Monday Memo: CES2024, Help Yourself
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
It’s massive, it’s mind-boggling, and we-the-workin’-press are under strict instructions NOT to call it “The Consumer Electronics Show.” Lotsa luck. 100 thousand+ of us from 150+ countries will descend upon the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center and other venues up-and-down The Strip.
This long-running expo has evolved from “stereos” and VCRs and drones and smartphones and other thing-in-a-box products, to the new media which are broadcasters’ friends and foes. Yes, CES is still gadget heaven, but Artificial Intelligence – and how it will soon change everyday life – will be the big buzz this year.
TV network newscasts and cable news channels cover this event heavily, and you can too. Again, next month, I am offering TALKERS subscribers free daily 60-second radio reports, for air January 8-12, also OK for stream cover-up spots. There’s NO paperwork and NO national sponsor. So, if you sell a local sponsorship, keep the money.
You can hear a sample report (from CES2023), a spec you can use to pitch, at HollandCooke.com, where I will post daily reports the-night-before air.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke
Radio 103.9” and “EnVivo 93.3” – broadcast live from Brookhaven Town Hall to promote the Town’s INTERFACE Toy Drive. This year’s event collected 14 bikes, 4 TV’s $2,900 in donations and over 2,000 toys. The Bikes or Bust! Event in Ft. Walton Beach collected 400 bikes, a storage pod and a half of toys and helmets, and over $26,000 in donations. JVC CEO John Caracciolo says, “I am so proud of the JVC teams, this is truly local radio at its finest. You don’t see Pandora, Spotify or XM doing stuff like this. That’s why I totally agree with Harry Von Zell, live and local radio is the most intimate and socially personal medium in the world.”
most recently served as executive director of news with a focus on broadcast, digital content, and streaming content. CMG EVP of content, product, innovation, and research Marian Pittman says, “Misti understands CMG’s pursuit of journalism excellence. Her knowledge of multi-platform content strategies and 
audience insights makes us better every day. She exemplifies the power of dedication and what it takes to be the best.” In his new role as VP of strategy & operations, Jordan Cipala will be responsible for evaluating business development opportunities, bolstering CMG’s market-intelligence capabilities, managing M&A and integration efforts, and supporting more streamlined collaboration and execution across CMG’s business units. CMG president and CEO Dan York comments, “Jordan has been an indispensable member of the CMG team in leading our annual strategic planning process, supporting our Board interactions, and operationalizing our M&A efforts. We’re thrilled to promote from within and reward his invaluable expertise and dedication to CMG’s future and continued evolution.”
cluster of radio stations to the director of sales operations for the state of Maine. At the same time, Bronwyn Lapointe is promoted from managing outdoor properties to director of sales operations for the state of New Hampshire. Binnie 
Media EVP Faith Francis says, “Both Eliza and Bronwyn have been crucial to our success in key areas of the business, and this will give them the ability to affect change on a broader scale. We have created a great work culture here at Binnie Media, allowing people to have flexibility with accountability, and as we all know, women can multi-task!” The company says that late last year Cindi Skillin was promoted to vice president of finance, making Binnie Media’s executive team a dynamic, and diverse group. Binnie president and CEO Massimo Rosati adds, “We love this business, value our people, and always try to promote from within.”
We live in an increasingly noisy world. The accelerating advancement of media technology, with its accompanying “everybody is a star” syndrome, combine to make it increasingly difficult to get attention. By that, I mean real attention – the kind of attention that those in the professional media (and related) industries describe as “traction.”
with the success of its daytime programming, positions it as the number one network in cable news. FNC says it had the largest share of the audience in total day (46%) and primetime (48%), capturing nearly half of the cable news landscape. In primetime, FNC delivered nearly 2 million viewers and 214,000 in the 25-54 demo, topping CNN and MSNBC combined in total viewership. On a 24-hour total day basis, FNC averaged over 1.2 million viewers and 150,000 in 25-54, with a 153% advantage over CNN in viewers. FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott says, “During yet another unprecedented news cycle, cable viewers continued to choose FOX News Channel. From moderating debates to reporting in war zones and many stories in between, I am honored to work alongside this unrivaled team of journalists and opinion hosts as they continue to exceed expectations.”
Baligian is the victim of budget cuts at the station. Baligian has worked at several Motor City sports talk stations during his career and has been with WJR for the past seven years in various capacities. Baligian, who says he might be done with radio, tells the News that getting let go is hard to put into words. “The worst part is what it does to your family. I think they’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop, and that sucks. You feel like a failure… I know the life that I chose. And I mean it when I say I’m not bitter. This is the road I decided to go down.” Meanwhile, Lomas Brown is hosting the “Sportswrap” program solo. 
president & executive editor Jay Wallace on editorial. Lauren Petterson assumes Klarman’s former role as president of FOX Nation while also continuing as president of talent development and will relinquish her role as president of FOX Business Network. She reports dually to Scott on talent development and Klarman on FOX Nation. Jay Wallace assumes oversight of FBN and continues reporting to Scott. Additionally, Megan Albano is named EVP of morning programming & program development and Gavin Hadden is named SVP of FOX Nation. Suzanne Scott says, “As we move our thriving business forward, we are reimagining the roles of some of our most talented executives to solidify our incredibly successful digital platforms for further growth and expansion. Jason, Lauren, Porter, Megan, and Gavin are each uniquely suited for these positions, and I am confident they will grow each of their respective areas of FOX News Media to new heights.”
Consultant Gary Begin of Sound Advantage writes in a piece for TALKERS today about why some morning radio shows fail to launch. He offers six reasons for this that can be avoided if management really wants to create a successful program. Reason number one? Because the hosts are just not that good. 
immediately. “The Conservative Circus with James T. Harris” will air from 6:00 am to 10:00 and “The Afternoon Addiction with Garret Lewis” moves from morning drive to the 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm daypart on both stations. iHeartMedia market president Linda Little comments, “James T and Garret have die-hard fans on 
550 KFYI in Phoenix and 790 KNST in Tucson. Combining James and Garret on both stations puts the two biggest conservative voices in Arizona in prime dayparts to better serve both markets.” Company area president Steve Earnhart adds, “Garret Lewis has been the number one conservative host in southern Arizona for over a decade. His large following and political impact will only grow with this move. We’re thrilled to welcome James T. Harris back to Tucson. This one-two punch of top-tier talent will make 790 KNST bigger and better than ever – for listeners and clients.”
Gagliardi, who goes by Sam Elliot on the air, most recently served as the director of content for Townsquare’s Monmouth-Ocean market. Gagliardi says, “I sincerely thank the leadership at Townsquare – Bill Wilson, Erik Hellum, Jared Willig, and Brian Lang — for this incredible opportunity. Collaborating with the skilled professionals at the iconic brands of ‘New Jersey 101.5’ and PST presents an amazing opportunity. I am excited about working with such a highly talented group and look forward to engaging in collaborative efforts with the fantastic on-air and online creators at the Jersey 
16, 2024 to file its Form 10-Q quarterly report for the period ending September 30, 2023. As result of that filing being late, Nasdaq has begun the process of delisting Urban One stock. However, the extension gives Urban One extra time to file the report. The company says it expects to be able to file the Q3 2023 Form 10-Q on or before December 31. As TALKERS has previously reported, the late filings were the result of Urban One dismissing its previous independent registered public accounting firm BDO USA, LLP and hiring Ernst & Young LLP.
Season.” The station says it “featured an informative, spirited, and sometimes fiery debate about the growing problem of organized retail theft and what can be done about it.” Appearing on the panel of experts were Todd Spitzer, Orange County district attorney; Marc Beeart, director of fraud & corruption prosecutions at the L.A. County District Attorney’s office; 
High Sports, the other a piece by Michael Roberts in alt-weekly Westword that analyzes the state of Bonneville’s KKFN “104.3 The Fan.” McKee (along with several others) was let go by “The 
Fan” in September after the station was beat in the ratings by Stan Kroenke’s crosstown KKSE-FM “Altitude Sports Radio.” “The Fan” PD Raj Sharan was ousted shortly thereafter, and former ESPN Radio programmer Amanda Brown was recently brought aboard as PD to right the ship. Roberts’ piece chronicles the rise of “The Fan” – as well as its recent struggles. Ironically, shortly after being let go, McKee found work at his former competitor and now co-hosts the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm show at “Altitude Sports Radio” with former “Fan” host Tyler Polumbus and Scott Hastings. 
next best competitor – YouTube Music – at 31%. When it comes to Blacks 35-49, AM/FM reaches 90% of that demographic. The Nielsen report dips into Edison Research’s Share of Ear study and notes that when it comes to share of daily time spent listening to all audio sources (Black adults 18+) 44% of that time is spent with AM/FM radio compared to its next best competitor – streaming audio – with 14%. Not surprisingly, when it comes to the top radio formats listened to by Blacks 18+, rhythmic music stations rank at the top. However, out of the 20 radio formats Nielsen lists in its study, news/talk comes in as the 6th most-listened-to format with a monthly reach of almost 2.4 million. That comes out ahead of sports talk with a monthly reach of almost 1.98 million. 
Republican New York 3rd Congressional District representative George Santos appeared on Frank Morano’s “The Other Side of Midnight” program on Red Apple Media’s WABC, New York. Santos tells Morano that he’s writing a book that will detail everything that’s happened to him during his time in Congress. Morano tells TALKERS Santos “went off on his colleagues, says he’s making a ton of money on Cameo and will one day return to Congress.” 
from the study include: 1) the proportion of AM/FM radio in-car listening rose 9% year-over-year and is on par with pre-pandemic levels of listening; 2) spoken-word content listening is at an eight-year high with 39% of ad-supported listening (including AM/FM, streaming and podcasts) devoted to news/talk, talk, and sports; and 3) looking at Persons 25-54, the share of ad-supported audio time spent with personalities/talk shows has increased the most – from 11% of ad-supported listening in Q4 2016 to 19.4% in Q3 of 2023. 
includes sports talk WXNT-AM and five music brands. Killabrew has been serving as the program director for WXNT-AM, classic hits WJJK-FM and rock WNDX-FM since May of 2022. He’ll continue in those roles. Cumulus Indianapolis VP and market manager Darlene Park says, “Mike is an impactful leader who has a strong track record of building and developing great teams, serving the community, and delivering results. He understands our market and our amazing brands will grow under his leadership.” 
in need in Southern California. The charity also helps families get back into stable home environments and teaches teens the skills they need to work in the hospitality industry. This year, all 168 Wendy’s restaurants in Southern California continued their partnership and offered customers the opportunity to donate. KFI program director Robin Bertolucci says, “Once again, the KFI audience has come through with incredible generosity and kindness. This is our 13th year and every year we are touched by the giving spirit of KFI listeners. A huge thank you to them and to our partners, Smart and Final and Wendy’s for giving our listeners another way to give back to the community.”