Industry News

Doug Stephan’s Good Day Adds New Affiliates

Good Day Networks announces that the “Good Day with Doug Stephan and Jai Kershner” morning program adds 21 affiliate stations. New stations include: WPRR-AM, Bradenton, Florida; KREI-AM, Farmington, Missouri; KSWM-AM, Aurora, Missouri; KKTX-AM, Corpus Christi; KLOO-AM/FM, Corvallis, Oregon; WWNR-AM/FM, Beckley, West Virginia; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, Wisconsin; KSYL-AM/FM, Alexandria, Louisiana; KCLV-AM, Clovis, New Mexico; KNUA-AM/FM, Salina, Kansas; KOFI-AM/FM, Kalispell, Montana; WZNU-AM/FM, St. George, Utah; WGEZ-AM/FM, Beloit, Wisconsin. The “Good Day” show is part of the USA Radio network and is built as a morning show that can be time-shifted for use in all dayparts.

Industry News

San Jose Earthquakes to Air on “810 AM The Spread”

Cumulus Media announces that Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes matches will air on KGO-AM, San Francisco “810 AM The Spread,” which will serve as the club’s new English-language flagship radio station. Matches were previously aired on sports talk KNBR. The Earthquakes will also continue to be heard in Spanish on “La Kaliente” 1370 AM/KZSF-AM. KGO program director Kevin Graham says, “Cumulus San Francisco is thrilled to continue our partnership with the San Jose Earthquakes for the seventh straight year and broadcast their matches this season on the all-new KGO-AM. With The Spread’s powerful signal and strong digital assets including the station’s app, more Quakes fans in Northern California will be able to listen and engage than ever before.” Ted Ramey – KCBS-AM reporter and host of KGO-AM’s “The Soccer Hour” – will serve as the primary play-by-play voice for home and away broadcasts and Joe Cannon will serve as the color analyst for home matches.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

— Saga Communications, Inc. will release its fourth quarter and year end 2022 financial results at 9:00 am ET on Thursday, March 9. The company will also hold a conference call on the same day at 11:00 am ET.

— SiriusXM renews the weekly program “Let’s Go!” that stars Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray. It will air each week on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio and SiriusXM NFL Radio channels. Following those airings, the full-length podcast versions of Gray’s extended conversations with Brady and Fitzgerald will be available in the SXM App.

— Audacy’s Cadence13 and Parallel are producing a 15-part podcast series “This Little Light,” created and hosted by Red Hot Chili Peppers founding member Flea. The series is about falling in love with music, music education, and finding beauty in the chaos of the creative process. Flea, co-founder of the nonprofit Silverlake Conservatory of Music, invites musical guests from all genres to talk about how they fell in love with music, including the teachers that guided them, the influences that inspired them, and how the lessons they learned as young musicians have shaped their creativity, resilience, and careers. Guests range from legends to rising stars, and include Rick Rubin, Patti Smith, Thundercat, Margo Price and Cynthia Erivo.

— iHeartMedia and the NBA announce the new podcast, “Maxey On The Mic,” hosted by Philadelphia 76ers guard and 23-year-old Texas native Tyrese Maxey. Maxey says, “I’m thrilled to tip off my new podcast and can’t wait to tap in with my lineup of amazing guests. I’ve always wanted to do something like this and I’m grateful to the NBA and iHeartMedia for giving me this amazing platform.”

Industry Views

The Power of Magical Contesting

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, Sterling on Sunday

Radio is good at contests. TV and print suck at contests. However, when listeners are asked why they tune to radio, contests are at the bottom of the list.

Contests are at the bottom because the question is not worded correctly. Dozens of focus groups reveal that nobody admits to entering radio contests. Wrong question. We changed the question: “Most people enter radio station contests, which ones have you entered?

Nine out of 10 hands shot up – all groups all demos. Every time.  That’s not the news. The news is that all participants STILL HAD THE PRIZE.  Yes, they kept it as a valued treasure.

The contesters remembered the station, the time they won and the DJ, even if they won 20 years ago. Why? Because it was their brush with show business magic. Radio makes magic. The more magic radio makes, the greater its engagement with listeners.

There is no magic awarding “$1,000 in our national contest.” Imagine following the $1,000 station promo with a news story about $2 billion Powerball drawings. Radio cannot compete for prize money, but radio can compete with magic. Yes, the research will show that most people want to win cash, but radio can’t give away enough cash to be memorable or emotional. Radio can make magic with creativity for very little money.

At the end of this column I’ll share with you the most magical contest ever produced by a radio station. To make magic first dive into the list of needs in a person’s mind. In 1974! I launched the first PAY YOUR RENT OR MORTGAGE contest. It was on WOR-FM in New York City.  Every winner came to the station to pick up their check and made the same statement, “I bet no one else had a bigger rent.” The rent or mortgage payment looms so large in our collective brain that it is overwhelming. What else looms large in your listener’s brain -solve the need, award the prize. Turn the $1,000 cash from corporate into something cool and top of mind.

For true engagement, award a specific element from your station or show. For example, Robert Clotworthy is the VO announcer on History Channel’s Ancient Aliens and The Curse of Oak Island. You know the voice. Clotworthy is a frequent guest on my show, “Sterling on Sunday.”  As a prize, we offer Robert to voice your voice mail greeting: “IS PETER A REMNANT FROM OUR DISTANT PAST? ANCIENT ALIEN THEORISTS SAY…LEAVE A MESSAGE.”

Every winner will be asked by their friends “How did you get that???”

Three keys to a successful contest: The prize, the prize, the prize. Very important: The magic of the right prize benefits the overall appeal of the station to every listener, not just contest players. That urgent suggestion is rooted in this astonishing fact first revealed by early PPM data: Contest players are primarily contest players. The PPM measures actual people and actual behaviors. Most contest players float to ANY station offering contest prizes. When the contest is over, the players migrate to the next station offering a contest prize.

This is the most magical contest ever produced, please listen to the whole, humbling aircheck. https://youtu.be/yt3io2nFlt4

 Walter Sabo, consultant, can be contacted at Sabo Media: walter@sabomedia.com. Direct phone: 646-678-1110.  Check out www.waltersterlingshow.com.

Industry News

Round Two of January PPMs Released

Barry Farber - usedThe second of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s January 2023 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Washington, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, Denver, Baltimore, and St. Louis. Nielsen’s January 2023 sweep covered January 5 – February 1. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Washington, DC, Cumulus Media news/talk WMAL-FM adds four-tenths for a 3.8 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) finish and remains ranked #7, while Hubbard Broadcasting’s crosstown all news WTOP-FM is up eight-tenths for a 8.6 share finish that lifts it to the #2 rank. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WRKO rises nine-tenths to wrap the survey with a 3.7 share that boosts it to the #11 spot as sister all-news WBZ-AM jumps half a share to finish with a 5.3 share good for the #5 rank. In Seattle, Bonneville’s news/talk KIRO-FM tacks on six-tenths to finish with a 6.1 share and jumps to the #2 rank, while Lotus Communications’ crosstown all-news combo KNWN-AM/FM is flat at 5.5, and repeats in the #3 rank. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways here.

Industry News

KNX-FM, Los Angeles Produces Town Hall on Post-Pandemic Learning

Audacy’s all-news KNX-FM, Los Angeles produced a live town hall on Tuesday (2/21) titled, “A Generation Lost,” that brought together students and experts to illuminate the unseen impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on education and the workforce. The one-hour event was held in the Audacy SoundSpace on Los Angeles’s Miracle Mile. Mike Simpson, host of “LA’s Morning News” on KNX, and Charles Feldman, host of “KNX In Depth” and “LA’s Afternoon News” served as moderators. Audacy Southern California regional president Jeff Federman says, “There is no issue of more universal importance to our communities. It was important that we use our platform at KNX News to ensure parents and teens know they’re not alone in adjusting to a new reality.” Panelists included students Montserrat Hidalgo, Sarah Mian, and Alex Bielanski who discussed their first-hand experiences of how the pandemic shutdowns affected their education, social development, and mental health. Other panelists were Long Beach Unified School District superintendent Jill Baker, UCLA director of undergraduate admissions Gary Clark, Los Angeles Trade Tech College dean Chito Cajayon, and Stanford University professor Sean Reardon. You can see it on demand here.

Industry News

NPR Announces Workforce Cuts

As reported by NPR’s own David Folkenflik, the public radio corporation is announcing it will trim its workforce by about 10%. NPR CEO John Lansing revealed the plans to staffers in a memo. Folkenflik reports that the laying off of at least 100 staffers is due to “the erosion of advertising dollars, particularly for NPR podcasts, and the tough financial outlook for the media industry more generally.” Lansing writes, “When we say we are eliminating filled positions, we are talking about our colleagues – people whose skills, spirit and talents help make NPR what it is today. This will be a major loss.” The story goes on to state, “On an annual budget of roughly $300 million, Lansing says, revenues are likely to fall short by close to $30 million, although that gap could reach $32 million.” Folkenflik notes, “The layoffs are in keeping with an increasingly grim landscape for media companies over recent months. Vox Media cut jobs by 7%; Gannett and Spotify by 6%. The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, eliminated its Sunday magazine and a handful of other jobs. After becoming part of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN cut hundreds of jobs and killed off its brand-new streaming service, CNN+.” Read Folkenflik’s piece here.

Industry News

“98.5 The Sports Hub” Host Tony Massarotti Serving Suspension

WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” afternoon drive co-host Tony Massarotti is off the air this week serving a suspension for his racially insensitive comments made on last Friday’s program. As TALKERS reported on Tuesday (2/21), Massarotti – who co-hosts the show with Mike Felger – on Monday (2/20) apologized for his comments. You can see TALKERS coverage of that here.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

iHeartMedia’s news/talk WIOD, Miami reports that Florida Republican State Senator Blaise Ingoglia wants to designate a stretch of Cortez Boulevard between U.S. 41 and State Road 50 in Brooksville, Florida as “Rush Limbaugh Way.” He’s filed a name change bill for the regular legislative session that would take effect in July if passed.

Audacy, Inc. will report its 2022 fourth quarter financial results on Wednesday, March 15 before markets open. It will host a conference call and webcast at 10:00 am ET that morning to review the results and recent progress against its strategic initiatives.

Townsquare Media, Inc. will release fourth quarter 2022 financial results before the markets open on Thursday, March 9. It will host a conference call to discuss certain fourth quarter 2022 financial results at 8:00 am ET on that day.

SiriusXM announces its annual MLB Network Radio Spring Training Tour begins today (2/23) and run through March 11. SiriusXM says, “MLB Network Radio’s experts and insiders visit each MLB team camp, and Team USA as they prepare for the World Baseball Classic, to give listeners a comprehensive preview of every club. The MLB Network Radio Spring Training Tour will consist of one-hour shows, each dedicated to a single team. SiriusXM’s hosts – many of whom are former general managers or players – will interview players, managers and executives on location at various spring training ballparks and share an inside view of each club in preparation for the upcoming season.”

Industry News

GOP Hopefuls Visit WHO, Des Moines

The presidential quadrennial historically provides talk media hosts with a bonanza of content – especially for those in early caucus and primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire who get to actually have the stars of politics stop by in person or call in as guests. Pictured here is WHO, Des Moines afternoon drive talk host Simon Conway (right) with former South Carolina Governor and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley (left) during her recent visit to Iowa as her bid for the ’24 GOP presidential nomination begins. Conway tells TALKERS, “You can always tell when presidential season is truly up and running by exactly which candidates and potential candidates are showing up on WHO Radio’s ‘Simon Conway Show!’” Conway says that in addition to Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) appeared in studio and he expects former President Donald Trump to appear this week.

Industry News

Round One of January PPMs Released

The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s January 2023 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). Nielsen’s January 2023 sweep covered January 5 – February 1. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways for this group of markets. In New York, Red Apple Media news/talk WABC-AM/WLIR-FM rises eight-tenths for a 3.9 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) that lifts it to the #9 rank, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk WOR is up six-tenths for a 1.7 share finish good for the #19 rank. iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI, Los Angeles is off three-tenths, finishing with a 4.1 share and the #6 rank, while Audacy’s crosstown all-news KNX-FM tacks on three-tenths to wrap the survey with a 2.8 share good for the #9 rank. In Chicago, Nexstar Media Group’s news/talk WGN-AM adds six-tenths for a 3.4 share and the #9 rank, while Audacy’s crosstown all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM dips three-tenths for a 4.5 share finish and the #4 rank. Read Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways here.

Industry News

WWO: New Data Shows Sports Listeners More Engaged

In a new blog post from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group reveals data from new studies of the AM/FM radio audience for play-by-play sports. Westwood One says, “Two new studies reveal while NCAA March Madness games are available both on TV and AM/FM radio, each broadcast has a very different audience profile. The TV audience consists of casual sports fans. The AM/FM radio play-by-play audience is far more passionate and engaged. This distinction has a significant impact on advertising effectiveness.” Highlights of the analysis include: 1) NCAA Basketball AM/FM radio listeners are a desirable group of consumers: They are more likely to work full time and are younger than the average American; 2) The NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio audience is highly engaged with sports: MRI Simmons finds NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio listeners attend many sporting events, seek out sports information on their phones, and are likely to play fantasy sports. The high levels of engagement translate into greater advertising effectiveness; and 3) NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio listeners are likely to make purchases across key consumer categories: AM/FM radio delivers consumers who are likely to buy a new or used vehicle, switch insurance providers, move residence, and refinance their mortgage. See the complete study results here.

Industry News

KBLA, Los Angeles Talk Host Areva Martin Wins Anthem Award

Areva Martin – host of the afternoon drive “Areva Martin in Real Time” on KBLA, Los Angeles – is honored with the Silver Award in the 2nd Annual Anthem Awards for her podcast “The Special Report – Spotlighting Racial Disparities and Social Inequities in America” in the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Social Media Content, Campaign or Channel category. The Anthem Awards were launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards to recognize social impact work across the globe. A noted civil rights attorney, Martin is also president and CEO of Special Needs Network, Inc, a nonprofit organization that responds to the crisis of autism and other developmental disabilities in underserved communities. She says, “Giving birth should be safe and joyous for everyone, but Black women are more than three times likely to die from childbirth than white women. We are thrilled to have our episode on ‘Black Maternal Health’ win Silver in competition of the 2nd Annual Anthem Awards. ‘The Special Report’ production team has spent countless hours producing powerful programming that spotlights social injustice in America to encourage social and systemic change. Every day at the Special Needs Network in Los Angeles, we live the values of diversity, equity and inclusion. This award recognizes our work.”

Industry News

Curtis Sliwa Promises GOP Will Take on AOC and Caban

77 WABC Radio talk host – and New York City Republican operative – Curtis Sliwa is quoted in the New York Post saying the Republicans will field candidates to challenge U.S. Rep Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Queens councilwoman Tiffany Caban in the next elections. Sliwa tells the Post, “We’re going into the belly of the beast of the Democratic Socialists of America in New York City. We’re going to take on AOC and Caban. This is Concord and Lexington. We’re talking to regular people in Astoria. They don’t support defunding the police and defunding the jails.” Sliwa hosts the daily “Rip ‘n’ Read with Curtis Sliwa” show that airs from 12:15 pm to 1:00 pm on Red Apple Media’s WABC-AM and WLIR-FM. Read the Post story here.

Industry News

Curt Schilling Joins Outkick for Baseball Show

Former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling is joining Clay TravisOutKick to host a twice-weekly baseball video podcast that will debut on Friday (2/24). Outkick says “The Curt Schilling Baseball Show” will feature Schilling’s vast baseball knowledge, expert analysis, and unvarnished opinions on the most-talked-about issues and stories in the game. Clay Travis comments, “Curt Schilling is one of the best baseball analysts in the country. His hall-of-fame career and love for the game are evident to anyone who has ever followed him. OutKick is and will always be the strongest proponent for smart, original, funny and authentic voices in all of sports. He’s a perfect fit for the brand and I’m thrilled to welcome him to our team.” Outkick also reports that its January 2023 digital performance, where the platform saw 311% growth year-over-year in unique visitors, marked the most growth over 2021 among its competitive set. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the platform attracted 9.1 million multi-platform average unique visitors, up 235% from the fourth quarter of the prior year, according to Comscore.

Industry News

SiriusXM Names Gail Berger SVP/GM of Automotive Partnerships

SiriusXM promotes Gail Berger to SVP and general manager of automotive partnerships, taking over for the retiring Rodney Pickett. SiriusXM chief commercial officer Joe Verbrugge says, “Gail is a proven leader with extensive relationships and experience in the automotive community and whose programs have delivered significant, positive results for our organization. We are excited for Gail to lead our automotive teams and to continue to drive growth of SiriusXM’s dominant in-car presence.” Berger comments, “SiriusXM’s strong and deep relationships with every major automaker and tens of thousands of dealers and remarketing organizations across the United States are a testament to our team’s talent and capability. I am excited to step into this leadership position and continue to grow our business and deliver the best customer experiences in the vehicle.”

Industry News

Scotto and Smulyan to Present at BFoA’s Golden Mike Gala

The Broadcasters Foundation of America announces that Rosanna Scotto, co-host of WNYW-TV, New York “FOX 5,” will honor this year’s Golden Mike Award recipient, Jack Abernethy, CEO of FOX Television Stations, and Jeff Smulyan, founder, CEO and chairman of Emmis Corporation, will pay tribute to the 2023 Edward F. McLaughlin Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Richard E. Wiley. BFoA chairman ScottBroadcasters Foundation of America - Broadcasting Herman says, “We’re delighted to have such prestigious presenters at this year’s Golden Mike Award dinner. We’re looking forward to Rosanna and Jeff’s contributions to our program and thank them for lending us their time and talent, as broadcasters come together to honor Jack and Dick.” BFoA president Tim McCarthy adds, “The Golden Mike Award gala is one of our biggest fundraisers. We’ve seen an incredible uptick in requests for aid, and we thank everyone who has bought a table or ticket. The funds allow the Foundation to continue providing aid to hard-working individuals in our industry who have fallen on very challenging times due to illness or disaster.” For more information or to reserve a seat or table at the Golden Mike Award gala and fundraiser, please contact the Broadcasters Foundation at 212-373-8250 or info@thebfoa.org.

Industry News

Beasley Launches Cooper and Anthony Show in Three Markets

Beasley Media Group is producing a new program hosted by developmental psychologist Dr. Cooper Lawrence and radio personality Anthony Michaels that will air in evenings (7:00 pm to 12:00 midnight) on WRXK-FM, Fort Myers; WPBB-FM, Tampa; and KXTE-FM, Las Vegas. Beasley says that “Cooper and Anthony” is a “new conversational talk show, geared towards men, that will focus on sex, relationships and advice!” The duo has worked together since 2006, including a formerly syndicated radio show and a podcast. Beasley Media Group chief content officer Justin Chase says, “As someone who grew up listening to fun and edgy night shows like ‘Loveline’ and others, I’m very excited to launch the ‘Cooper & Anthony’ show on three of our great rock brands. They will most certainly make radio a lot more interesting at night in Fort Myers, Tampa and Vegas.” Cooper states, “This is the show I got into radio to do. I’ve been waiting for the right team with the same vision. We found it with the amazing folks at Beasley. Anthony and I can’t wait to share this show with our listening family, because it’s all about them!”

Industry News

Boston Sports Talker Tony Massarotti Apologizes for Racist Joke

Tony Massarotti – one half of the afternoon drive duo of “Felger and Mazz” on Beasley Media Group’s WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” – apologized yesterday (2/20) for the racially “insensitive” and “hurtful” comments he made on Friday’s program. The Boston Herald reports that Massarotti’s co-host Mike Felger was broadcasting remotely from a business center in a New Orleans hotel in which two Black people were sitting behind him. Referencing a previous trip to New Orleans in which Felger’s vehicle was stolen, Massarotti asked Felger if the two could hear him and when Felger replied that they couldn’t, he said, “OK, so I would be careful if I were you because the last time you were around a couple of guys like that, they stole your car.” During his apology on Monday, Massarotti said he gets why the joke, intended to be poking fun at Felger, was wrong. “It didn’t come off that way. It came off as something far broader and ignorant, and I’m regretful of that… I sincerely apologize, and I will do my best to make sure it never happens again.”Read the story in the Boston Herald.

Industry News

Rita Cosby Joins WABC, New York PM Drive Hour

Red Apple Media says station personality Rita Cosby is joining owner John Catsimatidis for the daily 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm hour on 77 WABC Radio that is now called “Cats & Cosby.” Cosby, who hosts her eponymous show on WABC and the Red Apple Media Network from 10:00 pm to 12:00 midnight, will also occasionally join Catsimatidis on his nationally syndicated Sunday morning program, “The Cats Roundtable.” Catsimatidis says, “I’ve known Rita Cosby for many years and have always deeply admired her incredible journalistic skills. She knows how to ask the right questions so that we can find and reveal the truth on every story. She’s a tremendous broadcaster and I’m delighted she is joining me.” Cosby comments, “I’m beyond thrilled to be working with iconic John Catsimatidis, one of the most accomplished and dynamic business leaders in America. This fast-paced show will look at all sides of the stories that have great impact on New Yorkers, our country, and the world. It’s a journalist’s dream to join John and his great team.”

Industry News

WTOP-FM, Washington Announces Changes to News Wheel

Hubbard Broadcasting’s all-news WTOP-FM, Washington is making changes to its on-air clock and director of news and programming Julia Ziegler has posted a memo to the station’s website to make listeners aware. Starting Monday, Feb. 27, WTOP will sound a bit different on air. She says, “For years, WTOP listeners have been used to hearing our sports reports at :15 and :45 and money/business news at :25 and :55 past each hour. Starting next Monday, our sports reports will begin airing at :25 and :55 and our money/business reports will move to :10 and :40 past each hour. We will also be reducing the number of commercial breaks listeners hear each hour and increasing the amount of news we deliver at the same time. These changes allow us to provide our listeners with longer, uninterrupted news segments, which we believe offer a better listening experience overall.” Ziegler adds they are tweaking how they approach news content. “WTOP will always be the place you can turn to when news is breaking, but we realize news consumers want more than that — not just from WTOP but from the news industry as a whole. So, it is our commitment to balance out those serious news stories we deliver each day with news about the good things going on in the D.C. region, too. Stories that make you smile; stories that inspire hope; and stories that make you laugh or are just cool. We’re also committed to providing you with stories that can help you, your kids, your finances and your health, too.”

Industry News

Nashville Post: How Outkick Reshaped Nashville Sports Talk

Michael Gallagher of the Nashville Post writes about the sports talk trio of Jonathan Hutton, Chad Withrow and Paul Kuharsky – known as “Midday 180” while working at Cumulus Media’s sports talk WGFX-FM – their ultimate decision to join Clay TravisOutkick and the effect that had on the Nashville sports talk scene. Hutton says of their decision in 2021 to go with Outkick, “The timing was perfect, but we also had a chance to grow what we were already doing. We didn’t have to leave Nashville. We own our intellectual property; you don’t have that with radio companies. We’re able to form our own show company, so to speak, and we’re part of the much larger grand scheme of Clay’s vision.” Gallagher’s piece looks at the digital frontier the trio began exploring with Outkick and chronicles their return to the Nashville airwaves. Read his complete story here.

Industry News

Edison: SXM Podcast Network Tops Based on Reach

Edison Research’s latest ranking of the Top Podcast Networks in the U.S. based on total network reach for Q3-Q4 2022 among weekly podcast listeners age 13+ is released and SiriusXM Podcast Network (formerly SXM Media), Spotify, and iHeartRadio take the top three spots, respectively. This ranker – measuring reach as a percentage of the weekly podcasting audience – is based on total audience reach from Edison Podcast Metrics, and Edison says the Q3-Q4 ranker includes increased sample size implemented last year and is based on surveys of 10,579 weekly podcast listeners age 13+. The rest of the top 10 are: 4) Wondery/Audible/Amazon Music, 5) Audioboom, 6) The New York Times, 7) NPR, 8)Audacy, 9) Acast Creator Network, and 10) Cumulus Podcast Network.

Industry News

Beasley Sports Talkers Partner with Soccer Clubs

Beasley Media Group sports talk stations announce partnerships with Major League Soccer clubs. First, WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” and the New England Revolution extend their partnership to make “98.5 The Sports Hub” the flagship home of the Revolution for years to come. Longtime Revolution play-by-play voice Brad Feldman returns to the call alongside former Revolution and U.S. Men’s National Team forward Charlie Davies. Additionally, “98.5 The Sports Hub” will introduce “The Soccer Show” – a weekly one-hour program to air on Saturday mornings from 6:00 am to – 7:00 am. In Philadelphia, Beasley’s WPEN-FM “97.5 The Fanatic” announces a new partnership with the Philadelphia Union to serve as the club’s official radio broadcast partner. Primary hosts of Union match broadcasts will be Dave Leno and Sheanon Williams.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Being Realistic About Podcast Revenue

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

It looks like the podcast business is hitting those ever-present speedbumps.

No, I am not predicting a demise. I’m just asking why there weren’t a few more hardball questions.

If you sell or manage with eyes wide open, you’ve already read what the February 15 New York Times article chronicled. The cutbacks, drops, and hiring freezes hitting the double-digit-growth podcast business has some in the radio business saying, “Told ya so.”

Who has the chutzpah to say that to Tom Brady and Michael Strahan of Religion of Sports, or Michelle Obama of “The Michelle Obama Podcast?” When your bank account is on fumes, you speak the economic truth. The formula of star power driving unique audio content didn’t instantly convert to super-sized audience levels attracting super-sized revenue. What did VOX, Spotify, Amazon, NPR and other well-respected players miss?

— Never assume, (because assuming…) An out-of-the-box assumption listeners would pay for content to create a separate income stream, didn’t really take. Even the most aggressive marketer would think twice before assuming that listeners generating millions of downloads of free podcasts would suddenly pay to listen. Maybe a select few passionate followers would, but could you change the historic perceived value of the masses? When it comes to paywalls for play, be sure to test, adjust, and re-test before you project income.

— Ad sales sell out levels. A typical podcast has about a quarter of the inventory available in a typical hour of most news/talk and sports talk programs. Yet despite podcasts with limited inventory and higher CPM for host-read ads inside the podcasts, the projections from those well-respected companies tanked. The reason is elegantly simple. Too much podcast inventory chasing too few dollars.

— It’s the economy, stupid. Thank you, political strategist James Carville. The story goes the phrase was on a sign in Bill Clinton’s campaign headquarters and helped Clinton beat Geroge Bush in 1992. Did any of the gurus consider the economy?

— Who would have thought print newspaper sales have something in common with podcasts? Did anyone consider the impact of endless ad inventory becoming a commodity despite celebrity content? Never easy to predict which celebs will convert from the big screen or TV to podcast audio.

I had the privilege of producing cast members of Discovery’s “American Chopper” in a 39-episode podcast series. Even those crazy motorcycle dudes were challenged bringing their millions of TV and online fans to the podcast world. Hindsight is 20/20. Let’s never stop learning so we can always aim for higher earnings.

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: Sound Popular

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

Joe Pags - Talkers MagazineWeekend ask-the-expert shows can be a powerful marketing tool. In a recent column, I outlined how attorneys – an industry where supply exceeds demand – can differentiate from competitors’ look-alike billboards and often-tacky TV spots.

And, well-coached, brokered weekend hours can drum up lots of business for financial advisors, and how-to hosts fielding calls on a variety of other topics. For years, an EXTERMINATOR has done Saturday mornings on WPRO-AM, Providence, and the guy’s a rock star.

Tip for weekend warriors: Record every call you take. Build a library.

— With a trove of pre-recorded calls, you can recycle previous live calls, to get-the-ball-rolling, and steer the conversation into your lane. And sounding so popular implies your authority.

— With all we do to make your weekend show “appointment listening,” you don’t want to disappear when you’re on vacation.

— When you assemble the show that airs in your absence, do include the appropriate disclaimer, but avoid the “Best of” cliché that screams “re-run.” Instead of simply repeating a previous show intact, make it a true best-of, with calls that were on-topic and particularly helpful.

— And rather than repeatedly saying “Don’t’ call,” let the board op thank those who do call (off-air); or if calls ring-through to voicemail, use it to collect callbacks, deepening your collection.

— You can also repurpose calls into topical FAQ podcasts, to-which you Tweet links, and promote on-air and to your email database.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books; and “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and the E-book and FREE on-air radio features Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke

Industry News

WPEN-FM, Philadelphia’s John Kincade Holding “Open House”

“The John Kincade Show” at Beasley Media Group sports talk WPEN-FM, Philadelphia’s “97.5 The Fanatic” is hosting Open House Week in which listeners are invited to join them in person at the Beasley Media Group performance studio in Philadelphia. Show hosts John Kincade, Bob Cooney and Pat Egan have been soliciting listeners via the station’s website to reserve spots to be in-studio today through Friday (2/24). Kincade says, “More than any show in Philly sports radio, we have always been interested in getting out and interacting with our listeners. This is a great way for us to welcome our listeners behind the scenes at our brand-new performance studio to get even better connected with the show.” Special guests scheduled to join the show include Philadelphia Union coach Jim Curtin, Sixers radio announcer Tom McGinnis, Sixers TV announcer Kate Scott, former Phillies players Tommy Greene and Mickey Morandini, Flyers radio broadcasters Tim Saunders and Steve Coates, Zach Berman from The Athletic, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Industry News

White Sox Pitcher Threatens Audacy’s “670 The Score”

In a story being reported by numerous sources, including by FOX News here, Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger – who is being investigated by Major League Baseball after allegations of domestic abuse – is threatening legal action against Audacy’s sports talk WSCR, Chicago “670 The Score” after his accuser appeared on the “Parkins & Spiegel” show. Olivia Finestead is the mother of Clevinger’s 10-month-old who went on the radio show to discuss the allegations against Clevinger, a move he called “really trashy of them. That was some lowlife material right there.” He was also quoted saying, “My lawyers are paying attention. My lawyers are getting in contact with them, and they probably already sent a cease-and-desist for defamation. So [they] just got themselves involved in this, too, so good for them.”

Industry News

Cumulus Bloomington Raises $101,705 for St. Jude’s

Pictured below are staffers from Cumulus Media Bloomington, Illinois’ showing the final tally of the 15th Annual Radiothon for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that raised $101,705. The company’s three stations – news/talk WJBC-AM and its music-formatted sisters – produced the two-day fundraising event on Thursday and Friday (2/9-10).

Cumulus Bloomington promotions director and event planner Dana Bell says, “Year after year, our listeners and sponsors show an unbelievable amount of support for the kids of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. We thank them for their generosity as they join with us to make a difference in the lives of children and families fighting cancer and other life-threatening diseases. There are so many families in our community who directly benefit from what these Partners in Hope do when they donate money, and it’s great to see our community come together for such an important cause.”

Industry News

The Weekend’s Top News/Talk Media Stories

President Joe Biden’s trip to Europe and his surprise visit to Ukraine; China’s top diplomat visits Russia; the rumors that CNN’s Don Lemon is in hot water with network brass in the wake of his calling GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley “past her prime”; the 2024 presidential contest; former President Jimmy Carter enters hospice; the aftermath of the toxic train wreck affecting residents of East Palestine, Ohio; the ongoing search and recovery after the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria; the deadly shootings at a Mardis Gras parade in New Orleans and in rural Mississippi; and actor-comedian Richard Belzer dies at 78 were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

BFoA Renames Lifetime Achievement Award in Honor of Ed McLaughlin

The Broadcasters Foundation of America announces the renaming of its annual Lifetime Achievement Award to the Edward F. McLaughlin Lifetime Achievement Award, in honor of the iconic broadcaster, who passed away in 2018. The Edward F. McLaughlin Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who has made invaluable contributions to the television and radio industries. As previously announced, this year’s award will be presented to Richard Wiley during the Golden Mike Award gala on Monday, March 6, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. McLaughlin — a former ABC Radio Networks president — is widely recognized for syndicating talk host Rush Limbaugh, a move considered instrumental in the evolution of the modern news/talk radio format. McLaughlin was a longtime supporter of the Broadcasters Foundation and its mission to provide aid to people in radio and television who are in acute need. He served as the Foundation’s chairman for many years and held the title of chairman emeritus when he passed away in 2018. BFoA chairman Scott Herman says, “Ed was known as a leader and innovator. He recognized talent and daringly pushed forth new ideas that propelled network and AM radio forward. It’s fitting that the Lifetime Award be named in his honor.”

Industry News

Falun Gong Reaches Out to American Talk Media Hosts for Support

The spiritual movement called Falun Gong (also referred to as Falun Dafa) has become very popular in China encompassing many of the meditation, health and philosophical tenets of Buddhism and other ancient Eastern religions. After its public introduction in 1992, Falun Gong spread peacefully throughout China until 1999, at which point the Communist government began to see it as a threat to its supreme authority and began persecuting its practitioners. In a short amount of time, it became the most popular form of qigong in China. Various government surveys and media reports placed the number of people practicing between 70 and 100 million by 1998. Thousands of people could be seen practicing Falun Gong exercises outdoors in parks in China’s large cities as well as cities around the world, including the U.S. Before the persecution started, Falun Gong had become an integral part of Chinese society. By the time the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) turned against Falun Gong in 1999, there were 100 million Falun Gong practitioners. The CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong is a comprehensive nation-wide effort that encompasses many different forms of cruelty and inhumanity. Torture, murder, brainwashing, imprisonment, rape, forced labor, propaganda, slander, robbery, and economic deprivation form the foundation of the campaign. The harvesting of organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for transplant sale has taken the persecution to a whole new level. TALKERS magazine is in communication with the New York City-based Falun Dafa Information Center which reports the following message to our readers: The fact that the CCP is enacting these crimes in the world today creates a series of questions. If China is willing to do this to a harmless and innocent group of its own citizens, what wouldn’t it do to the rest of the world if it felt that it had the power and incentive to do so? Would it violate the human rights of other nation’s citizens, invade a neighboring country, or try something worse? Do we each have a responsibility to stand up for innocent victims who are being tortured and slaughtered by their own government? If your neighbor was not bothering you but they were slaughtering their family members what would your responsibility be? Given the truth of this situation, what is your responsibility?  TALKERS encourages the talk media community to make contact with Levi Browde, executive director of the Falun Dafa Information Center to arrange interviews with him and other experts to raise consciousness among Americans to this dire human rights threat as well as other detailed insights into tenuous U.S.-China relations. He can be reached via email at levib@faluninfo.net.

Above: Falun Gong practitioner arrested at Tiananmen Square