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Friday, August 12, 2022

By Editor | August 12, 2022 by Editor

Pioneering Broadcaster, Anti-Ageism Activist and TALKERS Principal Carole Marks Dies at 86. The longtime host of the groundbreaking, upper-demo syndicated radio talk show, “A Touch of Grey: The Talk Show for Grownups,” Carole Marks Scott of Mystic, CT passed away this past Sunday (8/7) at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, CT. She was 86. Ms. Marks was the host and founder of the groundbreaking and long-running upper-demo-targeted radio talk show, “A Touch of Grey: The Talk Show for Grownups” and a principal in Talk Media, Inc., the parent company of TALKERS – a partner in both ventures with TALKERS founder Michael Harrison and radio executive Shelley McBreairty. Ms. Marks graduated from Oxford School and attended Connecticut College. She had four children. As a newly single mature woman, she went back to school and earned her college degree from the University of New Haven when three of her four children were adults. She found her passion as director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program of New London. In that position, Ms. Marks was interviewed in the media about issues concerning senior citizens on WSUB, New London and was invited to start her own radio show, “Senior Focus with Carole Marks” in the mid-nineties. The idea of a radio show aimed at an older demographic was unique at the time, and upon joining forces with Michael Harrison as her partner and co-host, her show was syndicated nationally with a new name, “A Touch of Grey: The Talk Show for Grownups.” The show ran for two decades accruing thousands of listeners and establishing Ms. Marks as one of America’s leading experts on upper demographic issues as well as a champion in the battle against ageism. She waged a relentless campaign on a number of media fronts to make, as she put it, “the lives of the 50-plus generation as meaningful, fulfilling and as productive as possible.” Her mission was to counter negative senior stereotypes and she spoke before civic groups, professional associations, and industry conventions all across the country as a supporter of the group she liked to call “seasoned citizens.” At its peak, “A Touch of Grey” was heard on more than 50 stations across America, including at different times, New York City’s WOR, WABC and WNYM. Her guests included the biggest names in health care, politics, sports and the arts, including presidents of the United States. She boldly tackled such problems as the rising cost of prescription drugs, the future of Social Security and Medicare, challenges facing the “sandwich generation” who must take care of young adult children on one side and elderly parents on the other, planning retirement during difficult economic times, the best ways to choose a nursing home, safe and effective ways to diet and exercise, understanding leading edge technology, and countless other subjects. Ms. Marks would often take her show on the road and broadcast live from such diverse places as the United States Senate Office Building, the jungles of Africa, the Taj Mahal, the North American Orient Express, or a glacier in Antarctica. She was proudest of being in the White House press room and on Air Force One with President Obama. She said, “I want people to know that just because you’ve put on a few years doesn’t mean you can’t go out and explore the world and life, and, most importantly, continue to learn and grow.” Travel became a second passion, as she went on worldwide trips to all seven continents and had a map in her kitchen showing all of the places she had visited, including Dharamshala, India where she met the Dalai Lama. In 2004, Ms. Marks found love again and was married for the second time, to J Irving Bird Scott. In 2005. She wrote the book Modern Aging: A Guide for Seasoned Citizens to Achieve Health, Happiness and Purpose (Talkers Books 2005). TALKERS founder Michael Harrison says, “Carole was one of the finest human beings I have had the privilege to know in my life. Her role as my friend and business partner were invaluable in contributing to the longevity and success of our media enterprises. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, as well as a consequential thought-leader, businesswoman, humanitarian and philanthropist who supported numerous public service organizations and non-profits.” Her business partner Shelley McBreairty adds, “Carole was more than a beloved colleague and source of guidance and inspiration. She treated me and my daughters as a mother and a grandmother. We all love her dearly.” A public celebration of life for Carole Marks Scott will be announced in the near future. In lieu of flowers, please consider a charitable donation to The Garde Arts Center, 325 State Street New London, CT 06320, or Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, 365 Montauk Avenue, New London, CT 06320.

Round Four of July PPMs Released. The fourth and final round of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s July 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. Nielsen’s July 2022 sweep covered June 23 – July 20. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Raleigh, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WTKK-FM is steady with an 8.0 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) that keeps it locked in the #3 rank, while Curtis Media Group’s crosstown news/talk WPTF is up one-tenth for a 1.8 share good for the #15 rank. Although it sheds 1.5 shares, Emmis’ news/talk WIBC-FM, Indianapolis remains ranked #2 after posting a 7.9 share. The news/talk battle in Milwaukee flips as iHeartMedia’s WISN leaps into the #1 rank after adding nine-tenths for a 9.9 share finish, while Good Karma Brands’ WTMJ drops 1.8 shares, finishes with a 9.6 share and falls to #2. Cumulus Media’s news/talk WWTN-FM, Nashville dips seven-tenths for a 6.2 share finish that drags it from #4 to #6, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk WLAC rises eight-tenths to a 2.5 share good for the #13 rank. In West Palm Beach, Hubbard Broadcasting’s news/talk WFTL spikes by 2.4 shares for a 3.4 share finish that moves it from #13 to #7, while iHeartMedia’s talk WZZR dips three-tenths to a 2.1 share good for the #10 rank and sister news/talk WJNO rises three-tenths to a 1.7 share and the #11 rank. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the first three rounds) here.

RTDNA Announces 2022 National Edward R. Murrow Award Winners. The Radio Television Digital News Association announces the national winners of the 2022 Edward R. Murrow Awards in recognition of outstanding work in digital, radio and television journalism in technical and editorial categories. RTDNA president and CEO Dan Shelley says, “The Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious in journalism. More than 750 Regional Murrow winners advanced to the national competition, and over the past few months, an expert panel of journalists has meticulously reviewed and deliberated over every entry. That’s why I’m confident in saying today’s winners represent the absolute best of the best. So, let me be the first to say congratulations to our newest National Edward R. Murrow Award winners.” RTDNA chair Allison McGinley adds, “Thank you to every journalist who played a role in the pieces that were submitted. Not everyone can be a Murrow Award winner, but all of you make a difference in your communities. Thank you for the work you do.” See all the winners here.

LATimes: No One Listens to Sports Talk Radio in L.A. Why the People in Charge Aren’t Worried. Los Angeles Times writer Bill Shaikin looks at the question of why Los Angeles – of all the major markets – has the lowest listenership to sports talk radio, according to Nielsen Audio ratings. In the piece, Shaikin talks to WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” afternoon drive hosts Mike Felger and Tony Massarotti – and others – about why East Coast cities like Boston and Philadelphia have huge sports talk listener audiences while Los Angeles pales in comparison. Read his story here.

TALKERS News Notes. The new permanent host of FOX News Channel’s “FOX News Sunday” program is Shannon Bream. FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott says Bream – the first woman to host the 26-year-old program – will start on September 11. She will continue as the network’s chief legal correspondent. Scott says, “Shannon is an outstanding journalist, reporter and anchor who has cultivated a strong and enduring relationship with the FOX News Media audience.”…..The National Sports Network is partnering with in USA Radio Network to offer a slate of NCAAfootball games for radio stations. Beginning the schedule this season is the September 3 game Alabama vs Utah State. Other September games include Tennessee at Pitt and Oklahoma at Nebraska. See the whole schedule here…..iHeartMedia Nashville is presenting the 20th annual Wine on the River event on September 10. This year, the funds raised will go to The DISTRICT’s initiative 2ndavestrong, which helps restore the vitally important historic district of 2nd Avenue. The initiative was created in response to the damage resulting from the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville in 2020. News/talk WLAC and its sister stations are promoting the event…..WBUR, Boston unveils its fall season for CitySpace at The Lavine Broadcast Center, “a state-of-the-art live event venue for cutting-edge conversations, adventurous art and innovative ideas. Bringing WBUR’s journalism alive on stage, CitySpace conversations feature some of the nation’s leading thinkers on timely topics such as the changing media landscape, the state of national politics, climate change and the challenges of American motherhood.”

FBI Raid/Trump Legal Issues Top News/Talk Story for Week of August 8-12. The FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago as well as his legal battle with the State of New York combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was partisan politics and the week’s primary elections, followed by urban crime, gun control, and policing issues at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio 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.

Thursday, August 11, 2022

By Editor | August 11, 2022 by Editor

Greta Van Susteren is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. Cable news/talk TV icon Greta Van Susteren is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” The former criminal defense and civil trial attorney recently launched a new daily 6:00 pm ET show, “The Record with Greta Van Susteren” on Newsmax TV. Her dynamic talk media career as a player on major cable outlets goes back to 1994 and includes show hosting at CNN and MSNBC as well as a 14-year stint at FOX News Channel. She is widely respected for her fairness, insight and intelligence in dealing with the major issues of the day as well as her well-honed interviewing skills. Harrison and Van Susteren talk about how working at Newsmax TV is different than her other network experiences as well as the present state of journalism and media in America. They also talk about the hot issues of the day including US-China Relations, Donald Trump and the future of the GOP, Hillary Clinton’s possible presidential aspirations and the crime wave plaguing American cities. Don’t miss this! To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Round Three of July PPM Released. The third of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s July 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus. Nielsen’s July 2022 sweep covered June 23 – July 20. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Charlotte, Radio One’s news/talk WBT-AM/FM adds a half share to wrap the survey with a 5.5 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and rises to the #4 rank in the market. iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFBK-AM/FM, Sacramento stays flat at a 7.5 share and remains ranked #3 while sister talk KSTE tacks on nine-tenths for a 4.9 share that pushes it up to the #6 rank. In Salt Lake City, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KNRS-AM/FM dips six-tenths for a 9.6 share finish but stays in the #1 spot, while Bonneville’s crosstown news/talk KSL-AM/FM sheds 1.2 shares, finishing with a 5.6 share that drags it from #2 to #6. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the previous two groups) here.

Emmis Dismisses Eight Staffers Ahead of Urban One Indy Acquisition; Longtime WIBC News Reporter Eric Berman Among Them. According to a report in the Indiana Business Journal, Emmis Corp has let eight staffers go from its Indianapolis radio station group as the company prepares to close on its $25 million sale of the stations to Urban One. The Journal says WIBC-FM news reporter Eric Berman was the only air staffer to be let go with the others serving in marketing, IT and online content creation capacities. Berman tweeted on 8/10, “Some personal news: this morning my tenure at WIBC came to an end. For 28 years, it has been my privilege to bring you fair and detailed coverage of news affecting Hoosiers’ lives, and I hope you’ll stick around for whatever comes next.” Emmis issued the following official statement on the matter: “Today, Emmis notified eight individuals that their positions have been eliminated. Impacted individuals are being provided severance and offered insurance coverage. These are difficult days, and we wish them nothing but success.” Emmis’ sale of the Indianapolis radio stations effectively takes the company out of the radio business. It began as a broadcasting company in 1981 with the ownership of WENS-FM, Indianapolis. Earlier this year Emmis stated that after the sale of its media holdings it has “redeployed capital into new ventures which emphasize its sales and marketing experience including: Lencore Acoustics, a leader in high-quality sound masking solutions for commercial applications; Sound That BRANDS, the Los Angeles-based podcasting studio specializing in branded audio content for national advertisers; and Digonex, a leading provider of dynamic pricing solutions for attractions and live entertainment industries.”

Cumulus Media Renews with Learfield and Air Force Academy. A new, multi-year agreement is signed between Cumulus Media, Learfield, and Air Force Sports Properties that continues the broadcast of Air Force Academyathletic events on Cumulus Colorado Springs’ radio stations KVOR-AM and KCSF-AM “XTRA Sports 1300.” This new agreement renews the partnership with the Air Force Academy that has been in place for 40 years and increases the number of women’s basketball games that will air on “XTRA Sports 1300” each year. Air Force football and men’s basketball games will continue to be heard on KVOR-AM, while hockey games and women’s basketball games will be heard on “XTRA Sports 1300.” The stations will also broadcast coaches’ shows for football, men’s basketball, and hockey. KVOR’s Jim Arthur will continue to be the play-by-play voice for football and men’s basketball, and XTRA Sports 1300’s Ryan Kaufman will call the broadcasts of the women’s basketball games. Cumulus Colorado Springs VP and market manager Scott Jones says, “It’s an honor, once again, to extend our partnership with Air Force Athletics and Learfield. These broadcasts of Falcons’ sports are extremely important to us at Cumulus, to our listeners and to the entire community. We’re committed to putting a first-class broadcast on the air to match the product the Falcons put on the field, court and ice.”

Mar-a-Lago Search/NYC Deposition, Midterms/2024 Election, The Economy, and Russia-Ukraine War Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/10). The FBI search of former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence for government records and Trump’s deposition in New York related to the investigation of the Trump Organization; the results of Tuesday’s primaries, the November midterms, and speculation about the nominees in the 2024 presidential race; the falling price of gasoline, the still rising price of food, and worries about a recession; and Russia’s loss of seven fighter jets in Crimea as its invasion of Ukraine continues were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Tuesday, August 9, 2022

By Editor | August 9, 2022 by Editor

Round One of July PPMs Released. The first of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s July 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 July 2022 sweep covered June 23 – July 20. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Rating Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York City, Red Apple Media’s news/talk WABC adds a full share to finish with a 4.1 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and rises to the #7 rank, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk WOR loses one-tenth for a 1.9 share finish good for the #19 rank. Nexstar Media Group’s news/talk WGN, Chicago adds seven-tenths to wrap the survey with a 3.3 share and rises to the #10 rank. Audacy’s crosstown all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM sheds four-tenths to post a 4.6 share and falls from #2 to #4. In Dallas, Cumulus Media’s news/talk WBAP continues its upward trajectory adding a half share for a 4.5 share finish that pushes it to the #4 rank. Cox Media Group’s news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta is steady with a 5.7 share and remains locked in the #4 spot. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets here.

AM 790 in Providence Returns to Sports Talk as ‘790 The Score.’ Heritage Providence station WPRV-AM completes its previously announced flip from business news to sports talk as Cumulus Media launches “790 The Score.” The station – originally WEAN-AM when it debuted in 1922 – broadcast a sports talk format for about 10 years from 1998 through 2008 as WSKO “The Score.” That was replaced by oldies for about a year before flipping to business talk in 2009. Cumulus says the new station “brings sports and sports betting news, information, and insights to the burgeoning and underserved sports betting audience in the Providence area. ‘790 The Score’ delivers behind-the-book perspectives from experts in a highly entertaining and engaging format.” Cumulus Providence VP and market manager Holly Paras says, “It’s official: ‘790 The Score’ is now Providence’s best bet for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts, and we couldn’t be more excited! The station features a lineup of expert personalities that deliver unique sports talk and sports betting insights that entertain, inform, and engage, along with New England Patriots football, New York Yankees baseball, Boston Celtics basketball, and Brown University football and basketball play-by-play. We think Providence sports and sports betting fans will love ‘790 The Score!’” The program lineup includes: Bet MGM, Bet QL, Jim Rome, local host Kevin McNamara, and more.

KHOW, Denver’s Michael Brown Named New Host of ‘The Weekend.’ Former Under Secretary of Homeland Security and Director of FEMA, Michael Brown – host of “The Situation with Michael Brown” on iHeartMedia’s KHOW, Denver – is named the full-time host of the Premiere Networks nationally syndicated radio program, “The Weekend.” The three-hour show is heard on more than 300 stations nationwide. Brown takes over for Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo as the regular host of the show. Brown says, “I couldn’t be more thrilled to take the reins of ‘The Weekend.’ When Premiere asked me to sign on full-time, it was a no brainer. I’m looking forward to furthering my connection with this nationwide audience each week. We’re going to have a great time together as we go beyond the headlines to tackle the stories that matter most with honesty, smarts and a dose of fun.”

Westwood One Audio Active Group: Only Half of NFL Fans Are Aware Thursday Night Games Are Only on Amazon Prime. This week’s blog from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group includes data from a national study from MARU/Matchbox of 1,000 Americans over the age of 18 that indicates half of frequent NFL viewers and only 30% of occasional NFL viewers are aware that “Thursday Night Football” will only be available on Amazon Prime Video. Although the majority of football fans with Amazon Prime say they’ll watch NFL “Thursday Night Football” on Amazon Prime Video, about half of “Thursday Night Football” viewers are not Amazon Prime members. This presents opportunity for Westwood One as after a decade behind a paywall, the audio stream of its national broadcasts will now be available for local radio station affiliates. The Westwood One national audio stream will also be available on the free NFL app. For years WFAN listeners in the New York market could hear the game over the air but not on WFAN’s audio stream. Now listeners will have the option to listen to Westwood One’s Monday night, Thursday night, and Sunday night broadcasts on their smart speakers, smartphones, and laptops. See the blog post here.

Three Executive Promotions at Triton Digital. The company announces that three executives are being promoted within the company. Oscar Sermeno is upped to vice president of market strategy, Americas; Daniel Karlsson is promoted to vice president, market development and global strategy; and Michael Chien is elevated to vice president of advertising product strategy. Triton Digital president and CEO John Rosso comments, “Triton Digital continues on a trajectory of rapid growth and global expansion. These recent promotions within our leadership team will play an instrumental role in furthering Triton’s innovative spirit while maintaining operational excellence and expanding the company’s presence around the world. All while continuing to provide best-in-class audio streaming, podcasting, audience measurement, and advertising technology on a global scale.”

TALKERS News Notes. The nationally syndicated program, “The Dana Show” – starring Dana Loesch, adds new affiliate WFLF-AM, Orlando “WFLA.” The iHeartMedia station is picking up the Radio America-syndicated show for the 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm daypart…..The National Association of Broadcasters announces the availability of the 2022 Election Toolkit – an online resource that provides local television and radio broadcasters with ideas and information to cover the 2022 local, state and federal elections. The 2022 Election Toolkit provides assets to help broadcasters serve their communities in the lead-up to Election Day on November 8. It includes information on identifying false statements online, suggested tactics for hosting debates, voter registration resources and guides for finding local polling places. Broadcast-ready public service announcements encouraging voter participation are also available in both English and Spanish through the toolkit. NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt says, “Local broadcasters are a trusted and reliable source of news and information, which takes on heightened importance in combatting disinformation as Americans exercise their right to vote. The toolkit will equip radio and television stations in helping voters make informed decisions at the polls – an essential component in ensuring the vitality of our democracy.” Find it here…..Two podcasts – “Smart Talks with IBM,” an iHeartRadio show produced in collaboration with Pushkin and IBM, and “Bridgerton: The Official Podcast,” a Shondaland Audio and iHeartRadio program, are receiving a 2022 Adweek Podcast of the Year Award. Adweek’s annual Podcast of the Year Awards recognizes the best podcasts, featuring shows across 28 categories aimed at all sorts of audiences.

FBI Searches Mar-a-Lago, The Economy, Midterms/2024 Presidential Race, Taiwan/U.S.-China Relations, Russia-Ukraine War, and Olivia Newton-John Dies Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/8). The FBI executes a search warrant at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club as part of an investigation into presidential documents; the still-high price of gasoline and food and concerns about a recession; November’s midterm elections and speculation about the nominees in the 2024 presidential race; China’s ramped up military exercises around Taiwan and the tenuous relations between the U.S. and China; Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine and its impact on the global economy; and Olivia Newton-John dies at 73 were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Friday, August 5, 2022

By Editor | August 5, 2022 by Editor

iHeartMedia Q2 2022 Revenue Up 10.7%. The company reports that its 2022 second quarter consolidated revenue was $954 million, an increase of 10.7% over the same period in 2021. For the quarter, iHeartMedia posted net income of $15.2 million compared with the net loss of $32 million it reported for Q2 of 2021. iHeartMedia reports financial data in three segments: the Multiplatform Group (broadcast, networks, and sponsorships & events), Digital Audio Group, and Audio & Media Services Group. The company says revenue from the Multiplatform Group increased $27.5 million, or 4.5% year-over-year, primarily as a result of the continued recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Broadcast revenue grew $12.2 million, or 2.7%, driven by higher spot revenue and political advertising revenue as 2022 is a midterm election year, partially offset by lower trade and barter revenue due to the impact of the timing of the iHeartRadio Music Awards show, while Networks grew $3.9 million, or 3.2%. Revenue from Sponsorship and Events increased by $9.5 million, or 33.2%, primarily as a result of the return of live events. Revenue from iHM’s Digital Audio Group increased $54.6 million, or 27.6% compared to the same period in 2021. Digital, excluding podcast revenue, grew $22.4 million, or 15.5%, driven by increased demand for digital advertising. Podcast revenue increased by $32.3 million, or 60.4%, driven by higher revenues from the development of new podcasts as well as growth from existing podcasts. iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman says, “We’re pleased to report another quarter of solid results for iHeart in terms of consumer usage, revenue and earnings growth and, most importantly, strong free cash flow generation. The Digital Audio Group continues to deliver industry-leading growth, and our Multiplatform Group continues to demonstrate that it is a growth engine for the company as well. As the #1 audio company in America across broadcast radio, digital radio and podcasting – and the largest consumer reach audio company in the U.S. by far, we remain committed to building our businesses for future growth and continuing to deliver both trusted companionship to our listeners and significant and unique value to our advertising partners.”

Audacy Q2 Net Revenue Rises 5%. Citing “declining macroeconomic conditions,” Audacy reports net revenue of $319.4 million, an increase of 5% over the same period in 2021. The company says that core spot revenue was $200.5 million – flat compared to the second quarter of 2021, and digital revenue was $69.3 million, up 19% compared to the second quarter of 2021. The company reports a net loss of $773,000 in Q2 of 2022 compared to the net income of $1.4 million it reported during the same period a year ago. Audacy breaks down its revenue by format categories and says that the news/talk category revenue (news/talk and all-news stations) was $51.8 million, an increase of 4.2% over the same period in 2021. Audacy president and CEO David Field comments, “After a very strong first quarter in which we grew revenues by 14% and significantly increased margin, our second quarter results were adversely impacted by declining macroeconomic conditions and ad market headwinds which reduced our top line growth to 5%. While we navigate the turbulent current market conditions, we are excited by our future growth potential across our scaled, multi-platform businesses, capitalizing on a number of important recent developments that include an enhanced national sales organization, expanded podcast and streaming audio networks, and during the second half of this year, the rollout of a new, reimagined digital platform and ad tech capabilities that will enable us to unlock pools of ad demand and supply that we can’t effectively monetize today. Our transformational development over the past couple of years has meaningfully enhanced our competitive position, strengthening our capacity to serve listeners and customers and enabling a powerful set of opportunities for revenue and EBITDA growth in the dynamically growing audio market.”

Audacy Gets Listing Standards Notice from NYSE. The company received notification from the New York Stock Exchange that its Class A common stock is not in compliance with the exchange’s continued listing standard requiring a minimum average closing price of $1.00 per share over 30 consecutive trading days. The notice does not result in the immediate delisting of the common stock from the NYSE. Audacy says it plans to notify the NYSE that it intends to regain compliance and is considering all available options that are in the best interests of the company and its shareholders. Audacy can regain compliance during a six-month cure period if, on the last trading day of any calendar month during the cure period, the common stock has a closing share price of at least $1.00 and an average closing share price of at least $1.00 over the 30 trading-day period ending on the last trading day of that month.

Salem Media Group Revenue Climbs 7.7% in Second Quarter of 2022. Reporting its financial data for the second quarter of 2022, Salem Media Group reveals total revenue of $68.7 million, an increase of 7.7% over the same period in 2021. The company also reports net income of $9.1 million, an increase of more than 300% from the net income of $2.25 million reported in the second quarter of 2021. Salem reports in three segments: Broadcast, Digital Media, and Publishing and for Q2 of 2022, net broadcast revenue increased 12.1% to $52.5 million. Digital Media revenue increased 4.5% to $10.8 million, while Publishing revenue decreased 18.5% to $5.4 million.

Saga Communications Second Quarter Net Revenue Up 6.3%. For the second quarter of 2022, Saga Communications, Inc posts net revenue of $29.8 million, an increase of 6.3% over the same period in 2021. Station operating income increased 10.6% to $9.3 million and operating income was $5.4 million compared to $4.6 million for the same quarter last year. Free cash flow was $3.2 million in Q2 of 2022 compared to $4.2 million for the same period last year. Capital expenditures for the quarter were $2.6 million compared to $921 thousand for the same period last year. Capital expenditures for the quarter included the $1.1 million purchase of a building in Norfolk, Virginia that will replace the company’s existing leased studio and office facility. Saga reports net income of $3.8 million for the second quarter of 2022 compared to net income of $3.3 million for the same period a year ago.

Audacy and CBS Sports Digital Patner for Content Distribution and Ad Sales. This exclusive, multi-year deal between Audacy and CBS Sports Digital makes Audacy the exclusive, ad sales and distribution partner for CBS Sports’ network of sports podcasts. The press release states that CBS Sports Digital has grown to reach more than 90 million monthly active users, making it the second-largest sports group in the U.S, and with more than 65 shows and nearly 100 million downloads in 2021. Audacy EVP of digital sales Ken Lagana says, “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with CBS Sports in the podcasting space – properties I know well from my time spent there. Adding this family of content to our roster provides Audacy with a number of the leading sports, fantasy sports and betting podcasts, areas we have enjoyed significant success to date and are important to our clients. This partnership could not come at a better time with football season fast approaching.”

TALKERS News Notes. The John Fredericks Media Network announces a programming agreement for the newest member of its growing portfolio of radio stations as the network’s programming is now airing on Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation’s WTJZ-AM, Portsmouth, Virginia. JFMN chief operating officer Anne Fredericks says, “The Norfolk market is critical to our Virginia network as it represents the biggest U.S. naval base in the world at a very uncertain time for our nation’s Navy personnel. The uncertainty of potential hostility in the Asian perimeter and the South China sea makes this opportunity more important than ever. We will continue to provide all our listeners with extensive and in-depth coverage of China’s military and economic moves in the area, as well as top-flight analysis of the evolving events.”…..FOX Sports Radio’s LaVar Arrington announces an addition to his Up On Game Presents podcast lineup as musician, songwriter and creative director Flash Garments launches the “Under Appreciated with Flash Garments” show. Arrington says, “We’re super excited to have Flash Garments join the Up On Game Presents lineup with the launch of his ‘Under Appreciated’ podcast. Flash knows everybody, is very well respected, and has a lot to say! I think listeners will really enjoy this inspiring and enlightening program, and we look forward to sharing it with our audience every Friday!”…..WNRI, Woonsocket, Rhode Island talk host John DePetro has been filling in this week for WPHT, Philadelphia’s Dawn Stensland on her 10:00 am to 12:00 noon program…..The GCN-syndicated program “Classic Radio Theater with Wyatt Cox” adds new affiliate stations as KVOE-AM, Emporia, Kansas and KGEZ-AM, Kalispell, Montana adds the show to their program schedules. Cox comments, “I grew up on Sunnyslope Street in Emporia and listened to KVOE, enjoying some of the great music of the 60s and the fun personalities like the late Roger Hartsook. It’s a source of pride to be back in Emporia, if just virtually, every weekday.”

Video Tribute to Rich Stevens. The radio personality died on July 30 after suffering a heart attack. Rich Stevens enjoyed a career in music radio as well as in the talk radio format, hosting a program on Hubbard Radio’s WFTL, Fort Lauderdale. “Radio’s Best Friend” Art Vuolo put together a tribute video that you can see here.

The Economy Top News/Talk Story for Week of August 1-5. The state of the U.S. economy – the still-high cost of food and gasoline and the threat of a recession – was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was a tie between partisan politics, the elections, and abortion rights, followed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan tied with the related U.S.-China relations at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio 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.

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Thursday, August 4, 2022

By Editor | August 4, 2022 by Editor

Richard Neer is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. Legendary WFAN, New York sports talk show host/rock radio pioneer Richard Neer and TALKERS founder Michael Harrison have been close friends and radio colleagues for more than half of the medium’s 100-year history. Needless to say, they always have plenty to talk about regarding media and popular culture – past, present, and future. Richard Neer is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview” marking his record-breaking seventh visit since the program debuted as one of the platform’s earliest offerings in 2015. In addition to his rich on-air history, Neer is the prolific author of 10 Riley King murder mystery novels and his historic overview of album rock radio, FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio (Villard, 2001) remains a literary milestone chronicling the golden days of the AOR era. On this podcast, Harrison and Neer talk about a wide variety of topics including Joni Mitchell’s recent performance at the Newport Folk Festival, the high cost of Bruce Springsteen concert tickets, the controversial LIV Golf tour backed by Saudi Arabia, changes in the record business, the challenges of writing and publishing historical fiction, movies, TV, CGI and a whole lot more. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Cumulus Media Q2 Net Revenue Rises 5.4%. Reporting its financial data for the second quarter of 2022, Cumulus Media reveals net revenue of $236.7 million – an increase of 5.4% over the same period in 2021. The company also reports net income of $8.7 million for the quarter after posting a net loss of $5.9 million during Q2 of 2021. Total broadcast revenue for Cumulus fell 0.3% to $175.7 million compared to the second quarter of 2021. While radio spot revenue was $127 million – up 5.1% over Q2 2021, network revenue slipped 12% to $48.7 million. Cumulus Media’s digital segment rose 20.3% to $37.8 million. CEO Mary Berner comments, “Our ability to deliver yet another quarter of strong results is testament both to the quality of our strategic plan and the discipline and relentlessness with which we implement it. Specifically, we have deployed our multi-platform audio-first content strategy, developed multiple digital businesses, significantly reduced fixed costs, undertaken high ROI internal investments, and created a best-in-class balance sheet that gives the company substantial financial flexibility and capital allocation optionality. Given our track record, we have tremendous confidence in our ability, under this plan, to grow shareholder value. Despite the challenging macro environment, we increased revenue in the quarter by more than 5%, driven by our digital businesses whose growth accelerated in Q2 to 20% year-over-year. Additionally, bolstered by our ongoing focus on fixed cost reductions, this quarter we generated additional cash from operations and increased net income, EBITDA and EBITDA margins vs. the same period last year. We also efficiently executed nearly half of our $50 million share repurchase authorization and bought back $50 million of bonds at a discount, while simultaneously reducing net leverage to 3.8x, the lowest it’s been in more than a decade. With a robust political spending season anticipated, we are on trend toward achieving our net leverage target of less than 3.5 times and EBITDA at the low end of our 2022 guidance range.”

Conservative Media Figures Gather at CPAC 2022. Pictured above (from l-r) are WMAL-FM, Washington, DC morning drive personality Larry O’Connor, Salem Radio Network VP, news & talk programming Tom Tradup, and author and TOWNHALL.com contributor Kurt Schlichter in Dallas for the first day of CPAC 2022. The annual event runs through Sunday and speakers scheduled to address the gathering include: former President Donald Trump, Senator Ted Cruz, British conservative leader Nigel Farage, and Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Former WFTL, Fort Lauderdale Talk Host Rich Stevens Passes. TALKERS magazine has learned that former WFTL, Fort Lauderdale talk host Rich Stevens died on July 30 at the age of 68 after suffering a heart attack. Stevens worked in music radio prior to hosting his talk show on WFTL, serving at such signals as WPLJ-FM, New York and WJHM, Orlando. He also served at WABC-TV, New York as an entertainment reporter.

TALKERS News Notes. As part of RAB’s Radio Works initiative, the next live presentation in the series titled, “Radio Works for Restaurants,” takes place on Wednesday, August 17 at 1:00 pm ET and will provide industry insights and trends intended to help broadcasters gain a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the restaurant industry and how radio can continue to serve this category. Since the beginning of the pandemic, restaurants have endured closures, staffing shortages, product supply strains and inflationary pressures making for a challenging business environment. Hudson Riehle, senior vice president, research & knowledge group at the National Restaurant Association, will provide an update on the “State of the Restaurant Industry” to help radio sellers understand the areas where businesses in this category need support. It’s free for RAB members and they can register here…..ESPN and Omaha Productions are expanding their relationship in the audio space with the premiere of a new show, “Kyle Brandt’s Basement,” led by NFL Network “Good Morning Football” host Kyle Brandt. The daily show debuts August 8 and “explores the ins and outs of the NFL through lively guest interviews with the top voices in the sport and inventive segments unique to Brandt to bring fans closer to the action on and off the field.” Brandt comments, “I’m thrilled about this show, and I’ll be shot out of a cannon every single day. It’s in my own basement and I’ve got games, toys and takes. I can promise one thing: it will not be boring.”…..Pictured at left is WGKB-AM/W269DL, Milwaukee “101.7 The Truth” talk host Tory Lowe during last weekend’s 7th Annual Stop the Violence Peace Walk during which he walked from Milwaukee to Chicago (more than 80 miles) to “raise awareness and bring an end to violence in our communities.” Lowe says, “It is important for us to build a bridge between Milwaukee and Chicago, open the lines of communication, and bring awareness to the violence that plagues our communities.”

Kansas Abortion Vote, Midterms/2024 Presidential Race, Pelosi Taiwan Visit, January 6 Investigation, Russia-Ukraine War, The Economy, COVID-19, and U.S. Rep. Walorski Killed Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday. Kansas voters elect to keep abortion rights in the state’s constitution; the primary races for the November midterm elections and speculation about the nominees in the 2024 presidential race; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and China’s angry response; the January 6 investigation and the DOJ subpoenas issued to former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former deputy counsel Patrick Philbin; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the impact on the global economy; the falling price of gasoline and the still-high cost of food in the U.S. and concerns about a recession; the rate of BA.5 subvariant cases in the U.S.; and U.S. Rep Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and two staffers are killed in a car accident were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Tuesday, August 2, 2022

By Editor | August 2, 2022 by Editor

Townsquare Media Second Quarter Net Revenue Rises 13.6%. For the second quarter of 2022, Townsquare Media is reporting net revenue of $121.9 million, an increase of 13.6% over the same period in 2021. The company also reports net income of $4.9 million, a decrease of $5.2 million from Q2 of 2021. Townsquare’s financial data is broken in to three primary segments: Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions, Digital Advertising, and Broadcast Advertising. The Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions segment includes its subscription digital marketing solutions business, Townsquare Interactive. The Digital Advertising segment, marketed externally as Townsquare Ignite, includes digital advertising on the company’s owned and operated digital properties and its digital programmatic advertising platform. The Broadcast Advertising segment includes its local, regional, and national advertising products and solutions delivered via terrestrial radio broadcast, and other miscellaneous revenue that is associated with the broadcast advertising platform. The Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions segment’s net revenue rose 13.7%, the Digital Advertising segment’s net revenue was up 25.4%, and the Broadcast Advertising segment’s net revenue rose 1.0%. Company CEO Bill Wilson states, “I am proud to share that the Townsquare team delivered another quarter of strong revenue and profit growth, and in doing so, we achieved all-time record highs for both net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA. Our performance clearly demonstrates the strength and differentiation of our digital businesses and our legacy broadcast business. Townsquare’s second quarter net revenue increased year-over-year by 14%, exceeding our guidance range, and Adjusted EBITDA increased 7% year-over-year, meeting our guidance range. In addition, our digital revenue growth accelerated from the first quarter (Q1 +16% year-over-year), with second quarter total digital revenue increasing 21% year-over-year. Our strong top-line growth, margin profile, and cash generation characteristics have contributed to the reduction of our net leverage, now at a historical low of 4.65x as of June 30th, including the repurchase and retirement of $19 million of our Senior Secured Notes at or below par in Q2. We are also pleased to announce that we are raising our FY 2022 guidance following the close of the Cherry Creek acquisition on June 17th. Our updated full-year guidance reflects the ongoing momentum of our business and the strength of our performance to date, fueled by our differentiated digital platform. As a Digital First Local Media Company focused principally on markets outside of the Top 50 in the United States, we have a resilient digital growth engine supported by subscription digital marketing solutions, with a large addressable market and limited competition. As we move forward, we expect double-digit digital net revenue growth to continue at strong margins, reaching our digital revenue target of at least $275 million in 2024. With half of our total revenue and profit coming from digital today, it is our belief that over time as digital continues to meaningfully grow, Townsquare should and will be afforded a sum-of the-parts valuation that our digital assets deserve.”

70 Years of WGN-AM, Chicago Audio Archived at Northwestern University. As the result of a gift from WGN-AM, Chicago’s parent company Nexstar Media Group, a 70-year swath of the radio station’s audio archive now resides at Northwestern University Libraries in the Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives. The station says, “The archive, with materials covering 1941 to 2011, includes more than 15,000 items, primarily magnetic media (open reel tapes, compact cassettes, continuous-loop “carts,” U-matic videocassettes and VHS tapes) as well as other media such as grooved discs, CDs and minidiscs. The bulk of the audio dates to the 1980s and 1990s, a period of innovation and surging popularity for the station.” Scott Krafft is curator of special collections at Northwestern and he says that the archive contains thousands of hours of audio that will need to be cataloged and, where necessary, digitally preserved before they can be made publicly available. He adds, “It’s a remarkable collection that represents a significant sampling of Chicago history, including local and national news. In addition, the voices of WGN Radio’s most popular programs are represented here, making this an important archive for the history of the entire field of radio broadcasting.” WGN Radio VP and general manager Mary Sandberg Boyle comments, “Given the long and storied connection between WGN Radio and Northwestern University, it is most fitting that this audio collection, drawn out of 70 years of our broadcast history, will be under their care. While digitizing it will be a substantial undertaking for the Northwestern Libraries, ultimately, this will be a permanent and invaluable repository and resource for years to come. We trust their expertise and are proud they are the caretakers in this endeavor.”

Triton Digital Streaming Ranker for June 2022 Released. The monthly ranking of the top-performing streaming audio stations has been released for the month of June by Triton Digital. The ranking is based on Average Active Sessions which is calculated by dividing Total Listening Hours by the number of hours within the reported time period. In the period of 6AM-12AM Mon-Sun, iHeartRadio is far and away the #1 streamer again this month with 301,251 Average Active Sessions. Continuing in the #2 spot this month is NPR Member Stations (72,476 AAS), followed by Audacy at #3 (68,570 AAS), and Cumulus Streaming Network at #4 (41,562 AAS). Other streamers of note in the top 25 include Beasley Broadcasting Corporate at #7 (18,663 AAS), Hubbard Broadcasting at #8 (15,151 AAS), and Salem Communications at #11 (8,677 AAS). See the complete chart here.

TALKERS News Notes. Former WTMJ, Milwaukee air personality Jane Matenaer, who exited the station last month after six and a half years with the Good Karma Brands news/talk outlet, is staying with the company as producer and news reporter for sister progressive talk WAUK-AM/W266DR, Waukesha “The ‘Sha 101 FM” on the “As Goes Wisconsin” early afternoon program hosted by Kristen Brey…..Cumulus Media appoints Derek Falter VP/market manager for its Grand Rapids and Muskegon, Michigan markets that include sports talk WJRW-AM, Grand Rapids “The Ticket” and seven music-formatted stations. Falter, who was most recently regional VP for Curtis Media Group, comments, “I’m beyond excited about the opportunity the leadership team at Cumulus Media is giving me to work alongside the dynamic crews in Grand Rapids and Muskegon! Thanks to Mary Berner and Bob Walker for bringing me back to a part of the country that is so meaningful to my family.”

Al-Zawahiri Killed, Pelosi’s Asia Trip, Biden’s Climate/Health Bill, Manchin-Schumer Bill, Midterms/2024 Presidential Race, The Economy, January 6 Sentencing, Deadly Kentucky Floods/Western Wildfires Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/1). 9/11 orchestrator Ayman al-Zawahiri is killed in drone strike in Kabul; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s expected visit to Taiwan and China’s threatening response; the fate of Joe Biden’s climate and health bill; the Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer-authored Inflation Reduction Act; November’s midterm elections and speculation about the nominees in the 2024 presidential race; the still-high price of gasoline and food and concerns about a recession; Guy Reffit is sentenced to seven years in prison for his part in the January 6 Capitol attack; the deadly Kentucky floods and threats of more rain to the region plus the ongoing wildfires in Northern California were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Friday, July 29, 2022

By Editor | July 29, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled “Pass The Chips” looks back at this past week of 7/25 to 7/29. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Tim Van Horn, talk show host. KWAM, Memphis; Dom Giordano, talk show host, WPHT, Philadelphia; Renee Kohanski, M.D., forensic psychiatrist/medical podcaster; Holland Cooke, media consultant/author, Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins; Matthew B. Harrison, VP/associate publisher, TALKERS; and Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company. The show airs weekends (Friday evenings to Sunday nights) on almost 100 broadcast signals and networks across the U.S. and U.K as well as having developed a significant international following as a podcast. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

NWSL Matches To Air On SiriusXM. Beginning with tonight’s match between Racing Louisville FC and Portland Thorns FC (Friday, 7/29), SiriusXM listeners will have access to live broadcasts of the National Women’s Soccer League. The league’s 12 teams are competing for six playoff berths. SiriusXM will air the NWSL Championship game on October 29. Senior vice president of sports programming and podcasts Steve Cohen comments, “We are excited to offer our subscribers live NWSL matches every week. The NWSL is a leading professional soccer league featuring talent from around the world. We are proud to add the NWSL to the growing offering of live women’s sports on SiriusXM.” Meanwhile, NWSL media managing director/executive producer Brian Gordon remarks, “We’re always looking for unique and exciting ways to introduce our game to previously untapped audiences. This programming marks another fantastic step towards reaching those new fans. We’re excited to work alongside SiriusXM as we continue expanding ways in which fans can access NWSL matches.” In addition to live play-by-play, SiriusXM FC offers listeners a mix of soccer talk and play-by-play every day of the year. The channel features live play-by-play, as well as daily soccer talk programming hosted by a cast of former players, coaches, executives and journalists.

Gottlieb Guides Team USA To Gold. As a result of coaching the USA Open Men’s Basketball team to a first-place finish at this year’s World Maccabiah Games earlier this month in Israel, Fox Sports Radio’s Doug Gottlieb (second red shirt from left in the above photo) captures his fourth gold medal. Gottlieb coached the 2017 team; won as a player on the U.S. Open Men’s Basketball Team during the Pan-American Maccabi Games in Mexico City in 1999; and the 16^th World Maccabiah Games in 2001. Additionally, he took home a bronze medal at the 15^th World Maccabiah Games in 1997. He continued to host his radio show for several weeks in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and remarks, “We had yet another amazing trip, winning all eight of our games and creating a team that operated like a family. I cannot thank Maccabi USA and Fox Sports Radio enough for allowing me the opportunity to coach and work, while mentoring these incredible young men.” The Maccabiah Games are the world’s third-largest international multi-sport event with nearly 10,000 total participants representing 75 countries competing in 40 sports. Gottlieb’s three-hour (3:00 pm – 6:00 pm, ET) weekday FSR show airs on approximately 230 stations.

TALKERS News Notes. Over and above her programming duties for iHeartMedia Dallas’ KFXR “Talk Radio 1190 AM” and serving as the cluster’s public service director, Anna De Haro will become a cast member with morning drivers Bo Roberts & Randy James (“The Bo & Jim Show”) on classic rock KZPS “Lone Star 92.5.” iHeartMedia Dallas-Fort Worth market president Kelly Kibler comments, “Anna has been an integral part of iHeartMedia Dallas for 20+ years. Her 30 years in radio, many spent doing mornings in Austin, San Antonio and Dallas, makes her a perfect fit to join the legendary ‘Bo & Jim Show.’” DeHaro will begin on KZPS next Monday (8/1). … Tulsa’s KRMG is added to the list of this year’s “News/Talk Station of the Year” nominees for the NAB Marconi Radio Awards. “Tulsa’s News & Talk 102.3 & AM 740” takes the place of Cox Media Group sibling Atlanta’s WSB-AM & WSBB, which remains in contention for “Major Market Station of the Year.” Winners will be announced October 19 at the NAB Show in New York. … Data-driven marketing company Claritas will join the Radio Advertising Bureau August 10 at 1:00 pm for a session that will aid sellers in prospecting in the political category. Claritas director/media & telecom Meg DiMattina and account manager/media & telecom Jorge Martinez will identify voter preferences and share how radio can deliver and optimize a political candidate’s message. Registration for “What Matters to Voters: Voting insights of radio listeners” is free for RAB members.

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Thursday, July 28, 2022

By Editor | July 28, 2022 by Editor

WFAN And Yankees Extend Their Partnership. A multi-year extension is announced between Audacy New York sports talk WFAN-FM & WFAN-AM and MLB’s American League East New York Yankees. English-language broadcasts will continue to be heard on WFAN and streamed digitally on the Audacy app for those within the team’s broadcast territory. WFAN will also continue to produce the Spanish-language broadcasts for local radio affiliates, as well as for the Audacy app. Audacy New York market president Chris Oliviero declares, “The New York Yankees are the city’s premier sports franchise and WFAN is the city’s premier sports platform. Together, we form a potent combination for fans and client partners. [This – 2022] is our 21^st consecutive season of broadcasting the ‘Bronx Bombers.’ We look forward to continuing to have the honor of being the soundtrack to more memorable and historic pinstripe moments.” New York Yankees chief operating officer Lonn Trost notes, “The Yankees are excited to extend our longstanding relationship with WFAN and Audacy. WFAN has been our flagship station for over two decades, and we look forward to fans continuing to enjoy Yankees baseball over its airways and on the Audacy app.” From 2002 to 2014, Yankees games were heard on WFAN’s sister station, all-news WCBS-AM (currently the flagship of the New York Mets); WFAN has served as the Yankees flagship since 2014. John Sterling, (class of 2022 Radio Hall of Fame inductee) Suzyn Waldman and Sweeny Murti are the English-language broadcasters, while Spanish-language broadcasts will be handled by Rickie Ricardo, Francisco Rivera and Rene Luna. As part of Audacy’s MLB partnership, WFAN and the Yankees will produce co-branded podcasts.

Newsmax, Verizon Sign Multi-Year Carriage Agreement. The deal between Newsmax and Verizon extends distribution of news channel in HD on Verizon Fios. Newsmax Media chief executive officer Christopher Ruddy remarks, “Verizon has carried Newsmax for many years. We are delighted to be extending our distribution through the Fios platform. We have found them to be outstanding partners who have demonstrated a strong commitment to the presentation of diverse, independent voices through their programming. We’re glad that we are continuing with this new agreement.” Newsmax will retain its broad distribution on the Verizon platform, which reaches approximately 3.5 million subscribers in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions.

SiriusXM Q2 Revenue Increases. While revenue was up 4% year-over-year to $2.25 billion in this year’s second quarter, SiriusXM’s net income declined from $433 million to $292 million (11 to 7 cents/basic share, 10 to 7 cents/diluted share). Adjusted EBITDA was off 3% to $679 million. SiriusXM chief executive officer Jennifer Witz notes, “We are pleased with our results in the second quarter, and while we continue to navigate an uncertain economic environment, we delivered strong financial performance and continued to make strategic investments in our business that will set us up for an exciting new era. We remain committed to creating compelling experiences for our listeners by investing in innovative technologies to deliver best-in-class, curated, comprehensive audio entertainment. Most recently, [we expanded] our relationship with the NFL to deliver the most extensive sports lineup in audio entertainment; we will continue to enhance our platform to ensure broad appeal.” Executive vice president/chief financial officer Sean Sullivan adds, “[Our] churn was steady at approximately 1.5% in the quarter, underscoring the strength of our business, products, and loyalty of our customers. In the second quarter, we delivered focused expansion in key streaming offerings and maintained a strong balance sheet. This quarter, we returned over $300 million in capital to stockholders, comprising $217 million in common stock repurchases and $86 million in dividends, and ended the quarter with net debt to adjusted EBITDA of 3.6 times.” Self-pay subscribers increased by 23,000 and paid promotional subscribers increased by 54,000. Satellite and streaming division totaled 34 million subscribers at the end of the quarter; self-pay churn was flat at 1.5%. The division’s revenue rose 5% to $1.7 billion, and gross profit rose 6% to $1.1 billion.

Marketron Releases Political Advertising Toolbox. Per BIA Advisory Services, political advertising will raise $8.6 billion for local media companies. Marketron’s collection of online resources combines all the political advertising content the company has developed at a single location for companies interested in increasing their share of political advertising. Marketron senior vice president/client success Christian Kligora opines that, “Political advertising is an important category for local media. It’s much different than any other and that requires a unique approach. We’ve been developing content on the topic all year long with a focus on how to support media sellers. Bringing it together in one spot makes it easier to learn from and access.” Each resource will reportedly provide media salespeople with tips, strategies, and insights for political advertising. Included are specialized considerations such as the “overall trends in the advertising ecosystem; the need to reach different demographics; the objective of persuading people to vote; and the regulatory compliance requirements” for how media companies price/offer inventory to candidates.

TALKERS News Notes. Changes at Audacy Philadelphia sports talk WIP “Sports Radio 94” find the station’s fill-in host Jody McDonald and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski co-hosting weekend shows with Glenn Macnow. McDonald will partner with Macnow on Sundays (10:00 am – 1:00 pm), while Sielski joins Macnow in the same time slot each Saturday. According to Macnow, “I have a comfort level with Jody. He’s the guy I broke in with [and] the guy our listeners heard me with from 28 years ago. Working with Jody is like an old pair of shoes – it’s easy and I like it. The Saturday show will now be me and the best damn sports columnist in town, Mike Sielski.” … Former Baltimore Ravens defensive back Rod Woodson will join play-by-play voice Gerry Sandusky this season on the NFL team’s broadcasts on Hearst Baltimore news/talk WBAL “News Radio 1090 AM & 101.5 FM.” According to Sandusky, “Rod brings the unique perspective of someone who has both played and coached at the highest level of the game. He does it in a down-to-earth way that is approachable, likable and just plain fun. It’s a privilege to work with a broadcast partner like Rod.” Woodson states that, “Being a part of the Ravens’ gameday broadcast team is a blessing. To be back with the team that I won my only Super Bowl with will be fun.” … After eleven years with Nashville’s WPRT-FM, midday co-host Darren McFarland departs the Cromwell Radio Group sports talk outlet. Program director Chase McCabe confirms to The Tennessean that “Sports Radio 102.5 The Game” decided to part ways with McFarland, who formerly worked at Cumulus Media’s cross-town/similarly-formatted WGFX “104.5 The Zone.” McCabe, Willy Daunic, and Derrick Mason continue in middays on “The Game.” … Effective August 22, Cheddar News Washington bureau chief Megan Pratz will join NPR as political editor. In addition, NPR promotes congressional correspondent Sue Davis to political correspondent and interim congressional correspondent Dierdre Walsh gets to remove “interim” from the title. … Skyview Networks’ sports talk program “OutKick 360” picks up three Withers Broadcasting-owned affiliates: KYRK, Marble Hill, Missouri; WGKY, Wickliffe, Kentucky; and WFRX, West Frankfort, Illinois. Skyview Networks is the exclusive distributor, affiliate sales representative and network sales partner of Jonathan Hutton, Chad Withrow & Paul Kuharsky-hosted “OutKick 360.”

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Tuesday, July 26, 2022

By Editor | July 26, 2022 by Editor

WKNR Contest Puts $30,000 Ad Campaign Up For Grabs. This marks the third consecutive year that Good Karma Brands sports talk WKNR “850 ESPN Cleveland” will give away a $30,000 WKNR advertising schedule to one local business. To qualify for “Moving Business Forward,” the establishment must be owned by a veteran, minority member, or woman. The promotion runs through this Friday (7/29) and is open to Northeast Ohio businesses incorporated and active for at least two years with annual revenue under $15 million in fiscal year 2021. Entrants must submit an under 300-word statement saying why their business deserves to win. Judging criteria will be on passion for the business; innovation during – and response to – the COVID-19 pandemic; employee loyalty; impact on business’ neighborhood/community; and overall business culture. According to Good Karma Brands Cleveland vice president/market manager Amy Crossman, “We are excited to partner with Keybank and the Cleveland Cavaliers to continue this powerful program for the local business community. We look forward to connecting our passionate sports fans with these deserving Cleveland-based businesses to help them thrive in the future.” The winner will have use of a private suite for one Cavs game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. WKNR will buy $2,500 in gift cards, divided among veteran, minority, and women-owned businesses, to be given away throughout the year.

NAB Appoints Hall to Leadership Foundation Board. Talk host/journalist/producer/author Tamron Hall is appointed to the National Association of Broadcasters’ Leadership Foundation. In addition, Hall assumes the newly-created position of industry ambassador, where she will work with NABLF on campaigns and fundraising efforts. NAB Leadership Foundation president Michelle Duke comments, “Tamron Hall exemplifies the values of NABLF through her commitment to service, advocacy, and diversity. Her strong record of public service and leadership make her uniquely-qualified to serve as a champion for the Foundation and for broadcasting. We look forward to her partnership and working with her to make our industry better.” Hall adds, “I am so excited to help the NAB Leadership Foundation continue its mission of attracting and developing the next generation of innovative broadcast executives. More than ever, we need to ensure that the broadcast industry has a pipeline of future leaders that reflect our diverse audiences. It’s been an honor to work with the Foundation in the past; I look forward to furthering this work as a member of the Board.” As industry ambassador, Hall will help NABLF honor broadcast radio and television stations’ community service efforts through the Foundation’s annual Celebration of Service to America Awards, which she hosted two years ago.

KO’s “Countdown” Continues as an iHM Podcast. Beginning August 1, former longtime ESPN and MSNBC anchor; author; and three-time Edward R. Murrow Award winner Keith Olbermann will launch a daily iHeartMedia podcast series. “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” will include a news-driven mix featuring a “Special Comment” political analysis and his popular MSNBC “Worst Person In The World” segment. As part of the podcast, the one time sports anchor at Los Angeles all-news outlet KNX will do a regular sports bit, as well as a daily call to help a suffering dog. In a Wall Street Journal interview this week, Olbermann declares that podcasts have, “replaced radio and to a large part television. Why not present something that is there every day for people? My goal is that you’ll be able to listen and get everything that happened. It won’t be, ‘here we are reacting to last week’s news.’ I’m doing the work for the work. I stopped predicting my next career development around 1997.” Former “Today” anchor Katie Couric and Fox News host Megyn Kelly launched post-television audio broadcasting careers. Meanwhile, Conan O’Brien signed a deal with SiriusXM earlier this year to start a podcasting venture. Olbermann covered the 1980 Olympics “Miracle on Ice” and anchored the 2009 Super Bowl pre-game show.

Hobbs To Helm MundoNow’s Óyenos Audio. Multicultural podcasting veteran Stephen Hobbs is named chief audio officer of MundoNow’s Latino podcast network, Óyenos Audio. Hobbs will oversee the development of new original scripted series and audio entertainment concepts that will focus on topics including true crime and inspirational stories. MundoNow chief executive officer Rene Alegrias remarks, “Latinos expect smart, highly sophisticated podcasts that provide a culturally-accurate connection to their heritage. Óyenos will provide this and it will be driven by the renowned Stephen Hobbs. In the world of multicultural podcasting, Stephen’s caliber and experience is unmatched.” MundoNow chief revenue officer/partner Andrew Polsky notes, “I immediately recognized the impact this platform can make in expanding meaningful podcasting for the underserved bilingual/bicultural market. This impact will be maximized with the hiring of Stephen. I’ve worked with him before on multiple brand partnership executions. I’m excited to collaborate with him again to not only elevate Óyenos, but the offering of Latino streaming content as a whole.” Hobbs states that bilingual digital media company MundoNow, recently rebranded from Mundo Hispanico, is “exceptionally well-positioned to become a leader in multicultural podcasting. It has the audience, it has the growth strategy under superior leadership from Rene and Andrew, and it has the production capacity. My job is to create content that will have listeners on the edge of their seats, or perhaps making an emotional connection.” Hobbs co-founded reVolver Podcasts; was Univision’s vice president of podcasts and experiential; and during his three-year tenure at Spanish Broadcasting Systems launched AIRE Radio Network. MundoNow generates ten million unique visitors each month, along with 70+ million pageviews and more than a quarter-billion served ad impressions.

TALKERS News Notes. In a Facebook post, Sammy Simpson reveals, “I am going to be transitioning out of the brand/content manager role at Capitol Broadcasting [Raleigh]. The company has started the search for a new sports [talk] program director and I would encourage you to apply or help spread the word if interested in a truly great opportunity.” Simpson joined Capitol Broadcasting Raleigh two years ago to oversee sports talk WCMC “99.9 The Fan”; sports talk WCMC-HD2 “Buzz Sports Radio”; and sports talk WDNC “620 The Ticket.” The cluster also includes adult contemporary WRAL “Mix 101.5” and triple A WCLY “That Station.” … Meanwhile, in another sports talk-related Facebook post, we learn that Waterloo Media Austin flips Spanish contemporary KLZT-HD2 (1.2, #22, June 2022, 6+) to sports talk as “102.7 ESPN Austin.” In addition to ESPN programming, the on-air lineup will include: Jason Dick and CJ Morgan (from alternative cluster-mate KROX); Ed Clements (from co-owned news/talk KLBJ-AM); and Bryan Bymark (from rock cluster-mate KLBJ-FM). … Per USA Today‘s Mike Organ, Nashville media personality Mark Howard has died at the age of 65. In 2004, Howard became co-host of “The Wake Up Zone” on Nashville sports talk WGFX “The Zone 104.5”; he left the show in 2020. The Connecticut native most recently worked as a part-time host at cross-town Cromwell Group sports talk WPRT-FM “The Game 102.5.” Howard spent several years hosting a Tennessee Titans post-game show and co-hosted Nashville Predators pre-game and post-game programs. … The first five recipients of the Friends of Georgia Radio’s “Georgia Radio Legends” honors are: Media Ventures Partners founder (the late) Charles Giddens; Georgia Association of Broadcasters president/National Alliance of State Broadcasters Association president Bob Houghton; Cox Media Group Atlanta news/talk WSB-AM & WSBB legislative reporter Sandra Parrish; Atlanta Public Schools public radio news/talk WABE host Lois Reitzes; and University of Georgia radio studio host/WSB-AM & WSBB director of marketing & research Neal “Hondo” Williamson. They will be recognized at a Jeff Foxworthy-hosted event next month (8/27) in Alpharetta.

Podtrac Releases Weekly Podcast Data. Tracking data of podcasts for Podtrac-measured shows indicates that downloads are down 9% (July 18 – 24) over the previous week, but up 53% over the corresponding period last year. All categories are down week-to-week, with “History” and “Society & Culture” showing the most significant week-to-week decline (-12%). Meanwhile, “Health & Fitness” registers the strongest year-to-year growth, a robust +179%. Across all Podtrac-measured podcasts, download growth (July 19, 2021 – July 24, 2022) was up 53%, while week-over-week download growth (July 18 – 24, 2022) was off 9%. For the 52-week period (July 19, 2021 to July 24, 2022), “Health & Fitness” is +179%; “Comedy” is +100%; “Sports” is +64%; “True Crime” is +54%; “Science” is +52%; “Business” is +51%; “News” is +43%; “Society & Culture” is +39%; “History” is +32%; and “Arts” is flat. Week-over-week download dips (July 18 – 24, 2022) included: -12% (“History”); -12% (“Society & Culture”); -10% (“News”); -10% (“Sports”); -10% (“True Crime”); -9% (“Science”); -7% (“Business”); -7% (“Comedy”); -6% (“Arts”); and -6% (“Health & Fitness”).

SiriusXM, NFL Extend/Expand Their Broadcast Agreement. Under terms of the new five-year extension, SiriusXM becomes the exclusive third-party audio provider of every National Football League game across North America. NFL chief media and business officer Brian Rolapp remarks, “SiriusXM continues to be an important part of the NFL family. [It provides] fans access to live game audio, as well as all news and information around their favorite teams.” SiriusXM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein notes, “The popularity of the NFL, and the passion of their fans, is extraordinary. Since 2004, the NFL has been an important component of SiriusXM’s programming lineup as we deliver those fans exceptional access to all their favorite teams. We couldn’t be more pleased to now be expanding our relationship with the league, ensuring our listeners will continue to get comprehensive access to the NFL.” Subscribers will continue getting access to every NFL game through Super Bowl LXI (2027) on SiriusXM radio and on the SXM App. The SXM App offers 32 NFL team channels, each dedicated to carrying the official radio broadcast for each NFL team. The satcaster will offer additional team-focused content, including coaches shows, and press conferences to subscribers.

America Amplified “Election 2022” Launches This Week. Funded by the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, the America Amplified “Election 2022” initiative helps public media stations in 25 states, including Michigan Radio, ensure that citizens are properly informed to participate in this fall’s local, state and congressional elections. Corporation For Public Broadcasting president/chief executive officer Pat Harrison comments, “Voting is the foundation of a democracy. We want to ensure that all eligible citizens have the information they need to exercise their right to vote. With more than 1,500 locally managed and operated stations, public media is ideally situated to engage all citizens. America Amplified’s listening-first approach will help build trust in the process.” Michigan Radio program director Matt Shafer Powell remarks, “Joining America Amplified gives Michigan Radio the chance to build on our long-standing commitment to engaging and informing our community. We are excited to bring additional resources to better understand what our communities need to know about election processes and election security.” Among the initiative’s community engagement activities is an online tool that allows the public to submit questions related to the election voting process. Questions will be answered using nonpartisan election information sources.

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Friday, July 22, 2022

By Editor | July 22, 2022 by Editor

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Telstar and Me: July 23, 1962. Tomorrow (7/23) is the 60th anniversary of the first broadcast on the satellite called Telstar 1. Longtime radio personality and voice performer Mark Wainwright wrote about the launch and first broadcast using Telstar in a piece TALKERS published first in 2020. Wainwright has updated this piece for the 60^th anniversary. He says that although the idea of worldwide video transmission is nothing extraordinary these days, back in 1962 it was the stuff of science fiction. He writes, “By the early 1960s, live worldwide radio had been around for decades. With a combination of shortwave transmission and some intricate international phone links, you could get a radio broadcast from just about anywhere to just about anyplace. There were limitations, and the audio quality wasn’t great, but it could usually be done. The bandwidth demands of “broadcast-quality” television, however, were a much higher hurdle.” Read the whole story here.

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TALKERS News Notes. A new live presentation from the RAB features J.D. Power director, global insurance intelligence Robert Lajdziak providing the current state of mind of automotive insurers and what drives customer satisfaction. The July 27 presentation – free for RAB members – takes place at 1:00 pm ET. Lajdziak will also share what broadcasters need to know to aid and prospect in the category…..FOX News Media expands distribution of its direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service FOX Nation across live TV streaming platform FuboTV. FOX Nation president Jason Klarman says, “We’re delighted to partner with FuboTV to offer FOX Nation as part of their growing content offering and bring our loyal audience more ways to access the wide variety of signature content that they crave.”…..Noted talk media commentator and Trends Journal publisher Gerald Celente is organizing Occupy Peace’s “Peace & Freedom Rally” tomorrow (7/23) at 2:00 pm in Kingston, New York, where, he says, “the seed of democracy was sown.” Celente says the mission of the rally is “to reverse the negative trends of ongoing wars, hatred and destruction… and bring Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All.” He adds that the event is in honor of America’s first president and true warrior, George Washington. The country’s first president, in his farewell address, said the U.S. should “observe good faith and justice towards all nations: cultivate peace and harmony with all.” Get more information about the rally by contacting Jane Campbell via email: janecampbell@occupypeace.com.

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January 6 Committee Hearings Top News/Talk Story for Week of July 18-22. The January 6 Committee hearings and the related trial of former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon combined as the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was partisan politics tied with the November midterm elections and speculation about the nominees for the 2024 presidential race, followed by the issue of high violent crime rates in America’s major cities tied with gun control at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio 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.

Salem Media Group Seeks Producers. Attention producers! Salem Media Group is looking for producers. Salem has great radio stations, the Salem Radio Network, the Salem Podcast Network, and the Salem News Channel, and we always need producers to help us create our great products. If you have experience producing radio or TV shows, please send your resume and keep ‘em coming to: Phil Boyce, Senior VP of Spoken Word Formats, Salem Media Group
Philip.boyce@salemmedia.com. Salem is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Thursday, July 21, 2022

By Editor | July 21, 2022 by Editor

Tim Van Horn of KWAM, Memphis is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. TALKERS founder Michael Harrison describes him as “one of the most likeable radio talk show hosts in America.” Tim Van Horn, host of “Wake-Up Memphis” – heard mornings on heritage station KWAM, Memphis – is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Van Horn is familiar to radio and TV audiences in Memphis. For over a quarter century, he’s been a longtime meteorologist at NBC affiliate WMC-TV, a play-by-play commentator of Memphis 901 soccer games on ESPN+ and a radio personality on iHeart’s WREC-AM before joining the Todd Starnes-owned independent news/talker in 2020. Van Horn is a prime example of a local personality and family man whose roots run deep within a community and is considered an upstanding friend and a neighbor to the local population. Harrison and Van Horn take a deep-dive into the world of local radio and the elements that keep in ticking as an iconic medium of American culture. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Mike Hulvey Succeeds Beth Neuhoff as CEO of Neuhoff Communications. The leadership of Neuhoff Communications officially changes as longtime company COO Mike Hulvey is promoted to CEO and Beth Neuhoff steps down. Neuhoff – who assumed leadership of the company after the death of her husband Geoff 10 years ago – says, “Mike has a bold vision for where this company is going. He is an excellent team builder and knows what it takes to make Neuhoff the most important and community-focused local media operation in every market we serve. With his deep understanding of our operations and ability to lead both at our company and industry level, I can’t think of a better person to take the reins of this very special company.” In a letter to employees, Beth Neuhoff says the change is the result of “a thoughtful process dating back a few years. In fact, it likely would have happened sooner, but with the global pandemic and devastating impact it had on our company and industry, plans were delayed. While there is still work to do and business isn’t 100% back to normal, our recovery is well underway. Now is the right time to make the move. Mike has earned it.” Hulvey comments, “It is my distinct honor to assume the reins at Neuhoff Communications. We’ve worked hard to build this award-winning organization. I’m ready to build upon our firmly held values of community, innovation, grit, and excellence as this business evolves and grows into the future.” At the same time, the company announces a governance transition. Beth Neuhoff will be transitioning her role as corporate trustee of the company to Julian Hickman and Makena Neuhoff, grandchildren of the late broadcaster, Roger Neuhoff, over the next few months. Beth Neuhoff says, “It is exciting to see the next generation of Neuhoff’s take an active role in the company’s future. Their enthusiasm and breadth of experiences in business will be of tremendous benefit.”

Triton Digital Releases Top Podcast Report for June. The June 2022 Top Podcast Report from Triton Digital has been published. The report of the 100 top podcasts is based on weekly average downloads and in June, Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” jumped up to the #1 spot, edging NPR’s “NPR News Now” out of the lead and into the #2 spot. Steady in the #3 position is audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie.” Other radio-related podcasts of note on the chart include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” at #8, Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” at #14, and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Matt Walsh Show” and “The Mark Levin Show” at #18 and #21 respectively. See the complete chart here.

TALKERS News Notes. On Monday (7/25), KCMO-AM, Kansas City morning drive host Pete Mundo will host a special “Politics and a Pint” discussion with Missouri U.S. Senate Candidate Eric Greitens at the Jewel KC Event Space in Downtown Kansas City. This live event is KCMO Talk Radio’s fourth “Politics and a Pint” event featuring U.S. Senate Candidates and will feature Mundo having a candid conversation with Greitens, then opening the floor for a few questions from the audience…..Disruptor Radio, LLC is adding New York Yankees baseball to the programming schedule on WJFP-AM, Chester, Pennsylvania “Liberty Radio,” effective tonight. Disruptor president and CEO John Fredericks says, “We are thrilled to partner with the highest profile brand in baseball, the New York Yankees. We are very proud to be an official radio affiliate of the New York Yankees offering baseball fans in the greater Philadelphia area an opportunity to catch every pitch of every Yankees game.”…..Las Vegas-based, USA Radio Network syndicated talk host Wayne Allyn Root is launching a weekly TV show on the Real America’s Voice television network in which he’ll be talking about the “biggest stories of the week that every conservative, Christian, American patriot and Trump warrior needs to know.”…..Salem Radio Network’s SRN News is presenting a week-long special series on “The Future of NRB.” Beginning Monday (7/25), SRN News will explore the immediate and long-term outlook for the National Religious Broadcasters association. Featured prominently in the week’s reporting will be content from an extensive interview with the NRB’s new president and CEO Troy Miller.

January 6 Hearings, Midterms/2024 Election, The Economy, Heatwave/Global Warming, Abortion/LGBTQ Rights, Russia-Ukraine War, and COVID-19 Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/20). The ongoing January 6 hearings; November’s midterm elections, Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP, and speculation about the nominees in 2024; high gas & food prices, financial market activity, and fears of a recession; the record-breaking heat in Europe and the heatwave hitting much of the U.S. plus talk about global warming; the Roe v Wade protests and the House bill that would secure gay marriage rights; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; and the fast-spreading BA.5 subvariant pushing COVID-19 numbers up were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Tuesday, July 19, 2022

By Editor | July 19, 2022 by Editor

WABC, New York Adds ‘Lou Dobbs Financial Reports’ to Programming Schedule. New York City news/talk WABC and sister Long Island signal WLIR-FM are adding G Accelerate Networks’ “Lou Dobbs Financial Reports” to air three times per day. The 60-second reports include a morning forecast before the opening bell, a midday snapshot of the day in full swing, and an afternoon recap with a look to the next day’s markets. Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis says, “Lou is well renowned for his financial expertise and successful broadcasting career, which make him a perfect fit for WABC and WLIR-FM. In today’s uncertain markets, Lou’s insight and perspective into Wall Street throughout the day are more important now than ever. ‘The Lou Dobbs Financial Reports’ are a welcome addition to WABC and WLIR-FM listeners and advertisers.”

WMFN, Chicago Now Airing Black Information Network Programming. Chicagoland outlet WMFN-AM, Peotone, Illinois is now airing the 24/7 comprehensive national audio news service BIN: Black Information Network. The programming from iHeartMedia is “dedicated to providing an objective, accurate and trusted source of continual news coverage with a Black voice and perspective.” The station features top national on-air anchors and correspondents including award-winning broadcaster Ed Gordon, renowned journalist Roland Martin and Emmy Award-winning anchor Vanessa Tyler. WMFN-AM is owned by Birach Broadcasting Corporation. BIN: Black Information Network president Tony Coles says, “BIN: Black Information Network celebrated its second anniversary on June 30th, and the launch of Chicago’s 640 AM is a major milestone for the network. BIN brings Chicago the most trusted full-time news network for both local and national news by and for the Black community, and we’re looking forward to the network’s impact in the community for years to come.”

A Radio News Junkie’s Regret. Forty-two years ago this September, a college kid named Bruce Putterman fell in love with radio news after stopping by WVBR-FM, Ithaca at Cornell University. He writes, “I sign up for the station’s training program. Most trainees want to be DJ’s. I’m not that cool. I want to be a reporter. A radio reporter. Over those first few weeks of training my infatuation deepens into love. I love interviewing local dignitaries, writing stories, editing tape, creating news packages, and after about six weeks, delivering my first full newscast. It is the greatest sense of exhilaration I have ever experienced. I think I’ve found my calling.” Putterman continued to work hard at it during his college years and just prior to graduation scored an audition with the ABC News Network. But he flunked the audition and subsequently gave up on radio news as a career. It’s a decision he admits that he regrets. But this story has a happy ending. (Spoiler alert: He’s now in the news business after a very long career detour). Read Bruce Putterman’s honest and revealing story here.

‘Tips for Today’s Homeowner’ Airing on 450 Stations. The 90-second vignettes “Tips for Today’s Homeowner” from Danny Lipford’s Today’s Homeowner Media are now heard on 450 stations across the U.S. The company says 22 new stations have been added in the second quarter of 2022. Vice president of TV/radio distribution Scott Basilotta says, “These tips vignettes are extremely popular. They are short, concise and take up very little inventory. Many of our affiliate stations utilize them to generate a lucrative source of revenue when pairing a local advertiser or sponsor to one of the adjacencies.” Lipford and his team have strategically expanded the vignettes’ footprint over the last six months, which has resulted in more iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media, Townsquare Media and Alpha Media USA stations joining.

Audacy Names Four to Regional Promotions Team. Four promotions pro join Audacy’s regional promotions team. The company says that Emily Pearce joins the Tri-State team as regional promotion director focusing on New York City and Wilkes-Barre. Ruben Pimentel joins the Northern California team as regional promotion director focusing on San Francisco and Sacramento. Erica Washburn joins the Pacific Northwest team as regional promotion director focusing on Seattle and Portland, and Veronica Weisenbach is promoted to the Great Lakes team as regional promotion manager focusing on Detroit and Cleveland. Audacy VP promotions and experiences Josh Pearlman says, “We’re thrilled to welcome Emily, Ruben and Erica, to Audacy and excited for Veronica to advance into her new role. They are game changers in the marketing and promotion space, and I look forward to their leadership and contributions to our leading local brands.”

TALKERS News Notes. Progressive talk show host Stephanie Miller announces that her “Sexy Liberal Save Democracy Tour” comics John Fugelsang, Hal Sparks, and Frangela will hit three cities this fall – Washington, DC on September 10, Chicago on September 24, and Los Angeles on October 22. Miller says, “The Sexy Liberals deliver a comedic punch in a knockout show encouraging us to get everyone you know to vote this November’s midterm elections…hand out water, bring chairs, shuttle people, and carry signs – VOTE!”…..Good Karma Brands’ WEFL-AM, West Palm Beach “Deportes Radio 760” announces that ESPN Spanish sports media personality Jose del Valle is joining the station’s “Comunidad Deportiva” once a week beginning on Wednesday, July 20 from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm. Station general manager Julian Zaldivar says, “As our ‘Deportes Radio 760AM’ station continues to gain popularity with Latino sports fans in the area, it’s very exciting to add Jose del Valle to our local programming. Jose is one of the top soccer broadcasters for ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, and he’s always stayed true to his roots in Palm Beach County. We’re proud to bring Jose del Valle back to West Palm to join our local show and share his soccer passion with the Hispanic community he calls home.”…..Virtual News Center adds new affiliate stations KHPQ-FM and KGFL-AM in Clinton, Arkansas to its roster of stations. Virtual News Center’s Lisa Rodman will anchor newscasts for the King-Sullivan Radio-owned stations.

KIDO, Boise’s Kevin Miller Meets Rodeo Queens. Pictured above is KIDO, Boise morning drive personality Kevin Miller (center) surrounded by the Western Rodeo Queens. The photo was taken during Miller’s live broadcast from the Buckaroo Breakfast in Nampa, Idaho.

The Economy/Biden Approval Ratings, November Midterms/2024 Presidential Race, January 6 Hearings/Bannon Trial, European Heatwave, Russia-Ukraine War, and Uvalde Report Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/18). The high price of gasoline and food and President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings for his handling of the economy and inflation; the November midterm elections, Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP, and speculation about the presidential nominees in 2024; the January 6 Committee hearings and former White House strategist Steve Bannon’s looming trial for contempt of congress; the record-breaking heatwave in Europe; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; and the official release of the Uvalde school shooting report were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Friday, July 15, 2022

By Editor | July 15, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “The Merchants of Division,” looks back at this past week of 7/11 to 7/15. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Harry Hurley, talk show host, WPG, Atlantic City; Peter King, correspondent, CBS News Radio, Orlando/Kennedy Space Center; Daliah Wachs, M.D., talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; Todd Feinburg, talk show host, WTIC, Hartford; Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company; and Matthew B. Harrison, VP/associate publisher, TALKERS. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast RadioUK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

It’s My Party – The Story of Hubbard Broadcasting’s ‘myTalk 107.1’. Back in 2000, Hubbard Broadcasting bought a pair of New Richmond, Wisconsin-licensed country-formatted stations (WIXK-AM & WIXK-FM) for $27 million. The company subsequently tested several formats for the FM, then upgraded it to a move-in signal at 107.1 for Minneapolis-St. Paul, roughly 47 miles to the west. Country was jettisoned in early-June 2002 so it could give way to what has blossomed into a distinctively different approach to the talk radio genre. In this feature story, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian does a deep dive into the female-targeted talk station KTMY-FM “myTalk 107.1” that will celebrate its 20^th anniversary as a talker next Thursday. Hubbard Minneapolis VP/market manager Dan Seeman says company president and CEO Ginny Morris “saw that ‘Oprah was Oprah’ [and wondered why] a talk radio station couldn’t be aimed at women. Even today, all talk radio is [male-targeted]. It doesn’t mean that women aren’t listening; [however], news, politics, and sports lean more toward men. Ginny will always tell you that the hope for the station was to create Vanity Fair on the air. The conversation was about relationships and certainly included news and information – but from a female perspective. It was much lighter and with laughs. There wasn’t – and still isn’t – anything else like [KTMY] anywhere in the country.” Read the full story here.

Round Three of June PPMs Released. The third of four rounds of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s June 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus. Nielsen’s June 2022 sweep covered May 26 – June 22. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Portland, Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM rises three-tenths to finish the survey with an 8.2 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) and remains ranked #4. Across town, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KEX-AM tacks on two-tenths to finish ranked #19 after posting a 2.1 share. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WOAI, San Antonio rises to the #8 rank after adding three-tenths for a 4.2 share, while Alpha Media’s crosstown news/talk KTSA adds half a share for a 2.6 share finish good for the #15 rank. In Salt Lake City, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KNRS-AM/FM is #1 after rising six-tenths to a 10.6 share finish while Bonneville’s news/talk KSL-AM/FM adds seven-tenths for a 6.8 share that pushes it up to the #2 rank. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the first two rounds) here.

Steak Shapiro and Sandra Golden to Host Late Mornings on Audacy’s ‘92.9 The Game’ in Atlanta. Two of the Atlanta market’s most well-known sports talk personalities are joining Audacy’s WZGC-FM “92.9 The Game” to host the 9:00 am to 11:00 am show effective August 4. The new program featuring Steak Shapiro and Sandra Golden is called “The Front Row on 92.9 The Game.” Shapiro and Golden co-hosted together previously in the market on Dickey Broadcasting’s crosstown sports talker WCNN-AM “The Fan.” Audacy Atlanta SVP and market manager Rick Caffey states, “We are excited to welcome Steak Shapiro and Sandra Golden to the ‘92.9 The Game’ team and for the addition of this brand-new show to our weekday programming slate. Like our listeners, Steak and Sandra are extremely passionate about our Atlanta sports teams, and their high-energy, fast-paced show will be a great compliment to our market-leading schedule of live and local sports content.” Shapiro is also the creator and host of the Emmy Award-winning television show “Atlanta Eats.” He’s has lead roles on Food Network shows “Food Truck Face-Off” and “Best Thing I Ever Ate,” and has been a guest commentator on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, FOX Business and Headline News. He is the founder of Big League Broadcasting and Bread n Butter Content Studio. Golden is a three-time Emmy Award winner and four-time Associated Press Award winner. Audacy says additional co-hosts of “The Front Row on 92.9 The Game” will be announced at a later date.

Research Director Announces New Staffers. With the retirement of longtime quality control team manager Kathryn Boxill from Research Director, Inc, the company announces a number of promotions. Nakia Smith takes on additional duties as client services consultant and senior team lead. At the same time, Matthew Wright assumes the quality control team supervisor and graphic designer position. Additionally, Lucas Gordon and Andrew Wilson join the company as media data analysts. Research Director Inc founder and CEO Marc Greenspan says of the retiring Boxill, “She was the second employee we hired back in 1996. I interviewed her at my dining room table before we moved into our first office in 1997. She has played an important role in every stage of our company’s success since then. We wish her the best in the next phase of her journey.”

TALKERS News Notes. Next Wednesday afternoon (7/20), Cumulus Media’s WBAP, Dallas and talk host Rick Roberts will present a live, in-studio panel discussion with school safety experts and DFW community leaders called “School Security and Your Child’s Safety.” Taking part in the two-hour program will be Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, Texas State Senator Royce West, retired NYPD lieutenant and FOX News contributor Joe Cardinale, retired Texas Ranger and co-founder of Cinco Peso Training Group Brad Oliver, and Dallas Police Association president Sgt. Mike Mata…..The Nebraska Broadcasters Association will enshrine Rick Alloway, Gary Kerr, and Neil Nelkin into its Hall of Fame on August 9 during the 87th Annual NBA Convention. Alloway served with KFOR, Lincoln from 1972-1984 as an announcer, producer, promotions director and operations manager. He became a full-time University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty member who taught the college’s sports broadcasting course for 30 years and was a member of the steering committee that developed the college’s major in Sports Media and Communication. Kerr served with WOW-AM & WOW-TV beginning in 1964. He became the WOWT-TV news anchor in 1971. Nelkin has moved through the broadcasting ranks as an announcer, talk show host, program director, operations manager, station manager and co-owner. He continues to stay active in Omaha radio, at both NRG Media and at Walnut Media…..Double Elvis, in partnership with iHeartMedia, announces the launch of a brand new travel-meets-music podcast titled, “Sound of Our Town.” The new scripted, narrative-style audio series explores 10 different cities across the United States in-depth by taking listeners through each town’s individual culture of music. In each episode, host and acclaimed independent recording artist Will Dailey digs into each city’s best live music venues, tells the tales of local musicians, and details the neighborhoods and communities where new sound styles thrive and more. The show’s premiere episode takes listeners through the dynamic sound of Portland, Maine, while other episodes will delve into local music from Asbury Park, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, Tulsa, Phoenix, Houston and Philadelphia.

Partisan Politics and the Elections Tie as Top News/Talk Story for Week of July 11-15. The partisan politics in Washington, DC tied with the November midterm elections and speculation about who will be the presidential nominees in 2024 tied as the most talked about stories on news/talk radio during the week and landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the state of the U.S. economy as inflation, sinking stocks and fears of a recession plague Americans, followed by the January 6 Committee hearings at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is a result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Features

It’s My Party

By Editor | July 15, 2022 by Editor

By Mike Kinosian
TALKERS magazine
Managing Editor

MINNEAPOLIS — Back in 2000, Hubbard Broadcasting bought a pair of New Richmond, Wisconsin-licensed country-formatted stations (WIXK-AM & WIXK-FM) for $27 million. The company subsequently tested several formats for the FM, then upgraded it to a move-in signal at 107.1 for Minneapolis-St. Paul, roughly 47 miles to the west.

Country was jettisoned in early-June 2002 so it could give way to what has blossomed into a distinctively different approach to the talk radio genre.

(more…)

Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, July 14, 2022

By Editor | July 14, 2022 by Editor

KFNX, Phoenix Owner Bill Brady is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. The veteran radio broadcaster who rolled up his sleeves in 2019 and fulfilled his lifelong dream of owning and operating a radio station by acquiring news/talker KFNX (1100 AM) in Phoenix is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Michael Harrison has known and closely followed the solid career of Bill Brady since hiring him as program director and afternoon drive host at WSPR, Springfield in 1986. Harrison says, “Bill Brady is one of the smartest, most-talented, and dedicated talk radio broadcasters on either side of the microphone that I have ever met, and I’m delighted to have him on the podcast this week to talk about hosting and managing in 2022.” In his steadfast career, Brady served in a number of key industry positions on air and in sales management in large market radio and television as well as the newspaper business. His resume includes stints with Clear Channel Radio, Citadel Communications, Comcast and the Miami Herald. His radio background includes the aforementioned WSPR, Springfield; WQBK, Albany and WPRO, Providence among others. When Brady purchased KFNX right before the pandemic hit, he vowed to upgrade the Phoenix talk outlet to competitor status by eliminating much of its brokered clutter, adding high-caliber syndication and local shows (including his own 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm daily program) bolstering the sales initiative, instituting a modern expansion of its digital presence and growing its community involvement and outreach. He is well on his way to achieving his goals. News/talk radio practitioners will find this interview illuminating. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Cary Pahigian Named VP/GM of Salem News Channel. Broadcasting industry management pro Cary Pahigian is named vice president and general manager for Salem Media Group’s Salem News Channel (SNC), effective July 18. Pahigian was most recently president and GM for Hearst Television’s news/talk WBAL-AM and rock WIYY-FM in Baltimore. Salem SVP of spoken word Phil Boyce states, “Cary has been an active, hands-on executive in radio for years, but his last eight years at Hearst Television prepared him well for the burgeoning OTT television market. In Cary we have a strong experienced general manager, who will help us get SNC to the next level. Cary was ready for the next adventure in his long and storied career, and we are extremely fortunate to have that opportunity to give him.” Salem says the new SNC platform “is providing news-oriented content using a combination of Salem Radio Network hosts, and new TV-only content, and recently began top- and bottom-of-the-hour news capsules.” Pahigian will supervise all elements of production on the network including talent, content, sales, marketing, and social media. He comments, “I have long admired Salem Media Group’s unique culture and dedication to community service, quality content and client partnerships. Salem News Channel has put Salem Media Group front and center in the fast-growing video streaming arena with a lineup of prominent hosts and straightforward news and analysis.”

Round Two of June PPMs Released. The second of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s June 2022 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 June 2022 sweep covered May 26 – June 22. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Washington, Cumulus Media’s news/talk WMAL-FM adds two-tenths for a 4.1 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) finish lifting it up to the #7 rank, while Hubbard Radio’s crosstown all-news WTOP falls nine-tenths to a 6.9 share but remains ranked #3. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WRKO, Boston dips eight-tenths to finish with a 3.4 share good for the #11 rank as sister all-news WBZ-AM is steady at a 4.8 share and stays ranked #6. In Seattle, Bonneville’s news/talk KIRO-FM is ranked #1 after adding four-tenths for a 7.3 share finish, while Lotus Communications’ all-news KNWN-AM/FM falls six-tenths for a 3.3 share finish good for the #14 rank. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as yesterday’s round one) here.

Beasley Unveils New PM Drive Show for ‘97.5 The Fanatic’ in Philly. The new afternoon drive show at Beasley Media Group’s WPEN-FM, Philadelphia “97.5 The Fanatic” is announced. In the wake of longtime PM drive host Mike Missanelli’s May departure, the station unveils “The Best Show Ever?” featuring (pictured from l-r) former MLB pitcher and NBC Sports Philadelphia analyst Ricky Bottalico, digital sports media influencer Hunter Brody, air personality Jennifer Scordo, and current “Fanatic” personality Tyrone Johnson. The 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm program that will be simulcast on NBC Sports Philadelphia debuts on August 1. Beasley VP and market manager Joe Bell says, “When you put long time ‘Fanatic’ personality Tyrone Johnson together with social media star Hunter Brody and former Phillies pitcher Ricky Bottalico, then mix in ‘Ring Master’ Jenn Scordo, you’re going to have some exciting afternoons on ‘The Fanatic.’” Station PD Chuck Damico adds, “Philadelphia fans are the best fans ever and they deserve ‘The Best Show Ever?’ We look forward to this diverse group of passionate sports experts providing some of the most entertaining sports talk in Philadelphia.”

Morgan Zegers Latest Addition to Salem Podcast Network. The latest addition to Salem Media Group’s growing slate of programs on its Salem Podcast Network is Morgan Zegers. Her eponymous podcast officially joins the platform on July 18. Salem Media Group VP of spoken word Phil Boyce states, “When we talk to consumers about podcasts, they keep telling us to give them more young, female hosts. Morgan is a perfect example of the nation’s young females taking a stand in favor of America, and we could not be more pleased to add her to SPN.” The 25-year-old Zegers comments, “I am so honored to join the Salem Podcast Network with my show highlighting key issues and events in our nation from the perspective of a young conservative woman. Americans, especially members of my generation, are sold a heap of lies by our education system, media, and pop culture. To get America back on track, we must embrace our roots, rethink education and leadership, and take back control of ourselves, our families, and our country. I hope to inspire my listeners to join into this hopeful and mindful American mentality! I’m thankful to Salem for giving me the opportunity to grow with their support.”

Wayne Allyn Root Featured at FreedomFest Convention. Las Vegas-based, USA Radio Network-syndicated talk radio host Wayne Allyn Root is playing a couple of roles at this week’s FreedomFest conference in Las Vegas. The event, billed as “a big tent event that strives for attendees to come to a deeper understanding of freedom and important social issues through open conversations, debate and civil discourse by bringing together a variety of perspectives” will include Root on a Saturday (7/16) panel debate exploring the question “Was the 2020 election stolen and is Trump the best choice for the 2024 GOP nomination?” Root will also serve as the “judge” during a debate over the legalization of drugs. Root tells TALKERS magazine that on Saturday he will also announce not one, but two TV deals he has signed.

Cox Media Group Sells CoxReps and Gamut. Noting that this sale will allow Cox Media Group to “focus on our core businesses,” the company announces it is selling national television rep firm CoxReps and multiplatform ad firm Gamut to private equity firm One Equity Partners. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed. OEP managing director Andrew Dunn states, “OEP is thrilled to begin its investment partnership with these two superb teams leading two companies at the forefront of the television advertising and digital streaming industries. While both CoxReps and Gamut are leaders in their respective markets, and will continue to operate as sibling companies, we expect to foster even greater collaboration between them, increasing the flow of advertising dollars into local video. We will assist these efforts with increasing investment in technology and by capitalizing on OEP’s own deep expertise in the media industry.”

Industry Mourns Tanita Myers. Radio programming pro Tanita Myers – VP of news operations for iHeartMedia’s Black Information Network – died unexpectedly at age 49 on Tuesday (7/12). The Black Information Network posted news of her death on its website, including part of a memo from BIN president Tony Coles, who wrote: “Tanita was a passionate leader, a champion of women in journalism, and one of the driving forces behind the Black Information Network. We are a better organization because of her dedication to our mission, and we are better humans because of her love, her humor, and her spirit. While she took great pride in her work, it was her friends and family who brought her the most joy. Tanita’s smile always got a bit brighter when she spoke about her mom and her son Brandon.” Myers joined iHeartMedia’s Black Information Network in June 2020, following 15 years at Reach Media where she was senior director of radio operations. She previously served as director of operations for “The Tom Joyner Morning Show” and executive producer of “The Rickey Smiley Morning Show.”

TALKERS News Notes. WNRI, Woonsocket, Rhode Island midday talk host John DePetro is now also heard on Audacy’s WPHT, Philadelphia on Saturday mornings from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. In addition to his radio work, DePetro is a frequent contributor to Newsmax TV…..The Independent Broadcasters Association announced it will conduct the IBA Fall 2022 National Cash Contest, its fifth since the birth of the IBA in 2020. IBA president and executive director Ron Stone says, “We fully expect this upcoming IBA National Cash Contest to be the most successful campaign we’ve done so far! IBA member stations invest $300 to leverage thousands of prize monies, making this the best ratings and revenue opportunity ever presented. But remember, stations must be an IBA member to participate. Nearly $3 million in sponsorship revenue has been generated for participating IBA member stations thus far, with an average of 14.7 to 1 ROI.”…..The Society of Broadcast Engineers is holding its national meeting, awards dinner, board of directors and committee meetings at the Ramada by Wyndham in Liverpool, New York on September 28 and 29. The event includes the SBE22 Broadcast and Technology Expo with a trade show exhibit hall and technical sessions.

The Economy, Biden in Middle East, January 6 Hearings, Midterms/2024 Presidential Race, Southern Border Crisis, Russia-Ukraine War, Abortion Battle, Musk vs Twitter, and COVID-19 Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/13). The latest inflation report, pressure on the Fed to raise interest rates again, and fears of a recession; President Joe Biden’s visit to the Middle East; the ongoing January 6 hearings; November’s midterms elections and speculation about who the nominees will be for the 2024 presidential race; the migrant problem at the U.S.-Mexico border; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s potential arms deal with Iran; the abortion rights battles at the state level after the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v Wade; Elon Musk’s legal battle with Twitter over his canceled takeover bid; and the spread of the coronavirus BA.5 variant were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

By Editor | July 12, 2022 by Editor

KBLA, Los Angeles Celebrates One-Year Anniversary; Scores High on Survey of Black Angelenos. The Los Angeles talk station that Tavis Smiley launched a little over a year ago calls itself “Unapologetically Progressive” and a recent study indicates that KBLA-AM “Talk 1580” is the “most trusted, credible and reliable source of information” for African Americans in Los Angeles. The study of 400 Blacks in the Los Angeles market was conducted by EVITARUS from June 4 to June 12 and concludes that KBLA “fills a void in providing relevant programming and content to the Black community” and emerged as “the station of choice” for the African American listener. Smiley says, “I am humbled by the response we have received from our target audience in this first year of operation. One never knows how the audience is going to receive a new concept, but I believed then as I do now that Black folk and progressives deserve better from talk radio. The amazing findings of this independent survey confirm our efforts and empower us to stay on the wall and keep building.”

Matt Pauley Joins KMOX, St. Louis for Sports Programs. Sports radio pro Matt Pauley joins Audacy’s news/talk KMOX, St. Louis as host of the station’s 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm “Sports Open Line” program as well as host of the St. Louis Cardinals Radio Network’s pregame and postgame coverage. Pauley joins Audacy from his most recent work with Good Karma Brands’ news/talk WTMJ and sports talk WKTI-FM “ESPN Milwaukee” covering the Brewers. Pauley succeeds Kevin Wheeler, who recently transitioned to host KMOX’s midday show alongside Amy Marxkors and Chris Rongey. Pauley says, “To say I am excited to join KMOX and the Cardinals Radio Network is beyond an understatement. To be able to come home to work for one of the most legendary stations in the country is a dream come true. There is no show in the country that can match ‘Sports Open Line’ when you look at the various people who have hosted it through the years and I am humbled to now be in that chair. I also can’t wait to talk to Cardinals fans across the country on a nightly basis. Their passion is unrivaled, and we will experience the highs and lows of the season every night together.”

WHP, Harrisburg to Debut Regionally Focused Travel Show. A new travel program titled, “Let’s Visit PA with Sandy Fenton,” is debuting on iHeartMedia news/talk WHP, Harrisburg. In collaboration with PA Tourism, the new syndicated travel show will broadcast Saturdays from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon and is heard on seven affiliate stations in addition to WHP. Fenton is a travel writer and broadcast veteran with over 40-years in the radio industry. She created and hosted a one-hour, weekly travel show called “Let’s Talk Travel with AAA” that aired from September 1993 to May 2022. Pennsylvania executive director of tourism Michael Chapaloney says, “We are thrilled to be partnering with iHeart and Sandy Fenton on this adventure which will spread the good word, the must-dos of travel to the masses in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Sandy is one of the state’s biggest megaphones for tourism in PA and we are excited with this syndication our reach is greater than ever before.”

‘Liberty Station’ Podcast Joins Salem Podcast Network. A new podcast joins the growing lineup at Salem Media Group’s Salem Podcast Network. “Liberty Station” – which launched in 2021 – is hosted by Rob McCoy (left) and Bryce Eddy (right) and includes commentary, analysis, and guest interviews on topics such as the Biblical foundations of American history, equipping pastors to become leaders in the culture, and understanding current events from a Christian worldview. Four episodes of the podcast will be released each week. Salem SVP of spoken word Phil Boyce says, “Rob and Bryce are culture warriors who are courageous and unafraid. They take on this battle with a biblical worldview. Think David versus Goliath, and we all know how that worked out for the giant. I am very excited to add their podcast to our platform.”

TALKERS News Notes. Tomorrow evening (7/13), Newsmax is presenting a live Arizona Republican Primary Debate at 7:00 pm at the Madison Center for the Arts, in Phoenix. John Bachman is serving as moderator for the debate between Jim Lamon, Blake Masters, and Mick McGuire. Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy says, “People across Arizona are hungry to learn about the Republican candidates as they make their choice in this critical primary. Newsmax is glad to be actively involved across the nation in a series of Debate and Town Hall events to further voter awareness.”…..Emmis Communications Corporation announces a tender offer to repurchase up to one million shares of its Class A common stock, at prices of not greater than $3.75 nor less than $2.75 per share. The tender offer is scheduled to expire, unless extended by the company, at 5:00 pm ET on August 5. The company says, “Emmis management and its board of directors have evaluated our operations, strategy and expectations for the future and believe that the tender is a prudent use of Emmis’ financial resources given its business profile and assets. With the cessation of public quotations on Emmis’ Class A common stock through the OTC Market due to the implementation of SEC rule 15c2-11, Emmis also believes that a tender offer may provide liquidity for those shareholders looking for liquidity. The company will fund the purchase of tendered shares primarily from cash on hand and borrowings under an existing $1.6 million line of credit…..The Independent Broadcasters Association is partnering with BSMG Broadcasters & Sportscasters Mentoring Group that uses a mentor-apprentice model for learning and pays stations to participate. BSMG students train in local radio stations where they live. A team member from those stations serves as the mentor-instructor, and the stations are paid for their expertise. Stations may use the payments as they see fit. BSMG handles all the administrative tasks, provides the educational materials, as well as program oversight.

Midterms/2024 Presidential Race, The Economy, January 6 Hearings, Musk vs Twitter, Russia-Ukraine War, COVID-19, and Webb Telescope Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/11). The November midterm elections and whether Democrats want Joe Biden to run for reelection in 2024; the high price of gas & food, the fall of tech stocks, and concerns about a recession; the ongoing January 6 hearings and expected testimony from former White House strategist Steve Bannon; Elon Musk’s attempt to end his Twitter acquisition; the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s arms deal with Iran; the spread of the coronavirus BA.5 subvariant and the arrival of new subvariant BA.2.75; and the first image from the Webb telescope is revealed were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, July 8, 2022

By Editor | July 8, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Soda, Pretzels and Fear,” looks back at this past week of 7/4 to 7/8. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Gary Sutton; talk show host, WSBA, York, PA; Daliah Wachs, M.D., talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; Holland Cooke, media consultant, Holland Cooke Media; Dom Giordano, talk show host, WPHT, Philadelphia; Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company; and Matthew B. Harrison, VP/associate publisher, TALKERS. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

Nick Wilson Returns to 92.3 The Fan Cleveland in Afternoon Drive. Sports talk personality Nick Wilson is re-joining Audacy’s WKRK-FM, Cleveland “92.3 The Fan” alongside Dustin Fox on the afternoon drive program, effective July 18. Wilson previously served as one of the station’s evening hosts from 2015 to 2018. He most recently served with Urban One’s sports talk WFNZ-AM/FM, Charlotte. Audacy Cleveland SVP and market manager Tom Herschel comments, “Having Nick back in Cleveland to rejoin our lineup is a great moment for ‘The Fan,’ the radio home of the Browns and the most local sports talk in Cleveland.” Wilson says of his return, “Leaving Cleveland was an impossible decision four years ago. It’s an honor to be rejoining ‘92.3 The Fan.’ Afternoon drive in Cleveland is hallowed ground, and I can’t think of a better person to team up with than Dustin Fox. I can’t thank Tom Herschel, Andy Roth and the entire leadership group at Audacy Cleveland enough for making my dreams come true again.”

Jake Kaplan Rises to Corporate Role at Audacy. Imaging and creative director for Audacy’s Los Angeles station group is promoted to the newly created corporate position director of imaging & sound design. Jake Kaplan had been in his previous role with Audacy LA since December of 2019 and had served as imaging director for KCBS-FM, Los Angeles since 2005. In this new role, Kaplan will oversee national vendor relationships, create collaborative teams for brand imaging projects, oversee exclusive station imaging, build format imaging teams, oversee campaigns for national initiatives and events and more.

Campanario Promoted to SVP Post at AURN. Digital media pro John Campanario is promoted to SVP digital media & brand communications for American Urban Radio Networks. Campanario joined AURN in 2018 and launched the company’s digital platforms. Prior to that, he served with WWRL-AM, New York when it was a progressive talk format. He led the national launch of “The Ed Schultz Show.” AURN CEO Chesley Maddox-Dorsey states, “John has more than proven himself as a great leader with both a creative vision and his uniquely approachable management style. With the expansion of our digital media department, we are excited to have his leadership which affords us continued growth as we explore more emerging digital areas.”

Jim Bohannon Addresses Absence from Air to Listeners. Legendary Westwood One nighttime talk show icon, Jim Bohannon, has been noticeably absent from his show for the past couple of months while battling with and recovering from a health challenge. His show has begun airing the following message that he recorded for his listeners: “Hi. This is Jim Bohannon, and I hope it sounds like me. I’m sure many of you have noticed my on-air absence of late. I have some health issues which will keep me off a bit longer. In the meantime, thanks to guest hosts Dom Giordano, John Trout, and Rick Valdez for continuing to fill in and I hope to return to the Jim Bohannon Show in the not-too-distant future.” Bohannon also sends his thanks to the many attendees of TALKERS 2022 who signed a large get-well card for him at the convention.

TALKERS News Notes. Sports media figure Greg Papa and the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers have agreed to an extension of Papa’s deal to remain the radio play-by-play voice for the team through the 2028 season. Papa, who also hosts the midday show on Cumulus Media’s sports talk KNBR, San Francisco (the 49ers flagship station), joined the 49ers after 21 seasons as the voice of the Oakland Raiders until their move to Las Vegas. 49ers president Al Guido says, “Our team has experienced incredible games, plays and moments on the field in the past few seasons, a large portion of which have been accompanied by memorable calls by Greg Papa. His voice has become synonymous with our organization, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to our radio booth for years to come.”…..iHeartMedia Central Florida announces its 2nd Florida Jobs Now Career Expo, an onsite resource event connecting job seekers to companies. The July 14 event will provide job seekers with the opportunity to meet with companies throughout Central Florida offering hundreds of positions, as well as attend and interview on-site the day of. iHeartMedia area president for Orlando and Melbourne Barbara Latham comments, “We look forward to bringing our second of three recruiting events this year to Central Florida. As a business ourselves serving our local community in Central Florida, we continue to realize the need from our business partners to fill jobs and is a top priority. We feel uniquely poised to help connect these businesses with people living or moving to Central Florida as an essential part of our efforts in our local communities.”…..SiriusXM announces the release of a special installment of its audio documentary series, which will remember the late comedian Gilbert Gottfried. “Obsessive Comedy Disorder: Boomers – The Gilbert Gottfried Is Dead Special” features comedy legend Gilbert Gottfried’s interview with Dan Pasternack and Aristocrats director Paul Provenza, who talk about the ‘80s comedy boom, his life, career, and more. SiriusXM says, “In what is believed to be the last long-form interview done with the voice that became comedy gold, this hour and a half conversation is an expansive and hilarious deep dive into the mind and memories of one of comedy’s most brilliant and unique talents.”

Fourth of July Shooting and Gun Control Top News/Talk Story for Week of July 4-8. The shooting in suburban Chicago that took the lives of seven on the Fourth of July and the issue of gun control combined as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was testimony before the January 6 Committee, followed by partisan politics and the primary races for the November midterm elections at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio 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.

Rare On-Air Opening at KOA, Denver. This opportunity hasn’t existed in 25-years! With the retirement of April Zesbaugh, we’re looking for our next morning voice to co-host “Colorado’s Morning News” on iHeartMedia’s KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM in Denver. You’ll work alongside a group of talented, award-winning journalists in one of the few 24/7 local radio newsrooms in America. Our facilities are top notch, with new studios, one of the best AM signals in the country and full-market FM coverage. Applicants must submit a hosting/anchoring demo as well news writing samples and a summary, with demo audio, of your commercial endorsement skills. See full details and apply here. iHeartMedia is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Radio News Opportunities. The Virtual News Center is looking for remote reporters who can gather, write, and produce daily news stories with audio from home. Ideal candidates will have calling capabilities to record interviews with newsmakers, or we can provide access to our VoIP system if needed. Knowledge of the business world would be a plus, as there are opportunities to produce specialized business pieces in addition to daily standard news stories. Please send an mp3 and resume to: jdearing@virtualnewscenter.com

Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, July 7, 2022

By Editor | July 7, 2022 by Editor

Dave Tepper to Program iHeartMedia’s KOA, Denver. Heritage talk outlet KOA-AM/K231BQ, Denver “Colorado’s News, Talk & Sports Station” has a new program director as iHeartMedia names Dave Tepper to the post. Tepper most recently served with KSE Radio’s crosstown sports talk KKSE-AM/FM “Altitude Sports Radio” as program director and operations manager for classic hits KXKL-FM and hot AC KIMN-FM. In his new role with iHeartMedia, Tepper will oversee KOA, the Rockies Radio Network and Broncos Radio Network and will lead and manage all aspects of the on-air experience, including talent, content, programming, and online presence. Tepper comments, “I’m thrilled and humbled by the opportunity to take the legendary KOA brands to new heights, including the game-changing chance to work with the Broncos, Rockies and Colorado Buffaloes radio networks. My proud journey that includes working with a variety of sports and talk formats, talents and sports radio networks has prepared me for this unique and once-in-a-lifetime step.”

Salem Brings Haley Bianco Aboard for News on OTT TV Network. Television news pro Haley Bianco joins Salem Media Group as the company makes her the first news anchor on its OTT Salem News Channel. In this role, Bianco will do news capsules at the top and bottom of the hour, between 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm weekdays. Salem says Bianco is the first of several anchors joining the network. Bianco joins Salem News Channel from WICZ-TV “FOX 40” in Binghamton, New York, where she served as managing editor and primetime anchor. Salem broadcasts shows hosted by Andrew Wilkow, Brandon Tatum, Dinesh D’Souza, and Eric Metaxas during the 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm daypart. Salem SVP of spoken word Phil Boyce states, “Haley brings a wealth of TV news experience to SNC and will give us the news credibility we are looking for as we continue to grow and expand our emerging TV network.”

Final TALKERS 2022 Convention Video Posted. The last of the videos documenting the panel discussions and presentations at the June 10 TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University is now posted. The Closing Reception video includes the presentation of TALKERS magazine’s Freedom of Speech Award to “Free Talk Live” co-founder and co-host Ian Freeman (the award was accepted on his behalf by “Free Talk Live” co-founder Mark Edge). See the video, as well as video of all other sessions, here.

‘Talk Ville’ Joins Cumulus Podcast Network. A brand-new podcast hosted by Tom Welling, who starred as Clark Kent/Superman, and Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor on the hit television show “Smallville,” titled, “Talk Ville,” is debuting on the Cumulus Podcast Network on July 13. The podcast series will revisit each episode of the television series show by show, as Welling and Rosenbaum re-watch “Smallville” and share information and anecdotes from behind the scenes. A new episode of “Talk Ville” will drop each subsequent Wednesday. The Cumulus Podcast Network will distribute, market, and monetize “Talk Ville.”

Midterms/Trump & the GOP, January 6 Hearings/Georgia Election Probe, The Economy, 4^th of July Shooting/Gun Control, Boris Johnson to Resign, Immigration, Russia-Ukraine War, and Monkeypox Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (7/6). The efforts by Republicans to retake the House and Senate in November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the January 6 Committee hearings and Georgia’s investigation into Donald Trump’s alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election results; the high price of gas & food, financial markets activity and concerns about a recession; the aftermath of the Fourth of July shooting in suburban Chicago and gun control efforts; British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agrees to resign; the immigration issues at the U.S.-Mexico border; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; and the spread of monkeypox were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

By Editor | July 5, 2022 by Editor

Monday Memo: Vino, Vodka, Video. All this month, consultant Holland Cooke is using his weekly column to offer “Inflation Hacks,” dozens of ways to cope with “the rising cost of EVERYTHING,” tips for your listeners (and you). Read it here.

Pending Business: Halftime. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa says the third and fourth quarters of 2022 are looking a little foggy due to inflation and the possibility of recession, but says, “The good news is by now you’ve met with your manager and second half adjustments are in place. You have agreed on the course correction expectations and the game plan that will help you power through the dynamics of a constantly changing business environment.” He offers some suggestions for tackling the next six months and keeping those commission checks coming in here.

New TALKERS 2022 Session Video Posted. The latest video from the June 10 TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University to be posted is the panel discussion, “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization.” The panel was moderated by WPHT, Philadelphia talk host Dom Giordano and featured panelists: Mandy Connell, host, KOA, Denver; Jeff Katz, host, WRVA, Richmond; Joe Thomas, PD, WCHV, Charlottesville, Virginia; Dr. Daliah Wachs, physician/host, Genesis Communications Network; and Lisa Wexler, host, WICC, Bridgeport/Probate Judge, Connecticut. View the video here.

HRN Media Launches Carlos Baerga Show for Hispanic Audiences. A new, daily feature titled, “Are You Ready to Play Ball with Carlos Baerga and Legends from Yesterday and Today” is debuting in national syndication from HRN Media Networks. The 90-second feature includes baseball analytics and interviews with elite players. HRN Media Networks president Clark Logan says, “Carlos is an energetic and dynamic sports figure, who will entertain listeners. Baseball is the most popular American sport among Hispanics, and Carlos’s insights about the game and the top-name players that will join him will engage sports fans.” Baerga comments, “I am excited to launch my Hispanic radio career with the HRN Network and talk about my favorite topic… baseball. Listeners will get behind-the-scenes stories from the elite players we’re going to have on as guests. I can’t wait to get started.”

Former Florida Sports Talk Host Hank Goldberg Dead at 82. Numerous mainstream news outlets, including CBS Sports, are reporting the death of former sports talk host “Hammerin’ Hank” Goldberg, who died on his 82^nd birthday at his Las Vegas home. Goldberg hosted a South Florida sports talk show first on WIOD and later on WQAM from 1978 through 2007. He also became a nationally known reporter and prognosticator. Goldberg had been battling kidney disease and CBS Sports reports that Goldberg, who’d been working for CBS Sports HQ and SportsLine, continued to work until about three weeks ago, despite his declining health. Goldberg broke into the sports media world ghost-writing Jimmy The Greek’s syndicated gambling column. He also worked at ESPN.

The Economy, January 6 Hearings, Fourth of July/Deadly Illinois Shooting, Midterms/2024/Trump & the GOP, Russia-Ukraine War, Brittney Griner Case Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The high price of gas & food, the declining financial markets, and threats of a recession; the January 6 Committee hearings and questions about former President Donald Trump’s role in the Capitol assault; the Fourth of July holiday and the shooting in suburban Chicago that took the lives of six people; the midterm elections, speculation about presidential candidates in 2024, and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effects on the global economy; and American basketball player Brittney Griner writes a letter to President Joe Biden from her Russian jail were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, July 1, 2022

By Editor | July 1, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Who Needs Fireworks?” looks back at this past week of 6/27 to 7/1. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Bill Brady, talk show host/owner, KFNX, Phoenix; Mark Simone, talk show host, WOR, New York; Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company; Todd Feinburg, talk show host, WTIC, Hartford; and Dr. Murray Sabrin, emeritus professor of finance, Ramapo College. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

Jason Carr Named SVP of Programming for iHeartMedia West Palm and Treasure Coast. Programming pro Jason Carr moves from iHeartMedia’s Cleveland station group to the West Palm Beach/Treasure Coast markets to serve as SVP of programming, effective immediately. In this capacity, Carr will also serve as program director for talk WZZR-FM, West Palm Beach and WCZR-FM, Vero Beach “Real Radio” and for classic rock WKGR-FM “98.7 The Gater” in addition to overseeing programming on the 11-station cluster. Market president Mark McCauley states, “We’re excited to bring Jason back home. Jason’s market experience in Cleveland and his experience and familiarity of the West Palm Beach and Treasure Coast markets make him a great fit to grow our heritage brands and take them to new heights.” Carr comments, “I’m pumped to get in the trenches with this outstanding programming team. Managing a heritage rock brand like ‘98.7 The Gater’ will be a treat. Working alongside world class talent like WOLL’s Mo & Sally will be a treasure. My wild ride of a career started at ‘Real Radio 92.1’ and all these year later it is bringing me back to the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast. To say I’m excited is an understatement!”

Harry Hurley Celebrates 30 Years at WPG, Atlantic City. Today (7/1) is the 30th anniversary of Harry Hurley’s hosting the morning show on Townsquare Media’s WPG, Atlantic City. Hurley says, “Our first guest exactly 30 years ago today was New Jersey Governor Jim Florio. Governor Florio was scheduled for one hour and asked on-air if he could stay for the entire program. Governor Florio’s willingness to appear on our brand-new, unproven talk radio program and travel from Trenton to appear in-studio really helped to launch our career going forward. To start our program with the state of New Jersey’s chief executive officer was priceless. It’s hard to believe that a full 30 years has elapsed. It seems like half that amount of time. It’s also hard to believe that we’re still at the same radio station, 30 years later, now called WPG Talk Radio 95.5. This is very rare in the radio business. I want to take this opportunity to thank my employer, Townsquare Media Atlantic City, our valued listeners and advertisers for making the past three decades possible. My sincere thanks and appreciation to our Townsquare Media Atlantic City leadership team: Michael Ruble, president, Joe Kelly, content director, Chris Coleman, program director, Jennifer Doughten Smith, marketing director, Jim McClain, general sales manager and Chelsea Masterson, digital managing editor.”

New TALKERS 2022 Video Posted. The latest video from the recent TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University is posted. This video is of the panel discussion titled, “Attracting Younger Demos and Broadening the Base,” moderated by WOAI, San Antonio/Compass Media Networks talk show host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo and featured panelists: Mike “Bax” Baxendale, morning co-host, WAQY-FM, Springfield, MA “Rock 102”; Derek Hunter, host, WCBM, Baltimore/The Derek Hunter Show, TMN; John T. Mullen,operations director, WRHU-FM/WRHU.org, Hofstra University; and Doug Stephan, CEO, Stephan Multimedia/host, the “Good Day Show.” See the video here.

Local Broadcaster John Caracciolo Welcomes Attendees to Long Island. A number of talk media industry professionals served the critical role of introducing panel discussions and presentations at the recent TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University. JVC Broadcasting president/CEO John Caracciolo (pictured below), whose company owns and operates a number of Long Island radio stations including news/talk WRCN-FM, Riverhead “LI News Radio,” welcomed the attendees to Long Island during the Morning Greetings session.

TALKERS News Notes. Public media pro Lindsay Foster Thomas is named vice president, WNYC Studios in which she will oversee the strategic and editorial direction of “The Takeaway with Melissa Harris-Perry,” “Death, Sex & Money with Anna Sale,” and “The United States of Anxiety with Kai Wright,” as well as oversee the pipeline and development process for new talk shows. Thomas brings over 15 years of experience in public radio, with a background that includes work at community, college and commercial radio stations. She joins WNYC Studios from WUNC, North Carolina where she served as content director…..iHeartMedia announces a new partnership with Swoop, which provides privacy-safe AI-generated audiences for healthcare marketing. iHeartMedia says, “Pharmaceutical and life sciences companies can now leverage the same brand-exclusive Swoop segments they already use for digital activation to better inform media planning across iHeartMedia’s ad-enabled broadcast radio portfolio, which reaches nine out of 10 Americans monthly, driving greater engagement and conversion, and ultimately increasing Rx lift. As one of iHeartMedia’s preferred healthcare data providers, Swoop enables healthcare marketers to move from legacy age and gender buying to data-driven broadcast radio activation in an ad-enabled portfolio that reaches more than 275 million individuals per month, representing 90 percent of the U.S. adult population.”

January 6 Hearings Top News/Talk Story for Week of June 27 – July 1. The bombshell testimony of former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson before the January 6 Committee was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was partisan politics and Tuesday’s primary elections in Illinois, Colorado, Mississippi and elsewhere, followed by the state of the U.S. economy at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio 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.

TALKERS 2022 Videos

By TALKERS | June 20, 2022 by TALKERS

The following are videos of presentations and sessions from
the TALKERS 2022 Conference that took place at Hofstra University on June 10, 2022:

TALKERS 2022 OPENING BREAKFAST

“Woman of the Year Award Presentation”
Recipient: Mandy Connell, Host, KOA, Denver
“Humanitarian of the Year Award Presentation”
Recipient: Jeff Katz, Host, WRVA, Richmond

<span style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" data-mce-type="bookmark" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>
Morning Greetings
TALKERS 2022 Emcee: Kevin Casey, VP/Executive Editor, TALKERS
“Presentation of the National Anthem”
Performed by Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo, Host, The Joe Pags Show
“Welcome to Long Island”
Speaker: John Caracciolo, President/CEO, JVC Broadcasting
“Morning Wakeup”
Speaker: Jimmy Failla, Host, FOX News Radio
“A Gathering of Friends and Colleagues”
Speaker: Sean Hannity,Host, Premiere Networks/FOX News Channel (on video)
“Talk Radio in the Post-Rush Era”
Speaker: Buck Sexton,
Co-Host, The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, Premiere Networks

Panel Discussion
“Independent Radio Station and Small Group Operations”
Introduction: Michael Czarnecki, Director of Brand Operations, Binnie Media
Moderator: Bill Brady, Owner/Host, KFNX, Phoenix
Panelists:
Marc Beaven, GM, WCBM, Baltimore
Paul Gleiser, Owner/Host, KTBB, Tyler, TX
Todd Starnes, Owner, KWAM, Memphis/Host, The Todd Starnes Show
Paul Vandenburgh, Owner/Host, WGDJ, Albany, NY
Michael Zwerling, Owner, KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA

“Keynote Address (Fireside Chat)”
Introduction: Matthew B. Harrison,
VP/Associate Publisher, TALKERS/Media Attorney
Guest: John Catsimatidis,
CEO, Red Apple Media/Owner, WABC, New York/Host, Cat’s Roundtable
Host: Michael Harrison, Publisher, TALKERS

Panel Discussion
“Generating Talk Radio Revenue in a Noisy Digital World”
Introduction: Gary Krantz, CEO, Krantz Media Group
Moderator: Erica Farber, President/CEO, Radio Advertising Bureau
Panelists:
Erik Hellum, Chief Operating Officer, Townsquare Media, New York/RAB
Chad Lopez, President, Red Apple Media
Julie Talbott, President, Premiere Networks
Christine Travaglini, President, Katz Radio Group, New York/RAB

Panel Discussion
“Programming News/Talk Radio in the Digital Era”
Introduction: Steve Goldstein, CEO, Amplifi Media
Moderator: Mike McVay, President, McVay Media Consulting
Panelists:Dr. Asa Andrew, CEO/host, The Doctor Asa Health Network (“Believe”)
Grace Blazer, VP, National NTS Brand Coordinator, Director of News andAM Programming Florida Region, iHeartMedia Miami
Phil Boyce, SVP/Spoken Word Format, Salem Media Group, Salem Radio Network/Operations VP, New York Region
Kevin DeLany, VP, News & Talk Programming, Westwood One
Greg Stocker, Program Director, WPHT, Philadelphia

Lunch
“Welcome to Hofstra University”
Speaker: Mark Lukasiewicz,
Dean, Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, Hofstra University
“The Multi-Platform Talk Industry”
Speaker: Rob Schmitt, Host, Newsmax TV
“Broadcasters Foundation of America Presentation”
Presenter: Harry Hurley, Host, WPG, Atlantic City
“Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation”
Recipient: Larry Young, Host WOLB, BaltimorePanel Discussion
“Strategizing a Talk Show Hosting Career”
Introduction: Rich Zeoli, Host, WPHT, Philadelphia
Moderator: Mike Gallagher, Host, Salem Radio Network
Panelists:
Bruce Avery, GM, WRHU-FM/WRHU.org, Hofstra University
Heather Cohen, Executive Vice President, The Weiss Agency
Frank Morano, Host, WABC, New York
Walter Sterling, Host, Sterling on Sunday
Brett Winterble, Host, WBT, Charlotte
Martha Zoller, Host WDUN, Gainesville, GA
Panel Discussion
“The Big Picture”
Introduction: Dottie Herman, Vice-Chair, Douglas Elliman Real Estate/
Host, “Eye on Real Estate;’WNYM (AM 970 The Answer), New York
Moderator: Michael Harrison, Publisher, TALKERS
Panelists:
Vince Benedetto, CEO, Bold Gold Media Group
Lee Habeeb, Host/Producer, Our American Stories
Kraig Kitchin, CEO, Sound Mind, LLC
Josh Leng, CEO, Talk Media Network
Chris Oliviero, President/
Market Manager Audacy, New York

Panel Discussion
“Attracting Younger Demos and Broadening the Base”
Introduction: Alex Fife, VP Operations,
Southeast, iHeartMedia – Total Traffic & Weather Network
Moderator: Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo, host, The Joe Pags Show
Panelists:
Mike “Bax” Baxendale,
Morning Co-Host, WAQY-FM (Rock 102) Springfield, MA
Derek Hunter, Host, WCBM, Baltimore/The Derek Hunter Show, TMN
John T. Mullen,
Operations Director, WRHU-FM/WRHU.org, Hofstra University
Doug Stephan, CEO, Stephan Multimedia/Host, the Good Day Show
Panel Discussion
“Maintaining Integrity in Times of
Political and Cultural Polarization”
Introduction: Lee Harris, Morning Anchor, WINS, New York
Moderator: Dom Giordano, Host, WPHT, Philadelphia
Panelists:
Mandy Connell, Host, KOA, Denver
Jeff Katz, Host, WRVA, Richmond
Joe Thomas, PD, WCHV, Charlottesville, VA
Dr. Daliah Wachs, Physician/Host, Genesis Communications Network
Lisa Wexler, Host, WICC, Bridgeport/Probate Judge, Connecticut“Keynote Address {Fireside Chat}”
Introduction: John Caracciolo, President/CEO, JVC Broadcasting
Guest: Brian Kilmeade,
Host, FOX News Radio/FOX News Channel
Host: Harry Hurley, Host, WPG, Atlantic City, NJ
Closing Reception
”Freedom of Speech Award Presentation”
Recipient: Ian Freeman, Co-Host, Free Talk Live

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

By Editor | May 31, 2022 by Editor

WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte Announces Promotions and New Contracts for News Staffers. Charlotte news/talk WBT-AM/FM announces that it is “committed to remaining the news and information leader in Charlotte into its second century of broadcasting” with the promotion of veteran news reporter and host Mark Garrison to news director and the addition of a weeknight talk show for senior reporter Brett Jensen. Both Garrison and Jenson have signed new multi-year contracts and Radio One says it will be adding a news producer to its team. In the past two years, WBT has added anchors Anna Erickson, Mark Mueller, and Tony Marino to work alongside Garrison, Jensen, reporter Joe Gillespie, traffic reporters Pam Warner and Boomer Von Cannon, sports reporters Jim Szoke and Sharon Thorsland, and anchors Jeff Atkinson and Mike Dohn. The station says Garrison, long a leader in the Charlotte news community on both radio and television, has demonstrated his commitment to objectivity and journalistic integrity for decades. He will continue to host “Charlotte at Six” each weeknight, delivering his signature storytelling while supervising the day-to-day operations of the WBT newsroom. The station adds that in under four years at WBT, “Breaking Brett Jensen” has become synonymous with breaking news coverage, delivering exclusive content for the Charlotte community like no other. In addition to his reporting duties, Jensen will host “Breaking with Brett Jensen” each weeknight from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm where he will dive deeper into the stories that he has reported and take calls from listeners. Radio One regional VP and market manager Marsha Landess comments, “Mark and Brett are among the elite news professionals in the country, period. We are thrilled that their new appointments will strengthen the best news department in Charlotte.”

WVOX/WVIP’s William O’Shaughnessy Passes at 84. Longtime New York radio executive William O’Shaughnessy died Saturday (5/28) at his home in Litchfield, Connecticut at the age of 84 after a battle with urothelial cancer. He was widely considered one of the country’s most colorful community broadcasters, well-known for his editorials, commentaries, appreciations, elegies, and character portraits, which inspired The New York Times to declare that “Bill O’Shaughnessy’s commentaries make his New York TV counterparts look like so much mish-mash.” He served as president and editorial director of WVOX and WVIP in New Rochelle, New York – stations with which he was associated for 67 years. He began his career in 1957 at the original WVIP in Northern Westchester, a fabled suburban station owned by Martin Stone, producer of “Howdy Doody” and “Author Meets Critic.” He was the station’s top advertising salesman at the age of 21. He went on to serve as executive assistant to WNEW, New York’s general manager John Van Buren Sullivan. He was a longtime member of the Broadcasters Foundation of America’s board of directors and chairman of its Guardian Fund. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison issued the following statement, “Bill O’ Shaughnessy was more than an accomplished broadcaster and author. He was a living symbol of the radio medium’s most glorious ideals – both in substance and style – and he was one of modern-day America’s most influential and inspirational proponents of the First Amendment.” Services will take place at Lloyd Maxcy, 16 Shea Place in New Rochelle on Tuesday, May 31 4:00 pm-7:00 pm. The funeral mass will be held at St. Anthony of Padua, 49 South Street, Litchfield on Wednesday, June 1 at 11:30 am. In lieu of flowers, the O’Shaughnessy family would be grateful for a donation in his honor to the Broadcasters Foundation of America: https://broadcastersfoundation.org/donate/

WWO Audio Active Group: The Benefits of Emotion-Based Brand Building. In this week’s blog from the Westwood One Audio Active Group, two different types of advertising copy are studied – rational copy rooted in features and benefits and emotion-based copy that can be used to build brands. The blog reports that according to Binet and Field, the rational approach to advertising (relevant and useful targeted activation) works together with the emotion-based approach that “creates positive feelings and associations” via broad-reach ads that are “interesting and enjoyable.” The report also concludes that: 1) Emotion-based creative builds stronger brands and generates greater business outcomes; 2) Emotions guide and simplify our decision making: Positive emotional responses lead to a positive evaluation of choice; 3) According to authors John Kearon, Orlando Wood, and Tom Ewing, ads should build familiarity, create positive emotion, and make things easy to process; and 4) Podcast listeners prefer funny and entertaining ads but say they are more likely to hear rational podcast ads that communicate features/benefits. See the blog here.

TALKERS News Notes. The Radio Television Digital News Association has completed its announcement of the winners of Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and Audacy was honored with 23 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for outstanding achievements in electronic journalism. Seven Audacy markets were honored including Buffalo, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and St. Louis and WCCO, Minneapolis; KYW-AM/FM, Philadelphia; KCBS-AM, San Francisco; and KMOX, St. Louis all picked up “Overall Excellence” Awards. The National Edward R. Murrow Awards will be announced later this summer and winners will be honored on October 10 at a gala in New York City…..SiriusXM announces the debut of a new weekly show “Conversations with Joel,” starring Joel Osteen on Thursday, June 2 on Joel Osteen Radio. SiriusXM says, “Through one-on-one conversations with top leaders, athletes, entrepreneurs, celebrities and world-renowned influencers, ‘Conversations with Joel’ will empower listeners to unlock the champion within, overcome challenges, break through barriers, and be their best in every area of life. His scheduled guests include actor, comedian and director Kelsey Grammer; actor and television host Terry Crews; “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts; CBS Sports broadcaster James Brown; NFL agent Nicole Lynn; “FOX & Friends” host Ainsley Earhardt; television personality and sports reporter Jay Glazer and others…..ABC News releases the trailer for its new three-part podcast series, “Reclaimed: The Story of Mamie Till-Mobley.” Hosted by historian and ABC News contributor Leah Wright-Rigueur, the new series chronicles the life and legacy of Mamie Till-Mobley, whose fight for justice after her son’s brutal murder helped spark the civil rights movement. The first episode of “Reclaimed: The Story of Mamie Till-Mobley” debuts Wednesday, June 1, with new episodes posting weekly…..iHeartRadio and Sound Argument LLC announce the launch of a new documentary podcast titled, “Class Action.” Hosted by Katie Phang, a trial lawyer, anchor, and host for MSNBC and Peacock, the 12-part podcast series will track a diverse cast of outstanding law students who are battling it out in mock trial competitions across the country. The first two episodes will debut on June 7 and can be heard on iHeartRadio and all other major platforms.

Uvalde Massacre Aftermath/Weekend Gun Violence/Gun Control, Russia-Ukraine War, Primaries/Trump & the GOP, Inflation/Recession Fears, SCOTUS Leak Investigation, Monkeypox, and Memorial Day Holiday Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The investigation into the police tactics during the attack on Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, the spate of gun violence in the U.S. over the weekend, and talk about gun control measures; Russian’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the conflict’s global effects; the primary races for November midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the high price of food and gasoline and concerns about a looming recession; the intensifying investigation into the leak of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade; the spread of monkeypox; and the Memorial Day holiday were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, May 27, 2022

By Editor | May 27, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “The Numbing Down of America,” looks back at this past week of 5/23 to 5/27. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Todd Feinburg, talk show host, WTIC, Hartford; Mike “Bax” Baxendale, talk show host, WAQY (Rock 102), Springfield, MA; Dr. Daliah Wachs, physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; Tom Gresham, talk show host, Gun Talk; Walter M. Sterling, talk show host, Sterling on Sunday; and Matthew B. Harrison, associate publisher, TALKERS/media attorney. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

iHeartMedia and Bloomberg Media Unveil New Original Podcasts. The 2022 slate of new original podcasts from Bloomberg Media and iHeartMedia featuring a mix of daily and weekly news programs and narrative-style limited series is announced. These five shows are the first podcasts to debut as part of a multiyear agreement to co-produce and distribute more than a dozen new original podcasts. Shows for this year include: “Bloomberg Crypto” in which Bloomberg’s reporting team teases out what’s actually important in the crypto conversation in this daily podcast; “Bedrock, USA” is about a group of people who didn’t like what they saw happening in their local governments, and decided to get involved – whether that meant holding a rally, recalling an official or storming their government with bullhorns and threats; “In Trust” is a limited series about how members of one of the wealthiest families in Osage County, Oklahoma – home to the federally recognized Osage Nation – came to own more land in the area than anyone else; “The Big Take” immerses listeners in the most urgent stories of the day – on business, markets, economics, finance, politics, technology and more; and “Crash Course,” hosted by Bloomberg Opinion senior columnist Tim O’Brien, brings listeners directly into the arenas where epic business and social upheavals occur.

TALKERS News Notes. As the RTDNA continues to announce winners of Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, more commercial all-news and news/talk stations are being recognized for their excellence. The National Edward R. Murrow Awards will be announced later this summer and winners will be honored on October 10 at a gala in New York City. Hubbard Broadcasting’s all-news WTOP-FM was honored with three Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards: WTOP national security correspondent JJ Green’s COVID Conspiracy series was recognized in the News Series category for its coverage of a secret plot by Russia to spread lies and disinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines. In the Digital category, WTOP.com took home a regional award for coverage of news events throughout 2021 including coronavirus, cicadas and the scandal at D.C.’s crime lab. WTOP also received recognition in the Newscast category for coverage of the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. WTOP director of news and programming Julia Ziegler says, “The journalists in our newsroom are dedicated, passionate individuals who want to make a difference in their communities. We are so honored to be recognized with 3 regional Edward R. Murrow awards.”…..For the third year in a row, Townsquare Media’s WKXW, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5” news team is the recipient of a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award. This year the station received a “Best Newscast” honor for the November 3, 2021 edition of “New Jersey’s First News with Eric Scott.”…..Audacy and Rutgers Athletics reach a multi-year agreement to make WFAN-AM/FM the home for Rutgers football and WCBS-AM the flagship station for Rutgers men’s basketball. Audacy New York market president Chris Oliviero says, “Rutgers athletics is on the rise under Greg Schiano and Steve Pikiell in the Big Ten, bringing excitement and anticipation to Tri-State area fans. WFAN and WCBS 880 will provide listeners with unmatched coverage of the Scarlet Knights and we are honored to add Rutgers to Audacy’s market-leading play-by-play portfolio.”…..SiriusXM and MasterClass announce the launch of “MasterClass Hour,” a new program that will air on SiriusXM Stars channel 109 and Business Radio channel 132. The programming will kick off with former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on “The Power of Resilience,” Metallica on “Being a Band,” Steve Martin on “Comedy,” Issa Rae on “Creating Outside The Lines,” RuPaul on “Self-Expression and Authenticity,” Gordon Ramsay on “Cooking,” Malala Yousafzai on “Creating Change,” and more.

Texas School Shooting Top News/Talk Story for Week of May 23-27. The massacre of 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the spike in crime & violence in America’s urban centers and the issue of gun control legislation, followed by partisan politics tied with this week’s primary races for November’s midterm elections at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio 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.

Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, May 26, 2022

By Editor | May 26, 2022 by Editor

Walter M. Sterling is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. The host of the syndicated 10:00 pm – 1:00 am weekend talk show “Sterling on Sunday” – Walter M. Sterling – is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Actually the roles are reversed and Sterling interviews Harrison in a two-segment excerpt from his program this past Sunday night (5/22). Sterling had Harrison on to discuss the impact of digital age technology – specifically the smart phone – on the wiring of the human nervous system. “This is a watershed leap in the evolution of Homo Sapiens,” says Harrison. “While grappling with the question of what it is to be American, society is going to have to increasingly deal with the vastly deeper issue of what it is to be human.” Walter M. Sterling is the on-air persona of historically influential radio programming innovator and management advisor Walter Sabo. Don’t miss this provocative and illuminative conversation. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here.

Salem Media Group Signs Julie Hartman to Multiplatform Deal. This new pact with recent Harvard University grad Julie Hartman comes three months after she began doing a weekly podcast with Salem Radio Network personality Dennis Prager, titled, “Dennis and Julie.” Hartman’s new deal with Salem Media Group involves her doing projects for the Salem Podcast Network, Salem News Channel, and Salem Radio Network. Senior vice president of spoken word Phil Boyce says, “Julie represents a new generation of young media professionals, and we are adding some to the Salem platform, proving that even at Harvard you can come out a conservative if you keep your wits about you. Her story is compelling and even riveting and will probably be a book and a movie someday.” In September, Hartman will begin hosting two shows every weekend on Salem News Channel, three podcasts a week on the Salem Podcast Network, and substitute hosting on various Salem Radio Network programs. Hartman says, “I am honored that Salem Radio Network has entrusted me with this responsibility. Finding Dennis Prager’s work and getting to know him has illuminated my life’s vocation. Because of him, I’ve been able to collaborate with many other remarkably talented people at Salem. My generation needs courageous, independent, truth-telling voices. My goal is to be among the best of them.”

FOX News Media to Launch ‘The Senate Project’ Debate Series with Lindsey Graham and Bernie Sanders on June 13. A new debate series called The Senate Project – being created by the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate – premieres on June 13 in a debate between Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Bernie Sanders. Moderated by FOX News Channel’s Bret Baier, the 12:00 noon ET broadcast will be a one-hour policy debate between the two senators streaming on FOX Nation. The second debate, hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center, will be held in July at George Washington University, carried live and on demand across C-SPAN platforms, including streamed on C-SPAN Now. A third debate will be held by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation in Utah this fall. The press release states, “The goal of The Senate Project debate series is to reintroduce the culture of seeking common ground and consensus that has been the essence of the Senate since it was conceived in 1789. We hope it will inspire policymakers to not only make the case for their points of view, but to then work towards the example set by Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator Orrin Hatch for bipartisan bridge-building.”

WSJS-AM, Winston-Salem Transitions to News/Talk/Sports. Triad sports talk station WSJS-AM, Winston-Salem (along with its four FM translators) is transitioning to a news/talk/sports format, effective June 6. Truth Broadcasting says, “In the legacy of Wally Williams, Wayne Willard, George Lee, Glenn Scott, Gene Overby and Smith Patterson, WSJS is returning to a local news/talk/sports format with Jeffrey Griffin behind the microphone as the host of “Triad Today” (7:00 am to 10:00 am). Midday programming will include familiar voices and award-winning programming from Brian Kilmeade, Todd Starnes and Charlie Kirk.” The station is continuing local sports talk “The Drive with Josh Graham” in afternoon drive. Truth Broadcasting COO Michael Carbone says, “It’s an incredible thrill, as well as a responsibility, to return the voice of the people to WSJS. A local talk station belongs to the listeners – our neighbors – to share their thoughts, their favorite things, favorite teams, their passion for the Triad, their celebrations, their issues, their dreams. We will restart that conversation and let the voices of the city color our days again.”

FANTASTIC SPEAKER LINEUP AND AGENDA for TALKERS 2022. TALKERS is presenting the 25^th annual installment of the talk media industry’s longest-running, largest and most important convention, TALKERS 2022, on Friday, June 10, 2022 on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York in association with the prestigious university’s multi-award-winning station WRHU Radio.

TALKERS 2022 will be a “who’s who” of the talk media industry…

Red Apple Media CEO/WABC, New York owner John Catsimatidis is set to keynote with special guest addresses to be provided by iconic Key Networks personality Bill O’ Reilly and FOX News Radio/FOX News Channel star Brian Kilmeade.

See the complete agenda here.

TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison says, “We are delighted to be able to join forces again with our colleagues at Hofstra – the site of our very successful 2021 and 2016 events – and enjoy the remarkable resources that its Lawrence Herbert School of Communication brings to the table.”

As was the case last year, this event will be held in a COVID-19 compliant environment based upon the circumstances at the time of the convention. As is its tradition, TALKERS 2022 will boldly address key issues – some existential – facing the talk radio and talk media industries at this dramatically critical juncture of rapidly accelerating technological and societal change as well as identifying the remarkable opportunities inherent in these developments. It will also provide participants with unique and powerful networking opportunities. Attendance at the conference is limited to members of the working media and directly associated industries as well as students enrolled in accredited learning institutions. All attendees will be required to register in advance on the phone with credit cards. Attendance will be limited, and the conference is again expected to be an early sellout. Full details about the agenda (more than 50 in-person, luminary speakers) sponsorship opportunities and hotel information will continue to be posted in TALKERS in the days ahead. The all-inclusive registration fee covering convention events, exhibits, food, and services for the day is $349. Because space will be limited and a sellout is anticipated, all registrations are non-refundable.

To register or to obtain sponsorship information, call Barbara Kurland at 413-565-5413.

Travel and Hotel Information for TALKERS 2022. The full-service Long Island Marriott Uniondale is serving as the closest and best hotel for TALKERS 2022. To reserve rooms, please click here. All New York area airports are a car ride away from the hotel and Hofstra: JFK (18 miles), LaGuardia (24 miles), MacArthur (34 miles), Newark (47 miles). Free and convenient parking information at Hofstra will be posted here shortly.

TALKERS News Notes. Chicago market media pro Bob Sirott – host of Nexstar Media’s WGN Radio morning show – will receive the Dante Award from the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans at a luncheon today (5/26). The organization says that since its inception in 1971, more than 40 Chicago journalists have received the Dante Award, which recognizes media professionals who pursue truth in their work. Sirott says, “Looking at the long, impressive list of previous Dante Award winners, it makes me realize that the highly respected selection committee who decides who gets this award realized they had given this to every media person in Chicago except me. They simply ran out of names.”…..Salem Media Group announces that it will present at the LD Micro Invitational XII in Westlake Village, California on Tuesday, June 7 at 6:30 pm ET. LD Micro began in 2006 as an independent resource to the microcap world…..Cumulus Media’s Westwood One, in its capacity as the official network radio partner of the NCAA, will air the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse Semifinals and Championship Games over the Memorial Day weekend holiday. For the first time, Westwood One will broadcast the Women’s National Semifinal and Championship games in addition to the Men’s contests.

Alliance for Women in Media Foundation Presents 47^th Annual Gracie Awards. Pictured above at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California is the board of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation. Tuesday’s 47^thAnnual Gracie Awards Gala was hosted by Holly Robinson Peete and “recognized exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment.” Local and student winners will be honored at the Gracie Awards Luncheon on June 22 in New York City. Photo: Getty Images for AWM

Texas School Massacre/Gun Control, Primary Races/Trump & the GOP, the Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, January 6 Investigation, COVID-19, and U.S.-China Relations Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/25). The aftermath of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers and the battle over gun control legislation; Tuesday’s primary races in Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, & Georgia and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the high cost of food & gas, the shortage of baby formula, and the tech stock selloff; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effects on the rest of the world; the investigation into the January 6 Capitol attack; the high rate of COVID-19 cases in parts of the U.S.; and U.S.-China relations in the wake of President Joe Biden’s visit to Asia were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

By Editor | May 24, 2022 by Editor

Greta Van Susteren Joins Newsmax for Nightly Show. Talk media personality and news anchor Greta Van Susteren is joining Newsmax as host of her own daily signature show, “The Record with Greta Van Susteren.” The program will be based in Washington, D.C. and will premiere on Tuesday, June 14. Newsmax says it will “lead the network’s evening lineup with a solid hour of factual, fair, and independent perspective on the news.” Van Susteren comments, “With all that is going on in the world, I am getting back to my roots — a daily live news show with real reporting from the places where things are happening. I have been friends with [Newsmax CEO] Chris Ruddy for years, and he is giving me this great opportunity to return, giving me the complete freedom to cover the news that really matters to people. I have been impressed by Newsmax’s team and their success and would love to be part of a news network that is really growing.” Van Susteren’s career includes high-profile positions at CNN, FOX News, and MSNBC, as well as her recent work with the Gray television network and as a contributor to Voice of America. Ruddy states, “No one in journalism better exemplifies Newsmax’s mission to provide fact-based news and fact-based opinion than Greta Van Susteren. We are so pleased and honored to have Greta lead our nightly news lineup of programs.”

WBAL-AM, Baltimore Pairs Torrey Snow and Dan Joseph for Afternoon Drive. Charm City radio personalities Torrey Snow (left) and Dan Joseph (right) have been working together at Hearst Television’s news/talk WBAL-AM in a limited fashion but now are officially the afternoon drive team. Effective yesterday (5/23), “Torrey and Dan” is the permanent 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm show. Torrey helmed “The Torrey Snow Program” on WBAL since August of 2020. Joseph had hosted his own program on the station before being partnered with Snow. WBAL president and general manager Dan Joerres says, “‘The Torrey and Dan Show’ is a terrific opportunity for two top-notch hosts to join forces and offer our listeners a dynamic show that touches on a wide range of topics every day. Our responsibility is to our listeners and this show further amplifies that commitment as the leading news/talk station in Baltimore and beyond.”

KMOX, St. Louis Announces New Midday Show. St. Louis news/talk KMOX announces that with the retirement of longtime talk host Charlie Brennan, it will debut its new midday program on May 31. Audacy announces that it is expanding the “Total Information AM” program to 10:00 am, “bolstered by co-anchors Carol Daniel, who returns to the newsroom and Megan Lynch, investigative reporter. Together with Debbie Monterrey and Tom Ackerman, they will deliver the news, traffic and weather listeners depend on, including analysis, in-depth interviews and open conversation.” The new midday program will consist of Amy Marxkors, Kevin Wheeler and Chris Rongey, and air weekdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Wheeler transitions from host of “Sports Open Line” and Cardinals baseball pregame and postgame host, while Rongey expands his part-time role. The station will immediately begin a search for a new host of “Sports Open Line” and Cardinals pregame and postgame programming. As a result of the changes, midday personality Ryan Wrecker exits the station. He says via Twitter, “Yesterday was my last day at KMOX. I would like to think we created some great moments in the last five years in St. Louis. At this point, I have no idea what will happen next, but I trust it’s set up to move in the right direction. Again, thank you all.” Audacy St. Louis SVP and market manager Becky Domyan states, “This series of updates underscores our overarching commitment to delivering news and balanced talk shows to the people of St. Louis, while accentuating the strength of our top-level hosts. From our award-winning morning show to our unrivaled coverage of the Cardinals, we want to elevate the conversation.”

KFI, Los Angeles Takes Eight Honors at 72^nd Golden Mike Awards. Los Angeles news/talk KFI-AM took home eight awards at this past Saturday’s 72nd Annual Golden Mike Awards at Universal City. The press release says the Golden Mike Awards is Southern California’s most prestigious, and most coveted, broadcast journalism prize and one of America’s longest running broadcast news award programs. Robin Bertolucci, program director for the iHeartMedia station, says, “The content being produced by the KFI news department is exceptional and I am so proud of the KFI news team and the talented people who have produced these award-winning broadcasts and podcasts. And it’s exciting to note that KFI won twice as many awards as any other station in our division.” KFI won the following: Best Radio Documentary: “The Death and Life of Kobe Bryant,” produced by Steve Gregory, Jacob Gonzalez with associate producer Eric Sklar; Best Public Affairs Program: “After the Verdict, A Path Forward,” produced by Steve Gregory, Jacob Gonzalez with associate producers Kayla Austin and Clay Roe; Best Digital News Reporting: “Unhoused, A look at Homelessness in LA and OC,” produced by Steve Gregory, Jacob Gonzalez with associate producers Mark Mennie and Lt. Geoff Deedrick; Best Podcast – News: “9/11, Two Decades Later,” produced by Steve Gregory, Jacob Gonzalez, with associate producers Nico Melendez and Sheron Bellio; Best Podcast – Feature: “The Death and Life of Kobe Bryant,” produced by Steve Gregory and Jacob Gonzalez; Best Serious Feature Reporting: “Illegal Street Racing in the SFV,” produced by Steve Gregory; Best Government and Political Reporting: “2020 Voter Fraud Fear,” produced by Corbin Carson; and Best Newscast Under 15 Minutes: “KFI News with Michael Crozier,” produced by Michael Crozier.

WTAM, Cleveland and Bloomdaddy Raise $460k for Mike Trivisonno Fund. Yesterday’s radiothon on iHeartMedia Cleveland’s news/talk WTAM launched the “The Mike Trivisonno Fund” to benefit Coats for Kids and the special, seven-hour broadcast brought in $460,000 to the fledgling charity bearing the name of the station’s late PM drive personality. Current afternoon personality Bloomdaddy announced the $400,000 commitment to the charity from The Figgie Foundation. The broadcast included a visit from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Bloomdaddy says, “Triv always said it’s not the kids’ fault and I could not agree more. There is one thing I’m also passionate about and that is doing anything I can to help kids both on and off the air. I’m honored to carry the Coats for Kids torch and make sure Triv’s legacy lives on.” Pictured above are (from l-r): “Bloomdaddy Show” executive producer Carmen Angelo, iHeartMedia Cleveland Area metro president Keith Hotchkiss, DeWine, and Bloomdaddy. Photo by Mike Picha/iHeartMedia

SportsMap Launches New Daily Show with Jeff Michael. A new, daily program is launching on June 6 on SportsMap Radio called “The Rundown with Jeff Michael.” The 11:00 am to 1:00 pm show “will be an energetic and fast-paced program featuring the biggest guests and hottest takes in sports talk radio.” Jeff Michael has been a part-time host on the network since 2020 and has created numerous successful podcasts. He says, “Sports talk radio always meant the world to me. Having an opportunity to reach such a large national audience is something I do not take lightly. While I’m so grateful for the opportunity, my focus will always be on creating captivating and informative content.”

TALKERS News Notes. This Thursday (5/26) at 7:00 pm, Townsquare Media’s WKXW-FM, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5” presents the latest in a series of Town Hall broadcasts. “The Summer of ’22 – Back to the Beach” kicks off summer in the Garden State and the station’s Eric Scott will lead a panel of tourism officials, local mayors, law enforcement and travel experts. Tourism came roaring back after pandemic restrictions were lifted in 2021, but the surge in visitors has also caused disruptions and chaos in many shore towns, as was seen in Long Branch over the weekend when thousands of partygoers showed up at Pier Village for a pop-up party, leading to a curfew and over a dozen arrests. This year, there is also concern about the impact legal marijuana sales will have on tourism and law enforcement. Scott says, “From wild pop-up parties, groups of rowdy teens taking over the boardwalks and changes in policing laws, towns are trying to avoid a repeat, and provide the best possible experience for vacationing families.”…..The RTDNA is announcing the winners of Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and iHeartMedia Boston’s all-news WBZ-AM wins three awards in the categories of Breaking News Coverage, Best Newscast, and Continuing Coverage. iHeartMedia Boston VP of news, talk & sports Rob Sanchez says, “These awards speak to the professionalism and bravery of our news team, who strive to deliver vital news coverage to those who rely on WBZ NewsRadio each day.”…..D’Annette Roy joins C-SPAN as the network’s new director of legal affairs and business risk management. She will provide legal advice, risk mitigation strategies, and project management acumen while also serving as a value-added partner aligned in achieving C-SPAN’s strategic goals. Roy joins C-SPAN from Black News Channel, where she was the manager of standards and practices.

Biden Asia Tour, Russia-Ukraine War, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Inflation-Recession Fears, Title 42, COVID-19/Monkeypox, and Kellyanne Conway Book Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/23). President Joe Biden’s tour of Asia in which he met with prime ministers from India, Australia and Japan; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effects on the global economy; the primary elections for the November midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the high price of gas & food and fears of a recession; the Biden administrations challenge to Title 42 that prevents migrants from entering the U.S.; the rising rate of COVID-19 cases in parts of the U.S. and the spike in monkeypox cases around the world; and former Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway’s new memoir were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Advice

By TALKERS | May 23, 2022 by TALKERS

Front Page News Industry News

Friday, May 20, 2022

By Editor | May 20, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Primary Directives,” looks back at this past week of 5/16-20. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Mandy Connell, talk show host, KOA, Denver; Brett Winterble, talk show host, WBT, Charlotte; Victoria Jones, executive director, DC Radio Company; Dom Giordano, talk show host, WPHT, Philadelphia; and Matthew B. Harrison, VP/associate publisher, TALKERS/media attorney. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

Round Four of April PPMs Released. The fourth of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s April PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. Nielsen’s April 2022 sweep covered March 31 – April 27. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Raleigh, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WTKK-FM grows by seven-tenths for a 7.4 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) finish that pushes it up from #4 to the #3 rank, while Curtis Media Group’s crosstown news/talk WPTF tacks on one-tenth to finish with a 2.0 share and ranking #14. Emmis Communications’ news/talk WIBC-FM, Indianapolis loses half a share, finishing the survey with a 9.0 share and remains ranked #2. In Milwaukee, Bucks playoff hoops and Brewers baseball helps Good Karma Brands’ news/talk WTMJ leap from #3 to #1 after adding 1.7 shares for a 9.9 share finish. iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk WISN sheds eight-tenths to finish with a 7.5 share and falls from #2 to #4. Cumulus Media’s WWTN-FM, Nashville loses seven-tenths and its 6.1 share causes it to fall from #2 to #6. Cox Media Group’s WOKV-FM, Jacksonville continues its hold on the #1 rank after tacking on one-tenth to wrap the survey with a 10.6 share. You can see Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the previous three groups) here.

Triton Digital Releases April 2022 U.S. Podcast Report. The April 2022 edition of Triton Digital’s ranking of the top 100 U.S. Podcasts (the report also includes the Top 20 U.S. Networks) based on Average Weekly Downloads is released and NPR’s “NPR News Now” remains in the #1 spot. Some of the other podcasts affiliated with radio-centric companies that made the April chart include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” at #3 and its “The Dan Bongino Show” at #8. Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” remains ranked at #12. Three more Cumulus Podcast Network shows finished in the top 25, including “The Mark Levin Podcast” at #18, “The Matt Walsh Show” at #23, and “The Michael Knowles Show” at #24. The chart is comprised of networks and programs that opt in for measurement. You can see the complete chart here.

Public News/Talk WYPR, Baltimore Partners with The Baltimore Banner. Baltimore public radio organization Your Public Radio and The Baltimore Banner – a multi-platform news organization established by The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism – are beginning a joint operating agreement that will allow the nonprofit organizations to work collaboratively to deliver quality journalism across the state. WYPR “Your Public Radio” has three signals in the region – WYPR, Baltimore; WYPF, Frederick; and WYPO, Ocean City, Maryland. The two organizations say they will “work together to cover stories, special reports and develop joint programming to serve the needs of communities throughout Baltimore and around the state. This includes content sharing across platforms accessible to Baltimore Banner subscribers and the Your Public Radio audience and members. One of the first collaborations will be to cover the upcoming local elections.” Your Public Radio president LaFontaine E. Oliver says, “We are looking forward to the possibilities of this unique model of nonprofit news as we work to preserve and strengthen local journalism here in greater Baltimore. This partnership between Your Public Radio and The Baltimore Banner is an important step to bolster our local newsrooms in Maryland – with trusted, community reporting at the core of the agreement between the two organizations.”

TALKERS News Notes. Leadership from Hope Media Group and WAY Media announce the official close of their merger into a single media organization headquartered in Houston has taken place. The new company says, “This merger combines the rich heritage of two like-minded organizations, who together engage an audience of more than 4 million individuals worldwide with positive multimedia content over radio and online mediums.” President Joe Paulo comments, “We’re thrilled to officially join forces with Way Media to expand our combined impact. This merger is much more than a business matter. Aligning our efforts is a positive shift within Christian media to create and share uplifting content that encourages and inspires audiences across the country. We could not be more excited for this next chapter as our media brands continue to be a beacon of Hope for all.”…..The Radio Television Digital News Association is revealing winners of the local Edward R. Murrow Regional Awards for the numerous regions in the U.S. and iHeartMedia San Diego’s “Newsradio 600” KOGO, San Diego is honored with the award for a Newscast. A broadcast made by KOGO reporter Phil Farrar was singled out for the honor. “KOGO News with Phil Farrar” will now compete with fellow regional winners for the national award. The national award winners will be announced this summer and presented at the Edward R. Murrow National Awards Gala on October 10, 2022…..SiriusXM announces the launch of an all-new, original podcast “Basic!,” hosted by media veteran Doug Herzog and TV critic Jen Chaney, which explores the groundbreaking programming and glory days of cable television. The first three episodes of “Basic!” are now available on all major podcast platforms. Episode #1 features guest Jimmy Kimmel chatting with Herzog and Chaney about his breakthrough on cable television with Comedy Central’s “Win Ben Stein’s Money” and “The Man Show.” Amy Schumer joins in for episode #2 where she talks about creating and starring in her sketch comedy cable show, “Inside Amy Schumer,” and Fab Five Freddy is the guest for episode #3 where he shares stories about the creation of MTV’s groundbreaking hip-hop show, “Yo! MTV Raps.”

Partisan Politics and Elections Top News/Talk Story for Week of May 16-20. The partisan politics surrounding the primary elections leading up to November’s midterms was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the economy – including high gas & food prices, the selloff on Wall Street, and concerns about a recession, tied with the shortage of baby formula. At #3 this week was the Russia-Ukraine war and the related U.S. foreign affairs. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio 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.

FOX News Media Seeks Freelance Radio Anchor. This is a New York or Washington, DC-based position. FOX News is looking for a freelance radio anchor to join the FOX News Audio family as on-air talent for FOX News Radio Network/FOX News Headlines 24/7 Sirius XM Channel 115. As the freelance radio anchor, you will work under tight deadlines and deliver top-notch newscasts. You have a passion for breaking news and the flexibility to work on a day’s notice. Find out more and apply here.

FOX News Media Has Opportunity for Freelance Producer/Editor. This New York-based position is a freelance producer/news editor role in which you will supervise the staff for network radio news operations (terrestrial and FOX News Headlines 24/7 – Channel 115 on SiriusXM Radio). As the freelance producer/news editor you are our editorial leader, working with news anchors to craft the content and structure of a 24/7 news operation. This is fast-moving news environment! Your ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven newsroom allows you to deliver top-quality segments/newscasts. You excel at multi-tasking and pay close attention to details. Your writing and editing skills are excellent and your editorial judgment is first-rate. Find out more and apply here.

Podcast Producer Position Open at FOX News Media. FOX News Audio is looking for a producer for The Will Cain Podcast to be part of the fast-paced and growing FOX News Podcast Network. The producer for The Will Cain Podcast will develop ideas, pitch stories, and work with FOX News Channel talent in crafting daily and weekly podcasts. The producer will also direct bookings, edit shows, and work with production teams to create high-quality content every day. In addition to their production duties, they will also lead creative on social media posts and website write-ups to promote the product. This is a New York, Washington, or Nashville-based position. Find out more and apply here.

Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, May 19, 2022

By Editor | May 19, 2022 by Editor

Dennis Green is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. The COO of Key Networks, Dennis Green, is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Green’s background in network and syndication radio is extensive. Prior to joining Key Networks, he served 22 years at Westwood One and Cumulus Media Networks where he held several VP positions in affiliate sales and broadcast operations. During this period, he was instrumental in the launch of big shows for a wide variety of major talent. Prior to that he served as head of multimedia syndication at Bloomberg in New York in addition to holding other radio industry positions in his early career. Green is also the chairman of the nominating committee for the Radio Hall of Fame. Harrison says, “I love talking with Dennis Green about radio. His clear insights illuminate how the medium works as a business and relates to popular culture. Radio enthusiasts on both sides of the speakers will enjoy this panoramic conversation.” Harrison and Green take a deep dive into the history and culture of the radio business – past, present and future. To listen to the podcast in its entirety please click here.

Round Three of April PPMs Released. The third of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s April 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus. Nielsen’s April 2022 sweep covered March 31 – April 27. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Portland, while Alpha Media’s news/talk KXL-FM adds one-tenth to finish with an 8.2 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share), it slides from the #3 rank to #4. iHeartMedia’s news/talk KEX, Portland loses seven-tenths for a 2.6 share finish good for the #16 rank. In Salt Lake City, iHeartMedia’s news/talk KNRS-AM/FM adds nine-tenths to wrap the survey with a 10.8 share and takes the #1 rank, while Bonneville’s crosstown news/talk KSL-AM/FM rises 1.3 shares for a 7.6 share finish that puts it in the #2 rank. iHeartMedia’s news/talk WLW, Cincinnati posts a 1.2 share increase that gives the station a 13.4 share – good for the #1 rank – while sister news/talk WKRC adds three-tenths for a 5.4 share finish ranking it #4. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the two previous groups) here.

Former WNKT-FM, Columbia Sports Talk Host Tim Hill Launches Online Sports Talk Show While Challenging Cumulus Vaccine Mandate. According to a story at Outkick by Armando Salguero, sports talk host Tim Hill is launching a daily, two-hour sports talk program he’s streaming online that stands to compete with former employer Cumulus Media’s WNKT-FM, Columbia, South Carolina “107.5 The Game.” TALKERS magazine reported last fall that Hill was let go from the station for refusing to get a COVID vaccine – a policy Cumulus was instituting to bring its talent and most staffers back into the office. Hill requested an exemption to be allowed to broadcast his program from home as he’d been doing since the 2020 lockdown. The company refused. According to the Outkick story, Hill is also challenging Cumulus’ actions. He’s filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which is current investigating.

15^th Annual ‘Hold Their Feet to the Fire’ Radio Row Scheduled for September 21-22. The Federation for American Immigration Reform announces that the 15^th annual Hold Their Feet to the Fire radio row broadcast in Washington will take place this year on Wednesday, September 21 and Thursday, September 22. This event brings talk hosts from across the nation to Washington to broadcast live both days debating immigration policy while interviewing members of Congress, law enforcement officials, experts, activists, administration officials, high-profile media personalities, and those who live and work along the southern border. FAIR executive director Bob Dane says, “F2F has now spanned four presidents and become America’s largest annual gathering of talk hosts, and the centerpiece of the immigration debate each year for the media. This September marks its 15^th anniversary coinciding with the most consequential midterm election of our lives. Those outcomes will determine whether Biden’s Border Crisis continues and will also set the stage for 2024. This event is about harnessing the reach and influence of talk radio to properly inform voters on the immigration issue.” This year, “Hold Their Feet to the Fire” is being staged at its new location on the rooftop terrace of FOX News overlooking the Capitol at 400 North Capitol Street in Washington. D.C. The event accommodates 75 hosts in the broadcast center and fills up earlier each year. Reservations are required and hosts should call FAIR immediately to reserve a booth. As always, there is no cost to attend. Talk hosts interested in attending should contact Bob Dane at 202-742-1824 or bdane@fairus.org.

WGN-AM, Chicago Celebrates 100 Years of Broadcasting. Today (5/19) Chicago’s WGN Radio celebrates its 100th anniversary as the 50,000-watt voice of “Chicago’s Very Own” and will continue the celebration during the entire month of May and throughout all of 2022. On May 19, 1922, two young Chicagoans and radio enthusiasts named Thorne Donnelley and Elliott Jenkins started broadcasting from the Wrigley Building with their experimental station named WDAP. In 1924, the station acquired the WGN call letters with the takeover by new owner Col. Robert McCormick, editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. Tonight at 7:00 pm CT, WGN-TV will debut the documentary “100 Years of WGN Radio: A Retrospective.” The 45-minute documentary, produced by WGN Radio, tells the story of the radio station and journeys from its beginnings in 1922 through 2022. Today, WGN-TV’s Emmy Award-winning entertainment reporter and critic Dean Richards will be reporting live from WGN Radio’s studios throughout the day. Also, Metropolitan Brewing, Conrad Seipp Brewing Company, and the Chicago Brewseum will launch Chicago’s Very Own, a golden lager canned exclusively to celebrate WGN Radio’s 100th birthday. Chicago’s Very Own golden lager will first be available for public sale at the official beer release at Metropolitan Brewing on Friday (5/20) and will be available on draft at select locations around Chicagoland starting the week of May 23.

TALKERS News Notes. Radio pros Pete Benedetti and Lori Olsen join Quu Inc. as EVP of revenue and administrative and contracts manager, respectively. They will report directly to Quu CEO Steve Newberry. Benedetti is a longtime radio executive with deep experience acquiring, owning, and integrating radio stations in all market sizes…..Audacy announces the launch of a new show from its sports podcast studio 2400Sports in partnership with Major League Baseball. “Unwritten: Behind Baseball’s Secret Rules,” premieres June 1, is hosted by MLB broadcasters and former players Ron Darling and Jimmy Rollins, and explores a different unwritten rule of the game each week – bat flips, no-hitter jinxes, retribution and more…..SiriusXM is offering subscribers coverage of the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of thoroughbred racing’s 2022 Triple Crown, from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore this Saturday (5/21). SiriusXM will also air the Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The wire-to-wire race broadcast of the Preakness Stakes is provided by NBC Sports Audio Network.

Midterm Primaries/Trump & the GOP, the Economy, COVID-19, Buffalo Shooting/Great Replacement Theory, and Disinformation Board Demise Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/18). The primary races for November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the selloff on Wall Street, inflation, the baby formula shortage and concerns about a recession; the rising rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the debate over returning to mask mandates; the aftermath of the Buffalo shooting and the controversy over the Great Replacement Theory; and the shuttering of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Board were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Tuesday, May 17, 2022

By Editor | May 17, 2022 by Editor

Radio One Names Jeff Rickard Program Director for Sports Talk WFNZ, Charlotte. Sports talk radio pro Jeff Rickard is named program director for Radio One’s WFNZ-AM/FM. Rickard most recently served as brand manager for Audacy’s WEEI-FM, Boston. Prior to that, he was PD and morning host at Emmis’ WFNI, Indianapolis. During his career he’s also served with Comcast, ESPN Radio, and Sirius XM. Radio One RVP Marsha Landess comments, “We are committed to making sports radio even bigger in Charlotte, adding the 92.7 FM signal in March was just the beginning of that commitment. Having a successful veteran like Jeff Rickard join our team will help take us to the level that a passionate sports city like Charlotte deserves. Jeff brings to WFNZ extensive sports experience, talent, drive, and a passion for success. He will be a great complement to our incredibly talented local Charlotte on-air team. After our first conversation I knew he was the one to take us to the next level. As the flagship station for the Charlotte Hornets as well as Charlotte FC we are looking forward to an incredibly successful future with Jeff leading the charge.” Rickard adds, “I had been planning on taking a professional sabbatical this year but after meeting with Marsha Landess and learning more about Radio One, I began to get more excited to get back to work. Radio One as a company, combined with Marsha’s leadership and the potential for WFNZ, was just too appealing to not be a part of. I am extremely grateful to Radio One for this opportunity and can’t wait to start working with the talented staff in Charlotte. My family and I are all in on this situation and can’t wait to get started on this new chapter.”

Round One of April PPMs Released. The first of four rounds of ratings information from Nielsen Audio’s April 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 April 2022 sweep covered March 31 – April 27. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In New York, Red Apple Media’s news/talk WABC-AM/WLIR-FM dips two-tenths, posting a 3.6 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) but remains ranked #8. Audacy’s crosstown all-news WINS is up one-tenth, finishing the survey with a 4.2 share and rises to #6. iHeartMedia’s news/talk KFI, Los Angeles climbs four-tenths to wrap the survey with a 5.1 share and climbs to the #3 rank, while Audacy’s all-news KNX-FM loses half a share for a 3.4 share finish and falls to the #8 rank. In Atlanta, Cox Media Group’s news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM sheds a half share but remains ranked #3 on the strength of a 6.4 share. Townsquare Media’s news/talk WKXW-FM, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5” is ranked #1 in the Middlesex-Somerset-Union market despite losing seven-tenths and finishing with a 6.1 share. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets here.

FMR Associates-Eastlan: Radio Listening Rises 31% in Last Six Months. According to a study conducted in March and April for FMR Associates and Eastlan Ratings clients to determine usage levels of local AM/FM radio compared to the period six months prior, a number of positive conclusions were reached. The study reveals that in the last six months, weekly AM/FM radio listening is on the increase: 31% indicate they are listening to radio more, compared to 18% listening less. This finding is regardless of sex, age or market rank. FMR Associates-Eastlan says, “This unique finding bodes well for traditional radio growing as the pandemic comes to an end and even as more audio options such as podcasts and streaming platforms are available.” Digging deeper, the study found that the increase in weekly AM/FM listening is greatest among adults 25-44 at 37%. Men and women are equally increasing their listening time with AM/FM radio. More people going back to work, commuting and some cutting back on subscription audio or video services are among the primary factors cited for increased AM/FM consumption. Also, current weekly AM/FM radio listening is at 86% in the 25 to 64 age group. Significantly, cume listening is strong and consistent regardless of age, sex, market rank or geographic region. The statistically projectable national survey of 25 to 64 year-old adults from the thousands surveyed each month by Eastlan was demographically balanced and geographically representative.

Audacy’s State of Audio Explores Key Audio Trends. The second edition of Audacy’s “State of Audio” e-book that details key insights relevant to the listeners, creators and advertisers revolutionizing audio has been released. Some of the key metrics from the guide include: 1) Audio revenue outpaced video in 2021. Per the latest IAB Advertising Revenue Report, audio streaming revenue is up +59% YOY. And audio streaming growth is outpacing investments in video, social and search; 2) Audio usage has eclipsed TV, including CTV Audio reaches everyone, with 99% of US adults reporting using audio monthly. And that’s more than the total use of TV, including connected devices. (Source: Nielsen, Q4 2021); and 3) Time spent listening on AM/FM streaming and podcast content has increased +64% from 2015 to Q1 2022. (Source: Edison Research, Share of Ear Study, Q4 2015-Q1 2022). Audacy chief marketing officer Paul Suchman comments, “Audio is a trusted companion to hundreds of millions of listeners and more than any other medium, the best way creators across the globe connect with their audiences authentically and intimately at scale. Our second edition of the ‘State of Audio, The Disruptors: The Listeners, Advertisers, and Creators Revolutionizing Audio’ focuses on the people, strategies, and content shaping Audio’s meteoric rise as a must have media for marketers.” See more here.

KBLA, Los Angeles Debuts ‘A More Perfect Union.’ A new weekend program is launching this Sunday (5/22) on Smiley Audio Media’s KBLA, Los Angeles. “A More Perfect Union,” hosted by journalist, educator, and KBLA “Talk 1580” chief national political analyst Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey. Airing from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, the program is a “national public affairs program, featuring notable journalists, industry leaders, lawmakers, changemakers, tastemakers, and ordinary people motivated to do their part to reach beyond today’s divisions; make sense out of news of the day and offer listeners a chance to build a more perfect union.” Smiley Audio Media owner Tavis Smiley says, “Now more than ever the Black constituency must first be made aware, and then armed with information that can help advance the issues we care about and repel the ideas that are antithetical to the best interests of our community. The time is now for ‘A More Perfect Union,’ which is a weekly show designed to keep our community in the know with a moderator like Dr. Quartey, who keeps his ear to the ground and his heart attuned to the causes we care about.”

‘100 Years of WGN Radio’ to Air on WGN-TV. On Thursday (5/19) at 7:00 pm, the special program, “100 Years of WGN Radio: A Retrospective,” will air on WGN-TV, Chicago. The 45-minute documentary produced by WGN Radio tells the story of the station, starting with its beginnings in 1922 when it was founded by Chicagoans Thorne Donnelley and Elliott Jenkins as WDAP, to highlighting moments throughout its century of history up to present day. Viewers will see the faces of familiar voices, including Bob Sirott, John Williams, Lou Manfredini, Steve King and Johnnie Putman, Dave Eanet, Mary Van De Velde, Dave Plier, and others, reflecting on their experiences at the station and sharing memorable moments. The program will be re-broadcast on Sunday, May 22 at 2:00 pm CT on WGN-TV.

Tim Hartlage Returns to Salem to Lead Sales in Nashville. Radio management pro Tim Hartlage is returning to Salem Media Group to serve as general sales manager for the company’s Nashville operations. Hartlage served as GSM and then general manager for the company’s Louisville station group from 2005 to 2015. He says, “Leaving Salem in 2015 to plant a much-needed church and ministry in Louisville’s southwest area, my old neighborhood, with my wife Jennifer, was one of the toughest decisions we had ever made. Returning to Salem and joining the Nashville team as general sales manager was one of the easiest. Salem Nashville is in an incredibly vibrant market with a great reputation. It’s great to be a part of the Salem Family again. It feels like a homecoming.”

Buffalo Shooting/Great Replacement Theory, the Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, COVID-19, and UFO Hearing Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/16). The aftermath of the deadly Buffalo shooting and talk of the Great Replacement Theory; the financial markets, inflation, and concerns about a major recession on the horizon; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s threats against Finland and Sweden; the primary races for November’s midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S.; and today’s scheduled congressional hearing on UFOs were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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Friday, May 13, 2022

By Editor | May 13, 2022 by Editor

NOW POSTED: This Weekend’s Installment of “The Michael Harrison Wrap: An Overview of the National Conversation.” The latest installment of the one-hour weekend special, “The Michael Harrison Wrap,” that looks back each week at the hottest topics discussed in American talk media per the research of TALKERS, is now posted. This new episode titled, “Musky and Murky,” looks back at this past week of 5/9 to 5/13. The program features guests (in order of appearance): Kevin Casey, executive editor, TALKERS; Derek Hunter, talk show host WCBM, Baltimore/Talk Media Network; Dr. Daliah Wachs, physician/talk show host, Genesis Communications Network; Claire Carter, talk show host/founder, Good For You Radio; Martha Zoller, talk show host, WDUN, Gainesville, GA; and Dr. Murray Sabrin, emeritus professor of finance, Ramapo College, NJ/libertarian scholar. The show airs weekends on WONK-FM, Washington, DC; WTIC, Hartford; KSCO, Santa Cruz, CA; KDFD, Denver; KFNX, Phoenix; KTLK-FM, St. Louis; WPG, Atlantic City, NJ; SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville; KMZQ, Las Vegas; WTPL, Manchester, NH; WEMJ, Laconia, NH; WTSN, Dover-Portsmouth, NH; WVLY, Wheeling, WV; WTRW-FM, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA; WVOX, Westchester, NY; KBDT, Dallas; WGDJ, Albany, NY; WJFN-FM, Richmond, VA; WZFG, Fargo; KTGO, Tioga, ND; KWAM, Memphis; K-NEWS, San Luis Obispo; WGMD, Rehoboth Beach, DE; WCHM, Clarkesville, GA; WPHM, Port Huron, MI; KSYL, Alexandria, LA; KTOE, Mankato, MN; WCED, DuBois, PA; K-NEWS 101.3, Owensboro, KY; WWTK, Sebring, FL; WSAR-AM/FM, Fall River, MA; WIZM-AM/FM, La Crosse, WI; WMVA, Martinsville, VA; KQEN, Roseburg, OR; the Virginia Talk Radio Network; CRN Digital Talk Radio Network; Podcast Radio UK and many more. To listen to this week’s episode, please click here. To view the latest TALKERS topic research, please click here. “The Michael Harrison Wrap” is now available in syndication via Talk Media Network to stations across America on a market exclusive basis. For affiliation information, please click here or call 616-884-8616.

Bill O’Reilly’s Killing the Killers Debuts at #1. This new book is the 11^th in the “Killing” series and it’s the 11^th to be a #1 New York Times bestseller. Sales in this series are roughly 19 million copies worldwide and have spent close to 340 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. In the new book, Killing the Killers – The Secret War Against Terrorists (2022 St. Martin’s Press) Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard report on America’s intense global war and manhunt against terrorist extremists who both masterminded the horrific 9/11 attacks as well as executed hundreds of others on American and international soil. They trace America’s efforts to defeat Al Qaeda and ISIS worldwide. O’Reilly and Dugard gained access to top secret national security documents as well as interviewed the highest national security officials in the U.S. The publisher says that primed with deeply sourced information, detailed maps and revealing photographs, O’Reilly and Dugard have created a riveting account that has never been reported to this scope and depth. Bill O’Reilly’s radio programs – including the new, national daily one-hour “No Spin News,” show – are syndicated by Key Networks.

Salem: 2000 Mules is Most Successful Political Documentary in a Decade. The new film, 2000 Mules, from director Dinesh D’Souza and executive producer Salem Media Group is being billed by Salem as “the most successful political documentary in a decade.” Salem says that 1 million people have seen the movie – available for download and DVD purchase on SalemNOW.com – and has become a huge hit on Rumble and its Locals platform. D’Souza says, “The movie is a success financially for sure, but also it is successful in its political and cultural influence. It’s the most-talked-about movie out there right now, making headlines in multiple publications, and is trending extremely high on social media.” The film purports to provide proof of illegal ballot harvesting, both in geo-targeting of cell phone data, and in actual video surveillance of the many unmanned ballot boxes in the five key battleground states. The movie’s conclusion of illegal ballot harvesting is based on research by True The Vote. It features five Salem radio talk show hosts as they walk through the process of learning what the evidence shows, and then discussing what this means for the American belief in free and fair elections. Salem says those hosts, Dennis Prager, Sebastian Gorka, Charlie Kirk, Eric Metaxas and Larry Elder, all came away disturbed at what they learned really happened to hand the election victory to Joe Biden.

iHeartMedia Names Jorge Lopez VP of Sales for Hispanic Brands in Tampa and Jacksonville. Sales and marketing pro Jorge Lopez is promoted to vice president of sales for iHeartMedia’s Tampa and Jacksonville Hispanic brands that include broadcast and digital brands encompassing more than 10 music, talk, and news formats. iHeartMedia operates the Spanish news outlets WHNZ-AM/W290BJ, Tampa “Acción 1250 & 105.9” and WFXJ-AM/W247CF, Jacksonville “Acción 97.3.” Lopez says, “I am very grateful for this new role in my career. I’ve been with iHeartMedia for more than six years and I think it’s great to have this distinguished opportunity where I contribute with my experience and skills to the expansion and growth of the brand. With the continuing growth of the Hispanic population in Florida it is very important that we serve our community with an authentic voice and a compelling product.”

Abortion Rights Top News/Talk Story for Week of May 9-13. The fallout from the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft decision to overturn Roe v Wade, including the protests at justices’ residences, was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio this week, landing atop the Talkers Ten^TM. At #2 this week was the Russia-Ukraine war tied with the larger topic of U.S. foreign policy, followed by the economy, including inflation, supply chain woes, the financial markets and recession fears at #3. The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio 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.

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Thursday, May 12, 2022

By Editor | May 12, 2022 by Editor

Michele Tafoya Joins Salem Podcast Network. National sports media figure Michele Tafoya is joining Salem Media Group’s Salem Podcast Network to host a new podcast titled, “Sideline Sanity.” The former NBC Sports sideline reporter’s new show – focusing “life, politics, and world news” will be produced four times per week, beginning on May 23. Tafoya’s broadcasting career includes a lot of radio in addition to her TV work. She served with iHeartMedia’s sports talk “KFAN,” hosted afternoon drive on Audacy’s WCCO-AM, and worked alongside morning star Tom Barnard at Cumulus Media’s KQRS-FM. She says, “I’m thrilled to launch my first podcast with the Salem Podcast Network. It’s exciting to join the chorus of talented Salem voices discussing the historic issues facing America and the world.” Salem Twin Cities general manager Nic Anderson comments, “I cannot wait for the rest of the country to get to know Minnesota’s own Michele Tafoya beyond her successful years of reporting from the sidelines. She’s full of insight, passionate about her platform, and she’s ready to speak her mind. And Salem Media-Twin Cities is eager to help as we produce her podcast for a national audience and look forward to working with her locally as opportunities arise.” Tafoya announced her retirement from NBC Sports in February of this year and has joined the campaign of Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls as campaign co-chair.

David ‘Mad Dog’ DeMarco to Exit ‘The Game’ in Lansing After 26 Years. Sports talk personality David “Mad Dog” DeMarco is leaving his role as afternoon drive host on Townsquare Media’s WVFN, Lansing, Michigan after tomorrow’s program, capping a 26-year sports talk career in the market. According to a story in the Lansing State Journal, DeMarco began his sports talk gig in 1996 as part of “The Sports Guys” on WVFN. For four years in the early aughts, the “Mad Dog & Company” show aired on crosstown WQTX-FM, returning to WVFN in 2007. For the past 12 years, DeMarco has been selling for the station, as well. He says, “I had to be like Clark Kent and then go into sales mode and hit the streets as a salesman. That’s what a lot of people don’t understand. They just think that I did the show for three hours and I go home and smoke cigarettes and get high and stuff. I had to really buckle down and be disciplined that I was going to do this. And I did. It’s not even ratings anymore. It’s how much money that you can bring in. It’s like the mafia — you’re an earner is what you are. And if you can’t earn, you’re not going to be around.”

Edison: Comedy Top Podcast Genre for First Quarter of 2022. According to data from Edison Research’s Edison Podcast Metrics, the top podcast genre in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2022 was comedy. This list of podcast genres is based on weekly audience size. (Nineteen genres are identified as having at least one percent reach among those in the U.S. age 18+.) The list of the Top 10 Genres for Q1 2022 is: 1) Comedy, 2) News, 3) Society and Culture, 4) True Crime, 5) Sports, 6) TV and Film, 7) Business, 8) Arts, 9) Religion and Spirituality, and 10) Education. Edison Research SVP Melissa Kiesche comments, “As advertisers increasingly seek to target podcast listeners, it becomes more important to understand the appeal of various genres in the space.”

TALKERS News Notes. There’s special programming available from ABC Audio for the coming Memorial Day weekend. ABC News Radio will present, “Honor, Hope and Healing,” hosted by correspondents Aaron Katersky and Alex Stone. The program reports on America’s heroes, including those who lost their lives serving their country and individuals performing good deeds at home. It features Katersky’s interviews with Gold Star families who lost loved ones last summer in Afghanistan as the U.S. withdrew its troops. The special also shines a light on COVID-19’s toll on the country as well as the resilience of Americans trying to emerge from the pandemic and recover from the past two years…..WNYC Studios announces that Kenya Young is appointed to the newly created position of SVP, WNYC Studios – part of New York Public Radio. In this position, Young will oversee a portfolio that includes “The New Yorker Radio Hour,” “The Takeaway with Melissa Harris-Perry,” “The United States of Anxiety with Kai Wright,” “Death, Sex and Money with Anna Sale,” “La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience,” and the “Blindspot” series co-produced with HISTORY. Young was most recently managing editor for collaborative journalism at NPR. Young will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for WNYC Studios’ portfolio of podcasts, and leading and supporting the teams developing and producing shows. In partnership with Emily Botein, VP, original programming, she will manage and grow current Studios productions and build out WNYC Studios new documentary unit devoted to producing longform nonfiction audio works…..Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal “Save Democracy” Tour 2022 will make a Los Angeles appearance at The Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. Joining Miller will be Hal Sparks, Frangela, and John Fugelsang on Saturday, October 22 at 8:00 pm for an evening of standup comedy and special guests. Miller says, “We have a lot of work ahead of us supporting the Democratic agenda that moves all of America forward by delivering an even bigger majority to Capitol Hill.”…..“The Regular Joe Show,” hosted by Joe Giganti and syndicated by Genesis Communications Network, adds two new stations to its roster of affiliates. Pan American Broadcasting’s KDAZ-AM/K245CD, Albuquerque adds the program to air from 7:00 am to 10:00 am and WPA Radio LLC’s KTLR-AM/K279CR, Oklahoma City is now airing two hours of the program daily. Giganti says, “These are exciting opportunities to bring our upbeat, witty take on some of the most pressing and challenging issues of the day. I think it’s so important to maintain your ability to laugh and have a little fun, especially when tackling some of the heavier hot topics – perhaps now, more than ever.”

The Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, Roe v Wade, COVID-19, Elon Musk & Twitter, and Western Drought/Wildfires Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/11). The high cost of food and gasoline, the roiling stock market & plunging value of cryptocurrency, and concerns about a recession; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rumors of Vladimir Putin’s poor health, and Putin’s warning to Finland over plans to joins NATO; the Trump-approved primary candidates for the November midterms and Trump’s influence over the GOP; the protests over the leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade; the rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., concerns about new variants, and the Chinese zero-COVID policy; the controversial attempt by Elon Musk to acquire Twitter; and the drought and wildfires affecting the U.S. West were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

By Editor | May 10, 2022 by Editor

Townsquare Media Reports Q1 Net Revenue Up 13%; Tops Pre-COVID Net Revenue by 7%. For the first quarter of 2022, Townsquare Media is reporting net revenue of $100.2 million, an increase of 13% over the same period in 2021 and an increase of 7% over the same period in Q1 of 2019. Townsquare is also reporting net income of 2.74 million for Q1 of 2022 compared to the loss of $6.1 million it reported in the first quarter of last year. Townsquare reports in three segments: 1) Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions – including its subscription digital marketing solutions business, Townsquare Interactive. That segment reported revenue of $21.8 million, an increase of 15% over Q1 of 2021; 2) Digital Advertising – marketed externally as Townsquare Ignite that includes digital advertising on its owned and operated digital properties and its digital programmatic advertising platform. That segment reported revenue of $29.2 million, an increase of 16.6% over last year; and 3) Broadcast Advertising – including the company’s local, regional, and national advertising products and solutions delivered via terrestrial radio broadcast (plus other miscellaneous revenue associated with the broadcast advertising platform). That segment’s revenue was $48.1 million, an increase of 7.7% over the same period a year ago. Townsquare CEO Bill Wilson states, “I am proud to announce our strong start to 2022, with net revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and net income increasing year-over-year by +13%, +10%, and $8.9 million, respectively. In addition, net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA exceeded our previously issued guidance due to strong growth and strong margins. As a Digital First Local Media Company, our first quarter performance was driven by our digital platform and solutions, with total digital revenue increasing +16% year-over-year in the first quarter (representing 51% of our total Q1 net revenue) and total digital Adjusted Operating Income increasing +11% year-over year (representing 55% of our total Q1 Adjusted Operating Income). As we move forward, we expect double-digit digital net revenue growth to continue at strong margins, fueling our overall growth and subsequent debt reduction, from 4.66x net leverage today to 4.0x by year end. We are also pleased to re-affirm our 2022 guidance and our 2024 digital revenue target of at least $275 million. These results and confidence in our outlook are due, in part, to the fact that Townsquare is the only local media and digital marketing solutions company of scale focused principally on markets outside of the Top 50 in the United States, a vital differentiator for our company. Our new reporting segments highlight the profit characteristics of our digital platform, which is essentially equal to those of our broadcast platform, each with profit margins of approximately 30%. While we view local radio as an extremely valuable asset with significant and attractive cash flow properties, unparalleled consumer reach, and an important and trusted local connection to our audience and communities, it is not our primary growth driver. With approximately half of our total revenue and profit coming from digital today, we have a strong digital growth engine that will drive significant and consistent growth in the coming years. It is our belief that as a Digital First Local Media Company providing a detailed breakout of our digital revenue and digital profit, Townsquare should be afforded a sum-of-the-parts valuation that gives credit to our digital assets.”

MIW Launches State Broadcasters Partnership Program. The non-profit organization Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc., dedicated to the advancement of female leadership in radio broadcasting, announces a new national program designed to create mentorship opportunities in every state in the union. This three-to-five-year strategic plan exponentially expands the organization’s mentoring outreach across the United States. The first pilot program partners MIW with the Minnesota Broadcasters Association to create, “Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Minnesota.” MIW’s long term plan includes establishing close working relationships with leadership from all interested state broadcasters associations and broadcasters across the country to create mentorship curriculums for female professionals in radio broadcasting. With MIW’s guidance, these state-centered programs will be based on the tenets, structure, and best practices of MIWs broad array of successful and established mentoring opportunities. MIW Board president Ruth Presslaff says, “This program is designed to dramatically expand our mentorship outreach. We couldn’t ask for a better first partner than president Wendy Paulson and the Minnesota Broadcasters Association as we work toward a mentee in every state. Cheers to the first. Forty-nine to go!” Find out more here.

TALKERS News Notes. When the Radiodays Europe conference takes place in Malmö, Sweden May 15-17, Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley will take part in two sessions. She will participate in a special one-on-one session titled, “American Regional Radio in the Digital Age,” hosted by Benztown president Dave “Chachi” Denes. In addition, Beasley will take part in the “Audio Summit” panel, featuring Sibyle Veil (CEO Radio France), Linda Pamgren (CEO Bauer Media Sweden) and Cathinka Rondon (head of Radio-NRK). The session will be moderated by Folder Media creative director Matt Deegan…..The nationally syndicated, weekend shooting sports program “Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk” adds WBIN Media’s WTPL-FM, Hillsborough, New Hampshire and Berkshire Broadcasting Corp’s WLAD-AM/W231DJ, Danbury, Connecticut to its roster of affiliate stations. The program is syndicated by Talk Shows USA…..Chicago-based MediaTracks Incorporated sells “Radio Health Journal” and “Viewpoints Radio” to American Urban Radio Networks, LLC. The two weekly public affairs programs are syndicated on a total of nearly 1,500 stations in more than 200 U.S. markets. Bob Heymann of the Chicago office of Media Services Group served as the exclusive broker for the seller in this transaction…..Audio content, marketing, and advertising services firm Gemini XIII, joins forces with Diversion Podcasts through an investment that will grow Diversion’s offerings under a new premium podcast network called Diversion Audio. Diversion Audio will become Gemini XIII’s content division. The division will leverage sister company Diversion Books’ publishing assets and author relationships to offer a focused content model it says is unique to podcasting: expanding IP from books, authors, and personalities into the podcast medium as original audio content across both high-frequency episodic shows and engrossing narrative limited series. Gemini XIII co-founder and CEO Spencer Brown says, “Through Diversion Audio, we will build upon the successful franchises and proven track record that Scott [Waxman] and his talented team have created at Diversion Podcasts. Together with our recent acquisitions of Phantom Producer and The Infinite Agency, Gemini XIII is well-positioned to optimize these premium assets and capabilities to build and grow a new breed of audio company. The creation of Diversion Audio advances that strategy considerably. We think podcast listeners and readers alike will love what they hear as we launch new podcasts tied to Diversion’s expansive intellectual property library.”

The Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Roe v Wade, Midterms/Trump & the GOP, COVID-19, Vicky White/Casey White Manhunt, and Western Drought/Texas Wildfire Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (5/9). The falling Dow and NASDAQ, the high price of gas & food, and concerns about a full-blown recession; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and concerns about Vladimir Putin’s health and willingness to use nuclear weapons; the aftermath of the leak of a draft of the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v Wade; the November midterm elections and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; the rate of cases, hospitalizations & deaths from COVID-19; the manhunt for Alabama corrections officer Vicky White and convict Casey White ends; and the drought in the U.S. West and the Texas wildfires were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

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