Therapy, Entrepreneurism, and Talk Radio
By Pamela Garber, LMHC
Grand Central Counseling Group
New York
The iconic TALKERS conference is coming up this Friday (6/5) and, again, I am looking forward to it. As a practicing therapist and prolific talk show guest for over two decades, I find this unique gathering to be a productive educational and social ritual. It provides an opportunity to make new friends, strengthen existing relationships, and learn new things about the ever-evolving talk media industry. We have similar issues in the mental health field marked by encroaching corporatism in a business once fueled by “mom & pop” operators and independent practitioners.
I am pleased to see that one of the prevailing themes of this year’s TALKERS gathering is a call for the rebirth of entrepreneurism in the radio arena. This is certainly applicable to those brave souls willing to buck the onslaught of consolidation and take the daring leap into station ownership. But it also applies to management-level pros who are faced with learning “intrepreneurship” in order to be effective, productive, and at home within the potentially stifling environment of a large corporation. Entrepreneurism also applies to “talent” now presented with endless opportunities to be their own persons in podcasting, blogging, and myriad online endeavors. Talk show hosts are the “brand managers” of their own personas.
I like talk show hosts for reasons that go beyond their political ideologies. For the most part, talk show hosts are brave, informed, outgoing (at least in performance), quirky and, no matter how seemingly tough on the air, sensitive to being easily bruised and emotionally pained.
Talk show hosts and therapists share similar functions and traits in the performance of their jobs, not to mention their commonality with entrepreneurs. It takes entrepreneurial thinking in identifying and solving problems – the backbone of both therapy and talk show hosting. To a certain degree, therapists are talk show hosts and talk show hosts are therapists. And both groups are in need of developing their entrepreneurial instincts.
All professions attract individuals with certain emotional and behavioral challenges. Clichéd therapist portrayals show common clinician flaws such as being rigid, or overly analytical, as well as being too distant and reserved. Talk show hosts are not as burdened by behavioral pressures as therapists which include strict licensing regulations and the potential threat of bad “reviews,” but they have a slew of their own restraints to contend with in keeping their audiences and their jobs.
Talk show hosts DO have one enviable option in dealing with callers, not as readily available to therapists for handling patients. They actually get to hang up on people.
Pamela Garber, LMHC is a practicing therapist based in NYC and South Florida and a longtime guest mental health commentator on radio and television news programs across the nation. She can be contacted by phone at 646-745-6709 or email at Pamelagarber@gmail.com. Her website is Grandcentralcounselinggroup.com.
talent, operations and branding. LaCroix joined the station in 2017 and has been executive producer of the “Big Bad Morning Show” since 2021. Audacy sports format VP Chris Kinard says, “Joe’s dedication over the past year has been nothing short of exceptional, constantly stepping up to support the team and taking on challenges outside his comfort zone. His tireless work ethic and natural ability to bring people together made him the obvious choice for brand manager.”
growth. Her extensive market knowledge, longstanding relationships throughout the business community, and proven ability to help local businesses succeed make her an outstanding addition to the JVC Broadcasting leadership team.” Bolster comments, “I am honored to join JVC Broadcasting and excited for the opportunity to lead the sales efforts in Panama City. JVC has built an outstanding reputation for local programming, community involvement, and delivering results for advertisers. I look forward to working with our clients, our stations, and our growing sales team to help local businesses connect with consumers and achieve their goals.” 
The Compass Media Networks-syndicated “Erick Erickson Show” adds a bunch of new affiliates as KYST, Houston “Patriot Talk 920”; WJMX, Florence, South Carolina; and KXVB, Fayetteville, Arkansas “Freedom FM 101.5” are among the stations adding the program so far this year.
off – at least for now. That the two media firms were in preliminary talks first broke in early May. As DealBook notes, there is a history between the two companies: “Liberty SiriusXM Group, once an affiliate of John Malone’s media empire, used to hold significant stakes in both companies. Liberty SiriusXM eventually sold its stake in iHeartMedia (primarily a broadcast radio company) and split off its ownership of SiriusXM (primarily a satellite radio company) into a separate entity.”
If you are doing talk radio, much of your programming is syndicated. If you do music radio, your most formidable competitors are robotic streams that live in the cloud. Either way, YOU, being local, can make friends — and money — if you plan now to exploit these occasions.
Billionaires make predominantly good investments, which is why they are billionaires.
hosted his last show Saturday (5/30) that turned into a big farewell with co-workers, family and friends packing the Audacy station’s studio. Long served with WCCO for 55 years of his 60-year career. He joined the station in 1971 as program director for the then-music formatted station. He remained with WCCO in numerous capacities, most recently as host of the Saturday morning show. Long says he’s retiring for health reasons but adds that with a little luck and good medical care he’ll be alright.
The Radio Television Digital News Association announces the winners of the 2026 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. Regional winners advance to the national competition, with winners announced in August. National winners will be celebrated at the Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala on October 12 at Gotham Hall in New York City. 
Maryland. The award is given annually for excellence among radio and TV stations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The award is one of five first-place awards given to WBAL NewsRadio at the annual CAPBA banquet. WBAL director of programming and news director Jeff Wade says, “The WBAL NewsRadio team proves once again they are best-in-class in the region with this outstanding showing at the CAPBA Awards. We’re honored to win Outstanding News Operation for the second consecutive year – a testament to our staff’s consistent pursuit of excellence in broadcast journalism.”
Wayne Allyn Root” Saturdays at 12:00 noon for the past four years. The new show will be caller-based, something that Root says has rarely been done on television. He tells TALKERS he tested the caller-based model on a special show last month and received 21,000 calls. Root comments, “The people of America are angry, disillusioned, motivated, and intensely focused on national politics. They want to have their say. They want their ‘15 minutes of fame.’ This is their soapbox. Anyone and everyone will now get to talk with Wayne Allyn Root and give their opinions live on national TV.”
before Judge Wexler hundreds of times in connection with a variety of different matters. I feel confident in saying that I have never appeared before a judge with as much compassion and empathy as Judge Wexler… She always homes in on the issues that are most important to the people involved. For while many judges view cases as purely legal matters, Judge Wexler knows that for the people involved, it can be a daunting, intimidating and frightening experience. She never forgets that the individuals before her are people with hopes, dreams and fears, not just parties to a legal case. She understands the importance of letting people who appear before her have a voice and be heard.” Wexler’s radio program is heard daily from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon.
committed to raising awareness for brain cancer. Audacy Chicago VP of sports programming Mitch Rosen says, “More than 1,900 listeners rallied together to pledge donations, and we are deeply moved by their incredible generosity. Through the stories shared by our hosts and guests, we see firsthand how cancer impacts families. This radiothon is a reminder that no one has to fight alone. Our heartfelt thanks go out to our community, sponsors, team, and our great partner, the Chicago Cubs.”
chair Patrick Mara, but Fredericks says he thinks it’s important to try to build something for Republicans in deep-blue DC. In a campaign video, Fredericks says Republicans have “‘zero representation, zero respect, zero results’ — and [he] promises to promote an ‘agenda that’s going to make your life better: Get rid of the rats, lower rents.’” 
anything at all we kind of announce it ahead of time. And so today it’s my turn.” He added, “I figure if I’ve done it for 59 years it’s probably enough. Everything’s fine, my health is fine, my wife’s health is fine, we’re just deciding that it’s time to go enjoy the rest of our life that won’t include getting up at 4:20 in the morning. So, we’re going to do that.” A succession plan is in place as DeLucia introduced Tucker “Frito” Young as the newest member of “The Infomaniacs” yesterday (5/27). Young says, “I was excited by the opportunity, mostly because growing up in College Station and Bryan and around the area, if you listen to radio, you would listen to you (Scott) and Jay and Tom and everybody else. So, this is kind of like being on the radio show of record for the Brazos Valley.”
Awards from the National Association of Broadcasters, and eight Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association. In 2024, Jurgens was presented with The Pioneer Award from the North Dakota Broadcasters Association. He says about his decision to retire, “I’m getting to the point where I want to do something else. There’s a lot of things that happen – phone calls, texts in the middle of the night, so I think it’s just time.” The station says that while Jurgens is leaving KFGO in a full-time capacity, it is possible that he returns to the station on a part-time basis in the future. His replacement is expected to be announced today (5/28) on the Joel Heitkamp show.
Megan Lazovick, vice president, Edison Research at SSRS and will offer a look at the U.S. podcast audience through multiple lenses, including: Reach of podcasts among U.S. consumers from The Infinite Dial; Share of daily time spent with podcasts from Share of Ear; and Content preferences from Edison Podcast Metrics. 
also shining a spotlight on the BFOA’s charitable mission of providing critical financial assistance to broadcasters in need.” The event will feature radio executive Dan Mason, who will meet attendees and share insights from his remarkable career in broadcasting from behind the microphone to the head of the CBS Radio. BFoA president Tim McCarthy comments, “The Broadcasters Foundation’s Media Mixers have become one of the most important gatherings for the future of our industry, bringing together rising broadcast professionals, influential executives, and legendary broadcasters in one room. Broadcasting is built on relationships, mentorship, and community, and this event captures the very best of what makes our business so special while also supporting broadcasters facing critical need.”