Audacy Negotiating with Lenders for Bankruptcy Filing
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal and picked up by various financial publications including The Business Journals, Audacy will file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after several months of discussions with its lenders. In what is termed a pre-packaged bankruptcy deal because it comes with
the blessing of the lenders, the company will be owned by those same lenders. Audacy’s debt is approximately $2 billion. It began talks with lenders in October after the company sought and received amendments to its credit facilities because it is unable to make interest payments due largely to the industry-wide downturn in advertising revenue. The 2017 acquisition of the CBS Radio assets is cited among industry watchers as the move that pushed Audacy into its currently precarious situation.
last trading day of its common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market will be on or about January 18, 2024. Further, prior to March 29, 2024, the company intends to file a Form 15 with the SEC to suspend its reporting obligations under Sections 12(g) and 15(d) of the Exchange Act. In June of 2023, Salem lost compliance with NASDAQ as its stock price slipped below the minimum bid price and never regained compliance and consequently Salem’s board of directors determined that the voluntary delisting is in the best interests of the company and its stockholders. Salem says it anticipates significant financial savings because of this decision. Salem expects that its Class A Common Stock will be quoted on the OTCQX or other market operated by OTC Markets Group Inc.
president she’ll continue to lead the sales efforts and is adding oversight of programming and general operations for iHeartMedia Madison, working closely with Dan Lenz, SVP of sales at iHeartMedia Milwaukee. She reports to Jeff Tyler, metro president for iHeartMedia Wisconsin. He says, “I have been nothing but impressed with Monica’s command of company goals and assets and the respect she has earned from every member of the iHeartMedia Madison team. She will be a valuable addition to the overall leadership team of iHeartMedia and a smart, creative partner for our advertising and vendor partners.”
sales. Castor served with then-Entercom Wichita in 2005. Most recently he served as VP of sales and marketing for the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder. Audacy Wichita SVP and market manager Becky Domyan states, “Tommy has an incredible knowledge of the digital space that will help take our revenue to the next level. He has an energy and enthusiasm that is contagious.” Castor who succeeds the recently retired Lisa Crider, also serves as co-host of the “Sports Daily” program on KFH, Wichita. 
million in personal income from the IRS. She has agreed to pay $2.5 million in restitution, plus interest, but is asking for probation or home confinement instead of prison, citing “ongoing health concerns.” But prosecutors say the government needs to send a message of deterrence consistent with the “median length of imprisonment for crimes like the one she committed,” which is 21 months. In pleading guilty, Susan Patrick said her husband and business partner Larry Patrick, and other business partners, were not aware of her actions. 
anchor of the “WBAP Morning News” with co-anchors Hal Jay and Ernie Brown. News pro James Parker also joins WBAP as afternoon host in the 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm daypart. He was most recently a television personality in Tyler, Texas. Laura Sadler joins the “KLIF-AM Morning News” as co-anchor with Clayton Neville, and Gabrielle Taite joins Cumulus Dallas-Fort Worth’s newsroom. She previously worked in Athens, Georgia in television news. Cumulus regional VP Dan Bennett comments, “As we move into a critical election year, these talent moves and an FM frequency for WBAP speak to our commitment to spoken-word radio. We will carry our stations on a variety of signals and streaming to improve accessibility of this outstanding news and talk content to our listeners. 2024 will be a great year for news/talk.”
Music, and it reached #1 in the Business category on Spotify in 2023. Program co-host Dave Ramsey says, “Thank you to everyone who works daily on our show. And thanks to all our listeners for choosing to spend your time with the Ramsey personalities and me. I’m honored.” On the program, Ramsey is joined each day by a rotating cast of co-hosts, including Rachel Cruze, Ken Coleman, Jade Warshaw, George Kamel and Dr. John Delony. The Ramsey Network says that in 2023, callers to the show paid off more than $36 million in debt, inspiring the millions of people that listen to the show on podcast and radio or watch on YouTube. 
Worth, news/talk WBAL, Baltimore to name a few. Beasley Media Group Philadelphia VP and market manager Joe Bell comments, “Scott is one of the premiere programmers in sports talk radio. I have been a fan for years and feel he’s the right person to continue developing the Fanatic brand.” Masteller says, “I am excited to partner with Beasley and the talented staff of ‘97.5 The Fanatic.’ Philadelphia is such a great sports town with some of the most passionate fans in the country!”
tomorrow (1/4). Audacy San Diego SVP and market manager Michael Valenzuela says, “We’re excited to kick off the next era of our station’s midday 
programming with the additions of two seasoned broadcasters in Annie and Craig. We have no doubt their vast knowledge of this city’s sports scene will add extraordinary value to our local content offering and can’t wait to see them get the ball rolling.” Heilbrunn says, “I’m so excited for this opportunity and eager to contribute to the impressive lineup already established at ‘97.3 The Fan.’” Elsten adds, “I couldn’t be more excited to be partnered with someone as talented and respected as Annie. To do so on ‘97.3 The Fan’ is the perfect pairing. I know we will work hard to make middays a fun place to hang out every day and a great place to talk Padres.”
director and operations manager Matt Fishman says, “Tim’s extensive background in the sports talk format is invaluable as we continue to grow ‘97.1 The Fan’ and ‘1460 ESPN’ here in Columbus. I look forward to watching Tim grow in this new role and seeing his impact on the team and the overall product.” Station manager Cody Welling adds, “For the last several months, Tim has expressed the interest and ability to grow as a broadcaster and as a programmer. As ‘97.1 The Fan’ continues to innovate as one of the elite sports radio properties in the United States, I’m excited to see the contributions that Tim will deliver for our station and the community.”
flexibility rarely found in corporate-structured environments.” Duties include: Managing the station’s audio image via branding, focusing on timely and frequent updates; overseeing social media and creating content that relates to the station’s brand and target audience; hosting a daily on-air shift; proficiency with Google’s G Suite, Selector, and Wide Orbit Automation system; and coaching staff. Learn more at 
illness. She writes, “It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Ian Punnett passed away from a brief illness yesterday. His keen intellect and delightful sense of humor will be deeply missed. Since 2000, Ian has, in various incarnations, been a valued host of ‘Coast to Coast AM,’ including regular weekend hosting duties, his own spin-off show ‘Coast to Coast LIVE with Ian Punnett,’ a podcast entitled ‘Vaudeville for the Frightened,’ and most recently twice a month hosting duties. I’ve had the privilege of producing for Ian these past 24 years, and I will miss our friendship and the professional collaboration. Every conversation behind the scenes was as lively and entertaining and everything we strive for on the air. Ian was great radio personified.” 
original, starting with the company in August of 1996 as one of the first six 
MSNBC, along with topping The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, PBS and NPR. The poll results show 13% of respondents cited FOX News as the single news source they turn to most often, tying broadcast networks like CBS, NBC and ABC, while besting CNN (10%) and MSNBC (3%). For comparison, public news organizations (like PBS and NPR) delivered 4%, national news organizations such as The New York Times and Wall Street Journal garnered 8%, while international news sources like the BBC, Al Jazeera and The Guardian earned 3%.
told by Audacy management he’s being let go as the company is looking for a change in middays and wants a “less caller-driven show.” Kentera adds, “I prepare like crazy, I think my show is good, well-received, so I was stunned when I was told I was being fired.” The 65-year-old Kentera has been in radio for 40 years, the last four with KWFN-FM and says he does not plan to retire. “I’m going to look for an opportunity in sports… in or out of the radio business. I’m not done yet.” 
and help people instead of just jawboning and complaining about everything.’ And she was right. So ‘Gallagher’s Heroes – The Fallen Officers Fund’ was created (which assists the families of law enforcement killed in the line of duty and publishes The First Responders Bible) as well as several other charities we help on an annual basis. Each holiday season we partner with Prison Fellowship and get Christmas presents, Bibles and a personalized message from an incarcerated parent delivered to thousands of children. So far this year, my audience has donated over $160,000 which will benefit 6,400 children of prisoners. Over the last few years, my listeners have contributed over $2.5 million to Prison Fellowship. I’m so humbled and blessed to have such a loving, generous audience. It makes it a joy to come to work. And I get to carry my late wife’s wish in my heart. I’m a lucky guy.” Gallagher is not the only SRN host helping the Prison Fellowship cause. Sebastian Gorka is also working hard to promote the organization’s efforts. 
Dick Gregory once told me, ‘Don’t let fear get in the way.’ Thanks to early detection and proton treatment, my cancer went into remission for a long time. Unfortunately, earlier this year the cancer resurfaced. With the unwavering support of my wife Sherry, my family, and the incredible team at SiriusXM, I was able to continue our daily broadcasts. However, upon preparing to return from the Thanksgiving hiatus my health took an adverse turn, making it challenging to host a four-hour live show every day. Currently, I am taking time to focus on my well-being. During this time, SiriusXM will continue to air ‘Madison Classics’ at our regularly scheduled time. I am sincerely grateful for your outpouring of well wishes and support. Sherry and I are spending the holidays with our children and grandchildren. We ask for privacy during this period and extend our warmest wishes to you all for a blessed holiday season.” 
more than 30 years. The 71-year-old Humphreys has planned to retire for some time, and he tells the paper that he and his wife Bev, who’s battling cancer, want to spend more time together. Humphreys’ career in OKC sports talk is one that parallels the growth of sports radio in the U.S. Interestingly, he and FOX Sports’ Skip Bayless are boyhood friends who remain close to this day. 
HD3 at 100.1 FM and WRAT-HD3 at 95.9 FM in the Monmouth-Ocean New Jersey market. Beasley Media Group News Jersey SVP and regional market manager Daniel A. Finn comments, “We currently broadcast FOX Sports Radio in Middlesex-Somerset-Union on 93.5 FM/1450 AM (WCTC) and expanding the brand down the Jersey Shore is very exciting.”
result, NBCUniversal News Group’s “Dateline NBC” is ranked #1, audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” remains at #2, Wondery’s “Morbid” is #3, and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” is steady at #4. Other talk radio-related programs of note include Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” steady at #12 and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Mark Levin Show” down three spots from the October ranker at #16. Triton Digital’s ranker is based on average weekly downloads and ranks participating networks. 
reporter for the network’s affiliate news service FOX News Edge since 2021. Throughout her tenure with FOX News Edge, she reported from Jerusalem on the Israeli-Hamas war as well as the Uvalde mass shooting, Hurricane Ian, and the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. 
director at WIVB-TV, Buffalo and served as a weekend anchor at WBEN-AM in 2002 and at sister WGR-AM in 1999. Audacy Buffalo SVP and market manager Tim Wenger states, “Lisa’s extraordinary background in leading award-winning content generation in local television news will be invaluable for WBEN as it continues to evolve as the radio station that’s always there when the community needs it the most. I look forward to Lisa taking an already stellar brand to new heights.”
an hour of the radio program “The Todd Starnes Show.” Additionally, Todd Starnes is hosting an exclusive, one-hour television program on Newsmax 2. Starnes says, “I’m honored to be a part of the great lineup at Newsmax. And it’s exciting to see the synergy between radio and television.” Next month, Starnes’ radio program launches in Houston on KYST-AM “920 Patriot Talk.”
several other KNBR staffers were released from the station in a budget move. Santangelo’s first shift on “The Game” will be as a fill-in host for Dan Dibley on the afternoon drive show “Willard and Dibs” tomorrow (12/21). Also let go from KNBR last month was digital team member Jake Hutchinson, who recently joined “The Game” in a similar capacity. He says, “I am truly grateful to Audacy and 95.7 for this opportunity and recognition of what I bring to the table. The people I’ve worked next to from 95.7 have always been motivated, innovative and encouraging. They were enormously fun to share press boxes and interview rooms with, and I am ecstatic to now be able to work with them.” 
that the company trains its agents to not take 
As TALKERS magazine reported yesterday, rock radio personality Jim Ladd died over the weekend at age 75 after suffering a heart attack. In remembering Ladd and his contributions to the radio industry, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents a profile piece on Ladd that he wrote years ago while serving as special features editor for Inside Radio.