Industry News

Failla Making Impression on “Gutfeld!” Will Speak at TALKERS 2023

Radio has been getting a lot of love lately from the TV side of FOX.  FOX News Radio syndicated midday star Jimmy Failla (center, above) has become the “go-to” guy as fill-in host on FOX News Channel’s wildly successful late night “Gutfeld!” show (starring Greg Gutfeld). One of Failla’s guests on last night’s appearance was fellow syndicated FOX Radio talker Guy Benson, also a rising star in the industry. Both Failla and Benson will be appearing as speakers at the forthcoming TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University.  Failla will be reprising his popular role as one of the opening speakers at the event performing his unique blend of comedy and social satire specifically focused on talk industry issues. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison says, “Jimmy gets the conference off and running on such a wonderfully upbeat note. He’s become a tradition!  Our attendees love him.” Pictured above (l-r) are: FOX Business Channel’s Brian Brenberg, Gutfeld! personality Kat Timpf, Failla, Benson, and commentator Morgan Ortagus.

Industry News

Audacy Insights: Radio Killed the Video Star

An Audacy Insights piece by company chief marketing officer Paul Suchman lays out the case that audio – radio/streaming/podcasts – is a more effective marketing tool than video (the traditional darling of media planners). Suchman writes that this argument “is among the ultimate tussles between media planners and publishers. While some may lean more heavily toward video, we at Audacy respectfully disagree.” He makes a five-point argument in audio’s favor saying it wins in reach, time spent using, is more immersive, activates all senses, and drives recall. Read the complete story here.

Industry News

Rainey Rises to VP National Sales for CMG

Cox Media Group promotes Jodi Rainey from director of national sales to vice president of national sales for the radio business. In this new role, Rainey will oversee national, network, and political sales for CMG’s 52 radio stations in 11 markets. CMG says Rainey “came to CMG in 2001 and brings nearly 25 years of industry experience to the national sales team. Along the way, she’s cultivated a track record of success in sales and sales leadership and has produced consistent share growth and exceeded revenue goals across multiple CMG markets.” CMG Radio EVP Rob Babin comments, “Jodi is an outstanding leader and strategic thinker, and she’s passionate about delivering results for our clients. She has a deep understanding of our business and our clients, and I’m confident she’ll continue to deliver exceptional results while leading our national sales team.” Rainey says, “I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with an already successful team that includes talented and experienced leaders. We’ll continue to be laser-focused on delivering results for our clients, creating growth for CMG, and positively impacting the listeners and communities across our markets.”

Industry News

Nikki Ramirez Joins Research Director Inc

Radio pro Nikki Ramirez (Cumulus Media Atlanta and Audacy Miami) joins Research Director Inc as sales & business development lead. Research Director says that “in this new position, Ramirez will accelerate radio stations’ awareness of Research Director’s powerful Programming & Ratings Toolbox, designed to provide a deeper understanding of market performance immediately after Nielsen’s data release.” Company CEO Marc Greenspan says, “We’re excited to leverage Nikki’s extensive radio industry knowledge and experience, both on-air and behind-the-scenes, to fuel our growth in helping radio stations across the U.S. maximize the value of data to improve both their ratings and their revenue. She joins our team at a pivotal time as we look to showcase our unique ability to help clients improve their programming effectiveness and sales success.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Saga Communications announces that it will release its First Quarter 2023 operating results at 9:00 am ET on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. The company will hold a conference call on the same date at 11:00 am ET.

Last Saturday (4/1) the ParaPod Awards were handed out at the Hyatt Regency Valencia as part of the two-day ParaPod Festival. The awards recognize the influencers and content creators working in the paranormal genre. ParaPod founder Tony Sweet says, “The mainstream awards seem to skip over paranormal content. However, it takes no less time, skill, and talent to cover our genre than it does any other. So, why not create an awards platform to celebrate these brilliant individuals?” Actress and podcaster Jillian Clare (“Days of Our Lives,” “Alien Abduction”) was on hand to present the podcast and documentary category awards.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (4/4) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Former President Donald Trump is officially arraigned on 34 felony counts related to the allegation of a hush money scheme prior to the 2016 election; Tuesday’s State Supreme Court race in Wisconsin and the Chicago mayoral race; Finland becomes a member of NATO; Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ ongoing battle against Disney; and UConn beats San Diego State to win the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Beasley Names Waldrop Digital Sales Manager for Tampa

Beasley Media Group names Stacie Waldrop digital sales manager for the company’s Tampa radio cluster that includes business talk WHFS-AM “Moneytalk Radio 1010” and five music brands. Waldrop was most recently regional digital sales manager for Summit Media in Knoxville. She says, “I am beyond excited to join the Beasley Tampa team. I look forward to partnering with the sales team and their clients to create custom campaigns that drive results!” Beasley Tampa VP and market manager Ron deCastro comments, “I look forward to having such a talented digital sales manager as Stacie join our outstanding Tampa cluster. Beasley has invested in best-in-class digital products and Stacie will help our team better solve our clients’ needs.”

Industry News

“On Purpose with Jay Shetty” Joins iHeartPodcast Network

iHeartMedia announces that the health and wellness podcast, “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” joins the iHeartPodcast Network. The press release says the mission of the podcast is “to reach people in today’s global, hyper-connected world – as 1 in 4 people have suffered from loneliness and depression – the biggest factor this generation has ever faced. Despite the pandemic pushing people into overload, creators like Jay Shetty have opened up their heart, mind and platform to reinforce today’s greatest lesson – that vulnerability is a great strength and that people are stronger together.” Shetty comments, “‘On Purpose’ is on a journey to help make people happier, healthier and more healed. Through insightful and vulnerable conversations with icons, experts and cultural figures and weekly workshops, ‘On Purpose’ is dedicated to giving our community the habits and tools to live a more fulfilling life. I’m so grateful for our loyal and ever-growing community who come back every day to listen, learn and grow. As the podcast has scaled globally it made perfect sense to join together with the number one podcast publisher – iHeartMedia. We are so excited for this new chapter for ‘On Purpose.’”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Salem Media Group is promoting its planned coverage of the booking of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan today (4/4). Salem Radio Network talk personality Mike Gallagher leads the Special Report coverage streaming on the Salem News Channel at 2:00 pm ET.

Edison Research, in partnership with NPR, is presenting a webinar on April 13 at 2:00 pm ET titled, “Hit Play, Boomer! Podcasting’s Age 55+ Opportunity.” Edison says, “Forty-two percent of Baby Boomers in the U.S. – those age 55+ – have ever listened to a podcast. Attend the webinar to learn more about what has shaped Baby Boomers in the U.S. and what their media habits look like today. Learn how they consume audio and which podcasts index the highest for listening among Boomers.”

The National Association of Broadcasters announces its new campaign highlighting the importance of AM radio in the car for news, community engagement, entertainment and vital public safety information. The campaign includes a website with a grassroots call to action and new tools for stations to highlight the importance of AM radio. This campaign is being launched as some automakers have stripped AM radio out of certain vehicle models.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (4/3) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Former President Donald Trump’s return to New York for his arraignment in the alleged hush money case involving former porn star Stormy Daniels; the aftermath of the St. Petersburg bombing that killed a pro-Russia blogger; the move by NATO countries to provide more assistance to Ukraine in its defense from Russian aggression; inflation and OPEC’s cutting production that could lead to higher gas prices; the report that the Chinese spy balloon shot down earlier this year obtained information about U.S. military sites; Finland is set to join NATO today (4/4); Ron DeSantis’ battle with Disney; Marjorie Taylor Greene’s appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday evening; today’s elections in Wisconsin and Chicago; and UConn beats San Diego State in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Pending Business: Attracting New Recruits

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

Ask any sales manager what the #1 challenge they face is and nine times out of 10 the surprise answer is not “more business.” Generating more business takes a well-oiled machine that starts and ends with a focused, well-trained sales team. And therein lies the challenge question I hear every week. “Where can I find more good salespeople?”

With all the sophisticated technology available today – from Zoom and Teams to data mining and social media – it is hard to comprehend why any viable radio station would have difficulty recruiting “good salespeople.” I rarely faced that challenge in any of the markets where I worked. No matter what the ownership structure or market size – from Buffalo to San Francisco – recruiting and retaining “good salespeople” was only an occasional problem.

If you are a manager at any level, in any market, responsible for recruiting and training “good salespeople,” you may never view the task the same way again if you follow these six simple steps:

1)         Recruitment should always be on your “To Do” list. Always, period, the end. Like the sun rises every morning, recruitment is a regular part of your day.

2)         Times are changing, build your bench. If your sales team is a mix of generations, any given team member may decide to move on for reasons you may not understand. Be prepared. Turnover happens, don’t be ambushed.

3)         Do you have a written profile of the ideal candidate for sales? Sound crazy? Try it right now. What are the three must-have qualities of every successful seller on your team? Those qualities may now be changing with newer digital, social media, and programming changes.

4)         Is your compensation structure competitive? This is one of my favorites. Depending on ownership you may or may not have the degree of flexibility you want. However, you may find a friendlier structure through performance incentives.

5)         Would you trust members of your current team to interview a candidate? I used the technique often over 15 years. Sometimes the culture in your sales department is unique or you may feature team performance incentives. The power of teams is a proven winner in most businesses.

6)         Are you plugged in to the new-think of today’s entry-level seller? Here are some current facts that may change your view of recruiting younger sellers:

   a) A study at the University of Chicago showed 56% of Americans think a college degree is not worth the money. Wow, is that different from most job postings!

b) As job markets become unpredictable, 97% of graduating seniors are open to alternative careers, as in not their major, this according to a study by iCIMS.

Finding “good salespeople” should never be viewed as a management headache. Once you make the commitment, the next great seller could be your next interview.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com. Steve Lapa will be moderating the “Generating Revenue” panel at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University.

Industry News

Monday Memo: Dominion v. FOX News

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

In Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion lawsuit, testimony and internal communications demonstrate that FOX News management and talent privately doubted election fraud claims they were broadcasting. Tucker Carlson messaged Laura Ingraham: “Sidney Powell is lying by the way. I caught her. It’s insane.”

Several FOX News Radio affiliates have asked what impact these disclosures have on station credibility.

 My advice: Your affiliation remains a franchise.

— 21% percent of FOX News viewers do say they trust the network less following the release of evidence in the Dominion case, per Maru Group poll commissioned by Variety. This is notable because FOX is not reporting the story, citing that it is the defendant; and because few minds change, generally, in divided America. We choose to believe what we choose to believe, and FOX simply got caught pandering.

— Trump loyalists are especially dug-in. His legal problems galvanize supporters’ view that he’s persecuted. At CPAC he proclaimed, “I am your retribution.”

— Affiliates: The FOX brand is your asset. To my ear, FOX Radio on-hour/half-hour newscasts report the same facts as ABC or CBS Radio newscasts. I haven’t tested this, but I’d bet a Martini at the Palm that reading transcripts – side-by-side with ABC or CBS Radio copy – the target demo’ couldn’t tell which-is-whose. But listener complaints – rooted in distrust that ABC and CBS are the proverbial “Mainstream Media” – caused several of my client stations to switch to FOX. Reaction was positive.

— Think car radio and assure listeners that they can “get a quick FOX News update” on-hour/half-hour “throughout your busy day.” “Because news that matters to you is changing fast,” listeners will want to “stay close to the news.”

— Bottom line: Unless the financial consequence of these legal actions drives FOX News out of business, hang in there.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and the E-book and FREE on-air radio features “Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins;” and “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books.  Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke

Industry News

With a New Heart, Hal Jay Returns to WBAP, Dallas Today

Two months after receiving a heart transplant, longtime Dallas radio personality Hal Jay returns to “WBAP Morning News” on the Cumulus Media news/talk station. Regular TALKERS readers are aware that in early January, Jay suffered two ventricular tachycardia events within a week of each other and doctors at Baylor Scott & White Hospital told him, “Your heart is done.” He was placed on the transplant list and told his expected wait would be two to six months for a new heart. Fortunately, it didn’t take that long and on February 3, Jay received a call informing him a heart had become available and he would be going into surgery that night. He received the new heart on February 4 and went home nine days later. Today (4/3), Jay returns to the air alongside his WBAP co-host Ernie Brown. Jay has been a key personality on the station for the past 42 years.

Industry News

Robert Mangino Exits KDKA-AM, Pittsburgh

For reasons unexplained – but most likely due to budget cuts facing some Audacy stations – personality Robert Mangino exits the company’s news/talk KDKA-AM, Pittsburgh where he’s been host of the 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm program for the past 13 years. In a Facebook post, Mangino calls the KDKA gig his “dream job” and says, “I couldn’t be more thankful to program director Marshall Adams and GM/VP Michael Young, who brought me on at KDKA; to Jim Graci, who kept me around all of those years and Dave Labrozzi & Michael Spacciocoli, who helped keep my dream alive. And finally, there’s PJ Kumanchik, who was integral in bringing me to KDKA, he was there during my entire ride and in the process became one of my dearest friends.”

Industry News

The Weekend’s Top News/Talk Media Stories

The indictment of former President Donald Trump by a Manhattan grand Jury and the reactions of the Trump campaign and Trump supporters; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s detention of Americans Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich; the killing of a pro-Russian blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a café bombing; the tornadoes that developed across the South and Midwest and into the Northeast leaving 32 people dead; and the NCCA Men’s Final Four and LSU wins the NCAA Women’s championship were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

KMJ-AM/FM Partners with Valley PBS for Station Documentary

Cumulus Media announces that its legendary Fresno radio station KMJ-AM/FM “Newstalk 580/105.9” has partnered with Valley PBS to produce a one-hour documentary telling the story of KMJ’s 100 years on air. The program, “KMJ: 100 Years in the Valley,” is hosted by John Broeske and details the impact the station and its personalities have had on Fresno and the greater Central Valley of California over the past century. It debuted last night (3/30). KMJ hit the airwaves with just 50 watts of power on March 23, 1922. Eventually, with the threat of World War II looming, the FCC allowed KMJ to boost its power to a whopping 50,000 watts. “KMJ: 100 Years in the Valley” was written and directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jeff Aiello. KMJ program director Blake Taylor served as a producer.

Industry News

KTBB, Tyler, Texas News Anchor John Sims Dies After Accident

KTBB, Tyler, Texas news anchor and veteran East Texas broadcaster John Sims died early this morning (3/31) from injuries he sustained on Monday (3/27) after being struck by a motor vehicle while taking a walk. He suffered severe brain trauma and was admitted to UT Health Tyler where he underwent surgery. KTBB owner Paul Gleiser says, “We are heartbroken, plain and simple. John was as good as it gets as a radio newsman. But beyond that, he was a kind and gentle soul with a heart to make his community better. The many people from all over East Texas and from across the social and political spectrum who have reached out to us following John’s accident serve as testament to a life well lived. We will miss him more than I can say.” Sims grew up near Philadelphia where his father called radio play-by-play for the Phillies. Sims had been news anchor and editor at KTBB since 1998. He was involved in many local community organizations and was respected and admired by those with whom he interacted.

Industry News

Triton Digital Publishes February Streaming Ranker

Triton Digital releases its latest ranker of the top U.S. streaming companies for February, based on Average Active Sessions (Mon-Sun, 6AM-12AM). iHeartRadio remains in the #1 spot with 302,332 Average Active Sessions, followed by NPR Member Stations (77,381 AAS) at #2 and Audacy (54,141 AAS) at #3. Other commercial radio firms in the top 30 ranker this month include: Cumulus Streaming Network (40,953 AAS) at #4, Beasley Broadcasting Corporate (40,953 AAS) at #6, Hubbard Broadcasting (15,540 AAS) at #8, Urban One (10,281 AAS) at #10, and Salem Communications (8,533 AAS) at #12. See the complete ranker here.

Industry News

AWMF Announces 2023 Gracie Award Winners

The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) announces the winners of the 48th Annual Gracie Awards that recognize outstanding programming and individual achievement created by women, for women, and about women in all facets of media in news and entertainment. Winners will be honored at a gala event on May 23 at the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles. The local and student award-winners will be recognized at the Gracie Awards Luncheon on June 20 at Cipriani in New York. AWMF president Becky Brooks says, “As we close out Women’s History Month, it is important to remember the legacy of Gracie Allen, the inspiration behind these esteemed awards. This year’s recipients exemplify Gracie Allen’s spirit through their exceptional talent, innovation, and vision. Their steadfast dedication to their craft and their tenacious resolve to break boundaries serve as a compelling testament to the essential role women play in molding the cultural landscape. We eagerly anticipate celebrating their outstanding accomplishments.” Winners in the radio category (national and local) in commercial news or talk formats include: Jai Kershner, “Good Day Show,” Outstanding News Anchor; Mandy Connell, iHeartMedia, Host Non‐Morning Drive; Christina Musson, KMJ AM/FM Fresno, Co‐host (Talk/Personality) Small/Medium Market; Marcy Williams, WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta, Outstanding News Reporter; “Talking Golf with Ann Liguori,” WFAN, New York, Talk Show ‐ Sports; and “The Gee and Ursula Show,” KIRO-FM,  Seattle, Talk Show ‐ Talk. See the complete list of winners here.

Industry News

Hofstra Grad Student Receives Gracie Live on “The View”

Hofstra University grad student Fatima Moien won a 2023 Gracie Award for her work as the on-air talent for the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication’s “Live from Studio A.” The series brings influential media and communications professionals to campus to share their personal stories, advice, and wisdom with Hofstra students. In the photo above, Moien (sixth from the left) receives her Gracie on the set of ABC’s “The View” with her parents present. Additionally, AWMF president Becky Brooks, presented Moien with a $10,000 scholarship generously donated by ABC News and “The View” in honor of the late Barbara Walters.

Industry News

WBAL, Baltimore Adds “Coast to Coast AM” to Lineup

Hearst Television’s WBAL-AM/W268BA “NewsRadio 1090 and FM 101.5” adds Premiere Networks’ “Coast to Coast AM” starring George Noory to its lineup. The show will air locally from 1:00 am to 5:00 am. WBAL director of programming Jeff Wade says, “The show’s unique blend of topics and issues, and live coverage of news events as they happen, make it the ideal complement to WBAL’s live and local daytime talk lineup.” Noory comments, “It’s great to be back in the Charm City! As a young boy, I’d spend many days visiting family, and even took in a few Oriole games. I couldn’t be more excited to be heard on the legendary WBAL.” Noory marked his 20th year as host of the program in January of this year.

Industry News

Audacy Names Ed Egros to Co-Host of “BetQL Daily”

Audacy adds Ed Egros as co-host of “BetQL Daily” on the company’s BetQL Network. Egros joins co-hosts Joe Ostrowski and Erin Hawksworth on the 9:00 am to 12:00 noon ET show beginning April 3. BetQL Network VP Mitch Rosen says, “Ed has become a leading voice on sports betting and analytics over the course of his career and we’re pleased to add him and his perspective to our weekday ‘BetQL Daily’ program alongside Joe and Erin. Through his wealth of experience in sports reporting and analysis, Ed will provide valuable insights to our listeners as they make their betting decisions, while using his expertise to break down games, analyze players and teams, and provide valuable betting tips, strategies and Wagertainment.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Cumulus Media announces that news/talk WJR-AM, Detroit will serve as the official radio broadcast and play-by-play partner for the USFL’s Michigan Panthers for the 2023 season. WJR’s dedicated Panthers coverage will include live on-air and streaming broadcasts of the team’s home games from Ford Field, as well as away games. Five-time Michigan Association of Broadcasters award winner Chris Renwick will serve as play-by-play announcer. Renwick is senior news analyst for WJR and host of the station’s “SportsWrap.”

iHeartMedia and Intuit Quickbooks announce an original podcast series focused on the trials and tribulations of owning a small business. “Mind the Business: Small Business Success Stories” is hosted by personal finance influencer and investor Austin Hankwitz and creator and host of the award-winning personal finance podcast, “Yo Quiero Dinero,” Jannese Torres. It’s designed to share insights to help small business owners and entrepreneurs succeed.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories for Week of March 27-31

The indictment of former President Donald Trump by a Manhattan grand jury and the other legal battles he’s facing was the most-talked-about story in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the race for the GOP nomination for the 2024 presidential contest, followed by the deadly shooting at a Nashville Christian school and the larger topic of gun control at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Industry News

WFLA, Tampa Dismisses Jack Harris

In what is a shocker for news/talk radio listeners in Tampa, longtime WFLA morning drive personality Jack Harris has been let go from the station. The Tampa Bay Times reports the change at the iHeartMedia station, quoting Harris, who told the paper, “After I signed off from my show at 7:00 am today, iHeartRadio bosses told me that they were cutting back on expenses and had to let me go. I didn’t think I was that big of a burden on them. I was making a seventh of what I made three or four years ago.” As is often the case when a host is let go, they wish they’d had a chance to say good-bye and Harris is no different. He says he’d liked to have said thanks. “Just tell them that they have been great to me over the years. They are what I will miss most.” Harris had been hosting the first two hours of morning drive – from 5:00 am to 7:00 am. “The Ryan Gorman Show” had been airing from 7:00 am to 10:00 am but will absorb the early hours and shift to the 5:00 am to 9:00 am daypart. Harris and the late Ted Webb co-hosted “AM Tampa Bay” for almost 30 years. About his future, the 81-year-old Harris says, “I might look for part-time work on the radio somewhere. Or maybe I will retire. I am an old geezer, after all.” Read the Times story here.

Industry News

FOX News Radio Expands Weekend Programming

FOX News Radio adds new weekend programming to the radio network lineup. Beginning this weekend, “FOX News Rundown: From Washington” will air from 5:00 am to 6:00 am on Saturdays and “The Bret Baier Show” will air from 10:00 am to 11:00 am ET.  “FOX News Rundown” will “offer the previous week’s best stories, with a deep focus on the biggest stories emanating out of the nation’s capital.” It will be hosted by various FOX News political reporters including Jared Halpern and Chad Pergram. FOX says “The Bret Baier Show” provides listeners with the best of the week from “The Bret Baier Podcast.”

Industry News

Wayne Allyn Root Book Selling Well Thanks to Talk Radio

Las Vegas-based, nationally syndicated talk radio personality Wayne Allyn Root tells TALKERS magazine his latest book, The Great Patriot BUY-cott Book, is doing very well on several Amazon book charts, and he says talk radio is the main reason why. He says, “My new book is out for 48 hours and already it’s a #1 bestseller in many categories at Amazon. And to what do I credit my success at going so quickly to #1? Talk radio. In past 48 hours I’ve been a guest on 30 talk radio shows… plus of course, I’ve promoted my book on my own national radio show. Talk radio works!” Root is an ardent Donald Trump supporter who says the former president linked to his recent opinion piece titled, “Democrats Want to Indict & Arrest President Trump. They Want a War? Let’s Give it to Them” in one of his recent posts on Truth Social.

Industry News

iHeartMedia and BET Partner for “Breakfast Club” TV Show

Cable television channel BET announces a partnership with iHeartMedia to broadcast “The Breakfast Club” starring DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God in a special, daily one-hour format, effective April 17. The program will air at 9:00 am ET on BET and VH1. iHeartMedia president, entertainment enterprises John Sykes says, “What began as a daily morning radio show over a decade ago in New York City has now become a cultural beacon across America. This new partnership with BET will expand the radio show’s reach to millions more watching on this iconic television network.” BET CEO Scott Mills, says, “We recognize the show’s influence and popularity, and we are confident that the partnership will be meaningful to our viewers and to our partners. Hosts Charlamagne and DJ Envy are long time members of the BET and Paramount family, so we couldn’t be more excited to welcome “The Breakfast Club” home to BET.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

WKBN-TV, Youngstown, Ohio reports that a Northeast Ohio couple are in custody in Columbiana County jail after an incident at The Original Road House in East Palestine. Ohio where John Fredericks, Steve Bannon and others were broadcasting live at a radio town hall event. The station reports Alfred Ferrara of Cleveland and Mary Schroeder of Hudson, Ohio showed up at the restaurant and created a disturbance. Ferrara is being charged with inducing panic and resisting arrest after threatening to shoot up the restaurant. The two left the scene and ended up at the village’s water and sewer plant where their car got stuck in a tank of raw sewage.

Audacy’s sports talk outlet WJFK-FM, Washington, DC “106.7 The Fan” announces a multi-year extension to its flagship broadcast and digital partnership with MLB’s Washington Nationals. As part of the extended partnership, Nationals baseball will continue to be heard on “106.7 The Fan” and streamed digitally via the Audacy app for fans within the Nationals broadcast territory. Audacy Washingon SVP and market manager Ivy Savoy-Smith says, “Opening Day is finally here, and we’re thrilled to celebrate the return of baseball season by extending our partnership with the Washington Nationals. We’re looking forward to continuing to serve as the home for everything Nats for the foreseeable future and give the team’s fans a front row seat to the action on the field and top storylines throughout the year.”

Focus360 promotes longtime director of sales planning Robbie Eisen to vice president of planning. The company says he has been instrumental in delivering results for hundreds of Focus360 clients since 2015. Also promoted is Erick Siqueira, who has been with the company as business development manager. He is now director of client services. In this new role within Focus360’s sales division, Siqueira will be working with agency planners and buyers across the country to promote the network programming.

Industry News

Networking at Radiodays Europe

The 13th Radiodays Europe convention took place in Prague this week (3/26-28) and American radio companies had a presence there. Benztown, MusicMaster, P1 Media Group, and Xperi welcomed more than 50 guests aboard a party boat to network and talk about the radio business. Pictured above are (from l-r): Christos Papadas, Skai Group in Athens; Ken Benson, P1 Media Group; Masa Patterson, Benztown; and Andy Sannemann, Benztown.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (3/29) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The aftermath of the Nashville school shooting that took the lives of six; the various legal battles facing former President Donald Trump; the battle for control of Bakhmut in the Russia-Ukraine war; bank regulators are grilled during a House Financial Services Committee hearing; the fire at a migrant facility in Mexico that left 38 dead; the warning from tech leaders to halt the creation of AI systems due to “profound risks to society and humanity”; Arkansas sues social media companies claiming their products are harmful to users; and protests over Israel’s plan to reboot its judicial system were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Kilmeade, Caracciolo, and Hurley Talk Connections at Conference

A special discussion exploring the delicate balance between local, national and cross-platform talk media elements is set as one of the many sessions comprising the forthcoming TALKERS 2023 conference on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island. Brian KilmeadeJohn Caracciolo, and Harry Hurley will engage in a conference-closing conversation titled, “Cross Currents of Talk Media.” It will examine the delicate balance between local, national, and multiplatform elements of the ever-evolving talk media space. Brian Kilmeade is a nationally known talk star hosting separate shows on FOX News Radio and FOX News Channel (TV).  His syndicated radio show is carried on Long Island (where he also lives) by news/talk WRCN-FM, Riverhead “Long Island News Radio.” The station which serves Eastern Long Island is owned by JVC Broadcasting of which John Caracciolo is president/CEO. Harry Hurley, morning host at WPG, Atlantic City, NJ (and regular guest host on FOX News Radio who occasionally fills in for Kilmeade) will serve as moderator of what promises to be a fascinating three-way conversation. See all the speaker, registration, and hotel information for TALKERS 2023 here.