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Industry News

LiveOne Reports Operating Results; Files to Spin-Out PodcastOne

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

LiveOne – parent company of audio services PodcastOne and Slacker – reports operating results for its third quarter of Fiscal 2023 and the first nine months of Fiscal 2023. At the same time, it announces that it is following through with its plan to spin-out PodcastOne into a separate company by filing an S-1 with the Securities Exchange Commission. For the company as a whole, LiveOne reports Q3 Fiscal 2023 revenue of $27.3 million – a decrease of 17% from the same period in Fiscal 2022. However, the company has reduced its net loss for the quarter from $11.8 million in Fiscal 2022 to $3.2 million. Its Audio Division that includes PodcastOne and Slacker produced record revenue of $22 million in Q3 Fiscal 2023 compared to $19.1 million in the same period in the prior year. LiveOne’s CEO and chairman Robert Ellin comments, “Over the past year, we have been laser focused on optimizing and streamlining our operations, led by our audio business, which includes Slacker Radio and PodcastOne. The combination of improving Contribution Margins, coupled with over $30 million in annual expense and overhead reduction, is resulting in record operating results. We are excited about the continued strong growth of paid memberships coming largely through B-to-B partnerships, including our nine-year relationship with Tesla. We expect our strong operating performance to continue for the foreseeable future led by our Audio Division and for it to collectively achieve revenue in excess of $88 million in Fiscal 2023 and generate more than $18 million in Adjusted EBITDA.”

Industry News

NYC Radio Committee Touts Success of Image Campaign

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

The New York City Radio Committee, a joint partnership of New York City radio broadcasters iHeartMedia, Spanish Broadcasting System, Salem Media Group, Media Co., Univision, and Audacy announce the completion of a successful campaign designed to promote the power of radio advertising agencies and advertising executives. The multi-media “Fall in Love with Radio” campaign ran from mid-September to the end of November during which more than 2,800 radio spots were broadcast on 21 of the most popular stations in NYC. The campaign included digital and social media marketing, trade press, and signage at venues during Advertising Week in New York City. According to independent brand lift analysis by DYNATA, ad professionals who saw or heard the campaign were 29% more likely to consider radio for their media campaigns compared to those that had not seen the campaign. Of those that saw the campaign, 82% said they were somewhat/extremely likely to consider using radio for their next campaign compared to 53% of respondents who did not see the campaign. Audacy New York market president and NYC Radio Committee chair Chris Oliviero says, “The outstanding results of the campaign prove when we tell our story, with data and creativity, that radio can substantially enhance its position with advertising professionals. While radio continues to earn its place as an essential part of any media plan, we still must communicate our benefits and invite more marketing partners to collaborate together. This innovative multi-platform outreach accomplished just that. My appreciation to all my colleagues in New York City, across several ownership groups, who came together with a commitment to make ‘Fall in Love with Radio’ a success.”

Job Opportunity

The Erick Erickson Show Seeks Sales Pro

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

The nationally syndicated talk radio program is seeking a sales professional. It asks, “Are you picky? We are. ‘The Erick Erickson Show’ is growing nationally and needs to grow its sales team. We’ve got inventory to fill, but we have a real problem. Our host doesn’t like to take money from advertisers who he doesn’t believe in. He thinks he sells best what he likes best. Want to work with a host who doesn’t want to just sell anything but the right thing? Reach out to us. ads@ewerickson.com.”

Industry News

CB Cotton Joins FOX News Channel as Correspondent

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Journalist CB Cotton joins FOX News Channel as a New York-based correspondent covering breaking news from the network’s headquarters. Cotton has been serving as a reporter for ABC affiliate KMGH-TV, Denver, Colorado where she was the station’s lead night side reporter focused on crime, justice, and law enforcement. During her tenure, she covered the city’s breaking news stories, including the Boulder King Soopers supermarket shooting and the December 2021 Marshall fire. She has also reported on alleged police misconduct, such as the violent arrest of Kyle Vinson in Aurora, the controversial apprehension of then-75-year-old Karen Garner in 2020 and the fallout surrounding the death of Elijah McClain following his 2019 arrest. Cotton holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast and electronic journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is professionally fluent in Spanish and is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Press Photographers Association.

Industry Views

When Crisis Strikes

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

Can you define “crisis?”

Let’s start with “highly challenging,” move to “difficult,” layer in “nonstop pressure” and quickly fast forward to “intense circumstances.”

This is just from the outside looking in. From the inside looking out the crisis owns the clock and the emotions of its victims. Nothing else matters until the crisis is resolved.

Chances are your sales meetings have never addressed how to work with a local advertiser who is experiencing a marketing crisis. And that is because most managers have minimal experience working through a local advertiser’s marketing crisis.

Large-scale businesses typically coordinate consulting firms, experts, and major ad agencies. Think Tylenol, Chipotle, even VW. But chances are your local direct advertiser may not have the time to coordinate a full-blown crisis management team and responding to their call is now in your in box.

Recently, I found myself knee-deep in executing a plan to help manage a large-scale crisis. The experience was an eye-opener. Hopefully, you can learn from what is next. Here are suggested steps:

— Communication is critical. Listen carefully, be empathetic, clarify all goals that may be hazy and finally get a clear understanding of any timelines.

— Collaborate. Be clear with everyone on your team about the situation. Review internal protocols for copy, production, available inventory, and pricing.

— Long-Term vs. Short-Term. When an advertiser needs to get the word out quickly and efficiently, the temptation to raise rates or forced packaging is real. It is guaranteed that your advertiser will remember the team that grabbed an oar to help guide them to a safe harbor as opposed to the team that grabbed a hammer to nail the budget to the wall.

— Coordinate. Stay in contact with your advertiser. Remember, the crisis owns the clock and your client is focused on solving the crisis, so common sense counts.

— When in doubt take the simple route. If copy is a problem, suggest options. If credit is a problem, suggest a plan. If a talent balks, come up with a back-up. In a crisis, hurdles become mountains and climbing mountains takes months of training. Keep the solution path simple and easy to navigate.

— This too shall pass. Your goal in any local marketing crisis should be to become an ally, a trusted, dependable resource so that when the crisis passes your relationship is cemented.

Take a minute to review and expand on those six take-aways. Selling in a crisis environment is rarely a simple experience. Hopefully, you will be a little better prepared when a marketing crisis strikes.

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

WIBC-FM Personality Abdul-Hakim Shabazz to Run for Mayor

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

According to Indianapolis news/talk WIBC-FM’s website, station personality and political journalist Abdul-Hakim Shabazz will enter the race for mayor of Indianapolis in the Republican primary. Shabazz made the announcement on the “Kendall and Casey” program that airs in middays on the Urban One station. He said, “I spoke to a lot of Hoosiers, a lot of folks in Indianapolis, in part parts of the city, Republicans, Democrats, and Libertarians for that matter and their eyes just lit up. A very nice lady, she donated $5. She said ‘Abdul, that’s all I can afford to give, I really want you to be mayor.’ It’s for people like that who are of limited mean, who don’t have a lot to give, and just want to feel better about where they live.” Shabazz is a weekend host on WIBC-FM and is founder and publisher of IndyPolitics.org. He formed an exploratory committee late last year to look into the feasibility of a campaign for mayor. He joins Pastor James Jackson on the GOP ticket in the May primary.

Industry Views

Is Eliminating AM Radio from EVs a Serious Threat to Talk Radio?

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

An in-depth article by automotive writer Dale Buss published today (2/2) in Forbes is adding volume to radio industry chatter about the seemingly ominous trend toward elimination of AM radio from the dashboard of electric cars based on the premise that the already-static-sensitive band’s listenability would be obliterated by these vehicles’ intense electromagnetic fields. The article titled, EV Makers Are Eliminating AM Radio, Infringing On Iconic Medium, quotes TALKERS founder Michael Harrison who also contributed to some of the piece’s “background” information and premises. In the article, Harrison supports the observation that the sale of EVs constitutes a small fraction of the current automotive marketplace and it will be years before they achieve a critical mass to impact the health of AM radio. In the meantime, Harrison asserted at this morning’s meeting of the TALKERS editorial board, “There are far more immediate existential threats to AM radio, not to mention FM radio, with which the broadcasting industry must contend.” He points out, “Relevance and identity! AM radio being dumped from dashboards is an innocuous thing to worry about. FM radio will be dumped from the dashboard as well… the entire idea of a radio-exclusive appliance is on the verge of obsolescence… and we’re not just talking about electric vehicles – we’re talking about all vehicles! We’re faced with an all-encompassing computer system at the fingertips and voice control of the driver and passengers.” Harrison continues, “In the meantime, today’s media consumers are savvy enough to know how to find their entertainment and information brands via the combination of Bluetooth and smartphone. Thus, the challenge facing both AM and FM radio – two increasingly irrelevant designations – is to maintain the importance, distinguishability and brand of the medium itself – R-A-D-I-O – and not let it get lost in an endless ocean of options available to the potential audience.” Read the Forbes piece here.

Industry News

“The Kalb Report” to Get NYFestivals Lifetime Achievement Award

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

New York Festivals Television & Film Awards/Radio Awards announces that it is honoring “The Kalb Report,” the public broadcasting series hosted by journalist Marvin Kalb, with the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented at the Storytellers Gala on April 18. New York Festivals says this award recognizes prominent industry leaders, innovators, and driving forces in the broadcast industry whose accomplishments have advanced their field and made a lasting impression on the industry. “The Kalb Report” was created by Marvin Kalb in 1994 who partnered with former CBS Radio Network general manager Michael Freedman, who served as executive producer of the series for its entire 28-year run. (Freedman went on to become president of the National Press Club in 2020.) New York Festivals says, “During its nearly-three-decade run, the series has provided a forum for prominent newsmakers and journalists to discuss the news media’s impact on American democracy. The guest list included Supreme Court justices, civil rights icons, network news anchors, best-selling authors, members of Congress, and influential leaders from across the media landscape.” Trophy winning entries in the 2023 New York Festivals Radio Awards will be celebrated at the NYF Storytellers Gala on April 18 at the Centennial NAB Show in Las Vegas.

Industry News

Beasley Names Rachel Pitts Digital PD for Philadelphia

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Beasley Media Group announces that Rachel Pitts is named digital program director for its Philadelphia stations, including sports talk WPEN-FM “97.5 The Fanatic” and four music brands. Most recently, Pitts has been serving in a similar role with the company’s Tampa stations. Beasley chief content officer Justin Chase says, “One of Beasley’s goals for 2023 is growing our digital audience and Rachel has been one of the company’s top digital content leaders. She has helped to build a massive digital audience in Tampa, and we’re excited to watch her develop a similar strategy for our amazing Philadelphia digital brands.” Pitts comments, “I am excited to continue to help expand the digital footprint of Beasley Media Group. To have the opportunity to work with the legendary talent and brands of the company’s Philadelphia stations has been a big career goal!”

Industry News

Salem Adds Pérez Castellón to Miami Spanish Talker

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Salem Media Group announces that South Florida radio host and activist Ninoska Pérez Castellón is joining the lineup of its new Spanish-language talk format on WWFE-AM, Miami “La Nueva Poderosa 670 AM.” Salem recently acquired the signals that will comprise “La Nueva Poderosa 670 AM.” Pérez Castellón served with Univision Radio for 26 years, leaving WAQI “Radio Mambi 710 AM” after its recent change of ownership. Pérez Castellón, a well-known South Florida media personality who was born in Cuba and raised in Miami and is an activist in the fight for freedom in Cuba, has appeared in national and international media outlets including “Nightline,” CNN, “Hannity,” “The O’Reilly Factor,” Al Punto Univision, and MSNBC as an expert on Cuban issues. Salem Media Miami VP and general manager Monica Rabassa comments, “We are extremely happy and honored to have Ninoska Pérez Castellón join Salem Media Miami. Ninoska’s unrelenting voice in support of freedom and just causes now has a new home at ‘La Nueva Poderosa 670 AM.’” Pérez Castellón states, “I am thankful that Salem Media, a powerhouse in conservative thought, has stepped up and given Hispanic conservative voices a home at a time when we have been under attack for the sole purpose of silencing us. I am extremely happy to be back on the airwaves connecting with the audience I love.” In addition to Ninoska’s program, the station’s revised lineup will also feature Father Albert Cutié, a.k.a. Padre Alberto, who currently hosts a television talk show produced and transmitted by Mega TV in South Florida, and nationally on DirectTV and AT&T U-verse.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Baseball Bonanza

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

As The Beatles sang, “It’s been a long, cold, lonely winter.” Baseball – even Spring Training while it’s still chilly in March – says “Here Comes the Sun.” That’s what baseball means… to listeners.

To local advertisers, it’s an opportunity for The Little Guy to sound big. In the words of one GM – who has made a pile of money selling baseball – “It’s ego and envy.”

Sales: It’s a thing, not a number

 The sponsorship package cannot be quantified on a-cost-per-ANYTHING basis. It’s not “efficient” in agency terms, but baseball is powerful “reputation appropriation.” Translation: Advertisers can tell the world they’re big-enough for baseball.

— The rapid-response plumber, the roofing repair guy, and the lumber yard or hardware store or any independent local retailer slugging-it-out against big box competitors can be part of the Astros or the Braves or the Cardinals or the Dodgers or the Rangers or the Giants brand.

— Low-hanging fruit: Prospects who are, personally, fans. For decades, we’ve been telling reps at conservative talk stations to pitch businesses that fly big American flags. So which local retailers do you know to be baseball fanatics?

— Milk the value-added stuff affiliates get. Include some tickets in the package. Take ‘em to a game and bring ‘em up to the broadcast booth for a selfie with the radio team. Can you rent a sky box for a game and throw a client party?

— Make a list of guys-who-own-guy-stuff businesses. Home improvement and auto repair have always been opportune.

— Second and third-generation retailers might family-feud about other things. But 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.”

— Baseball is a high-affinity branding opportunity. I don’t know when I will need to buy a tire…because nails lurk. But I already know where I’ll buy it, because they advertise in Red Sox games. And get this! All year long, that particular advertiser says, in all his commercials, in a thick Boston accent, “You go, Red Saux!”

— Warm list: Who’s advertising on stadium signage? That’s an ego clue. But it’s just branding. Radio can add-value to that expense by “telling your story,” and adding a call-to-action.

— Baseball = beer, so prospect DUI defense attorneys, and auto body shops. 😉

— Reps: You’re not calling from KXXX. You’re calling from Padres Radio. The team logo is in your email and sales material.

— Way-back-when: As Mickey Mantle launched one into the cheap seats, Mel Allen would proclaim it “another Ballentine Blast!” Back to the future: I’ve been at games where everyone there got a free something because the team did such-and-such. Can you invent a cool feature for local sponsorship? Every listener who says they heard ___ gets free ____ the next day.

IMPORTANT: Update copy as the season progresses. This is a franchise, not plug-N-play programming that babysits nights and weekends. Nothing says auto-pilot and disserves clients like spots and promos that crow “Baseball is back!” in July.

I was the Motor-Mouth Manager

War story: I programmed WTOP, Washington in the 1980s, long before there were Washington Nationals. We were your Orioles Baseball Station; and I was managing a union shop…but I ended up joining AFTRA because our announcers were newscasters who couldn’t say “Mid-Atlantic Milk Marketing Association” as rapidly as I, an ex-1970s Top 40 DJ.

— So – believe it or not – the company paid my initiation fee. And every time there was a change in that 65 seconds-of-copy-crammed-into the 60-second opening billboard that ticked-off all the sponsors, I got ‘em all in, and I got $10-something in my Pension & Welfare Fund. Sweet. But I digress…

— To OUR ear, that whole word salad sounds hellishly rushed. But to ADVERTISERS, it’s like having your caricature on the wall at the see-and-be-seen steak house. Every business named there is a someone, associated with everyone else there. They’re part of a local Orioles or Mariners or Mets Baseball Who’s Who. And everyone who isn’t isn’t.

— I’ve been on calls with reps closing baseball packages because “It’s worth it just for the promos!” So, include sponsor mentions in ROS promos.

— That said, sell enough in-game frequency to be heard. Two or three spots per game won’t be.

Next week: Avoiding the most common error I hear baseball stations make.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books; and “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and the E-book and FREE on-air radio features “Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke

Industry News

Salem Promotes Dan Nelson

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Salem Media Group, Inc. announces that it is promoting Dan Nelson to vice president, Salem events and marketing. Nelson has been serving as director, Salem events and marketing since 2018. In his new role Nelson will focus on expanding both Salem Media’s brand image and revenue generation in the area of special events and travel experiences. Salem Media CEO Dave Santrella comments, “Dan and I have worked together since my earliest days at Salem. He always impressed me as one of those people that can take an idea and bring it to life. To this day, I can give Danny just the seed of an idea and the next thing you know he has a full-blown working model. I am thrilled to see Danny get this well-deserved promotion.” Salem Media’s president of broadcast media, Allen Power, adds “Dan has consistently set a high standard for everything he has undertaken. His talents are many including creativity, attention to detail, excellence in follow-through, and giftedness in visual marketing and production. Perhaps, his greatest strength is his ability to work with leaders at literally every level of our company to advance Salem’s brand and image. He does all of this with passion, humility, and a great sense of humor. If you look up the definition of ‘go-to’ person, it’s highly likely you’ll see Dan’s smiling face.”

Industry Views

Stars and Their Platforms

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Walter Sabo
Host/Producer, Sterling on Sunday
Media Consultant

Lucille Ball earned 50 shares with her classic TV series, “I Love Lucy.” Every year during her summer hiatus she would make a movie. Name a Lucille Ball movie.

Lucy was the all-time star of television but couldn’t open a movie. Each medium creates its own stars and rarely does a star transfer from one medium to another.

Some examples: “NYPD Blue” first season star David Caruso couldn’t wait to break out from TV and become a movie star. He recently retired from 10 years of work on the TV show “CSI Miami.” Exceptions? Maybe three: Michael J Fox, Will Smith, Steve McQueen.

The phenomenon of single medium stardom is true throughout all crafts. Great magazine writers struggle to turn in a publishable book. Book authors are challenged to condense their thoughts to 1,000 words. Megyn Kelly is a cable star but couldn’t cross the golden bridge to broadcast TV.

Every year a local TV weather person bugs the local talk station to fill-in on a talk show over a holiday. How does it go? Beware the fifth minute. After five minutes all of the passionate feelings the TV talent has about their pet topic have been expressed. With two hours and 55 minutes to go, the local weatherman is in trouble hosting an unscripted radio show. Where is the prompter? Where are the phone calls? But put a radio morning host on TV and the results are just as awful. The radio host looks fat because they have no idea how to dress for TV, they don’t understand the cue lights on the cameras and the prompter is confusing.

Which brings us to the relationship between radio and podcasting

One of the burdensome falsehoods of the moment is that radio talent should be churning out original content podcasts. It’s just audio right? Radio is good at talking! Podcasting has fostered its own stable of stars including Joe Rogan, Adam Carolla, Anna Farris and Ben Shapiro (I know he’s a radio guy, but he’s a better podcaster). To a listener, the production styles of a podcast and live radio are strikingly similar, but you know that the production environments are completely different. Talent who intuitively understand on-demand audience preferences thrive hosting commercial-free podcasts. Radio talent excel within the disposable, often-interrupted flow of a live broadcast. Podcasts allow for thinking time, pausing, editing, correcting and fancy production beds. Live radio? You just better get to the next thing. The mindset of a podcast star versus a radio star must of necessity be appropriate to their unique performance stage.

Most radio managers have met with resistance when asking their talent to make original content podcasts. (Not air checks.) Radio talent is right to resist! Creating a very good radio show is demanding and often exhausting. After three or more hours on the air, no performer has the energy to hop into a production chair and attract a million downloads. Tragically mandatory podcast dictates leave little opportunity for talent to say, “I can’t do a podcast well. I’m a radio performer and isn’t that what you hired me for?” My goodness – such a radio talent would be labelled insubordinate, not a team player, and not part of the future!!!

To be productive and on-brand podcasts offered by a radio station should be hosted by podcast stars. The odds of a radio star creating a winning podcast are about the same as finding a Lucille Ball hit movie.

Walter Sabo is a long-time radio industry consultant and thought leader.  He hosts and produces a network radio show titled “Sterling on Sunday” 10:00 pm-1:00 am ET.  www.waltersterlingshow.com.   walter@sabomedia.com

Industry News

Chris Stigall’s Daily Podcast Joins the Salem Podcast Network

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

The daily podcast hosted by Chris Stigall officially joins the Salem Podcast Network. Stigall hosts the “Philadelphia’s Morning Answer” program on Salem Media Group’s WNTP, Philadelphia “AM 990, The Answer” and hosts the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon talk program on Cumulus Media’s KCMO-AM, Kansas City. He says, “I want to thank the Salem Podcast Network for bringing our podcast into their family of great shows. As a radio guy my entire career, I wasn’t sure how the podcast version would be received when we launched. Our advertising partners who invested in the show early as well as the smartest audience in the digital space have helped our young podcast crest four million downloads, and we’re just getting started!” Salem SVP of spoken word Phil Boyce adds, “Chris Stigall is a special host who has developed a unique relationship with a very loyal audience. We saw this when we brought him over to ‘AM 990 The Answer’ a few years ago, and we know he will have the same reaction from audiences nationwide with his podcast.”

Industry News

Kevin McCullough to Debut “That Kevin Show”

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

WNYM-AM, New York evening host Kevin McCullough re-brands his Saturday evening “Radio Night LIVE” program as “THAT KEVIN SHOW.” McCullough says the new show is airing on Salem Media Group’s WNYM “AM 970 The Answer” and is available via Salem Radio Network, Salem News Channel, GCN, BizTV, BizTalkRadio, CRN Digital, and USA Radio. McCullough says, “Through much of the fall of 2022, we did a significant deep dive into not just how much content we were making every week but how it could be more impactful, and after lots of creative brainstorming, hard work and a significant investment in resources and time, the Saturday night program will show just the beginning of the efforts and results… I am also intensely grateful for Jerry Crowley, Phil Boyce, and Cary Pahigian, for challenging me consistently to continue to improve, grow, and reach!”

Industry Views

Local News Matters Most

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

Why? Done right, it makes you special. Because new-tech audio competitors don’t do local news, and with most broadcast radio hours now robotic.

“Why waste your time with AM/FM radio?”

Responding to that recent SiriusXM Marketing campaign, NAB president & CEO Curtis LeGeyt:

  • “Unlike our competitors, listeners do not need to fork over a monthly subscription fee, purchase a program or afford an expensive mobile data plan.”
  • “During times of emergency, Americans are not told to turn to SiriusXM for lifeline information. They are not going to get emergency alerts, hear up-to-the-minute reporting or find out where to get help on Pandora or Spotify. No other audio medium can replicate our service when lives are in danger.”
  • “Broadcast radio also provides an engine for economic activity. When local businesses want to get the word out about their goods and services, local radio stations provide an affordable way for them to advertise and reach the consumers who live in their area.”

These are not “normal” times

  • When Trump was on the front burner, his controversies alone changed daypart-to-daypart, even hour-to-hour. The talk part of the news/talk format remains largely static, no minds change. But our news content is dynamic.
  • In a monsoon in Las Vegas (NOT a misprint) someone drowned; and video of rain cascading through the ceiling onto blackjack tables at Planet Hollywood went-viral. We prayed as Kentucky drowned and Buffalo got snowed-under. After tumbleweeds piled-up around her Colorado home blocking windows and doors, Marlies Gross told AccuWeather: “We have so many fires here, and we have a drought and those tumbleweeds, they would just go up and explode into flames all over, and we probably would go with it.”
  • After 2+ years of arguing about vaccines, Polio is back and COVID is back again’ and RSV isn’t just a kid thing. Increasingly noticeable in my travels: Without being required to, people are re-masking.

It’s easier to add Occasions than Duration-per

Translation: There’s little we can do to keep someone sitting in a parked car with the key on Accessories. And AM/FM has never had more competition. So, to keep ‘em coming back, keep telling them something they can’t hear elsewhere, and make it sound different than last hour.

And TELL THEM that’s what you do:

  • “Are you on-the-road? Stay up-to-speed with us!”
  • “What happened since breakfast? We’ll tell you before dinner.”
  • “Stay close to the news.”

Be known for knowing. And tell them when and how you’ll tell them, on various devices.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books; and “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and the E-book and FREE on-air radio features “Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke 

Industry Views

Pending Business: Package for Profit

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

Is it just me, or has packaging become a lost art?

What was once a go-to revenue builder, has become a function of muscle memory and is presented with the enthusiasm of watching paint dry. Am I getting at least a “maybe?” If so, and you feel like the packaging treadmill is going to wearing you down, let’s regroup. For the manager and ultimately the seller, every package must answer four basic questions:

  • That is the (revenue) goal?
  • What is the timeline?
  • What is the unique factor?
  • If it fails to sell, do we drop it or revise?

Now let’s review the 10 basic packages:

  • New Business. You should have a simple new business package available each quarter that can either be sold as is or serve as a start point.
  • Event Tie-In. Like the title says, this package will help your advertiser benefit from an event your station is tied into or sponsoring.
  • New On-Air Talent. This is where you show the value-based opportunity to work with a new talent in your lineup.
  • Special Programming. Every radio format will run a special program of some kind during the year. From election coverage and exclusive interviews to countdowns, just package and sell.
  • Slow Season. Is there a special package offered on a limited basis to help power through when business hits a red light?
  • Sports. Needs no definition, just a little updated creative thinking.
  • Calendar Holidays. This is the gift that never stops giving. Mother’s Day, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, come every year. What’s new in your package?
  • Base Programming. News, Traffic, Weather, if your radio station offers the basic service elements, talk to your programming people for new packaging ideas.
  • Emergency Programming. With direct coordination of programming, emergency programming offering special weather, disaster or other community-oriented programming can always open a new door. Remember this type of programming is always a spotlight for radio’s immediacy.
  • Bundling your digital and social media assets can help move the needle with local advertisers. I’m not advocating a giveaway, just suggesting competitive thinking in the fast moving, high growth digital advertising universe.

Back to where we started. This is the simple takeaway: Packaging is the art and science of selling with a value component that easily answers the question, “Why buy now?”

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

Comrex Now Shipping BRIC-Link III

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

The BRIC-Link III IP audio codec that Comrex unveiled at NAB 2022 is now shipping. Comrex says that this latest model “features a new, more powerful processor for improved reliability in addition to enhanced front panel indicators, including four buttons which will trigger contact closures by default and are configurable for auto-connections to other Comrex IP audio codecs.” Comrex adds that the new BRIC-Link III includes CrossLock VPN technology, its proprietary suite of reliability tools which offers an expanded array of techniques including improved congestion detection, redundant transmission, forward error correction, and deadline-sensitive retransmission. Plus, with the ability to use multiple IP networks for increased bandwidth in addition to the intelligent monitoring and dynamic adjustment of data packets, CrossLock optimizes audio for transmission over the public Internet and provides peace of mind to broadcast engineers. BRIC-Link IP audio codecs are commonly used in home studios, as STLs, for voice-over delivery, for sportscasting, and for many other situations that require point-to-point connections. With additional operation modes like HTTP and IP Multicast, BRIC-Link III can also function as a streaming server or send audio to multiple locations (depending on network bandwidth), making it an incredibly versatile hardware codec with an entry-level price point. BRIC-Link III is compatible with all other Comrex IP audio codecs, including the ACCESS codec line as well as older BRIC-Link models. It also includes EBU 3326/SIP mode for interoperability with third-party manufacturer codecs. BRIC-Link III works with Comrex Gagl, a new service now available for remote contribution. Gagl turns any Comrex IP audio codec into a hub for up to five participants. Learn more by visiting Comrex.com.

Industry Views

SABO SEZ: RECEPTIONISTS AND GROUND INTELLIGENCE – Be nice to the human at the front desk (if there is still one).

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Walter Sabo
Producer/Host
Sterling on Sunday
Media Consultant

When thinking about the changes in the radio industry I’ve seen during my career, I’m dragged to memories of the lobby of WXLO-FM in New York (WOR’s FM sister).  The station was on the second floor of 1440 Broadway. WOR-AM was on the 24th and 23rd floors.  In technical terms, the place was a dump. Dirty linoleum. Ancient office furniture.  The original ceiling was spray painted black to hide the fact that it was not an acoustic drop down ceiling. Not one window in the place. BUT the signal was the best on the FM band. WXLO was the first station to hire me almost out of college. I needed a summer job between my junior and senior year but WXLO did not have summer jobs.  The general manager, Arthur Adler offered me a full time job which I accepted immediately.

For my on-boarding process Arthur walked me to the fluorescent sales area and pointed to an empty cubicle.  Then, he vanished. Next his secretary escorted me to the personnel department many flights up.  I was seated next to an official person who was gathering many forms for me to fill out. These forms included the all-important TUITION REIMBURSEMENT form which compelled RKO General (the station’s then-owner) to pay for my last semester in college. (I attended Rutgers at night and had the credits transferred to my diploma school, Syracuse University.) On the official person’s desk sat a three-ring binder wide opened to the KHJ (Los Angeles) TALENT page.  Wide open. Staring at me, beckoning, teasing me to look. What could I do? Robert W Morgan, morning man, HIGH five figures a year.  The Real Don Steele, PM drive mid-five figures. Every other jock was paid AFTRA scale.  It was a crash course in radio economics and I wasn’t even a legal adult.  But I digress. Now for the point.

A few days later the front door on the second floor was banging. The receptionist, a kind, timid person, hit the intercom key and asked who was knocking?  Even back then, at 40th and Broadway visitors were a high security issue. That door was locked for about a million good reasons. Who was at the door?  A “menacing” man in a fancy suit and perfect hair said his name, but the receptionist did not recognize him or his name. He repeated,  “I’m THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY.”  That’s what he said.  But he wasn’t. He was the vice president.  I learned a lot then too.

A receptionist is not just the gatekeeper to the business. He/she could be the gatekeeper to your career, or fortune. That is, of course, if the establishment you are visiting still has a receptionist.  My brother, the smart one, is a financial big shot. Highly respected, oddly humble. Companies come to him for funding. Executives seeking financial backing sit with his receptionist for an unusually long time. When the visitors are invited from the lobby to the conference room, they are ALL invited into the conference room – including the receptionist. The meeting starts with my brother asking the “receptionist” for her impressions of the guests.  Then it is revealed that the receptionist is actually a high ranking, decision-making executive.

The second floor receptionist at WXLO let her feelings about the boisterous vice president be known and said VP was not titled for long. Dumb companies have eliminated receptionists and instead greet visitors with touch tone wall phones and posted extensions directories.  The loss of ground intelligence is significant – especially if the station is located in a high-priced downtown office building designed to impress.

Plus a lot of executives waste time running to the door to get food orders. False economy.

Walter Sabo is a long-time radio industry consultant and thought leader.  He hosts and produces a network radio show titled “Sterling on Sunday” 10:00 pm-1:00 am ET.  www.waltersterlingshow.com.   walter@sabomedia.com

Industry Views

Post CES: Technology Trends Update

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

What a week! And what it all means to radio? Simple. Matter-enough to earn a place on the landscape described by Consumer Technology Association VP/research Steve Koenig. This briefing alone was worth the trip. My short-version notes of six bases he tagged…

Enterprise Technology Innovation

  • “Stubborn inflation and rising interest rates.” Yet, historically…
  • Tough times yield innovation, much of which “comes from the smallest startups.” During The Great Recession of 2008-2009, we got 4G mobile broadband, smartphones, and tablets and notebook computers. As a 2023 recession looms: 5G, autonomous systems, connected intelligence, quantum computing.
  • 5G is “upgrading the global economy.”
  • While “supply chains remain vulnerable, chip inventories are rising.”

Metaverse/Web 3.0

  • “The Metaverse is closer than you think. It’s the next generation of the Internet.”
  • “Like the internet in the 1990s, a real trend,” not just the crude video game graphics we’ve seen in Meta’s rollout.
  • Think “shared experiences,” not hard to conceptualize after two years of Zoom.

 

Click here to read more of this story…

Industry Views

How Hot Is Podcasting?

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

How hot is podcasting? The topic dominated a CES session billed in broader terms: “The Disruption: Media, Platforms & Advertising.” Panelists – executives from social media, major content brands, and radio mega-groups – also discussed “linear” (live) programming and streaming video. But all kept coming back to podcasting, which iHeartMedia CMO Gayle Troberman characterized as “exploding, driving massive growth in audio.”

Not unexpected, since her company is a major player. But, from the other side of the equation, World Wrestling Entertainment SVP Craig Stimmel acknowledges that, post-pandemic, “habits have changed as to where to go” for media; so “we want to make sure our content is everywhere.” His stars are among celebrities whom podcasting connects with fans in what Troberman describes as “live, human, unscripted conversation with people you come to know;” particularly welcome post-pandemic-shutdown. “The more isolated and alone people feel, the more audio delivers intimacy.”

It’s not a radio show

Every panelist spoke of “authenticity,” rather than the slick, polished texture of traditional AM/FM programming. SXM Media SVP Lizzie Widhelm challenges broadcasters: “How can we let go of our playbook, and walk away from norms that have been comfy-cozy?”

“More creators coming into audio than ever before” from politics, sports, and other walks of life, “to engage more deeply.” Audacy CMO Paul Suchman says that delivers advertisers “super-relevant, contextually relevant” places to tell their stories. So “this is a medium that deserves GREAT creative,” not just audio of a TV spot. “Advertising that gets ‘inserted’” doesn’t work as well as “the deep human connection” of podcaster’s very personal delivery. Thus “the lowest ad-skipping rates of any media.”

Podcasting plusses

Just as music streams offer lots more variety than safe-list FMs, spoken-word podcasting is a topical cornucopia compared to talk radio’s largely political fare.

And panelists ticked-off other advantages podcasts offer advertisers:

  • “Quicker and much less-expensive production than video.”
  • “Lower CPM” ad rates, increasingly attractive as recession likely looms.
  • “Really young, and diverse audiences coming into audio in a big way.”
  • “The audiences you’re not getting on TV anymore.”

“Voice has always been how humans communicate”

Troberman describes the iHeart app Talkback feature, which listeners use to send messages stations play, a tool some of my client stations have built-into their apps.

And this interactivity isn’t just a media thing. Audacy’s Suchman mentioned how drivers now converse with Cadillac’s state-of-the-art dashboard: “The next phase of computing will be voice-driven.” Yet – accustomed as we have become to dealing with supermarket self-checkout and other robots almost everywhere – the “intimacy,” “authenticity,” and “diversity” panelists speak of suggest that, as iHeart’s Troberman reckons, “the future of voice is the future of two-way communication via audio.”

Help yourself!

I’ve been reporting from CES all this week for TALKERS…and for you. You can download five 60-second radio reports at HollandCooke.com.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is the author of “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books; and “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and the E-book and FREE on-air radio features “Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins.” HC is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow him on Twitter @HollandCooke

Industry News

St. Louis Area AC KSLQ Flips to All Podcast Format

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

50-year veteran radio broadcaster Brad Hildebrand, owner/operator of KSLQ-FM 104.5 – a St Louis area signal – tells TALKERS he has flipped the hot AC station to an all-podcast format (1/1) operating under the brand name “Podcastrr.”   The format consists of an aggregation of already-existing podcasts with the special feature of giving listeners and clients the opportunity to produce, host, launch and promote their own paid podcasts on the platform.  Licensed to Washington, MO, KSLQ’s 104.5 signal covers St. Charles County, Franklin County, Warren County, western St. Louis County and northwestern Jefferson County. It streams worldwide at podcastrr.fm and podcastrr.com.   Hildebrand, a man described by Michael Harrison as “iconoclastic and independent,” tells TALKERS, “I’m tired of reading Inside Radio about how some guy who started a podcast biz 14 months ago just got $46 million from some Fortune 500 company.  And yet radio stations with huge audiences are being bought up for practically nothing by EMF so they can put the same programming on the 2000th station.”  Speaking in the third person Hildebrand adds, “So Brad goes against what all the radio experts – the same ones who just got laid off at Beasley and Audacy – told him and flips Q to Podcastrr.  And on day three of the new format sees his steaming numbers triple what they were with music.”  Hildebrand can be reached at 314-280-8880 or Brad@KSLQ.com. Click the link for more information about Podcastrr.

Industry News

KFI, Los Angeles Makes New Year Program Schedule Changes

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Los Angeles news/talk giant KFI adjusted its program schedule that took effect this week. The iHeartMedia station didn’t issue a press release but the station’s website reveals the following changes: Bill Handel’s morning drive show is airing from 6:00 am to 9:00 am – following Jennifer Jones Lee’s “Wake Up Call” that airs from 5:00 am to 6:00 am; “Gary & Shannon” air from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm; the “John & Ken” program moves from its longtime afternoon drive slot to the 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm slot while evening host Tim Conway Jr. moves to the 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm daypart; and weekend talk host Mo’Kelly moves into the 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm slot. Premiere Networks’ “Coast to Coast AM” with George Noory is heard in the late-night slot.

Industry News

Beasley Media Group Names Ariana Sheehan Director of Digital Content Strategy

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Albany-based Ariana Sheehan joins Beasley Media Group as director of digital content strategy. Sheehan most recently served as engagement editor at Nexstar-owned BestReviews. Prior to that, she worked as a regional digital director at Townsquare Media in Albany. In this role, Sheehan will work closely with vice president of digital content Erika Beasley and vice president of digital marketing Jennifer Williams to help drive the company’s digital content strategy and continue to grow BMG’s audience. Beasley chief content officer Justin Chase states, “With Beasley’s continued focus on growing audience on our multi-platform content brands, it’s a sincere pleasure to welcome Ariana Sheehan. Ariana has a successful track record of helping publishers build, engage, and monetize digital audience. I know she will be a valuable member of our digital team!” Sheehan says, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join Beasley Media Group’s outstanding corporate digital team and to help some of America’s most beloved and influential radio personalities deliver their engaging content to new and existing audiences across all media platforms. I can’t wait to dive in with these iconic brands as they continue to grow their digital footprint in their home cities and beyond.”

Industry Views

CES2023: Introducing Smellovision and Other Delights

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

 
By Holland Cooke
Consultant

A week ago, air travel was pretty much an oxymoron. But Southwest got me here just fine, and some hundred thousand other tech buffs are also inbound. Consumer technology is a half-TRILLION-dollar business here in the USA alone. And for those of us in 100-year-old broadcast radio, what’s here is both exciting and humbling.

Media threat assessment

The Daily Mail reports: “BBC could turn OFF its TV and radio channels within a decade.” Its director says they’re “planning for an online-only future beyond 2030.”

“TV” had already morphed into “video” – and “radio” to “audio” – before the pandemic shutdown, which accelerated lots of other trends-already-in-motion.

– Like radio broadcasters, many others are in permanent work-at-home mode, a body blow to “morning drive.”  Among conference sessions here: “Metaverse Meets Office Space.”

– As shopping moves from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce, local retailers need local radio more than ever. The shopping malls that haven’t yet closed are being repurposed into “mixed-use retail/residential” and community colleges and healthcare facilities and other second acts.

– So, yuh, I’m here, to learn how new hardware and software are accommodating listeners’ changing media consumption preferences. And I am encouraged to encounter others (too few) from the radio family who are here too.

Among new media I’m eager to see – and get a whiff of – is “AromaPlayer®, the only system capable of adding scent to your videos.” Yes, smellovision.

Who’s hungry?

Increasingly, everyone. With climate change and population growth challenging our future food supply, CES has scheduled presentations on “Reinventing the Food System for a 10 Billion Person Planet” and “Scaling Towards a Trillion Dollar Alternative Protein Industry” and there’s even “Meals on Mars: The Race to Create Food in Space.”

And why should Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson have all the fun? There’s a session on “Investing In Space.”

Daily radio updates, help yourself

I’m reporting from CES all week for TALKERS…and for you. I am voicing daily 60-second radio reports for air through Friday 01/06. You can download them night-before at HollandCooke.com. Air as many times on as many stations as you wish. No password, no further permission needed, no paperwork, no national commercial. If you can sell a local sponsorship, keep the money.

 Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is the author of “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books; and “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and the E-book and FREE on-air radio features “Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins.” HC is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow him on Twitter @HollandCooke

Industry News

Louisiana Talk Host Moon Griffon Joins WBRP-FM, Baton Rouge for Late Mornings

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Talk radio pro Moon Griffon begins hosting the 9:00 am to 11:00 am talk show on Guaranty Media’s news/talk WBRP-FM, Baton Rouge “Talk 107.3” today (1/3). Guaranty Media VP and general manager Gordy Rush states, “We are excited to add Moon Griffon to the ‘Talk 107.3’ weekday lineup and increase the amount of local programming. The Hayride calls Moon Griffon the state’s ‘most prominent talk host,’ and we think the timing is perfect with the upcoming elections in 2023.” Griffon’s addition to the lineup forces some changes with the “FOX News Rundown” moving to a 4:00 am start and FOX News Radio’s “The Brian Kilmeade Show” airing from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. WBRP morning host and program director Brian Haldane adds, “With Moon’s voice and opinions on Louisiana politics, it just makes sense for him to be on in the Capital City. This means we’ll be covering Louisiana for five straight hours from 6:00 am to 11:00 am every weekday morning.”

Industry Views

My Top Five Sales Tips to Make 2023 Your Best Year Ever!

By TALKERS | by TALKERS


By Kathy Carr
President
HCRN

2023 is here and those of us in radio sales have our work cut out for us.  Hope the following tips are helpful to you.

1. Celebrate your client’s joyous moments and victories. It could be the birth of a grandchild, birthday or company expansion. Take time to buy a baby gift, send flowers or even just a card. One in the mail is better, but an electronic message can do the trick as well. I prefer the ones sent via snail mail, because they are always opened. It shows that you made an effort. Back in my early 20s, a colleague pulled out a tattered calendar and asked me if I knew what it was. Of course, I didn’t. She told me this was where she kept her list of clients’ birthdays. I don’t remember her name, but I do remember the tip.

2. Grow your existing client base. One of our top clients for 2023 was one of our more modest buys in 2022. Take the time to listen to everyone and find out what is working (and what isn’t). Then try to match their needs with what you have to offer. Make that difficult trip to visit them in person. You can have a great phone relationship, but there is still nothing like face-to-face. It forever changes the relationship. Zoom is not the same as in-person, obviously. If your customers seem unwilling to meet, suggest lunch. It will be well worth it.

3. Don’t take your long-term clients for granted. Our longest-running advertiser has been with us for more than 25 years. Keep the copy fresh and suggest new marketing ideas.  Those bedrock clients are your greatest strength. Without them, you cannot succeed. As in a marriage, don’t stop trying.  Let them know you value them and care. Call them once a month and not just when the invoice is past due. Email them an article about their business. Wish them a Happy New Year. It’s not too late. Even if it is just a text.

4. Network with your friends. One of our top clients came from a random phone call from a friend. It wasn’t even about advertising. He was asking for a favor about something totally different. When he began talking about the person who wanted a favor and was telling me about his business, I instantly realized that this company would be a great advertiser for the network. The client has been with us for years now and as a result of that one simple call advertises on radio throughout the country. You don’t know who knows who. Listen to your friends. Your next big client could be right in front of you.

5. My last tip may be controversial but is critical if you truly want to make 2023 your best year ever. I don’t believe in the old saying, “The customer is always right.” We’ve all known clients that are verbally abusive, liars and just an overall pain-in-the-you-know-what. There comes a point when if you are spending hours daily kowtowing to just one client, you have to consider the time it is taking away from new business, other customers and also your own personal mental health. If someone in any part of your life is sucking the living energy out of you, you need to move on, or you will remain stagnant and 2023 won’t be your best year ever.

Whatever else you do in 2023, remember to work hard, have fun and of course never give up. Happy 2023!

Kathy Carr is president of HCRN which distributes the Howie Carr Show and Grace Curley Show. She can be reached at Kathycarr@Howiecarrshow.com

About TALKERS

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

TALKERS (commonly referred to as “TALKERS magazine”) is the leading trade publication serving the talk media industry in America. It was dubbed “The Bible of Talk Radio” by Business Week as it initially focused on news/talk, all news, all sports, and a variety of spoken work genres emerging on the radio dial. As technology and media trends evolved over the years, the publication expanded to serve the forms of talk media beyond just talk radio — which includes talk content distributed digitally, via satellite and on cable television.

TALKERS was launched as a print publication during the Summer of 1990 by its founder Michael Harrison, a multi-format radio broadcasting innovator and industry trade journalist who has been at the center of many of the exciting pop radio revolutions of the past half-century, both on air and behind the scenes.

TALKERS is published in digital-only formats and features news stories, photos and videos relevant to the non-stop happenings in talk media with a focus on top hosts and stations, developments at the networks, interviews with movers and shakers, the opinions of industry leaders, advertising sales trends and fast-breaking developments in technology.

TALKERS also conducts ongoing research of the topics and opinions discussed and expressed on hundreds of talk stations and programs across America and compiles them into surveys and graphs which have become the standard of the industry.

In addition to talk broadcasters using TALKERS research as a guideline to see where they fit into the industry landscape, the consumer press also regularly turns to the publication to capture the mood of the public as it is expressed in talk media in addition to learning about what’s happening in the business. Hardly a week goes by in which TALKERS is not cited in a major publication or TV broadcast dealing with news stories, public opinion or talk media specifically.

According to TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison, “Talk media is collectively the most accurate bellwether of American public opinion in the mass media today.”

Since 1990, the growth of TALKERS magazine has been parallel to that of the talk radio industry – which includes its many sub-formats – with many observers crediting the publication with not just chronicling the talk radio phenomenon, but playing a significant role in supporting and fueling the medium’s spectacular rise to prominence. Talk radio is the most-listened to radio genre today and certainly the most important.

TALKERS has an international readership in the English-speaking world that includes the key participants at most talk radio stations and networks in the United States and Canada (plus the U.K, Ireland, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Hong Kong), including the most important talk show hosts on air, online, on satellite and in podcasting.

TALKERS magazine readers also include the top executives of TV networks, management at the largest entertainment companies, editors of major publications, members of congress, governors of states, and even the President of the United States. And, the hardcore fans of talk radio — its most dedicated listeners — are consumers of the content on Talkers.com and its affiliated products.

TALKERS magazine advertisers include radio program suppliers, broadcast equipment manufacturers and distributors, book publishers, record companies, political action committees and more.

Because of the phenomenal growth of talk media, its impact on society, and the colorful nature of both its personalities and its listeners, TALKERS magazine emerged in the 1990s as one of the most important trade journals in American industry and on the contemporary cultural scene. Now, with the industry headed boldly into the third decade of the 21st century, and with the exponential growth of the many spoken-word formats and delivery systems, TALKERS magazine’s potential for expansion is unlimited.

TALKERS magazine’s writers include some of the most respected media professionals in the country and it has published exclusive print, audio and video interviews with some of the nation’s most important newsmakers. These include Presidents of the United States, key broadcasting executives, business and government leaders, as well as show business figures.

TALKERS magazine has expanded into an array of media beyond its writings. It has organized and presented the talk media industry’s longest-running and most important national convention – now in its 25th consecutive year in addition to countless individual forums, seminars and radio rows around the country on subjects that include politics, foreign policy, domestic violence, health care and economics.

TALKERS magazine and the talk media are very much a part of each other and on the move toward playing an even larger and increasingly more important role in digital-era America!

Front Page News Industry News

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

By Editor | by Editor

WPHT, Philadelphia Midday Star Dom Giordano is This Week’s Guest on Harrison Podcast. The “Dean of Philadelphia Talk Radio,” Dom Giordano is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Giordano is a former public school teacher considered one of the media’s leading advocates for education and activists for education reform. He has also been an outspoken voice of reason in the conversation about Philadelphia’s alarming crime, drug and homelessness problems. Harrison and moderate conservative Giordano take a deep-dive into these topics in addition to discussing fascinating post-midterms Pennsylvania politics as well as the strong possibility that the GOP and news/talk radio are approaching a major fork in the road regarding their support of baggage-laden Donald Trump versus rising new Republican stars such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Don’t miss this eye-opening conversation! To listen to the podcast in its entirety please click here.

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Skippy Leaves KMJ-AM/FM Fresno After Three Years Co-Hosting Afternoons. The Fresno Bee reports that Frances Echeverria – a.k.a. Skippy (right) – has left Cumulus Media’s news/talk KMJ-AM/FM, Fresno. After leaving alternative rock KFRR-FM’s morning show in 2019, she joined KMJ-AM/FM to host the afternoon drive show alongside Philip Teresi (left). But on Friday (11/11), she announced that she’s retiring from radio. She told her audience, “The station has meant more for me personally that I can ever explain.” Echeverria called the change a lifestyle change, as much as a career change. The Bee notes that she wrote in a post on the website, “I didn’t want to do radio anymore. It wasn’t that it was bad. In fact, the chemistry with my partner was continually evolving into something better. I had good bosses. I felt like I was making a difference, whatever that means. Working there made me smarter. And yet I was done. Deep in my heart and down in my soul. Done.” Echeverria also works as a therapist and is a professor at Fresno State.

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FOX News Media Extends Deal with Mark Levin. Talk media personality Mark Levin and FOX News Media agree to an extension of Levin’s current multi-year deal in which he’ll remain host of “Life, Liberty & Levin” that airs Sunday nights at 8:00 pm ET on FOX News Channel. Levin says, “FOX News Channel and I are extending my show. Suzanne Scott trusted that I could do a show and I want to thank her and her team and all the folks in between who’ve supported this. I want to thank you. I want to thank FOX. I want to thank my family.” FOX News Media says “Life, Liberty & Levin” is the second highest-rated cable news program on weekends, averaging 1.7 million viewers on Sundays at 8:00 pm for 2022 to date. “With Levin at its helm, the show’s total audience almost triples CNN’s programming in the timeslot and nearly quadruples MSNBC’s total and A25-54 demo viewership. In October 2022, the program earned 1.6 million viewers and 127,000 in the demo, making it the number one program in weekend primetime programming.”

WNYC Produces Podcast Series Titled ‘The Divided Dial’ That Focuses on Salem Media Group. The latest news organization to present a report on news/talk radio is WNYC. In this case, the project from WNYC Studio’s On The Media is a five-part podcast titled, “The Divided Dial,” that “charts the growth of broadcasting company Salem Media Group.” WNYC says Salem is “a once small, conservative Christian radio network that quietly expanded their reach in far-right media through the hard to monitor, difficult to fact check, and minimally scrutinized medium of talk radio. With holdings of over 100 radio stations (many in the top 25 markets) and shows syndicated to over 3,000 stations across the country, the series uncovers how Salem exerts influence behind many conservative figures in America — while receiving considerably less media attention than other far-right news sources. The series also puts Salem’s growth in the context of nearly nine decades of radio history, illuminating how conservative dominance of the airwaves was aided by long-term regulatory erosion and strategic pressure from the right.” The project is reported and hosted by Katie Thornton and includes conversations with scholars, journalists, and media experts, as well as a “rare on-the-record” interview with Salem SVP Phil Boyce. You can find the first podcast in the series here.

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LABF Celebrates ‘Industry Trailblazers’ at ‘Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts’ Event. The 2022 Library of American Broadcasting Foundation’s “Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts” event took place last night (11/15) at Gotham Hall in New York. The annual event was hosted by ABC News’ “Nightline” co-anchor Juju Chang and celebrated “distinguished individuals who have – for the past century – been the creators, innovators, journalists, leaders, performers, and producers that have brought the electronic arts to the prominence they occupy in the United States and the world today, and who have set the stage for the future.” Net proceeds from the event will benefit the Library of American Broadcasting collection located at the University of Maryland and support LABF awards for students and scholarly works about the history of broadcasting and their impact on American society and culture. Pictured above are: (standing, l-r) Chang; Jack Goodman, LABF co-chair; Adam Symson, president & CEO, E.W. Scripps; Bob Pittman, chairman & CEO, iHeartMedia; Pete Williams, justice correspondent, NBC News (ret.); Sean McManus, chairman, CBS Sports; Joyce Tudryn, IRTS president & CEO; Heidi Raphael, LABF co-chair; Fareed Zakaria, CNN anchor, author, columnist, The Washington Post; (sitting l-r) Alex Prud’homme; Deb McDermott, CEO, Standard Media Group; S. Epatha Merkerson, actress; and Bud Walters, president, Cromwell Media. Photo: Wendy Moger-Bross

TALKERS News Notes. A new content distribution deal between VSiN, The Sports Betting Network and Gow Media will put VSiN’s longform sports betting shows and Brent Musburger’s one minute “Action Updates” on Gow Media’s SportsMap network. VSiN says it expects the deal to more than double its terrestrial radio affiliates. Gow Media CEO David Gow says, “We are thrilled to be working with VSiN. VSiN has set the standard for sports gambling content. Through this content distribution deal, we will bring together some of the most influential personalities in sports radio to entertain and inform our combined audiences.” VSiN founder and CEO Brian Musberger adds, “David Gow has created a powerhouse in the U.S. radio industry, and we couldn’t be more excited to be his choice to deliver real-time sports betting news, analysis and insights to the growing SportsMap radio audience.”…..CNN Audio announces that Matt Martinez joins the network as showrunner for “The Assignment with Audie Cornish” – CNN’s newest weekly podcast premiering tomorrow (11/17). Previously, Martinez was a senior producer at On Being Studios, producing radio shows and podcasts for “On Being with Krista Tippett.” He was also the director of content at KNKX Public Radio in Tacoma.

Colorful Radio Station Owner Michael Zwerling Announces That He Is Offering Heritage Talker KSCO, Santa Cruz for Sale. According to an extensive article published by the Times Publishing Group, Inc. of California’s Central Coast (and an advertising campaign in TALKERS) legendary broadcasting industry owner and personality Michael “MZ” Zwerling is offering KSCO and associated properties for sale after a 31-year stint at the operation’s helm. The article states, Michael Zwerling has been in love with KSCO since he was a high school kid broadcasting Santa Cruz High On The Air in the mid-1960s. As the station owner since 1991, he’s created a radio station that’s a voice for pretty much everyone. But now, at 71 — his birthday was Nov. 9 — he has a new love in his life, Amy Hao, co-host of the “China Watch” show on KSCO and a veteran traveler, and he wants to spend his time traveling with her. The couple, who met in 2019, are “totally into free speech,” Zwerling said. They recently returned from a two-week safari in Africa. “Amy’s not happy unless she’s traveling, and she wants to take me to all these places,” Zwerling said. That’s why he’s looking for a buyer for KSCO 1080 AM and its FM translators, along with sister station KOMY 1340, and the one-acre of flat land at 2300 Portola Drive, Santa Cruz, overlooking Corcoran Lagoon. The asking price is $1.5 million cash for the two radio stations and the broadcasting business. The asking price is $6 million cash for the property, which includes the Art Deco studio building, garage, parking lot, concrete event patio, plus the three broadcast towers in the lagoon, which give the 10-kilowatt station the power of a 50-kilowatt station on dry land, according to Zwerling. To read the entire story, please click here. Photo: KSCO GM Michael Olson standing in front of KSCO’s historic Art Deco studios along Silicon Beach in Santa Cruz, CA. Times Publishing Group.

Trump Announces ’24 Bid, Midterms Aftermath, The Economy/FTX Collapse, Immigration, Abortion, Biden-Xi Meeting, G-20/Russia-Ukraine War, Trump Org Trial, and NASA’s Artemis Launches Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/15). Former President Donald Trump announces his run for president in 2024; the aftermath of the midterm elections, including the Republicans’ expected control over the U.S. House and Rick Scott’s challenging Mitch McConnell as top Republican in the U.S. Senate; the rate of inflation, concerns about a recession, and the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX; a judge halts the use of Title 42 to expel migrants from the U.S.; Georgia’s strict abortion ban is struck down in court; the meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping; the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia and its condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; former Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg testifies at the company’s fraud trial; and NASA launches its Artemis rocket that re-boots the U.S. moon program were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

 

The Radio Sales Arena is Changing and We Are On the Leading Edge. The key to sales growth in radio going forward is multi-platform digital marketing. In the coming decade, “radio” will simply be the engine driving an increasingly complex and sophisticated array of digitally powered platforms creating endless packages and options for the advertiser. The keys to success will be in branding that cuts through the noise and surgical targeting that delivers optimum efficiency for agencies that know exactly what they want. The Salem Media Group is leading the way and the opportunities for our sales team are endless. But, right now, we need that special individual who has the tools, the vision and the ambition to get it done. That one special person who truly “gets it.” Jerry Crowley, the longest-running GM in the nation’s largest market, says, “We want one outstanding seller who can take it to the moon! Compensation will reflect potential and performance – salary will range from 50k- 85k plus substantial bonuses and generous commissions.” Candidates should send cover letter and resume to Jerry Crowley, VP/GM, Salem Media Group, NY (WMCA 570am The Mission/WNYM 970am The Answer) at Jcrowley@nycradio.com.

Front Page News Industry News

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

By Editor | by Editor

Steve Wexler Steps Down from Daily Management Duties at Good Karma Brands Milwaukee. Radio management pro Steve Wexler – vice president and market manager for Good Karma Brands Milwaukee – will wrap up his 35-year career and transition into a coaching and development role at the company. The announcement was made today (11/15) by GKB founder and CEO Craig Karmazin, who says, “We are appreciative and grateful Steve “Wex” joined Good Karma to lead the Milwaukee team through a time of significant growth and transition. His passion for local news and his community-focused approach to broadcasting and media led the team through a pandemic, the launch of a new station, and award-winning coverage of so many significant moments of the past several years. We’re looking forward to continuing to learn from his knowledge and leadership expertise as he moves into a coaching role within the GKB home office.” The company says that EVP Emily Dillinger will assume the role of interim market manager for GKB’s three Milwaukee stations talk WGKB-AM/W269DL “101.7 The Truth,” sports talk WKTI-FM, “ESPN Milwaukee,” and news/talk WTMJ “Newsradio 620.” Wexler comments, “I’m looking forward to tapping into my experiences and many lessons learned to help our content, sales and management teammates continue to grow their skills and knowledge. I’m very grateful to Craig for the opportunity to do what I do best and what I enjoy most which is spending time coaching and developing our team.” Wexler led the sale of the 36-station, 8-market Scripps Radio Group in late 2018 to several broadcast companies, including GKB in Milwaukee, where he assumed the role of market manager in 2019. He began his broadcast career at WTMJ in Milwaukee as an intern and has been an on-air personality, program manager, and radio and television general manager before running the radio division for Journal Communications, which merged with Scripps in 2018.

Cox Media Group Names Market Leaders for Houston and Orlando. The company announces the appointment of new VP/market managers for its Houston and Orlando clusters. In Orlando, where Cox Media Group operates news/talk WDBO-AM/FM and five music brands, JC Campese assumes the leadership role. CMG operates three music brands in Houston where Stephanie Callihan is named to the top position. She has served with several radio groups, including Audacy where she was most recently an SVP and market manager. Campese launched his career with CMG in 2000 and rose to director of sales for the Orlando cluster prior to this promotion. CMG executive vice president Rob Babin says, “We are excited to tap into our amazing internal CMG leadership talent and announce the promotions of JC and Stephanie. JC and Stephanie have a fantastic range of experiences and talents that will make a positive impact on CMG and our talented teams in Orlando and Houston. I look forward to the difference they’ll make as CMG continues to evolve to meet the needs of our listeners, clients, and our communities.”

AWM Presents Gracies Leadership Awards. The Alliance for Women in Media hosted the Gracies Leadership Awards luncheon yesterday (11/14) at the Tribeca 360° in New York City.  Soledad O’Brien served as keynote speaker stating that the group of honorees represent “stories not just of grit, vision, and opportunity, but of women helping women and celebrating women and the story of how those women didn’t forget that they got into media to elevate people and issues and struggles that were not in the spotlight.” The seven female leaders honored (and pictured above) were: Valerie Blackburn; Nancy Daniels, chief of content, NTets, Discovery, Animal Planet &Science Channel; Marie Donoghue, vice president, global sports video, Amazon; Kim Godwin, president, ABC News; Wendy Goldberg, chief communications officer, iHeartMedia, Inc; Chelsey Maddox-Dorsey, CEO, A wonder Media Company; Debra O’Connell, president, networks, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution; and Dawn Porter, founder, Trilogy Films. AWM Foundation chair Heather Cohen states, “This is a pivotal event for us because it covers all three of our pillars- it’s recognition, it’s education, and it’s connection. We shine a light on exceptional women in media- those who have shattered glass ceilings and proven their leadership and notable today, what an honor to have Soledad O’Brien, one of the greatest storytellers of our time as our keynote.”

TALKERS News Notes. Audio research and analytics firm Veritonic announces the second annual Audio Intelligence Summit is scheduled for February 15 at Second Floor in New York City. Veritonic says, “The summit will once again gather industry-leading brands, agencies, and publishers to dive deep into the data and analytics that are driving today’s successful audio and podcasting strategies. We look forward to coming together with fellow publishers, platforms, brands and agencies to collectively improve upon and consider the data and analytics that are making audio’s ever-expanding influence increasingly efficient and impactful.” Find details about the summit by visiting https://audiointelligencesummit.com…..Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks announce the launch today of the quirky new comedic podcast, “The Neurotic Vaccine,” created and hosted by Andy Cowan, award-winning writer for “Seinfeld,” “Cheers,” and “3rd Rock from the Sun.” In “The Neurotic Vaccine,” Cowan invites fellow neurotics to share his mini-therapy sessions with co-host, clinical and forensic psychologist, Dr. Scott Kopoian. Together with their guests – including inaugural guests Jay Leno and Cathy creator, Cathy Guisewite – Cowan and Kopoian work toward the daunting goal of immunity to neurosis. “The Neurotic Vaccine” podcast includes celebrity guests, post-session postscripts, comedy featurettes and more. Future sessions of “The Neurotic Vaccine” will feature stars including Leave It To Beaver’s Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow (in his final interview), “Curb Your Enthusiasm” guest star comedian Elon Gold, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, CNN host Michael Smerconish, and actress Marilu Henner…..Quu Inc., announces radio veteran Laura Gonzo joins the company as senior director of affiliate services. In this role, Gonzo will work with stations and sales teams to ensure the successful implementation of Quu’s advertising products. Gonzo served as affiliate director for “The Bob & Tom Show” from 1997 through 2008. She says, “Quu’s powerful technology is truly a game-changer for radio. Beyond elevating the station’s visual appeal, Quu offers a huge opportunity to increase sales and drive stronger returns for clients. I’m thrilled to join the team of passionate experts at Quu and to help stations make the most of these transformative products.”…..SiriusXM announces that Andy Cohen has signed a three-year contract extension and that his exclusive SiriusXM channel Radio Andy “will now serve as the audio subscription service’s definitive home for pop culture with “Andy Cohen Live” and “Smith Sisters Live” expanding to daily shows.” Cohen says, “SiriusXM allows me to dig deeply into two of my passions – pop culture on Radio Andy and music on the Kiki Lounge. I’m so proud of what we’ve developed over the last seven years on Radio Andy. I’ve loved programming the channel, and my longform interviews with celebrities and authors feed my soul. Programming the Kiki Lounge brought me incredible joy during the pandemic and listening to it is a romp through my expansive music vocabulary.”

Midterms Aftermath, Trump in ’24, Biden-Xi Meeting, The Economy, Crypto-Crash, G-20/Russia-Ukraine War, and UVA Killings Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/14). The results of last week’s midterm elections that leave the Democrats in control of the U.S. Senate and the Republicans likely to assume control of the U.S. House; former President Donald Trump’s expected announcement he’ll run for president in 2024; Monday’s meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping; inflation and fears of a recession; the fall of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the 75% decline of crypto value over the last 12 months; the G-20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia and the pressure on attending nations to officially condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; and the fatal shooting of three University of Virginia football players were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Monday, November 14, 2022

By Editor | by Editor

Industry Mourns Jim Bohannon.  Veteran talk radio host Jim Bohannon has died at age 78, at the Prisma Health Cottingham Hospice House in South Carolina after losing a hard fought battle with esophageal cancer. He was born January 7, 1944 in Corvallis, OR, where his father was stationed in the U.S. Army during WWII. After the war, the family moved back to their home town to Lebanon, MO, where Jim grew up and graduated from Lebanon High School in 1962. He attended Missouri State University in Springfield, MO, before joining the military. His service in the U.S. Army Security Agency with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade included a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1967-68. Jim’s radio career began in high school working at KLWT, and in college at KICK, and KWTO.  After his return stateside, Jim was stationed at Vint Hill Farms Station, VA, and worked at radio stations WGAY, WTOP, and WRC in the Washington, DC market. He joined the Mutual Network in 1983, which later became Westwood One Radio. He began anchoring America in the Morning news magazine, hosting the Saturday night Jim Bohannon Show, and filling in on the Larry King Show. In 1993, Larry King moved to CNN, and the radio show became the Jim Bohannon Show, which Jim hosted until shortly before his death. His distinctive voice, wit and wisdom was aired on some 500 radio stations nationwide. Jim has been honored to be the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of his talent and contributions to the radio industry. This includes his induction into the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame by the National Association of Broadcasters, the Missouri Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, the Radio Hall of Fame of the Museum of Broadcast Communication, and the Society of Professional Journalists, DC Chapter Hall of Fame. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from TALKERS magazine, and the First Amendment Award from the Radio and Television Digital News Foundation. He was especially pleased to receive the Gold Award from the International Radio Festival of New York for his documentary, “Pain and Pride- Remembering Vietnam,” and to be a 2003 inductee to the Wall of Honor in his hometown of Lebanon, MO. He was a lifetime member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Vietnam Veterans of America. Jim is survived by his wife, Annabelle Bohannon, of Westminster, SC, and daughter, Elizabeth Smith of Janesville, WI.  Per Jim’s wishes no formal services will be held at this time. The family is at their respective homes.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim’s memory are suggested to any organization of your choice that serves to support the needs of veterans.  A message of condolence may be written to the family by visiting www.sandiferfuneralhome.com. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison states: “Jim Bohannon was one of the greatest radio broadcasters of all time, plain and simple.  His talent was only surpassed by the personal esteem in which his fellow broadcasters held him.  He was the very definition of a ‘good guy’ through and through.”  Harrison recently recorded the last official interview with Jim Bohannon that is posted on PodcastOne click here.

Remembering Overnight Sensation Jim Bohannon. TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian had the pleasure of interviewing Jim Bohannon a number of times over the years for personality profile pieces in the radio trade press. He says, “‘Class act’ epitomized peerless communicator Bohannon, who – while enjoying the luxury of a national Westwood One platform – possessed a palpably authentic on-air style that enamored him to a huge, loyal following. Always remarkably accessible, ‘Jimbo’ was unfailing in offering his vast expertise to the industry as a whole and to aspiring broadcasters. Moreover, he exuded a truly unique warmth that will be missed beyond measure.” Read Mike Kinosian’s piece here.

Monday Memo: Your Podcast “Bones,” Part Deux. In last week’s column, consultant Holland Cooke recommended to podcasters that shorter-is-better. This week, HC recommends a format for longer-form episodes. Read his column here.

 

Pending Business: When the Crystal Ball Is Foggy. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa writes in today’s column that “the current economic cycle is being driven by a sweeping round of cutbacks and strategic business re-focus.” He says that as a result, “the clock is ticking on the adjustments you should consider to jump-start 2023.” He offers a quick checklist to consider as you deal with a changing economic climate. Read it here.

 

Urban One’s Sports Talk WFNZ, Charlotte Names New Midday Shows. Today (11/14) marks the launch of new midday programming on Urban One’s Charlotte sports talk WFNZ-AM/FM “Sports Radio 92.7.” The station introduces the new 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm show “Wes & Walker” starring Wes Bryant (left) and Walker Mehl (right). Bryant is a host, producer, editor and voice-over artist for the ACC Digital Network in Charlotte.  He’s hosted ACC Digital Network’s “Kickoff Live,” a college football pregame show and “Wes Got Range,” a lifestyle show joining food and local area athletes together. Most recently he was the 2021-2022 season pre- and post-game host for the Charlotte Hornets broadcasts on Bally Sports South. Mehl hosts the “Locked on Hornets” podcast and has served as a guest host on WFNZ. Station PD Jeff Rickard says, “I’m excited to hear from two talented young men who are not only entertaining and engaging, but true native sons of the Queen City. I’m looking forward to hearing their hometown takes on all things Charlotte sports. I can’t wait for our listeners to learn more about them and enjoy the upcoming ride.” Rickard is also debuting his new late morning show titled, “Charlotte Sports Today,” that airs from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. The “Mac & Bone” show continues is morning drive and Kyle Bailey remains the PM drive personality.

Audacy Names Seema Kumar SVP of Advertising Platforms. Advertising pro Seema Kumar joins Audacy as SVP of advertising platforms for the company. In this role, she’ll lead the team members responsible for the technology platforms for Audacy’s revenue organization, “ensuring that roadmaps and requirements are prioritized for vendors and IT ad tech engineers, aligned with ad product strategy and revenue goals, and optimized to meet business operational needs.” Kumar comes to Audacy from her most recent position as VP of advertising technology for WarnerMedia. Audacy EVP of advertising technology, products and platforms Terri Gunnell states, “We’re thrilled to welcome Seema to the team as we elevate our strategy and focus on the interoperability of our ad platforms to support growing our revenue in partnership with sales and creating efficiencies for sales operations. Her deep ad tech platform experience and forward-thinking business acumen will ensure we improve service to our internal and external clients and partners as well as enhance our ability to innovate in 2023 and beyond.”

WRKO, Boston’s Radiothon Raises $86,000 for Disabled Veterans. On Thursday and Friday of last week (11/10 & 11) iHeartMedia news/tak outlet WRKO, Boston produced its seventh annual DAV Radiothon to benefit the Disabled American Veterans Department of Massachusetts and raised $86,000. Over the two days, WRKO on-air personalities Jeff Kuhner, Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong encouraged listeners to donate and raise funds for the DAV of Massachusetts’ homeless shelter and transportation programs. iHeartMedia Boston VP of news, talk, sports Rob Sanchez says, “Every year the WRKO listeners amaze me with their generosity. Once again, they have helped to raise $86,883 for the DAV of Massachusetts. We’re proud to be able to support the DAV of Massachusetts and show that WRKO, our listeners and our sponsors are always willing to help the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our great country.” Since 2016, DAV Radiothon has raised more than $886,000 to benefit veterans in the community.

Midterm Results, Trump in ’24, Biden Meets Xi, G-20 Summit, The Economy/Crypto Meltdown, Deadly Virginia and Idaho Shootings, Russia-Ukraine War, and Social Media Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. The aftermath of last week’s midterm elections including the Democrats’ hold on the U.S. Senate and the still-unknown status of the U.S. House; former President Donald Trump’s expected run for president in 2024; President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping over tense issues including Taiwan; the meeting of G-20 leaders in Bali; U.S. inflation, job reports and concerns about a recession, combined with the freefall of crypto-currency; the fatal shooting of three at the University of Virginia and the deaths of four University of Idaho students; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and its exit from Kherson; and the troubles at Elon Musk’s Twitter, Meta’s Facebook, and the future of social media were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.