Top News/Talk Media Stories for Week of June 19 – 23
Former president Donald Trump’s legal battles were the most-talked-about story in news/talk media during the week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the plea deal for unpaid taxes by Hunter Biden, followed by the cast of characters in the 2024 presidential race at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.
on his long-running “Urban View” channel program on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. The two legendary radio figures took a deep-dive into the subjects of podcasting, AM radios in cars, the role of boomers in today’s culture and the way in which the annual TALKERS Heavy Hundred list is compiled. Don’t miss this conversation! 
years, I have been working two daily jobs. The time has come for me to focus my full energies on ‘The MJ Morning Show’… This is bittersweet as it has been a joy and privilege to host ‘The Schnitt Show’ and I am forever grateful to our affiliates, sponsors, partners, and most importantly our listeners for supporting the show for so many years.” Compass Media Networks CEO Peter Kosann says, “How many people in the history of radio have hosted two-daily, drive time shows, targeting two completely different audiences, and doing it successfully for over two decades? The answer is virtually no one else. Kudos to Todd for his work ethic, creativity, ingenuity, and talent. It has been an honor to serve as Todd’s syndication partner all these years and we look forward to working with him on this next chapter.”
more “significant on-air layoffs” affecting ESPN personalities that could come as early as next week. Johnson, Williams and Kellerman have other roles with ESPN and their individual status with the company is not certain, but Marchand speculates that contract buyouts by ESPN are a possibility. ESPN will put a morning show back on the network, but the talent will need to make significantly less than the “Keyshawn, JWill and Max” hosts were making. 
Smiley adds, “We launched KBLA Talk 1580 on Juneteenth, two years ago, during the height of the COVID-19 health crisis. We’re extremely proud that in two short years, KBLA Talk 1580 has become a trusted community resource in Los Angeles and beyond. Our mission to enlighten, empower and encourage, resonates with our growing audience.” Additionally, over the past two years the company has launched SAM Digital, its own brand of white label products that are designed to help businesses and service providers reach an even wider audience, grow brand awareness, and increase sales by targeting specific audiences with direct messaging and by measuring the performance of their outreach campaigns. It also recently debuted the SmileyAudioMedia Podcast Network to expand beyond traditional radio broadcasting.
Dawn Davenport is seen every Saturday on the college football sidelines, and her relationships and knowledge of the SEC are huge assets for ‘104.5 The Zone’ listeners. Ron Slay is an SEC Player of the Year for the Tennessee Volunteers Men’s Basketball team and is a beloved natural entertainer.” Cumulus Nashville VP/market manager Allison Warren and program director Paul Mason say, in a joint statement, “Today, we celebrate the powerhouse trio Brent Dougherty, Dawn Davenport and Ron Slay. They have proven time and again to be a driving force behind 104.5 The Zone’s success, dominating the ratings and capturing the hearts of our listeners. They have an undeniable chemistry—a lightning in a bottle connection that brings our audience together. We are grateful to our clients, who have become our biggest fans, for choosing this remarkable station and these influential personalities to support their local businesses.”
being produced by the award-winning team of Steve Gregory and Jacob Gonzalez with associate producer Nick Pagliochini. KFI says, “Parents and protesters continue to gather at school board meetings around the country to express their frustration over districts’ that try to introduce books and language which address the transgender community and other LGBTQ+ issues. Faith-based leaders have also joined the protests along with advocacy groups that represent parents of public-school students. Critics say these issues should be addressed exclusively in the home while supporters say it is critical to be inclusive of all lifestyles to better prepare children for the real world. ‘He Said, She Said, They Said…’ features multiple sides of the issue. There is also a companion podcast with extended content that will be available immediately following the broadcast on the iHeartRadio App.”
Lucid, Bose, Samsung and Xbox, as well as on the TuneIn mobile app and TuneIn.com. The agreement also gives Audacy access to TuneIn’s advertising supply and brings select TuneIn original content to the Audacy digital platform. Audacy chief digital officer J.D. Crowley 
comments, “Streaming of AM/FM Radio is one of the fastest growing segments of all digital audio today. As consumer demand for Audacy’s best-in-class local audio content continues to increase, we’re committed to meeting the listener wherever they wish to consume, and we’re delighted to expand the availability of our unique live sports, news, and personality-driven audio content to over 200 new TuneIn-supported platforms. We’re equally thrilled to welcome TuneIn’s premium exclusive content to the Audacy digital platform.”
Hosting Career.” The session, sponsored by C. Crane, was introduced by managing partner, Goldman McCormick PR and syndicated host, Ryan McCormick (pictured at right) and moderated by WPHT, Philadelphia host, Dom Giordano (pictured above). Panelists (pictured below from left to right) include Heather Cohen, SVP, the Weiss Agency; Martha Zoller, host, WDUN-AM/FM, Gainesville, GA; Frank Morano, host WABC, New York; Rich Valdes, host, Westwood One; and Jeff Katz, host, WRVA, Richmond, VA. 
In the early 1980s, talk radio made a $4 billion mistake. Prior to then, there were approximately 50 full-time talk stations in America. They were predominantly found in major markets and had been in the format since Marconi. The original talk stations had two key traits: They were dominant in ratings and much of their popularity was driven by women hosts.
Then Mary Margaret read live copy. OR Mary Margaret had her guests read live copy. Sales for advertisers exploded. (Source: It’s One O’ Clock, Time for Mary Margaret McBride by Susan Ware 
from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. FOX News Media president and executive editor Jay Wallace comments, “We are extremely proud to have Bret and Martha moderating the first debate of the 2024 presidential election season as Americans learn more about the candidates ahead of exercising their constitutional right to vote.”
president and CEO John Rosso states, “Through this acquisition, we further demonstrate our commitment to providing robust tools to enable growth in the global audio industry. The Manadge platform will enable Triton’s publisher, sales house, and demand partners to better analyze advertising data and use Manadge’s powerful UI to make data-driven decisions for their business.” As part of the acquisition, the Manadge team will join Triton Digital’s team, bringing a high level of talent and expertise to Triton’s product and engineering efforts.
podcast averages more than 13 million monthly downloads. Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott says, “We couldn’t be more proud of what Clay and Buck have accomplished together over the past two years. They had big shoes to fill, and they hit the ground running with their fresh, dynamic and entertaining brand of news talk. The results speak for themselves, and we’re proud to mark this milestone with them as they continue to deliver impressive returns for our partners.”
“Generating Talk Radio Revenue in a Digital World.” The session, sponsored by The Ramsey Show, was introduced by syndicated host and radio executive Doug Stephan of the Good Day Show/Stephan Multimedia (pictured at right) and moderated by Lapcom Communications Corp president, Steve Lapa (pictured above). Panelists (pictured below from left to right) include Vince Benedetto, CEO, Bold Gold Media Group; Paul Gleiser, host/owner, KTBB-FM-AM, Tyler, TX; Michael “MZ” Zwerling, host/owner, KSCO/KOMY, Santa Cruz; Todd Starnes, host/president, The Todd Starnes Show Syndication/owner, KWAM, Memphis; and Paul Vandenburgh, host/owner, WGDI, Albany, NY. 
Erick Erickson as the new afternoon talk show host on WYRD-FM, an unsurpassed team of talent will serve the Upstate, north Georgia and western North Carolina. Erick’s thought-provoking discussions, unyielding insight and captivating presence will be a welcomed addition to our listeners and partners. Erick will complete News/Talk 98.9 WORD’s incredible lineup, allowing us to provide unmatched content for listeners and the largest and most effective platform for advertisers.” Erickson is syndicated via Compass Media Networks. 
daypart and join current co-host Brandon Tierney as Tierney’s longtime partner Tiki Barber moves to afternoon drive alongside Evan Roberts. Barber’s new role comes as Craig Carton leaves Audacy’s sports talk WFAN, New York to focus on his morning show at FS1. 
4,000 largest US stocks as of April 28, 2023, ranking them by total market capitalization. Membership in the US all-cap Russell 3000 Index, which remains in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in the Large-Cap Russell 1000 Index or Small-Cap Russell 2000 Index as well as the appropriate growth and value style indexes. FTSE Russell determines membership for its Russell indexes primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings and style attributes. Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies. Approximately $12.1 trillion in assets are benchmarked against Russell’s US indexes. Russell indexes are part of FTSE Russell, a leading global index provider.
LP, a 39-station group which he later sold to Cumulus Broadcasting in 2000 for $258 million. At this time, he pioneered notable progress in integrating legacy media with emerging digital technology. In 2004, he formed Connoisseur Media which now operates 13 radio station brands and digital assets in five markets. Highly respected and celebrated industry-wide for his outspoken candor and bullish approach to radio station ownership, Jeff Warshaw serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, the executive committee of the Radio Advertising Bureau, and is chairman of the Nielsen Audio advisory council. Harrison describes Warshaw as “one of the most knowledgeable, emerging forces to be reckoned with among radio industry leaders and a potential leader in the next wave of radio station consolidation.” The two discuss the intersection between ratings, revenue, and corporate culture. Not to be missed. 
alongside Evan Roberts. This news comes several days after Craig Carton announced that he will leave WFAN on June 30 after agreeing to focus on his FS1 morning program. Barber has been co-hosting the 10:00 am to 2:00 pm show on WFAN with Brandon Tierney. 
an illustrious career in LA radio, from LOVELINE’s inception on KROQ through the show’s network syndication and MTV. We’re thrilled to have Ann joining our iHeart LA team.” Ingold was most recently serving as producer on ITV’s weekly live Facebook Watch program and consulted Los Angeles radio shows for Audacy and Meruelo Media. She comments, “I want to thank Robin and everyone at KFI for being so welcoming.”
It’s that time of year. College graduates are pushing out resumes. Are you open for entry level sellers? Any turnover on your sales team this year?
Morning Charity Foundation has raised more than $1.4 million and has written hundreds of grants, including a $ 7,000 donation to the Broadcasters Foundation of America presented on June 2 TALKERS 2023 held at Hofstra University. The Hurley in the Morning Charity Foundation also presents an annual Charity Gala at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City. This year’s event takes place on September 29 and this year’s guest of honor and keynote speaker will be FOX News superstar Brian Kilmeade.
Has this happened to you? Moments after you have met someone, you forget his or her name? OOPS.
Class A Common Stock and 1,125,000 shares of Class C Common Stock). The purchase price of $14.6 million was funded with cash on hand. Townsquare CEO Bill Wilson states, “We could not be more pleased to share that given our strong cash position, we were able to repurchase approximately 8.5% of our total shares outstanding (and nearly half of MSG’s ownership in Townsquare), capturing a positive return for our shareholders. Due to our strong cash flow generation, we have demonstrated Townsquare’s ability to support a high-yield dividend and repurchase debt and equity, while also simultaneously investing in the future of our digital growth engine. This repurchase is immediately accretive to shareholders and we thank our board of directors for their vote of confidence in our medium and long-term business plan to grow revenue and profits.”
Resort Casino Host Community Agreement with the City of Richmond, Virginia, to be the city’s preferred casino gaming operator subject to certification by the Virginia Lottery Department and a local referendum. The planned project is a $562 million world-class entertainment and gaming venue.