The most discussed stories yesterday (4/7) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. Trump Trade War/Markets Downturn
2. Alien Enemies Act Ruling/Student Visas Revoked
3. Netanyahu-Trump Meeting
4. U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks
5. Russia-Ukraine War
Walter Sabo
a.k.a. Walter M. Sterling
Host, “Sterling Every Damn Night”
WPHT, Philadelphia
Host, “Sterling On Sunday,” TMN
Serious business coaches reveal that a common trait of successful people is their ability to immediately forget their failures and to move on. Next idea. Next project. Surrounded by seas of committees, forms, rules and mediocrity, effective leaders know that just trying something, regardless of the outcome, is the WIN.
Strategic “forgetting” requires a unique worldview. An introvert’s worldview. To forget a failure means not caring what colleagues think of new ideas. Innovators do not consider if they are embraced, they care that their idea launched.
Television legend and programmer Fred Silverman recreated broadcast television. He was so successful he was recruited to helm CBS, ABC and NBC. After corporate leadership he was an independent producer commandeering four hours of prime time a week, earning… a lot.
All that mattered to him was getting it on the air. Like all programmers not everything he produced worked. One hit show is a miracle, he created dozens.
To Fred, he was proud of all his shows. He never bragged about the hits because to him, a hit was anything that got on the air. New was a hit.
Fred’s innovations can be seen on TV now. Before Fred, a TV show promo consisted of a slide and a VO. Starting at ABC, Silverman was the first to pull video from a show, edit it into a 30 second hook clip turning it into a fast-paced promo for the show. Each promo aired once. A staff of 150 people was hired to create a brand-new promo every time. Fred would often sit in the edit bays, producing fresh promos. He hated repeated promos. Finance hated him; engineering hated him; scheduling hated him. Nielsen did not hate him.
I sat many an all-nighter in edit bays as Fred’s production partner until what was on the screen matched what was in his head.
The radio greats have similar patterns of behavior: Tom Bigby, Greg Stockard, Ruth Meyer, Howard Stern, Greg Moceri, Rick Sklar, Skip Eskin, all the legends were/are focused and driven. There is no downtime. When one insists that their precise vision be implemented, they won’t have many friends, but they will have stunning results.
Walter Sabo has been a C Suite action partner for companies such as SiriusXM, Hearst, Press Broadcasting, Gannett, RKO General and many other leading media outlets. His company HITVIEWS, in 2007, was the first to identify and monetize video influencers. His nightly show “Walter Sterling Every Damn Night” is heard on WPHT, Philadelphia. His syndicated show, “Sterling On Sunday,” from Talk Media Network, airs 10:00 pm-1:00 am ET, and is now in its 10th year of success. He can be reached by email at sabowalter@gmail.com
Podtrac releases its March Top Podcasts ranker for the U.S. based on unique monthly audience and
NPR’s “NPR News Now” jumps The New York Times’ “The Daily” for the #1 spot. Other moves of note include FOX Audio Network’s “FOX News Hourly Update” rising two places to #5 and Silverloch’s “VINCE” (Vince Coglianese) debuting at #7. See the complete chart here.
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
Hello from Las Vegas, ever-changing yet timeless. Here this week the NAB Show is “Powering the Next Era of Storytelling.” And it’s about time. While there is now a filibuster-proof U.S. Senate majority to require that cars include AM receivers, some AM stations are being shut off. Over the weekend millions took to the streets and this morning Wall Street braced for more. So, the vibe here is positively rejuvenating.
“If you’re here, you’ve already defied the odds.”
National Association of Broadcasters president & CEO Curtis LeGeyt congratulated attendees at a perennial event that – on its own – paid for the trip, the NAB Show Small and Medium Market Radio Forum. As big corporate owners make big trade press headlines in big markets, the mojo in the minor leagues is downright invigorating.
Picture speed-dating for great ideas. The room is set up with roundtables. Each half-hour, attendees share what’s working back home, then rotate. Table topics included, “The Secret to Radio’s Digital Ad Success is Being Local First,” and “Podcasting Strategies for Radio,” and “Monetizing High School Sports,” and there were heartwarming stories about “Developing Your Community with Events and Social Media.” And, yes, THE most popular table – to which participants dragged chairs from elsewhere: “AI’s Use Throughout Your Station.”
Did you know that May is National Small Business Month? And National Small Business Week is May 4 to 10? Plan now to do what these plucky broadcasters shared ideas for doing: Use your broadcast and digital assets and your local engagement to, in NAB Show speak: “Unlock the Power of the Creator Economy.”
“A connection on LinkedIn is worth a hundred on Instagram.”
As corporate cost cuts continue, I’ve been collecting and sharing opportunities. In a recent column here, I described 18 non-radio career options for which your skill set as a broadcaster could qualify you. And in last week’s column I recommended and demonstrated some valuable and FREE tools.
Now – courtesy of ThinkTAP’s Richard Harrington – a road map for selling your services. Here’s the deck from his super-useful session “Working with Brands: How to Get Your Foot in the Door and Stay There.” And don’t let the term “brands” scare you. Think local businesses.
Sampler:
— Your prospects crave the sort of engagement that successful on-air people have accomplished. “Build your Email list!” Harrington urges.
— Then, take every opportunity to engage. Important: “Reply to people who replied” to something you have posted. “Such a small percentage do reply that this makes their day.”
— “Do what you can to pull audience into a place you can control.” Anyone working in the industry we used to call “radio” now needs to be facile with social media and podcasting and video. So, use those skills and tools to “create content that can be used by the brand.”
— Especially opportune: demonstrate how to use what your client sells.
New to selling your services? Generous with his experience, Harrington’s deck will suggest lots of transactional technique.
Our industry, like ‘Vegas, is ever-changing yet timeless.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
Edison Research and audio advertising agency Oxford Road are releasing a white paper titled, “What is a Podcast?: Preserving its Essence, Structuring for Expansion.” The authors says this report “reveals critical insights into how evolving listener habits, industry fragmentation, and ambiguity in podcast definitions are affecting podcasting’s future growth and commercial viability.” They say that data from a nationally
representative survey of over 4,000 people “identifies a significant identity crisis driven by the convergence of audio-only content and video formats popularized by platforms like YouTube and Spotify.” It shows: 1) 72% of Americans 12+ consider recordings of people discussing any topic on YouTube that are also available as audio-only shows elsewhere to be a podcast; 2) Advertisers face significant barriers to investment due to inconsistent standards, fragmented reporting, and unclear attribution; and 3) A clear, shared definition and interoperable measurement are urgently needed to realize podcasting’s full economic potential. Regarding defining podcasts, they propose new working definitions as follows: Podcast (noun): “An on-demand audio-driven program featuring episodic content across wide-ranging themes and formats. Traditionally delivered via open RSS and conversational in nature, it can include platform-based distribution and is commonly supplemented by video.” And Video Podcast (noun): “An episodic, on-demand program centered on spoken-word content, where synchronized visuals meaningfully shape the experience.” You can download the white paper here.
AdLarge and the fwd. network announce that Ilwira Marciszek is promoted to executive vice president,
revenue operations. In this expanded leadership role, she will continue to oversee all digital operations while spearheading strategic initiatives to strengthen partnerships and drive revenue growth. AdLarge CEO Cathy Csukas says, “Ilwira has been an integral part of AdLarge’s growth and success. Her strategic vision, deep industry expertise, and relentless commitment to innovation have propelled our digital revenue and operations forward. As we expand, her continued leadership will be invaluable in shaping the future of our digital business.”
KOA, Denver Wins at CBA Awards gala. KOA, Denver talk host Ross Kaminsky tips TALKERS that his station was honored with a win in the “Best News Coverage of a Single Event” category for the program he anchored after President Trump was shot in Butler, PA. from the Colorado Broadcasting Association at its recent awards gala. KOA, led by program director Dave Tepper, was also named “Station of the Year.”
Cumulus and San Francisco Giants Extend. Cumulus Media’s sports talk KNBR, San Francisco signs a multi-year extension with the San Francisco Giants to continue as the team’s flagship radio station. KNBR has been the official radio broadcast home for the Giants since 1979. Broadcasting personalities include: Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, Mike Krukow, and Duane Kuiper.
680 The Fan and Atlanta Braves Renew. Dickey Broadcasting Company announces the extension of its flagship partnership with the Atlanta Braves. Under the terms of the 12-year extension, “680 The Fan” will remain the exclusive radio home of the Atlanta Braves, providing comprehensive coverage of all games, expert analysis, and exclusive content. Company president David Dickey says, “We are incredibly proud to extend our relationship with the Atlanta Braves. Our shared passion for baseball and dedication to delivering top-notch content to our listeners has been the cornerstone of our success. We look forward to many more seasons of exciting Braves baseball on ‘680 The Fan.’”
The most discussed stories over the weekend on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. Trump Trade War/Markets Tumble
2. Weekend “Hands Off” Protests
3. Deportations/Detentions
4. DOGE/Elon Musk
5. Russia-Ukraine War/Israel-Gaza War
Nationally syndicated talk radio host Tom Sullivan announces that he is going to semi-retire from the business and his daily talk radio program distributed by Talk Media Network will end on May 30. Sullivan
says, “I am going to hang up the microphone… not completely… this show will come to a screeching halt on May 30. After that going to dabble in world of podcasting… I feel fine, feel healthy, and want to go out on top. I’ve been doing radio for 45 years… how grateful I am for each and every one of you. It’s time to move down the road and take the microphone from radio to podcast.” Sullivan – a successful financial services advisor – began his radio career in 1980 on KFBK, Sacramento doing daily business news reports. He expanded to hosting a general topic talk show first as a fill-host before getting his own program. He would often fill in for Rush Limbaugh on his syndication show and Sullivan later became one of the original hosts on FOX Business Network.
Numerous media outlets in Cincinnati are reporting that iHeartMedia’s news/talk WLW, Cincinnati is
naming Thom Brennaman the station’s new morning drive host. Late last week, Mike McConnell told his listeners that he was retiring from the station and that Monday (4/7) would be his last day. Brennaman worked for WLW calling Cincinnati Reds games but stepped down after being caught on a hot mic uttering a homophobic slur during an MLB game on August 19, 2020. Brennaman has been working for the CW calling football games.
Bonneville’s sports talk KIRO-AM “Seattle Sports” announces “The Cal Raleigh Show,” starring the Seattle
Mariners catcher that will air Thursdays at 5:00 pm throughout the 2025 season. On the program, Raleigh sits down with Mariners insider Shannon Drayer for “engaging and in-depth conversations on “Wyman & Bob.” “Seattle Sports” program director Kyle Brown says, “We’re thrilled to provide our fans with more access to Mariners players and the stories behind the scenes. Cal’s insights into his leadership, his role on the team, and the Mariners’ season will offer fans an even closer connection to the team in 2025.”
Women’s Audio Habits Topic of Webinar. Edison Research and SiriusXM Media announce they will unveil the comprehensive Women’s Audio Report in a two-part webinar series on April 15 and April 29. Edison says the report examines women’s audio consumption behaviors, including listener demographics, content preferences, discovery habits, and advertising engagement. You can register here.
Philly Non-Comm Produces Business Competition. WURD-FM, Philadelphia is presenting the “Level Up Pitch Competition and Party” on Tuesday (4/8) at Filter Club in Philadelphia as five women entrepreneurs showcase their innovative businesses in front of a live audience and a panel of expert judges. Tiffany Bacon hosts the event in which one winner will get a marketing and community outreach prize package valued at $5,000. It includes a full advertising and marketing package on WURD Radio, business association memberships and access to mentorship and other resources for entrepreneurs.
Louisville Public Media Names New Chief. The Louisville non-commercial outlet announces that Kenya Young is its new president and CEO, effective May 19. LPM board member John Schriber says, “Kenya Young brings positive energy, meaningful experience, and an exciting vision for the future of public media. She has a warmth and accessibility that impresses everyone she meets and demonstrates a unique ability to connect mission, strategy, and community impact – qualities essential to leading LPM successfully.”
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (3/31-4/4) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
1. Donald Trump’s Trade War
2. The Economy-Jobs-Inflation
3. Wisconsin & Florida Elections Aftermath
4. Musk-DOGE Activities / Tesla Under Attack
5. Israel-Hamas War / Russia-Ukraine War
6. HHS Job Cuts / Health Care / Vaccines
7. Trump vs Judiciary
8. Big Tech / Misinformation / Censorship
9. Tornadoes-Severe Weather / Myanmar Earthquake
10.March Madness / MLB Season Opens
People
1. Donald Trump
2. Elon Musk
3. J.D. Vance
4. Howard Lutnick / Scott Bessent
5. Mike Waltz / Pete Hegseth
6. Benjamin Netanyahu
7. Vladimir Putin
8. Volodymyr Zelensky
9. RFK Jr.
10. Karoline Leavitt
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
Woodward Communications, Inc closes on its purchase of four radio stations in the Springfield, Illinois market that it acquired from Mid-West Family for $990,000. Those stations are news/talk WMAY-FM, AC WNNS-FM, rock WQLZ-FM and classic hits WMAY-AM, plus FM translators W273DR and W234CC. This
comes after Woodward closed on the $4.3 million acquisition of four stations in the market from Neuhoff Media last fall. From that deal, the company spun WCVS-FM to Educational Media Foundation. Woodward’s Springfield market manager Kevin O’Dea says, “All of us at Woodward Community Media look forward to the addition of the Mid-West Family stations to our lineup here in Springfield. These four stations along with our current lineup including Channell450.com and our Digital Services will allow us to enhance our local commitment to our listeners, advertising partners and the Springfield and Central Illinois Community.
Regular TALKERS readers and talk media industry watchers probably know that news/talk KSEV-AM, Houston owner Dan Patrick is also the Texas Lieutenant Governor. In fact, Patrick gave up his daily regular talk show to take on the lieutenant governor role. But that doesn’t prevent the veteran broadcaster
from using his radio and TV skills to raise awareness of issues that are important to him. In a piece by KPRC-TV, Houston, Patrick’s efforts to draw attention to courier service lottery sales and legal marijuana in Texas via “amateur investigative-style videos” are highlighted. Patrick tells the station that his efforts are just for the sake of theatrics. “It’s not theatrics to say, ‘look at me.’ It’s theatrics to tell a story, so that people can connect with what we’re doing here and why we’re doing it.” He adds that most people are busy and don’t pay attention to the day-to-day goings-on at the state capitol. “Our job is to break through that.” See the entire piece here.
BIA Advisory adjusts its projected U.S. local radio ad revenue for 2025 and concludes it will reach $12.3 billion (for both over-the-air and digital radio). Radio Advertising Bureau says it worked in partnership with BIA to conduct “a comprehensive analysis of the evolving radio landscape to help broadcasters navigate the economic environment of 2025.” Local radio ranks as the fifth-largest advertising medium within the
$171 billion local advertising marketplace. The study reveals that “key categories are driving investments in radio advertising: investment & retirement, quick service restaurants, supermarkets, commercial banking and hospitals. BIA VP of insights and analysis Celine Matthiessen adds, “Notably, hospitals are projected to be one of the top spenders in local radio advertising in 2025, according to our advertising forecast. As they allocate parts of their media budgets to Radio Over-the-Air (OTA), 
Radio Digital and other platforms like Connected TV (CTV), it’s evident that local radio continues to be a trusted and culturally relevant medium, especially in rural and remote communities.” RAB president and CEO Mike Hulvey comments, “Our continued partnership with BIA allows RAB membership insights into opportunity across local advertising categories. Broadcast radio and its digital assets can deliver the services that local businesses want and need to increase their sales revenue. Local businesses across sectors are dependent upon marketing professionals to help guide their growth. Understanding challenges of advertising categories and potential opportunities that exist is the value that this information brings to RAB members and to their prospective advertisers.” RAB and BIA will host, “Radio Ad Forecast 2025: BIA’s Latest Projections,” at 1:00 pm ET on April 16, for RAB members.
iHeartMedia will launch a slate of multi-language podcasts from high-profile hosts across the fast-growing Asian market. This push into the Asian Pacific region will be in partnership with Mammoth Media Asia.
iHeartMedia says the Asia Pacific podcast market was valued at US $373.57 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 30.2% to $3.1 billion value from 2024 to 2031. iHeart Digital Audio Group CEO Conal Byrne comments, “We’ve seen the strong growth of the Asian markets – both on a domestic level and with influence across global markets and we are excited to partner with Mammoth Media Asia to launch the first-ever slate of iHeartPodcasts developed in Asia.”
The most discussed stories yesterday (4/2) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. Trump’s Trade War/Markets React
2. Wisconsin & Florida Elections Aftermath
3. Deportations & Detentions
4. Russia-Ukraine War
5. Tornadoes & Severe Weather
Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee announce they are launching an investigation into Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr’s “attacks on the First Amendment and his weaponization of the independent agency.” In a press statement, Committee Democrats accuse
Carr of “illegally targeting broadcast networks and media companies perceived to be unfavorably covering the Trump Administration – wasting critical agency resources on bogus investigations in the process.” The lawmakers are also questioning Carr’s “commitment to his agency’s independence, given his frequent trips with the president to Mar-a-Lago and his targeting of entities that the president has criticized or sued in his personal capacity.” Committee Ranking Members says that “under Carr’s leadership, the FCC has harassed CBS for routine editing practices, reinstated lawfully denied complaints against ABC and NBC, launched a bogus investigation into KCBS-AM in San Jose simply for reporting publicly available information, and directed the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to launch investigations into NPR and PBS based on false allegations.” The Committee is requesting documents and communications “related to its investigations of media entities,” “all communications between Carr and current White House officials and between Carr and other Trump Administration officials that relate to investigations,” as well as Carr’s travel records.
The newly issued shares of media organization Newsmax went through the roof yesterday – rising to $233 per share from its Monday debut of $14 per share. Newsmax stock trades on the New York Stock
Exchange under the ticker symbol NMAX. CNBC reports that the rise brought the company’s market capitalization to “nearly $30 billion – surpassing the market cap of legacy media companies like Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox Corp.” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy told CNBC, “Americans for a long time have been voting with their remote controls, downloads, apps to say they want Newsmax. Now investors powerfully are buying Newsmax shares because they like us, they value us and they want us to keep growing.” See the CNBC story here.
Triton Digital announces that it is adding survey-based listener rankings to the existing U.S. Podcast Ranker to “provide a holistic view of podcast consumption.” The company says the current U.S. Podcast Ranker based on downloads will continue to be issued monthly, for publishers using Triton Digital’s IAB-certified measurement services. It will be supplemented with a quarterly ranking of the podcasts with the
most listeners, based on a nationally representative survey that includes all publishers and podcasts. Triton Digital’s Demos+ audience profiles will also be added to the ranker, which lists the podcasts that most efficiently reach advertisers’ desired audiences, such as various demographic, socio-economic, lifestyle, and purchase intent segments. Triton SVP of measurement & analytics Daryl Battaglia says, “The combination of census-level download measurement blended with survey measurement provides the most comprehensive understanding of podcast audiences and their consumption habits. By adopting new methods to measure audiences and augmenting our current tools, we are enriching the podcast information available to advertisers so they can feel confident in reaching their target audiences.”
iHeartMedia reveals that board member Brad Gerstner is choosing not to stand for re-election and will conclude his service on its board of directors in order to focus on his other commitments. Gerstner, the founder and CEO of Altimeter Capital, has been a member of the iHeartMedia board of directors since
2019. iHeartMedia CEO and chairman Bob Pittman says, “When we began this journey together back in 2019, Brad was only able to promise us one term as a director due to his enormous commitments to Altimeter and its portfolio companies, and we’re grateful he gave us five terms. We appreciate all the contributions he made during that time, especially his experience and view of technology and the future – which helped us determine how to make the technology transitions we needed to maximize our revenue opportunities in an increasingly data-focused and technology-led marketplace. He’s had a significant impact on iHeart’s success and our vision for the company’s direction.” The company announces that its board of directors is nominating Robert Millard to stand for election at the its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 13. Millard is a director of Evercore, an international investment bank, and co-founder and former Chairman of the Board of L3 Technologies, a major defense technology company.
The most discussed stories yesterday (4/1) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. Today’s “Liberation Day” Tariffs Announcement
2. Wisconsin & Florida Special Elections
3. Sen. Cory Booker Speech
4. Iran-Russia-U.S. Nukes Tensions
5. Trump Third Term Questions
Smiley Audio Media’s talk KBLA, Los Angeles “Talk 1580” is producing a community town hall on April 16 at Robinson Park Recreation Center in Pasadena titled, “The Eaton/Altadena Fire: 100 Days and
Counting.” KBLA personalities Tavis Smiley, Dominique DiPrima, and Nii-Quartelai Quartey will speak with a panel featuring survivors, community leaders, activists, experts, and more to “reflect on the 100 days since the fire erupted and address hard and heart questions about where the community goes from here.” KBLA says this is part of its continuing coverage of the fire, the aftermath, and its long-term impact on the Black community in Altadena. The station also broadcasts a one-hour, weekly live program called “Conversation Live: Altadena Rising,” hosted by James Farr.
When Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina last fall, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WWNC, Asheville was a lifeline for residents of the area as cell service was down and power was lost in so many areas. Fast-forward to today and the station is getting some press from CBS News for its work in the ongoing
recovery efforts. The piece singles out WWNC personalities Mark Starling and Tank Spencer for “amplifying the messages of groups such as Valley Strong Disaster Relief” and more to keep the recovery information flowing. Spencer is quoted saying, “You don’t really notice until times of disaster what your community is really made of. They’re gonna make sure that everybody in that community, that nobody wants for anything.” Spencer adds that in the immediate aftermath of the storm, their work was crucial. “The access to the information saved lives. The only thing that was left standing was AM and FM radio, and I think there’s been a rediscovery of that.” See the CBS News piece here.
A bipartisan group of 73 U.S. House members is appealing to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to “modernize outdated ownership rules that hinder broadcasters nationwide.” The letter says, in part, “While the FCC has made incremental adjustments over the decades, the
fundamental ownership restrictions have remained largely unchanged since the 1990s, imposing undue constraints on broadcasters’ ability to innovate and invest in local content. These regulations are a relic of an era when broadcasters were the only electronic media. Today, any one of the largest Big Tech platforms dwarfs the entire broadcast industry – yet they are held to no similar limitations on their reach. This imbalance places broadcasters at a severe disadvantage in competing for advertising dollars and audience engagement… We urge the FCC to act swiftly in eliminating antiquated ownership restrictions and to embrace a broadcast regulatory framework that reflects the realities of today’s dynamic media ecosystem.” Read the full letter here.
Hubbard Radio announces the official launch of the Gamut Podcast Network, what it calls “a dedicated podcast division that represents a bold and strategic expansion into the ever-evolving world of on-demand media. Gamut now stands as the third foundational pillar of Hubbard’s media strategy – alongside its legacy terrestrial radio operations and its digital marketing arm, 2060 Digital.” The company notes that
many of the shows within the Gamut Podcast Network have already been established across Hubbard’s markets, but this marks a transformation: from podcasts as supplemental to radio, to podcasts as a focused, scalable business in their own right. Hubbard CEO Ginny Hubbard states, “The launch of Gamut is more than a rebrand; it’s a pivotal evolution for our company. By establishing Gamut as a core component of our business, we are embracing the future of media and ensuring Hubbard’s relevance for the next century.” John Goforth joined Hubbard in August and is serving as vice president and general manager of Gamut Podcast Network. He says, “Gamut is designed to reflect both where the industry is and where it’s going. Yes, we’re building a national powerhouse – but we’re just as focused on lifting up unique voices and staying true to the communities we serve. It’s about reach and relevance. That balance is what makes Hubbard special, and it will make Gamut special too.”
Comrex is going to be highlighting new offerings for Gagl service at the NAB Show in Las Vegs next week. Gagl is an audio subscription service that allows contributors to connect to Comrex hardware IP audio codecs using equipment like smartphones or laptops. Gagl Standard enables up to five remote guests or
hosts to connect to each Gagl session. Gagl + Hotline is a premium tier for US-based clients that enhances the audio quality from mobile phone callers. A 10-digit phone number is provided to Hotline subscribers which allows one contributor in the Gagl session to connect by dialing a number instead of clicking a web link. Gagl Solo is available for individuals to connect to the studio at no cost. Comrex is also unveiling its new FieldLink – a hardware-based IP audio codec that serves as a “press box” codec designed to replace expensive wireless mic/IFB solutions and move audio from sideline reporters efficiently to the pressbox. For more information on FieldLink or other Comrex products visit www.comrex.com.
iHeartMedia names Jennifer Stocker area president for the Nebraska-Iowa Area. She’ll oversee markets including: Omaha, Des Moines, Sioux City, Davenport, Ogallala and Cedar Rapids markets. Division
president Shosh Abromovich says, “I am excited to announce that Jen will be leading the Nebraska-Iowa Area! Jen’s strong work ethic, organizational skills, positive attitude, culture-first mentality and competitive drive make her the perfect fit to elevate this Area to new heights. Her passion for our radio brands and profound understanding of the connection with our audience across all platforms will foster growth within our community, advertising partners and team.”
This week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog looks at research commissioned by RAB to investigate “wear-out”: the point where creative testing declines from its peak due to message frequency fatigue. They key findings include: 1) Consumers don’t get tired of ads, only marketers do: The
ABX AM/FM radio creative study for RAB proves legendary marketing professor Mark Ritson was right; 2) Wear-out of AM/FM radio ads is virtually non-existent: Only two of 25,000 ads showed a decline in some creative effectiveness metrics. Two major creative effectiveness measures, branding and messaging, showed no wear-out; 3) The two ads showing differences were at the top end of cumulative spending and time in market: Two years in market and $8M+ of spend is where creativeness effectiveness might start to wane; 4) Repeat testing of 10 of the 12 longest running AM/FM radio ads reveals no statistically significant erosion; and 5) The giants of marketing effectiveness and creative testing conclude wear-out is non-existent: Take it from Les Binet/Sarah Carter, ABX, Kantar, System1, and Analytic Partners. See the full blog post here.
The most discussed stories yesterday (3/31) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS research:
1. Trump’s Trade War
2. Wisconsin & Florida Elections
3. DOGE/Federal Health Agencies Cuts
4. Trump Third Term
5. Russia-Ukraine War/Trump-Putin Relationship
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
Corporate cost cuts continue. In a recent column here, I described 18 non-radio career options for which your skill set as a broadcaster could qualify you. In just the last couple years, several longtime TV news people I know – who had-it-up-to-here with the hours – reinvented themselves accordingly.
“But radio is all I’ve ever done!” you say? No. Radio is (or was) your platform. And – as clients are accustomed to hearing me say – “Everything we do is storytelling.” So where else can you tell yours?
Tools are available, many free. To illustrate, I wrote a novella (shorter than a novel, longer than a short story). It’s the first fiction I’ve written since a high school homework assignment, and you can download it, also free.
I had an idea for a John Grisham/James Patterson-style thriller. ChatGPT and MS Copilot were my co-authors, suggesting plot twists and critiquing, chapter-by-chapter. After ChatGPT reviewed each one, I ran it through Copilot – like having a team of writers. Both AI tools also created the images you will see on the landing page. Tell either app how you want your web page to look, and it will write the HTML code! And Google Search helped with details.
Every one of those functions was completed in five seconds or less, free. As is Audacity, if you’d rather not spend for your own copy of the Adobe Audition you use (or used) at the radio station. And before you subscribe to Microsoft Office 365, peruse the suite of lookalike tools at OpenOffice.org. Video? Premiere Pro is pricey, but Adobe Express is free and there are shareware alternatives.
Seen those TV ads TikTok is running to stave-off a USA ban? Storytellers share how they’re making a living there. Could you?
I hope you like my story. But even if you don’t, I hope you will experiment with new ways to tell yours. I’m not saying any of us will write a best-selling novel. But if you do, you can also voice the audiobook version.
Now, grab the armrest, for chilling intrigue, and a damning narrative about the corporate consolidation that plagues broadcasting, set in the beguiling place where we live, populated by pseudonyms (including the author’s) which some will find thinly-veiled: http://getonthenet.com/TalkersPreview.html
That’s your sneak peek. It drops on April Fool’s Day.
Next week, I’ll be reporting here from The NAB Show in fabulous Las Vegas. If you’re going, wear comfortable shoes! But even if you do – and you plan on walking from where shuttle busses drop you off at the Convention Center to the West Hall where most radio and podcasting sessions will be – pack a lunch. It’s a hike!
Better idea: Let Elon Musk give you a free ride… UNDERGROUND, in “The Loop.” He has 100 Teslas zooming through what seems like a high-tech Batcave that his Boring Company is…boring. Here’s video I shot at CES: https://youtu.be/wqqQd9vZnM0
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn