Industry News

KFI, Los Angeles Debuts Limited Podcast Series on Rising Antisemitism

iHeartMedia’s Los Angeles news/talk outlet KFI-AM announces the launch of “HATE: Modern Antisemitism,” a limited podcast series that investigates the spike in hate crimes and how people inside and outside the Jewish community are helping to raise awareness with the goal of stopping Antisemitism and all incidents of hate. The series – produced by the award-winning team of Steve Gregory and Jacob Gonzalez – features Ted Deutch, the CEO of the Americanim Jewish Committee. The AJC is a global advocacy organization that monitors Antisemitism around the world and offers education and support to the Jewish community as well as engaging with leaders at the highest levels of government. KFI program director Robin Bertolucci says, “I, along with others, recently watched in horror as anti-Semitic protesters were seen making Nazi salutes to passersby on the 405 freeway. As broadcasters, it is our duty to educate and inform our listeners and this podcast brings attention to the unseemly underbelly of Antisemitism which is sadly alive and well online and in our communities.” Other guests include Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean and director of Global Social Action Agenda for the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles; Dr. Matthew Schumacher, a clinical and operational psychologist who is on assignment with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Bureau; Dr. Michael Berenbaum, curator of the installation of the only authorized traveling exhibition of Auschwitz; Rabbi Michael Barclay, founding rabbi of Temple Ner Simcha in Westlake Village, California.

Industry News

CROSSOVER HITS!

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Noted humorist and political commentator Bill Maher (above, left) is a longtime acquaintance and guest of WPHT, Philadelphia midday legend Dom Giordano (right). The two independent thinkers pictured here represent a large swath of the ever-evolving political spectrum. Giordano tells TALKERS, “Bill Maher has been a steady guest of mine over the last several years, particularly on issues like cancel culture. In the course of my recent interview with him on his appearance at The Met in Philadelphia (6/3), I told him that Roe, my wife, and I would be attending his show. He invited us backstage and we talked talk radio, the writers’ strike and his audience including a lot more conservatives.”

Industry News

KIDO, Boise Adds CT & BS, Clears Hannity Live

Townsquare Media’s KIDO, Boise “Talk Radio 107.5 FM & 580 AM” announces the addition of Premiere Networks’ “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” to its program lineup in the 10:00 am to 1:00 pm daypart. At the same time, the station moves Premiere’s “The Sean Hannityim Show” to a live clearance from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. KIDO brand manager Kevin Miller states, “In the world that we live in today, with the possibilities of world war and an upcoming presidential election, the addition of Clay and Buck along with Sean Hannity live will allow Idahoans to hear the news and talk about it as it happens. It’s great having all three talented hosts with Idaho connections and values in the Treasure Valley.”

Industry News

WFLI, Chattanooga Flips to News/Talk

Tri-State Radio’s WFLI-AM/W262DQ launches a news/talk/sports format, flipping back to spoken-word from the classic hits format it’s been airing. The station’s lineup includes a simulcast of WTVC-TV’s “Good Morning Chattanooga” from 4:30 am to 7:00 am, followed by the syndicated “Rick & Bubba” show from 7:00 am to 10:00 am. Real estate expert Del Walmsleyim hosts “Lifestyles Unlimited” from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, followed by Premiere Networks’ “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm, “The Sean Hannity Show” from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Outkick’s “Hot Mic” with Chad Withrow and Jonathan Hutton from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Tri-State Radio president Evan Stone says, “We felt like there was a void for more regional and local news, talk and sports – that was the motivation behind putting this lineup together. The ability to add the two biggest shows in conservative talk in Hannity and Clay and Buck was a no-brainer. It’s hard to find a bigger name in news talk than Sean Hannity and Clay Travis with his connection to the state of Tennessee… aligns us very well for success. Throughout the day we’ll feature local and regional newscasts and sportscasts every hour.”

Industry News

Three Arrested After WILK-AM/FM Break-In

PAHomePage reports three people have been arrested and charged with breaking into Audacy’s news/talk WILK-AM/FM, Wilkes-Barre on May 27. The report indicates Christian MacDowell,im 47, James Norman Swank, 35, and Elizabeth Ann Caruso, 35, have been charged with burglary. The report goes on to note that Caruso and Swank admitted being at the station but denied stealing anything. While MacDowell admitted breaking into the station and stealing two demolition bags, sanitary wipes, and a fire extinguisher. They’ve each been released on $25,000 unsecured bail. Read the story here.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (6/6) Top News/Talk Media Stories

Mike Pence and Chris Christie officially enter the GOP primary race for president in 2024; the legal battles facing former President Donald Trump; the GOP lawmakers turning against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy over the debt ceiling deal; the transportation of migrants from Florida to Sacramento and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s threats against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis; the investigation into the Biden family’s finances and the removal of IRS whistleblowers from the case; the ongoing pushback against LGBTQ activism; the devastating flood resulting from Russia’s alleged destruction of Ukraine’s Kakhova dam; and the air quality over much of the Eastern U.S. due to wildfires in Quebec were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

TALKERS 2023: Video of “Programming News/Talk Radio in the Digital Era – Part 1” Posted

During the coming days, videos of all of TALKERS 2023’s numerous sessions conducted June 2im at Hofstra University will be posted, beginning today with the panel discussion “Programming News/Talk Radio in the Digital Era – Part 1.”  The session, sponsored by Premiere Networks, is introduced by Larry O’ Connor, morning host at WMAL, Washington, DC and moderated by Mike McVay (pictured at right), CEO of McVay Media Consulting.  Panelists (pictured below from left to right) include Joe Thomas, program director/host, WCHV, Charlottesville, VA; Eric Stanger, SVP operations, Sean Hannity Show/Premiere Networks; Brett Winterble, host, WBT, Charlotte; Kevin DeLany, VP news & talk programming, Westwood One; and Tom Cuddy, program director, WOR, New York. (Note: Matt Meany, program director, WABC, New York who was originally scheduled to appear on this panel switched to the “Programming News/Talk Radio in the Digital Era – Part 2” session which will be posted tomorrow.) See the video of this session here

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Industry News

Cumulus-Signal Hill Report: YouTube #1 Podcast Platform

Cumulus Media, in partnership with Signal Hill Insights, release their “Podcast Download – Spring 2023 Report,” that studies the podcast audience. Cumulus says this 10th edition of the study that examines weekly podcast consumers is part of its commitment to share insights and research findings with the podcast community. The study concludes that podcast consumersim have embraced YouTube as the number one podcast platform, especially with podcast discovery. Cumulus Media EVP, marketing and president, Westwood One Suzanne Grimes states, “Throughout our long-running ‘Podcast Download Report’ series, we have seen the steady growth of YouTube as a podcast destination and now as a gateway to podcast discovery. While the dominance of YouTube as a platform is exciting and important as we continue to launch our Cumulus Podcast Network shows on YouTube, at the end of the day, content trumps the platform, and our strategy is to focus on podcasts that retain the audience regardless of platform.”

Uncategorized

TuneIn Offers Free Digital Transmission to AM Radio Stations

Audio content aggregator TuneIn is offering FCC-licensed AM broadcasters in the U.S. access to its analytics service Amplifier and increase the sound quality of their digital broadcasts for free with TuneIn On-Air. The company says, “With the accessibility of terrestrial radio on the decline, from electric vehicles without receivers to smart home systems that rely entirely on digitallyim streaming content, the industry is at a critical crossroads. TuneIn On Air digitally optimizes the reach of audio content to over 30 million TuneIn users across the country. Accessibility of AM content also increases to over 200 connected devices that partner with TuneIn, including, but not limited to, Amazon Alexa; Google Home; Sonos and Bose speakers; all iPhones and Android-based phones; and Tesla, Fisker and VinFast electric vehicle integrations.” TuneIn CEO Rich Stern adds, “The future of AM Radio is on the top of all of our minds. TuneIn is committed to helping AM radio thrive in the digital world. It offers such a vast and rich library of audio programming that is integral to millions of Americans’ daily lives. Offering AM broadcasters the opportunity to digitize through TuneIn On Air for free is one way we can build a brighter future together.”

Industry News

Sports Radio 101.1 in Peoria Adds FOX Sports Radio

Advanced Media Partners announces that it adds FOX Sports Radio’s lineup to its sports talk WZPN-FM, “Peoria’s Sports Radio 101.1.” The station adds the network’s “Two Pros and a Cup of Joe with LaVar Arrington, Brady Quinn & Jonas Knox,” “The Dan Patrick Show,” “The Herdim with Colin Cowherd,” “The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard & Rob Parker,” “The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon” and “The Ben Maller Show.” It will also feature FOX Sports Radio around the clock on weekends. Advanced Media Partners operations manager Scott Hecathorn says, “Moving to FOX Sports is both creating an opportunity to give our listeners even more local sports content with our expanded local lineup, and also giving us the top-notch personalities from FOX Sports throughout the rest of the day. This is the biggest victory for Peoria since the Rivermen brought home the President’s Cup!”

Industry News

Lou Mellini Dies at 82

Former Colorado Springs radio executive Lou Mellini passed away yesterday (6/5) at the age of 82. Mellini had retired from his position as vice president and general manager at KILO-FM and KRXP-FM in Colorado Springs in 2017. During his career he served with news/talk KRDO-AM/FM, Colorado Springs and, in the early 1990s, served as president and CEO of Business Radio Network. Read his obit in The Gazette here.

Industry News

Yesterday’s (6/5) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The 2024 presidential race and Mike Pence and Chris Christie join the GOP primary race; the legal battles facing former President Donald Trump; the investigation into the Biden family’s finances and the House Oversight Committee’s unfulfilled request for information from the FBI; the consumer backlash against Anheuser-Busch and Target for its LGBTQ-friendly marketing plans; the status of CNN CEO Chris Licht in the wake of a profile piece about him published in The Atlantic; Ukraine accuses Russia of destroying the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station; immigration and the transporting of migrants from Florida to Sacramento; and GOP presidential candidate and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott’s appearance on “The View” were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

TALKERS 2023 Lives Up to High Expectations

For 10 exciting hours on Friday, June 2, Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York became the center of the talk media universe as some 250 professional broadcasters and dedicated students of communications gathered to hear more than 60 speakers in addition to networking with each other at TALKERS 2023. It was the 26th annual installment of the talk show field’s longest running and most important national conference. Speakers included such luminaries as WABC, New York/Red Apple Media CEO, John CatsimatidisNewsmax Media CEO, 

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Christopher RuddyConnoisseur Media CEO, Jeff Warshaw; KBLA Talk 1580, Los Angeles CEO (and Freedom of Speech Award recipient) Tavis SmileySound Mind, LLC CEO (and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient) Kraig T. Kitchin; and WDUN, Gainesville, GA talk show host (and Woman of the Year recipient) Martha Zoller. There was a special, exclusive video appearance by iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman. The iconic conference included panel discussions addressing such topics as programming news/talk and sports talk radio, podcasting, generating revenue, artificial intelligence in broadcasting, navigating a talk show hosting career, AM radio and automobiles, the challenges facing the ratings process, and the future of technology and media. Speakers included major talk show hosts, program directors, brand managers, agents, syndicators and radio station owners. Look for extensive stories and photos from the conference in TALKERS over the next days and weeks including full video coverage of every speech, panel and presentation. All of us at TALKERS are grateful to the talk media industry for making TALKERS 2023 a tremendous success!

Industry News

Flaherty and Borselle Rise at WBZ-AM, Boston

iHeartMedia all-news WBZ-AM, Boston announces that Bill Flaherty is being promoted to director of programming and operations and Jay Borselle rises to news director, effective July 1. Flaherty takes over for Rob Sanchez – current program director and vice president of news, talkim and sports – who will transition into an innovation-focused consultant role at the end of June. iHeartMedia Boston SVP of programming Dylan Sprague comments, “Rob’s imvision has helped guide ‘WBZ NewsRadio’ towards becoming a digitally focused news organization. I’m glad that he will continue to be a part of our organization as he moves into the next part of his career.” Sprague adds, “Bill’s experience paired with his shared vision of the future makes him the obvious choice to succeed Rob as programim director. Jay is a consummate professional with a strong connection to the community, and we are thrilled to have him to lead our newsroom. I couldn’t be more excited about where ‘WBZ NewsRadio’ is headed with Bill and Jay at the helm.” Flaherty states, “I am excited to work with the best news staff in the business as we keep finding ways to make innovative changes to live local news. WBZ NewsRadio is combining its strong signal with an impactful social media presence to bring news and storytelling to people of all ages,” said Bill Flaherty.

Industry News

WJR, Detroit Unveils New All Local Lineup

Cumulus Media’s Detroit news/talk 760 WJR announces a series of lineup changes that will take effect on June 20 in which all of the daytime hosts will be live and local. One of the biggest changes is longtime station morning host Paul W. Smith moving to the newly created 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm daypart as host of “Focus.” Smith replaces the Westwood One-syndicated “Dan Bongino Show.” WJR says that Smith’s hosting the “Focus” show “will expand theim community’s access to Michigan’s most influential political, civic, and business newsmakers.”  Moving to mornings is current early afternoon host Guy Gordon, who becomes host of  “JR Morning” from 6:00 am to 9:00 am. “All Talk” with Tom Jordan and Kevin Dietz airs from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. Following “Focus” will be the imnewly created “JR Afternoon” show with host Chris Renwick from 2:00pm-4:00pm, followed by “The Mitch Albom Show” from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Additionally, WJR is bringing back “SportsWrap” with host Sean Baligian airing from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Cumulus Detroit VP and market manager Steve Finateri says, “Launching the ‘Focus’ show will give Paul W. Smith the opportunity to expand, on and off the air, his unmatched relationships with Michigan’s most influential newsmakers, for the benefit of our audience and our advertising partners. WJR is ‘The Great Voice of the Great Lakes’ and going 100% local is a big win for all Michiganders who count on WJR to inform and educate us about everything happening here in our state!” WJR program director Mike Wheeler adds, “What a lineup! Each of our talent is a brand unto themselves and have a unique vision and take on the events that shape the news. We are absolutely living up to our claim that WJR is where Michigan comes to talk.”

Industry Views

Pending Business: The Spoken-Word Advantage

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imI’m sorry.

Please accept my apologies for NOT believing radio, AM radio, news/talk radio is dead. Just ask most of the panelists at last Friday’s TALKERS 2023 convention.

For sure, the news/talk AM radio sector is navigating the choppy waters of change, like it or not. The microsecond breaking newsflash so currently common in our digital world has forever changed the basic pillars of the AM radio news/talk world: programming, audience engagement, sales, and tech. Change and adapt we must. To paraphrase Charles Darwin, “Survival belongs to those who adapt to change, forget about being fit.”

Surprising as it may seem, the five local owner-operators who joined me for our “Generating Sales in the Digital World” panel all agreed on one thing: commitment to their local community. And where there’s a local sound, there is a local sale. Just look at how local owner-operators are growing their AM news/talk operations to win more sales every day. Todd Starnes’ KWAM, Memphis is expanding its local news department, while trendy players like Vice Media and Buzzfeed shut down news efforts. From the Hudson Valley and Albany in New York state to Santa Cruz, California, local owner operators are on calls personally driving local sales. The tech friendly media kit at KTBB, Tyler, Texas tells the story of “The Spoken-Word Advantage.”

These entrepreneurs are fearless when it comes to competing with large group-owned properties that may be better positioned to win national dollars delivering scale local owner-operators can’t match. But wait, they are all proving there is more than one way to win business. While some large-scale group operators struggle with the perils of stock market delisting, 80% of my local owner-operator panelists feel confident 2023 will be bigger and better than 2022. How about you? Is there an air of pride and confidence on your sales team that 2023 will close ahead of last year?

When it comes to the digital race, the truth is many local owner-operators are still learning the best way to compete. Local ad budgets are quickly shifting to incorporate more and more digital, mobile, and streaming initiatives. To a large extent, sellers follow the path of least resistance to the ad money as local managers try to project where the ad money is going. The message last week at the TALKERS 2023 convention was the local news/talk radio business is alive and well and still growing, with an understanding to adapt to change is to survive. 

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

Civic Media Launches News/Talk Format on Three More Wisconsin Stations

Civic Media announces the addition of three Wisconsin radio stations to its network of news/talk/sports outlets. The company calls itself “a network of 18 radio stations across Wisconsin in 12 distinct news/talk media markets.” The new stations – WLCX-AM, Eau Claireim “The Eagle”; WCFW-HD2, Chippewa Falls/W228EP, Eau Claire “93.5 The Tap”; and WRJN-AM/W260CV, Racine – are carrying the Civic Media talk show lineup that includes “As Goes Wisconsin” with Kristin Brey; “The Todd Allbaugh Show”; “Matt Flynn-Direct”; “The Devil’s Advocates” with Crute and Dom; and more. The early morning shows across the network are local, with “UpNorthNews Radio” with Pat Kreitlow airing on WLCX and WCFW, and “The Lou Rugani Show” airing on WRJN.

Industry News

Fred Toucher Returns to “98.5 The Sports Hub” and Reveals Detox Stint

Morning drive personality Fred Toucher was back on the air on Friday (6/2) on Beasley Media Group’s WBZ-FM, Boston “98.5 The Sports Hub” after missing the first four days of the week and told his listeners that he checked himself into a detox facility on May 28 to deal with his alcohol issues. CBS News Boston reports that Toucher explained on air, “I was voluntarilyim locking myself up so I wouldn’t drink anymore, so I knew I wouldn’t drink. That’s how I felt like, I was like, all right, I’ve lost control, I’ve lost control of alcohol, I’ve lost control, I’m not thinking like me, I need to make sure that I’m in a position where I do not have the opportunity to drink. Was it fun? It was the worst five days of my entire life.” Toucher says he intends to continue the outpatient therapy treatments. “The setup I have right now is by far the most gnarly setup I’ve had. I’m talking about like four hours a day of intense therapy for alcohol and intense therapy for anxiety… Got out yesterday morning and immediately went to an outpatient facility, then went to a therapist. Right after the show today, I’m going back to that outpatient facility. So, I’m taking this recovery very, very seriously.” Read the CBS News story here.

Industry News

Top News/Talk Media Stories Over the Weekend

The 2024 presidential race and the expected entrance of Mike Pence and Chris Christie into the GOP primary race; the near collision of Chinese and U.S. warships in the Taiwan Strait; President Joe Biden’s fitness for office after his latest fall; the crash of a private plane in Virginia that prompted U.S. jet fighters to intercept it after it violated restricted DC airspace; LGBTQ activism and the blowback against Anheuser-Busch over the Bud Light-Dylan Mulvaney promotion; the expected release of a “mixed reality” headset at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference this week; and the deadly Indian train wreck were some of the most-talked-about stories in news/talk media this weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Industry News

Bonneville’s Brown Bowing Out

Bonneville’s Brown Bowing Out. Effective August 1, Tanya Vea will become Bonneville International’s president and chief operating officer, succeeding Darrell Brown, who announces his retirement. Brown states, “I’ve loved my time at Bonneville and it’s not easy to leave, but it’s the right time for me and my family. I’m grateful for the opportunity that I’ve had to associate with so many wonderful employees as we’ve workedim together to further Bonneville’s mission to be a positive influence on the communities we serve. We’ve grown as a company in our reach and impact. I know Tanya will take Bonneville to the next level – I’m thrilled for the future of the company under her leadership.” Vea comments that Brown has been, “an incredible mentor” and she is “so grateful for all that he’s done” for Bonneville. “He has led by example as a steward of the company and its resources. I will miss working with him, and I feel incredibly imfortunate to take on this role knowing that he has put the company in a position of strength. Bonneville is a special company. I’m committed to building on the foundation of those who have come before me and am focused on fulfilling our mission to be trusted voices in our communities. Our greatest strength is our team of talented people. I’m honored to be able to work with them to grow Bonneville for the future.” Brown’s tenure as Bonneville’s president began in December 2013. Before that, he possessed a similar title for McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Company. During Brown’s 28 years at McGraw-Hill, he worked in various sales and management capacities for ABC and Azteca America television stations. He currently is board chair for the NAB Leadership Foundation. Recently promoted to executive vice president of content and media operations, Vea oversees content strategy for all Bonneville markets. She commenced with Bonneville in 2010 as vice president of program development before being boosted to senior vice president/general manager overseeing the company’s Salt Lake City cluster. Currently on  NBC’s affiliate board and executive committee, Vea formerly worked in advertising and public relations.

Industry News

Lee Leaving KFI For Redding OM Role

KFI “Wake Up Call With Jennifer Jones Lee” host/Bill Handel morning drive news anchor Jennifer Jones Lee will exit the iHeartMedia Los Angeles news/talk outlet later this month (6/26) to become operations manager of Results Radio’s five-station Redding, California cluster. Results Radio senior vice president Dave Shakesim states, “We’re fortunate to bring in Jennifer, who is strongly driven, proactive, and possesses tremendous leadership skills. She will lead our talented local team in evolving forward and keep our brands top-of-mind and necessary in the lives of our audiences.” Lee remarks, “I can’t thank Results Radio enough for this opportunity. After 30 years learning and working with amazing radio journalists and top newsrooms, the opportunity to shift into music with a challenging new position is more than I could’ve imagined. [I] can’t wait to begin this new chapter in my career.” Prior to joining KFI in 2016, Lee was San Francisco news/talk KGO’s morning drive news anchor and she worked in Sacramento for news/talk KFBK. This marks a return home for Lee, who began her career as a music personality on Redding’s KEWB. Among the five Results Radio-owned Redding stations she will oversee is sports talk KKXS “XS Sports 96.1.”

Industry News

Meta May Delete News From Its California Apps

In a warning issued yesterday (Wednesday, 5/31), Meta claims it will pull news links from Facebook and Instagram in California if lawmakers in The Golden State move forward with a bill that would tax the company for news content. The proposed California Journalism Preservation Act would require online platforms to pay a “journalism usage fee” to news providers whose work appears on their services. Under the measure, an estimated 70% of the money collected from that fee would support newsrooms throughout California. Meta argued the bill will aid out-of-state companies and says if the Journalism Preservation Act is enacted, it will remove news from Facebook and Instagram altogether. While the bill has been praised from some of California’s largest journalism unions such as Media Guild of the West and Pacific Media Workers Guild, non-profit media advocacy organization Free Press Action has criticized it, per CNN, as doing “nothing to support trustworthy local reporting and would instead pad the profits of massive conglomerates.”

Industry News

The 2023 Heavy Hundred to Be Published on June 14

The TALKERS magazine editorial board announces that the 2023 edition of its annual feature the 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America – also known as the Heavy Hundred – will be published on Wednesday, June 14. This annual ranking of talk radio hosts is undertaken by TALKERS editors, with inputim from industry leaders, and is based on a combination of hard and soft factors including courage, effort, impact, longevity, potential, ratings, recognition, revenue, service, talent, and uniqueness. Candidates for the Heavy Hundred must be working a regularly scheduled professional show on the air at a minimum of one terrestrial or satellite radio station at the time of publication. TALKERS magazine executive editor Kevin Casey says, “This feature remains one of the most challenging undertakings for the editors. There are so many quality talk radio hosts working at stations in major markets all the way down to the smallest outlets serving intimate communities. Winnowing that field to the ‘100 most important’ is very difficult, but it is a challenge we take very seriously. We’re excited to publish this year’s Heavy Hundred and to congratulate those fine hosts who’ve made the list.”

Industry News

FOX News Channel’s New Weekend Program Lineup

FOX News Channel debuts a new weekend primetime lineup tomorrow (6/3). “The Big Saturday/Sunday Show” becomes “The Big Weekend Show,” airing at 7:00 pm ET on Saturdays and Sundays while “FOX News Saturday Night” will premiere at 10:00 pm ET. Additionally, “The Next Revolution” will end its Sunday 9:00 pmim ET run as Steve Hilton steps back from hosting a weekly show to focus on his new California non-partisan policy organization launching next week. Hilton will remain a contributor across all FOX News Media platforms while Trey Gowdy’s “Sunday Night in America” will move to 9:00 pm slot. SVP Megan Albano says, “We are excited to launch a new dynamic weekend lineup that will further solidify our position as the number one cable news network for more than two decades. We thank Steve Hilton for his show’s contributions and look forward to continuing to feature his valuable insights across our daytime and primetime programming.”

Industry News

Top News/Talk Stories for Week of May 29-June 2

The negotiations between the White House and Republicans in congress to approve an extension of the debt ceiling was the most-talked-about story in news/talk media this week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was the 2024 presidential race, including the expected entrance of Mike Pence and Chris Christie into the GOP primary race, followed by the legal battles facing former President Donald Trump at #3. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed in news/talk media during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine, it is published every Friday at Talkers.com. See this week’s complete chart here.

Industry News

Major Travel Company, Collette, Forging Win-Win Partnerships with Talk Radio – Entering Deals at TALKERS 2023

When executed properly, the marriage of a popular talk show host and a good tour booking company can prove lucrative for both parties and provide listeners with unforgettable travel experiences. The travel industry’s longest running tour planner is doing just that. Collette, the oldest tour operator in North America (established in 1918), is bullish on talk radio and is proactively seeking partnerships in organizing host-led guided listenerim tours that provide a significant revenue stream for stations (or syndicators) as well as world-wide free travel for their top personalities. Collette is planning a major presence at TALKERS 2023 tomorrow (6/2) at the 26th annual sold-out installment of the talk media industry conference at Hofstra University on Long Island. Jim Edwards, VP, US affinity development (jedwards@collette.com) and Paul Holly, marketing manager (pholly@collette.com) for Collette will be in attendance at the conference to discuss potential partnerships with broadcasters interested in exploring this opportunity as well as the world. Check out their website at www.collette.com

Industry News

Audacy Announces Technical Operations Changes

Audacy promotes Clay Walker to vice president of content operations in which he’ll oversee a newly created content operations department. Audacy says Walker is now “responsible for content operations across the company to ensure innovation, standardization, and delivery of a premium product at the local, regional andim national levels.” The company adds that the content operations department is also responsible for developing the requirements and business objectives that drive the short and long-term goals and funding for content creation, curation, and operational systems. Walker has been serving the company as director of programming and imoperations for Audacy Greensboro. At the same time, Audacy says SVP of technical operations John Kennedy will oversee a refocused broadcast engineering function. The company says Kennedy “will manage and maintain Audacy’s acquisition, distribution and production equipment and solutions at the local, regional, and national levels, including Audacy’s network operations center. Audacy EVP head of programming Jeff Sottolano comments, “Clay has already proven himself to be an adept and innovative thinker as it relates to the evolution of our content production and distribution systems. I am excited to see him and John partner more closely with our central, regional and local content and technical operations teams.”

Industry Views

A Carefully Planned Moment of Spontaneous Magic

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, Sterling on Sunday

imMichael Harrison, founder and publisher of TALKERS, and the man who invented the term AOR – let’s not forget – strongly requested that I share this story about a remarkable event we experienced. Michael describes it as the “greatest promotion” he ever witnessed at a non-commercial function involving broadcasters… so I really have no choice but to accommodate him.

Deep background: My wife Katie and I amazed each other that for all the zillions of hours of TV we watched, we agreed that this scene from X-Files (see the still below) was the best ever: https://youtu.be/wUL7y8AMeU8. This single realization rushed us to a marrying minister. Really, who falls in love over a common passion for a scene like that?

Married six years, I wanted to create a memorable event that would “promote” our marriage. I know! My mania dropped this idea in my brain-on-fire: Recreate that scene with the actual actors – LIVE! I had time. Six months to our anniversary.

William B. Davis, who plays “cancer man” on the series, owned an acting school in Oregon – it says so in hisim biography. I wrote him a letter inviting him to fly to New York to perform the scene live at our anniversary lunch at the National Arts Club. Two appealing prospects: Manhattan and the famous Club on Gramercy Park. Shockingly, he actually called and said if I would also fly his girlfriend in, he would do it! HE WOULD DO IT. Crap, now I had to do everything else. Invite all 200 wedding guests, stage a show, and not tell anyone that it was going to happen. Katie did not know.

But contacting the alien, Roy Thinnes, was harder. I didn’t want to call his listed agent because his listed agent would quote me a real performance price. But Roy was in a soap opera. From my days at ABC, I became friends with several stars of “General Hospital,” including the kindest person who ever Lived, Jackie Zeman. I called her and asked if she knows how to contact the alien. Miraculously, she said, “Oh I know Roy. I’ll tell him you’re going to call.”

One month out, I called Roy who thankfully lives in Westchester, New York. Roy answered the phone in a 20-ball voice… terrifying.  Skittishly, I told him my plan. LONG, PAINFUL PAUSE. Painful. Mr. Thinnes answered, “It would be good to see Bill [Davis] again.” He wanted nothing, neither a limo nor car fare.

Every guest from our wedding showed up including TV reporter Sandy KenyonBob Weinstein of Miramax (the good brother), Kurt and Terry Johnson of

Townsquare fame, Bob McAllan – partner in Press BroadcastingMichael Ewing and Jay Clark who saved my butt on several occasions, the most powerful people in the room, the owner and staff of The Bagel restaurant in Greenwich Village, TV whiz Edward Hersh and his wife Hillary and, of course, Michael Harrison. That’s a lot of pressure.

Working with a video savant, we found the “X-Files” scene, put it on a DVD and pretended to be ready to show it to the audience as a tribute to our happy marriage. Moments after it started, we made it look like it was skipping. Appearing disappointed and frazzled, I apologized to the crowd and stammered that, we would just have to perform it LIVE.  The two stars came from behind a curtain to gasps from the crowd and performed the scene. Wife was thrilled, guests were amazed. I was grateful.  It all worked.

Magic. Unexpected. Those are the ingredients of great radio. Unexpected comes from show prep content that stands out, doesn’t fit in. The difference between a person on the radio and a star on the radio is unexpected, surprising content. The stars showed up to the lunch because I asked them. I did not know them nor them me. I asked for what I wanted. And Magic. That’s your talent.

Walter Sabo was the youngest Executive Vice President in the history of NBC. The youngest VP in the history of ABC. He was a consultant to RKO General longer than Bill Drake. Walter was the in-house consultant to Sirius for eight years. He has never written a resume. Contact him at walter@sabomedia.com. or mobile 646-678-1110. Hear Walter Sterling at www.waltersterlingshow.comMeet Walter Sabo at TALKERS 2023 on Friday, June 2.

Industry News

SiriusXM and Edison Research Unveil Gen Z Podcast Report

SXM Media and Edison Research release the “Gen Z Podcast Listener Report,” a new joint study revealing trending data on the consumption and purchasing habits of U.S.-based listeners aged 13-24. Some key insights from the report include: 1) Gen Z monthly podcast listening has soared by +57% over the past five years. Today, 47% of 13-to-24-year olds in the US have listened to a podcast in the past month, representingim an estimated 24 million Gen Z US monthly podcast listeners. Gen Z listeners are also more diverse than the general population of podcast listeners; 2) 66% of Gen Z podcast listeners say they listen to or watch podcasts to stay up to date with the latest topics, and 61% listen/watch to keep up to date with social issues; 3) While many listen to podcasts while multitasking, 82% say that they listen to podcasts while doing nothing else, and this is especially true for Teens (86%). Podcasts are an important way for this generation to unwind and take a break from other media; 4) Over 80% of Gen Z listeners listen to/watch podcasts to relax, about 2 in 3 listen to escape, and over 50% listen to help them understand how they’re feeling about something. Additionally, almost 1 in 3 think that being on social media has had a negative impact on their emotional well-being; and 5) Over 4 in 10 Gen Z listeners (43%) have purchased a product after hearing a podcast ad for it (*among ages 16+), and 1 in 3 have asked someone to buy a product for them. See the study here.

Industry News

Iowa Talk Host Simon Conway Gets Trump in Studio

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Iowa talk radio personality Simon Conway – who’s heard on flagship station WHO-AM, Des Moines as well as iHeartMedia’s WMT-AM, Cedar Rapids, and WOC-AM, Quad Cities – hosted former President Donald Trump live in the WHO studios on Wednesday (5/31). Conway tells TALKERS that it’s one thing to get a former president on the air, it’s another to have Trump in studio for a 30-minute interview. He says, “I spent hours on Memorial Day in our building with Secret Service. Then on Tuesday there was more planning with the advance team and finally yesterday we had to figure out how to keep our stations on the air while they ran dogs through our building. This is the second time I have interviewed President Trump in studio. Iowa has a unique role in the election of presidents, and I am proud that I get to play a part in that.”

Industry News

Audacy Minneapolis Raises $80k for “Be The Match” Non-Profit

Audacy Minneapolis raised more than $80,000 for Be The Match, a Minneapolis-based non-profit organization that works to save lives through cellular therapy, including life-saving blood stem cell and marrow transplants. News/talk WCCO-AM, Minneapolis personality Jordana Green has been battling cancer and received a boneim marrow transplant. On May 25, WCCO hosted a live auction with items and experiences provided by the station and sourced by on-air talent, sponsors, and partners. WCCO brand manager Brad Lane comments, “We are so humbled and grateful for our fans’ incredible generosity, the amazing financial support from our corporate partners, and the remarkable donation of ideas and time by our personalities. What a fun day auctioning off priceless, unique experiences for a cause so close and personal to us…in honor of our friend, teammate, and bone-marrow transplant recipient Jordana Green!”

Industry News

Yesterday’s (5/31) Top News/Talk Media Stories

The U.S. House passes legislation to suspend the debt ceiling for two years; former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie plan to enter the GOP primary race with announcements next week; special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s attempts to remain in office and the issues surrounding Trump’s possession of classified documents; the drone attacks on Russian targets and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war; the pushback against LGBTQ activism; NASA to hold hearing on UFOs; and actor Danny Masterson is convicted of two counts of rape among top news/talk media stories yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.