AJ Mansour Upped to VP, Digital Sales for iHeartMedia Minneapolis
Longtime staffer AJ Mansour is promoted to vice president of digital sales for iHeartMedia Minneapolis. In his new role, Mansour will be responsible for leading iHeartMedia Minneapolis’ team of account executives in driving digital sales and growth for the market. He will report to Bekki Yang, SVP of sales for iHeartMedia
Minneapolis. Mansour most recently served the cluster as digital content director and air personality with “KFAN Sports Radio” and the Vikings Radio Network. Yang says, “AJ has always been at the forefront of digital innovation here at iHeartMedia Minneapolis. He is the root behind the success we are now seeing with our radio stations’ brands both digitally and socially. As we continue to expand our scale and reach, we couldn’t be more excited to have AJ join our sales leadership team to lead the charge for us.” Mansour comments, “I’m incredibly excited to embark on this new adventure with iHeartMedia Minneapolis as the new vice president of digital sales. My skills and expertise in digital and social content development along with the excitement and energy being pumped into the world of digital sales will offer unique opportunities and perspectives for our partners.”
NFL, and this year’s Super Bowl coverage marks the 50th time that the network will broadcast the game. Some of the key takeaways from this study are: 1) NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners are a desirable group of consumers: They are more likely to work full time and have higher disposable incomes compared to NFL postseason TV viewers; 2) The NFL postseason AM/FM radio audience is more engaged with sports: MRI Simmons finds NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners attend more sporting events, seek out sports information on their phones more often, and play more fantasy sports than NFL postseason TV watchers. The higher levels of engagement translate into greater advertising effectiveness; and 3) NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners are more likely to make purchases across key consumer categories: Compared to the NFL postseason TV audience, AM/FM radio delivers more consumers who are likely to buy a new or used vehicle, start a new business, or hire a financial advisor. You can see the complete report 
Edward R. Murrow award?” The webinar is titled “How to Win a Murrow: Tips & Tricks Webinar – All you need to know to win an Edward R. 
Murrow Award. ” It is being presented by RTDNA director of awards programs Kate McGarrity, the RTDNA Awards committee, and experienced Murrow judges and winners. The RTDNA says, “We will answer your questions about the entry process, judging criteria, and how to put your best foot forward with your entries. See what’s new and different for 2023. Learn the secrets of putting together a compelling entry, the most common mistakes to avoid, and judges’ pet peeves. Anyone involved in the entry process will gain valuable insights to get you set up for success this entry season.” You can find out more and register 
“Last Tuesday night (1/10), I had a ventricular tachycardia event and fell to the floor, and my cardiologist Dr. Shaw, had me transferred to Baylor Scott & White University Medical Center.” He spent the week at the hospital continuing to rest and undergo testing as doctors monitored the situation. But Saturday night (1/14), he had another ventricular tachycardia event. Jay says, “I asked the doctor, ‘How sick am I?’ And he said you are really sick; your heart is done.” Jay has been placed on the heart transplant list. Of the four levels of the list, pending severity, Jay is listed as a level two and it is unknown at this time when a transplant will take place. Jay finished his on-air appearance on Monday by thanking listeners for their prayers, mentioning he intends to document his transplant journey, and check in with the “WBAP Morning News” as he is able. 
Scott Herman says, “Dick’s commitment to fight for our industry in Washington has given broadcasters the opportunity to grow their business. His strong belief in our industry has extended to his support of the mission of the Broadcasters Foundation to help those in our business who need it most. We are honored to present him with the Lifetime Achievement Award.” Wiley comments, “I am honored to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from the Broadcasters Foundation. Since arriving at the FCC more than 50 years ago and co-founding our DC law firm almost 40 years ago, it’s been a privilege to work with broadcasters on landmark innovations including the development of high-definition TV. I’m proud to be a part of this great industry’s evolution, and to support the Foundation’s mission of providing a critical safety net for members of the broadcast profession.” The annual Golden Mike Award gala is a major fundraiser for the Broadcasters Foundation, the only charity devoted exclusively to helping broadcasters in acute need. For information, or to reserve a seat or table at the Golden Mike Award gala and fundraiser, please contact the Broadcasters Foundation at 212-373-8250 or 
quarter of fiscal year 2023, the company expects revenue to be $27 million. It adds that the audio division that includes Slacker and PodcastOne will report revenue of $21.6 million for FY/2023 Q3 and for the first nine months of the fiscal year expects to report revenue of $63.5 million. LiveOne previously announced its intent to spin out PodcastOne as a separate, publicly traded company and plans to IPO Slacker this year.
American Red Cross at the organization’s Leadership Awards Luncheon taking place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. The Harriman Award for Distinguished Volunteer Service was established in 1973 by E. Roland and Gladys Harriman and is the highest recognition for volunteer service in the American Red Cross. It was designed to promote superior performance among all volunteers and demonstration of extraordinary accomplishments.
For 80 years – KICD-AM has been the “local information source” for northwest Iowa and portions of southwest Minnesota. Here’s what they tell TALKERS: We’re looking for someone with the ability, talent and passion to continue KICD’s long tradition into the future. The person for this position will need to live in Spencer, Iowa (or surrounding area). We need someone who understands small-market, local radio and is willing to be involved in the community. Knowledge of radio automation software, Adobe Audition and general computer experience is preferred. This person should also have previous experience on-air; production/imaging creativity; and website/social media skills. The Spencer Radio Group is owned and operated by Saga Communications – a company that invests back into their stations and their people! SRG offers great benefits including – health, vision, dental and 401K. Send your resume and demo to operations manager Kevin Tlam at 
first tower was damaged, they thought bad weather was the culprit. But, after the second tower was affected, they realized that it was intentional and done by someone who knew what they were doing. The report states that after the second tower was damaged “Truth Broadcasting then hired security, and then the morning after security left the third tower was damaged. Police say someone used a tool to cut through parts of the towers anchoring them to the ground. ‘The person who did this had a real good idea of what they were doing,’ Carbone said. ‘Because they picked the point that was the safest to do what they were going to do.’” Police continue to investigate but so far, they have not made any arrests. Carbone says they are working on another location for the WSJS transmitter and hope to return to the air in a few days.
together since my earliest days at Salem. He always impressed me as one of those people that can take an idea and bring it to life. To this day, I can give Danny just the seed of an idea and the next thing you know he has a full-blown working model. I am thrilled to see Danny get this well-deserved promotion.” Salem Media’s president of broadcast media, Allen Power, adds “Dan has consistently set a high standard for everything he has undertaken. His talents are many including creativity, attention to detail, excellence in follow-through, and giftedness in visual marketing and production. Perhaps, his greatest strength is his ability to work with leaders at literally every level of our company to advance Salem’s brand and image. He does all of this with passion, humility, and a great sense of humor. If you look up the definition of ‘go-to’ person, it’s highly likely you’ll see Dan’s smiling face.”
most recently served Ryan Seacrest Enterprises as SVP, sales and corporate partnerships. Wilberding says, “Mike is the consummate marketing and sales innovator with excellent relationships spanning his 30-plus years as a broadcast professional. I have worked with Mike at Viacom/CBS, Spanish Broadcasting and iHeart/Premiere, and have competed with him, as well. His creative approach to working with clients makes him an outstanding addition to Key Networks.” Iverson comments, “I’m excited to be a part of the incredible team at Key Networks and to work with a fresh-thinking, entrepreneurial company setting new standards for radio syndication with pre-eminent brands like Bloomberg Radio. It is energizing to have the opportunity to move quickly and effectively for clients in an environment that feels much like a start-up. I’m also thrilled to join forces once again with Jason Wilberding.”
again this month is NPR’s “NPR News Now,” followed by NPR’s “Up First” at #3, Wondery’s “Morbid” at #4, NBCUniversal News Group’s “Dateline NBC” at #5 and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” at #6. Podcasts from radio-related companies making the top 20 for the period include: Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” at #9 and Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” at #17. You can see the complete ranker of the top 100 podcasts 
views, over 34 billion multiplatform minutes and averaged 82.7 million monthly multiplatform unique visitors. FOX News states that it was also “the most engaged news brand on social media throughout 2022, according to Emplifi, reaching over 445 million social media interactions. FOX News Digital drove 179.7 million Facebook interactions, 49.6 million Twitter interactions and 215.9 million Instagram interactions. On YouTube, FOX News delivered its best year ever, driving over 3.4 billion views, finishing first in the news competitive set.” While FOX News Digital topped rival CNN.com in the multiplatform minutes and multiplatform views category, CNN.com was the leader in multiplatform unique visitors – the digital equivalent of cume – with 124.9 million compared to NYTimes.com’s 89 million and FOX News Digital’s 82.7 million. 
creative company SpokenLayer, and Casey Hartigan was most recently senior director of strategic partnerships at Nativo. Madeline Ngo joins Veritonic from Career.io/Talent Inc where she was director of product management/head of product. Veritonic founder and CEO Scott Simonelli comments, “At Veritonic, we remain committed to providing brands, agencies, and platforms with the technology and data they need to harness the tremendous power of audio, and that starts from within. Our employees are the heart and soul of our company and the value that we provide. We look forward to the contributions that Lindsay, Kate, Casey, and Madeline will bring to the utility and advancement of our platform moving forward.”
Dave Logan and Alfred Williams. Edwards began his radio career at Bonneville’s crosstown sports talk KKFN “104.3 The Fan” before joining iHeartMedia Denver and co-hosting “First & Ten at 10” on KDFD-AM “Orange & Blue 760.” Edwards says, “I am thrilled to join radio and football legends Dave Logan and Alfred Williams on ‘The KOA Sports Zoo.’ I look forward to bringing a fans’ perspective to the Denver Broncos and all things Denver sports.”
Media news/talk station for a position with Newsmax TV. She says, “I made the incredibly difficult decision to leave WABC Radio and take a job with Newsmax where I’ll have my own show – a national show. (Not bad for an Albanian girl from the Bronx!) The premiere date will be announced soon, but I am super excited yet sad to leave all the amazing people at WABC!”
brands. Thomas most recently served as the national format leader and day to day program director at Summit Media’s CHR WWST-FM, Knoxville. Beasley Media Group Tampa VP and market manager Ron deCastro says, “I am excited to once again get the chance to work with Rick Thomas. Rick is one of the best programming minds and Culture builder and I look forward to teaming up again with him in Tampa.”
from its previous place on the Premiere XDS system. At the same time, program host Erick Erickson tells TALKERS magazine that his show is now heard on Tri-City Radio LLC’s news/talk WJNZ-AM, Mobile daily and on Radio One’s news/talk WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte on weekends.
over for longtime board member and former national spokeswoman, Denyse Mesnik, who rises to the MIW advisory council. MIW board president Ruth Presslaff says, “We are so lucky to have someone of Randi’s caliber join our board. Randi has worked diligently on the PR committee and has earned this board seat. Knowing Randi, I suspect we’ll get a lot done and have a whole lot of fun doing it! That said, I will miss working side-by-side with my dear friend and now advisory council member Denyse Mesnik. She has given immeasurably to this organization and can’t be thanked enough.”
programming and individual achievement by, for and about women in television, radio/audio and digital media. Submissions from all facets of media are encouraged. A full list of the categories can be found