alert System. And third, we wanted feedback that will guide our state association response going forward.” The NASBA survey also found that “more than half of AM stations do not currently have a standalone mobile app and 40% are not currently found on radio aggregators. For many AM operators working diligently to keep their over-the-air signal on the air, providing the local news, music, entertainment, and emergency information that their communities rely upon, the expense of streaming their station and paying additional royalties is simply not realistic. The most telling survey result is that 8 in 10 respondents listed their level of concern a 10 out of 10 when it comes to AM being eliminated in the car.” 
be trusted, picking up the 2022 Personality of the Year Award from the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters earlier this month.” Station director of branding and programming Levi May comments, “Skyler is a Tulsa native and understands the landscape of our community and offers a unique perspective that you won’t find anywhere else. KRMG is dedicated to covering our community and this move shows our listeners that we follow through with our ongoing commitment to be their go-to for all things local.” Cooper adds, “I’m thrilled to expand our local news programming in the afternoons. Our listeners told us they wanted a change and we listened. We’ll keep the same news, weather, traffic, and talk that our listeners already enjoy, we’ll just be starting earlier!”
embrace the positive impact it will have on our community. With more time to share his insightful perspective and engaging personality, Joe will continue to uplift, connect, and strengthen the bonds that make our community thrive.” Kelley comments, “I’m really excited about the opportunity given to me by WDBO to help lead on-air discussions about such vital issues during such unstable times. Instead of talking points, I’ll just bring my natural curiosity about issues and life. Instead of screaming and yelling, I’ll engage our great listeners in compelling discussion about the day’s events. Instead of calling people names, I’ll welcome all opinions and ideas equally. Most importantly, I want ‘The Joe Kelley Show’ to be fun, interesting and easy-to-listen-to.”
13.5 years at The Fan. @giglio_OG and I did some really great stuff in just over 3 years of the show. Thanks for making us part of your routines.” The story quotes Capitol Broadcasting general manager Brian Grube saying a replacement show will have a single host format. The station added, “We’ve decided to move in a new direction in afternoons on ‘99.9 The Fan’ that focuses on the best way to deliver fast-moving, informative, engaging local sports content that leverages the full scope of CBC’s powerful radio, TV and digital platforms…. We’re truly grateful for Joe Ovies’ and Joe Giglio’s many contributions and wish them both the best moving forward.” 
previously hosted together on Townsquare Media’s crosstown sports talk WTMM-FM. Goslowski tells the Daily Gazette, “We are happy to give Capital Region sports fans an outlet to talk sports, to talk local [sports], to talk New York [sports], to talk national [sports]. Levack and I have worked together a bunch. It’s an awesome opportunity here at ‘FOX Sports Radio 95.9/980.’ We’re so excited to get back. We’ve been looking forward to this. We’re happy to talk sports again with people here locally.” 
For the last several years, KSHSAA has opted into agreements with third parties that prevented local broadcasters from video-streaming games when the exclusive partner opted to do so. Kansas Association of Broadcasters president Allison Mazzei states, “I’m pleased that now, in post‐season, friends and families of student athletes will have access to free, quality coverage from the same broadcasters who cover their teams all season long. Local high school sports should be covered by local broadcasters. Our broadcasters depend on the revenue generated from high school sports coverage to stay on air and provide local news, weather, entertainment, and emergency alerts that communities depend on.” The KAB also notes students interested in pursuing careers in radio broadcast will also benefit from the legislation. Previously, if a local station was prohibited from video streaming a post‐season game, so were their student workers. Now, students will be able to cover all of their school’s activities regardless if it takes place in post season.
Greater Bridgeport Bar Association. Wexler will receive the award at the GBBA’s annual Law Day event on May 1. The Liberty Bell Award is given to an individual who “is really good at providing services to our community, for betterment of our community, and has demonstrated over time a desire to serve our community vis a vis rule of law.” Wexler comments, “I’m very grateful to receive this distinguished award. I try every day to promote respect for the rule of law and encourage civic engagement. It’s the cornerstone of my mission as a talk radio host and a primary value I bring to my role as probate judge.”
challenging times, in the first quarter, we grew our digital marketing services revenue by more than 23%, completed the sale of WFAS-FM, continued to repurchase shares and retire debt at a discount, and have now executed $10 million of additional annualized cost reductions. That said, the impact of the considerable macro-driven weakness in the national advertising market, as well as the unfavorable prior year political and WynnBET comparisons, ultimately resulted in total revenue and Adjusted EBITDA declines. Though the difficult national market trends persist, we have confidence in our ability to successfully navigate adverse environments such as this one. Specifically, since 2019 through the COVID-impacted years, we have had best-in-class performance in terms of fixed cost reduction, Adjusted EBITDA margin recovery, Adjusted EBITDA to free cash flow conversion and net debt reduction. With our current liquidity profile and solid balance sheet, we believe that we are not only well-positioned to weather the 
WCBM. Her energy, passion, and commitment to Baltimore are second to none and we know that our listeners will appreciate her insights on the issues that matter most to them. Klacik says, I am excited to join the team at WCBM and have the opportunity to engage with listeners in the Baltimore area. I believe that conservative principles and policies are the key to unlocking the potential of this great city, and I look forward to sharing my ideas and insights with the WCBM audience.” Regarding the decision to replace Derek Hunter, the station says the decision was not made lightly. “It was a result of WCBM’s ongoing efforts to better serve its listeners by offering more diverse programming options. While Derek Hunter has a loyal following, the station decided to go in a different direction to attract a broader audience.”
that national sports talk radio networks are “in a losing race against time.” Reimer says that long ago, sports fans were starved for sports talk and would tune in to national programming like ESPN’s. But now, he says, “The whole idea of national sports radio is anathema to the concept of destination programming. The content is supposed to be boilerplate, because hosts are expected to placate listeners across the country.” Fans who want to hear national sports hosts like Dan LeBatard or Bill Simmons can simply download their popular podcasts. 
30 years as the first female co-anchor of ‘Atlanta’s Morning News.’ With a little back-of-the-envelope math, I calculate I’ve written more than 300,000 stories over those three decades. Now it’s time for me to write a new chapter.” Station news director Amanda Moyer comments, “Marcy has been a leader and an example in our newsroom for more than three decades. Her recent Gracie award win is the perfect cap to her long tenure at WSB as the first, and to this day, the only female lead news anchor on ‘Atlanta’s Morning News.’ She will be deeply missed, but our loss is her granddaughter’s gain.”
number of radio station affiliates, station size and market that was the foundation for the list. A special highlight of this year’s Benztown 50 is the presentation of the voiceover industry’s highest honor, the Chris Corley Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented to legendary voiceover talent, Earl Mann. A prolific voiceover artist from Canada, Mann started his career as a singer for the 1960s American folk band, the Gaslight Singers. He was an all-night disc jockey on radio stations CKEY and CHFI in Toronto in the 1960s and1970s. Sports fans will recognize Mann as the “voice of the NFL” through his work for NFL Films, as well as the voice of several college football programs and numerous NFL teams. 
followed by NPR Member Stations at #2 (76,679 AAS) and Audacy at #3 (57,595). Cumulus Streaming Network was #4 (42,504 AAS). Beasley Broadcasting Corporate ranked #6 (19,635 AAS), Hubbard Broadcasting was #8 (15,635 AAS), and Salem Communications ranked #11 (8,738 AAS). 
WTN is one of America’s best live and local talk stations in one of our nation’s best cities. You need to be relevant and able to talk about local and national issues, weave through interviews and audio seamlessly and handle segments and hours with or without phone calls. This isn’t a job for a beginner, but a seasoned professional who knows how to entertain and inform! 
manager. ‘97.1 The Fan’ is the flagship station for all Ohio State Athletics as well as NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets and the MLS Columbus Crew. ‘The Fan’ is also the Columbus home for Cleveland Browns football. Our legacy properties boast one of the top-rated ESPN affiliates in the United States as well as a statewide network of over 80 stations and a digital platform of full-service digital solutions. This position reports to the president and general manager of WBNS-TV.” 
compared to the net loss of $3.7 million in Q1 of 2022. Beasley CEO Caroline Beasley states, “Beasley’s strong first quarter financial operating results highlight our continued local audio leadership and the ongoing success of our digital transformation and revenue diversification initiatives which are driving top-line and SOI (station operating income) growth. Despite ongoing challenges related to the economy and softness in the national spot market, Beasley generated healthy growth across its digital, local audio, and network revenue sources, as reflected by the 3.7% increase in first quarter net revenues to $57.8 million. Top-
line growth was the primary factor contributing to an impressive 21% year-over-year increase in SOI to $7.1 million. Our digital strategy delivered first quarter digital revenue growth of 27.8% year-over-year and accounted for 17.3% of total first quarter revenue. Similar to recent quarters, strong digital revenue performance was driven by Beasley’s organic content creation initiatives and the roll-out of our tailored web services. Beasley continues to see accelerating demand from consumers for our innovative digital content, with our unique digital users more than doubling over the prior year quarter, resulting in a more than 90% year-over-year increase in sellable digital impressions. We believe we remain on path for this revenue source to reach 20% of total revenue by 2023 year-end.” Total outstanding debt as of March 31, 2023 was $290 million, and first quarter interest expense slightly declined to $6.6 million. Beasley had $35.9 million of cash and cash equivalents on hand at quarter end. We intend to keep our cash on the balance sheet in order to maintain our strong liquidity position, while we monitor the economic environment.”
executive to his most recent post, EVP sales and sports partnerships.” Westwood One president Suzanne Grimes says, “Brandon is a natural leader with a smart, strategic approach to the business that will enable us to manage through these economic headwinds and beyond with confidence, commitment, resilience, and results. With his unparalleled command of our powerhouse sports business, proven success with integrated, and multi-platform client-focused selling, Brandon is uniquely well-suited to lead the team.”
syndicated radio health-based talk show continues to gain affiliates, was recently appointed the role of “ringside physician” for Impact Wrestling which doubles as a serious medical position as well as an entertainment position. Doctor Asa tells TALKERS, “The NFL, just like combat sports, includes years of high-impact play, raising concerns for long-term wellness. Concussions, joint injuries, cardiovascular health, obesity, and neurological complications are the norm as the average career for 
an NFL player is very short.” Doctor Asa will be speaking and educating as the leading health and wellness voice for NFL Franchises and Alumni with strategies for optimal health, performance, and longevity. He continues, “The NFL is a worldwide sports giant with some of the greatest athletes. The players are the ones we need to make sure are in the best position to enter the sport well and exit with their greatest win, their health. NFL Alumni Health has a passion to educate the players for better current play health and longevity choices which creates a better post-play outcome. Many former NFL Alumni Players are losing quality of life and facing serious health challenges. NFL Alumni Health is on a mission to create a better way. I’m here to be the voice, the storyteller, and catalyst to inspire the NFL and its Alumni, and influence others to reach their potential and becoming the best version of themselves.” Dr. Asa Andrew will be speaking on “The Big Picture” panel at TALKERS 2023, June 2 at Hofstra University.
Newsmax saw this agreement as both an opportunity to join with a respected leader in multimedia, Telecom Serbia, but also to strengthen America’s ties with the people of Serbia and the Balkans. The United States and Serbia were allies in both World Wars, share a common desire to overcome the destructive legacy of communism in East Europe, and both continue to support democratic societies. We believe that millions of Americans, Serbs and others will see us as an important source of information that they can trust.”
goes on to say, “P&G’s commitment to minority owned broadcasters and its stewardship of diversity, equity and inclusion is unparalleled as evidenced by its founding sponsorship of ‘More than that with Gia Peppers’ audio series, its transformative strategic alliance with NABOB and Reset Digital to steer more digital investment to black-owned broadcasters, and its ‘Lead with Love’ community impact program activated in partnership with Katz Radio Group and RAB.” RAB president and CEO and chair of the Radio Creative Fund, Erica Farber, says, “Procter & Gamble continues to be a tremendous partner to the radio industry. The ongoing collaboration with P&G and its agencies is driving results among our shared consumers, and we look forward to their continued innovation and thought leadership in audio.”
