Pictured above is nationally syndicated talk radio host Todd Starnes delivering the keynote address at the Young America’s Foundation’s National High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. All students received a copy of Starnes’ newest book, Twilight’s Last Gleaming: Can America Be Saved? (Post Hill Press 2023), based on a speech delivered by President Ronald Reagan.
The presidential race and Tuesday’s primary elections; the Russia-Ukraine war and Vladimir Putin wins Russia’s “election”; the Israel-Hamas war and U.S.-Israel relations; the U.S. migrant crisis; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the Supreme Court to hear arguments on the government’s efforts to thwart social media disinformation; the anti-TikTok legislation; and the violence in Haiti were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Reporting its operating results for the fourth quarter of 2023 and for the full year of 2023, Townsquare Media posts Q4 net revenue of $114.8 million, down 4.6% from the same period in 2022. For the quarter it reports a net loss of $1.9 million. Net revenue for the full year of 2023 was $454.2 million, a decrease of 1.9% from the full year of 2022. Townsquare Media CEO Bill Wilson says, “I am pleased to share that Townsquare’s fourth quarter results met or exceeded our previously issued guidance, and our full year results met the guidance that we issued at the start of 2023… Our Digital Advertising segment delivered net revenue and Adjusted Operating Income growth this year (each +7% year-over-year), offsetting
weakness in the national and network marketplace, and first-time hurdles in our Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions segment. In total, Digital now represents 51% of Townsquare’s 2023 net revenue and 55% of our 2023 Adjusted Operating Income, and maintained a 30% Adjusted Operating Income margin, consistent with 2022’s margin. The strong cash generation characteristics of our assets allowed us to produce $68 million of cash flow from operations in 2023, an increase of $18 million, or +35%, as compared to the prior year. We could not be more pleased to share that given our strong cash position, we were able to repurchase and retire approximately $27 million of our Unsecured Senior Notes at a discount during the year. In addition, we repurchased $17 million of our common stock, and paid a high-yielding dividend while also investing in our business. We also ended the year with a strong cash balance of $61 million and net leverage of 4.43x, retaining financial flexibility moving forward. Despite the lack of tailwinds at our back in 2023, I am very pleased with how the Townsquare team navigated the progressively challenging economic landscape. We outperformed competitors and gained market share due to our local focus and our digital platform. I believe that our performance over the past several years has demonstrated the efficacy of our Digital First Local Media strategy and validated our focus on local markets outside of the Top 50 U.S. cities, reinvigorating my confidence in our business model and our path moving forward.”
Noted attorney and respected talk media commentator Steve Weisman is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” A prolific author and lecturer who teaches White Collar Crime and Media Law at Bentley University in Boston, Weisman is one of the nation’s leading experts on scams, identity theft and cybersecurity. His widely read blog, Scamicide, provides daily updated information about the latest scams, identity theft schemes and cybersecurity developments. He recently testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging about the dangerous proliferation of scams being targeted to America’s senior population. Harrison – a longtime outspoken foe of digital-era corruption – states, “Our podcast this week is aimed at shedding light on the dark corners and back alleyways of our modern society in which scammers, fraudsters and cyber criminals are flourishing… they steal our identities, our money and our peace of mind. Our loss of privacy and security is a loss of freedom and our legislators on both sides of the aisle remain basically clueless. In an era in which talk show hosts are rightfully obsessed with street crime, terrorism and immigration run amok, it is surprising there is not more attention being paid to this insidious social cancer born of advanced technology and civic decay.” Listen to the podcast in its entirety here.
The presidential race was the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was former President Donald Trump’s legal battles, followed by the House-passed bill to force ByteDance to sell TikTok or the app becomes illegal in the U.S. at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media during the week and is the result on ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.
New York City radio personality Jim Kerr – host of the “Jim Kerr Rock and Roll Morning Show” on iHeartMedia’s Q104.3 – is celebrating 50 years on the air in the Big Apple. Kerr began hosting morning radio in New York City on March 18, 1974. The station is planning a week of special events to commemorate Kerr’s incredible achievement.
Triton Digital announces its partnership with ID5 to introduce rich audience data to Triton’s Audio Marketplace. Triton says this partnership will improve advertising targeting and addressability in the audio space while complying with privacy regulations globally. Triton chief product officer Benjamin Masse says, “ID5’s ID technology is transforming how the advertising world operates through the creation of listener profiles and its privacy-first approach. Providing access to these listener profiles, supported by rich data, will enhance the value of the inventory available in the Triton Digital Audio Marketplace. We are encouraged by the promising results we have witnessed so far and are excited to be partnering with ID5 to bring this technology to more advertisers.”
PodcastOne announces the extension of its partnership with A+E Networks for the exclusive sales and distribution rights to true crime podcasts “Cold Case Files” and “I Survived.” As part of the agreement, the two media companies will expand their relationship and introduce two new podcasts based on A&E’s long-running television programs, “American Justice” and “City Confidential.”
A Georgia judge dismisses six charges in the 41-count indictment of former President Donald Trump in the election interference case; the presidential election; the House votes to ban TikTok in the U.S. unless it is separated from Chinese parent company ByteDance; the U.S. migrant crisis; the Israel-Hamas war; the China-Russia-Iran naval exercises in Gulf of Oman; the Russia-Ukraine war; and the problems facing airplane manufacturer Boeing were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Audacy releases a performance update as it waits to emerge from Chapter 11 reorganization saying it “is pleased to report a strong start to 2024, driving significant sequential acceleration across key financial metrics and performance indicators. The Company is providing this update to deliver additional visibility on its progress since receiving court approval of its consensual pre-packaged Plan of Reorganization on
February 20.” Audacy awaits FCC approval to complete its restructuring and plans to file its 2023 10-K later this month. The company says it experienced revenue growth of 1% in January, led by a 1% increase in radio revenue and a 7% increase in digital revenue. Audacy chairman, president and CEO David Field comments, “Audacy is off to a strong start in 2024, driving accelerated financial and operating performance, including solid early growth in revenues, key digital metrics, and audience and revenue shares. We look forward to a bright future, capitalizing on our best-in-class balance sheet and our scaled leadership position in the dynamic audio market, distinguished by our exclusive premium content and top positions across the country’s largest markets.”
Talk host Lars Larson inks a four-year contract renewal with Alpha Media to continue his role as host of his 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm show on news/talk KXL-FM, Portland.
Zionist Organization of America is honoring Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy, with its Zionist Hero Award on Sunday (3/17) in Davie, Florida, at its “Heroes for Israel” gala. Also, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will be honored with the ZOA’s Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Defender of Israel Award.
Compass Media Networks, in partnership with the Big Ten Conference, is broadcasting exclusive, national audio coverage of all rounds of the TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament live from the Target Center in Minneapolis. This marks Compass Media Networks’ 15th year of coverage. In addition to continuous coverage on SiriusXM’s College Sports Radio Channel, the Big Ten Radio Channel, and the Varsity app, broadcasts will be heard nationwide on over 125 terrestrial stations.
Auddia Inc announces a partnership with Sounds Profitable, a podcasting research and advocacy firm. Auddia CEO Michael Lawless states, “We’re delighted to kick off this partnership. While we were developing our latest AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies aimed at podcasting audio, it became clear that the opportunities to integrate this tech into other platforms outweighed the benefits of simply launching the feature in a beta trial within the faidr app. We are prioritizing this new integration initiative, and partners like Sounds Profitable are going to be key to its success.”
The presidential race and RFK Jr’s considering Aaron Rodgers or Jesse Ventura as VP; the U.S. House to vote on a ban on TikTok; the U.S. migrant crisis; special counsel Robert Hur’s testimony in President Joe Biden’s classified documents case; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; Republican U.S. Rep. Ken Buck to exit House next week; the Israel-Hamas war; the Russia-Ukraine war and the Pentagon to give Ukraine $300 million in weapons; and the unrest in Haiti as gangs control Port-au-Prince were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Rhode Island native and longtime programmer and air personality Ron St. Pierre died on Monday (3/11)
at age 69 after suffering a heart attack. St. Pierre served with WABC, New York during his career but worked much of his career in Rhode Island radio and TV. He programmed talk outlets including WPRO-AM, WHJJ-AM, and sports talk WPRV-AM in Providence and anchored sports on WPRI-TV, Providence. He is a member of both the Rhode Island Radio and Television and the City of Pawtucket Halls of Fame. He is survived by his wife Patti. Read the RINewsToday.com obit here.
The 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards Presented by The Hartford took place live at SXSW in Austin, Texas
last night (3/11). The event was also exclusively video streamed on iHeartRadio’s YouTube channel and broadcast across iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app. Winners were named in 32 categories, including Podcast of the Year, which went to “New Heights.” Entertainer Lilly Singh presented the award to co-hosts Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce, who accepted the honor via video. See the complete list of winners here.
Audacy appoints Judy Lakin general sales manager for its Houston station group that includes sports talk KILT-AM, sports betting KIKK-AM and four music brands. Lakin was most recently president of Vista14 Advertising Agency, where she was on the company’s board, and previously served as
director of sales with Cox Media Group. Audacy Houston VP of sales Alana Lujan comments, “Judy’s extensive experience in talent development, coupled with her recent involvement in business development, multi-media buying and digital innovation, makes her a powerhouse addition to Audacy’s sales leadership team. With her expertise, Judy is poised to make an immediate and substantial impact. Here’s to an exciting journey with someone who will bring so much to the table!” Lakin states, “I am thrilled to join the exceptional leadership team at Audacy. The Houston market’s wide variety of broadcast and digital products makes me eager for what will come. The local sales team’s incredible skills and high energy is a tremendous plus to this opportunity.”
Edison Research just released its charts of the Top 25 Podcasts in the UK for the fourth quarter of 2023 and it’s interesting to note that the only U.S.-produced podcast to make the top 25 was “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which was #1 in the UK as it was in the U.S.
Cumulus Media announces that its subsidiary, Cumulus Media New Holdings Inc (the “Issuer”), is extending the Early Tender Time in its previously-announced Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation (the “Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation”), in which the Issuer offered to exchange any and all of the Issuer’s outstanding 6.750% Senior Secured First-Lien Notes due 2026 (the “Old Notes”) for new 8.750% Senior Secured First-Lien Notes due 2029 (“New Notes”), to be issued by the Issuer, upon the terms of and subject to the conditions set forth in the confidential offering memorandum and consent solicitation statement dated February 27, 2024 (the “Offering Memorandum”). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this press release have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in the Offering Memorandum. The Issuer is extending the previously announced Early Tender Time to 5:00 pm ET on March 18, 2024.
The presidential race; the U.S. House considers a ban on TikTok; the U.S. migrant crisis; special counsel Robert Hur to testify in President Joe Biden’s classified documents case; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles; the Biden administration submits a $7.3 trillion budget; the Israel-Hamas war and Biden’s warning to Israel about invading Rafah; the numerous staff changes at the Republican National Committee; and the controversial photo editing by Kate Middleton were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
The morning drive team of Maxwell Schaeffer and Amy Sweet are out at iHeartMedia’s news/talk WHO-AM, Des Moines after a little more than three years in the role. The duo took over for Van Harden, who retired at the end of 2020. iHeartMedia has made no announcement regarding its plans for the
WHO morning show. Today, Simon Conway – the station’s PM drive host – was part of the on-air team. Amy Sweet posted the following message to Facebook, “Our sincere appreciation goes out to every listener who has tuned in to WHO over the years, making it possible for us to build upon the rich tradition of excellent programming that sets us apart from other stations. We have truly enjoyed connecting with each one of you through various initiatives designed to foster deeper connections within our beloved community. As we move forward into unknown territories, we are filled with anticipation and hope for what lies ahead!”
Audacy releases the results of four surveys conducted between 2021 and 2023 designed to explore the connected car experience with the goal of deciphering what truly captivates drivers. Audacy says audio “emerges as the driving force behind an unforgettable journey.” Two-thirds of drivers listen to AM/FM radio, 20% more than music library streaming. Moreover, 45% of respondents want their next connected car to have voice activation. Driver behaviors have witnessed a significant shift in the last two years, with a 10% increase in accessing audio through the dashboard from 2021 to 2023, while phone usage for
audio experienced a 17% decline. The study identified radio app and voice users as super users who shared common traits and expectations. Audacy notes, “These highly engaged individuals demand seamless transitions for Audio across their home, phone, and car systems… Moreover, they exhibit readiness to spend, particularly in high-budget categories like home improvement and financial services, responding actively to targeted radio ads. For advertisers, crafting personalized ads targeted at these audiences presents an exceptional opportunity to guide listeners through all stages of the purchase funnel.” Other key findings of the study include: 1) Nearly half of radio app users sought information about advertised products online after hearing an ad in the car, compared to 22% of all listeners; 2) 31% of radio app users and 27% of voice users visited the store they heard about, doubling the rate of all listeners; and 3) 27% of radio app users purchased advertised products, more than doubling the rate of all listeners. See the study here.
Las Vegas-based, nationally syndicated talk host Wayne Allyn Root (left) recently visited Mar-a-Lago where he met with former President Donald Trump (right). While there, Root also served as emcee for a U.S. Senate fundraiser. Root, who’s radio show is syndicated by USA Network and hosts programs on Newsmax and Real America’s Voice TV, says he’s interviewed Trump 14 times and asked the former president if that’s a record. Trump replied, “Fourteen interviews, that means I like you. I think you’re very close to #1 Wayne.”
Podcast producer Wondery renews its agreement with audio analytics and research platform Veritonic Wondery head of ad management Alyson Sprague states, “We choose to work with Veritonic based on their industry-leading creative measurement solutions, and their ability to deliver actionable insights at scale through an easy-to-use dashboard and UI. We are thrilled to offer this benefit to our customers, and to support insights-driven decisions around media planning and audio creative.”
Podcast advertising sales firm AdLarge announces today that “HR Besties” joins the company’s podcast portfolio. “HR Besties” is hosted by the three human resources experts who are behind some of social media’s most popular HR accounts. With followings of over 3.7 million on TikTok and Instagram alone, the “HR Besties” are known for sharing their honest yet entertaining experiences and perspectives as well as their hilarious takes on HR nightmares that “may or may not be based on true events.”
The presidential race; President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address and Senator Katie Britt’s rebuttal; former President Donald Trump’s legal battles and the Fani Willis disqualification case; the U.S. migrant crisis; Pope Francis takes heat for implying Ukraine should negotiate end to Russian hostilities; the Israel-Hamas war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza; the unrest in Haiti as gangs take over Port-au-Prince; and Sunday night’s Oscar awards ceremony were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.
Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc releases its latest annual MIW Gender Analysis Study (based on raw data collected by PrecisionTrak in 2023) that compiles and analyzes the number of women in radio broadcasting who are rising to the ranks of management – general manager, sales manager, and program director/brand manager. For the general manager position, 22.17% (2,356
stations) had women holding the position in 2023 (+2% over 2022). In 2004, females represented 14.9% of GMs. In the top 100 markets, 23.96% (828 stations) were managed by women (+1% over 2022). Overall, the best management opportunities for women in radio continues to be in sales management as 34.37% (3,476 stations) had a woman sales manager in 2023 (basically flat from 2022). MIW calls program directors/brand managers “the greatest challenge for women in radio management” as women currently program 11.50% (1,173 stations) – basically flat from 2022. In the top 100 markets, female programmers now represent just 10.14% of the total number of PDs, which is another drop of over 3% from 2022. MIW Board president Ruth Presslaff says, “Navigating today’s landscape poses unique challenges for both the industry at large and women in particular. Our commitment to fostering change remains unwavering. Through MIW’s array of mentoring initiatives, we not only recognize but also amplify the voices of women. We are beyond grateful to the companies and individuals who champion our mission. As we press forward, we eagerly anticipate seizing new opportunities to empower even more women in the year ahead.”
The 13th annual edition of World Radio Day (WRD) celebrated this past February 13 saw a record number of UNESCO Member States joining in the celebrations, with over 150 countries taking part. Particularly of note was the spread of commemorations throughout geographical regions. According to the WRD Secretariat, many broadcasters and radio stations worldwide aired special programs or news segments, and authorities in different countries organized or participated in events, highlighting the continued relevance and importance of radio. As part of WRD this year, UNESCO led an initiative partnering with 14 regional and international broadcasting organizations, urging car manufacturers to keep terrestrial radio receivers in vehicles to preserve information as a public good. (https://www.unesco.org/en/days/world-radio/broadcasters-call). The call was highly successful and broadly taken onboard by international opinion leaders. Engagements, reach and impressions on social media platforms were also huge, with millions of individual and institutional posts attesting to the importance of radio. Authorities at UNESCO tell TALKERS, “From the sheer number of observances of World Radio Day, it is clear it is a major UN day celebrated globally.” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, who served as executive advisor to UNESCO for WRD 2024 states, “This positive news about the effectiveness of this year’s celebration serves as an inspiration to the millions of us around the globe who recognize radio’s first century informing, educating and entertaining with the belief that it will continue to be an iconic and vitally relevant platform for the betterment of society for many years to come.”
Saga Communications CEO, president & director Chris Forgy says the company is moving at a pace to beat its goal of launching online news sites in 16 markets by the end of the year. Forgy made the
comment as part of his Q4 2023 earnings call yesterday (3/7). The company is already operating ClarksvilleNow.com in the Clarksville, Tennessee market and had forecast to have more markets up and running by the end of this year. He says, “As of today, I’m pleased to announce that we have already generated over $1 million in prebooked revenue for 2024, and the year-end timeline has been accelerated to have not 16 but 18 markets online by the end of – not the end of the year – but by the end of quarter two.”
Joe Lindsley, editor of UkrainianFreedomNews.com, is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” For the past two years-plus, he has been broadcasting from the city of Kyiv and other locations in Ukraine where he is covering the war for WGN, Chicago and an array of social media platforms. A broadcaster with a colorful media history, Lindsley is an alumnus of the University of Notre Dame, who began his career at the Weekly Standard magazine, and then had a tumultuous career at FOX News Channel as Roger Ailes’ protege. He was prominently featured as a character portrayed by actor Emory Cohen in the Showtime mini-series titled, “Loudest Voice.” In early 2020, he landed in Ukraine for a speaking gig at a media conference at Ukrainian Catholic University just as the world began shutting down because of Covid. Anticipating a calm and free environment in Ukraine for weathering a pandemic, he chose to stay during the worldwide lockdowns. When Russia invaded, he committed to “staying and reporting every day until victory.” His 10-minute daily reports are heard live every weekday morning on WGN’s Bob Sirott show where they are very well-received for informational thoroughness and insight into the lives of the brave Ukrainian people. Listen to the podcast in its entirety here.
iHeartPodcasts – along with creator and producer Lars Jacobson – announce “Fodor’s Guide to Espionage.” This series is based on the true story of popular travel writer Eugene Fodor who secretly used his profession as a cover to spy for the CIA. Taking place in the 1960s, it is a globetrotting, jet-setting spy series centered around the biggest events of the Cold War that will take listeners on an exotic vacation and high stakes spy mission every week.
Cumulus Media’s Westwood One is presenting 24 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball games from Conference Championship Week. Coverage begins tomorrow (3/9) with the Ohio Valley Conference Championship game, and continues through Selection Sunday, March 17, with broadcasts that day of the Ivy League, the SEC, and the American Athletic Championship games. Westwood One will also broadcast Selection Sunday, which will reveal the 68-team field for both the men’s and the women’s tournaments. Jason Horowitz will host Selection Sunday coverage with PJ Carlesimo and Debbie Antonelli as analysts.
The presidential race was the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address tied with the state of the U.S. economy, followed by the U.S. migrant crisis at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.
Saga Communications reports its operating results for the fourth quarter of 2023 and for the full year of 2023. The company reports Q4 2023 net revenue of $29.1 million, a decline of 3.3% from the same period in 2022. The company adds that political impacted the quarter’s performance as for the quarter Saga had $407 thousand in gross political revenue this year compared to $1.9 million for the same period last year. Without political revenue the company’s gross revenue for the quarter would have increased approximately 1% compared to last year. Saga says net income for Q4 of 2023 was $2.5 million, compared to net income of $4.3 million for the fourth quarter last year. For the full year of 2023, net revenue was $112.8 million, a decline of 1.8% from the full year of 2022. Net income rose year-over-year to $9.5 million in 2023 from $9.2 million in 2022. Saga says its balance sheet reflects $40.2 million in cash and short-term investments as of December 31, 2023, and $30.4 million as of March 4, 2024. It expects to spend approximately $5 million to $5.5 million for capital expenditures during 2024. As previously announced, Saga has entered into an agreement to purchase stations serving the Lafayette, Indiana radio market for $5.3 million. This acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter of 2024. Also announced today is Saga’s paying a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share on March 8, 2024. The aggregate amount of the quarterly dividend will be approximately $1.6 million.
“The Ronnie & TKras Show” heard on afternoon drive on iHeartMedia’s Tampa Bay sports talk WDAE will end on March 27 as hosts Ronnie Lane (left) and Tom Krasniqi (right) are set to begin new roles on the station. Beginning March 28, Krasniqi will continue in PM drive working on a new, yet-to-be-named
program currently in development with executive producer Chris Mathis. Lane will take on a new role as host of the signature Rays pre-game show “The Inside Pitch.” He will also continue his seasonal hosting duties with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers radio network. WDAE program director John Mamola says, “We couldn’t be more excited for Ronnie and Tom as they embark on their new opportunities at WDAE. These programs promise fresh content and compelling, engaging experiences for our listeners. We will continue the legacy of high performance the hosts built as a duo and the voice of Tampa Bay sports fanatics everywhere.”
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr releases a statement supporting the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” which would ban the TikTok app “unless TikTok genuinely divests from its ties to the Communist Party of China.” Carr comments, “TikTok’s own conduct makes clear that it is beholden to the CCP and presents an unacceptable threat to U.S. national security.
Indeed, TikTok has been caught engaging in a pattern of illicit surveillance and making false statements about personnel in Beijing accessing sensitive U.S. user data. These facts were laid bare for the world to see when the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a TikTok oversight hearing last year. And that is why there is now a broad, bipartisan consensus that TikTok cannot continue to operate in the U.S. in its current form. I want to applaud the strong, bipartisan leadership that Members of Congress have shown in advancing this bill, which would definitively resolve the serious national security threats TikTok poses by banning the app or requiring that it genuinely sever ties to the CCP. This is a smart, threat-specific bill that would address a clear and present danger. I hope that this bill will soon become law.”
Teasing the release of its Infinite Dial 2024 research project to be done at Podcast Movement Evolutions on March 28, Edison Research presents some data on X (formerly known as Twitter). At the time of Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter in the fall of 2022, 27% of the total population in the U.S. reported using
Twitter. In the 2024 Infinite Dial, 19% of the total population in the U.S. are using X – a 30% drop. Edison says, “While The Infinite Dial has recorded many incremental changes over its long history, a 30% change in any metric year-over-year is incredibly rare and noteworthy, acknowledging that in 2022 and 2023 the survey referred to the service as ‘Twitter’ and in 2024 it referred to the service as ‘X (formerly known as Twitter).’ Keep in mind this is not a measure of subscribers or Twitter/X accounts, but a measure of people who say they are ‘currently ever’ using the service. In addition to this overall usage drop, Twitter/X saw declines in monthly and weekly usage.”
Condolences to WBEN-AM, Buffalo afternoon drive host Tom Bauerle on the passing of his mother Dorothy, who died on March 6 at age 90. Bauerle had been hosting his program from his mother’s home while he served as her round-the-clock caregiver. Bauerle says his listeners may have been aware that he was working from his mother’s home, but he didn’t make a big deal out of it. He tells TALKERS, “I just very much believe that when practicable it is a child’s duty to take care of their parent instead of putting them in a nursing home, and in my case it was practicable, so I did it.”
iHeartPodcasts and “Countdown With Keith Olbermann,” will produce a live streaming edition of the program this evening after the conclusion of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address. The stream will move on iHeartRadio’s Twitch channel and Keith Olbermann’s YouTube channel.
Sheri Lynch’s “True Weird Stuff” podcast will focus on female subjects in recognition of Women’s History Month. Lynch says, “I’ve spent my whole life struggling to NOT talk about all the weird things that fascinate me and often make other people uncomfortable, such as reincarnation, near-death experiences, aliens, or the idea that reality is a simulation. It’s hard masking so much weird. ‘The True Weird Stuff’ podcast is where I can bring all the quirky, cryptic, creepy, odd and just plain weird together in one place and share them with my listeners.”
Nikki Haley’s suspension of her campaign and the 2024 presidential race; tonight’s State of the Union address; the U.S. migrant crisis; the Alabama embryo-IVF legislation; the Israel-Hamas war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza; the Russia-Ukraine war and the attack on Volodymyr Zelensky’s convoy; the spending package to keep the federal government operating; the bill to ban TikTok in the U.S. gains steam; and Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed is found guilty of involuntary manslaughter were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.