Pending Business: Persistence vs Passion
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
Which is the more important “check the box” trait – persistence or passion?
Is it easier for your air talent to answer that one? Of course, we want passionate on-air talent – those who live for the opportunity to get behind the mic, break it all down for the audience or deliver the critical information that can save lives and calm the fears of an anxious audience.
In a week, for the 22nd time we will remember the events of 9/11. During that historic window of time, I had the privilege of experiencing firsthand the passion that drives great on-air talent to power through the most difficult unknown to stay close to their audience and calm the fears of an audience in shock.
But we must also consider the day-to-day. How about your on-air talent and their producers who compete every day for that exclusive interview that will surely drive audience levels, advertiser results, and maybe a bonus or promotion?
They power through the multiple calls that are not returned, the polite put-off and unkept promises. Especially stinging is when a competitor winds up with the prize.
Persistence or passion? Stop. Right there you must consider the Abraham Lincoln theory of persistence. His mother died when he was nine, he went bankrupt at 27, had a nervous breakdown before he was 30, lost eight elections, finally in 1860 was elected president of the United States and one year later faced the greatest internal conflict in the history of our country – the Civil War.
Let’s go to sales.
Anyone passionate about selling? My number one theory in recruiting sellers from South Florida to San Francisco was and still is, nobody grows up wanting to sell radio advertising. On the other hand, many of us were and still may be passionate about being ON the radio (before or alongside podcasting, YouTube, Rumble, Tik-Tok and Instagram). The passion to perform runs deep through all media, music, theatre, sports, the law, medicine, even business. The passion to sell? Now that is one complicated conversation.
For what it’s worth, here is my theory. It takes both passion and persistence to be great. What attracts any high achiever to a long-term career typically begins with a passion play. A love for the game and the need to achieve. The harder you chase the dream, the more persistence comes into play. The more you learn the ins and outs of refining persistence, the more you will hit your stride in performing.
And there you have it! Touch those three magic “Ps” every day, passion, persistence, performance and the fourth will come your way: Profit!
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.
Patrick – co-owner of Patrick Communications and Legend Communications with husband Larry Patrick – admits to hiding $10 million in business revenue and $9.5 million in personal income. The companies own stations in Cody, Worland, Sheridan, Buffalo and Gillette under the Big Horn brand of networks. The report indicates that Patrick could get up to three years in prison and be fined up to $250,000 when she’s sentenced on December 19. 
across all demographics, while heavy listening (listening more than 8 hours per week) increased year-over-year. Also from the study: 1) The number of Americans listening to podcasts has increased by 45% in the last five years, and more than doubled in the past decade; 2) the jump in listening while in the car (or on public transportation) is noticeable across all age groups. It is now the most popular location to listen to podcasts among consumers 18-34 and 35-49. 
station features Michigan talk personality Justin Barclay in morning drive, followed by Premiere Networks’ daytime lineup of “The Glenn Beck Show,” “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show,” Sean Hannity, and Jesse Kelly, supplemented by “Our American Stories” and some FOX News Radio content. Adell bought the former Radio Disney station in January of 2015 and launched “910 The Superstation” featuring Black talk hosts who were not on the payroll but were given the platform to get their message out. Ultimately, Adell says it wasn’t financially successful. He told the Detroit Metro News, “When you look at it, no one supported it. I couldn’t get the community to support it.”
Dan McDowell and Jake Kemp has its next court date on September 15 for Cumulus’ Renewed Emergency Application for Temporary Restraining Order and Request for Preliminary Injunction. Cumulus is suing the duo for alleging they have violated their non-compete and other clauses in their contracts with the company. The two sides have been ordered to mediation over the matter.
CFRB-AM, Toronto “Newstalk 1010” and as national format director, news & talk programming. Most recently he’s been a principal with RMR Media Strategies. Corus VP Ronnie Stanton comments, “Mike’s knowledge combined with Corus’s commitment to excellence sets the stage for a promising future for the world of talk radio.” The story indicates that Bendixen takes over for Amanda Cupido, who exits the company. 
program designed specifically to support the growth and evolution of women on-the-air. The “Behind The Mic Mentorship” program is a year-long experience exclusively for female personalities that have been in an on-air position for at least three to five years in local or national radio programming and have demonstrated a desire to grow their on-air career. The selected mentee will receive personalized conversations and advice from a wide range of industry professionals including two of radio’s top stars – national radio and television personality and Gracie Award winner Elaina D. Smith of “Nights with Elaina,” and WLTW, New York morning personality Christine Nagy. The mentorship is available to one female on-air personality from any U.S. based music format. 
country WWFN-FM, Florence – now branded “100.5 The Game” – and sports talk WSEA-FM, Myrtle Beach, which re-brands as “100.3 The Game.” WNKT program director Terry Ford says, “‘107.5 The Game’ Columbia, has been keeping the Midlands sports fans informed, engaged, enlightened, entertained, and sometimes enraged for 16 years! Our live and local team of sports specialists interviews coaches, players, and fans, and invites listeners to participate via call, social media, and on-location events. At our core are the teams, coaches, players, and fans of the South Carolina Gamecocks. We are very excited about growing the ‘107.5 The Game’ brand into two markets in South Carolina and making our great content available to almost half of the state.”
It’s time to start planning your holiday strategy.
Mentioning a local street name won’t do it. Constant local references is not LOCAL LIVE, it’s a GOOGLE MAP!
The stations I work with make big money with live endorsement spots delivered by familiar local on-air personalities. Remember them? With most AM/FM broadcast hours now robotic or non-local, your relationship with the listener is precious and can be leveraged… carefully.
the Obama Administration – is also the host of the programs “As I See It” and “Take My Word for It” on sister news/talk WRVA-AM. Collin Gutman hosts “The Gutcheck” on WRNL. Audacy Richmond SVP and market manager Bennett Zier states, “We’re thrilled to introduce ‘The Postgame Gutcheck’ and give Commanders fans a dedicated space to dissect and digest each game this season. Hosted by the dynamic duo of Ambassador Howard Gutman and his son Collin, this show will be a must-listen for anyone seeking in-depth analysis, insider insights and a passionate breakdown of all things Commanders.”
audio solutions, audio sales, and industry AdTech. In his new role, Milano will lead one of Katz’s dedicated digital sales teams and drive Katz’s fast-growing programmatic audio offering, Audiology, the largest programmatic audio marketplace delivering precision data-driven audiences at scale. Milano says, “The timing of my return could not be any better. Digital audio has grown monumentally through industry innovation and programmatic execution becoming more commonplace. Under Scott Porretti’s leadership, Katz’s digital position is well-established and ready to expand. I’m excited to play a role in its current success and new growth.”
Westwood One’s “Dan Bongino Show” and the “Chris Plante Show,” plus Ben Shaprio and FNC’s Guy Benson. KTUC program director Herb Crowe states, “We’re thrilled to unveil ‘Freedom 1400,’ Tucson’s Conservative Talk Station. As we embark on this exciting journey, we’re committed to providing a platform for open dialogues, diverse viewpoints, and robust discussions that matter to our community. With our esteemed lineup of talk show hosts, we’re confident that ‘Freedom 1400’ will become an essential source of information and insight for our listeners.”
plans to sue the Republican National Committee over “their alleged attempt to keep him from participating in Thursday’s debate.” On the program, Elder explained the criteria he has met and why he should be allowed on the debate stage. The AP reports that the RNC qualifications require: polling “at least 1% in three high-quality national polls or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21, and a minimum of 40,000 donors, with 200 in 20 or more states.”
Long before AM radio was the band dominated by spoken-word programming, its early Top-40 stations were catering to the rabid demand for R&B and rock ‘n’ roll from America’s teenagers. Mark Wainwright – former WSYR, Syracuse morning talk host and a veteran radio performer – writes about a big hit record made on this date 59 years ago. He says, “Surprisingly, that iconic summertime feel-good song almost never made it to vinyl.” 
the next big earthquake, ironically, the station lost power numerous times causing continuous off-and-on power situations that impacted the station’s broadcasts. Zwerling says each time the power went out and the generator kicked on – something that happened numerous times – it put stress on the transmitter and the generator. Complicating matters was that the station’s infrastructure – as well as the phone company’s and PG&E’s — is dependent on the internet and that requires consistent power. This puts stations’ abilities to serve at a disadvantage. 
Bulletin: “Linear TV” is no longer the winner.
exclusive offering, Kim Komando shares insider secrets to empower listeners to unlock the full potential of their digital lives, catering to a diverse audience across music and spoken word radio formats. Today, technology is infused into every aspect of our lives. Kim Komando’s daily programs transcend barriers, enhancing the lives of listeners from all backgrounds” Komando adds, “I’m thrilled to join forces with the industry leader, WTOP, to bring invaluable tech insights to their discerning audience.”
in 1979 from the University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism from the prestigious Grady School of Journalism, she worked in the corporate world and met a payroll. She is a wife, mother and a grandmother. She’s stayed at home and juggled children and working priorities. She says there is no glass ceiling and women can have it all, just not at the same time. A life-long learner, she completed her MA in Political Science in 2021 at the University of Georgia’s School of Politics and International Affairs. Her thesis was on women’s electoral success in the GOP. During her formidable broadcasting career in the Peach State, she has pivoted between holding positions on key talk stations and performing stints in politics and the public sector. These include being state director of field offices for Governor Brian Kemp. She’s also worked for Senator David Perdue in senior staff positions. In addition to her daily duties at WDUN, Zoller serves on the Georgia State Board of Education. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison says, “Martha Zoller is a perfect ‘go-to’ guest to discuss the Georgia Trump indictment. She’s an independent Republican and moderate conservative without an ax to grind. I have always found her to be an extremely credible source for political discussion of the hot issues – now with the Trump Georgia story boiling on the front burner, she is a talk show treasure for her industry colleagues.” To arrange an interview or set up a connection with Martha Zoller, contact Victoria Jones at DC Radio Company at 917-865-3991 or 
2022, according to data from Comscore. The platform also saw 24 million total multiplatform views and 27 million total multiplatform minutes. OutKick founder Clay Travis – co-host of the Premiere Networks syndicated talk show “Clay Travis and Buck Sexton” – says, “It’s always great to see OutKick’s strong growth every month. We continue to distribute engaging content on topics that reach beyond sports and add talent to our roster that embrace common sense reporting.”