Industry News

SiriusXM Reports Q4 and 2023 Full Year Financials

Satellite and digital broadcaster SiriusXM reports its operating results for the fourth quarter of 2023 and the full year of 2023. For Q4, the company reports total revenue was basically flat at $2.28 billion compared to the same period in 2022. For the full year of 2023, total revenue was $8.9 billion, down just a half percent from the full year of 2022. For Q4, SiriusXM reports net income of $350 million, a decline of 3.5% from Q4 of 2022. For the full year of 2023, net income was $1.25 billion, up 3.7% over the netim income of $1.21 billion reported for the full year of 2022. The company says, “SiriusXM added approximately 131,000 new self-pay subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2023. For the full-year 2023, self-pay subscribers decreased by 445,000 and we ended 2023 with approximately 34 million total subscribers.” SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz comments, “In 2023, SiriusXM laid the groundwork for future growth through the successful launch of our next-generation platform and the new SiriusXM app. Our commitment to growth was also demonstrated by strategic content investments that expanded our reach to new listeners and by staying true to our identity as a hub for curated, live and on-demand audio experiences. As we look to 2024, our guidance reflects substantial efforts and investments to enhance the value proposition of our subscription and advertising businesses, which we believe will strengthen our long-term growth profile.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Research Director, Inc promotes Nicole Somerville to chief operating officer. Somerville joined the company in July of 1998 and has held several prominent positions over the past 25-plus years. In 2022, she began her role as data and production manager where she oversaw the process of transforming raw data into specific, actionable client deliverables.

iHeartPodcasts, Dan Patrick, and Never Ever Productions announce the addition of “Playing Dirty: Sports Scandals” to The Dan Patrick Podcast Network. The new podcast features stories from the dark side of sports – from passport doping and armed assault to car chases and sex scandals. The series is narrated by veteran ESPN personality Jay Harris and written by Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster Jenn Brown and federal prosecutor Francey Hakes.

Audacy launches “Superfly,” a new, weekly spinoff of the comedy podcast, “Fly on the Wall,” created and hosted by Dana Carvey and David Spade. On “Superfly,” Carvey and Spade will riff on current events, pop culture, social clips, and audience submissions with their trademark hilarity, absurdity, and impressions, with guests appearing from time to time.

Industry News

Neuhoff Media Sells Six Brands in Ongoing Exit from Radio

The Neuhoff Family Limited Partnership, the parent company of Neuhoff Media-Decatur, LLC and Neuhoff Media-Danville, LLC announces it is entering into an agreement to sell radio stations news/talk WSOY-AM/WSOY-FM, sports talk WDZ-AM, hip hop WCZQ-FM, and country in Decatur, Illinois (plus NowDecatur.com) and news/talk WDAN-AM, hot AC WDNL-FM, and classic rock WRHK-FM, in Danville, Illinois (plus VermilionCountyFirst.com) to Champaign Multimedia Group for a sum yet to beim announced. Neuhoff states in announcing the sale that this “transaction is part of an overall strategic decision on behalf of the Neuhoff family to depart the broadcast industry after nearly 70 years,” according to Julian Hickman and Makena Neuhoff, trustees of the Neuhoff family. The company still owns 13 radio brands spread across the Springfield, Illinois; Bloomington, Illinois; and Lafayette, Indiana markets and it “expects to make additional announcements regarding future agreements as the Neuhoff divestiture process moves forward.” Hickman states, “We are proud of what broadcast ownership has meant to our family, our employees, and the markets we serve. Our grandfather, Roger Neuhoff, began his ownership in the business during the mid-1950s. He loved the broadcast industry and was proud of the way our radio and television stations served their local communities.” Neuhoff Media president Mike Hulvey adds, “We are pleased to see the iconic local media brands of Neuhoff Media’s Danville and Decatur markets all brought together through this historic transaction with the Champaign Multimedia Group. The next chapter for the Danville and Decatur radio stations and digital platforms will create something very special for each community.” Kalil & Co., Inc. acted as the exclusive broker for this transaction.

Industry News

“SportsRadio 610” in Houston Releases Contributor John McClain

According to a report in the Houston Chronicle, longtime pro football writer and broadcaster John McClain – who retired from the Chronicle in 2022 – is being let go from his role with Audacy’s sportsim talk KILT-AM “SportsRadio 610.” McClain’s role with the station included appearing on the station’s programs, writing stories for its website and co-hosting a podcast with station personality Sean Pendergast. The 72-year-old McClain tells the Chronicle that he’s not ready to leave the Houston radio market, adding, “I’ll see if people are interested. I’m a free agent now.” Read the Chronicle story here.

Industry News

RHoF Opens Nominations for Class of 2024

The Museum of Broadcast Communications announces the Radio Hall of Fame nominating committee is accepting suggestions for 2024 nominees now through Sunday, March 31 at 11:59 pm PT. Submit suggestions for possible honorees for consideration here. Twenty-four names will be selected asim nominees to be voted upon by industry personnel later this year, leading to the selection of the 2024 Radio Hall of Fame Induction Class. Kraig T. Kitchin, co-chairman of the Radio Hall of Fame, comments, “The input from fellow radio industry members and listeners alike helps our nominating committee contemplate so many more individuals worthy of a nomination. We’re grateful for the input and the ideas offered.”

Industry News

Frank Morano Added to KMOX, St. Louis Lineup

Red Apple Audio Networks nationally syndicated overnight talk host Frank Morano’s program is added to the nightly lineup at Audacy’s heritage news/talk KMOX, St. Louis. “The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano” airs on the station from 1:00 am to 5:00 am. KMOX brand manager Steve Mooreim states, “We are excited to air ‘The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano.’ We were looking for a live, informative, interactive and entertaining show that will rekindle the joy of overnight radio.” Morano comments, “I’m excited to join the KMOX lineup and bring live programming to overnights in St. Louis. St. Louis is a terrific market and KMOX is a legendary talk station, with an incredible audience and history that goes back nearly a century. I’m looking forward to being a big part of their history when the chapter on their next century is written. We’re going to have a blast.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

iHeartPodcasts debuts episode two of “Finding Matt Drudge,” a limited series podcast hosted by longtime political journalist Chris Moody, who sets out to uncover the mysteries surrounding the Internet’s most enigmatic media mogul. The new investigative audio series will delve deep into the life and career of Matt Drudge, the reclusive figure and founder of The Drudge Report, with the ultimate goal of convincing Drudge to sit down for his first interview in years. Moody says, “Matt Drudge pushed the news industry into the Internet age and his site has remained relevant and engaging for decades. But he hasn’t given an interview in years. We’d like to hear his thoughts on his career, the media, politics and the state of the world. Drudge matters, and we’re interested in what he has to say. Call us, Matt!”

FOX Sports Radio, a division of Premiere Sports Network announces its plans to broadcast live from Las Vegas during Super Week. A number of the network’s programs will broadcast from Las Vegas all week long including “The Dan Patrick Show” from Fontainebleau Las Vegas and several other shows broadcasting from Radio Row at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

SiriusXM announces that subscribers will get access to full coverage of the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend beginning today through Saturday (2/1-3) as SXM broadcasts from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on the SiriusXM NHL Network Radio channel.

Industry News

Broadcasters Encouraged to Participate in United Nations World Radio Day 2024 on February 13

American radio broadcasters are invited and encouraged by UNESCO to participate in the forthcoming celebration of the UN “World Radio Day (WRD) 2024” which, among a number of facets, provides the industry with the opportunity to create connections with colleagues around the globe to generate international interviews and co-productions. TALKERS readers can register their shows, stations, and networks as being available for these connections and discover potential partners in the process. Find out more here. WRD 2024 will take place on February 13.

According to TALKERS founder Michael Harrison, executive advisor to UNESCO for World Radio Day 2024, “The time to get your platform listed on the international map of shows, stations and networks is now.  American radio professionals, as well as campus station staffers, can schedule interviews/conversations – either live or prerecorded – with their broadcast colleagues worldwide to compare and contrast the history and role of radio in their respective countries on or leading up to February 13.  These shows can be simulcast on both stations or simply be one personality interviewing another. Simply register as being open to joint initiatives for the 2024 celebration and fill out the form that will pop up if you, your station or network would be interested in partnering with others in this exciting process. Check regularly to see fellow broadcasters or partners who will keep registering between now and February 13.”

Industry News

RTDNA Honors NHPR’s Lauren Chooljian

NHPR senior reporter Lauren Chooljian, who also serves as host of “The 13th Step” podcast series is being honored with a First Amendment Award from the RTDNA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Radio Television Digital News Association at a ceremony on Washington, DC on March 9. “The 13thim Step” chronicles allegations of sexual abuse by the founder of New Hampshire’s largest addiction treatment center. Several acts of vandalism followed the release of ‘The 13th Step’ at the homes of some of the NHPR journalists involved in that reporting, and their families. NHPR news director Dan Barrick says, “‘The 13th Step’ is an excellent example of the kind of journalism NHPR’s newsroom strives to produce every day: grounded in the issues facing New Hampshire, with the public’s interest at its heart. We’re very proud and grateful for this reporting to get national recognition.”

Industry News

Two Crows in Jupiter

im

Pictured above with the iconic blackbirds familiar to Florida deli enthusiasts as the feathered mascots of the TooJays restaurant chain are Steve Lapa, president, Lapcom Communications Corp (left) and TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison (right) who met yesterday (1/30) over a hearty bowl of matzoh ball soup to discuss plans for the sales and marketing component of the forthcoming 27th annual TALKERS conference. Lapa, a regular TALKERS columnist and one of the radio industry’s leading experts on the challenges of revenue generation in the digital age, will moderate the sales workshop at the 27th annual installment of talk media’s longest running and most important national convention. Details for TALKERS 2024 will be announced next week. Meantime, save the date Friday, June 7.

Ratings Takeaways

Has All-News Taken A “Holiday?”

By Mike Kinosian
TALKERS magazine
Managing Editor

imEver since Arbitron (now Nielsen Audio) instituted the Portable People Meter as ratings currency in 2007, the “Holiday” ratings period has been a veritable goldmine for stations employing the wall-to-wall Christmas music programming strategy.

Adult contemporary comprises the overwhelming majority of those outlets.

Usually substantial, however, is the negative impact on many other formats in “Holiday” sweeps.

With that in mind, let’s review how all-news stations have performed in the last four “Holiday” survey periods.

The 2020 presidential election was held on November 3, thus exactly one month prior to the start of that year’s “Holiday” sweep (December 3). It should additionally be remembered that the COVID pandemic was roughly entering its tenth month. Eerily, the final day of that survey period was January 6, 2021, the day of domestic terrorism/insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Over the course of the “Holiday” 2023 ratings period (December 7, 2023 – January 3, 2024), all-news operations again battled for listenership in the ongoing annual all-Christmas music environment. Ostensibly working in their favor, however, was that the 2024 presidential campaign was waging and the previous president was embroiled in a record number of legal cases/charges/indictments.

The following chart summarizes ratings performances of all-news stations in the four most recent “Holiday” sweeps.

                                                                 2020       2021       2022       2023

“Holiday” 6+ Share                                       3.70        3.32        3.50        2.88

December – “Holiday” Increase                       35%        40%        30%        5%

December – “Holiday” Decrease                      50%        50%        65%        85%

December – “Holiday” Flat                             15%        10%        5%          10%

Average December – “Holiday” Increase           +.31        +.22        +.28        +.40

Average December – “Holiday” Decrease          -.68         -.21         -.29         -.40

“Holiday” 6+ Market Rank                             #10.40    #12.15     #10.55     #13.20

  • The typical (6+) high-water mark logged by an all-news facility was 2020’s 70, more than eight-tenths of a share better than 2023’s 2.88
  • Four of ten (40%) all-news stations improved December 2021 – “Holiday” 2021 (6+)
  • On the other hand, 85% of these formatted stations witnessed (6+) December 2023 – “Holiday” 2023 erosion
  • Note the virtual identical average increases/average decreases for all-news outlets in the last three “Holiday” sweeps
  • It was customary for an all-news facility to rank tenth in “Holiday” 2020 (#10.40), but thirteenthin “Holiday” 2023 (#13.20)

“Holiday” 2023 6+ Share (Highest to Lowest)

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            6.3

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    5.7

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          4.9

KYW, Philadelphia                         4.7

WBZ-AM, Boston                          4.7

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           4.5

WWJ, Detroit                                4.3

WINS-FM, New York                      3.9

WINS-FM, Long Island                   3.3

KNX-FM, Los Angeles                     2.5

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  2.5

KNWN, Seattle                              2.3

WINS-FM, Middlesex                      1.8

WCBS-AM, New York                     1.6

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          1.4

WTOP & WTLP, Baltimore               1.0

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     1.0

WDCH, Baltimore                          .8

WRAL-HD3, Raleigh                       .2

WNOH, Norfolk                             .2

“Holiday” 2023 6+ Fluctuation from December 2023

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  2.5   +.4

WWJ, Detroit                                4.3   Flat

WDCH, Baltimore                          .8     Flat

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           4.5   -1.2

WINS-FM, Long Island                   3.3   -1.1

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    5.7   -.7

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            6.3   -.6

KYW, Philadelphia                         4.7   -.5

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          1.4   -.4

WBZ-AM, Boston                          4.7   -.4

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          4.9   -.3

KNWN, Seattle                              2.3   -.3

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     1.0   -.3

WINS-FM, New York                      3.9   -.2

KNX-FM, Los Angeles                     2.5   -.2

WINS-FM, Middlesex                      1.8   -.2

WCBS-AM, New York                     1.6   -.1

WTOP & WTLP, Baltimore               1.0   -.1

WRAL-HD3, Raleigh                       .2     -.1

WNOH, Norfolk                             .2     -.1

  • WCBS-AM’s four-tenths uptick in Long Island represents the only all-news December 2023 – “Holiday” 2023 increase (6+).

“Holiday” 2023 By Market Rank  

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    5.7   #3

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          4.9   #4

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            6.3   #4

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           4.5   #4

WBZ-AM, Boston                          4.7   #5

KYW, Philadelphia                         4.7   #6

WINS-FM, New York                      3.9   #9

WWJ, Detroit                                4.3   #9

WINS-FM, Long Island                   3.3   #9

KNX-FM, Los Angeles                     2.5   #12

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  2.5   #12

WINS-FM, Middlesex                      1.8   #13

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     1.0   #18

WCBS-AM, New York                     1.6   #19

KNWN, Seattle                              2.3   #20

WTOP & WTLP, Baltimore               1.0   #20

WDCH, Baltimore                          .8     #22

WRAL-HD3, Raleigh                       .2     #24

WNOH, Norfolk                             .2     #24

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          1.4   #27

  • Forty-five percent (45%) of all-news stations ranked in the top ten (“Holiday” 2023, 6+).

“Holiday” 2022 6+ Share (Highest to Lowest)

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            7.8

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           7.0

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    6.7

KYW, Philadelphia                         6.2

KNWN, Seattle                              5.5

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          4.8

WBZ-AM, Boston                          4.8

WINS-FM, New York                      4.6

WWJ, Detroit                                4.5

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  3.8

WINS-FM, Long Island                    3.0

KNX-FM, Los Angeles                     2.5

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          2.2

WCBS-AM, New York                     2.0

WINS-FM, Middlesex                      1.7

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     1.2

WNOH, Norfolk                             .8

WDCH, Baltimore                          .6

WRAL-HD3, Raleigh                       .2

WYTS, Columbus                          .1

“Holiday” 2022 6+ Fluctuation from December 2022

WINS-FM, New York                      4.6   +.4

KYW, Philadelphia                         6.2   +.4

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  3.8   +.4

KNWN, Seattle                              5.5   +.3

WBZ-AM, Boston                          4.8   +.1

WINS-FM, Long Island                   3.0   +.1

WYTS, Columbus                          .1     Flat

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            7.8   -.8

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    6.7   -.7

WNOH, Norfolk                             .8     -.7

KNX-FM, Los Angeles                     2.5   -.4

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          2.2   -.3

WCBS-AM, New York                     2.0   -.2

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          4.8   -.1

WWJ, Detroit                                4.5   -.1

WDCH, Baltimore                          .6     -.1

WRAL-HD3, Raleigh                       .2     -.1

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           7.0   -.1

WINS-FM, Middlesex                      1.7   -.1

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     1.2   -.1

“Holiday” 2022 By Market Rank  

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    6.7   #2

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           7.0   #2

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            7.8   #3

KYW, Philadelphia                         6.2   #3

KNWN, Seattle                              5.5   #3

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          4.8   #4

WINS-FM, New York                      4.6   #5

WBZ-AM, Boston                          4.8   #6

WWJ, Detroit                                4.5   #7

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  3.8   #7

WINS-FM, Long Island                   3.0   #10

KNX-FM, Los Angeles                     2.5   #12

WINS-FM, Middlesex                      1.7   #14

WRAL-HD3, Raleigh                       .2     #16

WCBS-AM, New York                     2.0   #17

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     1.2   #18

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          2.2   #20

WDCH, Baltimore                          .6     #20

WNOH, Norfolk                             .8     #20

WYTS, Columbus                          .1     #22

  • One of every two (50%) all-news facilities finished in the top ten (“Holiday” 2022, 6+).

“Holiday” 2021 6+ Share (Highest to Lowest)

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    6.7

WBZ-AM, Boston                          6.5

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            6.4

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          5.6

KNWN, Seattle                              5.5

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           5.4

WWJ, Detroit                                5.0

KYW, Philadelphia                         4.7

WINS, New York                            4.4

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  3.1

KNX-FM, Los Angeles                     2.8

WINS, Long Island                         2.7

WCBS-AM, New York                     2.6

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          1.6

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     1.6

WINS, Middlesex                           1.1

WNOH, Norfolk                             .4

WDCH, Baltimore                          .1

WMMS-HD2, Cleveland                  .1

WYTS, Columbus                          .1

“Holiday” 2021 6+ Fluctuation from December 2021

WINS, New York                            4.4   +.6

WCBS-AM, New York                     2.6   +.4

KNX-FM, Los Angeles                     2.8   +.2

KNWN, Seattle                              5.5   +.2

KYW, Philadelphia                         4.7   +.1

WINS, Middlesex                           1.1   +.1

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     1.6   +.1

WNOH, Norfolk                             .4     +.1

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    6.7   Flat

WYTS, Columbus                          .1     Flat

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            6.4   -.4

WBZ-AM, Boston                          6.5   -.4

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          1.6   -.3

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  3.1   -.2

WDCH, Baltimore                          .1     -.2

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           5.4   -.2

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          5.6   -.1

WWJ, Detroit                                5.0   -.1

WINS, Long Island                         2.7   -.1

WMMS-HD2, Cleveland                  .1     -.1

“Holiday” 2021 By Market Rank  

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          5.6   #3

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    6.7   #3

WBZ-AM, Boston                          6.5   #3

KNWN, Seattle                              5.5   #3

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            6.4   #4

WWJ, Detroit                                5.0   #4

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           5.4   #4

WINS, New York                            4.4   #5

KYW, Philadelphia                         4.7   #6

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  3.1   #8

KNX-FM, Los Angeles                     2.8   #11

WCBS-AM, New York                     2.6   #13

WINS, Long Island                         2.7   #13

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     1.6   #19

WMMS-HD2, Cleveland                  .1     #21

WYTS, Columbus                          .1     #20

WNOH, Norfolk                             .4     #22

WINS, Middlesex                           1.1   #23

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          1.6   #26

WDCH, Baltimore                          .1     #32

  • Mirroring what happened in “Holiday” 2022, half the all-news facilities placed in the top ten (“Holiday” 2021, 6+).

“Holiday” 2020 6+ Share (Highest to Lowest)

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    8.1

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            8.1

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          6.8

WBZ-AM, Boston                          6.5

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           5.6

KYW, Philadelphia                         5.4

KOMO, Seattle                              4.6

WWJ, Detroit                                4.5

WINS, New York                            3.6

KNX, Los Angeles                          3.2

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  2.9

WCBS-AM, New York                     2.7

WINS, Long Island                         2.6

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     2.4

WBZ-AM, Providence                       1.4

KRLD-AM, Dallas                           1.3

WINS, Middlesex                            1.2

WNOH, Norfolk                             1.2

WDCH, Baltimore                          0.8

WMMS-HD2, Cleveland                  0.1

“Holiday” 2020 6+ Fluctuation from December 2020

KYW, Philadelphia                         5.4   +.5

WBZ-AM, Providence                       1.4   +.4

WINS, New York                            3.6   +.3

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     2.4   +.3

WNOH, Norfolk                             1.2   +.3

WCBS-AM, New York                     2.7   +.2

WINS, Middlesex                           1.2   +.2

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          6.8   Flat

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          1.3   Flat

WMMS-HD2, Cleveland                  0.1   Flat

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            8.1   -1.6

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           5.6   -1.4

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    8.1   -1.0

KOMO, Seattle                              4.6   -.7

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  2.9   -.7

WWJ, Detroit                                4.5   -.6

WBZ-AM, Boston                          6.5   -.3

WINS, Long Island                         2.6   -.3

KNX, Los Angeles                          3.2   -.1

WDCH, Baltimore                          0.8   -.1

“Holiday” 2020 By Market Rank  

WBZ-AM, Boston                          6.5   #2

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          6.8   #3

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    8.1   #3

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            8.1   #3

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           5.6   #4

KYW, Philadelphia                         5.4   #5

KOMO, Seattle                              4.6   #6

WWJ, Detroit                                4.5   #6

WINS, New York                            3.6   #7

KNX, Los Angeles                          3.2   #9

WCBS-AM, New York                     2.7   #12

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  2.9   #12

WNOH, Norfolk                             1.2   #12

WINS, Long Island                         2.6   #13

WBZ-AM, Providence                       1.4   #13

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     2.4   #14

WMMS-HD2, Cleveland                  0.1   #17

WDCH, Baltimore                          0.8   #21

WINS, Middlesex                           1.2   #22

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          1.3   #24

All-News Composite Arranged By Market Rank    

                                                  “Hol” 2020     “Hol” 2021     “Hol” 2022     “Hol” 2023

WINS-FM, New York                      3.6   #7           4.4   #5           4.6   #5           3.9   #9

WCBS-AM, New York                     2.7   #12         2.6   #13         2.0   #17         1.6   #19

KNX-FM, Los Angeles                     3.2   #9           2.8   #11         2.5   #12         2.5   #12

WBBM-AM & WCFS, Chicago          6.8   #3           5.6   #3           4.8   #4           4.9   #4

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Francisco    8.1   #3           6.7   #3           6.7   #2           5.7   #3

KRLD-AM, Dallas                          1.3   #24         1.6   #26         2.2   #20         1.4   #27

WTOP & WTLP, Washington            8.1   #3           6.4   #4           7.8   #3           6.3   #4

KYW, Philadelphia                         5.4   #5           4.7   #6           6.2   #3           4.7   #6

WBZ-AM, Boston                          6.5   #2           6.5   #3           4.8   #6           4.7   #5

KNWN, Seattle                               4.6   #6           5.5   #3           5.5   #3           2.3   #20

WWJ, Detroit                                4.5   #6           5.0   #4           4.5   #7           4.3   #9

WINS-FM, Long Island                   2.6   #13         2.7   #13         3.0   #10         3.3   #9

WCBS-AM, Long Island                  2.9   #12         3.1   #8           3.8   #7           2.5   #12

WDCH, Baltimore                          .8     #21         .1     #32         .6     #20         .8     #22

WTOP & WTLP, Baltimore               DNA DNA        DNA DNA        DNA DNA        1.0   #20

WMMS-HD2, Cleveland                  .1     #17         .1     #21         DNA DNA        DNA DNA

WYTS, Columbus                          DNA DNA        .1     #20         .1     #22         DNA DNA

WRAL-HD3, Raleigh                       DNA DNA        DNA DNA        .2     #16         .2     #24

KCBS-AM & KFRC, San Jose           5.6   #4           5.4   #4           7.0   #2           4.5   #4

WINS-FM, Middlesex                      1.2   #22         1.1   #23         1.7   #14         1.8   #13

WCBS-AM, Middlesex                     2.4   #14         1.6   #19         1.2   #18         1.0   #18

WBZ-AM, Providence                       1.4   #13         DNA DNA        DNA DNA        DNA DNA

WNOH, Norfolk                             1.2   #12         .4     #22         .8     #20         .2     #24

Notes

  • WINS-AM, New York added FM simulcast WINS-FM on October 27, 2022
  • KNX-AM, Los Angeles added FM simulcast KNX-FM on December 21, 2021
  • KRLD-AM, Dallas and WBZ-AM, Boston are news – talk hybrids
  • KOMO, Seattle changed calls to KNWN on February 2, 2022
  • WDCH, Baltimore is business news
  • WMMS-HD2, Cleveland and WNOH, Norfolk are Black Information Network affiliates
  • “DNA” indicates a station “Did Not Appear” in that particular survey and/or wasn’t a Nielsen Audio subscriber in that sweep
  • All above data is based on news stations that appeared in the top twenty in at least one of the four “Holiday” survey periods noted (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)

Contact managing editor Mike Kinosian at Mike.Kinosian@gmail.com

Industry News

Cumulus Media’s Dallas-Fort Worth Stations Raised Record Sum for Local Charities

Cumulus Media announces that its Dallas-Fort Worth radio station group raised $2,696,127 for charities in the region during 2023, topping the 2022 total by more than $400,000. In the Dallas-Fort Worthim market, Cumulus operates news/talk WBAP-AM/FM, news/talk KLIF-AM/FM, sports talk KTCK-AM/FM and two country music brands. Cumulus regional vice president Dan Bennett says, “I can’t say enough about our air talent and programming team who understand that serving our community in Dallas-Fort Worth means raising awareness for organizations that give a lift to people who need it. They give so much of their time to make a difference and 2023’s efforts show the incredible results.”

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Baseball Station? Own It!

By Holland Cooke
Consultant 

imAs The Beatles sang, “It’s been a long, cold, lonely winter.” ‘Still is, eh?

Baseball – even Spring Training while it’s still chilly in March – says “Here Comes The Sun.” That’s what baseball means…to listeners. But with games also on SiriusXM and Tune-In and team apps, baseball isn’t the exclusive franchise AM/FM affiliates used to enjoy. So, BE KNOWN for having the games.

im

To local advertisers? In the words of one GM – who has made a pile of money selling baseball – “It’s ego and envy.” And while second and third-generation retailers might family-feud about other things, grandfather AND father AND son can agree on this expenditure lots quicker than you can get consensus about a ROS spot package on Kiss or Lite or Magic or Froggy.

Help yourself to your February Baseball To-Do List: http://getonthenet.com/BaseballFebruary.pdf

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio” and “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry News

Salem Does Sale Leaseback on Camarillo Offices

In a January 25, 2024 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Salem Media Group reveals that it is entering into a sale/leaseback deal on its former corporate headquarters on Santaim Rosa Road in Camarillo, California. Although the company officially moved its headquarters to Irving, Texas, the Camarillo offices are still the base of some of its corporate operations. In notifying and seeking approval from lender Siena Lending Group LLC, Salem notes that the Camarillo officers are being sold to Greg Robinson for $6.2 million and that cash will be applied to the company’s debt. It will then lease the property for $500,000 per year.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

OutKick announces that FOX News contributor, New York Times best-selling author and former professional wrestler, Tyrus, a.k.a. George Murdoch, joins the platform to host the new show, “Maintaining with Tyrus.” The first episode launches on February 1 featuring a sit-down with talk TV host Piers Morgan, followed by interviews with Wolf of Wall Street inspiration Jordan Belfort, and “How America Works” host Mike Rowe.

ESPN is expanding the reach of its ESPN podcast offerings starting January 29 as ESPN2 will televise an ESPN video podcast every weekday from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET. The premiering lineup will include: “First Draft,” “The Hoop Collective,” “The Lowe Post,” “The Mina Kimes Show” and “The Elle Duncan Show.” Mike Foss, ESPN SVP, production says, “This strategic content initiative provides our ESPN podcasts with a tremendous opportunity for continued growth and audience expansion, while simultaneously lending compelling content to our ESPN2 television lineup.”

New England Public Media promotes Elizabeth Román to managing editor – daily and digital news. NEPM says, “Although her title did not dramatically change, her responsibilities have evolved and Román will now be taking the lead on delivering daily news programming on the radio, NEPM website and social media channels.” Román says, “As a lifelong Springfield resident and Western Massachusetts native. I’m excited to continue working with our skilled news department to bring you even more stories that highlight the needs, concerns and successes of the people living and working in this community.”

Cumulus Media’s Westwood One is presenting play-by-play coverage of this weekend’s NFL Conference Championships presented by lead sponsor Intuit Turbo Tax. Doubleheader coverage begins with the pregame show at 2:00 pm ET on Sunday before the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens meet for the AFC Championship game and the Detroit Lions battle the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

Industry Views

SABO SEZ: Howard Stern Deserves a Big Thank You

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media Implementers
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, “Sterling On Sunday”
Talk Media Network

imNO ONE has done more to elevate the status and improve the working conditions of on-air talent as much as Howard Stern.

Howard turned 70 this month and he has been on the air for 50 years – half of the time of the existence of radio. During his brilliant career, he has elevated the capabilities of radio to a scientific, pristine art. His success is neither an accident nor luck. It’s not even God-given talent. It’s all work. Nobody has ever worked harder on their radio show than Howard and, as a result, no radio star has ever earned as much money or deserved as much acclaim.

Several important notes:

— For Howard, radio always comes first. When he made the movie Private Parts the production fit around his radio show.

— “America’s Got Talent” ended taping at the pre-agreed times to accommodate Howard’s radio show.

— I made the first call to his agent to recruit Howard to SiriusXM Satellite Radio. He was already making a lot of money… his motivation for moving was to give his radio show the support and freedom necessary to see just how great he could make it.

— He loves radio.

Whatever you’ve heard Howard earns, it’s probably close. That’s good for everybody on the air in the world. He earns more than any TV star. He earns more than 99.9% of all movie stars. I think it’s pretty much Taylor SwiftPaul McCartney and Howard. A radio star is actually in that conversation!

When he started in the 1980s, he was suspended for saying douche bag. Now you can say douche bag. Thank him for winning that fight.

Thank him for proving that radio stars do better with real writers and producers. Radio stars can create four hours a day of magic with little help. (TV Sitcoms produce 22 minutes a week, for 22 weeks a year with 11 writers.) Thank him for moving millions of dollars of products a week with his live reads, enhancing the value of your live reads.

Thank him for being harassed by the federal government. Thank him for not blinking. Thank him for raising the profile and stature of American radio. Thank him for being funny.

I just don’t think he’s been thanked enough…

Walter Sabo was a founding architect of SiriusXM Satellite Radio and began the recruitment of Howard Stern. He has consulted RKO General, PARADE magazine, Hearst BroadcastingPress Broadcasting, and other premium brands. He launched the first company to engage online video influencers, Hitviews. As an executive, he was EVP of NBC FM RADIO giving Dr. Ruth Westheimer her first media job and fostering the creation of adult contemporary. As VP ABC Radio Networks, Sabo hired Ringo Starr to be a DJ for a 24-hour special.

Industry News

Boston Sports Talker Mark Dondero to Join “98.5 The Sports Hub”

The Boston Herald reports that sports talk host Mark Dondero is leaving Audacy’s sports talk WEEI, Boston to join Beasley Media Group’s crosstown WBZ-FM “98.5 The Sports Hub,” as a weekend host.im He’s been co-hosting the weekend “Mark and Kichen Show” with Ben Kichen at WEEI. Dondero says, “Obviously I’ve learned a ton from him (Kichen), about the radio business, talking in general. And I’ll say this: Ben Kichen is a star and an underrated talent in this business, whether you’ve heard of him or not. And it has been an absolute joy and pleasure to work with him on the air for almost seven years.” Read the Herald story here.

Ratings Takeaways

Holiday 2023 PPM Ratings – Part One

imHoliday 2023 PPM Data – Information for the Holiday 2023 ratings period (December 7, 2023 – January 3, 2024) has been released for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Jose, and Middlesex-Somerset-Union (New Jersey).

The only requirement for a spoken-word station to be included here is that they be a Nielsen Audio subscriber – there are no share or rank thresholds.

NFL; NBA; and NHL team names of corresponding spoken-word flagship(s) are bolded.

DNA – DNA = Did Not Appear – Does Not Appear

Comparisons are December 2023 – “Holiday” 2023 (6+).

NEW YORK

News/Talk

WABC 2.8 – 3.0, #11 – #11

WOR 1.1 – 1.2, #22 – #21

WKXW .9 – .8, #24 – #27

WKXW Stream .2 – .2, #38 – #37

News

WINS-FM 4.1 – 3.9, #10 – #9

WCBS-AM 1.7 – 1.6, #19 – #19

WINS-FM Stream .3 – .4, #36 – #32

Business News WBBR .4 – .3, #32 – #34

WCBS-AM Stream .2 – .1, #38 – #46 

Sports Talk

WFAN FM & AM 2.5 – 2.3, #12 -#12 (Giants, Brooklyn Nets, New Jersey Devils)

WEPN-FM 1.3 – 1.2 #21 – #21 (Jets, Knicks, Islanders, Rangers)

WFAN FM & AM Stream .9 – .7, #24 -#28 (Giants, Brooklyn Nets, New Jersey Devils) 

Public Radio News/Talk

WNYC-FM 4.3 – 4.1, #8 – #7

WNYC-AM 1.0 – 1.0, #23 – #23 

LOS ANGELES

News/Talk

KFI 5.1 – 4.6, #2 – #4

KRLA .6 – .4, #34 – #30

KEIB .5 – .4, #35 – #30  (Clippers 

News

KNX-FM 2.7 – 2.5, #11 – #12

KNX-FM Stream .1 – .1, #41 – #40  

Sports Talk

KLAC 1.0 – . #29 – #28 (Chargers, Clippers 

Public Radio News/Talk

KPCC 2.6 – 2.0, #12 – #14

Notes: Public radio news/talk KPCC’s -.6 (2.6 – 2.0) represents a tie for Los Angeles’ highest (6+)December 2023 – “Holiday” 2023 decrease.

Flagship of the Rams and Lakers is sports talk KSPN, which is unlisted in this sweep.

Kings’ games are heard on the iHeartRadio app, while games of the Anaheim Ducks are heard on the Ducks stream.

CHICAGO

News/Talk

WGN 2.8 – 2.6, #10 – #11  (Blackhawks)

WLS-AM 1.7 – 1.7, #18 – #19

WLIP .4 – .3, #36 – #38

WVON .1 – .1, #43 – #43

WLS-AM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA

News

WBBM-AM & WCFS 5.2 – 4.9, #4  – #4

WBBM-AM & WCFS Stream .2 – .1, #41 – #43

Sports Talk

WSCR 2.4 – 2.5, #13 – #12 (Bulls)

WMVP 1.4 – 1.5, #20 – #20 (Bears)

WSCR Stream .9 – .4, #27 – #36 (Bulls)

Public Radio News/Talk

WBEZ 2.6 – 2.1, #12 – #15  

SAN FRANCISCO

News/Talk

KSFO 1.4 – 1.4, #22 – #22

KSFO Stream .2 – .2, #31 – #32 

News

KCBS-AM & KFRC 6.4 – 5.7, #3 – #3

KNEW .2 – .3, #31 – #29  

KCBS-AM & KFRC Stream .1 – .1, #37 – #38

KKSF DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA 

Sports Talk

KNBR 3.5 – 3.6, #10 – #7 (49ers)

KGMZ 2.3 – 2.0, #14 – #14 (Golden State Warriors)

KTCT .5 – .4, #27 – #27  

KGO .2 – .2, #31 – #32  

KGO Stream .2 – .2, #31 – #32  

KGMZ Stream DNA – .2, DNA – #32 (Golden State Warriors)   

Public Radio News/Talk

KQED 6.6 – 6.9, #2 – #2

KALW .2 – .2, #31 – #32

DALLAS

News/Talk

WBAP 3.4 – 2.8, #11 – #14

KEGL 1.5 – 1.4, #26 – #27  (Mavericks)

KSKY .5 – .6, #33 – #33

KLIF-AM .3 – .4, #36 – #34

KSKY Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA 

News

News – Talk KRLD-AM 1.8 – 1.4, #20 – #27 (Cowboys)

News – Talk KRLD-AM Stream .1 – DNA, #40 – DNA (Cowboys)

Sports Talk

KTCK 5.2 – 4.2, #2 – #3  (Stars)

KRLD-FM 3.4 – 2.9, #11 – #13 (Cowboys)

KRLD-FM Stream .2 – .3, #37 – #35 (Cowboys)

Public Radio News/Talk

KERA 4.2 – 3.5, #4 – #6  

Note: Sports talk KTCK’s -1.0 (5.2 – 4.2) represents Dallas’ highest (6+) December 2023 – “Holiday” 2023 decrease.

HOUSTON

News/Talk

KTRH 3.5 – 2.6, #10 – #17  (Rockets)

KPRC . 5 – .5, #26 – #28  

News

None

Sports Talk

KILT-AM 1.5 – 1.5, #21 – #21 (Texans)

KBME .5 – .6, #26 – #27  (Rockets)

KILT-AM Stream .3 – .3, #29 – #30 (Texans)

KFNC .1 – .2, #33 – #31

Public Radio News/Talk

KUHF 2.3 – 2.4, #20 – #18

ATLANTA

News/Talk

WSB-AM & WSBB 8.3 – 7.4, #1 – #2

WFOM .4 – .4, #29 – #27

WGKA .2 – .1, #31 – #31

WAOK .2 – .1, #31 – #31

WAOK Stream .1 – .1, #33 – #31

WSRV-HD3 Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA

News

WBIN  DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA

Sports Talk

WZGC 2.8 – 3.5, #15 – #9 (Falcons, Hawks)

WCNN 1.5 – 1.4, #20 – #20

WZGC Stream .5 – .3, #27 – #29 (Falcons, Hawks)

Public Radio News/Talk

WABE 3.9 – 3.3, #8 – #11

WRAS  .6 – .8, #25 – #24

PHILADELPHIA

News/Talk

WPHT 1.7 – 1.7, #19 – #19

WKXW .9 – 1.2, #24 – #23

WPHT Stream .6 – .7, #27 – #26

WURD .5 – .3, #28 – #27

WURD Stream .7 – .2, #26 – #29

WDEL-AM DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA

WKXW Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA 

News

KYW & WPHI 5.2 – 4.7, #7 – #6

KYW & WPHI Stream .1 – .1, #31 – #30

WTEL .1 – DNA, #31 – DNA

Sports Talk

WIP 6.6 – 5.7, #4 – #4 (Eagles)

WIP Stream 1.3 – 1.5, #22 – #20 (Eagles)

WPEN-FM 1.2 – 1.3, #23 – #22 (76ers, Flyers)

Public Radio News/Talk

WHYY 2.8 – 2.8, #11 – #9      

Notes: Adult contemporary WBEB makes the largest (6+) December 2023 – “Holiday” 2023 increase(+7.3) of any station in these 12 PPM-markets and logs the highest (6+) share (16.8).

Conversely, country WXTU has the most significant (6+) December 2023 – “Holiday” 2023 decline of any station in these 12 PPM-markets (5.3 – 3.7, -1.6). 

NASSAU-SUFFOLK (LONG ISLAND)

News/Talk

WABC 1.3 – 1.1, #20 – #20

WOR 1.0 – 1.0, #22 – #22

WLIR .2 – .1, #33 – #35

News

WINS-FM 4.4 – 3.3, #8 – #9

WCBS-AM 2.1 – 2.5, #16 – #12

WINS-FM Stream .7 – .9, #25 – #23

Business News WBBR .3 – .2, #30 – #30

WCBS-AM Stream .1 – .1, #36 – #35

Sports Talk

WFAN-FM & AM 3.7 – 3.5, #10 – #7 (Giants, Brooklyn Nets, New Jersey Devils)

WEPN-FM 2.5 – 2.7, #12 – #11 (Jets, Knicks, Islanders, Rangers)

WFAN-FM & AM Stream 1.1 – DNA, #21 – DNA (Giants, Brooklyn Nets, New Jersey Devils)

Public Radio News/Talk

WSUF .2 – .2, #33 – #30

RIVERSIDE

News/Talk

None

News

KFOO .1 – DNA, #23 – DNA

Sports Talk

KPWK .2 – .2, #21 – #18

Public Radio News/Talk

KVCR .3 – .3 #20 – #16

KPCC DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA

SAN JOSE

News/Talk

KSFO 1.3 – 1.5, #22 – #19

KSFO Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA  

News

KCBS-AM & KFRC 5.7 – 4.5, #3 – #4

KNEW .2 – .3, #28 – #28  

KCBS-AM & KFRC Stream .2 – .2, #28 – #30

Sports Talk

KNBR 4.1 – 3.9, #6 – #6 (49ers)

KGMZ 1.6 – 1.5, #20 – #19 (Golden State Warriors)

KTCT .6 – .8, #26 – #25   

KGO Stream .6 – .7, #26 – #26  

KGO .2 – .3, #28 – #28  

KGMZ Stream DNA – .2, DNA – #30 (Golden State Warriors)

Public Radio News/Talk

None

Notes: News KCBS-AM & KFRC’s -1.2 (5.7 – 4.5) represents San Jose’s highest (6+) December 2023 – “Holiday” 2023 decrease. 

Sharks’ games are carried on the Sharks Audio Network.

MIDDLESEX-SOMERSET-UNION 

News/Talk

WKXW 5.2 – 5.7, #4 – #4

WOR 1.1 – 1.6, #20 – #15

WKXW Stream .7 – .7, #22 – #20         

News

WINS-FM 2.0 – 1.8, #11 – #13

WCBS-AM 1.3 – 1.0, #17 – #18

WINS-FM Stream .3 – .3, #26 – #23

WCBS-AM Stream DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA

Sports Talk

WEPN-FM 1.3 – 1.0, #17 – #18 (Jets, Knicks, Islanders, Rangers)

WFAN-FM & AM 2.7 – DNA, #9 – DNA (Giants, Brooklyn Nets, New Jersey Devils)

WFAN FM & AM Stream .9 – DNA, #21 – DNA (Giants, Brooklyn Nets, New Jersey Devils)

Public Radio News/Talk

None

Up next: “Holiday” 2023 overviews for: Washington, DC; Boston; Miami; Seattle; Detroit; Phoenix; Minneapolis; San Diego; Tampa; Denver; Baltimore; and St. Louis.

Mike.Kinosian@gmail.com

Features

Remembering Charles Osgood

By Mike Kinosian
TALKERS magazine
Managing Editor

imDespite his seemingly nonchalant, bad boy on-air persona, David Letterman is exceptionally respectful of broadcasting and its history.

An easily discernable gleam could be seen in the late-night talk host’s eyes when – in 1993 – he formally announced he was jumping to CBS-TV.

One would be naïve not to think that the astonishingly lucrative payday played a significant part in his exhilaration, but Letterman was genuinely enthusiastic about joining the “Tiffany Network.” The entertainment division helped sculpt that vaulted reputation, but the Eye Network’s image was also greatly enhanced by its stellar news department.

Names of those who’ve graced CBS news broadcasts read like a veritable “Who’s Who” of the industry, with the incomparable Walter Cronkite at the very top.

Additionally, there’s Murrow. Sevareid. Collingwood. Rather. Reasoner. Wallace. Edwards. Kuralt. Safer. Mudd. Bradley. Schieffer. Stahl. Rooney. Burdett. Pauley. Hottelet. Chung. Threlkeld. O’Donnell. That just scratches the surface.

Perhaps no one on that – or any similar – list is more erudite, witty and thought provoking than Charles Osgood (Wood).

In a special April 18, 2005 NAB presentation in Las Vegas, the man who did as much for boosting bowtie sales (far pre-dating Tucker Carlson) received the Paul White Award from the RTNDA.

Established in 1956, the recognition carries on the name of CBS’ first news director.

Illustrious company

Past Paul White Award recipients have included Edward R. Murrow, Dan Rather, Bob Schieffer, Ed Bradley, Tom Brokaw, Ted Koppel, Peter Jennings, and Jane Pauley, who succeeded Osgood on CBS-TV’s “Sunday Morning” in 2016. Osgood humbly noted, “I’ve known about the Paul White Award for a long time and have been there to see others get it. It’s obviously a very distinguished company I join. I was there when [former CBS News Division President] Richard Salant [received] it and certainly regard it with a lot of respect. If you hang around long enough, it finally gets to be your turn.”

There’s a parallel with this recognition and Osgood’s 1990 induction to the NAB Hall of Fame. “[Neither] one is the kind of thing you campaign for,” he remarked. “The first I heard about it is when they called and told me it happened. There’s no tension about it and no disappointment that you didn’t get it.”    

Mistaken identity

Rich, God-given voice with which Osgood was blessed became evident at an early age. “My dad was a textile salesman and executive. His name was Charles Osgood Wood – I’m actually Charles Osgood Wood, the third. I’d answer the phone and the person on the other end would [automatically assume they were talking to my father]. He and I talked almost exactly alike.” 

Somewhat of a built-in schizophrenia existed in the famed broadcaster. A friend with whom he’d frequently play tennis noticed that when the multiple Peabody and Emmy Award winner screwed up he’d say, “Come on Osgood.” As a result, “I’d be harder on ‘Osgood’ than I would be on ‘Wood.’ You don’t talk to yourself when you do something right – you just sort of smile.”

Distinctive difference

Understandably, the natural tendency was to automatically link the instantly likable Osgood to CBS for his impeccable long-running role as voice/writer of CBS Radio’s “The Osgood File” and for hosting duties of CBS-TV’s “Sunday Morning.” In addition, he spent six years (1981-1987) as anchor of “The CBS Sunday Night News.”

Many, however, forget that predating those résumé credits, he toiled for ABC.

When he began there, ABC – as luck would have it – already had an announcer named Charles Woods. “In those days, some staff announcers did newscasts,” Osgood explained. “They hired me, but said they didn’t want to have a Charles Woods and a Charles Wood. When they told me to pick a name, I used my middle name as my last name. It’s worked out well and is a little more distinctive and professional.”

Safe haven

Selection of another type made a great impact on his life, as the broadcaster with the industry’s most stylish writing style was an Economics major at New York’s Fordham University. “I never really had an idea that this is what I was cut out to do,” Osgood candidly stated. “As a result, I never took any writing or editing courses. When I started [in broadcasting], I really hung on by my fingernails and just did it the best way I could think of. It took more than a couple of years to get a sense of what I could do. If I’d started the kinds of things in journalism school that I do now, they would have said, ‘No – that’s not how you do it.’ I would have had it drummed out of me early on.” 

Thankfully though, someone realized a broadcaster existed within Osgood and the New York native became actively involved at Fordham’s campus radio station. “That was my locker – the place I’d go between classes,” he pointed out. “At least in those days, regardless of your [declared major], you really majored in Philosophy. You learned things like ethics, logic and cosmology. That really turned out to be pretty useful for what I’m doing.”

Never was there a moment’s regret for the father of five that he didn’t pursue a career in economics. “I’m not even sure I understood what economics was when I decided to make it my major,” Osgood sheepishly admitted. “I knew it had something to do with money and I thought it would be good to know something about that.” 

Sailing with Uncle Walter

As things eventuated, it was immaterial that Osgood never took any college journalism courses. “I went to the best school of broadcast journalism that you could go to, [because] I got to work with Walter Cronkite and a pretty potent lineup of [other] people,” Osgood asserted. “I was often in the same room and could see how Walter’s mind worked and his idea of telling a story. He’s the most centered guy you’re ever going to meet and is very tough.”

Fabled anchorman Cronkite was also managing editor of “The CBS Evening News,” a responsibility he took very seriously. “He was a newsman and kept asking questions of everybody; I have all the respect in the world for him,” Osgood reverently recalled of Cronkite, who was 92 when he died in 2009. “Within a year after I went to work in the CBS newsroom, I found myself sailing in a boat with Walter Cronkite. I felt like I died and went to heaven.” 

Mid-1950s on-air job at Washington, DC classical outlet WGMS enabled Osgood to display his familiarity with – and dexterity to handle –  names like Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakoff. “I really did like that kind of music,” the long time ASCAP member emphasized. “They [eventually] gave me a job that was like the assistant to the GM. It paid all of about $25 a week, but I learned a little bit about station management. WGMS was sold to RKO General and I ended up being program director and, for a time, co-manager.”

Ahead of its time

Also dotting Osgood’s notable vitae is a 1963 stint as general manager of Hartford’s WHCT, the country’s first pay television station. “It was an over-the-air station that CBS owned at one time. It had a mechanism that would encode both picture and sound.”

Subscribers paid $125 for a decoder that needed to be attached to their television set; however, Osgood readily conceded it wasn’t exactly the ideal system. “Color was starting to come on strong, but this only worked in black and white, [so] we had a few strikes against us going in. We were, however, able to play ‘subsequent first-run’ movies – [films] that hadn’t yet been seen in local theaters.”

A tape inside the decoder recorded what a subscriber watched and customers were sent a bill once a month. “The system as an experiment failed, but it was not a bad idea,” Osgood maintained. “Now, of course, we have pay-per-view television, which is essentially the same thing.” 

Shared versus singular responsibilities

Each Osgood-fronted “Sunday Morning” broadcast concluded with the affable host reminding viewers that he would, “See you on the radio,” which was his way of reinforcing that radio is a visual medium. “You create pictures in your own mind and those are much richer than the ones that can be shown on television,” Osgood contended. “On television, what you see is what you get and [that medium] is very pre-occupied with the picture. There’s often wonderful writing there, but television people don’t tend to think about that or the sound at all.”

Images are their main focus and having had vast experience in each medium, Osgood opined that radio is a much more individual effort. “You decide what you’re going to do; you write it; and you do it. You can take all the credit or blame for whatever you do on radio. Television is a collaborative process. There are producers, writers and photographers. One person really can’t take any bows.”

Demanding schedule

One hour separated each of his four daily “Osgood File” features. The general rule was that Osgood didn’t start writing the next one until he finished delivering the last. “If it takes more than an hour, I’m in a lot of trouble,” he deadpanned. “I have to write it in somewhat less than an hour.”

Preparation for that Monday through Friday workday ritual began at the petrifying time of 2:30 am. “It somehow always feels like a horrible mistake when the alarm goes off then,” Osgood declared in his perfectly inflected trademark delivery. “I’m usually in the office at 4:30 am. I have to get my ducks in a row before [doing the first piece] so I know what I’m going to do the rest of the morning. You spend part of that time reading to see what’s there in the way of tape and to see what news stories are of interest that morning.” 

Newspapers, wire sources and the internet provided plenty of possibilities, so Osgood didn’t start worrying about what he was going to put on paper until he arrived at the office. “The news is a constantly refreshing source of material,” he commented. “If you’re doing something that has to last for a long time, you have a different problem. It’s just a question of what you can get your teeth into.”

Road to Sunday Morning

Four-year tour of duty (1967 – 1971) as morning anchor/reporter at New York City’s all-news WCBS-AM got Osgood accustomed to getting up early; he had the luxury of sleeping in until 4:30 am each Sunday. “You have no idea how much later 4:30 am is than 2:30 am,” he convincingly put forth. “I don’t have to get up early on Saturdays. There are [‘Osgood File’] shows, but they’re repeats of things that were done during the week. It’s a great delight to wake up on a Saturday and then realize I can go back to sleep, but it’s still never that late. I get up by 7:00 am.”

Energetic Osgood actually preferred a slow news day when it came to doing his 90-minute Sunday television broadcast. “I’m certain I’m the only network TV anchor who hopes there’s no news. We’ve worked on the show all week and want to do the broadcast that was planned. Some of our shows have themes or, at least, have connections between the pieces. If there’s a big story, you might have to throw something out and that may – or may not – hold up the following week.”                                                    

Succeeding Charles Kuralt as host of “Sunday Morning” nearly 30 years ago (4/10/1994) was a tough act for Osgood to follow, especially since he viewed “On The Road” legend Kuralt as a great personal hero. “He was one of the best who ever came along,” Osgood succinctly stressed. “Charles was a country boy with that wonderful North Carolina accent and had a way of using the language. I thought he was simply terrific. He taught me a lot, [including] not to imitate or copy what you hear. He was in control of every sentence he put down and had an idea of how he wanted to come across to the audience; he was really brilliant.”

Admiration for his predecessor

No advance notice was given to Osgood that his colleague – who would die of complications from lupus in 1997 at just 62 – was planning to leave the Sunday morning show. “I remember getting up one day at the usual hour and putting on my socks in a dark room,” Osgood recollected. “I had the radio on and heard Charlie had announced his retirement. That was terrible news and it never even occurred to me that CBS might ask me to replace him. For one thing, I was older than Charles [by approximately 20 months]. You don’t replace a person who retires with someone older, but that’s what happened. The real reason I got the job was they needed someone whose first name is Charles.”       

Sunday’s audience was conditioned to expect a high-level broadcast, and Osgood acknowledged that made the transition much easier. “As long as I didn’t try to be Charles and try to do an imitation of him, I thought I’d be okay [provided] the audience would put up with me long enough to get used to me.”

Certain things about the CBS-TV show were the same every week. “When we change something, the audience usually doesn’t like it at first,” Osgood contended. “It was especially daunting for me at the beginning because [Kuralt] was so terrific.” 

All tied up

Play a visual word association game about Osgood and “bowtie” will invariably be the first response, but he viewed that fashion statement as a relatively new choice. “I’ve only been doing it for 20 years,” he quipped tongue-in-cheek.

It all began when he wore a clip-on bowtie to work one day. CBS-TV “Evening News” writer John Mosedale admonished Osgood to never wear a clip-on. “He actually walked me into the men’s room and taught me how to tie a bowtie. When you teach an old dog a new trick, he wants to keep doing it. I wear a bowtie when I do speaking dates or television. The excuse I use for my attire is that I get dressed in the dark.”

Write stuff

This author of six books (the last one, 2004’s “Defending Baltimore Against Enemy Attack”) also formerly wrote a “USA Weekend” column and a King Features’ syndicated column. Moreover, he had a full plate with four daily CBS Radio shows (via Westwood One) and a weekly morning television show. “I always have a book that I’m either thinking about or actually in the process of writing,” CBS’ “Poet In Residence’ disclosed. “I’ve been talking with publishers about several book ideas, but they’re not far enough along to really [discuss] at this point. The [leisure time] thing I do more than anything else is fooling around at the piano; I like doing that.”

Unexpected situations like receiving the Paul White Award; being inducted into the NAB Hall Of Fame; and replacing Charles Kuralt as host of CBS Sunday Morning seemed to be the norm for the 1999 International Radio & Television Society Foundation award winner for Significant Achievement.

Long-range plans

With that as a backdrop, it was noteworthy that Osgood never considered himself to be a permanent replacement for Dan Rather on the “CBS Evening News” – a job that would eventually go to Katie Couric in 2006. “I’m not a candidate for anything,” Osgood vehemently insisted to me in our conversation, “[although] I do think it’s important that the ‘CBS Evening News’ be our flagship show. When they asked Bob Schieffer what he thought about doing ‘The Evening News,’ he said it was something to keep him busy until he was old enough to be on ‘60 Minutes.’”   

More than satisfied to have carried on with his radio and television assignments, Osgood – who had a summer residence in France – didn’t look forward to retirement. “I like vacations, but I like them because they are vacations. It’s nice to get away from work, but that’s only if you’re working. I hope they realize I intend to continue to do this for a long time. If it stops being fun, that’s when it’s time to hang it up.”

Mike Kinosian can be emailed at Mike.Kinosian@gmail.com

Industry News

Bonneville Pairs St. James and Gaydos; Adds New Midday Show on KTAR-FM

Bonneville Phoenix makes changes to its daily programming on news/talk KTAR-FM “News 92.3 FM,” effective February 5. The station moves Chad Benson from his afternoon drive co-host role to evenings and brings Phoenix market pro Bruce St. James and former KTAR personality aboard to co-host the PM drive show with Larry Gaydos. At the same time, the station adds a new midday program hosted by talkim radio pros Chris Merrill and Joe Huizenga. Bonneville Phoenix SVP and market manager Ryan Hatch says, “We are thrilled to add new shows that will keep our community informed and connected at such an important time. In addition to being one of the most dynamic and fastest growing cities in the country, Phoenix is also the epicenter of the 2024 election with Arizona being a key battleground state.” St. James served with KTAR-FM from 2010-2020. Merrill hosted a local show on the station from 2014-2017. Huizenga is currently the assistant program director and is a familiar voice as a fill-in host. Station PD Martha Maurer adds, “I am excited to welcome back Bruce and introduce Chris and Joe to our already impressive news and talk teams. This new lineup will bring exciting new energy and depth to our live and local coverage, both on-air and on our growing digital platforms.”

Industry News

WJR, Detroit Brings Anthony Bellino Aboard as “SportsWrap” Co-Host

Cumulus Media names Detroit sports media personality Anthony Bellino co-host of WJR’s “SportsWrap,” alongside Lomas Brown. WJR parted ways with the program’s previous co-host Sean Baligian in December.  Bellino currently serves as an in-game host for Detroit Lions and University of Michigan football broadcasts and is public address announcer for University of Michigan men’s andim women’s basketball programs and the University of Toledo men’s and women’s basketball programs. WJR notes that Bellino spends his free time helping his family at their Monroe, Michigan grocery store, Danny’s Fine Foods, where he works as a fourth-generation butcher. WJR program director Ann Thomas says, “Anthony Bellino started his broadcasting career as an intern for the ‘Paul W. Smith Show’ in 2007. I could not be more pleased to welcome him back to the ‘Great Voice of the Great Lakes’ as a seasoned sports professional ready to bring our listeners timely and thoughtful insights on Detroit’s sports scene.” Bellino comments, “What an honor and a privilege it is to be joining the ‘Great Voice of the Great Lakes,’ 760 WJR. I can’t wait to contribute to the station’s legendary broadcasting history and make some new history of our own. The phone call from WJR was really a full-circle moment… I can’t wait to get started and to host ‘SportsWrap’ with my good friend Lomas Brown.”

Industry News

Nexstar Media Group Launches NewsNation Audio Network

Nexstar Media Group announces that its NewsNation cable news channel launches the NewsNation Audio Network, a service that provides ready-to-air audio clips for participating radio stations and audio platforms. The company says, “Leveraging the vast newsgathering resources of NewsNation, the newim audio service provides radio stations access to NewsNation content. The NewsNation Audio Network will offer an ongoing, daily service of audio clips featuring coverage from its reporters and breaking news stories from across the nation and around the globe. Radio newsrooms can sign up for access at NewsNationAudio.com. Audio can be downloaded at NewsNationAudio.com or can be delivered directly to newsroom systems including NewsBoss.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Salem Radio Network’s 24/7 SRN News service focuses on the T.D. JAKES FOUNDATION – created by Pastor T.D. Jakes to help lift children in underserved communities into what he hopes become life-changing experiences. SRN News is highlighting interviews with former Wells Fargo Bank executive Kelly Cornish, who serves as CEO, in special reports zeroing-in on private/public partnerships that are opening doors for black and brown children in Science, Technology, Math and the Arts.

Media Staffing Network’s new owner is Lisa Fields, who most recently served as SVP and general manager for Broadcast1Source. Fields’ decision to pursue ownership of Media Staffing Network is uniquely rooted in her deep and meaningful friendship with Laurie Kahn, the previous owner of the company, who sadly passed away last year.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (1/22) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The presidential race and the New Hampshire primary; Donald Trump’s legal battles; the accusations of Georgia AG Fani Willis having an affair with Trump special prosecutor; the U.S. migrant crisis and the SCOTUS ruling allowing border patrol to cut razor wire installed by Texas; U.S. accuses Iran of supporting Houthi rebels attacking ships in the Red Sea; and 24 Israeli soldiers are killed during operations in Gaza were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry Views

Pending Business: One Billion and Counting

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communucations Corp
President

imLet’s talk streaming because I don’t get what is happening. Maybe you do.

Talk shows place decent cameras in the radio studio, maybe one in the control room, possibly a third at a “producer’s” desk, a flat screen or two with cool visuals in the background to fulfill the coolness quotient, push the video stream to YouTube or another platform and wait for the throngs of followers to find the talk radio show, view, subscribe and stay with it until the numbers are staggering.

Sometimes the video stream is promoted on air or your station’s website and the expectation is the online audience will skyrocket. After several months, the viewer numbers don’t skyrocket, or maybe the numbers develop modestly, but sales becomes the art of packaging. Because the scale necessary to move the sales needle is still not happening.

This is not a hypothetical. This is happening today at some of the best radio stations delivering high-level radio programming in markets of all sizes around the country. Why do we struggle with how to turn the best radio programming in the world into competitive online video content?

The short answer is great talk radio programming is just that: great radio programming. But herein lies the dilemma. Great talk radio talent, in any format, are natural masters of the foundational elements that can make their YouTube, Rumble, and other social media video platforms gain audience and successfully generate revenue.

Let’s identify the most important reason why:

1. Authentic. Show me one successful talk radio host in any talk radio format who does not exude “authentic.” Agree or disagree with the host on politics, sports, finances or fishing, great talk show hosts are authentic, and their audience can sense the passion coming through in every show. Now, let’s identify the nasty four-letter word, stopping many great talk talents and their content from performing competitively on current social media video platforms. That four-letter word?

2. Show. Most great talk radio talents understand what it takes to put on a great “show.” Mechanics, formatics, and unique skills are developed over time designed to maximize Nielsen performance. But often, many of these – forgive me here – old media “show” skills are not relevant to the huge audience now consuming 1 billion hours of YouTube video every day. Yet we persist and video stream the radio “show” with the expectation an online audience will skyrocket, sales will explode, and the future is as easy as hitting the send button. It just does not work that way.

The radio industry has developed many of the greatest “authentic” talents in the world. How will we plan for a future that has billions of hours of consumption?

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

Salem Now Traded on OTC Markets Group

OTC Markets Group Inc, the operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, announces that Salem Media Group qualifies to trade on the OTCQX Best Market under theim ticker symbol SALM. Salem Media Group previously traded on NASDAQ. Yahoo!Finance writes, “Trading on the OTCQX Market offers companies efficient, cost-effective access to the U.S. capital markets. Streamlined market requirements for OTCQX are designed to help companies lower the cost and complexity of being publicly traded, while providing transparent trading for their investors. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.”

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

Cable news network NewsNation launches a new Sunday public affairs program titled, “The Hill Sunday with Chris Stirewalt.” The show will debut on March 3 at 10:00 am ET. NewsNation president of news Michael Corn states, “We are delighted that Chris will be joining the new weekend lineup. He is a legendary figure in Washington and one of the most respected, intelligent, and well-sourced journalists covering U.S. politics.”

Digital sports platform OutKick announces that it finished 2023 with the most growth year over year amongst its competitive set in total multiplatform unique visitors, delivering a monthly average of 7.2 million total multiplatform unique visitors, up 65% versus 2022, according to Comscore. OutKick founder Clay Travis says,“2023 was a tremendous year for OutKick. We’ve added new shows, top-tier talent, and most importantly continued to generate engaging content with a roster that’s unfiltered and fearless.”

PodcastOne renews the exclusive sales and distribution rights for the “Our Fake History” podcast, created and hosted by Canadian high school history teacher Sebastian Major. PodcastOne chief content officer Eli Dvorkin says, “We’re thrilled to continue our long-term relationship with Sebastian and ‘Our Fake History.’ This podcast is a leader in debunking or verifying historical myths and legends while instilling the sort of knowledge that makes any listener just that much smarter.”

Industry Views

SABO SEZ: City to Town – A Perspective on Trump Voters

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media Implementers
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, “Sterling On Sunday”
Talk Media Network

imAcknowledging that this publication is fiercely non-partisan and that I – in my role as a broadcaster – am basically the same, I offer the following, not as a political opinion piece, but rather a personal observation based on experience that might shed light on the deeper nature of a large segment of the American population prone to listen to talk radio.

A few years ago, I moved from Manhattan to Shaker Heights, Ohio. Geraldo Rivera made the same journey for the same reason; our wives went to Shaker High. In our brides’ minds, that’s enough reason to return.

During the period of the Donald Trump presidency, a new phenomenon was sweeping the East and West Coasts: People who did not vote for Trump demonized and marginalized those who did. Lifelong friendships were ended by anti-Trump individuals who merely suspected a friend was pro-Trump, often with little evidence. Celebrities threatened to leave the country if Trump became or remained president. They would flee to Canada, without any consideration of whether or not Canadians wanted them!  

At first, I would ask anti-Trump people if they had actually voted for Hillary Clinton? That question was inevitably met with an icy glare, but no answer. They hadn’t. Anti-Trumpers were seething, ignited by their guilt that they assumed Clinton would win and therefore making their voting participation unnecessary. What else could explain the fevered emotion against a president – on his FIRST day in office? Trump hadn’t done anything to anger Scarlett Johansson into leading an angry insurrection mob. But she did. Day one.

Living in Ohio, I have spent time with hundreds of Trump voters and learned something valuable. Trump supporters do not match the level of passion in support of the president as those who hate him. Not even close. The disparity is stunning.

No Trump voter has threatened to leave the country if a Democrat wins. No Trump voter has said, “I hate all Biden voters, I wish they would die,” as Howard Stern has said about them. No Trump voter refuses to befriend a Joe Biden voter just because, hey, if we’re friends we are friends.

Yes, Trump voters go to the polls for him because of – his policies. And what are those? The Ohio parents and workers I know matter-of-factly want Trump first and foremost so they can afford gasoline and heating oil. When the price of gas went up, parents had to cut down on after school activities, school competitions and distant playdates, they just couldn’t afford the trip. They can’t hop on the bus to Chelsea Piers. They don’t care if it’s Trump specifically, they just want cheaper gas – sir can you do that?

Next, they vote for the candidate who will support safe neighborhoods, cheaper meat, cheaper milk, their kid in the Marines home for the holidays, Israel, better schools.

I learned this from parents waiting for dance class and band practice to end. Patient parents proud of their kids. They weren’t chanting for Trump or bashing Biden. They just want enough gas to get home.

I’ve learned that many people who hate Trump voters do so while getting into an Uber, a taxi, bus, or subway. They don’t own a car. They buy food for one, not for five times seven days a week. They don’t have to go to three different food stores to get the cheapest items… they just hit Food Emporium ($6.98 a gallon of milk). In Ohio, $2.29 a gallon, Walmart.

Of course, there are other issues swirling around Trump and Biden – but right now most deplorable Ohioans have to pick up the kid at school on time, let their child buy one toy at Dollar Tree, I said one, and hope there is enough spaghetti for dinner.

Walter Sabo was a founding architect of SiriusXM and began the recruitment of Howard Stern. He has consulted RKO General, PARADE magazine, Hearst BroadcastingPress Broadcasting, and other premium brands. He launched the first company to engage online video influencers, Hitviews. As an executive, he was EVP of NBC FM RADIO giving Dr. Ruth Westheimer her first media job and fostering the creation of adult contemporary. As VP ABC Radio Networks, Sabo hired Ringo Starr to be a DJ for a 24-hour special.

Industry News

Report: Newsmax Renews Cable Carriage Deals

According to a story by Amy Maclean in Cablefax, Newsmax has “quietly” renewed its carriage deals with cable and satellite firms. Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy says, “By the end of 2023, we have signed renewals with all of our major operators – Comcast, Charter, DirecTV, DISH and Verizon Fios. When I started this a while back, people said they weren’t going to let any new channels on cable anymore. And we’ve basically, I think, been accepted and are now a member of the club. I think we’reim here to stay.” In order to get compensation from these multichannel video programming distributors, Newsmax shuttered its free steaming channel on November 1. Interestingly, Ruddy tells Cablefax that contrary to what people might assume, the arrival of Donald Trump on the political scene didn’t help Newsmax’s efforts. “I think President Trump has added great difficulty to Newsmax because there’s so much hostility in the industry and world against him. The media establishment, but also in the cable industry, he’s not a really liked figure. We were having more success I felt before he was elected in 2016. I think we probably would have gotten more carriage earlier had he not been elected… We try to reach out to both sides. While we have a lot of pro-Trump stuff, we also have people like Rick Santorum. He has been you know very critical of him through the years and he’s now our leading political adviser… Our night leads with Greta Van Susteren, and she’s not a polarizing figure.” Read the Cablefax piece here.

Industry News

Triton Digital Releases December Podcast Ranker

Triton Digital releases its U.S. Podcast Ranker for December 2023 (based on weekly average downloads) and NPR’s popular shows return to the ranker after a month away due to a planned dataim collection migration. NPR’s “NPR News Now” is back in the #1 spot, followed by NBCUniversal News Group’s “Dateline NBC” at #2, audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” at #3, and NPR’s “Up First” at #4. Other radio-related podcasts in the top 25 include Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Dan Bongino Show” at #7 (down three places), Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” at #18 (down six spots), and Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Mark Levin Show” at #25 (down nine places). See the complete ranker here.

Industry News

FCC Fines Cumulus $26k for EEO Report Violations

The FCC knocked $6,000 off the forfeiture amount for Cumulus Media’s failure to post its EEO public file report for the Albany, Georgia cluster in a timely manner and fines the company $26,000. Cumulus asked for a reconsideration of the Notice of Apparent Liability arguing that it completed the EEO report but admitted to failing to upload it to its station websites on time. But the FCC concluded, “[C]ompilingim the Annual Report alone, without also uploading it to its intended destination in a timely manner, here more than nine months late, may, in certain circumstances, constitute (and here does constitute) a violation of the requirements to analyze the Stations’ EEO program. The length of time during which Cumulus failed to upload its Annual Report is persuasive evidence that Cumulus did not ‘routinely analyze the adequacy of their various EEO program elements in achieving broad outreach to all segments of the community’ and address any problems found as a result of such analysis… Consequently, given the specific circumstances of this case, we reject Cumulus’s argument that any self-evaluation it did in fact undertake was adequate and satisfied the self-assessment rule.”

Industry News

Salem Media Group Promotes Anderson and Murphy

Salem Media Group announces that Nic Anderson moves from his general manager role at the company’s Twin Cities operations to the post of vice president of government affairs. Anderson has ledim Salem’s government affairs efforts since September of 2021 and focuses on it full time. Salem CEO Dave Santrella comments, “Nic’s passion and commitment to advocating for the iminterests of Salem and our industry in the halls of government has proven that he is a natural for this role. This promotion to VP of government affairs is a recognition of his talents and the value of the role to Salem.” As a result of Anderson’s promotion, Salem ups Minneapolis station manager Mike Murphy to the general manager position. Salem president of broadcast media Allen Power states, “Mike’s leadership as station manager has earned this elevation into the GM chair. We are grateful for how he has provided oversight in Minneapolis that made it possible for Nic Anderson to take on government affairs. We are excited to see Mike move into the full GM job.”

Industry News

Savage Media Group Open for Business

Broadcasting executive Scott Savage announces that he’s back in business with his company, Savage Media Group, LLC. He says, “I’m thrilled to be back and more focused than ever to support broadcasters with SMG’s brokerage and consultancy company established in 2006. My passion and dedication to contribute to the growth of the radio industry is my top priority.” In addition to brokerage and consulting services, Savage is also experienced with trustee and court-appointed receiverships. During his career, he’s served in management positions with companies including Infinity/CBS, FOX Sports Radio Network, Entravision Communications, and more.

Industry News

KBLA, Los Angeles Kicks Off Year-Long Climate Justice Campaign

SmileyAudioMedia, Inc announces that flagship station KBLA, Los Angeles “Talk 1580 AM” is launching a $2 million, 12-month Climate Justice Campaign with four clear objectives: center the voices of communities of color in the climate conversation, connect at-risk fellow citizens with advocacy organizations, increase climate health literacy, and highlight frontline climate justice crusaders of color.im The company says that the initiative will achieve these objectives with a robust schedule of climate-themed broadcasts and special programming during the next 12 months, four free community events (one per quarter), two town halls broadcast nationally from Los Angeles, and a savvy social media and marketing campaign. KBLA says its public and private partners in this initiative include: LADWP, Metro, the Port of Los Angeles, CalEndow, California Community Foundation, the Sierra Club, the South Coast Air Quality Management District and others who will join the campaign in Q2, Q3 and Q4. Chief visionary officer and nationally imsyndicated talk host Tavis Smiley says, “The harsher impacts of climate change weigh heavily on communities of color. In these underserved communities, families are less likely to have air conditioning, shade trees, bus shelters, water and energy effective appliances and other infrastructure that’s critical to mitigate a changing climate. As the most ‘trusted, credible and reliable’ media source in Southern California for African Americans and beyond, our talk station is committed to do more than just talk in these troubled times. There is a clear connection between Dr. King’s moral consistence on the notion of reverence for human life or the interconnected nature of life and the future of our world house. On this MLK holiday weekend, KBLA assigns itself the task of elevating the climate conversation by amplifying the voices of those who are most impacted by the climate catastrophes we are all witnessing in real time. In a real sense, climate is king.”

Industry Views

SABO SEZ: Reflections on the Death of Sears and “Mass Appeal” Radio

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media Implementers
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, “Sterling On Sunday”
Talk Media Network

imSears used to sell everything. Tractors, tires, insurance, investments, chickens. In 2004, Sears was the dominant retailer in America. By the end of the decade, it was feverishly closing stores and dying.

Marketers blame the failure on aging store decor, failure to support the brand online, and merchandise offerings that were too broad. Circuit CityCompUSAFirestone and other highly targeted stores were super-serving specific product lines and diminishing the appeal of Sears’ profit leaders.

Nope. If a broad product line was the problem, Walmart would be a very small business. Operationally, Sears died from within by centralizing all buying and selling decisions. Local stores had zero autonomy and therefore were unable to stay ahead of customer preference trends. The bureaucracy was poison. Financially, Sears was a publicly traded company managed in the end by Wall Street speculators who probably wanted it to fail for their own gain.

SHOCKING WALMART NEWS: Walmart is the highest grossing company in the world. Larger than Chinese oil refineries, General MotorsVolkswagen, and Microsoft. It is the highest grossing company in the world.

Walmart’s decision strategy is surprisingly decentralized. It learned from Sears’ mistake. The employees you see working in Walmart are in charge. Each employee is assigned to a department. They see the profit and loss for their department and for each item they are selling. Employees are shown those numbers from day one. Walmart associates are expected to keep shelves stocked and to stay ahead of demand by ordering from distribution centers on their handheld computers.

No checking with corporate or clearing adds.

In times of crisis, such as hurricanes, Walmart colleagues can donate food, water, and other supplies to rescue workers without chain of command approval. Just do it. After one local disaster, a Walmart corporate type commented on the vast amount of donations made by a local store: “That’s a good use of autonomy.”

Walmart also learned from Sears how not to finance their company: 50% of Walmart is held by founder Sam Walton’s dependents and the Waltons control the board of directors.

So… what does this mean to you?

Walter Sabo was a founding architect of SiriusXM and began the recruitment of Howard Stern. He has consulted RKO General, PARADE magazine, Hearst BroadcastingPress Broadcasting, and other premium brands. He launched the first company to engage online video influencers, Hitviews. As an executive, he was EVP of NBC FM RADIO giving Dr. Ruth Westheimer her first media job and fostering the creation of adult contemporary. As VP ABC Radio Networks, Sabo hired Ringo Starr to be a DJ for a 24-hour special.