TALKERS News Notes
WBEN/Buffalo Adds the Armstrong & Getty Show. The Armstrong & Getty Show has added yet another major market – WBEN, Buffalo. The Audacy-owned outlet is one of the most respected news/talk radio stations in the country having won numerous state, regional, and national awards for its news reporting. It is also one of the country’s heritage stations, tracing its beginning to 1922. WBEN operations director/Audacy news talk format VP Tim Wenger tells TALKERS, “We’re thrilled to have Armstrong & Getty as part of the evening lineup at WBEN. Their entertaining approach to current events and politics is a refreshing way to cap off the daylong programming on the station.” In a joint statement, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty (pictured above left) say, “We’re excited to join the list of great radio voices that have been part of Buffalo and WBEN. Now, more than ever, it’s important that folks get a perspective from outside the mainstream media. We’re here to be that honest voice.” For more information about The Armstrong & Getty Show, contact Eric Weiss at The Weiss Agency: Eric@TheWeissAgency.com or Craig Whetstine at craig@armstrongandgetty.com.
PodcastOne Obtains Rights. LiveOne subsidiary PodcastOne obtains exclusive network distribution/advertising sales rights to “Some More News” and its Cody Johnston & Katy Stoll-hosted spinoff podcast, “Even More News.” PodcastOne president Kit Gray notes, “With ‘Some More News’ and ‘Even More News,’ Cody and Katy host two intelligent, insightful and incredibly funny vodcasts. Their engaged audiences pair well with our existing programming. As we enter into a never-ending cycle of election year news, we’re looking forward to Cody’s and Katy’s comedic take on what promises to be an endless flood of attention-grabbing headlines. We couldn’t be more thrilled to work with this team to grow their shows and their advertiser audience.”
Portnoy Joins ABC News Radio. Here just yesterday (TALKERS, Tuesday, 7/11), it was reported that, “Following an eight-and-a half-year run with CBS News Radio, White House correspondent Steven Portnoy is exiting CBS News ‘for a new opportunity.’ It didn’t take long to learn where he’s landing as ABC Audio vice president Liz Alesse today notes Portnoy is national correspondent for ABC News Radio. In a memo, she writes, “Steven has earned his reputation as an insightful, straightforward journalist with over two decades of reporting on politics and breaking news. His work has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards. As we embark on another pivotal presidential election season, ABC News Radio is committed to upholding those high ideals; Steven’s integrity and tenacity as a journalist will help us achieve that mission.” It is a homecoming for Portnoy who joined ABC News in 2002 as an intern for the White House unit of “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings.” In 2006, he was named Washington correspondent for ABC News Radio, providing coverage of the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and the 2011 death of Osama bin Laden. Portnoy extensively reported on the recent prisoner swap that led to the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russia.
WSJ: Audacy Initiating Debt Restructuring Discussions. Per a Wall Street Journal report, Audacy is about to initiate discussions with creditors regarding a restructuring of the company’s $1.9 billion of debt. Lawyers representing two different groups of creditors have reportedly signed nondisclosure agreements. The report states that one group of senior lenders has hired one law firm, while another group of second lien bondholders has employed another entity to represent them in confidential negotiations. Audacy executed a thirty-for-one reverse stock split at the end of June to initiate compliance with the New York Stock Exchange.
Alpha Portland Change. Alpha Media Portland (Oregon) content director Keith Abrams exits as his position has been eliminated. The Alpha Media Portland cluster includes news/talk KXL “FM 101 News”; sports talk KXTG “750 The Game”; and news/talk KUFO “Freedom 970.”
Bannister Joins WONE. Starting next Monday (7/17), Marty Bannister will begin hosting a daily 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm show on iHeartMedia Dayton sports talk WONE “Fox Sports 980.” Bannister does play-by-play of Ohio University men’s and women’s basketball for ESPN3 and high school sports for Spectrum. He previously worked in Columbus as an update anchor for sports talk WBNS-FM “97.1 The Fan.”
TN HOF Banquet To Honor Legacy Class. The Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame awards ceremony and banquet later this month (7/29) in Columbia, Tennessee is a sell-out. The “Legacy Class of 2023” includes: Phil Valentine (Nashville); Sam Phillips (Memphis); E.G. Blackman (Nashville); Johnny Eagle (Chattanooga); Art Gilliam (Memphis); Al “Adams” Johnson (Knoxville); Devon O’Day (Nashville) and Dick Ellis (Tri-Cities). Joining the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame’s board of directors for a two-year term is Jeff Jarnigan from Cumulus Media Knoxville. In addition, Melissa McDonald returns to the board.
Las Vegas Abuzz Over Raiders and Jimmy Garoppolo. Nationally syndicated, Las Vegas-based TALKERS Heavy Hundred host Dr. Daliah Wachs of the Genesis Communications Network met and received a jersey signed by the new Las Vegas Raider‘s quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The two are pictured (right) at an NFL “Salute To Service” event at Nellis Air Force Base. Wachs tells TALKERS, “The region is hopeful that Garoppolo will add that winning spark to the team if only he stays healthy.”
Nashville Public Radio, which includes WPLN “News 90.3” (and triple A WNXP), appoints Robert Sanchez as its chief operating officer. Nashville Public Radio president/chief executive officer Steve Swenson comments, “Rob brings a wealth of experience and expertise to help us as we continue our rapid growth to expand our public service to Nashville and Middle Tennessee. His extensive background in both news and music programming is unique in our industry.” Sanchez notes, “I’m grateful to Steve Swenson and the board of directors for entrusting me to help lead the many digital and audio services Nashville Public Radio offers. I’m invigorated to join an organization that functions at such a high level of public service and community engagement.” For the past five years, Sanchez was vice president of news for iHeartMedia Boston news -news/talk hybrid WBZ-AM and iHM’s northeast regional news director. He previously was director/news and programming for Washington, DC’s WNEW-FM “All News 99.1”; assistant news director of New York all-news WCBS-AM; and programming/operations manager for Los Angeles’ KBLA “1580 Talk Radio.” Among persons 6+ in Nielsen Audio’s May 2023 survey period, WPLN ranks #14 and is trending 2.8 – 2.9 – 3.3 (March – April – May, 6+).
Former Spotify director of global podcast sales David Cohn joins Cumulus Media’s Westwood One as senior vice president of sales & digital partnerships. Cohn will oversee digital sales for Westwood One nationwide, focusing on growing brand partnerships across podcasting. In addition, he will have responsibility for the New York and Atlanta sales teams. Based in New York, Cohn will report to Westwood One president of sales Brandon Berman, who comments, “David is an accomplished sales leader with an exceptional command of the digital landscape. With his proven client-focused, multi-platform sales success, he is positioned to make an immediate impact on our business.” Cohn adds, “I’m super excited to join Westwood One. The opportunity to expand our digital footprint with the company’s amazing podcast and streaming assets was a natural draw for me. I’m excited to dig into the integrated advertising opportunities available in the red-hot audio space.” Prior to Spotify, Cohn held positions with Megaphone, Warner Media, Ziff Davis, and the WWE.
The first episode of the weekly true crime podcast “The Girlfriends” aired yesterday (Monday, 7/10). It’s a collaboration among iHeartPodcasts; Novel; and NO MORE, a global nonprofit dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence. NO MORE chief executive officer Pamela Zaballa states, “We are proud to partner with iHeartPodcasts and Novel to raise awareness of domestic violence and help survivors find the support they need. At NO MORE, we strongly believe that media and entertainment can play an important role in changing the culture that has allowed the epidemic of domestic violence to persist. We’re grateful to iHeartPodcasts and Novel for using this powerful story to help fuel real and lasting change.” Distributed by iHeartPodcasts, “The Girlfriends” tells the true story of a group of women who formed a club to put a murderous ex-boyfriend behind bars. The podcast illuminates ways women unite to protect each other when systems of justice fail them.
Coinciding with the Independent Broadcasters Foundation’s fourth anniversary are new enhancements (including a redesigned website which unveils today) and policies. To more effectively focus on members’ needs, the IBA implements a cap of 300 company members, with no limit on number of stations under a company. According to IBA president/executive director Ron Stone, “These improvements allow the IBA to grow into the best possible organization representing independent radio stations. Future members will have market exclusivity to IBA membership. All current members that share a market will be grandfathered in and are not affected by this change. A group is considered one company. Once we reach the 300-mark, membership will be closed. New members will only be received if the number of member companies drops below 300.” National cash contests will now include text-to-win capability and Stone states, “Participating member stations have experienced as much as 30X ROI from [those contests].” Only IBA member stations can participate in the September National Cash Contest; the deadline for stations and groups to register is in less than three weeks (7/31). An IBA member may be a single station or a group of stations, as long as the company is not traded on a public market.
officer Jessica Cordova Kramer opines that, “When you think of making life suck less, you think [of] chef José Andrés. He and the JAM team work tirelessly to make the world a better place; we are so grateful to get to be a small part of their work by serving as partners to JAM for these two shows.” José Andrés Group president Sam Bakhshandehpour proclaims that, “Working with Lemonada Media is an exciting new chapter in the evolution of José Andrés Media. Joining their dynamic network will allow ‘Longer Tables’ and ‘Pressure Cooker’ to reach new audiences, sharing powerful stories that explore the many ways that food connects us all.” Introduced last year, Andrés’ “Longer Tables” engages with eminent figures across various fields. Previous guests have included Anderson Cooper; Secretary of State Antony Blinken; actress Eva Longoria; primatologist Jane Goodall; and French chef Eric Ripert. Meanwhile, “Pressure Cooker” is hosted by food journalists Jane Black and Elizabeth Dunn. It explains challenges of feeding families in our age of anxiety. Lemonada Media’s roster includes “Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus”; “Choice Words with Samantha Bee”; “Funny Cuz It’s True with Elyse Myers”; and Gracie award-winner “Last Day.”
Simulcasting on 98.7 HD-2, iHeartMedia Washington, DC launches “Freedom 104.7 – DC’s Real News. Real Talk.” Senior vice president of programming Jeff Kapugi states, “We are excited to welcome a number of best-in-class personalities to ‘Freedom 104.7.’ We are confident [the station] will quickly become a favorite destination for DMV talk radio listeners.” Premiere Networks executive vice president of affiliate sales Peter Tripi adds, “We’re thrilled to have our industry-leading talk lineup join ‘Freedom 104.7 & 98.7 HD-2.’ These stellar talents will provide entertaining, unique and insightful views on the latest news, politics and events that Washington, DC listeners are looking for.” The station’s weekday lineup includes: “America’s First News” (6:00 am – 9:00 am); Glenn Beck (9:00 am – 12:00 noon); Clay Travis & Buck Sexton (12:00 noon – 3:00 pm); Sean Hannity (3:00 pm – 6:00 pm); Jesse Kelly (6:00 pm – 9:00 pm); “Our American Stories” (9:00 pm – 12:00 midnight); “Coast to Coast Early Edition” (12:00 midnight – 1:00 am); and “Coast to Coast AM with George Noory” (1:00 am – 6:00 am). Approximately six months ago (1/5), WWDC-HD2 and 104.7 translator station W284CQ became “iHeart Sports DC”; it was not listed in Nielsen Audio’s May 2023 sweep. Among persons 6+ in that ratings period, American University public radio news/talk WAMU ranks first (11.4); Hubbard all-news WTOP & WTLP “Washington’s Top News” is second (8.0); Cumulus Media news/talk WMAL “105.9 FM – Where Washington Comes To Talk” finishes seventh (4.7); and Audacy business news WDCH “Bloomberg 99.1 FM” ranks #22 (.5).
After a 22-year run with CBS News Radio, vice president/general manager Craig Swagler will leave the company this Friday (7/14). In an internal memo sent to employees this past Friday (7/7), Swagler stated that he intends to relocate to the Baltimore area to be closer to family. “As such, I have made the hard decision to step away from my role at CBS News Radio. I am incredibly thankful for my time here and all the amazing people I have had the honor to work with at CBS News. There are far too many individuals to name, but I know you all have made the last 22 years one of the most fulfilling parts of my professional journey.” Prior to being elevated to CBS News Radio’s VP/GM, Swagler was a desk assistant; production coordinator; and special events producer. He previously worked at “Saturday Night Live,” ABC Sports, and The MSG Channel.
Accusing social media giant Meta of pilfering former Twitter employees to create a “copycat” application, Twitter is threatening legal action against Meta over “Threads,” Meta’s text-based “Twitter killer” platform. In a letter addressed to Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter lawyer Alex Spiro argues that Meta used Twitter’s trade secrets and intellectual property to build Threads. Flatly dismissing Spiro’s letter, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone states on Threads, “No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee – that’s just not a thing.” Heretofore silent on the launch of Threads, Twitter executive chair/chief technical officer Elon Musk late last week backed Spiro’s claims stating, “Competition is fine – cheating is not.” In addition, Twitter chief executive officer Linda Yaccarino tweeted that Twitter is “often imitated – but the Twitter community can never be duplicated.” According to Zuckerberg, Threads drew more than 30 million sign-ups within 48 hours of last Wednesday night’s (7/5) launch; that number has reportedly now more than tripled, exceeding the 100-million mark.
Q3 of 2022. For the fourth quarter of 2022, net revenue was approximately $132.6 million, an increase of 1.6% from the same period in 2021. The company reports operating income of approximately $14.3 million for the period, compared to approximately $20.3 million for Q4 of 2021. Broadcast and digital operating income was approximately $47.6 million, an increase of 7.9% from the same period in 2021. Net income was $856,000 compared to approximately $5.3 million in net income for the same period in 2021. The company has yet to file its operating results for Q1 of this year, but its preliminary results from the quarter show same station radio segment revenue up 2.0% on a same station basis.
Afternoon News” program as co-host alongside John Mercure. WTMJ interim market manager Emily Dillinger states, “I am looking forward to fun and lively conversation about the news of the day, what it means and why it matters on ‘WTMJ NOW.’ Both Sandy and Steve are genuinely curious people who also have an infectious energy and the ability to relate to a variety of people, and I’m sure that will resonate with fans across Wisconsin.” Another tweak to the lineup it that “Wisconsin’s Morning News with Vince Vitrano and Erik Bilstad” will now air from 6:00 am to 9:00 am with a local news report at 5:00 am.
of staff often meant instability and near-daily internal leaks to the press. Now, the new iHeartPodcast ‘The Whistleblowers: Inside The Trump Administration,’ co-produced with Best Case and Ark Media, will dive headfirst into the chaos to bring listeners the inside story of the people behind some of the most explosive government revelations in American history.” Taylor is a bestselling author and the former chief of staff of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He first wrote anonymously, but later revealed himself as the author after publishing the #1 bestseller A Warning in 2019. Each episode focuses on a different “whistleblower” including Reality Winner, Andrew McCabe, Alexander Vindman, Olivia Troye, Dawn Wooten, Grant Turner, and Stephanie Grisham. 
programming and spoken-word radio. Energy, enthusiasm, and experience within the genre is a must. You will be responsible for all aspects of programming including managing on-air staff, imaging, station strategy, developing and executing revenue generating sales & programming promotions, website & social media, digital content and have a strong understanding of the core audience(s). 
gained unauthorized access to a significant amount of data belonging to Townsquare Media. According to their statement, the threat actors allegedly possess a staggering 251GB of the company’s data. This includes files sourced from the company’s servers and workstations, explicitly targeting those created within the past year.” The story does not indicate how much money the hackers are asking for, but they are reportedly giving Townsquare a week to respond before making the data public. 
the company to serve as managing editor for Arizona News Radio and California Headline News, as well as afternoon anchor for California Headline News. Gilliland served in the position for almost 13 years before leaving to work for the Arizona Lottery. Gilliland takes over for the late Steve Clawson, who passed earlier this year.
Whitey Gleason back to Sactown Sports. The credibility that Whitey has with the sports audience in Northern California coupled with Chris’ passion and knowledge of the Sacramento Kings will certainly make this show a perfect fit for our ever-expanding ‘Sactown Sports’ brand.” Gleason most recently served with Audacy’s KGMZ-FM, San Francisco “95.7 The Game,” and prior to that he was part of the “Rise Guys” show on KHTK. Watkins has been with “Sactown Sports” for nine years, most recently as the host of “Chris & Co” and co-host of the “Return of the Roar” podcast.