Ongoing Coverage of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond
The 27th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest running, and most important national event took place on Friday, June 7 at Hofstra University on Long Island. TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond was an advance sellout. The power-packed, one-day agenda featured a roster of more than 60 speakers from all ends of the talk radio and related talk media industries including talent, station owners, CEOs, programmers, technical experts, journalists, syndicators, and a wide variety of visionaries. The annual talk media industry tradition was presented by TALKERS in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio and Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Key discussions included “Gaining Traction in a Noisy World,” “The Case for AM Radio,” “Generating News/Talk Revenue in the Digital Era,” “The State of Sports Talk Radio,” “The Brave New World of Technological and Generational Change,” “Programming News/Talk Radio,” “Perspectives on Hosting Television Talk,” “Philanthropy and Community Service,” “The Art of Story Telling,” “Talk Radio Programming Opportunities Beyond Politics,” “Meeting the Challenges of Being a Talk Talent,” “The Big Picture of Radio’s Role in a Rapidly Changing World,” and “The State of the First Amendment” among others. As the volumes of data generated by this gathering are sorted out, TALKERS will provide in-depth, detailed coverage of the conference in the days and weeks ahead including posting videos of its key segments. See a selection of photos from TALKERS 2024 Radio and Beyond below.
Super-agent, Heather Cohen, president of the Weiss Agency (l) pictured with her super-client Fred Toucher, morning co-host on WBZ-FM “98.5 The Sports Hub” Boston (r) at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Cohen spoke on the “Brave New World” panel and Toucher was the fireside chat guest on “The State of Sports Talk Radio.”
New England power couple: Howie and Kathy Carr played important roles at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Howie Carr, host, the Howie Carr Radio Network (l) was this year’s recipient of the Jim Bohannon Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement (2024 TALKERS Lifetime Achievement Award) in addition to speaking on the “Behind the Mic” panel discussion. Kathy Carr, president, the Howie Carr Radio Network (r) appeared on the “Generating News Talk Revenue in the Digital Era” panel.
This great shot of Chris Oliviero, market president, Audacy New York was captured in the ever-buzzing hallway of Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication – home of TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Oliviero spoke on the panel, “The Big Picture.”
Former recipient of the TALKERS Humanitarian of the Year award, Larry Young, host, WOLB, Baltimore (l) is pictured with his assistant Vernon Streeter (r). Young presented a stirring tribute to the late talk radio legend Joe Madison of SiriusXM Satellite Radio, who passed away earlier this year.
Kraig T. Kitchin, CEO, Sound Mind, LCC and co-chair, Radio Hall of Fame (l) is pictured right outside Hofstra University’s “Studio A” soundstage with TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond producer/director Michael Harrison (r). Kitchin – last year’s recipient of the TALKERS Lifetime Achievement award – spoke on the “Big Picture” panel which was moderated by Harrison.
Longtime WPHT, Philadelphia superstar, Dom Giordano smiles for the TALKERS camera during one of the very quick breaks between sessions at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond. Giordano, the “dean of Philadelphia talk radio” spoke on the “Behind the Mic” panel.
Under the lights: Another segment of the capacity crowd of attendees at TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond is pictured in the Hofstra University Lawrence Herbert School of Communication “Studio A” TV soundstage where the entire event was captured on video. TALKERS will begin posting the video recordings of the conference next week bringing its exciting content to a worldwide audience.
More pictures from TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond — as well as videos of panels and presentations — still to come!
Regularly Scheduled Newscast; James Golden a.k.a. Bo Snerdley – Best Editorial/Commentary; “Back the Blue – A Tribute to the NYPD” – Best Live On Scene; Curtis Sliwa
average downloads for shows that opt in. This month sees the inclusion of iHeart Audience Network podcasts and a lot of shows debuting on the chart for the first time. Some of those include “Stuff You Should Know” at #6, “The Breakfast Club” at #16, “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” at #26, “The Sean Hannity Show” at #63, and “The Jesse Kelly Show” at #84. 
the FCC’s requirement to do a foreign ownership review and Audacy’s request that the FCC grant a limited waiver of that review in order to more speedily exit Chapter 11. This request is under heavy scrutiny due to the political aspects of the case. Carr recently told the Post that the FCC should not allow a “Soros shortcut” – a term used by the Media Research Center in its Petition to Deny filed with the Commission – but must follow FCC procedure. Audacy argued in its opposition to the Petition to Deny that there is nothing unique about this request, saying that the FCC “granting a limited waiver deferring its foreign ownership review to facilitate a licensee’s prompt emergence from bankruptcy is consistent with the Communications Act.” Audacy adds that the notion that the limited waiver is new “completely ignores longstanding precedent establishing the Commission-approved special warrant process used in a number of prior transactions to allow licensees to emerge from bankruptcy promptly, while affording the Commission sufficient opportunity to review foreign ownership issues post-emergence.” 
two-hour special prior to the June 27th presidential debate from Atlanta. From 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Salem talk hosts Mike Gallagher, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, and Hugh Hewitt will “provide scene-setting commentary and analysis” and will interact with a live Atlanta audience. (The debate itself will have no in-studio audience and CNN is not giving Salem permission to broadcast the actual debate.) Mike Gallagher will host a 30-minute debate wrap-up beginning at 10:30 pm ET.
industry, and I’m delighted to welcome him to our board. His input will be valuable as we continue to deliver aid to our colleagues who are in desperate need.” Forgy comments, “I have always believed in giving back to the industry that has allowed me to be of service to local communities. Colleagues who have fallen on extremely difficult circumstances need and deserve our support. I am honored to serve on the board and contribute to the Foundation’s charitable mission.”
Trump… I’ll make the tough budget cuts that scare the career politicians. We’ll fix the way we fund schools so suburban parents pay less property tax. Give kids an education at school, not indoctrination. We’ll stop Joe Biden from using our state as a dumping ground for his illegals and end the handouts they get from Phil Murphy and weak sellout Republicans.” Townsquare Media says Spadea will continue to host his program until he becomes a legally qualified candidate. The company says, “We are sensitive to the legal parameters attendant in keeping a broadcast personality on air while they are seeking public office. Accordingly, we have taken steps and imposed guidelines to ensure that Bill’s on-air presence over the coming months and until he becomes a legally qualified candidate are in accordance with New Jersey election law, applicable FCC guidance, and industry standards and best practices for such circumstances.”
Mason, a visionary leader who has successfully guided our sports station for the past four years, is now poised to bring the same focus, passion, and energy to our news/talk station – ‘SuperTalk 99.7 WTN.’ With an exciting blend of local hosts delivering both local and national stories in an informative and engaging manner, Paul is ready to lead this station to new heights. As we recently launched the SuperTalk YouTube channel, we anticipate continued dominance in spoken word content under Paul’s steady guidance. I would be remiss if I did not at the same time thank Dan Mandis for his outstanding leadership of the station over the last 10 years. Dan has successfully managed both the station, especially through challenging times, and breaking news while maintaining hosting duties and we look forward to letting him settle into his weekday morning show.” Mason comments, “SuperTalk 99.7 WTN’s reputation in the news/talk format is among the elite. Dan Mandis has built a strong brand, and I look forward to working alongside not only Dan, but with the entire on-air staff (Chris Hand, Matt Murphy, and Brian Wilson), and our producers. The recent launch of SuperTalk TV has positioned WTN to continue to be a leader in news/talk. WTN has loyal clients and listeners, and we are committed to bringing stories, news, and opinions in a meaningful and engaging way. I’m humbled and thankful for the trust Allison Warren, Brian Phillips, and John Dimick have in me to lead spoken word at Cumulus Nashville.”
brand manager Drew Anderssen states, “We know our listeners trust KRLD for news updates, and now more than ever, where you get your information matters. We’re excited to bring Chad and his wildly popular show to KRLD and deliver trusted news and insights to our listeners. His conversational, informative, and funny takes on issues will be a refreshing addition to our weekday programming.” Benson comments, “I’m so excited to be a part of KRLD, a legendary station with a long history in DFW and North Texas. I look forward to connecting with listeners about the biggest issues we’re facing today.”
-CBS Radio’s talk KLXS-FM before the company dropped the talk format, which led to Leykis forming his The New Normal Network in 2012 and distributing his show online to subscribers. The Daily News story indicates that Leykis – who turns 68 in August – decided it was time to call it quits, saying, “A long time ago, I realized I did not want to be like some of the hosts I heard in the past — begging for callers, stretching for topics. I wanted to go out on my terms when I wanted. So, I did.” Leykis produced the final edition of his show in mid-May. 
House beat, the President of the United States’ national and international activities and the issues impacting the administration. She will also continue co-hosting FOX News Audio’s “FOX News Rundown” podcast. At the same time, the company promotes Peter Doocy to senior White House correspondent. In this role, he’ll continue to provide coverage of the President of the United States’ domestic and international activities as well as the issues that affect the administration.
When market leaders drop rates, what comes next?
California Science Center in Los Angeles tomorrow (6/18) live from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm PT and the program will be broadcast live on C-SPAN. The event is being moderated by Smiley Audio Media chief and KBLA talk host Tavis Smiley and will feature leaders of the nation’s climate and environmental justice community. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will offer remarks and Dr. Cornel West will deliver remarks on the intersection of Climate Justice and Juneteenth. 
major market sales at Paycor. iHeartMedia Minneapolis market president Greg Alexander comments, “Eric Lonnquist is a seasoned sales professional in the Minneapolis market. His extensive background in media sales, combined with his leadership roles in major market sales makes him the perfect fit for our team. We are excited to have Eric lead our sales strategy and drive our continued success across our iconic broadcast and digital platforms.” 
who will be honored at the ceremony on September 19, at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Six of the inductees were elected by a voting participant panel comprised of more than 900 industry professionals and two inductees were voted on by the Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. This year’s inductees are: “The Crook & Chase Countdown” (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase); Lee Harris; Phil Hendrie; Jaime Jarrin; Kraig Kitchin; Barry Mayo; Mary McCoy; and Matt Siegel. 
women sports athletes and relevant programming to millions of listeners nationwide, and also unlock access to inventory and opportunities for brands to engage.” iHM chief marketing officer Gayle Troberman says, “We’re committed to championing incredible athletes and building further awareness until women’s sports reaches the kind of nationwide and international prominence it has always deserved. It’s humbling and inspiring that the first-ever, dedicated women’s sports reports will start airing with the massive reach of iHeart’s broadcast radio platform and the full-on power of collaboration between world class athletes, incredible journalists, podcasters and the fans. This is a pivotal moment for women’s sports to get heard.” Content will include: “Good Game with Sarah Spain,” and shows hosted by Sheryl Swoopes, Tisha Alyn, Madison Packer, Rennae Stubbs, Caitlin Thompson, and Khristina Williams. 
media on the costs and impacts of unintentional shootings by Black children in America. BIN president Tony Coles states, “This campaign is a shining example of the role community leaders play in the programming on the Black Information Network. This topic has been a part of so many stories we have aired, and keeping children and families safe is vital to the communities we serve. Bringing this campaign to life started with the BIN Local Roundtable and would not be possible without them.” The BIN Local Roundtable was designed as a forum for business and civic leaders from local communities across the U.S. to provide perspective and collaborate with BIN’s leadership team regarding the network’s programming and local engagement.
The fourth of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s May 2024 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. The survey covered April 25 through May 22. Today, TALKERS managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeways from this group of markets. In Austin, Waterloo Media’s news/talk KLBJ-AM is steady with a 4.4 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and remains ranked #7, while in Raleigh, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WTKK-FM adds a full share for an 8.3 share and climbs to the #2 rank, and in Indianapolis, Urban One’s news/talk WIBC-FM rises 1.2 shares for a 6.9 share finish that lifts it to the #4 rank. In Milwaukee, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WISN posts its ninth straight #1 rank after adding 1.8 shares to finish with a 12.1 share.