Industry Views

Monday Memo: We Don’t Just Do Live Audio Anymore

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

What used to be “a radio station” is now the hub of live AND on-demand audio AND video AND text and graphics. As we populate all the platforms with which we share listeners’ attention (and advertisers’ do-re-mi), I’ve gathered tips from the pros:

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Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “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

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Midwest Communications’ news/talk KFGO-AM/FM, Fargo “The Mighty 790” is named Best Radio Station in Inforum’s 2023 The Best of the Red River Valley. The station has held the #1 position in the annual feature for more than 20 years. KFGO operations manager Joel Heitkamp states, “We have by far the biggest and most talented staff and we’re not afraid to add to it. We still go out there and find ways to improve. Our responsibility, first and foremost, is to our listeners. We’ll always realize that.”

Recently retired WIP-FM, Philadelphia morning drive host Angelo Cataldi publishes a book chronicling his career titled, LOUD: How a Shy Nerd Came to Philadelphia and Turned up the Volume in the Most Passionate Sports City in America (Triumph Books, 2023). The publisher’s promotion for the book says, “LOUD is an exuberant chronicle of Cataldi’s life, from his childhood as a self-described ‘king nerd’ in Providence, Rhode Island, to the traditional newspaper career he left behind, and his eventual rise to the top of the Philadelphia sports radio scene on WIP. Through it all, Cataldi remained dedicated to his mission of talking about what the city was talking about, in the same tone. And that tone was loud, passionate, and unapologetically real.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (11/21) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The Israel-Hamas war and the negotiations for the release of the hostages; protests and anti-Semitism; Elon Musk sues Media Matters over content-related advertiser boycott of X; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; JFK assassination anniversary; the Thanksgiving holiday weekend; and the firing and re-hiring of Sam Altman at OpenAI were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Urban One Files Q1 and Q2 2023 Reports

Urban One has been late with its last few quarterly reports due to issues with its former independent accounting firm’s assessment of the company’s sale of its interest in the MGM Harbor Casino. Now, months after obtaining a new independent accounting firm, the company files 10-Q reports with theim Securities and Exchange Commission for the periods ended March 31, 2023 and June 30, 2023. Briefly, the company’s net revenue for Q1 2023 was $110 million, down 2% from the same period in 2022. The company posted a net loss of $2.7 million for the first quarter. For Q2 of 2023, net revenue was $129.7 million, an increase of 9.2% over the same period in 2022. The company posted a net income of $71 million for that period.

Industry News

WWO: Audio Personalities Drive Advertising Effectiveness

This week’s Westwood One Audio Active Group blog reports on a study by System1 investigating the effectiveness of talent-read ads on podcasts or AM/FM radio. The study is based on the assumption thatim a host-read ad on a podcast or AM/FM radio show drives powerful brand impact and sales effect and positive emotional impact is what measures a successful campaign. System1 studied host-read ads and devised a rating system that correlates creative quality with long-term share growth – in layman’s terms, “the more you feel, the more you buy.” But the study found that only 17% of the ads tested rated high enough to have the sufficient emotional impact necessary to lift long-term brand share by between 1% and 3%. See the complete blog post here.

Industry News

Dyn-o-mite Duo

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As reported by TALKERS magazine yesterday (11/20) legendary comic and talk show host Jimmie Walker is filling in at Audacy’s news/talk KXNT-AM, Las Vegas this week and next, hosting the 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm show. Pictured at the station with Walker (right) is longtime KXNT personality and market staple Alan Stock (left). Walker is available for fill-in work and can be reached at: dynomitecomic1@hotmail.com.

Industry News

Bearman Guests on McCain Podcast

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Former TALKERS Heavy Hundred radio talk show host Ethan Bearman, of KGO, San Francisco; KSCO, Santa Cruz; and KABC, Los Angeles fame, recently participated as a guest on Meghan McCain’s new podcast titled, “Meghan McCain Has Entered the Chat,” discussing the disturbing wave of anti-Semitism being expressed in the US as a result of the Israel-Hamas War. Bearman left day-to-day talk radio several years ago for a burgeoning career in his own entertainment law firm, as well as teaching at Loyola Law School and engaging in environmental projects in Los Angeles. He’s also an active guest on radio and TV talk shows. Bearman (right) and McCain (left) are pictured when they met several years ago at a TALKERS conference.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

FOX News Channel correspondent Benjamin Hall traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine this past weekend for the first time since the attack that left him catastrophically injured in March of 2022. The trip, organized by Fox Corporation executive chairman and CEO Lachlan Murdoch, included a sit-down interview with Volodymyr Zelenskyy that will air on “Special Report with Bret Baier” November 21. Amid enduring more than 30 surgeries over the last 20 months, Hall chronicled his journey in Saved: A War Reporter’s Mission to Make it Home which was published in March 2023 and became a New York Times bestseller.

Cox Media Group Atlanta’s radio stations partnered with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to collect 14,478 pounds of food between November 11-18. The effort by news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM and its three music-formatted sister stations, generated 16,965 meals for food-insecure individuals in Georgia. CMG Atlanta VP and market manager Jaleigh Long says, “This year was a record-breaking year for pounds of food collected that will make a positive impact on our community. We’re thankful for the partnership with Atlanta Community Food Bank and grateful to be able to help struggling families during this time of ‘thanks’ and ‘giving.’”

Benztown president Dave “Chachi” Denes has dropped new episodes of his “Chachi Loves Everybody” podcast and one is an interview with newly elevated president of The Weiss Agency, Heather Cohen.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (11/20) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The negotiations with Hamas over release of the hostages; Elon Musk sues Media Matters over its report on X content that’s caused advertisers to leave the social media platform; OpenAI staff threatens mass exit in wake of Sam Altman ouster; President Joe Biden turns 81; a federal appeals court rules only the U.S. AG can enforce section 2 of the Voting Rights Act; the Thanksgiving holiday and the forecast that could affect travel; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; and the Supreme Court rejects Derek Chauvin’s appeal of his conviction in the death of George Floyd were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

WTVN, Columbus Unveils New Morning Program

iHeartMedia’s Columbus news/talk WTVN-AM launches a new 5:00 am to 9:00 am show called “Columbus’ Morning News” hosted by station program director Mike Elliott. Contributors to the program include sports director Matt McCoy, news reporter Scott Jennings, traffic reporter Johnnyim Hill, and producer Michael Campana. The station says, “Thirty-year market veteran, Elliott, who started at WTVN in 1999 as the producer for Columbus radio legend Bob Conners, will continue to serve as program director for 610 WTVN. ‘Columbus’ Morning News’ will also feature timely guests and newsmakers to wake up information-hungry listeners with the local and national news they need to start each day in Ohio’s Capital City. Elliott adds, “I’ve done everything on WTVN except host my own show, and now I get that chance. I’m grateful to be working with the most talented team in the business every morning to bring the news to the best audience out there!”

Industry News

Audacy Secures Additional Extension on Debt Payment Due Dates

In a new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission today (11/20), Audacy states that as it “continues to engage in discussions with its creditors with respect to a number of potential alternativesim regarding a restructuring of the Company’s outstanding indebtedness,” it reaches agreements with investors and creditors to again extend the deadline after which it would be in default. Audacy gets an extension on the due date for interest payments on its Credit Facility to November 30 and on its Receivables Purchase Agreement for the October Audacy Party Payment to November 30 and the November Audacy Party Payment Due Date to December 8.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Legendary comic and talk show host Jimmie Walker is filling in at Audacy’s news/talk KXNT-AM, Las Vegas this week and next, hosting the 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm show. Walker is available for fill-in work and can be reached at: dynomitecomic1@hotmail.com.

PodcastOne acquires the exclusive sales and distribution rights to “The Consult: The Real FBI Profilers” from retired FBI agent and profiler Julia Cowley. The podcast is produced by Alice LaCour and Brett Talle. PodcastOne co-founder and president Kit Gray says, “Being introduced to Julia and her show ‘The Consult’ by Alice and Brett was a win for us at PodcastOne. This program fits perfectly into our existing roster of top-notch true crime genre shows and we are thrilled to offer ‘The Consult’ to our listeners and to our advertisers who are looking to add to their playlists.”

Industry News

TALKERS Legal Editor Steve Weisman Testifies Before Senate on Scamming

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Steven J.J. Weisman, Esq., who has served as the legal editor of TALKERS magazine since the early 1990s, testified yesterday (11/16) before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging about the dangerous proliferation of scams being targeted to America’s senior population.  Weisman, a law professor at Bentley University in Boston and the founder of the popular website Scamicide is a nationally renowned expert on scams and cybercrime. In addition to his prepared statement, Weisman was questioned by US Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Mark Kelly(D-AZ). You can see Weisman’s testimony here. Steve Weisman is also this week’s guest on the Michael Harrison Interview podcast you can listen to here. TALKERS publisher, Harrison states, “We are fortunate to have a legal mind as prominent and respected as Steve Weisman’s on our team of communication experts.”

Industry News

Bjorson to Lead Audacy’s Milwaukee Cluster

Audacy names Jason Bjorson SVP and market manager for its Milwaukee market stations that include sports talk WSSP-AM “1250 AM The Fan” and four music brands. He most recently led a new business sales team for an HR tech company in the SaaS space and oversaw advertising sales teams forim Spectrum Cable. During his career he’s also served with Cox Radio in Jacksonville and the former Journal Broadcast Group at WTMJ, Milwaukee. Audacy regional president Rachel Williamson states, “I am excited to welcome Jason to lead our Milwaukee cluster. His experience across radio, video and digital combined with his deep knowledge and relationships throughout the Milwaukee market brings an increased expertise to our cluster and clients.” Bjorson comments, “I’m thrilled to join the Audacy Milwaukee team, with some of Milwaukee’s most iconic brands and an innovative broadcaster. I’ve competed with this team and tried to recruit them for years, so I know how much talent is here. I’m looking forward to working with them to win big here in Milwaukee!”

Industry News

FOX News Digital Tops Competitors in Multiplatform Minutes

FOX News Digital announces that it finished the October ratings period #1 in multiplatform minutesim among digital news brands, according to data from Comscore. FOX News Digital reached 3.4 billion multiplatform minutes, compared to 2.3 billion for CNN.com and 1.5 billion for NYTimes.com. FOX News Digital racked up 1.8 billion multiplatform views, compared to NYTimes.com’s 1.5 billion and CNN.com’s 1.4 billion. CNN.com leads the pack in multiplatform unique visitors with 129 billion compared to FOX News Digital’s 92 billion and NYTimes.com’s 75 billion.

Industry News

Motor Racing Network Co-Founder Ken Squier Dies at 88

Motor Racing Network co-founder Ken Squier passed away on November 15 at age 88. Squier, who was Motor Racing Network’s first anchor, was also known for his time broadcasting NASCAR on theim CBS Television Network and later with TBS. MRN says that NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. encouraged Squier to build a nationwide network of radio stations to cover the growing sport. He began with his family-owned WDEV-AM/FM in Waterbury, Vermont and Daytona Beach’s WNDB-AM – both of which still air MRN programming today.  He added hundreds more stations to air the very first MRN broadcast of the Daytona 500 in 1970.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Saga Communications declares a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share. The dividend will be paid on December 15, 2023, to shareholders of record on November 27, 2023. The aggregate amount of the payment to be made in connection with the quarterly dividend will be approximately $1.5 million.

Urban One’s news/talk WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte is presenting the 30th annual “Hancock’s Bikes for Kids” charity event on December 8 in which it asks the community to donate brand new bicycles to benefit kids in the area.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories for Week of November 13 – 17

Israel’s battle against Hamas and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was the most-talked-about story in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the campus protests over Israel’s invasion of Gaza and the rise in anti-Semitism around the world, followed by this week’s meeting between President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Industry News

Bloomberg: Audacy Gambled on CBS Radio Merger

A piece at Bloomberg by Ashley Carman looks at the $1.5 billion 2017 merger of Audacy (formerly Entercom) and CBS Radio and concludes that the deal has been a back-breaker for the company as Carman writes, “Now, six years later, Audacy is struggling under the weight of $1.92 billion in debt and shriveling demand for radio advertising, an industrywide plague.” The piece goes beyond just Audacy’sim financial struggles and looks more broadly at how radio as a legacy medium is facing “the same headwinds as other traditional media.” Carman adds, “Stations are losing their grip on younger audiences, and advertisers are tuning out. Fresh sources of revenue, like podcasts and streaming audio, are going to new contenders such as Spotify Technology SA or just failing to make up for the lost radio ad dollars.” The U.S. radio business has always touted its reach, but according to Lauren Russo, EVP at ad buyer Horizon Media, broadcast radio faces real problems. “The broadcast marketplace is extremely soft for ’23 and similarly for ’24. The overall audio ecosystem continues to grow from a streaming and podcasting perspective, but at the expense of broadcasts.” Read the Bloomberg piece here.

Industry News

Urban One Gets Waiver from BoA for Late Quarterly Reports

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Urban One reports that it has entered into a fifth waiver and amendment to its “Current ABL Facility, dated as of February 19, 2021 with the Company, the Company’s subsidiaries guarantors, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent and the lenders party thereto.” This action waives certain events of default under the Current ABL Facilityim related to Urban One’s failure to timely deliver quarterly reports for the first and second quarters of 2023 and sets a due date of November 30, 2023 for those and a December 31, 2023 due date for the third quarter financial report. Urban One also reports that it has received an Additional Staff Delisting Determination from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC due to the delinquent Q3 2023 report. Urban One has a hearing set for November 30 and anticipates filing the delinquent Q1 and Q2 reports prior to the hearing. It also expects to file the Q3 report on or about December 31, 2023 and will present its plan to evidence full compliance with the Nasdaq listing criteria at the hearing.

Industry Views

SABO SEZ: Seek New Story Sources and Surprise Your Listeners

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

imEarlier this week, Michael Harrison published his top 10 list of suggestions for being a successful talker. Item number three really caught my eye:

“Avoid worn out talking points. Be original. Always bring something new to the table. Otherwise you DESERVE to be replaced by AI.”

 When consulting client stations, the PD and I will take the on-air team through a pragmatic brainstorm session to discover completely unused source material.

First the material should be intriguing to you and appealing to your listener (singular.) New sources mean surprises and the fastest and most economical method of generating word of mouth, phone calls and cume is to present surprises all day.

1. Close to home. Pay foreground attention to incidents at home. Your home. Events that you may view as mundane could bond you with your listener. Consider that water in the basement, check engine light, parent/teacher conference, bad bank behavior, in-law interference. If any of those experiences has happened to you, you honestly know that they are a bigger deal than speeches in Congress.

2. Search the names of locations that you never discuss. Those searches have revealed to me and my listener that the number one fear in Siberia is the vast forest fires and that as the permafrost melts, it could expose million-year-old deadly viruses. One “Siberia news” search. Try this, search “Keith Fons North Pole Alaska” You will discover a bizarre Christmas story.

3. Local morning TV shows have unique fun stories that you don’t see because you’re listening to the radio. Go to their websites and you will see all of their topics, with audio, dated. 

Take a different approach to proven topics. A trait of successful hosts is that they discuss common topics but take a very different tact. Some examples: When TV legend Ann Bishop of WPLG Miami died, fellow broadcaster Neil Rogers mourned Bishop by saying, “She did nothing for me, sir.”

On crime in Cleveland, the late Mike Trivisonno on WTAM declared, “the best thing that could happen is for the Mafia to come back to Cleveland.”

Howard Stern surprises you every time he opens his mouth. It’s the fresh topics combined with surprising POV=Star. 

Walter Sabo has an outstanding track record advising media companies wishing to increase their share of revenue. His weekly syndicated show Sterling On Sunday aims to provide three hours of completely unique topics.  Contact him at walter@sabomedia.com or 646.678.1110

Industry News

Westwood One to Continue as Barter Rep Agent for TM Studios

Cumulus Media’s Westwood One announces it has signed a deal to extend its partnership with audio branding and sung jingles firm TM Studios to continue as its exclusive domestic barter representation agent. As part of the deal, TM Studios continues to supply Westwood One’s syndication partners,im including many Cumulus radio stations, with station jingles, commercial jingles, and production music. TM also acquires the additional assets of the Drake Chenault catalog and all intellectual property associated with TM’s former product lines HitDisc and GoldDisc. Westwood One originally purchased TM Studios in 2009 and subsequently sold the company to former TM executives Greg Clancy, Dave Bethell, and Chris “UK” Stevens in November 2020. WWO president Suzanne Grimes states, “Westwood One is committed to partnering with companies that provide unique products and outstanding service, and TM fits that description perfectly. By extending our relationship with TM, we are assured that radio stations around the country will be able to access the best-in-class offerings TM has been creating for more than 50 years.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

PodcastOne is planning a studio launch party on Monday in Beverly Hills with special guests including its longtime star podcaster Adam Carolla.

Benztown is releasing the holiday imaging and programming library “Christmas in a Box” that comes free to stations with Benztown library subscriptions. It includes more than 5,000 tracks of audio Christmas cheer.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (11/15) Top News/Talk Media Stories

President Joe Biden meets with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping; the U.S. Senate passes stopgap budget to prevent government shutdown; Israel’s ongoing battle with Hamas in Gaza and the pro-Palestinian protests at DNC headquarters in Washington, DC; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the 2024 presidential race; Bidenomics and the state of the U.S. economy; the federal weapons charges against Hunter Biden; and the FBI investigation in to New York City Mayor Eric Adams were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

WWO Audio Active Group: Less Is More

This week’s Westwood One Audio Active Group blog shares information about the effectiveness of audio ads from a collaborative UK study by audio distribution service Audiotrack and analytics firm Colourtext that compared ad effectiveness with word density in audio ads. Some of the takeaways from this study lend credence to the notion that when it comes to ad copy, less is indeed more. For example,im the study found that eliminating 10 words of audio copy increases the Creative Standout score by 1%. Creative Standout is achieved when consumers say, “this ad stands out” and rate an ad with an 8, 9, or 10 on a one-to-ten-standout scale. Further it found that eliminating 10 words of audio copy increases web traffic by 0.25%. Creative Standout in audio advertising is strongly linked to ad response via website visits. For each 1% rise in Creative Standout achieved by an audio ad, website response rate increases by 0.25%. Also, the more messages that are included in the ad, the poorer the recall. An ad with four messages will have message recall of only 24%, compared to 43% for ads with just one message. The more messages an ad attempts to communicate, the lower the likelihood of a single message being communicated. See the blog post here.

Industry News

Audacy Gets Extension on Debt Payment Due Dates

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Audacy states that it has reached an agreement with investors and creditors that buys it some time as it works with them to come to a longim-term solution to its debt problem. Audacy gets an extension on the due date for interest payments on its Credit Facility to November 27 and on its Receivables Purchase Agreement for the October Audacy Party Payment to November 20 and the November Audacy Party Payment Due Date to November 24. Also, on October 30, the New York Stock Exchange filed to delist Audacy’s Class A common stock from the exchange and the delisting became effective on November. The stock continues to trade over the counter under the symbol “AUDA.”

Industry News

77WABC and Partners to Assist in NYC Turkey Giveaway

77WABC – along with partners AARP New York City, Gristedes, and D’Agostinos Supermarkets – are helping the St. Francis Food Pantry and Shelters with its turkey giveaway program. A total of 10,000im turkeys and meals will be distributed by St. Francis over the holiday season, including from the 77WABC “Turkey” Trolley today (11/15) St. John’s Church in Manhattan. Red Apple Media owner John Catsimatidis says, “No one should be without a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. This is an American holiday and Americans should not go hungry, ever!  We are delighted that AARP New York City has joined us in this charitable endeavor.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

UK radio and outdoor firm Global inks an exclusive platform distribution and ad sales deal with iHeartMedia in which Global and iHeartMedia will license, distribute and represent each other’s podcast portfolios.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Audacy announce a multi-year extension to their 30-year partnership through the 2028 NFL season. As part of the new agreement, “SportsRadio 94WIP” will continue to serve as the team’s official flagship radio partner. The broadcast team is led by Eagles Hall of Famers Merrill Reese and Mike Quick in the radio booth and longtime 94WIP personality Howard Eskin on the sideline.

iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman & president COO/CFO Rich Bressler will participate in a question and answer session during the Wells Fargo TMT Summit on November 29 at 3:45 pm ET. A live webcast of the session will be available to the general public at the start of the session through a link on the Investors homepage of iHeartMedia’s website.

PodcastOne acquires the exclusive sales and distribution rights, as well as certain ownership and IP/derivative rights, to true crime podcast, “Lost In Panama.” PodcastOne president and co-founder Kit Gray comments, “We continue our stated strategy of rolling up the fragmented podcast industry to deliver the best podcast library with the lowest cost per acquisition. We are excited and look forward to more announcements in the near future.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (11/14) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza, allegations of a Hamas command center under Al-Shifa  hospital, and U.S. campus protests; the planned meeting between President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping; the House approves Mike Johnson’s spending bill to avoid a government shutdown; the Trump Organization trial in New York City; the investigation into New York City Mayor Eric Adams; the 2024 presidential race; the state of the economy and the Fed’s rate hike plans; and eight teens in Las Vegas face murder charges in the beating death of a fellow student were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Gallenbeck to Lead Cumulus Media in Reno and Eugene

Sales and management pro Tricia Gallenbeck adds responsibility for Cumulus Media’s Reno market toim her Eugene, Oregon management role and becomes regional vice president. Cumulus operates news/talk outlet KKOH-AM, Reno; news/talk KUGN-AM & sports talk KUJZ-FM in Eugene, plus six music brands. Cumulus president, operations Bob Walker says, “We are thrilled to expand Tricia’s responsibilities and welcome her back to Reno. Her experience and relationships in the market are unmatched.”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (11/13) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza, allegations of a Hamas command center under Al-Shifa  hospital, and U.S. campus protests; the Trump Organization trial; House Speaker Mike Johnson’s efforts to avoid a government shutdown; Senator Tim Scott suspends his presidential campaign; the Supreme Court adopts a code of ethics; Xi Jinping in San Francisco and President Joe Biden’s planned for Wednesday with China’s dictator; and fire closes the I-10 freeway in California were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.