Free Talk Live Continues Distribution Via GCN
The nationally syndicated talk radio show “Free Talk Live” continues to be distributed by Genesis Communications Network after that company and Westwood One were unable to come to terms on a new satellite distribution deal. FTL founder Ian Freeman says the show continues with GCN via its
ECHO box technology. He says, “GCN’s Adam Miller explains that their ECHO Files can easily be synced with most radio automation systems for easy delay broadcast with no new hardware needed and about fifteen minutes setup time! There is no need to have staff do daily chores like pulling files manually from an FTP or website. Those days are done! For live affiliates GCN has their ECHO Box that comes pre-programmed for the shows the affiliate carries. The ECHO Box can also do delay broadcast. They are sending these out with priority to stations that take the largest number of live hours, but eventually all live affiliates will receive them as dozens more of the very small ECHO Boxes will be coming in early November.” Affiliates with questions can call Adam Miller at 612-695-5982.
October 2023 PPM Data – Information for Nielsen Audio’s October 2023 PPM ratings period (September 14 – October 11) has been released for Portland, Charlotte, San Antonio, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Columbus.
digital revenue growth of 9.1% year-over-year, with digital revenue representing 18.6% of total third quarter revenue. Our continued strong digital revenue growth has moved us to within a few basis points of reaching the bottom end of our goal of digital revenue accounting for 20% to 30% of total revenue, and we remain laser focused on this initiative as a means to diversify our revenue in a cash flow positive manner. Our dedicated sales teams continue to leverage the tremendous audience reach and engagement of our local multi-platform content to attract new advertisers, resulting in a 22% increase in new local business revenue growth for the third quarter. Additionally, the actions we have taken to reduce our cost structure resulted in third quarter operating and corporate expenses decreases of 2.7% and 12.5%, respectively. In summary, we believe our third quarter financial performance demonstrates that our digital transformation and revenue diversification strategies continue to gain momentum and our initiatives focused on lowering operating expenses and reducing debt are positioning Beasley to generate increased and more diversified cash flows in future periods. Looking ahead, as has always been the case for non-election years, we expect fourth quarter revenues to be somewhat impacted by the absence of cyclical political advertising. While we plan to offset some of this expected softness through continued growth in digital and new business, we are hopeful that the overall advertising environment will improve in the fourth quarter and continue to closely monitor the economy.”
programming includes Premiere Networks’ “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” and “The Jesse Kelly Show,” as well as programming from Westwood One. iHeartMedia SVP of programming Jason Carr says, “We’re excited to bring ‘The Patriot’ to Vero Beach with local talk and news from ‘The Brian Mudd Show’ and some of the biggest names in national talk radio. ‘The Patriot’ will super-serve the growing Vero Beach community, with the most up-to-date news, weather and sports updates, including sources like FOX News and the Florida News Network.”
advertising. In 2016 and 2017, direct response represented the vast majority of podcast advertising. From 2018 to 2021, the proportion of podcast ad spend was equally split between brand and direct response.” The post says there are four major implications of the shift to podcast brand advertising: 1) Targeting will become much broader: Wide campaign reach will become the priority with a goal of “being known before you’re needed”; 2) Creative will shift to become more entertaining and emotion based: The objective will be to stir passions and create positive feelings and associations with ads that people find interesting and enjoyable; 3) Brand safety and suitability measurement will become more crucial: Firms like Barometer will become powerful resources to help marketers find the right context for their campaigns with nuanced data; and 4) Measurement will focus on how well campaigns build memories to ensure brands are “easy to mind and easy to find”: Key performance indicators are brand awareness, brand consideration, and brand preference. 
October 2023 PPM Data – Information for the October 2023 ratings period (September 14 – October 11) has been released for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario.
notes due March 31, 2029 that extends the grace period before which a default in payment of interest on the 2029 Notes matures into an Event of Default by 30 days. The grace period for the interest payment under the 2029 Notes Indenture in the amount of approximately $18 million that was due on September 30, 2023, which, as previously disclosed, the Issuer elected to utilize, now ends on November 29, 2023. Additionally, Audacy is using the 30-day grace period under the existing indenture governing its 6.500% senior secured second-lien notes due May 1, 2027 for the interest payment in the amount of approximately $15 million that is due on Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Audacy intends to utilize the 3-business day grace period under the credit agreement, dated as of October 17, 2016, among the Issuer, the guarantors named therein, the lenders named therein and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the lenders and collateral agent for the secured parties thereunder, for interest payments in the aggregate amount of approximately $17 million that are due on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.
Ready to go back to the future?
Audacy’s KMBZ, Kansas City yesterday (10/26) after spending the last month in a rehab program, according to a story in the Kansas City Star. Parks says he’s been addicted to alcohol for much of his adult life but had been sober for three years before an undisclosed family trauma in July led him back to drinking. Wright noticed Parks’ relapse and, fearing for his health, contacted Parks’ brother. Parks credits the resulting intervention with getting him the help he needed. 
In May 2007, I was enjoying the brand-new app called YouTube. Still independently owned, still relatively unknown. Some of the videos pulled millions of viewers, more viewers than enjoyed by ESPN or any cable network. More interesting, the videos with high counts were not made by NBC or ESPN or any traditional video source. High view count videos were being made by people with no experience in traditional media, they were experimenters producing in their basements and bedrooms.
the top sports morning shows in America and has won numerous national industry awards including a Marconi Award. Toucher was a foundational member of the launch of the station in August 2009. Prior to joining the ‘98.5 Sports Hub’ team, he worked at the former legendary rock station, WBCN.” Toucher comments, “I am thrilled to be able to work with my Beasley family over the coming years. I will continue my record of immense competence and brilliance.” Station PD Rick Radzik adds, “Fred has been entertaining ‘Sports Hub’ listeners each morning since 2009 with his compelling viewpoints and opinions on a wide range of topics. We are very pleased that he will continue on with us for years to come.” There’s no mention of morning drive co-host and Toucher’s longtime partner Rich Shertenlieb in the press release and the Boston Globe’s Chad Finn writes about the possibility Shertenlieb will exit the station soon. 
York. The spoken-word winners included: Legendary Radio Station of the Year – all-news KCBS-AM, San Francisco; Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year – Rich Eisen, Westwood One; Best Podcast of the Year – “The Letter,” KSL-FM, Salt Lake City; News/Talk Station of the Year – WTOP-FM, Washington, DC; and Sports Station of the Year – WBZ-FM, Boston.
McBride most recently served with CBS affiliate WUSA-TV, Washington DC where she served as a news and sports anchor. McBride says, “I am excited to join an incredibly talented team at Newsmax and look forward to bringing Americans the stories that matter each morning. It has been my dream to work for network news, and I feel my 17 years of anchoring experience have prepared me for this new role of co-hosting ‘Wake Up America.’ It’s an absolute honor!”
-platform audio with media plans that utilize radio, digital audio and podcasts, working together to reach audiences with unprecedented precision and drive quantifiable outcomes for their brands.” Some of the findings within the guide include: 1) Audio advertising works harder – driving more than two times the attention of TV and social media at more desirable CPMs; 2) Radio and digital audio are stronger together. A multi-platform audio strategy is so powerful that advertisers see 1.5 times the return on ad spend compared to digital-only campaigns; 3) Advertisers are leaving upwards of $6 billion in revenue on the table by not including total audio – a balanced mix of traditional broadcast radio and digital audio – in their media mix, according to a study conducted by Audacy and Neustar. The report also offers actionable tips for producing effective ads under the section titled, “5 Ways the Best Audio Ads Crush the Status Quo.” Here, Audacy says, “Advertising on the #1 reach media — Audio — will get you the most ears. But to keep them, your creative can’t just be good — it needs to be really freaking great.” 
“Martinez & Company” (6:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET), with the early afternoon daypart to be announced. The press release states, TBSN will debut October 30th with LIVE programming every weekday with sports talk radio from 7am to 8pm to start. Additional time slots and weekend programming will be added over the following months. TBSN is available to listeners nationwide online via LIVE365.com and on the ‘Tony Bruno Sports Network’ app for Android and iPhone.” Bruno adds, “I want to thank all of my fans who have followed and supported me through the years. I am grateful to everyone who has encouraged me to return and who still want to hear my daily fun approach to sports and current affairs, which has been my forté for over five decades in broadcasting; this time, I’m bringing friends! I hear over and over again that fans are tired of X’s & O’s sports radio. I plan to bring back exciting, sports talk radio again, with a Florida flair. What better place to launch a new nationwide sports network than in Florida, a true melting pot of fans from all over the nation.”
billion in total local advertising, only a 2.2% increase in local advertising year-over-year.” BIA VP of forecasting & analysis Nicole Ovadia adds, “As expected, 2024 will be driven by political spending, and, even in markets that are not highly contested there will be a large amount of political advertising. Local political advertising will be fueled by the presidential and senate campaigns as well as issue-based advertising. When we look at the forecast without political, we expect only a slight increase in ad spending due to both global and local economic trends that may create more cautious spending.” 
organization. Remote News Service provides radio anchors and reporters for news and traffic content. McVay Media president Mike McVay says, “I was very familiar with RNS and the company 
that president Lesley Lotto has built. I like what they do and what they offer. Given the economic situation that media finds itself in today, the question has become how can we be cost effective without diminishing the quality of the content? Remote News Service is the answer to that question.”