Report: Middleton Interviews for WBZ-FM, Boston Morning Gig
A Boston Herald piece by Rick Sobey reveals that WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” personality Kendra Middleton has interviewed for the open morning drive position on the station alongside Fred Toucher. Rich Shertenlieb parted ways with the company last month. However, Middleton appeared on
afternoon drive host Mike Felger’s Facebook Live “Off-Air Show” and said she doesn’t think she’ll get the gig. When asked why she said, “Just because I think that I’m young and new. I think [program director] Rick [Radzik] took me very seriously. It’s just I think that there’s probably someone who, I don’t know, I think that I’m qualified. It’s just I haven’t been here very long, so I don’t know.” Station afternoon personality Jim Murray has said he’s not interested in the position. The piece notes that midday personality Rob “Hardy” Poole is being talked about as a candidate for the morning show post. Read the Herald story here.
issued the following statement: “Regional VP Brian Lang, who manages all of Townsquare’s stations in New Jersey, explains that the company earlier consolidated leadership in sales, promotions, finance, and engineering for the Trenton-Princeton and Monmouth-Ocean markets. Now it has also aligned content for those markets under Sam Gagliardi as VP of content. Gagliardi, who goes by the name Sam Elliot on the air, earlier served as general manager of Northern Lights Broadcasting in Minneapolis-St. Paul.”
and M&A), and investor relations efforts. Jones has led the Cumulus through several strategic transactions and growth initiatives including the acquisition of Westwood One in 2013. Additionally, he oversees IncentRev, the company’s e-commerce and daily deal platform. Cumulus CEO Mary Berner comments, “With his deep understanding of both Cumulus Media and Westwood One, Collin is uniquely qualified for this role and is well-prepared to harness the full power of our platform to help Westwood One grow. Collin has consistently demonstrated his savvy business acumen, effective management style, and collaborative spirit, and I have full confidence that he has the skills and the vision to build upon Suzanne’s considerable accomplishments.” Berner adds, “I would like to thank Suzanne for her invaluable contributions and her pivotal role in our success. Under her leadership, we launched the top-rated Cumulus Podcast Network, built the multi-platform Westwood One News/Talk franchise, and established the industry-leading Audio Active Group. Throughout her time with Cumulus, she has been a remarkable leader, colleague, and mentor to many, and we are certain she will accomplish great things wherever she chooses to share her talents next.”
News flash: Time cannot be managed. But tasks can.
The fourth of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s November 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 period covered October 12 through November 8. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Milwaukee, iHeartMedia news/talk WISN adds a full share for a 10.7 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) finish that keeps it ranked #1, while Good Karma Brands news/talk WTMJ loses 1.9 shares for a 7.7 share but remains ranked #2. In Nashville, Cumulus Media news/talk WWTN-FM is flat with a 5.7 share and remains ranked #5, while iHeartMedia news/talk WLAC-AM inches up one-tenth and remains ranked #19. In West Palm Beach, Hubbard Broadcasting news/talk WFTL adds four-tenths for a 2.7 share and stays locked in the #9 rank, while iHeartMedia talk WZZR-FM adds two-tenths for a 2.0 share and climbs to the #11 rank, and iHeartMedia’s news/talk WJNO is flat with a 1.2 share but falls back to the #15 rank. 
McCaffrey has been co-host of the “Murph and Mac” show with Brian Murphy, who appears to still be employed with the station. The dismissal of Santangelo spells the end of the evening call-in show that’s been part of the station for the past 51 years. Station program director Adam Copeland– who also co-hosts the afternoon show with Tom Tolbert – said on the program, “It’s been a really difficult day. I love this building, I love this station, I love working with you, Tom, and I’ve listened to you for years. I love a lot of people. I love the guys we let go of today. I’m looking forward to the future, but I really think we need to tip our cap and applaud the work that those guys have done.” 
Consultant Gary Begin of Sound Advantage Media writes today in a piece for TALKERS magazine in which he says that quite often there is a disconnect between the brand of a radio station and the brand-supporting messages that the sales staff is presenting to prospects. He says, “Experts in branding seem to be coming around to the idea that the power to make or break your brand-building effort lies not in the quality of your advertising but in the customer’s experience at the point of sale. In radio, that’s your over-the-air product and how your ad rep handles the advertiser.” He adds, “To navigate and successfully cross No Brand’s Land effectively, marketers must start by adapting brand message creation and delivery to today’s strategic sales processes.” He says there are two trends that will drive marketers’ efforts to create brand-supporting content that helps salespeople sell.” 
Broadcasting executives spend millions building their radio station’s brand in the marketplace. But is it being spent in the right place?
Books, 2022) by Dr. Murray Sabrin. The book has been an Amazon bestseller and a popular vehicle sparking conversations on political news/talk shows across America. Its author, Murray Sabrin, Ph.D. is emeritus professor of finance, Ramapo College of NJ. Dr. Sabrin – a prolific author – is considered a “public intellectual” for writing essays about the economy in scholarly and popular publications as well as being a prolific guest and “go-to” resource on hundreds of radio and TV talk shows and podcasts. According to publisher Michael Harrison, who wrote the book’s provocative foreword, “From Immigrant to Public Intellectual is a truly American story about an immigrant child’s rise from humble beginnings to forge a stellar career as an educator, author, candidate, and media influencer. Murray Sabrin explains libertarianism in plain language using his own life story set against a half-century of changing times. Talk show hosts have been tapping into this articulate scholar’s knowledge and views for more than three decades since his impressive third-party showing as the Libertarian candidate for Governor of New Jersey in 1997.” To learn more about Dr. Murray Sabrin please visit murraysabrin.com and murraysabrin.substack.com.
incorporating SourceAudio’s cutting-edge AI technology to access top-tier movie and TV music catalogs of 1.2 million songs, PodcastOne aims to elevate the creative quality of their podcasts, providing audiences with an immersive and iconic audio experience.” PodcastOne co-founder and president Kit Gray states, “This partnership marks a significant leap forward in our commitment to delivering an unparalleled podcasting experience. By leveraging SourceAudio’s AI technology, we are empowering our podcasters to discover audio elements that resonate with the essence of their shows, creating a more engaging and immersive listening experience.”
women in radio with female professionals recognized as leaders in all aspects of the industry. The 2023 class is comprised of broadcast professionals Rosanna Cole, regional traffic manager, Townsquare Media; Caleigh Fisher, director of teammate experience, Good Karma Brands; Kristi Nguyen, director, digital sales & campaign management, Audacy; and Jade Springart, WRIF-FM program director, Beasley Media Group. 
November 2023 PPM Data – Information for the November 2023 ratings period (October 12 – November 8) has been released for 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).
Common Ground with Bill Spadea” and will feature live episodes of the podcast on location from towns, landmarks and businesses across New Jersey. The station says the deal will give Spadea the resources to focus on hard-hitting conversation and longer form interviews with leaders from New Jersey (and beyond). Spadea adds, “This partnership is the next step in the great success of our morning show, which has seen ratings skyrocket in recent years. We’re excited to be bringing multiple remote podcasts to our audience every month and look forward to seeing everyone on the trail!”