Industry Views

SABO SEZ: Award the Future

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media Implementers
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, “Sterling On Sunday”
Talk Media Network

imWhen reviewing our industry’s awards such as the Crystals or Marconis there are two categories missing. They are: “Best New” and “Best Innovation.” Imagine if winners were announced for these prizes:

“Best New Talent On Air”

“Best New Talent Off Air”

“Most Creative Sales Solution”

“Most Creative Station Promotion”

“Most Innovative DAB or Podcast Format”

“Best New Talent – Podcast”

“Best Innovation In Engineering”

Those awards aren’t fantasy, they are actual awards given annually by Australian Commercial Radio (ACRA). They are presented at a magnificent well-produced event for the entire country – attendance is SRO. The subliminal message to Australian radio personnel is powerful: Innovation is expected and rewarded. NEW is expected and rewarded – no need to wait for you to become legendary (!) to be recognized. “NEW” is a powerful reward and promise to the talent you hope will find a career in radio. Face it, our “on boarding” leaves a lot to be desired. (Hey, work in the promotion department while you live at home, and we’ll let you pick up pizza that you can share!)

The best gift the late PD Al Brady Law gave me was he greeted all new ideas with, “It might work.” Most other executives kill innovative thought with the worst question possible: “Who else is doing it?” The industry has a lame record of assessing new ideas. New ideas are systematically despised:

Bill Drake’s format was damned in jock-for-hire classifieds that warned, NO DRAKE JOCKS. Yes, dozens of stations wanted NO DRAKE JOCKS. Quickly Drake’s strategies slaughtered those stations and revolutionized music formats to this moment. Recorded music on the radio was actually thought to be illegal until WNEW-AM, New York fought that court fight in the 1940s and won. All news on WINS and WCBS certainly was not going to work after the 1960s New York newspaper strike ended. WFAN could never succeed as an all-sports station – soon after launch it became the highest biller in NYC.

When AC was launched in 1978 at the NBC FM and RKO FM stations, it had no future. FM was only for beautiful music and hard rock and besides who else is doing it?

Album rock, AOR, …why we have research to prove young people only want hits! Targeted FM talk – combining a hot format with hot talent would absolutely fail at KLSX-FM, Los Angeles and thanks to Bob Moore became the number one local biller – turn it back to the failed classic rock format please begged one research hit squad! “New Jersey 101.5” has a one million cume talking all week, playing music all weekend. Which award category suits that giant station? “Best New” would have been appreciated.

Todd Storz, the inventor of Top 40, passed away at 38 and his father who owned their stations in Miami, Omaha, and New Orleans couldn’t wait to change his Top 40 format creation to MOR when the kid died. As a result, when Todd died the stations died, too.

Innovators like Bill Drake, Jeff SmulyanAllen ShawBob McAllanAlan MasonL. David Moorhead, and Howard Stern are first ignored, then marginalized, then vilified… then hundreds fight for their credit.

The only way radio stays relevant and grows its place on the media landscape is with a constant flow of “Best New” and “Best Innovation.” That’s when younger listeners are attracted to radio – the same way they are attracted to everything – if it’s NEW. The radio you and your friends were drawn to, talked about at school, listened to constantly was saturated with new contests, new daring DJs, new promotions, new hits, new energy.

The delicious daily challenge of on-air talent and management is what can we put on the air today that has never been done before? If it’s new, even if it doesn’t work forever, generates buzz, attention, youthful audiences.  Of course, 20-year-olds will listen to radio, it’s at the end of their arm! But they are not going to salivate at the promise of “20 of your favorites from the 80s, 90s and today.” Or a national contest.

Why not test a NEW award in just one awards category? “Best Innovation in Engineering” The Marconi Award.

Walter Sabo is a leading media industry consultant and syndicated talk radio personality.  He can be emailed at Walter@Sabomedia.com. Website: www.waltersterlingshow.com

Industry News

Bill Smee Steps Down from VP News Role at Audacy

In a post on LinkedIn, media pro Bill Smee announces he’s stepped down from his vice president of news post at Audacy to pursue consulting and project management work. He writes: “I’m happy to announce that I’m moving into a new professional chapter: I’ve stepped down as VP of news at Audacy and I am diving back into the strategic consulting and project management work that I enjoyed for a number of years. It has been incredibly rewarding to work these last four years with so many talentedim and passionate people within Audacy’s newsrooms and across the larger company. And I’m proud of our collective accomplishments: building out digital and podcasting capacity; integrating broadcast and digital teams within newsrooms; strengthening communication and collaboration across a network of brands; navigating the first wave of AI; and creating new revenue opportunities in partnership with sales teams. All of this was done while delivering over and over in high-leverage, breaking news situations and racking up awards that validate Audacy’s local news brands as best in class. The challenges for media and journalism these days — and for local news in particular — are profound, and the stakes are high. But there are new frontiers on the horizon, and we can deploy innovative ways of thinking about how we do what we do. As always, I’m excited to explore those frontiers and draw on my many years of strategic and operational experience to help media brands and other organizations find a way forward.”

Industry News

Susan Patrick Gets 15 Months for Filing False Tax Returns

Former Patrick Communications and Legend Communications co-owner Susan Patrick has been sentenced to 15 months in prison plus one year of supervised release and must pay $3.8 million in restitution to the U.S. Treasury after being convicted of filing a false tax return. The Justice Department says, “Despite receiving the completed and accurate tax returns from the accounting firm, Patrick did notim file them with the IRS. After the IRS contacted Patrick and requested that she file the unfiled returns, Patrick lied to the IRS, claiming that her accounting firm had timely filed the returns and that she would provide copies of those returns. Patrick, however, did not provide copies of the accurate returns that had been prepared by her accounting firm. Instead, Patrick doctored the business returns, removing $10 million in gross receipts received by her brokerage firm, and altered the personal returns by removing over $9.5 million in related income that she and her husband had earned from 2012 through 2014. Patrick also falsely backdated her signature on each tax return to make it appear as if the returns had been timely signed and mailed these false documents to the IRS, hoping to evade paying the full amount of taxes she owed. In addition, Patrick did not timely file business and individual returns for 2015, which she had also hired the accounting firm to prepare, nor did she pay the tax due and owing for the individual return. In total, Patrick sought to evade more than $2.5 million in taxes.”

Ratings Takeaways

Round Two of January PPMs Released

imThe second of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s January 2024 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis. The survey period covered January 4 – 31. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Washington, Cumulus Media Group’s news/talk WMAL-FM jumps 1.4 shares to finish with a 4.5 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) that lifts it to the #7 rank, while Hubbard Broadcasting’s all-news WTOP-FM leaps two full shares to an 8.3 share good for the #2 rank. In Phoenix, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFYI rises two-tenths to a 3.1 share but falls two posts to the #10 rank, while Bonneville’s news/talk KTAR-FM adds four-tenths for a 2.6 share finish and remains ranked #14. In Baltimore, Hearst Television’s news/talk WBAL-AM adds 1.6 shares to finish with a 4.3 share that boosts it to the #9 rank, while WCBM Maryland’s news/talk WCBM-AM tacks on four-tenths for a 1.9 share finish that lifts it to the #15 rank. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets here.

Industry News

Mark Kaye Raises $11k for Charity Selling Gold Sneakers

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WOKV-FM, Jacksonville-based, nationally syndicated talk host Mark Kaye (above left) raised $11,000 for his “Kaye’s Kids” charity – a special times program of Dreams Come True, Inc. and provides dream gifts, trips, and vacations to young children battling life-threatening illnesses in the North Florida area. Kaye created his own pair of golden high-top sneakers called “Kaye’s Kicks” after seeing Donald Trump’s new line of “Never Surrender” high-top sneakers. Using some gold metallic spray paint, stencils, and other patriotic accessories, Kaye and his producer Hannah Guile (above right) transformed a pair of old black Pumas into a one-of-kind golden pair of “Kaye’s Kicks.”

Industry News

Edison: Joe Rogan Among Top Podcasts Consumed by Black Listeners

Edison Research – in celebration of Black History Month – showcases the Top 10 podcasts among Black listeners from the latest Edison Podcast Metrics release. According to Edison’s Infinite Dial 2023, 45% of Black Americans in the U.S. age 12+ have listened to podcasts in the last month, and 28% haveim listened in the past week. The list shows the Top 10 Podcasts in the U.S. based on the number of Black weekly podcast listeners for Q4 2023. “The Joe Rogan Experience” was the #1 podcast listened to by the Black audience surveyed, but six of the top 10 are hosted by Black hosts. They include: #2 “The Breakfast Club,” #4 “Drink Champs,” #5 “Million Dollaz Worth of Game,” #6 “The Joe Budden Podcast,” #7 “The Steve Harvey Morning Show,” and #9 “ShxtsNGigs.” According to the The Black Podcast Listener Report from Edison Research, SXM Media, and Mindshare, 63% of adult Black monthly podcast listeners say that it is very or somewhat important that podcasts include Black stories and perspectives. Fifty percent of adult Black monthly podcast listeners say that it is very or somewhat important that podcasts are hosted by Black hosts.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

FOX News Channel chief political anchor and executive editor of “Special Report” Bret Baier will present an exclusive interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tonight (2/22) at 6:00 pm ET from Ukraine. FNC says, “Taking place less than a mile and a half from Russian positions, Baier will speak with the president about the two-year anniversary of the war, the debate in Congress on additional funding to Ukraine and the latest developments in the ongoing conflict. He will also travel with the president as he receives a military briefing, presents medals to some of his troops and visits wounded soldiers in the hospital.”

Benztown president Dave “Chachi” Denes tells TALKERS that the company’s IP attorney and friend David Perry has filed a petition with the state of Pennsylvania in connection to the high-profile case of Tyree Wallace, who has been in prison for the last 26 years due to his alleged connection to a murder and robbery. He notes that Perry has been interviewed by CBS, FOX, and ABC in Philadelphia and if your station is interested in speaking with him, contact Chachi directly at chachi@benztown.com.

Townsquare Media, Inc will release fourth quarter 2023 financial results before the market opens on Friday, March 15. The company will host a conference call to discuss certain fourth quarter 2023 financial results on March 15 at 8:00 am ET.

Videographer and radio history buff Art Vuolo, a.k.a. Radio’s Best Friend, chats about historical aspects of the radio biz with WLW, Cincinnati talk host Gary Jeff Walker. Listen to the segment here.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (2/21) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The Russia-Ukraine war and the aftermath of the death of Vladimir Putin opponent Alexei Navalny; the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that an embryo is a baby; the presidential race and Nikki Haley’s focus on the South Carolina primary; the U.S. migrant crisis; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles and the disqualification case against Fani Willis; President Joe Biden cancels $1.2 billion in student debt; the Joe Biden impeachment inquiry and the charges against ex-FBI informant Alexander Smirnov; and the atmospheric river dumping huge amounts of rain on California were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Judge Approves Audacy Reorganization Plan

As expected, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas Judge Christopher M. Lopez approved Audacy’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan in which Audacy will equitize approximately $1.6 billion of funded debt, a reduction of 80% from approximately $1.9 billion to approximately $350 million. Prior to yesterday’s hearing, there were only two objections to the plan filed and both wereim settled beforehand. Audacy expects to emerge from the Chapter 11 process after approval from the FCC. Audacy chairman, president and CEO David J. Field says, “Today’s announcement marks a powerful step forward for Audacy, positioning the company for an exciting future. As expected, we have achieved a speedy confirmation of our prepackaged Plan, which will enable Audacy to pursue our strategic goals and opportunities in the dynamic audio business. We aim to drive accelerated growth and financial performance, capitalizing on our scaled, leadership position, our uniquely differentiated premium audio content and the robust capital structure that we will have upon emergence. I also want to express my gratitude to our team, who continue their outstanding work to serve our listeners and customers with excellence and fulfill our commitments without missing a beat.” The company notes that under the Plan, trade and other unsecured creditors will not be impaired.

Industry News

Round One of January PPMs Released

imThe first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s January 2024 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey). The survey period covered January 4 – 31. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York, Red Apple Media’s news/talk WABC-AM adds half a share to finish with a 3.5 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and remains ranked #11, while iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOR-AM rises half a share to a 1.7 share that lifts it to the #17 rank. In Los Angeles, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI adds nine-tenths for a 4.5 share finish good for the #3 rank in the market. In Chicago, Nexstar Media Group’s news/talk WGN-AM is up a half share, finishing with a 3.1 share and the #10 rank, while Cumulus Media Group’s news/talk WLS-AM rises two-tenths to a 1.9 share and moves up one spot to the #18 rank. And in Atlanta, Cox Media Group’s WSB-AM/WSBB-FM claims the #1 rank after rising 1.2 shares to an 8.6 share. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets here.

Industry News

Katz Gets Tat for Charity

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Pictured above is WRVA, Richmond afternoon drive personality Jeff Katz (left) showing off his new Special Olympics of Virginia tattoo. Katz has been involved with Special Olympics for 20 years and during the most recent fundraising drive, he teamed up with Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard (right) and they promised to get matching Special Olympics of Virginia logo tattoos if they were able to raise $15,000. Needless to say, they raised the money, and they got the ink. At center is Mike Ivey, owner of Journey’s End Tattoo Studio in Powhatan, Virginia who donated his services.

Industry News

Good Karma Brands Unveils Milwaukee Bucks Content

Good Karma Brands launches Bucks+ Audio, a new audio platform created by the company and the Milwaukee Bucks. The first five podcasts dropped at Bucks.com/Plus. The initial podcasts are: “Behindim the Bucks,” presented by Gallagher; “Hear District,” hosted by Marques and Kris Johnson, “Bucks in Six,” hosted by Greg Matzek, “Thanalysis,” hosted by Thanasis Antetokounmpo and “Courtside with Gale Klappa.” GKB Milwaukee market manager Greg Scalzo says, “Bucks+ Audio connects Bucks fans to the team in an innovative audio format. The first podcasts provide a deeper look into the Bucks and share untold stories of the team and organization.”

Industry News

NRB 2024 Underway in Nashville

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Pictured above is Salem Radio Network vice president, news & talk programming Tom Tradup (right) with New York Times best-selling author Joel C. Rosenberg (left) at the 80th National Religious Broadcasters association conference in Nashville. Rosenberg – founder and editor-in-chief of All Israel News – hosts the weekly “Rosenberg Report” from Jerusalem on Trinity Broadcasting Network. NRB 2024 concludes tomorrow evening with an address by former President Donald Trump.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

iHeartMedia chairman & CEO Bob Pittman and COO & CFO Rich Bressler will participate in a question and answer session during the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on Tuesday March 5 at 5:50 pm ET. A live webcast of the session will be available to the public at the start of the session through a link on the Investors homepage of iHeartMedia’s website (https://investors.iheartmedia.com/). A replay of the webcast will be available in the Events & Presentation section of iHeartMedia’s Investors homepage.

New England Public Media’s popular local radio show “The Fabulous 413” celebrates its first anniversary on WFCR-FM, Amherst, Massachusetts “88.5 NEPM.” Program co-host Monte Belmonte says, “I’m not one to generally look back or laud anniversaries, but I’m very proud to be a part of this program that Kaliis [Smith] and I have built with the team over the past year here at NEPM. We originally likened this show to ‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood’ for adults, and I hope we’ve done our best to live up to that lofty goal. And whether you’re working in public media or not, what better role model is there to aspire to than Fred Rogers?”

Public media firm GBH announces a $5 million grant from The Fiducia Fund to support “The Culture Show,” a daily news program shining a spotlight on arts and culture. GBH says the grant, pledged over a five-year period, will allow for the show’s sustainability and expansion to multiple platforms, including streaming on YouTube, a daily podcast, a weekly newsletter, events that include live broadcasts at the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library, and featured segments on GBH News’ Greater Boston, a daily news program airing on GBH 2, and streaming live on YouTube. GBH president and CEO Susan Goldberg comments, “The arts are vital to a thriving community and ‘The Culture Show’ brings the local arts scene to the forefront for our listeners. This extraordinary commitment from The Fiducia Fund is the largest gift ever dedicated to GBH News. It is invaluable to ensuring we can continue to expand our coverage of the arts.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (2/20) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The presidential race and former President Donald Trump’s FOX News Channel town hall event; the U.S. migrant crisis and Trump’s plans for “mass deportations”; the battle in Washington over aid to Ukraine and the death of Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny; the failed UN resolution for a cease fire in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza; the Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are children; Wikileaks founder Julian Assange‘s bid to avoid extradition to the U.S.; and two adults are charged with homicide in the Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Veritonic and Realeyes Unveil Audio Attention Report

Audio analytics and research platform Veritonic, in partnership with computer vision and attention AI company Realeyes, publishes their first Veritonic Audio Attention Report that analyzes effective audio advertising. The report provides data-backed insight into the importance of creative efficacy programs for audio andim podcast advertising. Some of the key takeaways include: 1) Attention quality was highest for the audio ad that had the highest voiceover volume (36%) as opposed to the ad that had the lowest voiceover volume (27%) and the ad that had too many competing elements within the creative (25%); 2) 75% of participants reported a good quality audio ad positively influences their consideration to purchase a product; and 3) The inclusion of multiple competing audio components elements within an audio ad caused the ad to score lower in terms of overall quality than the ads without multiple competing elements. You can get the full report here.

Industry News

KDKA-AM, Pittsburgh’s Marty Griffin Hospitalized

KDKA-AM, Pittsburgh morning drive co-host Marty Griffin is currently off the air at the Audacyim news/talk outlet and has been admitted to the hospital at UPMC dealing with what he called “crazy, insane” pain in his throat. Griffin, who battled throat cancer several years ago and has been in remission, says that late last week he couldn’t swallow anything and that the pain was something he never felt in his life. At this time, Griffin has been diagnosed with pneumonia, but doctors are also trying to determine if he has an infection of if the cancer has returned.

Industry News

Chanley Painter Named FNC Overnight Anchor

FOX News Channel signs Court TV’s Chanley Painter as overnight anchor, effective February 26. Aim Court TV correspondent since 2019, Painter has covered the high-profile trials of Bryan Kohberger, Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard, Alex Murdaugh, Harvey Weinstein, and the death of George Floyd. In 2021 she was awarded the Scripps Give Light award for leadership, dedication, and hard work in legal journalism. She got her start in the industry in 2016, as a legal analyst for Nexstar Media Group, where she went on to become a multimedia journalist. Painter earned a Juris Doctor degree with high honors from the University of Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law.

Industry News

Alabama Broadcaster J. Holland to Retire

YHN Media Group, LLC announces that Alabama radio personality J. Holland will retire from theim Yellowhammer News Network later this month, putting the wraps on a broadcast career of 50 years. Most recently, Holland has been the afternoon news anchor on the network. During his career, he’s served with more than 25 radio stations. In the early 1990s, he moved into the news/talk format, serving with WAAX, Gadsden before moving on to WVNN, Huntsville and then WERC, Birmingham. He’s been with the Yellowhammer News Network since 2015.

Industry News

SiriusXM and RealClearPolitics Partner for New Show

SiriusXM announces a new weeknight political program produced in collaboration with the independent,im non-partisan media company, RealClearPolitics. The “RealClearPolitics” show premieres on February 26, airing nightly from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm ET on SiriusXM’s P.O.T.U.S. channel 124. RealClear Media Group chief content officer Andrew Walworth hosts the show along with co-hosts Carl Cannon and Tom Bevan.

Industry News

LABF Announces New Board Members

The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) announces that Tony Coles, Dr. Caroline Frick, and Leo MacCourtney have been elected to the organization’s board of directors. The announcement was made by co-chairs Heidi Raphael, Beasley Media Group chief communications officer, and Jack Goodman, former NAB general counsel and longtime DC-based communications attorney. Tony Coles is president of multi-cultural business and development and president of BIN: Black Information Network. Frick is an associate professor at the University of Texas, and MacCourtney is president of Katz Television Group.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (2/19) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The battle in Washington over aid for Ukraine and the death of Vladimir Putin opponent Alexei Navalny; the Israel-Hamas war and the U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire; the legal battles facing former President Donald Trump and the Fani Willis misconduct investigation; the presidential race and President Joe Biden’s age; the U.S. migrant crisis; the Iran-backed Houthi militia’s attacks in the Red Sea; and the intense rainfall hitting California were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Q2

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imHave we passed the disappointment of 2023?

If ad sales at your radio station finished last year up double digits (excluding digital) please skip past the next few paragraphs. If you’re in the same boat as most radio ad sellers across the country at various levels – i.e. local, national, syndication, network – last year was a struggle.

Now then, how is Q1 shaping up?

Are you making up for lost ground, like the airline business, automotive business, restaurants or are you still pushing that boulder uphill? Here is some straight-from-the-field unfiltered feedback:

1. Valentine’s Day at most restaurants was one of the busiest on record. People at the packed-in table next to ours waited two hours after sitting to be served. So much for a 6:45 pm reservation. They got free dessert. Seriously?

2. Travel is back, make no mistake about it. Discount airfares are a thing of the past on the big-name airlines. At 6’2” I really believe my knees should not be touching the seat in front of me in comfort class on most major airlines.

3. Try negotiating a new car deal this month. No, not the incentives on the 2023 models, I’m talking 2024 in 2024. As the goodfellows said back home, fuhgeddaboudit.

There is nothing wrong with trying to make up for the lost income of the Covid years. After all, testing the pricing upside in business is the American way. We pay more, tip more, and adjust. It is the Darwin theory eating into our wallets every day. So why are most broadcast radio sales teams at all levels still throwing it against the wall to see what sticks? I see it every day in my marketing work. We have lost touch with the excitement, the “wow” factor, the customizations, the basic intangibles of selling the great talent we represent.

Let us learn from other successful businesses. Travel pitches pent-up demand, restaurants make sure you will get the special occasion marketing message no matter where you are, and the auto business, well the ships and chips are in!

What do we not understand about the current weakness in our broadcast radio sales strategy?

1. How current is your value proposition? Successful podcasters like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper along with YouTubers, Facebook, Instagram, and all social media have changed the game-forever. How does your value proposition stand out today?

2. Talk radio will not go away. Programmers and talent will learn what they need to adjust to refocus one of the great radio formats ever created since someone said, “Let’s play the top 40 songs over and over.”

3. Let us start re-thinking what broadcast radio sellers need to prioritize to make a difference-today.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: The Local Radio Advantage

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imIf you’re a news/talk station, don’t assume that you own “news radio” in your market. Imaging is important, but it merely talks-the-talk. You walk-the-walk with local news copy that delivers what solid commercial copy does: benefits. Just doing local news makes you special. But do listeners simply hear a station voice… reading something? Are you merely… accurate? Or do you deliver “take-home pay,” unwrapping the story to tell the listener something useful?

In many homes, there are now fewer radios than smart speakers. And nobody has ever said: “Alexa, please play six commercials.” But she can play millions of songs. So do streams and YouTube.

What can make a music station different from all those other audio choices is the way you help folks cope, how relevant and empathetic you are, how you sound like you have-their-back as day-to-day news has them wondering “What NEXT?”

And boosting tune-in exposes your advertisers better. So, Time Spent Listening is still the ballgame. Specifically, you need to add occasions of tune-in, and this week’s column begins a three-part series of news copy coaching tips that can help bring listeners back more often.

im

Simply rewriting source material can make a huge difference. Press releases torture the ear. They’re formal, and prone to jargon and spin (especially from politicians). When they’re from the police, they’re written in cop-speak. And most press releases are written inside-out, emphasizing a process, rather than the consequence to listeners.

Process example: “At Thursday’s work session of the Springfield City Council, a decision was made to move forward with Community Days this year. The annual Community Days celebration is scheduled for June 16 and 17th. Council members made sure the Community Days funds will be handled by an independent accountant. Councilwoman Sharon Grant said…”

Re-write to lead with consequence: “The annual Springfield Community Days celebration will be June 16th and 17th. After last year’s controversy, Council members made sure the Community Days funds will be handled by an independent accountant. At Thursday’s session, Councilwoman Sharon Grant said…”

That simple tweak is well-worth the minimal effort. Listeners are mentally busy. Remove “Styrofoam words.”  Example: “State Police say they are investigating a possible case of child endangerment after a seven-month-old child was treated for severe injuries.”

Simply delete “say they.”

Next week: Ripped from the headlines… 

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “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 and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

iHeartMedia Debuts Two Florida Sports Talkers

iHeartMedia Florida debuts “FOX Sports Radio Orlando 97.9 FM/AM 810” on former Spanish news WRSO-AM, Orlovista and “FOX Sports Radio Jacksonville AM 930” on former Spanish news WFXJ-AM,im Jacksonville. Both stations will air the full slate of FOX Sports Radio programs. These format flips spell the end of the “Accion Radio Network” airing Spanish-language news/talk and information. iHeartMedia North Florida area president Paul Rogers says, “We remain fully committed to providing the best quality entertainment and information to the Hispanic residents on the First Coast and will continue to explore ways we can increase our impact there. The opportunity to return the FOX Sports brand to its original home on AM 930 in Jacksonville was simply too good to pass up. Its appeal cuts across and unites every segment of our community.”

Industry News

WXYT-FM, Detroit’s Mike Stone Signs Off

Longtime Detroit sports media personality Mike Stone, a.k.a., Stoney, co-hosted his last show on Friday (2/16) as he retires from Audacy’s WXYT-FM, Detroit “97.1 The Ticket.” The Detroit News report says,im “He arrived in the area in 1986, and in 1994, he helped launch WDFN ‘The Fan.’ In the late 1990s, he teamed with Bob Wojnowski for the ‘Stoney and Wojo Show,’ that made Stone a household name for decades to come.” Stone told his listeners, “I am somewhat sad that I will not be on the air every day. But I know that sadness ends when there’s no fricking alarm at 4:30 in the morning.” Read the Detroit News’ coverage here.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

PodcastOne acquires the exclusive sales and distribution rights to “Camp Counselors with Zachariah Porter and Jonathan Carson.” The podcast first launched in 2022 and has released nearly 100 episodes to date. PodcastOne president and co-founder Kit Gray says, “We’re thrilled to welcome ‘Camp Counselors with Zachariah Porter and Jonathan Carson’ to our network at PodcastOne. Zachariah and Jonathan have created a great comedic podcast, and we’re looking forward to putting our considerable marketing and ad sales strength behind the show to grow its listenership and revenue potential.”

Multimedia sports platform OutKick says January data from Comscore credits it with 7.1 million total multiplatform unique visitors, up 22% versus December 2023. It also delivered 33 million total multiplatform views in January 2024, up 29% versus December 23, and saw 33 million total multiplatform minutes, up 27% versus the prior month. OutKick founder Clay Travis says, “We kick off the year once again with numbers that not only speak to the platform’s growth but our commitment to providing engaging content to our audience. OutKick is the only destination for common-sense reporting with talent that’s unafraid to speak their minds on any topic. I’m looking forward to an exciting year and continuing to drive the conversation.”

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend

The presidential race and questions about President Joe Biden’s age and his fitness; the legal battles facing former President Donald Trump and the Fani Willis misconduct hearings; the U.S. migrant crisis; Russia takes the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka and the death of Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny; the Israel-Hamas war and the International Court of Justice hears arguments over Israel’s occupation of territory claimed by Palestinians; FBI warnings about Chinese hackers targeting U.S. infrastructure; and the report of Russia’s planned space-based nuclear weapons were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Nielsen: Radio Can Grow Reach of Political Campaigns

Audacy SVP and head of research & insights Idil Cakim dives into a new political study by Nielsen (commissioned by iHeartMedia, Audacy and Cumulus) that suggests advertising on radio can provide political campaigns with an edge and help “connect with key voter groups and amplify other political advertising.” The Nielsen study – Optimizing Political Campaigns in November – concludes that “if a campaign reallocated 20% of existing ad dollars to radio, it couldim reach 17% more voters.” The study references Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman’s 2022 campaign, noting that it deployed radio to reach voters in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In doing so, it allocated 20% of media dollars to radio and generated a 10% lift from radio above the local TV campaign, amounting to 676,000 additional voters at no extra cost. Audacy SVP of strategy, partnerships and analytics Jon Blum says, “When campaigns activate a TV plan, they should activate a corresponding radio plan and incorporate it into the mix with TV. The portion of the population that isn’t reachable via TV could be the swing vote and what throws it over the top for a candidate.” Nielsen’s study noted that if a campaign moved 20% of ad spending to radio, the optimized media plan would connect with 15% more Democratic and Republican voters and 23% more unaffiliated voters. See more about the study here.

Industry News

FOX News Media Promotes Two to Ad Sales Leadership Team

FOX News Media names a new advertising sales leadership team. Trey Gargano rises to EVP of ad sales, overseeing all FNM platforms, including FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, FOX Newsim Digital, FOX News Audio, FOX Weather and FOX Nation. He takes over for Jeff Collins, who was recently elevated to president of the division for FOX imCorporation. Additionally, Ryan Roelle is promoted to SVP of national sales where she will focus on endemic and national advertising in addition to leading linear and digital sales across the country. In making the announcement, Collins says, “Over the past four years, Trey’s vast knowledge and deep understanding of the news marketplace helped drive new revenue streams while Ryan has increased the effectiveness and performance of our endemic and national sales teams. Together, they will ensure continued growth across FOX News Media platforms and success for our valued partners.”

Industry News

WSCR, Chicago to Present “QB1 Town Hall”

Audacy sports talk WSCR-AM, Chicago “670 The Score” is addressing what’s on every Chicago sports fan’s mind as it presents a live broadcast of the “Parkins & Spiegel Show” (Danny Parkins and Matt Spiegel) called, “QB1 Town Hall.” The Wednesday (2/21) broadcast looks at whether the Chicago Bearsim should keep quarterback Justin Fields or trade him in the upcoming draft for the #1 pick. Parkins and Spiegel will kick off the discussion from Audacy Chicago’s Blue Cross Blue Shield Performance Stage from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Football experts and a live audience will join Parkins and Spiegel to weigh in on the looming decision. “The Score” ran a contest this week for a chance to attend the “QB1 Town Hall.” These winners will make up the crowd that will have the opportunity take part in the debate. WSCR VP of programming Mitch Rosen says, “This decision will determine the entire season’s trajectory and the fans are passionate about their views on it. We’re looking forward to opening up this conversation to our listeners and Bears faithful.” The show is being made available via the Audacy app & website, the station’s Twitch, and YouTube channels.

Industry News

FOX News Digital Leads News Set in Multiplatform Views and Minutes

FOX News Digital reports that, according to data from Comscore, it finished January continuing its streak as the top news brand with both multiplatform views and minutes. FOX News Digital closed outim the month reaching 3.27 billion total multiplatform minutes, compared to CNN.com’s 1.85 billion, and NYTimes.com’s 1.59 billion. FOX News Media attracted 1.66 billion total multiplatform views, compared to NYTimes.com’s 1.49 billion, and CNN.com’s 1.17 billion. When it comes to total digital unique visitors – similar to radio’s cume – CNN.com still holds the lead with 112.7 million. But FOX News Digital (109.7 million) has gradually been gaining ground on CNN.