Industry News

Cumulus Launches Mark Levin YouTube Channel

Cumulus Media announces the launch of talk radio host Mark Levin’s official podcast channel on YouTube. Cumulus says, “The Mark Levin YouTube channel provides fans with a new platform to access each day’s podcast with new insights and unique commentary on the day’s top news events and issues from one of America’s pre-eminent constitutional experts and conservative voices.” Also featuring archived content, the official podcast YouTube channel offers Mark Levin Audio Rewind (complete audio of Levin’s Monday through Saturday podcast episodes), Mark’s Take on History – a collection of Levin’s monologues about key moments in American history, Newsmaker Interviews – Levin’s one-on-one sessions with notable figures, America’s Election Coverage – highlights from Levin’s election coverage over the years, and Shorts – Levin’s 59-second take on hot issues. Levin comments, “I am very excited about being on YouTube with my audio content. Having ‘The Mark Levin Show’ on another platform gives me a chance to connect with new listeners and bring fresh content to my longtime followers. I know there are a lot of different ways people find content, and this enables me to share my audio library in a creative way with a whole new audience.”

Industry News

WABC, New York Owner John Catsimatidis Publishes New Book

Billionaire entrepreneur John Catsimatidis, owner and CEO of the Red Apple Group which includes Red Apple Media, WABC Radio, and Red Apple Audio Networks publishes his new book, How Far Do You Want to Go? Lessons from a Common-Sense Billionaire (Matt Holt, 2023), in which he reveals how his instincts and common sense propelled him to massive business success. In the book, Catsimatidis shares his dynamic story, from his beginnings in the grocery business to entering the political arena, including a New York City mayoral campaign. He says, “The American dream doesn’t come with an instruction manual – or even a sign to let you know when you’ve arrived at the finish line. I’m far from finished. Buying WABC and launching Red Apple Media and the Red Apple Audio Networks has been a dream come true. I wrote How Far Do You Want to Go? to help others with an entrepreneurial spirit achieve success.”

Industry News

2023 Black Effect Podcast Festival Scheduled for April 22

Charlamagne Tha God and iHeartMedia announce the 2023 Black Effect Podcast Festival will take place on Saturday, April 22 from 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm ET at Pullman Yards in Atlanta. The festival is designed to “celebrate, uplift and amplify Black voices in the podcast industry.” Charlamagne Tha God will join the festival alongside some of the Black Effect’s most popular personalities for a day full of live podcast tapings and informative discussions aimed at aspiring podcasters in the Black community. The festival will be hosted by Charlamagne Tha God and “Carefully Reckless” host and comedian Jess Hilarious. Charlamagne Tha God says, “In 2023, Black creators are at the forefront of a movement reverberating across today’s cultural landscape, and we’re excited to bring this to life for the community at The Black Effect Podcast Festival in Atlanta this spring. With this festival we want to inspire and uplift new and aspiring podcasters while also showcasing the incredible voices on The Black Effect Podcast Network.”

Industry News

Bendixen and Partners Launch RMR Media Strategies

News and talk radio programming pro Mike Bendixen and industry professionals Rob Farina and Rob Basile are launching RMR Media Strategies, a new full-service agency for creators and brands. The Toronto-based agency says that it is specializing in talent coaching, content strategy and development, and brand partnerships, with the aim of helping high-performing talent and brands reach their potential audience. Bendixen, who served for years as program director for CFRB, Toronto “Newstalk 1010,” says, “We believe that there’s a real need in the market for a specialized agency that can help talent and brands build audiences and reach their full potential.”

Industry News

iHeartMedia Debuts Podcast Brand Safety Tool

iHeartMedia is launching new brand safety technology for podcast advertising powered by Sounder. iHeartMedia says it is the first to go live with Sounder’s AI and Machine Learning (ML) technology, giving brands episode-specific safety assurance, a level of precision previously unavailable in podcast inventory, at scale. Sounder says its technology is the first to help advertisers deem if a podcast episode is brand safe before an ad runs, enabling advertisers to plan and execute campaigns with confidence. iHeartMedia chief data officer Brian Kaminsky says, “Audio had been without a truly operative brand safety tool that gave advertisers the ability to run without risk at a national scale. The process was labor intensive, fragmented, and often failed to deliver the level of protection brands truly needed. We looked at every potential solution in the industry, and Sounder’s technology is far ahead when it comes to brand safety and suitability. This new tool changes the future and opens up endless possibilities. Brands are now able to opt out of content they deem unsafe and inappropriate. Our partnership with Sounder has set a new benchmark for transparency in audio advertising that has been long overdue.”

Industry Views

Pending Business: How Are We Doing?

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

Talkers Magazine - Talk radioHow might we better serve you in the future? How would you rate our service?

These are two common questions you will see on many restaurant info cards as you pay for your meal. After all, the restaurant business is fundamentally based on great food and great service at a reasonable price. Think about this: If either of those two basic components, food (product) and service are missing, you are outta there!

Our radio/audio sales business is based on the same thing: great product and great service at a reasonable price. Yet, why is it you will never find yourself or a manager asking those questions as a part of your regular follow-up or follow-through routine? Oh sure, there is the ever-present pre-sell, “How can we help?” as your advertiser mutters, “lower rates,” under their breath. But seriously, no one above or below your pay grade can process or properly evaluate the answers to the two service questions posed, let alone act intelligently on the response. Could it be we still think our sales and management roles are rooted in show business and if we put on a great show delivering great ratings the advertisers will follow?

Some advertisers will show up, others need to be sold. With Zoom, Teams, programmatic, AI and other initiatives gaining more and more traction, the service improvements in salesmanship is becoming a lost art.

Time to hit the pause button, step back and learn from our friends in one of the oldest business categories on planet earth: hospitality. Let’s learn.

— Ask for feedback as you “serve.” Since my first meeting, my mantra for sellers and sales management was and still is, “How are we doing?” Go back to your winning and losing sales calls. Even managers should review meetings that did or did not move sales and ask, “How can I better serve______?”

— One step at a time. If you could improve just one thing to better serve an advertiser, what would it be? What could it be? Do you even know?

— Do you care? Ouch! Now that is a hard core, in-your-face question. Comfort zones are just so easy to occupy, we rarely push forward.

My real-world experience happened years ago when I asked our advertisers what we could do better to serve them. Many host-read advertisers wanted times sent to them in advance so they could hear the talent in real time. Every one of those advertisers became longterm fans. Do you send your advertisers host-read times in advance? Sometimes, it’s the little improvements that win big dollars when it counts.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com

Industry News

Multiplatform Star Doctor Asa Debuts as Ringside Physician

TALKERS Heavy Hundred radio personality, Dr. Asa Andrew (known as “Doctor Asa”) founder of the Dr. Asa Network and perennial star of the TALKERS annual convention, is fulfilling a lifelong ambition by entering the world of professional wrestling. From his years as assistant strength and conditioning coach of the national championship Florida State Seminoles football team under legendary coach Bobby Bowden, he developed a passion for sports medicine and athletic performance. An athlete himself, Doctor Asa first entered the space of professional wrestling in 2000 being trained by the WCW Power Plant and the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. However, this lasted a short time as life took him into a chance meeting with Dave Ramsey which inspired the launch of his highly successful health talk radio career. But fate has again intervened and Andrew was given a second chance when his old friend WWE Hall of Fame legend “Diamond” Dallas Page challenged him to compete again in the field he worked so hard to enter for years… by getting back in the “squared circle” at age 50. Doctor Asa re-trained this past year with Dusty Rhodes’ son, Cody Rhodes, who is set to go against Roman Reigns for the undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania in Hollywood, California on April 1 and 2.  In signing with Impact Wrestling, one of the top three wrestling promotions in America, Doctor Asa has taken on the role as head of medical and sports performance for the company. His new title? “Doctor Asa, Ringside Physician.” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, an avid fan of wrestling, boxing and MMA, says, “Don’t be surprised if the doctor in scrubs sitting at ringside doesn’t wind up in the midst of the action should things get out of hand.”

Industry News

Boston Globe and NESN Partner for “Boston Globe Today” Show

Boston Globe Media and cable sports channel New England Sports Network (NESN) are partnering for a jointly produced, in-depth news and sports program debuting across multiple platforms in Spring 2023. The half-hour show will air Monday through Friday at 5:00 pm on NESN and will stream on the NESN 360 app, the Globe’s app, and on Globe.com. The two sides say, “‘Boston Globe Today’ will provide an in-depth perspective on stories from the Globe’s newsroom, offering a deeper dive of major news, politics, business, and entertainment stories and how they impact New Englanders.” Boston Globe Media CEO Linda Henry adds, “We are continuously improving the ways that we deliver vital news and information to our community and are excited to build a television show that will bring the Globe’s award-winning journalism to a broader audience. ‘Boston Globe Today’ reflects our commitment to serve our community, invest in local journalism, and for Boston Globe Media to be an innovative news leader.” The program will be hosted by national media personality Segun Oduolowu and will air from a new, state-of-the-art broadcast studio in The Boston Globe’s downtown newsroom. It will focus on news Monday through Thursday and devote Friday to sports. On Friday, Globe sports columnist Christopher Gasper will anchor.  Oduolowu comments, “I’m thrilled to join the ‘Boston Globe Today’ team, working on this exciting collaboration between the Globe and NESN. I look forward to diving into the stories affecting this historic city and New England at large, drawing on the considerable talents of the Globe newsroom.”

Industry News

Pioneering Media Figure Patricia B. Greenwald Passes at 92

TALKERS has been informed by the family of Patricia B. Greenwald that she died peacefully on February 3 at 92. A pioneer in market research, she had a successful career spanning 50 years with America’s top advertising agencies, including Interpublic Group and DMB&B, as well as founding her own firm. Following her career in advertising, she co-founded and co-owned Daynet Radio Broadcasting in the early 1990s with the late Barry Farber and Alan Colmes. Daynet was one of the early independent networks established in the modern era of talk radio that had a significant influence on the business models of many syndication firms that followed it. Its initial talent roster included Farber, Colmes, Dr. Joy Browne and several other high-profile figures. Greenwald was also a theater producer on and off-Broadway, and owned theaters in New York and London. She was a member of the Lotos Club, Harmonie Club and the Friar’s Club, where she co-founded the “Gift of Laughter” philanthropy for wounded warriors. She was predeceased by her former husband James L. Greenwald, chairman emeritus of Katz Media Group. A memorial service is being planned. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the ASPCA.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories for Week of February 20-24

President Joe Biden’s trip to Europe and his surprise journey to Ukraine was the most-talked-about story in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s threats against the West and his exiting the nuclear arms treaty, followed by the strained relations between the U.S. and China over China’s spy program and its growing alliance with Russia at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Industry News

“98.5 The Sports Hub” Host Tony Massarotti Serving Suspension

WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” afternoon drive co-host Tony Massarotti is off the air this week serving a suspension for his racially insensitive comments made on last Friday’s program. As TALKERS reported on Tuesday (2/21), Massarotti – who co-hosts the show with Mike Felger – on Monday (2/20) apologized for his comments. You can see TALKERS coverage of that here.

Industry News

Edison Research Releases Black Podcast Listener Report 2.0

According to the Black Podcast Listener Report 2.0 from Edison Research with SXM Media and Mindshare USA, 43% of the Black 18+ population in the U.S. has listened to a podcast in the last month. Edison says that percentage is larger than the percentage of the overall 18+ population that reports listening to a podcast in the last month, which is 38%. Other findings of note from the study include: 1) Black women podcast listeners are more likely to be monthly listeners and Black men podcast listeners are more likely to be weekly listeners: Among Black monthly podcast listeners, 55% are women, but among Black weekly podcast listeners 52% are men; 2) Many Black monthly podcast listeners have begun listening to podcasts recently: 48% have been listening to podcasts less than a year; 27% have been listening less than six months; 3) 34% of Black monthly podcast listeners have stopped listening to a podcast they used to listen to regularly, but creators can address some of the reasons why: 24% of those who stopped listening said it was because the show stopped producing new episodes, 20% said they forgot about the show between seasons, 12% said the host offended them; and 4) Black weekly podcast listeners are more likely to engage with podcast advertisers than the overall U.S. weekly podcast listener: After hearing an ad on a podcast they regularly listen to, 61% of Black weekly podcast listeners (compared with 49% of U.S. weekly podcast listeners) recommended a product to a friend or family member; 68% of Black weekly podcast listeners (compared with 63% of U.S. weekly podcast listeners) gathered more information about a company or product; 52% of Black weekly podcast listeners (compared with 44% of U.S. weekly podcast listeners) purchased a product or service. Find out more about the report here.

Industry News

AWM/F Announces 2023 Board and Officers

The Alliance for Women in Media and its Foundation announce the 2023 National Board of Directors and Officers. AMW/F president Becky Brooks says, “The role of the AWM and Foundation boards is to lead our organizations and industry as we recognize, connect and educate women in all facets of media. With our mission to advance all women in media, it is as vital as ever to have insightful, diverse leadership.  This year’s directors are dedicated to investing their time and resources to guide us and foster growth for AWM and each of our programs.” The officer roles are: Annie Howell, chair, chief communications officer, Hallmark Media; Katina Arnold, incoming/vice chair, vice president, communications, ESPN; Heather Cohen, immediate past chair, EVP, The Weiss Agency; Brenda Hetrick, treasurer, president, Matrix Solutions; and Monica Bloom, treasurer-elect, VP of marketing for First Look Media. New directors serving on the board are: Cori Abraham, SVP, Entertainment Unscripted Development, Crime and Documentary Development, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming; Jayne Bussman-Wise, creator acquisition & growth, Amazon AMP; and Chesley Maddox-Dorsey, CEO, American Urban Radio Networks. The following leaders will continue serving on the AWM Foundation Board of Directors: Tim Clarke, SVP, digital audio content, Audacy; Vicki Lins, president and CEO, CTAM; Mike McVay, president, McVay Media; Deborah Parenti, publisher, Radio Ink, RBR, and TVBR; Josie Thomas, former EVP, chief diversity and inclusion officer, CBS (Retired); and Christine Travaglini, president, Katz Radio Group.

Industry News

KBLA, Los Angeles Talk Host Areva Martin Wins Anthem Award

Areva Martin – host of the afternoon drive “Areva Martin in Real Time” on KBLA, Los Angeles – is honored with the Silver Award in the 2nd Annual Anthem Awards for her podcast “The Special Report – Spotlighting Racial Disparities and Social Inequities in America” in the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Social Media Content, Campaign or Channel category. The Anthem Awards were launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards to recognize social impact work across the globe. A noted civil rights attorney, Martin is also president and CEO of Special Needs Network, Inc, a nonprofit organization that responds to the crisis of autism and other developmental disabilities in underserved communities. She says, “Giving birth should be safe and joyous for everyone, but Black women are more than three times likely to die from childbirth than white women. We are thrilled to have our episode on ‘Black Maternal Health’ win Silver in competition of the 2nd Annual Anthem Awards. ‘The Special Report’ production team has spent countless hours producing powerful programming that spotlights social injustice in America to encourage social and systemic change. Every day at the Special Needs Network in Los Angeles, we live the values of diversity, equity and inclusion. This award recognizes our work.”

Industry News

Curtis Sliwa Promises GOP Will Take on AOC and Caban

77 WABC Radio talk host – and New York City Republican operative – Curtis Sliwa is quoted in the New York Post saying the Republicans will field candidates to challenge U.S. Rep Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Queens councilwoman Tiffany Caban in the next elections. Sliwa tells the Post, “We’re going into the belly of the beast of the Democratic Socialists of America in New York City. We’re going to take on AOC and Caban. This is Concord and Lexington. We’re talking to regular people in Astoria. They don’t support defunding the police and defunding the jails.” Sliwa hosts the daily “Rip ‘n’ Read with Curtis Sliwa” show that airs from 12:15 pm to 1:00 pm on Red Apple Media’s WABC-AM and WLIR-FM. Read the Post story here.

Industry News

Curt Schilling Joins Outkick for Baseball Show

Former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling is joining Clay Travis’ OutKick to host a twice-weekly baseball video podcast that will debut on Friday (2/24). Outkick says “The Curt Schilling Baseball Show” will feature Schilling’s vast baseball knowledge, expert analysis, and unvarnished opinions on the most-talked-about issues and stories in the game. Clay Travis comments, “Curt Schilling is one of the best baseball analysts in the country. His hall-of-fame career and love for the game are evident to anyone who has ever followed him. OutKick is and will always be the strongest proponent for smart, original, funny and authentic voices in all of sports. He’s a perfect fit for the brand and I’m thrilled to welcome him to our team.” Outkick also reports that its January 2023 digital performance, where the platform saw 311% growth year-over-year in unique visitors, marked the most growth over 2021 among its competitive set. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the platform attracted 9.1 million multi-platform average unique visitors, up 235% from the fourth quarter of the prior year, according to Comscore.

Industry News

SiriusXM Names Gail Berger SVP/GM of Automotive Partnerships

SiriusXM promotes Gail Berger to SVP and general manager of automotive partnerships, taking over for the retiring Rodney Pickett. SiriusXM chief commercial officer Joe Verbrugge says, “Gail is a proven leader with extensive relationships and experience in the automotive community and whose programs have delivered significant, positive results for our organization. We are excited for Gail to lead our automotive teams and to continue to drive growth of SiriusXM’s dominant in-car presence.” Berger comments, “SiriusXM’s strong and deep relationships with every major automaker and tens of thousands of dealers and remarketing organizations across the United States are a testament to our team’s talent and capability. I am excited to step into this leadership position and continue to grow our business and deliver the best customer experiences in the vehicle.”

Industry News

Scotto and Smulyan to Present at BFoA’s Golden Mike Gala

The Broadcasters Foundation of America announces that Rosanna Scotto, co-host of WNYW-TV, New York “FOX 5,” will honor this year’s Golden Mike Award recipient, Jack Abernethy, CEO of FOX Television Stations, and Jeff Smulyan, founder, CEO and chairman of Emmis Corporation, will pay tribute to the 2023 Edward F. McLaughlin Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Richard E. Wiley. BFoA chairman ScottBroadcasters Foundation of America - Broadcasting Herman says, “We’re delighted to have such prestigious presenters at this year’s Golden Mike Award dinner. We’re looking forward to Rosanna and Jeff’s contributions to our program and thank them for lending us their time and talent, as broadcasters come together to honor Jack and Dick.” BFoA president Tim McCarthy adds, “The Golden Mike Award gala is one of our biggest fundraisers. We’ve seen an incredible uptick in requests for aid, and we thank everyone who has bought a table or ticket. The funds allow the Foundation to continue providing aid to hard-working individuals in our industry who have fallen on very challenging times due to illness or disaster.” For more information or to reserve a seat or table at the Golden Mike Award gala and fundraiser, please contact the Broadcasters Foundation at 212-373-8250 or info@thebfoa.org.

Industry News

Beasley Launches Cooper and Anthony Show in Three Markets

Beasley Media Group is producing a new program hosted by developmental psychologist Dr. Cooper Lawrence and radio personality Anthony Michaels that will air in evenings (7:00 pm to 12:00 midnight) on WRXK-FM, Fort Myers; WPBB-FM, Tampa; and KXTE-FM, Las Vegas. Beasley says that “Cooper and Anthony” is a “new conversational talk show, geared towards men, that will focus on sex, relationships and advice!” The duo has worked together since 2006, including a formerly syndicated radio show and a podcast. Beasley Media Group chief content officer Justin Chase says, “As someone who grew up listening to fun and edgy night shows like ‘Loveline’ and others, I’m very excited to launch the ‘Cooper & Anthony’ show on three of our great rock brands. They will most certainly make radio a lot more interesting at night in Fort Myers, Tampa and Vegas.” Cooper states, “This is the show I got into radio to do. I’ve been waiting for the right team with the same vision. We found it with the amazing folks at Beasley. Anthony and I can’t wait to share this show with our listening family, because it’s all about them!”

Industry News

Boston Sports Talker Tony Massarotti Apologizes for Racist Joke

Tony Massarotti – one half of the afternoon drive duo of “Felger and Mazz” on Beasley Media Group’s WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” – apologized yesterday (2/20) for the racially “insensitive” and “hurtful” comments he made on Friday’s program. The Boston Herald reports that Massarotti’s co-host Mike Felger was broadcasting remotely from a business center in a New Orleans hotel in which two Black people were sitting behind him. Referencing a previous trip to New Orleans in which Felger’s vehicle was stolen, Massarotti asked Felger if the two could hear him and when Felger replied that they couldn’t, he said, “OK, so I would be careful if I were you because the last time you were around a couple of guys like that, they stole your car.” During his apology on Monday, Massarotti said he gets why the joke, intended to be poking fun at Felger, was wrong. “It didn’t come off that way. It came off as something far broader and ignorant, and I’m regretful of that… I sincerely apologize, and I will do my best to make sure it never happens again.”Read the story in the Boston Herald.

Industry News

Rita Cosby Joins WABC, New York PM Drive Hour

Red Apple Media says station personality Rita Cosby is joining owner John Catsimatidis for the daily 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm hour on 77 WABC Radio that is now called “Cats & Cosby.” Cosby, who hosts her eponymous show on WABC and the Red Apple Media Network from 10:00 pm to 12:00 midnight, will also occasionally join Catsimatidis on his nationally syndicated Sunday morning program, “The Cats Roundtable.” Catsimatidis says, “I’ve known Rita Cosby for many years and have always deeply admired her incredible journalistic skills. She knows how to ask the right questions so that we can find and reveal the truth on every story. She’s a tremendous broadcaster and I’m delighted she is joining me.” Cosby comments, “I’m beyond thrilled to be working with iconic John Catsimatidis, one of the most accomplished and dynamic business leaders in America. This fast-paced show will look at all sides of the stories that have great impact on New Yorkers, our country, and the world. It’s a journalist’s dream to join John and his great team.”

Industry News

Edison: SXM Podcast Network Tops Based on Reach

Edison Research’s latest ranking of the Top Podcast Networks in the U.S. based on total network reach for Q3-Q4 2022 among weekly podcast listeners age 13+ is released and SiriusXM Podcast Network (formerly SXM Media), Spotify, and iHeartRadio take the top three spots, respectively. This ranker – measuring reach as a percentage of the weekly podcasting audience – is based on total audience reach from Edison Podcast Metrics, and Edison says the Q3-Q4 ranker includes increased sample size implemented last year and is based on surveys of 10,579 weekly podcast listeners age 13+. The rest of the top 10 are: 4) Wondery/Audible/Amazon Music, 5) Audioboom, 6) The New York Times, 7) NPR, 8)Audacy, 9) Acast Creator Network, and 10) Cumulus Podcast Network.

Industry News

Beasley Sports Talkers Partner with Soccer Clubs

Beasley Media Group sports talk stations announce partnerships with Major League Soccer clubs. First, WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” and the New England Revolution extend their partnership to make “98.5 The Sports Hub” the flagship home of the Revolution for years to come. Longtime Revolution play-by-play voice Brad Feldman returns to the call alongside former Revolution and U.S. Men’s National Team forward Charlie Davies. Additionally, “98.5 The Sports Hub” will introduce “The Soccer Show” – a weekly one-hour program to air on Saturday mornings from 6:00 am to – 7:00 am. In Philadelphia, Beasley’s WPEN-FM “97.5 The Fanatic” announces a new partnership with the Philadelphia Union to serve as the club’s official radio broadcast partner. Primary hosts of Union match broadcasts will be Dave Leno and Sheanon Williams.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Being Realistic About Podcast Revenue

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

It looks like the podcast business is hitting those ever-present speedbumps.

No, I am not predicting a demise. I’m just asking why there weren’t a few more hardball questions.

If you sell or manage with eyes wide open, you’ve already read what the February 15 New York Times article chronicled. The cutbacks, drops, and hiring freezes hitting the double-digit-growth podcast business has some in the radio business saying, “Told ya so.”

Who has the chutzpah to say that to Tom Brady and Michael Strahan of Religion of Sports, or Michelle Obama of “The Michelle Obama Podcast?” When your bank account is on fumes, you speak the economic truth. The formula of star power driving unique audio content didn’t instantly convert to super-sized audience levels attracting super-sized revenue. What did VOX, Spotify, Amazon, NPR and other well-respected players miss?

— Never assume, (because assuming…) An out-of-the-box assumption listeners would pay for content to create a separate income stream, didn’t really take. Even the most aggressive marketer would think twice before assuming that listeners generating millions of downloads of free podcasts would suddenly pay to listen. Maybe a select few passionate followers would, but could you change the historic perceived value of the masses? When it comes to paywalls for play, be sure to test, adjust, and re-test before you project income.

— Ad sales sell out levels. A typical podcast has about a quarter of the inventory available in a typical hour of most news/talk and sports talk programs. Yet despite podcasts with limited inventory and higher CPM for host-read ads inside the podcasts, the projections from those well-respected companies tanked. The reason is elegantly simple. Too much podcast inventory chasing too few dollars.

— It’s the economy, stupid. Thank you, political strategist James Carville. The story goes the phrase was on a sign in Bill Clinton’s campaign headquarters and helped Clinton beat Geroge Bush in 1992. Did any of the gurus consider the economy?

— Who would have thought print newspaper sales have something in common with podcasts? Did anyone consider the impact of endless ad inventory becoming a commodity despite celebrity content? Never easy to predict which celebs will convert from the big screen or TV to podcast audio.

I had the privilege of producing cast members of Discovery’s “American Chopper” in a 39-episode podcast series. Even those crazy motorcycle dudes were challenged bringing their millions of TV and online fans to the podcast world. Hindsight is 20/20. Let’s never stop learning so we can always aim for higher earnings.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com

Industry News

Cumulus Bloomington Raises $101,705 for St. Jude’s

Pictured below are staffers from Cumulus Media Bloomington, Illinois’ showing the final tally of the 15th Annual Radiothon for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that raised $101,705. The company’s three stations – news/talk WJBC-AM and its music-formatted sisters – produced the two-day fundraising event on Thursday and Friday (2/9-10).

Cumulus Bloomington promotions director and event planner Dana Bell says, “Year after year, our listeners and sponsors show an unbelievable amount of support for the kids of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. We thank them for their generosity as they join with us to make a difference in the lives of children and families fighting cancer and other life-threatening diseases. There are so many families in our community who directly benefit from what these Partners in Hope do when they donate money, and it’s great to see our community come together for such an important cause.”