VIDEO POSTED: Kraig T. Kitchin Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at TALKERS 2023
Renowned radio industry executive Kraig T. Kitchin was the 2023 recipient of the newly renamed Jim Bohannon Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement. Kitchin was presented the honor at TALKERS 2023 on June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island. In making the presentation, TALKERS broadcast operations director David Bernstein stated, “Although still a relatively young man, Kraig Kitchin’s illustrious career goes back decades and his positive contributions to the radio business – including the spoken word formats and some of its greatest talents including the late Rush Limbaugh – have been
indelible and immeasurable.” Since 2008, Kitchin has been president of the talent management firm, Sound Mind LLC, with a focused effort toward managing the businesses of high-profile radio and podcast personalities as well as production companies. He also serves as a strategic advisor to Oxford Road, a media placement agency specializing in audio advertising, with a focus on podcasts and audio integrations. The nine-year-old agency is a leader in the audio space on behalf of more than 50 clients. Kitchin also serves as chairman of the National Radio Hall of Fame to which he was appointed in 2014. Since assuming the role, he has reinstituted national public voting for two of the six categories of induction and has doubled the voting participant panel. Under his leadership, more than 75 radio icons have been inducted. Prior to launching his own firm, Kitchin was one of the founders of Premiere Radio Networks, Inc., in 1987. The company grew to be the number one radio network in the country syndicating 90 radio programs and services to more than 4,600 radio affiliates, reaching 190 million listeners weekly. He started as executive vice president of sales and by 1998 at the age of 37, he assumed the role of president/COO, one of the youngest in the country to run a $300 multi-million-plus radio company. During his 10-year tenure at Premiere, Kitchin directed and oversaw all talk and music programming and services featuring a wide array of the nation’s most popular personalities. In addition, he supervised Premiere Radio’s other properties: Mediabase 24/7, the industry’s leading music monitoring service, MJI Programming, and FOX Sports Radio. Kitchin started his career in station management at WFMK-FM in Lansing, MI, and KTYD-FM in Santa Barbara, CA before serving as sales manager of the Katz Radio Group Network in Los Angeles. See Kraig T. Kitchin’s acceptance speech at TALKERS 2023 here.
delighted to have him as a guest in this setting and at this time.” In a fast-paced session sponsored by Collette guided travel tour specialists, Ruddy and Harrison engaged in a candid conversation about positioning, programming and navigating the infrastructure of modern media including print, digital and radio as well as cable news/talk television. 
Radio, and KGFJ Radio among others, joins such former recipients of the award as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’ Reilly, Mark Levin, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Bob Grant, Thom Hartmann, Alan Colmes, Joe Madison, Karen Hunter, Al Franken, Brian Lamb, Norm Pattiz, Ian Freeman and others dating back to the origins of TALKERS in the late 1980s. Some two years ago, Smiley’s media company acquired an AM radio station in Los Angeles, the former hip hop legend KDAY, and transformed it into a new station and format – KBLA Talk 1580 – where he’s assembled an outstanding on-air staff, including himself, with the 
passionate mission of, as he puts it, “unapologetically serving people of color and who are politically progressive.” In making the announcement of this year’s recipient, TALKERS founder Michael Harrison states, “This is our longest-running and most-important award. Mr. Smiley has risen to the enormous talk radio challenge of providing underserved African Americans and progressives with a major commercial platform in the nation’s second largest market with a worldwide reach. In today’s political environment and struggling AM radio industry, it doesn’t get any more ‘First Amendment’ than that.” Tavis Smiley was presented the award by Harrison at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2 at Hofstra University on Long Island. 
within the realm of the company going forward?” “How can radio remain true to its roots and mission as an audio medium and theater-of-the-mind without missing the opportunities provided in a multiplatform environment?” plus more. Pittman says that this is a “golden moment” for both radio and the larger field of audio in which it is and will remain a major player. He pointed out that “25% of iHeart’s stations do not play music” and that more and more shows on the company’s music stations are “actually talk shows that play little or no music at all.” He reaffirmed the company’s awareness that personality plays an important role in the presentation of music and it is its intention to pivot back in that direction. He candidly addressed the divide between the coastal elites who influence the direction of national media but are largely out of touch with the heartland and the rest of real America. 
News/Talk Radio in the Digital Era – Part 2.” The session, sponsored by “Our American Stories,” is introduced by Alex Fife, VP operations, Southeast, iHeartMedia – Total Traffic & Weather Network (pictured at right) and moderated by Walter Sabo, CEO, Sabo Media and host (Walter Sterling) of Sterling on Sunday (pictured above). Panelists (pictured below from left to right) include Dan Mandis, program director and host, WTN-FM, Nashville; Ross Kaminsky, host KOA, Denver; Phil Boyce, SVP, spoken word format, Salem Media Group/ops VP, New York region/WMCA/AM 970; Josh Leng, CEO, Talk Media Network; and Matt Meany, program director, WABC, New York/Red Apple Media. 
at Hofstra University will be posted, beginning today with the panel discussion “Programming News/Talk Radio in the Digital Era – Part 1.” The session, sponsored by Premiere Networks, is introduced by Larry O’ Connor, morning host at WMAL, Washington, DC and moderated by Mike McVay (pictured at right), CEO of McVay Media Consulting. Panelists (pictured below from left to right) include Joe Thomas, program director/host, WCHV, Charlottesville, VA; Eric Stanger, SVP operations, Sean Hannity Show/Premiere Networks; Brett Winterble, host, WBT, Charlotte; Kevin DeLany, VP news & talk programming, Westwood One; and Tom Cuddy, program director, WOR, New York. (Note: Matt Meany, program director, WABC, New York who was originally scheduled to appear on this panel switched to the “Programming News/Talk Radio in the Digital Era – Part 2” session which will be posted tomorrow.) 
Beasley Media Group the advantage of offering their local advertising partners instant and affordable video creative that overcomes traditional barriers to video advertising… The pact with Beasley Media Group is Waymark’s first major step into radio, following recent national video deals with both Spectrum Reach and Gray Television stations. With 
the rise of connected TV and free ad-supported streaming TV channels, this opens a host of new marketing opportunities for local advertisers. Beasley’s local sales teams are already using Waymark to win small business clients by providing customized sample creative for CTV and digital opportunities.” Beasley Media Group VP of operations Kevin Rich comments, “Local advertisers are looking for more effective and cost-efficient ways to stand out and attract customers across multiple media platforms. Our partnership with Waymark allows us to help local advertisers accomplish this goal and maximize the audience that will see and hear their message.”
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. 
Because you can? Because you aren’t doing AM/FM radio? Because you are on radio, but can’t-do-there what you can-do podcasting? Because you are making money podcasting?
This week, I started a five-night show on Audacy’s WPHT, Philadelphia. Thank you, market president David Yadgaroff. Because of my tenure in the industry, I received a flattering, humbling number of emails from colleagues in radio. THANK YOU. The support and encouragement are appreciated and certainly needed!
Indianapolis where Art Vuolo – chronicler of radio history and operator of Vuolo video – fondly remembers him early in his career as “a very popular night DJ at powerful WIBC-AM 1070 in Indianapolis doing his show from a tiny studio atop a Mel’s Drive-Inn style restaurant known as Merrill’s Hi-Decker where listeners would vote for favorite songs by flashing their headlights! He also was Indy’s local Dick Clark with a teen dance show on WISH TV 8 called the RC Cola Rhythm Carnival.” After Indy, Summer landed the late-night show at WBZ in 1963. WBZ says, “His show, ‘Nightlight,’ was known for its humor, along with listeners calling in to give him the ‘password’ of ‘one hen, two ducks, and three squawking geese.’ He would also recite poetry on air.” Summer was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2018 for his work in the industry. He was also known for his TV and radio commercial voiceover work and spent time as a podcast host.